After 2007, would you buy Hasbro SW figures if they changed the size?

[Anakin Palpatine]

One day a figure will come out which will change the look of Star Wars figures forever. This figure created from mid-air will bring balance to our collections.

Sorry, I had to do it. Why is everyone so tense about just the thought of it? So what if you waited outside of a Toys R Us twice already to get the newest installment of figures, just to find all of them at half the price a month later.

So what if you have lost a partner over your collecting. Maybe you didn't eat that particular day, when you saw the new Tusken Raider with removable head was the only one on the pegs. Just to see ten of them at Walmart the very next week.

Who cares if they make bigger and better figures? I know I don't, you know you don't. You'll pass up paying that water bill an extra month to get that next big Tatooine Luke with a mohawk.

We seem to have no problem shelling out 5-6 bucks every time they want to repaint R2-D2 or C-3PO. OH WOW! A new R5-D14563, in tye dye colors.

Come on people, it's just a silly question that I give my hats off to the man who made it up. No matter what you want to believe, as long as it says STAR WARS on it, were still going to buy it. It's a drug and your addicted. It has nothing to do with the fact that Lucas has subliminal messages in all the movies, telling us to buy Star Wars merchandise.

[JediTricks]

That Kenner story of "held out my fingers and they measured it" seems a little unbelievable to me the more I look at action figure history. It's a little too convenient that the size they chose just happens to be 1/18th scale AND happened to also be the same size as the Microman line in Japan that was already several years old by then.


Why go with a new size? Well, some accessories are just not feasable at the current scale, and accessory interaction with the figures is limited to ye olde cupped hand or at best, oversized holsters. The sabers rarely fit on the belts and the removable blades are too often breaking off. So many collectors complain about added articulation looking like GI Joe:RAH at this scale, but larger scales have a much easier time of hiding great articulation. Removable robes and other clothes, both plastic and cloth, have some pretty big faults at this scale that nearly disappear on the higher scales.

Now I'm not talking about Epic Force (statues) or the Mega Action Figures (gimmicky kiddie toys), I'm talking about a major step forward in how SW figures and their accessories look, feel, and interact. The 4" scale is great, although there are far too few really great vehicles in the line and many of 'em are simply repros of older pieces (thank goodness for Action Fleet, wish THAT was still alive ), but the 4" line is quite limited. If you take a good look at what Toy Biz does with Marvel Legends or McStatue does with Metal Gear and the like - just to name a few - and not see a world of new possibilities opening up for Star Wars, I'd be surprised.


Some of you who are you're bristling at the very notion of a different scale seem to be HOPING for the day when Hasbro finally kills the 4" line so you can stop. That seems really odd to me, since long-term collectors know that with or without a new scale of figures, long after the 4" line dies, in 15 years Hasbro will probably put out a POTF3 or something to try and salvage the license just before it expires. I think your collecting days should end when YOU feel satisfied, not when there's no more junk to buy.

[Tycho]

I so much agree with what JediTricks just posted.

You guys take note: we don't know if Hasbro is even considering this - at least I've never asked. I do think that those Mega-Action figures (Maul, Obi-Wan, and the Destroyer) were an attempt at this - and they did sell out. But we didn't really want action features and less than adequate accessories, plus fixed facial expressions on the sculpts. So I'm sure they've considered it by the product serving as evidence.

The EPISODE THREE Figures and I'm sure figures in general for a few years after that - until 2008 - will all be definitely produced to go with the current 3 3/4" collection.

What I'm seeing from about 25% of you, is that after you have every figure conceivably possible, you want to quit. As if you can get out of debt then and start sensible financial planning.

Let me just insert this: Star Wars should never be harming your ability to pay your bills and stay out of debt. For 2004 on, I've established a situation where I am earning and saving money specifically for my Star Wars hobby alone. I've estimated it'll cost me about $1,000 next year, but I'm shooting to save $1,500 that will not wind up being that amount on my credit card debt.

