Letter to Hasbro -- save Indy. Pass it on!

[bladzig]

Hi Indy 3.75 inch action figure fans. So we've read Hasbro's Q&A about the line's uncertain future, and the rumors of its imminent demise.

What to do?
(1) Rant; (2) Rave; (3) Despair; (4) Swear; (5) Take our licks and try to do something constructive about it.

Doing # 1 thru 4 feels good in this forum, but I appeal to everyone to join me doing #5. I’m taking a few minutes to write supportive e-mails to Hasbro and others to express my dedication to the line and the upcoming figures. My template letter is below – please feel free to copy and use it, personalize it, adapt it, and send it soon!

I know the ultimate decision regarding the line’s future will come down to $ales numbers on Hasbro’s corporate spreadsheets. I harbor no illusions about a letter writing campaign saving the line out in the retail stores, if doom is in the cards. And we all have our theories about how we would have sold the line better.

But I’m hoping that by letting Hasbro know that there’s a dedicated base of buyers out here, they might smell profit and look for other avenues to get us the toys – in particular already-developed waves like Raiders 2 – even if the main line shuts down.

Nothing may come of this BUT I do know that spewing rage at Hasbro definitely won’t work. There are ordinary people and Indy fans too working at Hasbro and it’s better to get them on our side than to blast them.

If you know of other collectors’ and Indy sites you can link to this thread, please do so. Maybe – just maybe – we’ll catch some attention. I WANT MY TOHT!

Here’s the list so far of who I’m sending to:
- hasbro@custhelp.com
- cc: President of Lucas Licensing Howard Roffman: howard.roffman@lucasfilm.com
- cc: Entertainment Earth: cs@entertainmentearth.com
- Please feel free to suggest others in this thread.

Here’s my letter:

Dear Hasbro,

I am a dedicated collector of your Indiana Jones 3.75-inch action figures and accessories. They’ve been the thrill of the year for me and my toy collector friends. And the line keeps getting better.

It is my sincere hope that good retail sales lead to a long and lucrative future for this toy line. However, this future has been clouded recently by rumors that the line is soon winding down.

If the rumors turn out to be true, would your decision makers please consider releasing the line via some other means -- for example, packing single Indy figures within Star Wars waves, releasing them as exclusives through on-line retailers like Entertainment Earth, or other sales avenues, to ensure the toys reach a very dedicated fan base?

Such a move would satisfy the considerable market of Indy collectors as well as give Hasbro an avenue to use the tooling, sculpts and all of the other resources already spent to produce true fan favorites such as the planned Wave 2 of Raiders of the Lost Ark figures (including the much-anticipated Toht).

Many thanks for all of your great work on this line and I look forward to your response. Sincerely,

YOUR NAME HERE

[jedibear]

I've enjoyed this line immensely too...but it's the same old song when it comes to Hasbro and their attitude about action figures weather it's Star Wars or Indiana Jones.

It's gotta appeal to the kids as well as collectors. As has been discussed here and elsewhere, Star Wars is a bit of an advantage here with more exotic looking characters and an ongoing presence in the marketplace (highlighted by the recently released FU game, the upcoming CW series and the continued onslaught of comics and books)

Indy is handicapped in this way...it never really had a "kids appeal"...and weather or not there are fans of the property at Hasbro, I can't believe there is anyone there who believed this property was a long-term one for a kid-friendly action figure line. We're talking one main character who looks basically the same in every movie and either military uniforms, formal wear, and some various ethnic flavor and a few female characters sprinkled in that while visually interesting, isn't going to appeal to a youngster looking for something fun. Now older collectors who really love the property...every character would be great to see rendered as an action figure at some point, but judging from the slow movement of what stock is out there (except for anything really new), the old penchant for badly selected assortments front-loaded with repeats and sparse new releases and finally, no new media after the DVD this fall and....like it or not, the writing's on the wall.

I like your letter...it's got some solid suggestions and it's tone is respectful. I hope it generates some positive reaction, because I like this line too...it's been like a dream come true for this ole' Indy fan...

[plasticfetish]

At this point, though I was happy that Hasbro took a shot at the Indy line, I think they should cut their losses and let it go.

It's not the vast universe of interesting characters that has kept the Star Wars line of toys alive (though it hasn't hurt), it's mostly been the constant stream of new film, TV, games, books, etc. that have helped to support it.

Hasbro's Indiana Jones toys were at best a temporary gift. The new film was fun, but not as epic as the original, and these new toys have been fun, but not as great as they could (or should) have been. It really doesn't seem that they put their very best effort into producing these figures.

I'd love to see a company like NECA take a crack at Indiana Jones figures to be honest. I'd kill for a 6-inch Indy from Raiders figure done by them.

[Blue2th]

Yes please keep going a little while longer. If they are planing on cancelling, at least don't do it till we get the Temple of Doom characters, and maybe a few more.

[bladzig]

Thanks folks for the responses! I hope people are following through on sending the email...

I've been posting this on several Indy and Star Wars focused toy forums, so I'll hope for the best.

In the meantime, I'm considering ordering the TOD wave from on online retailer rather than waiting on the figures to arrive in stores. I don't feel confident that retail will pull through, whereas the large on-line retailers actually place orders with Hasbro. And it means that if/when they arrive at retail, those figures I would have bought otherwise will just sit on pegs. Hmmm...

What do people think of that?

