Last week, we asked our members to discuss whether they believed if large play sets can still sell? Check out some of their opinions below…
Mullexwing
“I always thought of these playsets as “the things to dream about.” I may have had 1 of these, but the kid in the neighborhood that was lucky enough to get one was the hero of the neighborhood the day after Christmas. I like the thought of not flooding the market with them, but making a limited number of these playsets. As long as they have a lot of cool extra little secrects, and special hiding places for your “guys” (action figures).“
Jmacq1
“I think it’s pretty telling that even the largest and most successful action figure line (Star Wars) isn’t confident enough in “large playsets” to produce them on their own merits, but instead has to market them as “large vehicles” (Turbo Tank, AT-TE, and the recent Millennium Falcon, all of which blur the lines between vehicle and playset). Even the G.I. Joe Pit has a “vehicle mode.”
In a nutshell, if the Star Wars team at Hasbro isn’t confident enough in the idea of “pure playsets” to produce a definitive “Death Star” playset (which they have long since stated would be their first choice if they were in the playset-making business), I think it’s a pretty good sign that large playsets simply aren’t what they used to be, sales wise and possibly never will be again.
Even the playsets they produce for “movie years” tend to be lackluster, or end up getting recycled between lines.“
Dys
“I don’t believe so. Back in the 80’s, the high end playsets were beyond the reach of most kids so shelfwarmed to clearance and these days, I think they’d sell even worse.
With the rising cost of plastics, an intricate playset like Fortress Maximus would retail for several hundred dollars, just look at the price of the Car Robots Brave Maximus, and at that price they compete with games consoles. Lets face it, toys can’t compete with videogames and there is also the size issue to contend with. What are parents going to choose, a small box that sits in front of the TV, or a giant hunk of plastic that will dominate the livingroom forever more?“
SpeedBreaker
“Playsets would be a disaster for flash-in-the-pan movie licences like Star Trek, Terminator Salvation, Dragonball Evolutions and Rise of the Cobra. The figures themselves are barely selling. I still think they could be viable for established properties like Star Wars and TMNT though as long as they didn’t go overboard.“
You can check out some more great responses and post your own opinions by clicking the Discuss button. Thanks again to all those who participated. A new discussion will be up very shortly.
CompaniesHasbro