The Launch 18:  Hasbro Plays It Safe / Smart

By now you’ve seen the list of the initial 18 figures that will appear for the launch of the Black Series refresh packaging either here or at our friends Jedi Temple Archives.  The figure roster has been met with consternation by some, but we here at Bantha Skull think it’s a pretty smart play by Big H.  Launch waves have been cursing Hasbro since the Legacy Collection debuted in July of 2008.  Launch waves seem to be cursed with too many figures that simply don’t sell.  While we can’t wait for figures like Vedain, Saelt Marae and the Lars Family Power Droid, having too many of those figures at launch could jam up the retail pipelines before the line even gets rolling.  Hasbro seems to have crafted a launch wave that is designed to prevent that.

First, it needs to be understood that there is a huge difference between “slow selling” and “won’t ever sell”.  The TPM Vintage Collection launch wave was littered with figures that simply wouldn’t sell and in many stores, they didn’t.  They sat for more than a year in some stores, went on clearance and still had to be pulled from the shelves unsold.  This Black Series re-launch wave is littered with anchor characters.  While we’re not claiming these will burn up the register, they will sell.  Figures don’t have to scream off the pegs to keep the line moving,  They just have to avoid collecting dust.  The seven anchors in wave 1 will sell:

• Yoda’s Test Darth Vader
• Wampa Attack Luke Skywalker
• Princess Leia (Boushh Disguise)
• Chewbacca (Boushh’s Prisoner)
• Anakin Skywalker (The Clone Wars)
• Yavin Ceremony Princess Leia
• C-3PO

Next we have a quartet of Clones.  I’ve joked about hating clones in the comments.  I don’t.  These four figures are generating excited chatter.  They will sell easily:

• Commander Wolffe
• Captain Rex
• Commander Thorn
• Commander Doom

That’s over 60% of the launch wave that are safe retail candidates.  Then we have the Vintage Collection repacks.  You only have to look at how quickly Bastila Shan from wave 4 sells out on-line to get a prediction of how well quickly Sarkiller will sell.  It might actually be the fastest selling figure of the wave.  The Imperial Navy Commander is one of the most underserved army builders in recent memory.  Malgus saw a few cases in 2013, so it’s not as in-demand, but as an Expanded universe Sith Lord, he will sell.  The trio of repacks are retail safe:

• Darth Malgus
• Starkiller
• Imperial Navy Commander

That leaves the final four which is where we get into obscurity.

• Mosep Binneed
• R5-G19
• Yavin Ceremony Medal Bearer
• Dutch Vander

In those four we have a highly request cantina alien and an astromech.  Mosep Binneed seems to be the figure most exciting the collector community, but it’s also one of the riskiest launch figures.  Bom Vimdin was a huge collector success, but, mostly due to over shipping, ended up sitting unsold for long periods.  Remember slow selling is okay.  Not selling, like Bom Vimdin, is where we get in trouble.  Astromechs always sell, so there’s no worry there.  Dutch Vander will probably be a slow seller, but pilots tend to sell eventually especially when timed with a vehicle release (bring us some good news on that front SDCC).  The Medal Bearer is the weakest of the launch wave.  It’s designed to complete a scene, which is good, but off all the figures, it represents the biggest risk for a launch wave.

While collectors are not overly excited about a wave where most of the figures are refreshes or repacks, the assortment is not designed for us.  It’s engineered to get the cash registers ringing again so that Hasbro can sprinkle in those high collector demand figures throughout the year before Episode VII.  Of course there is one enormous “if” tied to this whole plan.  If Hasbro does not fix the quality issues that have recently beset the Black Series, this well thought out plan is all for naught.  Look at the intricacies of the Thorn’s armor design.  Sloppy paint application on that one figure alone will be disastrous.  Hasbro, it’s clear you’ve learned from some prior mistakes, but if you don’t tighten up the quality issues ASAP, it’s all going to go for nothing.