Regarding the Snowspeeder point, from a ton of evidence Star Wars big items like the TFA Tie Fighter, the Snowspeeder, the AT-AT very quickly went into clearance at a big variety of retailers, which suggests that large items aren't an easy sale at current mass retail stores, which seems to justify doing projects such as the Sentinel, Galactus and the Rancor through HasLab, with a Made to Order model, which is the same method used by smaller and independent toy manufacturers.
I wish that Hasbro would take a poll to ask the collecting community what they would like as a possible idea, or ideas for a future project. Get the consumer's input since they would be the ones funding such a project. Take the most popular ideas for each brand and go from there. Thank you Tony. Safe and well wishes to you.
@@Kickback-dm7zt I've read that MP Star Saber sales were disappointing, so while polling fans is a good idea, it's not a sure thing at mass retail, but it could certainly work better for a Made to Order model.
@@Kickback-dm7zt Because in that case there was retailer interest for such a product, as the MP line sells enough to justify its continued retail presence. The items offered at HasLab are too big/too niche (like the HasLab Star Saber) for retail to take an interest in, so what Hasbro does is a small change to their business plan, as whereas normally they present prototypes to retailers a couple of years before those are actually sold in stores, and retailers decide whether or not they're going to pre-order that product, using a Made to Order model, with HasLab they cut the retailer from the process, and their customer are toy buyers/collectors themselves, who then make use of the Made to Order model, by buying a pre-order. Same exact process, but the quota is much smaller, which tends to result in higher production costs, and their customer are toy buyers/collectors, rather than retailers, because for a company like Mattel or Hasbro their costumers are retailers, not the end consumers.
@@Kickback-dm7zt Then why have product like Star Wars vehicles struggled at retail for the past several years, quickly being moved to clearance as otherwise retailers can't move stock? It happened with the Snowspeeder mentioned here, with the Millennium Falcon, with the AT-AT, etc. That suggests these big items are presently difficult to sell at mass retail, hence alternative retail channels like HasLab. As for the issue with International collectors, I imagine a lot of that has to do different country laws regarding the pre-order of items. I'm sure the reason they aren't providing International collectors with this option isn't because of "MUHAHAHA EVIL!!!" Might also be because they have data suggesting that for a lot of countries there isn't a number of toy collectors significant enough to justify the extra costs of making it available for them. With this kind of companies cost-profit analysis is always a factor to keep in mind. Like for example, making it so that Italians can pre-order the HasLab stuff costs X, but the additional profit they'll get from those Italian collectors is only X/4, and so they'll never make that investment.
@@Kickback-dm7zt Isn't it? The Rancor is stated to be 17.5'' tall, going to 27'' if the arms are put up, and it's full width is 42''. The Sentinel was 26.6'' tall (so Rancor is taller with his arms up, and otherwise is only 9,1'' shorter), and Galactus is 32'' (Rancor's arm width is larger), so I'd say that in terms of size if fits right on. Price might be a bit much though, as the Sentinel was also $350, but it had electronics, and I can't tell if engineering justifies the same price point.
@@Kickback-dm7zt I'm simply presenting arguments and ideas, trying to justify them, but I have no stakes on the matter, as I'm not even a toy collector. I just happen to like the How and Why of things, and discovered that the How and Why of Toy Manufacturing is quite interesting. If you're going to react like a little child then there's no point in keeping this conversation going, so Good Day to you.
In fairness on the Proton Pack, the Neutrona Wand has been available for over a year, so a lot of people already have/had it - My wife and I each have one. So when the pack came up, the very first stretch goal was the connector - makes perfect sense. If you already have it, your done. If not ... well, that's why they are making them available now. And, also there was a similar Neutrona Wand years ago form Matty Collector that's still floating out there the people already have. And, again, as long as Hasbro CAN make money on Neutrona Wands, they will keep making them. And you watch, when demand starts to drop off, they'll do what they usually do: They'll raise the limit. Also, why would people want five? Because almost every city has a Ghostbusters division with at least five members. And Ghostbusters cosplayers have been spending over $1k US for custom packs, so this is a freakin BARGIN for us. All that being said, I totally agree with everything else Tony said. I'm not a fan of the Haslab model in general. I do think we need to start rethinking our concepts of distribution, though. Especially when we are talking about getting product overseas or even regionally in the US. Maybe direct sales like Hasbro Pulse (not necessarily HasLab) are better than hoping that Target or Wal-mart get the action figure or vehicle or whatever you are looking for. Or, worse yet, dealing with the secondary market.
Add to that the fact that the Proton Pack was announced and began funding on the heels of a new movie that USES this very Pack… Ghostbusters: Afterlife.
@Side Swipe: Don't be rediculous. It looks amazing, and was produced with help from the prop department that worked on the movie. I own the wand, and it is excellent quality. Fan-made Proton Pack replicas (which look just as good as Hasbro's) can cost upwards of $1000.
I agree on so many levels. . . 1) They stacked the deck with too many releases at a time. They should have pushed them out to one per quarter. Or at least two releases per quarter then another two on the next quarter so on and so forth. 2) They pushed this too late in the game for this time of the year. Like you said, folks are working on the holidays and likely may not have the extra cash to go out on something they're not going to see for at least another year possibly two. 3) They offered too little for the tiers to build up interest. Also, dumping on the Retro line is/was a bonehead play. Folks are STILL trying to get the meager offerings Hasbro put out.
I kinda agree but a lot of people who collect GI Joe don't collect Star Wars and vice versa. I assume that out of the three projects for most people one was a "must" the others not so much.
You nailed It Tony. Every single point you stated was spot on. They don’t know fans of 3.75 ARAH. If they did they would know a Skystriker would never be a choice. You got to make items omitted from the initial vintage line to tie into the collectors existing collection. Big Lob. Pythona, that large Cobra Transport Plane with the Snake Head. Not a Skystriker?
@@stevereynolds5684 Not as a o-ring figure. Don’t be one of thous guys Steve. You never want to be the guy that tries to act smart man. Picking apart another guys comment. By attempting to correct one part of the whole thing. Pythona was never built in O-ring construction. Meaning it was never a part of the ARAH 1982-1995 O-Ring vintage line. It had a modern style body.
About the Sky striker yes it is bad selection to put in started camping ! The reissue several time the same model of the jet ! I have one for the 2011 . And went you go to eBay you saw the largest number of the jet between vintage one and the modern version !Hasbro is a company of morons!
Unless Hasbro goes, "Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! We're going to include all the tier unlocks with the initial offering as a gift!" I don't see these Haslab projects being funded past the minimum required.
I just said something similar in my last video, 1, how much money does hasbro waste on tooling that they will never use again? How much more could they make with a smaller cost but on store shelves, even without unlocks?
Hi Tony. Having seen the thumbnail for this video I was ready to criticise you. I back the skystriker because I think it will be great to display next to the Roboskull mk2. I don’t need one, I have six vintage 1983 type on my custom Flagg. I am really excited about the reissue of o ring figures. I thought you might slag off Hasbro just because that seems to be the trend. I was wrong. You provide a fair assessment of the haslab campaign and your points are well made. This video has made me respect you even more than I already did. I love your channel and remain subscribed. Never lose your own view as it works. Thank you for your service to our country too. 🇬🇧
I happened to already own the Neutrona Wand. I was hoping they would eventually make a pack and they did. Edit: it also might be worth noting that you need to buy an ALICE frame to complete the prop, but the connection hardware is being included by Hasbro. The Proton Pack, to me, is the Holy Grail of 80’s props. This is the first time it’s ever been released after GB released nearly 40 years ago. Considering that it’s been anywhere from 1,000-3,000 USD to build your own this is a fantastic deal. Star Wars, GI Joe, and Transformers collectors have had their collectibles for decades. Ghostbusters fans, on the other hand, we’ve been waiting a loooong time for this. Edit: should have read more comments. Troy already outlined everything I said
I have backed the Aliens Nerf Pulse Rifle, but I'm getting tired of wating years on end to recieve goods I've paid for. (Only just recieved the HeroQuest reissue this week) So It'll probably be the last.
I too bought the Nerf Pulse rifle. As an Aliens fan, this was a no brainer. Some simple painting and we have a great replica from an awesome film. No tiers, no real disappointed fans, just a cool item that we can have fun with!
