Re: hey where\'s the pilot?
SIXTY-FIVE-HOUR WEEKS? Obviously we need to find Ry-T a new job with shorter hours and better pay. Any time real world responsibilities start to infringe on this board, it's time to make a change. After all, careers come and go, but collecting
Star Wars is forever.
And Ry-T, I really like that name-change idea! You should say something to BP!
Back on topic:
I collected both Action Fleet and the 3 3/4", but the action figures have always taken priority. When Episode I product first swamped the shelves, I couldn't afford to buy everything and waited for the Action Fleet line to drop to clearance prices. I suspect a lot of collectors did the same.
This resulted in a LOT of overstock for retailers. The former Galoob line performed poorly, partly because of TOO much product being available all at once. But also because when Hasbro took the line over, they started short-changing the product. The only thing they really fixed was the
Alpha Series vehicles, making the CONCEPT vehicle large-scale. Unfortunately, by the time the Alpha Series was scheduled to hit retail, stores bought way down making these sets pretty hard to find. The last wave of standard vehicles were pretty hard to come by as well. I'm still missing a Sith Infiltrator, my favorite vehicle from Episode I.
Fast-forward to April 2002 - Hasbro releases another glut of figures, but thankfully holds back on the Action Fleet line. They've cheapened the product still by using old molds, removing some action features, and losing the figures. For a quick and dirty 25th Anniversary line, I can forgive them... a little. But future assortments based on
AOTC also seem to be missing the figures.
Here's my theory: the Target exclusives are a test. Hasbro wants to see how well Battle Packs will sell if the $9.99 vehicles don't come with figures. I'm guessing that we'll see new Battle Pack assortments that will include not only army-builders but pilots as well. Think of it: a consumer buys an X-wing and wants a Luke pilot to go with it. There's a Luke pilot in the Battle Pack pegged right above it that also comes with other figures and cool X-wing hangar accessories. Hasbro's just turned one sale into two.
If I'm right, Hasbro better start featuring these alleged Battle Packs on their Action Fleet packaging soon!