Next, Star Wars should never be so obsessively compulsing that you are losing every square foot of liveable space in your home to fill it with resculpts and cardback variations of figures you already have. I almost didn't buy the Wampa because I already have a '97 (but it was too good and I caved in) - but I'm not getting that Captain Crunch-Man Imperial Dignitary (#2) which I turned down in the store this morning. I can fit only 2, not 5 dignitaries behind my Emperor in my DS display, so I'll pick my favorite 2 if Hasbro intends to make all 5. I want them sinister looking, not silly-looking anyway.

But JediTricks is right: if you have all you want, quit. Or take a break. Every once in a while come back and pick up something you see that you really want - like the guys that came back just to get Ephant Mon. Don't burden your life with absolute rules: "I've quit or else I have to buy everything."

However, that doesn't mean the line has to die in 2008 or whenever every movie figure is made, just for your convenience. SW probably will die out a lot in a couple years after the movie, but it may not. And like JT suggested, nostalgic items will tend to pop up, especially when it is a hot and coveted license.

Now 1, I hope they will continue to make the 3 3/4" line, and instead of only resculpts for options, they will do characters from the comic and book EU.
We'll see how you guys like that, because next week's poll should be "Will You Buy Jaina and Jacen Solo Action Figures If Hasbro Made Them?" Who else are they going to make, people? Be realistic: the 17th Luke Tatooine. I know: Zutton gets a resculpt! That'll be popular

Are you ALL ready to buy "The Ice Cream Maker Guy?"

Or just so you can be a completist, are you ready to say they should kill the line after you have everything you want, and never mind younger generations who want to find SW at retail? That's selfish. No one's holding a gun to your head forcing you to collect.

But 2, changing the size and doing a new line, much more limited than what we're seeing in "the ongoing Episode Three line" is likely the best way to go.

Here kids, you want Star Wars figures? Here's Nas Choka, Qrrl Qyyg, Nrin Vakil, Kenth Hamner, Quis Xu, and Tahiri Veila. How many of you guys can tell me who they are? Well kids, it's on page 471 of "Star by Star" etc. etc. and I'm sure some of you have never read a 600 page book and cringe at the thought.

Now kids, here's the all-new Amazing Luke Skywalker (Tatooine)! Want that, or this figure of Salporin? (These names are real SW characters).

So I do want an extensive amount of EU figures made from the novels and comics, but I think some of the characters I just named were deliberately too obscure to ever see plastic (maybe not Tahiri, but the rest).

So if you don't like either option, that only leaves having the line die, just so you can say your collection is complete, without any regard to what's realistic, or what's fair to others.

Comment on that.

[kool-aid killer]

I wouldnt like a change simply because i think we have put in too much money just to have them start with another line of Star Wars figures. Now if it were only a few figures at a time i wouldnt mind, but then people would rightfully want secondary characters in this new style too so it would basically be like starting over again.

[stillakid]

I don't understand this need to have the line "end". If you are so desparate to have a "complete" collection, why not quit now or at POTJ or some other milestone?

Hmm, I don't really fall into that category of "hoping the line will end." (however, my bank account sure wouldn't mind! )

But this whole nonsense of "lines" (POTF2, POTJ, Saga, etc) is just silly to me. They are just arbitrary "milestones," as you put it, with no real meaning when it comes to toys that are designed specifically to interact together on the same scale. So what if they change the packaging that the toys come in with new splashy colors or new logos? It's what's inside that counts, and apart from the He Man look of the very early figures or the vast difference between the vintage efforts and what we have today, all the toys pretty much look and play the same.

So to suggest that one could simply stop at one of those artificial milestones and claim a "complete" collection just doesn't work.

[Jaff]

I never said I was desperate for the line to end I just relayed my opinion that it is FOOLISH to start a new line of figures that are more expensive and resized. And looking at this poll perhaps folks should read the opinions before saying sales would be just fine. There are more folks against the resizing than those who are for it! The numbers since the Saga line shows that SW was hurt by the saga line as compared to POTF, and POTJ. My statement that a 7" line would hurt the licence is based on annalysis not conjecture. SW was #1 yearly in toy revenue during POTF, POTJ, and was in the top three for Episode I. Episode II damaged the license terribly with statues and accessory features. They were not even posted as a toy winner last year. Now with distributors backing off like Wal-Mart, buys are down in the license, and dealers seem to be the only ones nibbling on Hasbro's new stuff eagerly it is clear that if Hasbro created a new 7" line than retailers will back off immediately seeing the change as desperation, not innovative. Hasbro has really screwed up this license, and now they need to concentrate on getting it strong again before even entertaining the idea of changing the size, just mentioning it can make Hasbro loose some ground! I do understand that this poll is hypothetical, but I'm commenting on it as if it was not hypothetical. Fix it first then get innovative, and just because they are making some great figures now doesn't mean they've fixed everything, they need to reform a team-ship with retailers, and make a marketable product again.