With all due respect, that's the wrong way to look it. Most toys take 18 months to produce, with projects like Haslab you are simply getting in and paying for them from Day One.
Agreed. When you consider that the Matty Collector Castle Gray Skull campaign was the same money as this it seems like an absolute nonsense price. Granted it's been a couple of years, but that seems like a decent benchmark to measure these.
You’re dead on about both Rancor & 6” Gi Joe. I would guess also, as iconic as skystryker is it’s still “just” a jet, not really a unique vehicle. A 6” scale Hiss, or Covergirl with Tank would have been gobbled up on HasLab. The Rancor will be funded, I have no doubts, but those are the lamest tiers I’ve ever head. How about a functioning gate instead of a cardboard backdrop etc.
Functioning gate: now that’s exactly what they should have done. Also add fx sounds to the beast: come on, even the ROTJ fig had an action to it, and this BS one has nothing! For cardboards, I buy mine at extreme sets, and surprisingly they’ve done one that looks a bit like the Janna’s throne room. In comparison, the haslab cardboard is a f’ing insult.
@@beowulf1944 A lot of people jump on in the last days, I’ve seen some wild outcomes from projects that didnt look like they were gonna make so I’d definitely hold out hope.
You have to wonder about Hasbro and HasLab. They have to be making a lot of money on this, sure. No risk money to boot. But them running three at once, not to mention the rising backer numbers for subsequent campaigns, suggests they anticipated these getting funded as a foregone conclusion. I also think the moves they are making suggests Hasbro is panicking because either or both of those failing potentially puts future campaigns in jeopardy. They got lazy and greedy and it may have cost them guaranteed profits.
It could be that they didn't expected everything to get funded, and ran all three at once so that they'd have *something* succeed. It could also be that they misread their audience, and assumed that there wouldn't be enough overlap between Star Wars, GI Joe, and Ghostbusters to hurt the campaign.
My tin foil hat theory? Some of these are projects Hasbro has already put into production in anticipation they will succeed, hence the eagerness to toss in extras to entice more buyers. If a project doesn't get kickstarted, little is lost. But you actually lose money if you can't sell product you have. Again, no proof for it, just my insane supposition.
@@ethanmichaelcrane934 Nah. I mean they spent money designing and producing 3D models of the toy, but the big spend is molds and production. Also if they were already in production with a delivery date some 18 months out, the warehousing costs alone would make the project a loss.
@@MichaelWWoods Like I said, tinfoil hat. But there's definitely something lighting a fire under them to entice us, especially with the Rancor. They definitely expected that to be a shoe in
It was pretty silly of Hasbro to run 3 separate Haslabs at the same time to begin with. Many of the people who would've funded their Rancor probably just came off the tail end of the Galactus campaign and Christmas time is also a concern with the timing. You make a great point about the Rancor being able to sell at retail. I believe the Skystriker probably could have sold via fan channel or via a collector's edition variation with a limited run. They've done it with other offerings and those sold well.
yeah, Haslab was supposed to be grail items that couldn't be produced any other way. The skystriker is just a toy plane. They've gotten too carried away and people are hesitant to back now.
@@88mphs I'd also rather have an original, but the difference is a lot more than "just a bit." And that's IF you can even find a complete one. I backed the MKII b/c it's probably the only way I'll ever get one. Also, I'm not a 6" collector, but they made it so it is compatible with 6" figures, so that's appealing to a lot of people.
I respectfully disagree that the SkyStriker is struggling more than the Rancor, it came out strong out of the gate. I do agree that a lot of collectors already have one even though I don't. I'm more excited for o-ring than classified any day. So I do agree that the choice of doing the sky striker was odd. With the new incentive, it's excellent! I would love to back a second one but it's Christmas and I just backed 2 months of Haslabs. Had I known the sky striker was coming I wouldn't have backed Galactus. As for the proton pack, I don't understand the appeal there.
I would have backed as my OG sky striker is missing EVERYTHING and it’d cost as much to buy the bits as to buy a new one, but it came at the wrong time of year for me.
Love your content Tony and I am just waiting on my Kickstarter Valaverse stuff can't wait. I do disagree with you on the Skystriker Haslab with everything included (even without the stretch goals) I think it more then holds its value.
There was a failure to mention a detailed value comparison between the vintage Skystriker and Haslab version in this video, but rather made it sound like it was just a common reissue.
Agreed on your Joe comments. Been an avid Joe collector since the 80s and I’m surprised by the choice to do the 3.75 scale striker when the classified line is doing so well. I haven’t seen enough of an effort by Hasbro to revive or push the 3.75 scale. Other than a few or two at Walmarts, there no where to be found at retailers.
I didn't realise that the Ghostbusters Proton pack does not come with the wand. That just crazy. I probably would have bought a Rancor at retail. I hope this trend continues and people keep holding out until they are getting what they want.
Now if that display stand that came with the HasLab Skystriker was actually a field station base that doubles as a display stand, this might be cool. Might be.... Some kind of Outpost Defender/ Checkpoint Alpha like base ..... except more like original or new.... maybe.... Still not touching even if Cobra Commander said with him in the offerings it was 'finally something worth backing!' with days left on the countdown.
Nice video. I guess they are launching the 3.75 GI Joe line next year. So that timing might be really good. Hence why they didn’t go 6” for a one? RE Malakili, it might not have zero development at this point. I wouldn’t be surprised that it was in development to come as a retail basic release.
The problem with competition is that Hasbro would just either buy them out or try to strong arm them. Hasbro would never want anyone to be a threat. That is why the smaller guys need as much fan and community support. I love some of the third party stuff. Wish I had more money and space I would pick a bunch of them up. But lets not forget with 3D printing becoming more wide spread, soon Haslab will really have some trouble when some determine fan creates a 3D printable model of anything from vehicles, characters, and even rancors. Then people can make as many as they want as long as they have the resin and the cash.
There’s a few rising powers in mass market that can’t be bought out, Mcfarlane for example is exploding with the DC license expanding into giant figures and vehicles at retail in a larger scale with higher detail at a lower price. The Hasbro Hegemony isn’t invincible, they need to be smarter.
@@vartanpapazian8342 Yes it can, but not likely to happen since Hasbro has the $ to outbid anyone for the license. My guess is they acquired the Fortnight license simply because the $20 offerings from Jazzware were making their $23 offerings look cheap in comparison.
@@malignantool132 I’m not saying it’s likely, but stranger things have certainly happened. I wouldn’t necessarily assume they pay the most for the license, that would be unusual for companies that big. Track record and brand recognition are major factors for companies like Disney. Sales play a big factor as well, which is probably how Mattel lost DC despite having it for decades and a popular line with 100’s of figures, and Mattel is a very big boy in the market. The reason McFarlane has a flat $20 base line is because he’s willing to eat costs that other companies run by a board won’t just to stimulate the market. It’s paid off, the new DC line is incredibly healthy with preorder sellouts, exclusives gone in seconds, and almost 200 figures in just over two years. They’re embarrassing ML in sculpt quality and price, frankly. The 500 characters on 5 stock bodies strategy is showing it’s age. Hasbro will always be a Juggernaut from Transformers & GI Joe, but I can see a future where Hasbro doesn’t have Marvel, or much more likely, Star Wars. I see a lot of peg warming with SW & ML, especially lately. All it takes is the right pitch at a contracts end, Hasbro is too complacent, which is what this video is about lol
Is the Rancor coming out in early 2023?! That’s crazy . I don’t understand this crowd funding shit for billion dollar companies that take over a year to release
The skystriker really surprised me. I thought that would've been funded quickly. I'm not a GI Joe collector so if anyone could educate me on this, I would appreciate it. I predicted the Rancor would get funded even before the Rancor Keeper announcement. With the Rancor Keeper thrown in, I am more confident. I agree the Salacious Crumb and the bones are dumb unlocks, but at least the Gamorrean Guard and Luke make sense.
@@AnalogToys I just thought there was more to it other than the vintage one being available. The new one looks really nice. I have Vintage Star Wars vehicles, but still purchase their modern counterparts.
