Star Wars (Hasbro) Hit with more somber news...

[wax murderer]

I suspect the reason boils down to money;why pay American designers and such $20-$30 an hour when they can go overseas and pay $20-$30 a week?This is why pattern shops in this country are hurting seriously(and why I no longer work in one)...PS

 

[Apone]

Its like anything else...you have a really bad season and some heads have to roll. Whether justified or not.

 

[FLOSI]

Kids play video games now and have millions of cartoons and movies right at their finger tips. They just don't play with toys as much. If not for geeks like us I doubt Hasbro would even exist at this point.

 

[obi_dave_kenobi]

Kids play video games now and have millions of cartoons and movies right at their finger tips. They just don't play with toys as much. If not for geeks like us I doubt Hasbro would even exist at this point.

very true. I remember being out in the street playing a lot, or in the yard playing with all my toys when I was a little kid. now kids do less physical play from what I can tell. As much as I like technology I think it really takes away from the imagination of playing with an action figure. but that's my 2 cents.

I remember making a trash compactor diorama when I was like 7 out of cardboard and Styrofoam.

 

[FLOSI]

No doubt... I remember making "metal" walls out of aluminum foil and having my Secret Wars Wolverine cut through them...

 

[Lee in MI]

THANK YOU GUYS!!

I was certainly NOT trying to go down that road when I posted this.

And thanks for the info about Dave...WOW! I was hoping he didn't get slashed in the cuts. He was indeed integral to MUs success. The guy is a Marvel encyclopedia!

This is the type of info I was trying to obtain. This will definitely have an impact on their SDCC booth as he was one of the most passionate designers on the floor. Always willing to talk to the fans about Marvels books, character selection and design.

Does anyone know if Mark (SWs designer, last name escapes me right now) survived the cuts? What about Jesse Falcon?

 

[Lee in MI]

Flosi, you make a good point about the geeks supporting the line but it would appear that without the holiday mom & pop sales, things really tanked for them

 

[Lee in MI]

I think the bigger picture here is how this reflects on what we love here the most...1/6TH FIGS!!!

If Hasbro is experiencing slumping sales, could SSCs be experiencing the same thing?!? It would appear that one time sell-outs are now hanging around for long periods and ending up on the discount card list. I think their production numbers have dropped since they started the SWs line and really awesome figures aren't selling out...and they are really hitting their stride right now!

 

[Kamandi]

Perhaps Hasbro should do what other vendors do in slumping sales - test marketing. Hasbro could do a limited run of 6 or 8 inch figures with greater detail and well hidden articulation. The SW line could use a breath of fresh air.

 

[Lee in MI]

AGREED!

This is waaaayyyyy past due!

 

[VASith]

Kids play video games now and have millions of cartoons and movies right at their finger tips. They just don't play with toys as much. If not for geeks like us I doubt Hasbro would even exist at this point.

And I wonder how they will develop their sense of imagination. As kids, when we played with our toys and we invented new worlds and stories. Don't think that many kids do much of that nowadays.

 

[Bucky Underbelly]

Kids play video games now and have millions of cartoons and movies right at their finger tips. They just don't play with toys as much. If not for geeks like us I doubt Hasbro would even exist at this point.

I think you're on to something there. I just don't think kids have the same relationship with toys that they used to. In fact, I'm wondering if the whole collectibles hobby might be a very specific generational thing that could die out with us.

Most of us were part of the generation(s) that were on the cusp between a world before and after the proliferation of computing. So, in a way, we can enjoy the best of both worlds. But now, with all the digital gizmos and electronic content instantly available and competing for kids' attention, I just don't think kids are as interested in tangible "things" as I was at that age.

For years I totally struck out at Christmas time when it came to buying gifts for my niece and nephew. I kept buying them toys or sports gear ... you know ... stuff. And even though it was always stuff they were into ... they just never seemed that crazy about it.

But when my brother got them iPhones, you'd think somebody just gave them a million bucks. (Why kids under 10 needed iPhones is frankly BEYOND me, but that's another thread entirely!)

I finally gave in. Now I just give them iTunes gift cards ... and they love it.

So are we a dying breed?

I'd love to see Hasbro's demographic break-downs. Because I bet at this point they have more customers over 30 than under.

 

[Shropt]

Seriously.

I gave my 12 year old cousin a NERF gun for Christmas a while back. He went totally meh over it. Dude, I'd have killed for a NERF gun at that age.

 

[banthafett]

Perhaps Hasbro should do what other vendors do in slumping sales - test marketing. Hasbro could do a limited run of 6 or 8 inch figures with greater detail and well hidden articulation. The SW line could use a breath of fresh air.

That sounds like a great idea, but with SW FIGURE collectors that wouldnt even last a second. They dont like change, hell I dont even think they know what they want. They cry when things are changed, and they cry when thing dont change.

