New A-Wing Pilot in 2013

[Tycho]

Hasbro can re-release at $20:

old, small TIE Fighter
old, small X-wing (no electronics)
A-wing
V-wing - which amazes me why they don't - it's a great ship - one of my PT favorites - and they made their money on the tooling.

I have significant stock in Hasbro, btw. Of course I want to see a profit - not only for my income shares, but for the health of the toy line I love so I can one day get a Gungan Sub.

I have not seen pictures of Slave One, BTW.

Why make a 4th one?

1) Kenner version from 1980, repainted for 1996 SOTE release, and then in circulation on until 2002.
2) Hasbro AOTC Jango Fett version 1: revolving cylinder fire missiles - one of my favorite features in any SW toy ever!
3) Clone Wars BS1: in the package with Mace's Jedi Starfighter and CW Bossk figure, amongst others.

The Kenner one could easily be re-released to carry Carbonite Han.

The AOTC smaller one could be re-released and I think it was repainted in Boba's colors even for an OTC exclusive window box on Bespin.

The BS1 could be painted in Boba's colors and ought to be for vintage ESB packaging.

If they made a 4th mold for a cheap $20 version, wouldn't that be more expensive and a greater risk if the ship doesn't do anything - than re-releasing one of the 3 previous molds in a new or old paint scheme?

[Mr. JabbaJohnL]

If they made a 4th mold for a cheap $20 version, wouldn't that be more expensive and a greater risk if the ship doesn't do anything - than re-releasing one of the 3 previous molds in a new or old paint scheme?

They're doing these new molds because they require less assembly work at the factories, which is where a lot of the price increases are coming from lately. Since they don't release cost information I think we'll have to assume that going this route was ultimately cheaper than reusing an older tooling in this instance.

[bigbarada]

Maybe I'm wrong, but I would assume that Hasbro has a tooling budget that is separate from the rest of their budget. That would basically required them to spend a minimum amount of money on new tooling every year.

So, just for argument's sake, let's say that Hasbro tooling budget for 2012 is $1,000,000. However, they only spend $750,000 on new tooling in 2012, so what's their tooling budget for 2013 going to be? $750,000. Basically, if they don't spend it, they lose it.

If that is the situation, then they can't NOT spend money on new tooling, otherwise we will cease to get all new toys in the line for the foreseeable future.

[Tycho]

Thanks JabbaJohn.

New Tooling, Big B:

IG88's IG-2000
Zuckuss' Myst Hunter
Dengar's Punishing-One

Xizor's Virago

Mara Jade's Z-95

Qui-Gon Jinn's Gungan Bongo

Anakin's Jedi air speeder (ROTS)
Obi-Wan's Jedi air speeder (repaint of Anakin's)
Utopau Fighter (not the Magna Guard's ship)

Clone Wars: Hondo's flying saucer Rapier-One
Clone Wars: Hondo's pirate tank
Clone Wars / ROTS: Battle Droid walking assault cannon (similar idea to the Clone Army's but different mold)
Clone Wars: Assaj Ventress' Fanblade Starfighter
Clone Wars: Darth Maul's freighter (undersized)
Clone Wars: that Zygerrian fighter that looks close to an HTTE Skipray Blastboat and could be used as such

AOTC: Dooku's Solar Sailor

ANH: Lars Family Landspeeder

ESB: Rebel Alliance Mobile Ice Laser

ROTJ: Improved Jabba's sandskiff (might not be doable for $20 though - but a must to go with the Sailbarge Class 3 I want).

NJO Yuuzhan Vong Corral Skipper

NJO: New Republic E-Wing Fighter (if they could pull off the K-Wing Bomber but it's more ARC-170 sized)

Dark Empire: V-wing fighter - it's different from the Old Republic / Early Empire one

Guri's Stinger

I could so go on and on....

New VEHICLES would sell. If you were a kid, you'd buy these to play with. If you're NOT an EU fan, there will still be some that might be appealing. If you're like me, you'd buy them all!

[JediTricks]

Hasbro can re-release at $20:

old, small TIE Fighter
old, small X-wing (no electronics)
A-wing
V-wing - which amazes me why they don't - it's a great ship - one of my PT favorites - and they made their money on the tooling.

I have significant stock in Hasbro, btw. Of course I want to see a profit - not only for my income shares, but for the health of the toy line I love so I can one day get a Gungan Sub.

I have not seen pictures of Slave One, BTW.

Why make a 4th one?