@@MattsCollection I think the effects are nice on this.... I think the price point is the issue though. Hasbro got overly confident and raised prices tooo high. Fans sense their greed. They are taking something fun "collecting toys" and making it not fun.
@@KyletheKollector I see your point. When I backed the Razor Crest, I did it as soon as it went live. To me the price point of that incredibly large and detailed ship was worth it to me. The stretch goals are just gravy. I would suggest anyone who is considering backing a Haslab project to do the same. Look at the base offering and the price and see if that's worth it to you. I think both the SkyStriker and Rancor are going to be backed...though probably not all the stretch goals. Look at the surge Galactus had at the end....I see similar things happening here. @RayZ - I won't badmouth Tony, especially on his channel. We just have a difference of opinion about Haslab and that's fine.
$220.00 for an XP-14F Skystriker? No thanks. Hasbro should’ve focused on a Joe or Cobra vehicle that was never reissued like the Wolverine Armored Missile Carrier with a revised Cover Girl, or a Killer W. H. A. L. E. Hovercraft with Cutter. A G. I. Joe Conquest X-30 would’ve been a better bet. Also, why pair Ace with Hawk?!? It would’ve made more sense to have paired him with either Lady Jaye (as a nod to Marvel’s G. I. Joe #34), or even Duke (as homage to the animated Joe episode Cobra Stops the World). Its no help that the Skystriker’s been reissued several times already. Now their adding Cobra figures with no corresponding vehicles like a H. I. S. S. Mark II or a Cobra Rage?
I try not to comment on your videos these days. However I agree with a lot of what you have said in this video. What I will say though is collectors can gripe all they want to Hasbro about not getting an Oola......this figure will never be made full stop, pretty much like Slave Leia. This isn't Hasbros fault, tbis is on Disney, they are the ones who need to sanction these figures. For PC reasons Disney will not sanction either figure. The only way we would ever get on is tbrough an unlicensed third party. You only have to look at how the name Slave 1 was changed on the box of the new Lego Mandalorian version to know where Disney stand with this type of thing.
The skystriker is ridiculous considering there's been several skystriker re-releases over the last decade or so in various colors for $40 or so. The original is the one that's more pricey, but nearly $300 for the Haslab one is surreal in terms of price hikage. The tiers being unlocked would add value back but like yeah. I wanted the modern robo-skull but I missed the boat on it due to not having money. Sad too because the backer exclusive version looked great.
We’ve been saying this longest time Hasbro is producing mediocre products and 80 percent ends up in bargain bins specials. This is their way to get a feel for the market that seems to be showing buyers are looking elsewhere for higher end products.
The size arguments always seem a bit off to me. Right now Lego has on their D2C Lego store shelves A Milenium Falcon the size of a Coffee table and a AT-AT and Star Destroyer each the size of end tables. The cheapest one is $700. And they are selling well.
I have to agree with everything you are saying here. And especially the G.B. Proton pack should come with the wand, I thought that was nuts too. And I couldn't believe they set them up all together, they really should have staggered them.
@@Rocket1377 I can understand that, but maybe they should have offered it for two different prices, one with and one without if the person already had the wand, because, I think when you are buying such cool piece of memorabilia, I would like it all together as one set. Maybe I am wrong looking at it that way, but that is just my opinion, my friend.
I agree they have too many projects at the same time. But I don't have a Skystriker and this one has independent levers for the landing gear and wings.
The idea of Kickstarter like projects is to help up and comers get their feet on the ground and to offset "risky" projects or projects which are to test peoples interest in them. So when it comes to Hasbro WHY are they using the properties they are? Hasbro should be kickstarting - MASK VISIONARIES Both of these either as a re issued set or brand new versions of the product to test if the customer base is out there for it, I personally see the Skystriker as the worst project they've done - it's a franchise which is not as widely enjoyed in general outside of the US and the vehicle itself is as you say purchasable already. Not only that but the set itself (without the extras at least) could easily have just been a limited run item first, maybe with the extra figs as a first run deal, and then a more general release of the Skystriker after.
What’s up Tony? Bro, i agree with you about EVERYTHING in this video EXCEPT the Skystriker. First off, yes, why Hasbro hasn’t at least given us a Cobra Trouble Bubble for the Classified line is absolutely beyond my realm of thinking. It’s iconic, and it’s not too big. I’m sure they could keep the cost down on it also. And i agree that the Rancor should have been a retail sell. I would have gotten one if it was. Anyway, my points about the Skystriker really come down to one main thing. Something that I’ve HATED about that vehicle since i was a kid in the 80’s, and probably THE reason why i would rather have the Haslab version instead of a vintage one. And that’s the fact that you can’t have the wings open without the wheels being down. That’s stupid to me cuz the planes fly for the most part with the wings open. And it looks dumb with wheels down. The display stand is also something that really brings out the overall look of the vehicle, but also the different angles and positions that you can display it with. And cmon bro, the rocket flames on the engines and missles, AND, the ejection seats too??!!! I’m sold. And i think it will end up being made before the Rancor will. Anyway, just my opinion and i love your videos my man💪🏻
Spot on, both the Rancor and Sky Striker are both toys we already have, so there's no "must-have" factor. The Rancor also comes with laughable, and somewhat insulting stretch goals. The Sky Striker seems decent value now with the cobra stuff, but people were expecting something in 1/12 scale, because that is indeed the scale focus right now. A 1/12 scale Sky Striker probably would have sold better. Jabba's barge sold well, and it's huge! Plus the timing is terrible. Three haslabs ending right before the holidays when everyone already has expense commitments was poor planning.
I'm in that camp of loving all 3 properties but can't afford all three projects. I canceled my Skystriker pre-order because it wasn't looking good. Instead I backed the proton pack because it was already funded and at the time had unlocked the first tier unlockable. If Hasbro had spaced these out I may have bought both.
I think it's interesting/sad that a bunch of people in Joe toy groups are desperate to get the HasLab Skystriker funded in the hopes that Hasbro eventually releases a HasLab USS Flagg. There are definitely people that want to fund and get the Skystriker, and more power to them, but there are also people that sound like they don't really care much for the Skystriker and are hoping that funding it will get them what they *really* want somewhere down the line. Which I personally don't think is going to happen; the cost alone would make it prohibitive IMO but who knows, I could totally be off base 🤷♂️ It was also interesting to see people with new(ish) accounts and almost zero history posting rah-rah messages exhorting others to fund the Skystriker, particularly after the announcement of the Cobra figures. Come on guys, don't make it TOO obvious that you're Hasbro employees. 🙄
Not a Joe expert but if the Haslab Skystriker is essentially a reissue and no major new tooling then the profit margins should incredibly high for Hasbro for this item. Not a Joe 3.75 collector but seems to be this should be a retail release including all those extras. Like you said Haslab should be for something out of the ordinary like a vehicle for the Classified series.
Idk… need hard to find a near mint skystriker complete for less then $350.00… that isn’t a little off color etc. I was in on it bc of just this. If it don’t get funded, have to keep looking. That said- I thought it was an ok idea… not the best but like the idea of bringing back O rings and 3.75” scale
Big issues with the Skystriker HasLab are that vehicle is already available easily and has been released in a lot of variations over the years, they released it almost immediately after dropping a bunch of Classified figures for preorder, and the timing too close to Christmas where people’s discretionary funds are much less. If they’d have done a Classified HasLab or a WHALE, they’d have gotten different results.
I think it was over-saturation. Too much at once. I would like both the Skystriker and Rancor but only backed the Rancor and my taste was soured when the tiers were released. I do hope they would both be funded but either way Hasbro has some things to learn from this whole situation.
As far as Oola with the Rancor, she died off camera and that's not the 'scene' it's recreating. Obviously, I think there should be an Oola, but do her in a Jabba set. The expectation of Oola with the Rancor is a made up expectation. As far as the Skystriker, I'd prefer non-O-ring figures, but I backed it nonetheless. While I don't agree with all your points, you actually kind of gave me reason to re-think backing the Skystriker in that the 230 bucks right up against Christmas is probably a decision I don't want to make. I do agree with launching three campaigns at once being a bit too much. There's a lot of crossover between fans.
