Is Hasbro collecting dead?

[Lord_Bobster]

Hi, everyone.

Haven't posted in a while. Haven't had a reason to. And as you have probably figured out from the title of this thread, I'm fishing for some insight.

Has the poor distribution and increase of price on Hasbro figures in the last six to twelve months caused you to acquire figs by on-line means, group hunting, or just give up altogether? Or has it shifted your collecting to another facet of the hobby (fine art, prints, statues, etc...)?

I have to say that the Seattle area is not the only one with a drought. The Midwest has nothing on the pegs either. I just checked five states and it is a boneyard out there. Not to mention my beloved Target here in Renton has had the same vintage Weequay on the pegs for the last five months. I've been thinking of buying it because I'm sick of looking at it and I would consider it a rescue.

If you are going on-line, where have the deals been? There are a few figs I'd like to get but I'm not wasting any more time in the wasteland.

I hope you don't see me as beating a dead horse here, but something has to be done about this at the local level or higher or like I said before, "It's 1985 all over again." What have you, the avid collector, been doing to get through this?

Thanks for putting up with me. I promise to be less grumpy later.

 

[John_Solo]

I'm out on Hasbro's modern Star Wars, except for anything on a Star Wars cardback (which is like 12 or so figures in total since 2004, unbelievably.) I think there's a Sandtrooper coming soon, and then it's on hiatus. And so am I. Not sure I'll be back.

Other than that, it's just too big a pain in the *** to collect. Plus I'm just burned out on the 4" format. They just don't look as compelling to me anymore.

I have shifted my focus over to some 6" figures (Marvel Legends, MOTUC), some Lego kits and a handful of the GG Jumbo Kenner figures.

If Hasbro (or someone else) produced a highly detailed and well accessorized 6" Star Wars line, in the tradition of Marvel Legends, then I would dip back into the Star Wars well and start fresh. 35 years in the same scale is enough for me.

I'm most excited for the Kenner Alien figures from Super7 this year.

 

[mrbyz]

I don't think it's dead, I think it is shifting. More and more it is getting figures on line. I've gotten most of the last several waves online. There were some good case assorts for the Tarkin wave and one of the other waves to where there was really only one or two figures in the case I didn't want. i have gone back and forth with Entertainment Earth and Big Bad Toy Store. I'm only missing one figure from the vintage collection, and someone here on RS is helping me out with that one, and a couple to find for Clone Wars. I've also had luck in finding figures at non regular places like Kmart. Found the entire Tarkin case asst. at a Kmart in Oregon while down there last month. Also some other non-ordinary places have had things. I think we have had the perfect storm this year. Between poor distribution and the retailers buying waaaaaaaaay too much Movie Heroes, we are seeing not much new. I think with the announcement of the Weequay wave being online only, we will see the last four waves shipping more as we get toward Christmas. We are seeing evidence of Movie Heroes being cleared out of some stores one way or another, and new figures are starting to take their place slowly. I don't think Hasbro collecting is dead. Just not doing well in Brick and Mortar. BTW, most of the newer figures can be found on Amazon for decent prices. Just got Evazan and Kithaba from there for about $12 a piece and with Amazon Prime, no shipping charge.

 

[MaxWedge]

The drought gave me time to think about what I wanted to collect, and I really didn't enjoy Hasbro stuff as much as I liked Lego or Gentle Giant, so I just quit cold turkey and now I'm looking to get rid of most of my Hasbro figures from 2005-2011.

 

[fettman]

I think the hobbie is shifting also. But I have a feeling it will be like this for many years. Slower reorders during March to August and more toys showing up from Sept to December. That is the way I see most b&m retailers going now. I am still collecting but picking and choosing I really just want the new characters. I am dissapointed with hasbros direction for the figure line next year. If they ever made a gungan sub and jabbas sail barge I might quit after those are made. There is not much left new to make for hasbro with the movie stuff. Also, I am a little burnt out on collecting sw figures. A lot of nothin out there these past 6 months.

 

[Dr_Zoltar]

If the model went to just preordering the figures you want online via stores like Amazon, I'd be completely fine with that. No more toy runs. It would kill the secondary market, which is fine. And save us all gas money. Hasbro would still get their cut. Only the brick and mortar stores would suffer. And I'm fine with that since stores are not reordering and choking on that first vintage wave. Even the new Target in downtown Seattle is clogged with vintage wave 1.

 

[cafortier]

Now if only we could get Amazon to properly pack these things. Got any contacts Joe?

 

[Dr_Zoltar]

I wish! Yeah, it's a crap shoot with the packaging. Another reason I'm happy I became an opener.

 

[Droidworld]

Derryl DePreist has promised they are going to fix the distribution problem. Probably by bullying back at the big box retailers. Of course, have two of the worst, most boring first and second waives of a new line in years is not going to help.

Perhaps we will finally see figures on the pegs everywhere, but who is going to want them?

 

[Dr_Zoltar]

Derryl DePreist has promised they are going to fix the distribution problem. Probably by bullying back at the big box retailers. Of course, have two of the worst, most boring first and second waives of a new line in years is not going to help.

Perhaps we will finally see figures on the pegs everywhere, but who is going to want them?

I agree with this. It's frustrating that waves 1 & 2 of Vintage 2012 are everywhere, but the later waves are hard to find. Who in the world thought that making The Phantom Menace wave be the first one of 2012 was even remotely a good idea? It's the most hated of the 6 films and has the some of the worst figures in the line - not in sculpting, but in how interesting they are. Who really wants another Jake Lloyd figure?

I'd like to know if Hasbro is going to re-release some of the figures that were impossible to find in 2010 and 2011. It would go a long way to restore collector's faith in the company.

 

[EmperorPalpitate]

Derryl DePreist has promised they are going to fix the distribution problem...

DDP has promised that so many times over the past decade, that it's not even funny. It never happens though. Nothing gets fixed. Droughts and distribution issues continue to destroy the line and people's interest in it. The man is a total screw-up. I was surprised to actually hear him take personal responsibility on Curto's podcast recently. He has laid the blame elsewhere in previous years, but he finally owned up to it. Doesn't change my opinion of him though. He really should resign. Only decent thing he could do at this point. Anyways.....

Yeah, I'm hanging it up as well. The only thing keeping me around the past two years was the vintage cards. Now that they're gone, so am I. I'm not getting rid of my stuff, I just won't be actively collecting anymore. Soon as I pick up the ewok set and the new speeder bike, I'm finished. If/when vintage comes back, I may pick and choose some stuff, but maybe not.

The old saying "absence makes the heart grow fonder" doesn't apply in the collecting world. If it takes a few years for vintage to come back, I probably won't be interested anymore when it finally does.

 

[errant]

The last vintage wave was the final slap in the face for me. I'd already missed out on entire waves like the Rebel Fleet Soldier and Ponda Baba waves which started the decline in my "completionist" collecting of the vintage line but making the last wave an online exclusive just sealed the deal for anything Hasbro.
I just posted what's left of my carded Vintage line on CL and will be posting my substantial loose collection as well. Just tired of being frustrated in what should be a fun, relaxing hobby. Methinks it's time to invest time and money into something else.