Correct scale ships?

[Darth Rend]

Ok, I personally LOVED the correct scaled X-wings, and proudly bbought both Luke's and Red leader's. Myself and alot of other people are excited about the correct scale TIE fighter thats rumored. And I also love the corrected scal landspeeder that came as a TRU exclusice during the saga run. Then I hear about a new Y-wing coming out, and I get all excited. Then POOF, my hopes are dashed, as the Y-wing is revealed to be another vintage re-paint.

Is it me or has it always felt a bit odd that the "new" (POTF2 and forward) Star was figures were all updated with modern sculpts, but all the vehicles are still molds from the late 70s? With a few occasional exceptions, Hasbro seems content with re-using every mold vehicle mold they can, despite the updated vehicles being FAR superior.

Yes, I understand expense, cost, yada yada yada..but who wouldn't want a Correctly scaled Y-wing? Or even better, Imagine a completely new scuplt of the Falcon, with fully detailed interior, complete with the hall leading to the cockpit, and a cockpit that can *gasp*...fit the figures in it! I for one would shell out $100.00 for an ACURATE updated Falcon. In fact I think that is the one vehicle they could get away with charging 100 for.

[Ji'dai]

I'd love to have a Falcon with the interior detail that you mention. I've always wanted that ship with the main passenger bay and hallways, especially the one to the cockpit - which could seat four figures. That would make a great display piece. But I'd probably have to build my own if I wanted something like that. I have a feeling an official version with that level of scuplt & design wouldn't offered for less than $250-300.

[Gonk 1979]

I'd love to have a Falcon with the interior detail that you mention. I've always wanted that ship with the main passenger bay and hallways, especially the one to the cockpit - which could seat four figures. That would make a great display piece. But I'd probably have to build my own if I wanted something like that. I have a feeling an official version with that level of scuplt & design wouldn't offered for less than $250-300.

Thank you. That'll not likely happen. Consumers seem to just see what THEY want and not whats feasible for the company. SW toys aren't exactly a hotbed right now, and developing a new sculpt takes a crap load of money, especially one that you described. An accurately detailed Falcon with a new sculpt would probably run $200, and Hasbro has seen what has happened with high priced ships like the Shuttle that retailed for $140 - they eventually had to discount it to $60 to sell them. That, plus most Star Wars collectors already own a Falcon or Tie Fighter or XWing. How many people are going to shell out $100+ for a ship they already own, even if it is more detailed??? Just look at the new Falcons clogging the shelves. Simply put, they would not generate enough sales of the $100+ vehicles to make a profit. Sure, some collectors would spend that much on a second more-detailed Falcon, but no where near enough to justify production. Sometimes I swear some of you collectors are too picky. I see threads where posters are complaining about miniscule details missing, or the color of such-and-such not being the right shade, or whatnot. Give Hasbro alot of credit - they have held collectors interest for 10 years now. How many modern toy lines last that long? Not many. So, for you guys calling them "Hasblo", just how many SW figs do you have? Plenty, I'm sure. This line could do a lot worse than what Hasbro has given us, and I'm greatful. Just look at the HP or LOTR lines - we could have figs like THAT. Just be glad we have what we do and stop complaining about the super-insignificant little details.

[Turbowars]

The thing that you don't understand is that we the collectors keep this hobby alive, well so do the movies. One of the reasons that the line is as good as it is now, is us giving feedback to Hasbro.

As for the scale ships, well I would love some more true to scales ship, but don't see it happening. We might be getting a correct, or close to correct Tie with bigger wings soon.

[JediTricks]

I think getting them as close to scale as possible would be really awesome. I just got the Falcon for my birthday, and while it is neat, they did so much redesigining here just to keep parts within this 30-year-old mold that it probably would have cost as much (or less) to start over. I like displaying vehicles with my figs, but when they're so badly out of scale, it just looks bad.

[Gonk 1979]

.... they did so much redesigining here just to keep parts within this 30-year-old mold that it probably would have cost as much (or less) to start over.

....we don't know that. That's just some more speculating which posters like to do a lot of on this forum. The mold is basically the same, with just some tweaks here and there. What I'm talking about is the above poster who wants an all new detailed mold with interior hallways and the such. That's not feasible. Let's face it - unless there is a third coming of Star Wars in twenty years we're not going to get to-scale vehicles. It just isn't economical for Hasbro in the market right now.

[JediTricks]

Did you not see the word "probably" in there? Of course it's speculation, but it isn't just random, Hasbro has said before that using these old Kenner molds - especially with some retooling - costs a lot to work within their confines. The mold has to have redesigns to work with new materials, coordinate with new safety regs, and accept new parts and design changes; my step-father is a mold maker, he has worked in the moldmaking industry for 2 decades in shops that have made everything from intricate medical supplies to NASA-grade avionics to McFarlane action figures, he says that this level of retrofitting on the tools costs a lot of time and money, and he's seen many that cost as much as starting over from scratch. Look at what Hasbro has done to the OTC Falcon:

• they've 100% retooled the cockpit interior, including the control panel, the "seats", and the main body that holds the "seats"
• the cockpit hatch and its corresponding hinge on the main body had to be retooled
• new electronic lights had to be integrated with the mandibles
• a new spring-loaded missile-launcher had to be built into the forward hold
• the radar dish has been altered
• the battery compartment has been redesigned to accomodate an entirely different set of batteries
• the battery hatch has been altered to accomodate the new batteries
• the rear panel has new tabs added to hold it in place better
• the rear landing legs have been heavily modified with spring-driven tabs
• the entire rear engine area has been completely redesigned and the hull has to accomodate the wiring for this new design

Keep in mind, the main body halves of this toy are some of of the largest molds in the Star Wars line, so every change made to these large tools is going to be more time-consuming and difficult than an average-sized vehicle tooling.