At the time my predictions were opposite, and then proved correct. My confusion though was the price of the jet. Adjusted for inflation and it’s extra parts and figures it was still AT LEAST 6X the original price. Why was anyone willing to pay that?
What we have learnt from this whole situation is that you should never purchase straight away and leave it till the last minute and you may get extra accessories
Skystriker when 1st released $15 now there has been inflation but not anywhere near enough to justify $250 for this new one. Think about that 2.5× what Hasbro sold the USS Flagg for a 7.5 foot Aircraft Carrier. Just insanity for a vehicle that has been re-released several times. You can get a mint original Skystriker for $250.
Great video, Tony. I think the Ghostbusters situation is familiar for Ghostbusters cosplayers and a lot of Halloween Ghostbusters costume owners. The movie accurate packs go for a lot and you have to have a lot of skill to make one on your own. Besides your idea on the Ghostbusters pack cost (I agree it SHOULD come with the wand for sure!), I agree with just about everything said here.
totally agree with you and not to mention that for more than a year they have your money working for them. Hasbro is not a small company, they do not really use our money to do projects. I am from Mexico and I buy and collect Black series that in my country are expensive since they have an extra tax because they are considered as a collection item (Luxury item) I can not imagine how much it would cost me with the shipment, import taxes and the additional tax. I have to eat. !! $$$
Another question I'd like to ask why the Sky Striker? Why not the NIght Raven? And I don't mean the one from ROC, I mean a new retooled Night Raven. A larger bird, that would have easily been able to fetch a bit larger of a price tag. And I know someone will probably say "Well they don't have the molds for it anymore." I get that, but that's why I said they could retool a new one. I mean if they're going to just approve a NEW Sentinel, Galactus and a Rancor out of thin air why couldn't they redo or proof up a new full-sized Night Raven?
Dude you know Hasbro are gonna invent backers at the last minute. Then they will extend it and make up more backers. Its the same old trick they pulled with Unicron. Watch, you’ll see.
I already got the skystriker when it was at retail for the 25th anniversary It also includes vintage pilots where if you are collecting the GI joe retro figs this doesnt work at all and we dont know habros plans for a re issue vintage line.. Have no interest in the Rancor I collect a few black series figs but the Ive got no space or money for a Rancor
I think the Skystriker is a nice update to the original but as you say, it’s still something we’ve already seen multiple times (a new WHALE would have been a better choice) and not hugely hard to get an earlier version. For me, though, the real deal breaker is no provision or consideration at all for the 25th/PoC/50th Joe collectors - it would have been very easy for them to design it a shade bigger and include alternative seats for the 4” Joes. That way both the 3.75 and 4” fans are accounted for and everyone’s happy, resulting in more takers. Instead, Hasbro refused to even acknowledge or address it and needlessly fractured the possible sales base. So screw ‘em, I pledged for a couple of Roboskulls and the Eagle Force Red Shadows tribute figures instead. If the Skystriker fails to hit the target - which I don’t think it will, it will probably just scrape over the finish line - Hasbro will have no one but themselves to blame.
Great point on the 3.75" and 4" vehicle interaction. I'm almost all "o-ring" and I think these new "o-ring" offerings are horrible. I also have 4" figures. But if this supposedly all-new Skystriker is going to be made it really should have been made with that, as you stated, provision or consideration for the 25th-50th collectors, too. It was a definite needless fracture point to those buying the 4" over the last, what, 14 years now? The A Real American Hero run was a solid, what, 12 years, with a mixed bag a few years after.
I've seen a lot of people saying that they released too many projects at once but, in fairness I don't think that Hasbro considered that all projects would be wanted by all people. Honestly, I have zero interest in the Proton pack and was lukewarm on the Rancor. So, it worked out perfectly for me since Hasbro released all the extra figures with the Skystriker especially the Mickey Mouse Cobra Commander. Only bummer is that it won't ship until Spring 2023. I somehow missed that initially.
I bought a reissue 30th anniversary Skystriker at JoeFest last year for $120 (and immediately resold it on eBay, but that's another story). EVERY toys how I go to has these in abundance, usually for less than half what this new version is selling for. The supply of reissue and originals are clearly outstripping demand. I have an original incomplete one but have no interest in another. If I had a Flagg I MIGHT buy another. But I just don't have the interest or the room. And I have a BIG house.
I think there's one way to salvage the Proton Pack/Wand ratio. Tie multiple packs together with a wire and harness, so multiple packs charge a single wand. Something something teamwork, and the harness could double as a harness so you don't lose your kid. But, yeah. It should have been a 1/1 packaged deal.
@Analogtoys For $250 I can get a vintage Skysryker or a modern one cheaper. Plus, there are so many Rancors made over the years. People can find them anywhere.
You hit on a great point and I will add. I am a fan of all three, but to have this try to get funded during the holidays was also a bad idea. I don't have the money to do that and Christmas. People aren't backing this for the holidays for gift. Just asking too much at the wrong time. What will happen is 2 out of 3 will not get the greenlight and Hasbro will just stop doing haslab stuff.
That new Roboskull does look good. I think you are right - surely that Rancor would have sold at retail. I am glad your video is not all negative, very reasonable opinions.👍
Isn‘t a key point about the skystriker that they could have easily aimed it at the modern 4 inch collectors, as well as the vintage o-ring fans? If they had invested into engineering a completely new mold (which I‘m assuming this is not), it would have been possible to make it slightly larger than the original plane, so that it would have fit both 4 inch and 3.75 inch figures, as is possible with many of the other vehicles. The original skystriker was already a heavily scaled-down F-14, so this would have probably looked fine with either size figure. I think they were cutting corners and forgot about a large potential group of backers. The existing ˋmodernˆ skystriker isn‘t able to seat two figures.
Haslab USS Flagg! People would gladly wait a year to get an updated, newly tooled USS Flagg! Even a $260 retail rehash of the original would sell! It was literally just a few plastic boards, scaffolding, and the command center.
Regarding the Snowspeeder point, from a ton of evidence Star Wars big items like the TFA Tie Fighter, the Snowspeeder, the AT-AT very quickly went into clearance at a big variety of retailers, which suggests that large items aren't an easy sale at current mass retail stores, which seems to justify doing projects such as the Sentinel, Galactus and the Rancor through HasLab, with a Made to Order model, which is the same method used by smaller and independent toy manufacturers.
I wish that Hasbro would take a poll to ask the collecting community what they would like as a possible idea, or ideas for a future project. Get the consumer's input since they would be the ones funding such a project. Take the most popular ideas for each brand and go from there. Thank you Tony. Safe and well wishes to you.
@@Kickback-dm7zt I've read that MP Star Saber sales were disappointing, so while polling fans is a good idea, it's not a sure thing at mass retail, but it could certainly work better for a Made to Order model.
@@Kickback-dm7zt Because in that case there was retailer interest for such a product, as the MP line sells enough to justify its continued retail presence.
The items offered at HasLab are too big/too niche (like the HasLab Star Saber) for retail to take an interest in, so what Hasbro does is a small change to their business plan, as whereas normally they present prototypes to retailers a couple of years before those are actually sold in stores, and retailers decide whether or not they're going to pre-order that product, using a Made to Order model, with HasLab they cut the retailer from the process, and their customer are toy buyers/collectors themselves, who then make use of the Made to Order model, by buying a pre-order.
Same exact process, but the quota is much smaller, which tends to result in higher production costs, and their customer are toy buyers/collectors, rather than retailers, because for a company like Mattel or Hasbro their costumers are retailers, not the end consumers.
@@Kickback-dm7zt Then why have product like Star Wars vehicles struggled at retail for the past several years, quickly being moved to clearance as otherwise retailers can't move stock? It happened with the Snowspeeder mentioned here, with the Millennium Falcon, with the AT-AT, etc. That suggests these big items are presently difficult to sell at mass retail, hence alternative retail channels like HasLab.
As for the issue with International collectors, I imagine a lot of that has to do different country laws regarding the pre-order of items. I'm sure the reason they aren't providing International collectors with this option isn't because of "MUHAHAHA EVIL!!!"
Might also be because they have data suggesting that for a lot of countries there isn't a number of toy collectors significant enough to justify the extra costs of making it available for them. With this kind of companies cost-profit analysis is always a factor to keep in mind. Like for example, making it so that Italians can pre-order the HasLab stuff costs X, but the additional profit they'll get from those Italian collectors is only X/4, and so they'll never make that investment.