[NerfTW]

Your biggest mistake is assuming that

A) There is some nebulous large collector base that until now hasn't been buying the figures

B) Anyone wants more than one figure of Indiana Jones.

C) Are there even characters left to do after the Temple of Doom wave? Enough to fill out a line?

D) Anything short of BUYING LARGE AMOUNTS OF THE CURRENT PRODUCT is going to help. Yeah, yeah, you say you'll buy more, but words are pretty meaningless.

[DarthBrandon]

Never seen anything past the first wave here, so I'm not too concerned if they die out now. Makes me not want for things I cannot get anyways.:upset:

[Blue2th]

Your biggest mistake is assuming that


D) Anything short of BUYING LARGE AMOUNTS OF THE CURRENT PRODUCT is going to help. Yeah, yeah, you say you'll buy more, but words are pretty meaningless.

What can we do man? I've already bought one of every figure, a few multiples of the Russians, Germans, 2 Germans with motorcycles, every vehicle (except the truck with soft top, which I will buy as soon as I see it) plan on buying at least one more cargo truck and troop car, planning on getting all the TOD figures if I can find them.

Not to mention the Mellinium Falcon and the AT-TE, every new Legacy figure, recently the new animated figures.
Sorry if I'm a little tapped out right now to help the Indy line more. :squareeye

[bladzig]

Your biggest mistake is assuming that

A) There is some nebulous large collector base that until now hasn't been buying the figures

B) Anyone wants more than one figure of Indiana Jones.

C) Are there even characters left to do after the Temple of Doom wave? Enough to fill out a line?

D) Anything short of BUYING LARGE AMOUNTS OF THE CURRENT PRODUCT is going to help. Yeah, yeah, you say you'll buy more, but words are pretty meaningless.

Thanks for the rant that misses the point, friend.

I'm happy to see that the same ideas have been coming up independently the Hasbro Q&As and, though Hasbro's been pretty dismissive, the ideas haven't been totally dissed. Fingers crossed...

[Phantom-like Menace]

B) Anyone wants more than one figure of Indiana Jones.

Actually, I was going to purchase three or so Indy figures just so I could use their parts to put together one that didn't disappoint. I finally settled on one that didn't look too bad. But I may still grab another with a coiled whip. Of course, I'm saying all this a little tongue in cheek since I think one of the major failings of the Indy line has been quality more than any other point brought up.

[bigbarada]

Actually, I was going to purchase three or so Indy figures just so I could use their parts to put together one that didn't disappoint. I finally settled on one that didn't look too bad. But I may still grab another with a coiled whip. Of course, I'm saying all this a little tongue in cheek since I think one of the major failings of the Indy line has been quality more than any other point brought up.

I was going to do that, but unfortunately, incompatibility between the Indy figures prevents you from frankenstiening a "perfect" Indy figure. I had hoped to get a decent Indy figure riding the horse, but the ball for the ball joint necks are not the same size between the Deluxe Indy and the standard Indy. So when I put the head from the ROTLA Indy (with the idol) on the body of the DX Indy with the horse, it was like a bobble head because the ball for the DX Indy was so tiny in comparison.

Very frustrating and it makes no sense that there wouldn't be a standard ball-size for the ball-joint necks. Especially when we're talking about different figures of the exact same character.

So, I would definitely say that poor quality of the figures was the first nail in the coffin for this line. Add to that a crappy movie last summer and this toy line was doomed from the beginning.

I've said this before, but I really think Hasbro should have started releasing new figures in January and gotten at least one wave of figures from each of the three original movies on the shelves before releasing a single wave of Crystal Skull figures.

[Old Fossil]

The only thing that can possibly save this line is next week's DVD release. Hopefully that'll drive sales of Indy, Mutt, & company enough to warrant retailers' ordering a case or two of the Temple of Doom wave, at least.

The lower price point at WM is a great thing, considering that they're now almost $2 cheaper than SW or GI Joe figures. Folks who've been on the fence should take advantage of that price while they can. Strong sales, along with the online petitions, might give Hasbro pause before the Indiana Jones line is irrevocably axed.

[Darth Jax]

why would anyone want to save indy? did you even see the last movie? i'm sorry that piece of garbage was enough to make me want to burn even short round (the coolest thing from any indy flick) from my memory.

[Ji'dai]

why would anyone want to save indy? did you even see the last movie? I feel the same way about Star Wars, and yet, here we are, nearly ten years after Lucas released that first piece of **** in his new trilogy, and people are still scooping up the toys like they're friggin' candy on a stick.

Now I didn't care for the new IJ movie that much, either, but toys from Raiders, Temple of Doom, and Last Crusade are a welcome respite from the ridiculous Clonefest that SW has become.

I would like to see the line continue in some form, preferably piggybacked into retail stores on the hump of its bigger, perverted, inbred cousin, Star Wars.

[Old Fossil]

I would like to see the line continue in some form, preferably piggybacked into retail stores on the hump of its bigger, perverted, inbred cousin, Star Wars.

Whoever came up with that idea should get some serious $$$ from Hasbro. It's a great idea that could allow the line to continue long enough to get us at least through to the next RotLA wave.

Meanwhile, we should show our support with our dollars when we can, especially at Wal-Mart. Buy 'em for gifts, or donate them to Toys for Tots, whatever. It may already be too late, but who knows... money coming in will change minds at Hasbro quicker than an Internet petition alone.

[Old Fossil]

Only 152 signatures to the online petition so far. Rather disappointing.:(