[Darth Rend]

*sigh*


You are aware, that I already acknoledged the cost in my original post, right? I understand it would cost alot, and I never claimed Hasbro would find it "economicley feasible," In fact I'm fairly sure this my whole mention of the falcon was an obvious "wouldn't it be cool" statement.

As far as "us picky collecters" are concerened, try not to be so superior. I love and totally appreciate what Hasbro does, but I think EVERY collecter would like to see our figs. be more accurate, better detailed, ect. I never said anything like "wow, the current Falcon SUCKS! There's no com display where Han sits, there should be a blue switch on the chessboard, blah blah biddy-blah." I said wouldn't it be neat if they re-designed it, made it bigger, gave us new stuff, ect. Hell, hasbro ASKS us to let them know what we like, what we don't like, ect. I was fine with the old X-wing, and VERY pleasently suprised when they released an accurate scale version. Now, I'm just suggesting letting them know that we were going in the right direction

As far as cost, lemme give you an example. The Millenium Falcon is considered a playset. Are you aware of how many "Batcaves" have been produced by hasbro since Batman: The animated Series came out? A lot. Several diferent molds, too. If it was "economically feasible" for them re-design the batcave 5 times, why couldn't the same be done for the falcon? I'm not demanding a PERFECT in every detail, 8 foot long prop replica, but they could certainly make it a bit more detialed/accurate and maybe even a shade bigger.

And I for one believe the Falcon is lining the shelves because it is basically the SAME toy that has been released and re-released since the late 70s. I know thats why I didn't rush out to by the OTC version. But I think a BRAND NEW sculpt, new updated design....I think you would be in the extreme minority of collecters who WOULDN'T rush to TRU at 9:00 AM to get one.

[Darth Rend]

One point I missed...

Let's face it - unless there is a third coming of Star Wars in twenty years we're not going to get to-scale vehicles. It just isn't economical for Hasbro in the market right now.

A third coming of Star Wars collecting....hmm...how about the FINAL STAR WARS MOVIE COMING OUT IN 2005?

You think that might peak sales a LITTLE bit?

[Gonk 1979]

*sigh*


You are aware, that I already acknoledged the cost in my original post, right? I understand it would cost alot, and I never claimed Hasbro would find it "economicley feasible," In fact I'm fairly sure this my whole mention of the falcon was an obvious "wouldn't it be cool" statement.

As far as "us picky collecters" are concerened, try not to be so superior. I love and totally appreciate what Hasbro does, but I think EVERY collecter would like to see our figs. be more accurate, better detailed, ect. I never said anything like "wow, the current Falcon SUCKS! There's no com display where Han sits, there should be a blue switch on the chessboard, blah blah biddy-blah." I said wouldn't it be neat if they re-designed it, made it bigger, gave us new stuff, ect. Hell, hasbro ASKS us to let them know what we like, what we don't like, ect. I was fine with the old X-wing, and VERY pleasently suprised when they released an accurate scale version. Now, I'm just suggesting letting them know that we were going in the right direction

As far as cost, lemme give you an example. The Millenium Falcon is considered a playset. Are you aware of how many "Batcaves" have been produced by hasbro since Batman: The animated Series came out? A lot. Several diferent molds, too. If it was "economically feasible" for them re-design the batcave 5 times, why couldn't the same be done for the falcon? I'm not demanding a PERFECT in every detail, 8 foot long prop replica, but they could certainly make it a bit more detialed/accurate and maybe even a shade bigger.

And I for one believe the Falcon is lining the shelves because it is basically the SAME toy that has been released and re-released since the late 70s. I know thats why I didn't rush out to by the OTC version. But I think a BRAND NEW sculpt, new updated design....I think you would be in the extreme minority of collecters who WOULDN'T rush to TRU at 9:00 AM to get one.One point I missed...


A third coming of Star Wars collecting....hmm...how about the FINAL STAR WARS MOVIE COMING OUT IN 2005?

You think that might peak sales a LITTLE bit?

First off, I'm referring to a new era of Star Wars collecting - the first being 1977-1984, the second being 1995-present. By my saying "Third Coming" I'm referring to a new era of collecting after EP3 dies out - possibly in twenty years if they do a VII-IX. Secondly, sales will jump for EP3, but not as much as for EPI or EP2. Collectors aren't just going to jump into the fold for EP3 having bypassed EPI or EP2 - if anything they will be less than in 2002 or 1999 seeing as many have written off SW after the two "crappy" movies. Point in case - WalMart midnight madness for EPI had about 200 people at my store....for EPII about 50, and I'm betting EP3 will have even less. I don't think interest will grow just because it's the "last movie". Have you checked EBAY lately? Collectors are bailing out - I can pick up a longsaber Orange card Luke for UNDER retail. We are what's hanging on.

And saying that I would be an "extreme minority" of people who wouldn't rush out to buy a new Falcon sculpt - keep in mind that's a minority of COLLECTORS and POSTERS ON THIS FORUM, not of the general public. Only diehards are going to rush out for a new Falcon sculpt, and thats not enough to appease Hasbro. Being a parent, if my kid already had a Falcon and I wasn't a collector, I'm not going to rush out and buy him a new Falcon just because its more detailed and is $50 more. Only us collectors are going to rush out to get it, and we're not massive in numbers. Hasbro has to find a way to sell large vehicles at a economical price - look at the Shuttle. It had to be discounted to $60.

All I'm saying is that it won't happen unless there is a HUGE spike in Star Wars toy-collecting like there was in 1995, and that's not going to happen unless SW disappears for a while. All new molds of existing vehicles isn't feasible when collecting SW is at such an all-time low.