@@Kickback-dm7zt Isn't it?
The Rancor is stated to be 17.5'' tall, going to 27'' if the arms are put up, and it's full width is 42''.
The Sentinel was 26.6'' tall (so Rancor is taller with his arms up, and otherwise is only 9,1'' shorter), and Galactus is 32'' (Rancor's arm width is larger), so I'd say that in terms of size if fits right on.
Price might be a bit much though, as the Sentinel was also $350, but it had electronics, and I can't tell if engineering justifies the same price point.
@@Kickback-dm7zt I'm simply presenting arguments and ideas, trying to justify them, but I have no stakes on the matter, as I'm not even a toy collector. I just happen to like the How and Why of things, and discovered that the How and Why of Toy Manufacturing is quite interesting.
If you're going to react like a little child then there's no point in keeping this conversation going, so Good Day to you.
In fairness on the Proton Pack, the Neutrona Wand has been available for over a year, so a lot of people already have/had it - My wife and I each have one. So when the pack came up, the very first stretch goal was the connector - makes perfect sense. If you already have it, your done. If not ... well, that's why they are making them available now. And, also there was a similar Neutrona Wand years ago form Matty Collector that's still floating out there the people already have. And, again, as long as Hasbro CAN make money on Neutrona Wands, they will keep making them. And you watch, when demand starts to drop off, they'll do what they usually do: They'll raise the limit.
Also, why would people want five? Because almost every city has a Ghostbusters division with at least five members. And Ghostbusters cosplayers have been spending over $1k US for custom packs, so this is a freakin BARGIN for us.
All that being said, I totally agree with everything else Tony said. I'm not a fan of the Haslab model in general. I do think we need to start rethinking our concepts of distribution, though. Especially when we are talking about getting product overseas or even regionally in the US. Maybe direct sales like Hasbro Pulse (not necessarily HasLab) are better than hoping that Target or Wal-mart get the action figure or vehicle or whatever you are looking for. Or, worse yet, dealing with the secondary market.
Add to that the fact that the Proton Pack was announced and began funding on the heels of a new movie that USES this very Pack… Ghostbusters: Afterlife.
@Side Swipe:
Don't be rediculous. It looks amazing, and was produced with help from the prop department that worked on the movie. I own the wand, and it is excellent quality. Fan-made Proton Pack replicas (which look just as good as Hasbro's) can cost upwards of $1000.
I agree on so many levels. . .
1) They stacked the deck with too many releases at a time.
They should have pushed them out to one per quarter. Or at least two releases per quarter then another two on the next quarter so on and so forth.
2) They pushed this too late in the game for this time of the year.
Like you said, folks are working on the holidays and likely may not have the extra cash to go out on something they're not going to see for at least another year possibly two.
3) They offered too little for the tiers to build up interest.
Also, dumping on the Retro line is/was a bonehead play. Folks are STILL trying to get the meager offerings Hasbro put out.
I kinda agree but a lot of people who collect GI Joe don't collect Star Wars and vice versa. I assume that out of the three projects for most people one was a "must" the others not so much.
You nailed It Tony. Every single point you stated was spot on. They don’t know fans of 3.75 ARAH. If they did they would know a Skystriker would never be a choice. You got to make items omitted from the initial vintage line to tie into the collectors existing collection. Big Lob. Pythona, that large Cobra Transport Plane with the Snake Head. Not a Skystriker?
Pythona was released in the old Collector Club.
@@stevereynolds5684 Not as a o-ring figure. Don’t be one of thous guys Steve. You never want to be the guy that tries to act smart man. Picking apart another guys comment. By attempting to correct one part of the whole thing. Pythona was never built in O-ring construction. Meaning it was never a part of the ARAH 1982-1995 O-Ring vintage line. It had a modern style body.
About the Sky striker yes it is bad selection to put in started camping ! The reissue several time the same model of the jet ! I have one for the 2011 . And went you go to eBay you saw the largest number of the jet between vintage one and the modern version !Hasbro is a company of morons!
Imagine how big the Cobra Transport plane would be lol
I thought the same thing . You can find a nice complete Skystriker for less than Haslab one
I agree. Why not do a haslab 3.75 retooled WHALE or Tank or even something original and new.
Unless Hasbro goes, "Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! We're going to include all the tier unlocks with the initial offering as a gift!" I don't see these Haslab projects being funded past the minimum required.
I just said something similar in my last video, 1, how much money does hasbro waste on tooling that they will never use again? How much more could they make with a smaller cost but on store shelves, even without unlocks?
Hi Tony. Having seen the thumbnail for this video I was ready to criticise you. I back the skystriker because I think it will be great to display next to the Roboskull mk2. I don’t need one, I have six vintage 1983 type on my custom Flagg. I am really excited about the reissue of o ring figures. I thought you might slag off Hasbro just because that seems to be the trend. I was wrong. You provide a fair assessment of the haslab campaign and your points are well made. This video has made me respect you even more than I already did. I love your channel and remain subscribed. Never lose your own view as it works. Thank you for your service to our country too. 🇬🇧
Great video. I always like the display set ups you do relating to your topic.
I happened to already own the Neutrona Wand. I was hoping they would eventually make a pack and they did.
Edit: it also might be worth noting that you need to buy an ALICE frame to complete the prop, but the connection hardware is being included by Hasbro.
The Proton Pack, to me, is the Holy Grail of 80’s props. This is the first time it’s ever been released after GB released nearly 40 years ago.
Considering that it’s been anywhere from 1,000-3,000 USD to build your own this is a fantastic deal.
Star Wars, GI Joe, and Transformers collectors have had their collectibles for decades. Ghostbusters fans, on the other hand, we’ve been waiting a loooong time for this.
Edit: should have read more comments. Troy already outlined everything I said
I have backed the Aliens Nerf Pulse Rifle, but I'm getting tired of wating years on end to recieve goods I've paid for. (Only just recieved the HeroQuest reissue this week) So It'll probably be the last.
I too bought the Nerf Pulse rifle. As an Aliens fan, this was a no brainer. Some simple painting and we have a great replica from an awesome film. No tiers, no real disappointed fans, just a cool item that we can have fun with!
The 3rd party experience.
I was just thinking a Nerf XLMR-3A would be great. But I wouldn't want to wait years for it, yikes!
With all due respect, that's the wrong way to look it. Most toys take 18 months to produce, with projects like Haslab you are simply getting in and paying for them from Day One.
It is hard to believe with so many UA-cam channels dedicated to toys and these franchises that Hasbro is so far out of touch with their clients...
For the cost involved- the Rancor should include not only the mentioned figures, but a cave wall/ gate piece as well.
Agreed. When you consider that the Matty Collector Castle Gray Skull campaign was the same money as this it seems like an absolute nonsense price. Granted it's been a couple of years, but that seems like a decent benchmark to measure these.
You’re dead on about both Rancor & 6” Gi Joe. I would guess also, as iconic as skystryker is it’s still “just” a jet, not really a unique vehicle. A 6” scale Hiss, or Covergirl with Tank would have been gobbled up on HasLab.
The Rancor will be funded, I have no doubts, but those are the lamest tiers I’ve ever head. How about a functioning gate instead of a cardboard backdrop etc.
Functioning gate: now that’s exactly what they should have done. Also add fx sounds to the beast: come on, even the ROTJ fig had an action to it, and this BS one has nothing! For cardboards, I buy mine at extreme sets, and surprisingly they’ve done one that looks a bit like the Janna’s throne room. In comparison, the haslab cardboard is a f’ing insult.
@@Strateggo EXACTLY! Heck, I can design one and print a Rancor gate in about three days. Hmm... Now that I think about it... :-)
@@beowulf1944 A lot of people jump on in the last days, I’ve seen some wild outcomes from projects that didnt look like they were gonna make so I’d definitely hold out hope.
You have to wonder about Hasbro and HasLab. They have to be making a lot of money on this, sure. No risk money to boot. But them running three at once, not to mention the rising backer numbers for subsequent campaigns, suggests they anticipated these getting funded as a foregone conclusion. I also think the moves they are making suggests Hasbro is panicking because either or both of those failing potentially puts future campaigns in jeopardy. They got lazy and greedy and it may have cost them guaranteed profits.
