Card Color and Style, when will it change?

[Turbowars]

Any word on when the Card color or style is going to change? I know many of you like the Blue (I see that the inside front is a little different on the new Padme), but I never really have. I would love to see a card like the Toy Fair Vader, or something similar. I miss the green. I just hope we don't get red ever agian! Any thoughts?

[Beast]

Probably 2005, for the EIII stuff. I think Hasbro likes the new cards, and the little poll they had for them not to long ago suggested that many collectors do as well. I don't think they should use cards like the TF Vader one though.

Black may be nice as an exclusive, but I don't think it would do that well with the whole line packaged like that. The E1 line was black and red, after all. Looked awful. Better for a few pieces to be specially packaged, leave the blue for now.

MTFBWY and HH!!

Jar Jar Binks

[Turbowars]

2005? No way! It has to change somewhere before then. I'm sick of it. I'd even just like a small change, like a different shade of blue, the logo inlarged, or the bubble put back on the right side with a nice photo of the charactor. I like change.

[Beast]

Sorry, probably not going to happen. Especially not so soon. We already know that 2003 will have the same basic cards with a little design change. Plus don't expect the bubble to ever be put back on the right side. With the new design they can fit larger figures and more accessories into the cards. Especially with the addition of stands for many of 2003's figures.

MTFBWY and HH!!

Jar Jar Binks

[Jayspawn]

I really like the blue packaging. I hope it stays that way for a while! It shows the figures very well. And its a great card design.

[Turbowars]

Well, anything can happen, we are talking about Hasbro you know. LOL As for it being a good design, I think not. IMO, I think the package has lost the whole SW feeling. The POTF2 through POTJ at least had a OT feeling. The huge bubble displaces the theme. The OT wasn't about bright colors and gimmicks, it was about the film.

[Banthaholic]

I can't complain about the current cards. They are a fairly good design, although I wish they could have fronts like the vintage days, where a nice movie shot of the figure took up the front of the card.

I'd also rather have all of the figures of the current line on the back. As a kid I used to stare at the vintage backs, and was nice for showing people which figures I wanted. When E2 came out and I got a poster of the first 40 Saga figures it was real nice. Just wish they could do something like that on the card back again.

I agree for the continued need of a larger bubble. This was obvious ater getting Ephant Mon yesterday, and also seeing how the '03 figures will continue to be well accessorized and some include stands.

[Chiesa]

I think the cards look great at the moment. The blue does really give a good effect to the figures. Also I think it really gives a cool relaxing looking effect when placed along the walls. Black would do well for the Vader and R2D2 naming a couple as examples as exclusives and I do not think that it would do well as if a whole line were to be black.

[Jargo]

It's more about commercial competitiveness than whether it pleases people. having the larger bubble means more can be packed in to compete with other figures which have a ton of stuff in the packages. The packaging is more modernistic because the line is made by a toy company that primarily makes toys for kids who like bright packaging and really wouldn't have a point of reference with anything relating to the OT. Bigger blisters mean parents subconsciously think they're getting more for their money since the product is spaced out a bit more in the big blister. The bigger blister allows for that to happen so you can see what you're getting better than if it was squished up in a smaller blister. Not printing the pictures on the front means less printing plates have to be created which saves money. One plate does all the card fronts and they only have to do new plates for the inserts and cardbacks. With the amount of product hasbro makes that one saving on printing makes a difference and probably allows for the money saved to be utilised elsewhere like adding more accessories into packs etc.

I like the packaging because it looks fresh. It's calm and neutral. The swirly thing for 2002 was bad but the 2003 starburst is much better. Think i said that somewhere already. I have to say I think the blue is perhaps a little too fresh and too light but that's my taste. For kids I think it's perfect. In my local TRU you can spot the star wars stuff from across the store amongst all the other stuff that just blends into one big mishmash of fuzzy color. It's like a big blue beacon beckoning, saying "come spend your pocket money here little one, come closer, don't be frightened..." :happy:

[jpak001]

Emperor Jargo makes some pretty solid points about why Hasbro uses it's current packaging. I'm sure he's probably right on the money here!

While I like that fact that current packaging allows for bigger figures, more accesories, etc... (Ephant Mon would have had to have been a deluxe figure in the previous styles) I really don't care to much for the overall look of them. But hey, I guess it's what's inside that's important right?

My rankings of SW figure packaging styles:

1) American vintage (all movies) = really the best looking ever
2) POTF (green, without holograms)
3) POTF (freeze frame)
4) POTF (red)
5) POTJ (though I wish they didn't put the little Obi Wan up in the corner, maybe Yoda or R2 would have been better)
6) Episode 1
7) Expanded universe
8) POTF (green w/holograms, really did not like these so called "holograms")
9) Flashback
10) SAGA
11) Shadows of the Empire (why purple?)

I couldn't really count the Silver Anniversary as there were only 2 figures on that card. Though I DO like the look of them.