Retro Line General Discussion Thread

[GNT]

Yakface is reporting that we'll be seeing a new retro line of Star Wars figures in the near future. No details ATM so it's totally open to speculation for the next 24hours.

Perhaps Hasbro is merging the 5POA figures into Vintage cards?

Thoughts or ideas?

 

[dune.sea.photography]

And SA onto modern cards.

If SA becomes the 3.75 mainline, I'd be fine with this.

 

[Kenner76]

Very interesting... This could be really cool if done right and carefully. I’d love to see new vintage style figures, ships, and play sets that were never made back in the day. Vintage packaging and vintage card backs with vintage style smaller bubbles would be a major bonus. I just don’t want to see already released vintage figures and playsets reissued....

 

[darthsatan]

Makes a lot of sense for a certain demographic. The ReAction figures are an interesting product that seems to do OK, although I can't imagine they have sales numbers up where Hasbro would need theirs to be.

For me personally it's too little, too late. I had and sold all the 'real' ones already, including some very rare pieces. Nothing will ever compare, and a cheap-to-manufacture 5POA retro-style with basic paint apps sounds like what is likely to be on offer - doubtless at a not-cheap retail price.

 

[darth_sidious]

We've been discussing this on the forums for years - its crazy to think they're actually going for it, considering the collectors that will buy these might not be a large consumer group. Most vintage Kenner collectors will likely scoff at them and call it heresy, but I'm certainly open to it, because I love everything 3.75 from Kenner to modern. I'm just not sure if it will fly if they do non-OT characters.

 

[jimmii]

I agree wholeheartedly!

Very interesting... This could be really cool if done right and carefully. I’d love to see new vintage style figures, ships, and play sets that were never made back in the day. Vintage packaging and vintage card backs with vintage style smaller bubbles would be a major bonus. I just don’t want to see already released vintage figures and playsets reissued....

 

[indysolo007]

Not my cup of tea if they are styled like the vintage era figures. Just more wasted slots that could have been new figures. Will most likely be saving some $$ here again. The Mattel Jurassic World line will get my business instead.

 

[Rock]

Such a small group that would really buy these so I don't see it happening.

 

[FettFanster]

I think they should stick with the fully articulated figures and then they will please everyone. Hasbro makes money, collectors are happy and so are the kids and parent's (an arm or leg pops off snap it back on) But look at how much the Barge raked in before it was actually a product.

 

[EmperorOne]

All the possibilities expressed here sound promising but I would bet money that this is going to be ST era characters like Kylo, Rey and Poe done in a vintage style. Maybe some prequel or other Disney media figures as well. I definitely don't see them plugging holes from the original line, like RFT, Tarkin, and Slave Leia, because while that would please some fans, most wouldn't have the vintage figures to accompany them. I hope I'm wrong but I see them really screwing this up with poor character choice, at least to start. It will be the VC relaunch all over again, only this time it may die with wave one.

 

[Major]

Isn't "retro" what they've been doing since they dropped articulation points beyond the basic 5?
I mean sure SA figures are still available, but at a ridiculous price.

 

[indysolo007]

So the vintage style cards drive the cost of an articulated figure up? So now we are going to waste vintage style cards on old timey looking figures? How much will these cost? $5 Below here we come!

 

[BoomTrooper]

This sounds like a bad idea no matter what they release, and it pisses me off. It's another f***ing gimmick load of crap.

 

[corellian2]

Heard it from a friend in HK that Hasbro will release copied versions of the first 12 figures including the original cardbacks. It may not be taken well by purist collectors.

 

[JediDelight]

Heard it from a friend in HK that Hasbro will release copied versions of the first 12 figures including the original cardbacks. It may not be taken well by purist collectors.

Do you think copies or recreation like the Missile Firing Boba Fett? Boba looked like the vintage Kenner figure but was all new.

 

[bigbarada]

I'm intrigued, but it really depends on how far they plan to go with it. I'm hoping they mix in some never-before-made vintage styled figures right off the bat just to keep things fresh. Or at least mix up the offerings and don't just give us reissues of the first 21 action figures.

Also, if they expand into vehicles, then can we finally get the vintage A-Wing mold released in a vintage ROTJ box?

 

[CHEWIE]

At least one never before made old school character will be in this line but may be a pack in.... and heavy emphasis on the movie that started it all....

 

[scoobacca]

At least one never before made old school character will be in this line but may be a pack in.... and heavy emphasis on the movie that started it all....

I'm so excited, I cant wait to see these. I gave up on collecting Hasbro action figures about a year ago and started collecting Kotobukiya 1/10 scale figures. These will definitely pull me back in. I grew up in the 70's playing with the original vintage figures, so the nostalgia factor is through the roof for me.

 

[corellian2]

Do you think copies or recreation like the Missile Firing Boba Fett? Boba looked like the vintage Kenner figure but was all new.

I guess with everything else Hasbro did in the past, as far as revisiting old concepts are concerned, they usually start off with the "first 12" characters and see where the market goes. If it does well, they might consider our requests.

 

[Kenner76]

Heard it from a friend in HK that Hasbro will release copied versions of the first 12 figures including the original cardbacks. It may not be taken well by purist collectors.

That really sucks if true. So Hasbro is sending the big FU to all of the vintage collectors. Might be a desperate cash grab before their license is up.

 

[Simdog]

If this is true, I am not at all surprised. My collecting buddy and I have always said that going back to re-do vintage would be their last cash grab. In the same conversation over 112 years ago, we predicted vintage cards and all of that too.

 

[jediyuvraaj]

Am I the only one thinking this is a 6" line similar to the Marvel Legends retro line they started last year???