It could be that they didn't expected everything to get funded, and ran all three at once so that they'd have *something* succeed. It could also be that they misread their audience, and assumed that there wouldn't be enough overlap between Star Wars, GI Joe, and Ghostbusters to hurt the campaign.
My tin foil hat theory? Some of these are projects Hasbro has already put into production in anticipation they will succeed, hence the eagerness to toss in extras to entice more buyers. If a project doesn't get kickstarted, little is lost. But you actually lose money if you can't sell product you have. Again, no proof for it, just my insane supposition.
@@ethanmichaelcrane934 Nah. I mean they spent money designing and producing 3D models of the toy, but the big spend is molds and production. Also if they were already in production with a delivery date some 18 months out, the warehousing costs alone would make the project a loss.
@@MichaelWWoods Like I said, tinfoil hat. But there's definitely something lighting a fire under them to entice us, especially with the Rancor. They definitely expected that to be a shoe in
@@ethanmichaelcrane934 Well, yeah. They fail on a Disney project and that license might go elsewhere when it's time to re-up.
It was pretty silly of Hasbro to run 3 separate Haslabs at the same time to begin with. Many of the people who would've funded their Rancor probably just came off the tail end of the Galactus campaign and Christmas time is also a concern with the timing.
You make a great point about the Rancor being able to sell at retail. I believe the Skystriker probably could have sold via fan channel or via a collector's edition variation with a limited run. They've done it with other offerings and those sold well.
Fans: Rancor is too big
Haslab Unicron: Are you sure about that?
yeah, Haslab was supposed to be grail items that couldn't be produced any other way. The skystriker is just a toy plane. They've gotten too carried away and people are hesitant to back now.
If I had the money, I'd totally jump on that new Roboskull. Looks freakin' amazing. Amazing.
I'd rather spend just a bit more on an original
@@88mphs I'd also rather have an original, but the difference is a lot more than "just a bit." And that's IF you can even find a complete one. I backed the MKII b/c it's probably the only way I'll ever get one. Also, I'm not a 6" collector, but they made it so it is compatible with 6" figures, so that's appealing to a lot of people.
Hasbro is showing us that we, the consumers, really still have the power. :-) great video Tony !
HASLABS: We make what you want
CUSTOMER: Nope. You make what you want.
That new roboskull looks epic! :-D
I ordered a Proton Pack, but I literally *just happened to have* an extra Neutrona Wand. Not everyone is in the same situation.
I respectfully disagree that the SkyStriker is struggling more than the Rancor, it came out strong out of the gate. I do agree that a lot of collectors already have one even though I don't. I'm more excited for o-ring than classified any day. So I do agree that the choice of doing the sky striker was odd.
With the new incentive, it's excellent! I would love to back a second one but it's Christmas and I just backed 2 months of Haslabs. Had I known the sky striker was coming I wouldn't have backed Galactus.
As for the proton pack, I don't understand the appeal there.
Should be quite interesting this next few days. Great summary Tony.
I would have backed as my OG sky striker is missing EVERYTHING and it’d cost as much to buy the bits as to buy a new one, but it came at the wrong time of year for me.
Most of my Gi Joe's are gone, so I wanted the "retro" line to actually be o ring figures. Not the 25th
Love your content Tony and I am just waiting on my Kickstarter Valaverse stuff can't wait.
I do disagree with you on the Skystriker Haslab with everything included (even without the stretch goals) I think it more then holds its value.
There was a failure to mention a detailed value comparison between the vintage Skystriker and Haslab version in this video, but rather made it sound like it was just a common reissue.
The Skystriker should be for classified figures. Start with the Sky Hawk orthe Cobra Mocassin for the Classified figures.
Agreed on your Joe comments. Been an avid Joe collector since the 80s and I’m surprised by the choice to do the 3.75 scale striker when the classified line is doing so well. I haven’t seen enough of an effort by Hasbro to revive or push the 3.75 scale. Other than a few or two at Walmarts, there no where to be found at retailers.
If they did The Night Raven, I think it would’ve been backed in a week.
Definitely more difficult to find a complete Night Raven for a decent price then a Skystriker.
The “you don’t know what he looks like” bit had me rolling 🤣. Well said, Tony
I didn't realise that the Ghostbusters Proton pack does not come with the wand. That just crazy. I probably would have bought a Rancor at retail. I hope this trend continues and people keep holding out until they are getting what they want.
Thank you for the details, AT!
Now if that display stand that came with the HasLab Skystriker was actually a field station base that doubles as a display stand, this might be cool. Might be....
Some kind of Outpost Defender/ Checkpoint Alpha like base ..... except more like original or new.... maybe....
Still not touching even if Cobra Commander said with him in the offerings it was 'finally something worth backing!' with days left on the countdown.
Nice video.
I guess they are launching the 3.75 GI Joe line next year. So that timing might be really good. Hence why they didn’t go 6” for a one?
RE Malakili, it might not have zero development at this point. I wouldn’t be surprised that it was in development to come as a retail basic release.
The problem with competition is that Hasbro would just either buy them out or try to strong arm them. Hasbro would never want anyone to be a threat. That is why the smaller guys need as much fan and community support. I love some of the third party stuff. Wish I had more money and space I would pick a bunch of them up.
But lets not forget with 3D printing becoming more wide spread, soon Haslab will really have some trouble when some determine fan creates a 3D printable model of anything from vehicles, characters, and even rancors. Then people can make as many as they want as long as they have the resin and the cash.
There’s a few rising powers in mass market that can’t be bought out, Mcfarlane for example is exploding with the DC license expanding into giant figures and vehicles at retail in a larger scale with higher detail at a lower price. The Hasbro Hegemony isn’t invincible, they need to be smarter.
@@vartanpapazian8342 Mcfarlane can't be bought but the DC license can.
@@malignantool132 And the Marvel license can just as easily be taken from Hasbro.
@@vartanpapazian8342 Yes it can, but not likely to happen since Hasbro has the $ to outbid anyone for the license. My guess is they acquired the Fortnight license simply because the $20 offerings from Jazzware were making their $23 offerings look cheap in comparison.
@@malignantool132 I’m not saying it’s likely, but stranger things have certainly happened. I wouldn’t necessarily assume they pay the most for the license, that would be unusual for companies that big. Track record and brand recognition are major factors for companies like Disney.
Sales play a big factor as well, which is probably how Mattel lost DC despite having it for decades and a popular line with 100’s of figures, and Mattel is a very big boy in the market. The reason McFarlane has a flat $20 base line is because he’s willing to eat costs that other companies run by a board won’t just to stimulate the market. It’s paid off, the new DC line is incredibly healthy with preorder sellouts, exclusives gone in seconds, and almost 200 figures in just over two years. They’re embarrassing ML in sculpt quality and price, frankly. The 500 characters on 5 stock bodies strategy is showing it’s age.
Hasbro will always be a Juggernaut from Transformers & GI Joe, but I can see a future where Hasbro doesn’t have Marvel, or much more likely, Star Wars. I see a lot of peg warming with SW & ML, especially lately. All it takes is the right pitch at a contracts end, Hasbro is too complacent, which is what this video is about lol
Very well thought out video. Great analysis and discussion. Great job, Tony.
Is the Rancor coming out in early 2023?! That’s crazy . I don’t understand this crowd funding shit for billion dollar companies that take over a year to release
Haslab is such a joke. Just a predatory scam wing of Hasbro.
Great video again Tony
A Dr. Venom playset with the Brainwave Scanner for the Classified series would have been a great idea!
Nuff Said!
They should make the 1982 cobra missile base but in actual plastic and that would sell like hot cakes
The skystriker really surprised me. I thought that would've been funded quickly. I'm not a GI Joe collector so if anyone could educate me on this, I would appreciate it.
I predicted the Rancor would get funded even before the Rancor Keeper announcement. With the Rancor Keeper thrown in, I am more confident. I agree the Salacious Crumb and the bones are dumb unlocks, but at least the Gamorrean Guard and Luke make sense.