1) Kenner version from 1980, repainted for 1996 SOTE release, and then in circulation on until 2002.
2) Hasbro AOTC Jango Fett version 1: revolving cylinder fire missiles - one of my favorite features in any SW toy ever!
3) Clone Wars BS1: in the package with Mace's Jedi Starfighter and CW Bossk figure, amongst others.

The Kenner one could easily be re-released to carry Carbonite Han.

The AOTC smaller one could be re-released and I think it was repainted in Boba's colors even for an OTC exclusive window box on Bespin.

The BS1 could be painted in Boba's colors and ought to be for vintage ESB packaging.

If they made a 4th mold for a cheap $20 version, wouldn't that be more expensive and a greater risk if the ship doesn't do anything - than re-releasing one of the 3 previous molds in a new or old paint scheme?

I don't know how you can argue they can release those at that price, they have more parts or are larger.

The SOTE release was a $30 box, too big/heavy for the current $20 shelf size. The AOTC version was the same size, less fragile too. I am guessing by them doing a new one and a new Ep 2 Jedi Starfighter they are hoping kids will get swept up in the AOTC 3D mania and buy at a price they're comfortable at - I highly doubt that will happen though.

They're doing these new molds because they require less assembly work at the factories, which is where a lot of the price increases are coming from lately. Since they don't release cost information I think we'll have to assume that going this route was ultimately cheaper than reusing an older tooling in this instance.

I asked Hasbro at SDCC if they would consider moving manufacturing back to North America (Mexico was my specific example) since shipping and management would be far less costly, unfortunately I asked the Transformers brand and not the SW brand - TF said a flat "no", but another site got the SW brand interview to show some consideration to a future possibility although currently it'd be difficult. I think they need to pull out of China at least partly, diversify manufacturing so that no one economy can bring it to its knees.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I would assume that Hasbro has a tooling budget that is separate from the rest of their budget. That would basically required them to spend a minimum amount of money on new tooling every year.

So, just for argument's sake, let's say that Hasbro tooling budget for 2012 is $1,000,000. However, they only spend $750,000 on new tooling in 2012, so what's their tooling budget for 2013 going to be? $750,000. Basically, if they don't spend it, they lose it.

If that is the situation, then they can't NOT spend money on new tooling, otherwise we will cease to get all new toys in the line for the foreseeable future.

I think they have a main budget based on past brand performance, but not on current expenditures, so they don't NEED to spend their budget in any specific area so long as they are seeing reasonable return. Since the return comes out a year and a half after that budget is planned, it's obviously a fluid system rather than an annual one. Hasbro was happy as a clam to not spend money on new tooling though, this last year has shown that.

[OC47150]

At the panel, Hasbro mentioned that this A-wing Pilot was based on a guy walking around in the hangar due to the head wrap. Like JT, I didn't realize the previous figures weren't accurate to the cockpit outfit, but since this is supposed to be a hangar guy anyway, does that make it more acceptable, bigbarada?

I think I caught a glimpse of this guy during Spike's back-to-back showing of Jedi. Blink and you miss him.

[Tycho]

I don't know how you can argue they can release those at that price, they have more parts or are larger.

The SOTE release was a $30 box, too big/heavy for the current $20 shelf size. The AOTC version was the same size, less fragile too. I am guessing by them doing a new one and a new Ep 2 Jedi Starfighter they are hoping kids will get swept up in the AOTC 3D mania and buy at a price they're comfortable at - I highly doubt that will happen though.

Yeah, you're right.

I'm glad we collected when we did. The old stuff is going to be regarded as being so much better!

Guess what guys? There will once again be a market for old school Kenner and even more recent (2012 and prior) vehicles because I think when kids learn about what we got "back in our day," they will want our ships.

I'm as easily talking about any prior mold for Slave One as I am the Corporate Alliance Tank Droid and even the 1995 X-wing re-release or the T-16 Skyhopper (remember that? It's in your closet somewhere).

[JediTricks]

The question is: will the prequels dilute future interest in Star Wars? Whether you love them or hate them, there I think should be no question that they don't have the lasting appeal or impact with the general public that the original Star Wars trilogy did. So will future generations scavenge our OG vehicles, or will they simply drop the inferior modern product altogether and with it any Star Wars staying power?

[Tycho]

Time will tell. Without being something like 5 to 10 years old we can't answer how are in 20 as it is for the in a can opener 1 socket versus Honolulu could we grew up with

[Tycho]

Whoooops. I can't edit my post from my phone either. Voice to text really garbled that 1. What I meant to say is that the dumpsters and the appeal of Clone Wars to them has to be determined as it is there new Star Wars well we grew up with Han and Luke.