As for stuff thats on the shelf. SW always sells good around here. I bet that comment in the thread earlier about Green Lantern selling better than SW is complete bs.( We just started and finished this week of buying the kids THE COMPLETE GL TOY LINE FOR under 20 bucks, that includes store exlusives, SW is never marked down)

Case assortments in the biggest killer of toy lines. Hasbro and Mattel still havent figured it out after all these years . Its either they are really that stupid or they just dont want to do it right. The only figures I buy are Boba and Chewie, I was a completist for many many years and stopped in 05. But I do still keep up on all the news,(habits are hard to break). I was just reading about the deleted scenes series that is hitting now. Its being shipped with TPM wave, the wave no one wanted, the first wave of it is still sitting. But they ship more of it? Theres really no excuse anymore of why this happens. Website after website dedicated to toys and collectors talking about what everyone wants. And the companies still fail.

I am also a big non-believer in the whole "kids is what makes SW sell". We go shopping looking for stuff for our collections almost 5-6 days a week. You know how many kids I see in the toy department. 2, my son and my daughter. Maybe one or two more for the whole week. Its really sad.

Hate to see the workers are the ones who have to have a job taken away, because the suits are to stupid to do things right.

 

[obi_dave_kenobi]

Hate to see the workers are the ones who have to have a job taken away, because the suits are to stupid to do things right.

couldn't agree more.

 

[Kamandi]

That sounds like a great idea, but with SW FIGURE collectors that wouldnt even last a second. They dont like change, hell I dont even think they know what they want. They cry when things are changed, and they cry when thing dont change.

Hasbro doesn't need to quit SW 3 3/4, but they could do a paralell line and see if collectors latch on. SW figs have already evolved over the years in terms of detail and articulation. I'm just suggesting they try a larger scale with better detail and paints.

When sales are down you don't just sit around doing the same thing. Hasbro continued Force FX sabers. Even Mattel has tested the high end market. Maybe Hasbro should test doing some Sideshow style products.

But do something to shake it up.

 

[obi_dave_kenobi]

yeah, the SW 3 3/4 should definitely stay, but I think they need to get rid of swivel joints on all figs. I hate them!!!!

 

[Shropt]

I remember Hasbro trying to do some collector type stuff for Star Wars back in the 90's. It was still around in the 00's in the clearance section.

Hasbro Star Wars collectors just want their damn figures. Nothing special, no action features, no exclusives. Just make the figures, sell them, and move on to the next figure.

 

[banthafett]

Hasbro doesn't need to quit SW 3 3/4, but they could do a paralell line and see if collectors latch on. SW figs have already evolved over the years in terms of detail and articulation. I'm just suggesting they try a larger scale with better detail and paints.

When sales are down you don't just sit around doing the same thing. Hasbro continued Force FX sabers. Even Mattel has tested the high end market. Maybe Hasbro should test doing some Sideshow style products.

But do something to shake it up.

Like I said, it does sound good( I like change and choices), and I agree, shake it up, but Hasbro will never do it.

You are not going to switch collectors of 3 3/4 for 35 years to buy $20 6 inch ones. Hasbro knows that. But at the same time Hasbro is in that mind set that they earn all their SW money from kids. They will not do the $20+ figure because kids wont spend and parents wont spend. ( You know I dont know if its because Im a SW fan or not, but has anyone else been in stores and the parents will tell kids to pick something out and they will buy and the kid picks SW and (usually the mom) will say "you really want that" or "Im not buying you SW", they force the kid to choose something they only want to buy. Dont ask your kid what they want if you dont want to buy it. Just a stupid rant of how parents dont know their kids and want to make themselves happy)

Every company makes mistakes. But I hope Hasbro never becomes Mattel who in the past,has and of late publicly will blame a whole fanbase if it dont sell as good as they want it to. Mattel has some balls for blaming others on the crap they make. And they make crap. Not one of my sons or my SW figures have fallen apart. Now my daughters super heros from mattel a big % have broke just taking them out of the package. The list goes on, bad paint, two of same feet and so on. Bought her Black Manta DCUC when he came out. Opened him up, leg fell off, there was tons of super like glue on leg and in crotch area. It was broke before they even put him in there, and they glued it back. Never have to worry about such crap from Hasbro.

 

[DarthNeil]

ah man! my post got deleted! come on it was a direct quote from Anakin and Padme's intellectual and romantic discussion on politics of the galactic senate.

This thread reminded me of the scene so I posted.

oh well..... so anyone wanna talk religion?


and i'm kidding of course!

Yep I caught that (made me chuckle)-- but wanted to prove a point by getting the conversation back on track.

The 3 3/4 lines are kind of like comics--- outdated for an increasing number of kids with every passing year. It's a shame really. After getting the ST license this doesn't bode well for 3 3/4 of that franchise I guess...