Educate you on this? That’s exactly what I did in the video.
@@AnalogToys I just thought there was more to it other than the vintage one being available. The new one looks really nice.
I have Vintage Star Wars vehicles, but still purchase their modern counterparts.
@@MattsCollection I think the effects are nice on this.... I think the price point is the issue though. Hasbro got overly confident and raised prices tooo high. Fans sense their greed. They are taking something fun "collecting toys" and making it not fun.
@@KyletheKollector I see your point. When I backed the Razor Crest, I did it as soon as it went live. To me the price point of that incredibly large and detailed ship was worth it to me. The stretch goals are just gravy.
I would suggest anyone who is considering backing a Haslab project to do the same. Look at the base offering and the price and see if that's worth it to you.
I think both the SkyStriker and Rancor are going to be backed...though probably not all the stretch goals. Look at the surge Galactus had at the end....I see similar things happening here.
@RayZ - I won't badmouth Tony, especially on his channel. We just have a difference of opinion about Haslab and that's fine.
@@AnalogToys lol 😂
$220.00 for an XP-14F Skystriker? No thanks. Hasbro should’ve focused on a Joe or Cobra vehicle that was never reissued like the Wolverine Armored Missile Carrier with a revised Cover Girl, or a Killer W. H. A. L. E. Hovercraft with Cutter. A G. I. Joe Conquest X-30 would’ve been a better bet.
Also, why pair Ace with Hawk?!? It would’ve made more sense to have paired him with either Lady Jaye (as a nod to Marvel’s G. I. Joe #34), or even Duke (as homage to the animated Joe episode Cobra Stops the World). Its no help that the Skystriker’s been reissued several times already.
Now their adding Cobra figures with no corresponding vehicles like a H. I. S. S. Mark II or a Cobra Rage?
I try not to comment on your videos these days. However I agree with a lot of what you have said in this video. What I will say though is collectors can gripe all they want to Hasbro about not getting an Oola......this figure will never be made full stop, pretty much like Slave Leia. This isn't Hasbros fault, tbis is on Disney, they are the ones who need to sanction these figures. For PC reasons Disney will not sanction either figure. The only way we would ever get on is tbrough an unlicensed third party. You only have to look at how the name Slave 1 was changed on the box of the new Lego Mandalorian version to know where Disney stand with this type of thing.
The skystriker is ridiculous considering there's been several skystriker re-releases over the last decade or so in various colors for $40 or so. The original is the one that's more pricey, but nearly $300 for the Haslab one is surreal in terms of price hikage. The tiers being unlocked would add value back but like yeah.
I wanted the modern robo-skull but I missed the boat on it due to not having money. Sad too because the backer exclusive version looked great.
We’ve been saying this longest time Hasbro is producing mediocre products and 80 percent ends up in bargain bins specials. This is their way to get a feel for the market that seems to be showing buyers are looking elsewhere for higher end products.
Agree with your take on this stuff. great video Tony
The size arguments always seem a bit off to me. Right now Lego has on their D2C Lego store shelves A Milenium Falcon the size of a Coffee table and a AT-AT and Star Destroyer each the size of end tables. The cheapest one is $700. And they are selling well.
I have to agree with everything you are saying here. And especially the G.B. Proton pack should come with the wand, I thought that was nuts too. And I couldn't believe they set them up all together, they really should have staggered them.
Most GB fans already own the wand. Why would they buy 2?
@@Rocket1377 I can understand that, but maybe they should have offered it for two different prices, one with and one without if the person already had the wand, because, I think when you are buying such cool piece of memorabilia, I would like it all together as one set. Maybe I am wrong looking at it that way, but that is just my opinion, my friend.
It got funded....
I agree they have too many projects at the same time. But I don't have a Skystriker and this one has independent levers for the landing gear and wings.
The idea of Kickstarter like projects is to help up and comers get their feet on the ground and to offset "risky" projects or projects which are to test peoples interest in them.
So when it comes to Hasbro WHY are they using the properties they are?
Hasbro should be kickstarting -
MASK
VISIONARIES
Both of these either as a re issued set or brand new versions of the product to test if the customer base is out there for it, I personally see the Skystriker as the worst project they've done - it's a franchise which is not as widely enjoyed in general outside of the US and the vehicle itself is as you say purchasable already. Not only that but the set itself (without the extras at least) could easily have just been a limited run item first, maybe with the extra figs as a first run deal, and then a more general release of the Skystriker after.
What’s up Tony? Bro, i agree with you about EVERYTHING in this video EXCEPT the Skystriker. First off, yes, why Hasbro hasn’t at least given us a Cobra Trouble Bubble for the Classified line is absolutely beyond my realm of thinking. It’s iconic, and it’s not too big. I’m sure they could keep the cost down on it also. And i agree that the Rancor should have been a retail sell. I would have gotten one if it was. Anyway, my points about the Skystriker really come down to one main thing. Something that I’ve HATED about that vehicle since i was a kid in the 80’s, and probably THE reason why i would rather have the Haslab version instead of a vintage one. And that’s the fact that you can’t have the wings open without the wheels being down. That’s stupid to me cuz the planes fly for the most part with the wings open. And it looks dumb with wheels down. The display stand is also something that really brings out the overall look of the vehicle, but also the different angles and positions that you can display it with. And cmon bro, the rocket flames on the engines and missles, AND, the ejection seats too??!!! I’m sold. And i think it will end up being made before the Rancor will. Anyway, just my opinion and i love your videos my man💪🏻
Tony presents an interesting and intelligent thought piece, expressing the concerns of collectors / fans of Ghostbusters, Star Wars and G.I. Joe.
Spot on, both the Rancor and Sky Striker are both toys we already have, so there's no "must-have" factor.
The Rancor also comes with laughable, and somewhat insulting stretch goals.
The Sky Striker seems decent value now with the cobra stuff, but people were expecting something in 1/12 scale, because that is indeed the scale focus right now. A 1/12 scale Sky Striker probably would have sold better. Jabba's barge sold well, and it's huge!
Plus the timing is terrible. Three haslabs ending right before the holidays when everyone already has expense commitments was poor planning.
I'm in that camp of loving all 3 properties but can't afford all three projects.
I canceled my Skystriker pre-order because it wasn't looking good. Instead I backed the proton pack because it was already funded and at the time had unlocked the first tier unlockable. If Hasbro had spaced these out I may have bought both.
I think it's interesting/sad that a bunch of people in Joe toy groups are desperate to get the HasLab Skystriker funded in the hopes that Hasbro eventually releases a HasLab USS Flagg.
There are definitely people that want to fund and get the Skystriker, and more power to them, but there are also people that sound like they don't really care much for the Skystriker and are hoping that funding it will get them what they *really* want somewhere down the line.
Which I personally don't think is going to happen; the cost alone would make it prohibitive IMO but who knows, I could totally be off base 🤷♂️
It was also interesting to see people with new(ish) accounts and almost zero history posting rah-rah messages exhorting others to fund the Skystriker, particularly after the announcement of the Cobra figures.
Come on guys, don't make it TOO obvious that you're Hasbro employees. 🙄
Not a Joe expert but if the Haslab Skystriker is essentially a reissue and no major new tooling then the profit margins should incredibly high for Hasbro for this item. Not a Joe 3.75 collector but seems to be this should be a retail release including all those extras. Like you said Haslab should be for something out of the ordinary like a vehicle for the Classified series.
The sky striker is 100% new tooling and engineering and not just a reissue.
He makes a lot of great points as always. Also one of my favorite toy enthusiast on UA-cam. Also don’t know what to do, I just want a sky striker lol
Idk… need hard to find a near mint skystriker complete for less then $350.00… that isn’t a little off color etc.
I was in on it bc of just this. If it don’t get funded, have to keep looking. That said- I thought it was an ok idea… not the best but like the idea of bringing back O rings and 3.75” scale
I'm saddened that Hasbro has completely disregarded the figure that built the company , 12'' GI JOE ...
welp this did not age well. Rancor didn't fund and skystriker did.
Your name here is so apt
Big issues with the Skystriker HasLab are that vehicle is already available easily and has been released in a lot of variations over the years, they released it almost immediately after dropping a bunch of Classified figures for preorder, and the timing too close to Christmas where people’s discretionary funds are much less. If they’d have done a Classified HasLab or a WHALE, they’d have gotten different results.