As far as the suggestion for me to have quit collecting during the POTJ line since I am "wishing to end the line" is a brainless comment without thought seeing how I stated that one of my dreams is to sit in a study with my COMPLETE 3 3/4 collection displayed. The collection would not have been complete if I quit before the entire 3 3/4 collection was released!

[fishyfett]

I know possibilities are there should Hasbro decide to change the size of their figures. However, I won't be buying anything that's out of the standard 3 3/4 format. Right now, the 3 3/4 is the standard. If and when the bigger figures come out, then I'll leave those alone. I just hope Hasbro will still make the smaller versions. For some of you fans who dig bigger figures, fine, whatever floats your boat. If I want bigger figures, I start collecting other lines in which the format is more than 3 3/4. That's why I quit collecting Marvel figures. They keep changing the scale. And I love Marvel. I think those Legends figures are some of the best I've ever seen. It took me a lot of patience to not collect them. Why?? Because I know, if I stand them next to my '90's Marvel figures, it would look odd. Not too mention some characters were already done so many times. And I feel the same with Star Wars if ever the format's changed. I just want to stick to one standard cause I know my wants and limitations. Like I said, I'm just keeping it real for ME. I don't agree nor disagree w/ anyone about the changes because everybody's different. Peace, people. :happy:

[skeeziks22]

Well, a few of my thoughts were answered, and I'll just re-cap:

1)Hasbro has not suggested that they will do this. Tycho mentioned he has never even asked if they were thinking about doing this.

2)It may be the best thing that if they did change the size that they did so while still producing 4" figures. They could compare sales then and see which line should be the one to continue.

I wonder how the unleashed line would sell if the 4" line was out of production... same goes for the 12" and playschool lines. I think the 4" line is the backbone of the collectors universe (even if you don't collect them).

I think the reason so many people seem to want to end their collection with a complete set soon is three-fold;

1) They are lacking space and new versions or re-packs takes up space that could go to new characters.

2) Money... I figure about $600 a year just to buy the 50+ "normal" figures plus deluxe and ships. This number does not include errors (unpainted visor), package variations (no dot clone trooper), or figure variations (head scuplts, clone deluxe colors, battle droid colors etc). Add those all on (and remember the Acklay had a package variation, and how many clone 3-packs are there?) plus the new cinema scenes and the cost approaches $800 a year... and that is just the 4" line!

3) Lack of new figs... this is likely the biggest reason people are ready to "retire" from collecting the 4" line. Ephant Mon was a Fan's Choice figure, yet only one person I know saw any on pegs... ever! My brother found one at a collectables store in Cinci. And did you know there is a color variant of this guy!

Also, as far as sculpts are concerned it is all too possible to do great sculpts in the 4" scale. Has anyone looked at some of the Hallmark ornaments out this year. The Amidalla and Yoda ornaments are so good, and the poses are such that they could replace the Hasbro versions in your dioramas.

I'll collect as long as they make 4" figs... hopefully they do some good ones and get them to us... I hate paying $7+ per fig from online sources.

[Deoxyribonucleic]

I would get some of them but they'd have to be super detailed and I'd only get the main characters of the Orginal Trilogy. I still can't imagine though collecting star wars figures until 2008 or was it 2018 that Hasbro has a license for the figures?? AY CARUMBA!

[I am Jabba the Hutt]

I still can't imagine though collecting star wars figures until 2008 or was it 2018 that Hasbro has a license for the figures?? AY CARUMBA!

I can! even though I'll be 38 in 2018! I could collect Star Wars figures for the rest of my life. Heck, I've been doing so on and off since I was a toddler. Thankfully, I'm insanely back into Star Wars.. I have come back to the light side!