Nice Try Hasbro…But Not Good Enough | The Bitter Twist For Non-USA Star Wars Fans
Carl Roberts 
Counting the cost of Hasbro’s Vintage Collection exclusives for fans living outside of the USA…
This past weekend, NYCC Comic-Con has been happening. There have been many great announcements and product reveals ranging from the name of the new Star Wars television series that has sent the fandom into meltdown with excitement to Hasbro’s latest figure reveal. As usual, the designers and artists have surpassed themselves. My brother Phil has already written about most of the revealed figures already so I won’t cover the same ground as he already has. What this article will cover is the figures revealed on the last day of Comic-Con New York. And again, the feeling of being let down by Hasbro.
The figures announced on the final day of NYCC look superb. Adding to an already packed January, Hasbro also announced the Vintage Collection figures set for release in April and July. Both waves throw up some outstanding and must have figures. The schedules for these two months are:
April:
Elite Praetorian Guard
Lando Calrissian (Solo)
Imperial Stormtrooper
Captain Phasma
July:
Luke Skywalker (Crait)
Death Star Gunner
Assault Tank Commander
Darth Revan
These vintage collection figures will become a great part of any collection and add to that, both months will have another figure that had yet to be announced. I personally can’t wait to get my hands on the entire April collection. Everyone knows I’m addicted to collecting Stormtroopers so to have an Imperial Stormtrooper AND Captain Phasma launched into the collection in the same month is really exciting for me. The Praetorian Guard and Solo edition Lando Calrissian add a great cherry on top of an already great cake.
After the lack of a Luke Skywalker figure from The Force Awakens, there now seems to be an abundance of them from The Last Jedi. And that’s a good thing for collectors. This new figure depicting the character’s Force projection persona is the first to do so. Many collectors have been clambering for this figure and now their prayers and hopes have been answered. This is a must own figure under all circumstances. Add to the mix the release of the Death Star Gunner and the Assault Tank Commander and any collector will start making space on their shelves. But the release of a Darth Revan figure in the range will make collectors like me salivate for its release in July. The character is now beloved by many Star Wars fans and cosplayers. If they can make a figure worthy of the character and on par with The Black Series 6″ version then we are in for a real treat.
With this great news for collectors, Hasbro is hoping that fans outside America and Canada won’t notice the sting in the tail they’ve sprung. Yes, that old favourite (I’m being sarcastic) of the exclusive. Yet again, Hasbro has undone all the good work by stiffing the rest of the world. They will be releasing six Retail Exclusive figures, three to be announced. The other three are:
Han Solo in Stormtrooper disguise
41st Elite Corps Trooper
Gamorrean Guard
You must be kidding Hasbro. You announce that you’re releasing Jabba’s Sail Barge in The Vintage Collection, intend to release some of the figures from it in January and February then make the Gamorrean Guard a retail exclusive? They are a major part of the setup and collectors around the world won’t be able to get their hands on them. That’s pretty dumb. And then you make it even worse by making the Han Solo in Stormtrooper disguise figure a retail exclusive. You’ve already annoyed many collectors by making the Black Series Clone Wars Obi-Wan Kenobi an exclusive and then you double down on the collector’s misery. You know damn well collectors will be clambering for this figure and yet you do this to them AGAIN!! Another hunt round the money grabbing resellers beckons to collectors outside the US and Canada. All the good work was undone yet again with some shortsighted thinking.
People may say, hang on, you’re getting ten figures you can buy that are not exclusives and to a certain extent that’s true but it doesn’t excuse the fact that blinkered planning and thinking have again forced the true collectors around the world to have to rely on unscrupulous extortionate resell vendors to get their hands on figures that they so desperately want to go into their collections. It’s not fair, inexcusable and total stupidity. But then again, what should we expect? Money and big business talks. And again it’s we, the collectors who must suffer.
Hasbro, nice try but nowhere good enough. Or acceptable.
Do you agree? Drop us a line in the comments section and have your say.
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