I think it was over-saturation. Too much at once. I would like both the Skystriker and Rancor but only backed the Rancor and my taste was soured when the tiers were released. I do hope they would both be funded but either way Hasbro has some things to learn from this whole situation.
I enjoyed hearing your thoughts Tony, Great Video!
As far as Oola with the Rancor, she died off camera and that's not the 'scene' it's recreating. Obviously, I think there should be an Oola, but do her in a Jabba set. The expectation of Oola with the Rancor is a made up expectation. As far as the Skystriker, I'd prefer non-O-ring figures, but I backed it nonetheless. While I don't agree with all your points, you actually kind of gave me reason to re-think backing the Skystriker in that the 230 bucks right up against Christmas is probably a decision I don't want to make.
I do agree with launching three campaigns at once being a bit too much. There's a lot of crossover between fans.
5 usually means keep 1 sell the others
At the time my predictions were opposite, and then proved correct. My confusion though was the price of the jet. Adjusted for inflation and it’s extra parts and figures it was still AT LEAST 6X the original price. Why was anyone willing to pay that?
What we have learnt from this whole situation is that you should never purchase straight away and leave it till the last minute and you may get extra accessories
Skystriker when 1st released $15 now there has been inflation but not anywhere near enough to justify $250 for this new one.
Think about that 2.5× what Hasbro sold the USS Flagg for a 7.5 foot Aircraft Carrier.
Just insanity for a vehicle that has been re-released several times.
You can get a mint original Skystriker for $250.
Great video, Tony. I think the Ghostbusters situation is familiar for Ghostbusters cosplayers and a lot of Halloween Ghostbusters costume owners. The movie accurate packs go for a lot and you have to have a lot of skill to make one on your own. Besides your idea on the Ghostbusters pack cost (I agree it SHOULD come with the wand for sure!), I agree with just about everything said here.
totally agree with you and not to mention that for more than a year they have your money working for them. Hasbro is not a small company, they do not really use our money to do projects. I am from Mexico and I buy and collect Black series that in my country are expensive since they have an extra tax because they are considered as a collection item (Luxury item) I can not imagine how much it would cost me with the shipment, import taxes and the additional tax. I have to eat. !! $$$
Another question I'd like to ask why the Sky Striker?
Why not the NIght Raven?
And I don't mean the one from ROC, I mean a new retooled Night Raven. A larger bird, that would have easily been able to fetch a bit larger of a price tag.
And I know someone will probably say "Well they don't have the molds for it anymore." I get that, but that's why I said they could retool a new one.
I mean if they're going to just approve a NEW Sentinel, Galactus and a Rancor out of thin air why couldn't they redo or proof up a new full-sized Night Raven?
It’s possible that the reason for these all overlapping this late in the year is because hasbro may need to meet some sort of year end profit quota.
It was silly to do 3 Haslabs just before Christmas. The Rancor tiers were poor offerings (cardboard and bones?!)
Tony. I could not agree more.
Spot on!
Dude you know Hasbro are gonna invent backers at the last minute. Then they will extend it and make up more backers. Its the same old trick they pulled with Unicron. Watch, you’ll see.
Totally right. Hasbro can’t afford the bad PR, so they’ll simply buy units that won’t be made to make up for the numbers. It’ll cost them nothing.
Even if that does happen, how is that a problem?
Maybe, but then again there are lazy last minute buyers like me, as well as the retailers who will do last minute purchases as well.
Haslab is like going out to eat at a restaurant that expects you to cook your own meal.
I already got the skystriker when it was at retail for the 25th anniversary It also includes vintage pilots where if you are collecting the GI joe retro figs this doesnt work at all and we dont know habros plans for a re issue vintage line.. Have no interest in the Rancor I collect a few black series figs but the Ive got no space or money for a Rancor
I think the Skystriker is a nice update to the original but as you say, it’s still something we’ve already seen multiple times (a new WHALE would have been a better choice) and not hugely hard to get an earlier version. For me, though, the real deal breaker is no provision or consideration at all for the 25th/PoC/50th Joe collectors - it would have been very easy for them to design it a shade bigger and include alternative seats for the 4” Joes. That way both the 3.75 and 4” fans are accounted for and everyone’s happy, resulting in more takers. Instead, Hasbro refused to even acknowledge or address it and needlessly fractured the possible sales base.
So screw ‘em, I pledged for a couple of Roboskulls and the Eagle Force Red Shadows tribute figures instead. If the Skystriker fails to hit the target - which I don’t think it will, it will probably just scrape over the finish line - Hasbro will have no one but themselves to blame.
Great point on the 3.75" and 4" vehicle interaction.
I'm almost all "o-ring" and I think these new "o-ring" offerings are horrible. I also have 4" figures.
But if this supposedly all-new Skystriker is going to be made it really should have been made with that, as you stated, provision or consideration for the 25th-50th collectors, too.
It was a definite needless fracture point to those buying the 4" over the last, what, 14 years now? The A Real American Hero run was a solid, what, 12 years, with a mixed bag a few years after.
I've seen a lot of people saying that they released too many projects at once but, in fairness I don't think that Hasbro considered that all projects would be wanted by all people. Honestly, I have zero interest in the Proton pack and was lukewarm on the Rancor. So, it worked out perfectly for me since Hasbro released all the extra figures with the Skystriker especially the Mickey Mouse Cobra Commander. Only bummer is that it won't ship until Spring 2023. I somehow missed that initially.
The Rancor failed but I think the Skystriker will succeed. It is the first version that has independent levers for the landing gear and wings.
I bought a reissue 30th anniversary Skystriker at JoeFest last year for $120 (and immediately resold it on eBay, but that's another story). EVERY toys how I go to has these in abundance, usually for less than half what this new version is selling for. The supply of reissue and originals are clearly outstripping demand. I have an original incomplete one but have no interest in another. If I had a Flagg I MIGHT buy another. But I just don't have the interest or the room. And I have a BIG house.
I couldn't agree more with everything that you said. Absolutely spot on
A LOT of people have said it's way too expensive and should have included the cardboard backdrop, bones and Malakilli for £350.
If the skystriker would've been made for classifieds I bet it would haved sold like crazy.
I was under the impression the Sky Striker was for the 6 inch scale.
I think there's one way to salvage the Proton Pack/Wand ratio. Tie multiple packs together with a wire and harness, so multiple packs charge a single wand. Something something teamwork, and the harness could double as a harness so you don't lose your kid.
But, yeah. It should have been a 1/1 packaged deal.
Sonic and Mario toys are killing it on store shelf’s. You can hardly find em
@Analogtoys For $250 I can get a vintage Skysryker or a modern one cheaper. Plus, there are so many Rancors made over the years. People can find them anywhere.
Nothing like being your own competition
You hit on a great point and I will add. I am a fan of all three, but to have this try to get funded during the holidays was also a bad idea. I don't have the money to do that and Christmas. People aren't backing this for the holidays for gift. Just asking too much at the wrong time. What will happen is 2 out of 3 will not get the greenlight and Hasbro will just stop doing haslab stuff.
That new Roboskull does look good. I think you are right - surely that Rancor would have sold at retail. I am glad your video is not all negative, very reasonable opinions.👍
A proton pack without a neutrona wand...that's...just completely insane. Who would buy such a thing? Great points all around Tony.
Isn‘t a key point about the skystriker that they could have easily aimed it at the modern 4 inch collectors, as well as the vintage o-ring fans? If they had invested into engineering a completely new mold (which I‘m assuming this is not), it would have been possible to make it slightly larger than the original plane, so that it would have fit both 4 inch and 3.75 inch figures, as is possible with many of the other vehicles. The original skystriker was already a heavily scaled-down F-14, so this would have probably looked fine with either size figure. I think they were cutting corners and forgot about a large potential group of backers. The existing ˋmodernˆ skystriker isn‘t able to seat two figures.
Haslab USS Flagg! People would gladly wait a year to get an updated, newly tooled USS Flagg! Even a $260 retail rehash of the original would sell! It was literally just a few plastic boards, scaffolding, and the command center.