"Recent" Acquisitions

[Grimace]

back when ROTS was new, there were a few things that I bought but did not open

I've decided I want openers, so I've begun filling in some of the gaps

today I added the Lava Reflection Obi Wan and Anakin figures, opened up and put on the shelf
and immediately knew why I had bought just one set back in 2005: they were recently released figures with a slightly reflective orange coat of thin paint
glad I got my openers cheap!

 

[The Professor]

Yeah, those molds were reused a lot in those early months of ROTS. I just gave my nephew my original Obi-Wan to go with the starfighter his aunt got him for Christmas.

 

[Jodo]

Thanks to our own Darth Vlad, I finally have the last ROTS figure I was missing!!!

 

[darthvlad]

Glad you enjoy your crispy Vader!

 

[darth_sidious]

As I mentioned on RS this is pure action figure ingenuity - one of my favorites in the lineup. The presentation of the cardback / bubble insert is also great, I miss that era of collecting! I honestly wish we still had a reasonably priced toy line like ROTS, over what we currently have with TVC, which is so limited. I'd happily give up half the articulation for an awesome design like this with swappable accessories!

 

[YAK_Chewie]

Yeah, that's a great figure. I'd be fine with them dropping the articulation down too as long as the sculpts and paint were good. ROTS was definitely a golden era.

😉

 

[Jodo]

I agree. I know Chewie and I have posted about this before, but if they did a standard line with varying articulation, I feel like they could get more characters out. Sure we’d want SA action oriented characters, but I think pretty much any senator only needs like 6 POA!

 

[YAK_Chewie]

Yep... they could vary articulation by figure need and balance out the costs better. The hyper articulation and higher msrp is preventing all the fun background and second tier characters from seeing action figure form.

On the flip side, they put out Epic Hero stuff that looks like happy meal toys which nobody wants.

🫠

 

[Jodo]

I think the TVC retro packaging really limits the line too. It’s cool, but really puts a damper on pack-in items and stuff.

 

[darthvlad]

I think the TVC retro packaging really limits the line too. It’s cool, but really puts a damper on pack-in items and stuff.

I know we talked about this over the weekend, and I am inclined to agree. Perhaps the vintage line should end (as we know it) and we go to a hybrid line. Mains and army builders get the SA treatment while others get a smaller degree of articulation depending on their importance to the story and/or if they're more action-oriented.

While I absolutely love the vintage card look, maybe vintage should go back to being a subline of 12 characters a year with a focus on finishing the O96 and mains from the shows and movies.

 

[Jodo]

I would 100% be down for that. To me, that retro cardback is great for the original trilogy characters, but severely limits what can be offered otherwise.

Obviously Hasbro is now inclined to put stuff in their little deluxe boxes, but I feel like a packaging refresh is needed. Meanwhile, a ton of collectors would probably cry foul and say they only collect for the cardbacks…

 

[YAK_Chewie]

I've got mixed feelings on what would make the most sense.

If I were Hasbro, I'd be concerned about the lack of younger fans interested in this stuff. I think it's fixable with smarter marketing and less niche product lines, but they need Disney to also drop any social agendas that may be turning some parents off, and be a better business partner by ending any "secret reveals" that Hasbro learns of when the fans do.

1:18 is they way to go to grab the kids. But it can't be Epic Hero junk. And it can't be $18 TVC. They need to find a happy medium like TAC figure quality, more variety, cooler packaging, a price point that competes with other toys, etc.

Right now there is NOTHING Star Wars related to inspire kids from Hasbro... maybe TVC could some if it was actually on the pegs, but it ain't.

It's been since pre-Disney since they had a formula that really worked. And that tells me the biggest issue is the Mouse.

😉

 

[darthvlad]

I think I've asked this question before but didn't really get replies, but are our children into Star Wars or toys in general? Both of mine aren't and have essentially grown out of the age of toys by now. Neither of them are collectors. Maybe I should be thankful...

 

[YAK_Chewie]

I think I've asked this question before but didn't really get replies, but are our children into Star Wars or toys in general? Both of mine aren't and have essentially grown out of the age of toys by now. Neither of them are collectors. Maybe I should be thankful...

My son was into Star Wars stuff to a degree from 2014-2016... but it was short lived and part of it was he felt the figures aimed at kids during that time frame sucked... he wasn't wrong though. Why would he like 5poa Rebels, TFA and Rogue One all that much when he saw how awesome my figures were? Plus he had a GI Joe collection that had far better toys.

He still likes 1:18 GI Joe to this day though. But he despises 6 inch figures and anything 5poa.

😉

 

[darthapathy]

This could be the old man in me talking, but do you think that kids aren't into Star Wars and other action figures because there's a lack of exposure in the form of commercials? Yes, there's the movies and animated series, but seeing the actual product in "action" hits differently.

 

[darth_sidious]

My nephew grew up with CW, so he had access to a variety of figure lines and levels of articulation, and never once did I hear him hint at any disdain over limited articulation. I think he was just happy to have characters he enjoyed immortalized in plastic, so he could play with them. So long as a figure can fit in a vehicle, as they did back in the Kenner days - they worked as toys. I'm actually a collector that likes 5 POA and have figures from every 3.75 line Kenner / Hasbro has released over the decades, so it's tiring when some collectors equate articulation levels to "junk / garbage" endlessly. I appreciate the older lines, like ROTS, far more than TVC, because it was a fun environment to collect in during that time - now, not so much with TVC. Retro is still pretty fun to collect, because those fans appreciate the nostalgic simplicity of the figures, and don't seem to have the toxicity that's seen amongst some of the TVC fanatics.

 

[Jodo]

I think it just depends for the character on what level of articulation it should have. The Saga Imperial Dignitaries were perfect. OTC Lobat was just fine. I don’t think you could improve on POTJ Amanaman or FX-8. But I do expect an SA Mandalorian or Darth Vader.

As for the kids I know, they don’t like toys. My nephew had toys but watched kids play with stuff on YouTube (sometimes even with the toys he owned) instead. Then when he got a little older he got into video games. He just hasn’t ever really played with toys. He always preferred activity items like blowing bubbles or bean bag toss. He is what I always call a “consumer” compared to a “producer” of imagination, LOL.

I for certain think collectors make up 85% or more of who buys TVC. We have gone years without anything on the pegs, so it’s not like people walk by and decide to buy something.

 

[darthapathy]

Just putting my thoughts on the subject out there. In my opinion, basic characters should have 12 POA (ball jointed head, shoulders, elbows, knees, and ankles, plus swivel waist and wrists). Troopers and Jedi could/should have around 14-16. Others like Senators and other "non-action" characters could have 6-10 POA (head, shoulders, elbows, waist [6] and possibly wrists and knees[10])

As for cards, I liked the design of both TAC and TLC. The J hook made searching the pegs much easier. The bubble allowed for larger figures, accessories, and additional figures.

 

[Jodo]

Yes!!! It absolutely drives me insane when ANY product only has a peg hole and not a J hook.