 

[CHEWIE]

That really sucks if true. So Hasbro is sending the big FU to all of the vintage collectors. Might be a desperate cash grab before their license is up.

Or help offset the high costs on new TVC product like the skiff... which if is really $50 is surprisingly lower than what the quality appears to be.

 

[Kneel_Before_Zod]

Am I the only one thinking this is a 6" line similar to the Marvel Legends retro line they started last year???

Probably. If the report is that they’re meant to fit in wth real vintage figures, they’ll have to be 3.75” scale.

 

[Lance_Quazar]

That really sucks if true. So Hasbro is sending the big FU to all of the vintage collectors. Might be a desperate cash grab before their license is up.

That's an "FU to vintage collectors"? The "I have it so no one else can have it" mentality? Nice......

 

[Kenner76]

That's an "FU to vintage collectors"? The "I have it so no one else can have it" mentality? Nice......

Not exactly, I’m still working on my loose set. I just really care about this hobby and don’t feel the need to have to own everything. If someone can’t afford it, they probably don’t need it. Anyway, there is plenty of affordable vintage out there already.

I was thinking how this will ruin the value of the authentic vintage ones and once these get opened it will be harder to purchase authentic vintage figures and accessories online. There is enough confusion with repro accessories already.

 

[GNT]

Do you think copies or recreation like the Missile Firing Boba Fett? Boba looked like the vintage Kenner figure but was all new.

If it's like that Boba Fett that would be cool, they managed to truely capture the Vintage feel.

We'll have to wait for details to be revealed, I doubt it would be 6" because they've done the vintage cards before and the reissues are coming on a modern card.

 

[DarkManX]

I'll wait and see what these are like but I think I'd rather have the basic line than this. But who knows, this time tomorrow I could be scraping the man glue off my pants that was spewed in my excitement.

 

[Rezikai]

If it's like that Boba Fett that would be cool, they managed to truely capture the Vintage feel.

We'll have to wait for details to be revealed, I doubt it would be 6" because they've done the vintage cards before and the reissues are coming on a modern card.

Probably this, also its a safe bet they'd just repaint that same vintage styled Fett in proto-white like they did for the TVC / BS repack figure.

 

[NewHopeCustoms]

I can't wait to see what they have and I'm all in on this .. I gave up on collecting modern fig's shortly after The Phantom Menace and have been disappointed with pretty much everything they've done ever since aside from some TVC vehicles. Reaction's figures are too heavy handed with huge hands and splayed feet … the last few POTF figures were beautifully sculpted and so much better than a lot of what Reaction have done .. Hasbro's retro line will rock as long as they stick to the design aesthetic of where the line was going in the early 80's rather than where it began in the late 70's although those first few figure waves have a real charm. Of course the naysayers will gnash their teeth but go collect something else if you're not happy with what you're seeing on the shelves .. the retro line will stand or fall based on how much money it makes and for the millions of collectors who've dreamed of a Tarkin, Gargan, etc, and beyond on their shelves this is a dream come true.​

 

[Major]

Hasbro is currently reissuing G1 Transformers that look exactly like their original counterpart, so it wouldn't be a surprise if they finally did it with Star Wars.
Hasbro doesn't care about the value of people's collection, they want to bring in some cash. So why not reproduce the original Kenner figures?

Retro style figures sure have found a nice fan base since Super 7 and Funko launched the Reaction figure line. Hasbro wants in on that.

 

[NewHopeCustoms]

Figures up at https://intl.target.com/s?searchTerm=retro+star+wars

 

[dune.sea.photography]

So is this replacing TVC?

 

[NewHopeCustoms]

No idea, Yakface broke the news .. not what people were expecting I think but surely Hasbro would make these distinctive enough so you could tell the figures apart from original vintage, not sure about the accessories though .. I'm still up for these and I'm a vintage collector.

 

[darthsatan]

I know we're not allowed allowed to swear on here, but this really is feck1ng hilarious!
Anyone remember people getting all precious about the 4-pack of these they did way back when POTF2 started?
Sad thing is collectors with real vintage items mostly have cards that look better than these fake-aged things as well!

 

[dune.sea.photography]

Yeah not a fan of fake reproduction junk to be honest.

Real 70's vintage is valuable and desirable because they are rare. Not because of the 5 POA, bad paint applications and poor sculpts.

Hasbro don't have a clue.

 

[Tulgah]

I’m strictly guessing, but I’d say that these aren’t fully replacing TVC, and probably aren’t meant to continue past 12. They’re probably a lot like the 3-pack Darth Satan mentioned—a one-time “tribute” kind of thing. But maybe I’m wrong. If they are replacing TVC, then I’m gone. Out.

These have their charm, and would appeal to many who either want to fill old Tarkin-shaped holes in their vintage or get started collecting reproduction vintage, but those options don’t appeal to me. I want new modern figures. Even if 5PoA, I still want them to be new (like the Solo or Resistance lines). If this line made a vintage-sculpt Feltipern Trevagg or something, then yes, I’d buy it. But I’m not spending a dollar on what is essentially a 40-year-old repack.

 

[dune.sea.photography]

Wow, TVC 3.0 has really taken a turn for the worst in terms of articulation and sculpt quality.

 

[darthsatan]

Real black/ green Leia blasters are worth about £100 each. Uneducated vintage buyers are going to get fleeced big-time here.

 

[b8design]

Wow, TVC 3.0 has really taken a turn for the worst in terms of articulation and sculpt quality.

I don't like that awful photoshop brushed worn look on the cards.

Ruins the whole thing for me.

If I wanted these for nostalgic purposes, then the cards should appear case fresh and clean.