What TFA Merchandise Have You Gotten?
- Thread starter JD
- Start date
It's the way we're headed in general. You should see what Hasbro has done to the Transformers toys.
The toy market is shrinking in the US, thanks to smart devices and video games, while toy companies are still expected to show quarterly growth. As a result, they've moved production of many products to Vietnam (where labor costs even less than Chinese labor back in the '90s) while slashing parts count, paint, complexity, and raising prices. Basically they're squeezing blood from a stone.
Somewhat related, I've had this screencap of a post by a guy who works in manufacturing saved to my computer for a while now. Might as well toss it in here:
(Click for bigger.)
Basically we're all being screwed by corporate greed and 80% retailer margins.
The toy market is shrinking in the US, thanks to smart devices and video games, while toy companies are still expected to show quarterly growth. As a result, they've moved production of many products to Vietnam (where labor costs even less than Chinese labor back in the '90s) while slashing parts count, paint, complexity, and raising prices. Basically they're squeezing blood from a stone.
Somewhat related, I've had this screencap of a post by a guy who works in manufacturing saved to my computer for a while now. Might as well toss it in here:
(Click for bigger.)
Basically we're all being screwed by corporate greed and 80% retailer margins.
I've gotten a BS Stormtrooper, a few of the die cast ships and the Funko Subscriber box. It came with a shirt, a patch, a pin, a lanyard, a Pop Vinyl Capt. Phasma and a Tie Fighter Pilot.
It's the way we're headed in general. You should see what Hasbro has done to the Transformers toys.
The toy market is shrinking in the US, thanks to smart devices and video games, while toy companies are still expected to show quarterly growth. As a result, they've moved production of many products to Vietnam (where labor costs even less than Chinese labor back in the '90s) while slashing parts count, paint, complexity, and raising prices. Basically they're squeezing blood from a stone.
Somewhat related, I've had this screencap of a post by a guy who works in manufacturing saved to my computer for a while now. Might as well toss it in here:
(Click for bigger.)
Basically we're all being screwed by corporate greed and 80% retailer margins.
I've seen some of those Transformers, they are just so bad . . . I can't even say more than that.
Thanks for the chart. The gap between high-end and low-end is getting pretty wide, and I don't see myself dropping $200+ on a sixth-scale figure.
(Except maybe Sideshow's Boba Fett
)
I was in Disneyland last weekend, where Season of the Force is in full swing (you would not believe the insane number of people wearing/toting around TFA merchandise there), so I picked up a BB8 sipper. The thing is cute as hell and actually better quality than I was expecting. SO many people had these around Disneyland. I also got a light up Millenium Falcon that came in a beverage (the Light Side Lemonade). My sister got a light up Death Star (Dark Side Lemonade).
I got something else as well but it was a gift, so I'd rather not mention it until after Christmas.
I got something else as well but it was a gift, so I'd rather not mention it until after Christmas.
Also worth pointing out that the toy-playing demographic is also skewing much younger, due to video/smart device games. Most kids don't care about wicked articulated action figures when they are five, by the age when that would be a concern they don't care about toys at all...
It's the way we're headed in general. You should see what Hasbro has done to the Transformers toys.
The toy market is shrinking in the US, thanks to smart devices and video games, while toy companies are still expected to show quarterly growth. As a result, they've moved production of many products to Vietnam (where labor costs even less than Chinese labor back in the '90s) while slashing parts count, paint, complexity, and raising prices. Basically they're squeezing blood from a stone.
Somewhat related, I've had this screencap of a post by a guy who works in manufacturing saved to my computer for a while now. Might as well toss it in here:
(Click for bigger.)
Basically we're all being screwed by corporate greed and 80% retailer margins.
Now why can't the next internet billionair do something about that.
"I figure Musk and Bezos have space down pat, so I'm going to invest my mega bucks in cool models and collectibles--and don't give a dman if they sell or not."
As a longtime Star Wars action figure collector I've been picking up most of the new 3.75" and 6" figures that Hasbro has released and am looking for most of the ones that I haven't seen. I have the first two waves of the basic 3.75" action figures with 5 points of articulation, the Walmart-exclusive super-articulated 3.75" figures in Black Series packaging and all of the single-boxed 6-inch Black Series figures except for the two newest ones which are just starting to appear in stores (the First Order TIE Fighter Pilot and Resistance Trooper) and the Rey/BB-8 two-pack, which vanishes as soon as they're stocked.
I'm not all that interested in most of the ships and vehicles as they're either way too big and overpriced (as in the case of the 6"-scale First Order TIE Fighter) or too hollow and flimsy with soft plastic for the prices stores are asking.
I'm not all that interested in most of the ships and vehicles as they're either way too big and overpriced (as in the case of the 6"-scale First Order TIE Fighter) or too hollow and flimsy with soft plastic for the prices stores are asking.
Not that I've seen so far, but they'd be fools not to do so. They released toys for both the theatrical release of Episode III and and eventual DVD release of the film later that same year. And, of course, back in 1999 The Phantom Menace had numerous fast food restaurant tie-ins.
Similar threads
