[Tony_Bacala]

Hasbro Bringing Back Window Packaging for Collector Items

[ThorOdinson123]

We Won on that front suck on that Hasbro. Now if we could get them to lower the prices on their legends

[Hasbro]

The crybabies won!

[Designincase]

For the best.

Hasbro QC issues made this a very bad idea.
In terms of presentation, this again made it a very bad idea.

[Raine24]

Setting aside actual environmental concern for a moment: do you think the turning point for them was the constant complaining about QC issues, repacking, and aesthetics?

Or realizing that a significant portion of their customers had been buying multiples so as to display in box and was now buying just one because an empty box is indistinguishable from a packed one?

[ThorOdinson123]

here is the quote from Hasbro

Quote:

We wanted to share an update on packaging for Hasbro’s 6-inch-scale figures. Based on your feedback, we will be re-introducing windows and blisters to our 6-inch fan figures beginning later this year, into 2024 for select products across our portfolio of brands, including, G.I. Joe Classified, Power Rangers Lightning Collection, Star Wars Black Series and Marvel Legends. This will eventually expand to all new 6-inch figure releases.

The new windows and blisters will be made from bio PET or recycled PET helping us achieve our priority of meeting our fans’ expectations for extraordinary packaging and superior design while still developing packaging that minimizes waste and the use of virgin plastic.

Thank you again for being one of our biggest fans and for your continued support of Hasbro.

[Harbinger]

Ill wager with this comes another massive price hike.

[goliathfasa]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Raine24

Setting aside actual environmental concern for a moment: do you think the turning point for them was the constant complaining about QC issues, repacking, and aesthetics?

Or realizing that a significant portion of their customers had been buying multiples so as to display in box and was now buying just one because an empty box is indistinguishable from a packed one?

They don't care about social media reactions. They only care about crunched numbers.

Most likely they saw sales decline from collectors buying less multiples like you said, and also major pushback from big box retailers threatening them to not carry collectibles anymore due to the increased rate of swaps and the losses that entail.

[cjflan32]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Raine24

Setting aside actual environmental concern for a moment: do you think the turning point for them was the constant complaining about QC issues, repacking, and aesthetics?

Or realizing that a significant portion of their customers had been buying multiples so as to display in box and was now buying just one because an empty box is indistinguishable from a packed one?

The turning point was realizing that, with all the dumb decisions being made, this was the one that could be reversed with little or no negative affect on profits. This should get some of the lower IQ fans ***cough***harbinger***cough*** back on board.

[cjflan32]

The one person at Hasbro that stood up and said "you know, it's kind of silly to go plastic free on basic stuff and not retro packaging" probably still got canned.

[cjflan32]

Quote:

Originally Posted by goliathfasa

They don't care about social media reactions. They only care about crunched numbers.

Most likely they saw sales decline from collectors buying less multiples like you said, and also major pushback from big box retailers threatening them to not buy collectibles anymore due to the increased rate of swaps and the losses that entail.

I'm sure their 1st quarter earnings report will help shed light on the situation.

[Tony_Bacala]

I personally was fine with it for 90% of the time because I order online, open, and toss the boxes.

I did find that my casual pick ups while in big box stores and shows dropped. I don't know why, I know what all this shit looks like from doing the news etc, but I just tended to glance over the closed stuff.

When I open a lot of stuff at once, I do feel like a dick because it's a giant pile of trash. Forget being green or not in the divisive twitter manner, it's just a waste of time and money for everyone involved when most kids, and I would argue adults, just rip it open and throw it away. It needs to be done more efficiently. Without ruining the experience of what this is, which is collecting. Seeing the product is part of the experience.

How that gets done, dunno, but using bio PET which stays disconnected from the cardboard parts seems to be a good middle ground.

[Comedian]

The closed boxes look so stupid on shelf. I open, so I never really cared but I’m glad for those that did.

As for the environment. “Oh, so Mother Nature needs a favor. Well, maybe she should have thought of that when she was besetting us with droughts and floods and poison monkeys!”

[goliathfasa]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cjflan32

The turning point was realizing that, with all the dumb decisions being made, this was the one that could be reversed with little or no negative affect on profits. This should get some of the lower IQ fans ***cough***harbinger***cough*** back on board.

I had that initial thought too.

Reminds me of the new coke situation.

Now Hasbro can gain some goodwill from collectors for "listening to the fans" while still keeping the higher pricepoint and decreased accessories, etc.

[Raine24]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tony_Bacala

I did find that my casual pick ups while in big box stores and shows dropped. I don't know why, I know what all this shit looks like from doing the news etc, but I just tended to glance over the closed stuff.

My brother was suggesting the same thing before, and reiterated it when I told him this news: no kid is going to get excited over a render on a box. Inasmuch as you had totally boxed vehicles in the day, they were parts of lines that could see right there on the pegs next to it and get a feel for how it all went together. In a vacuum, a box with a picture does little for anyone when it comes to playthings.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tony_Bacala

Seeing the product is part of the experience.

Mego switched to window packaging after the first few World's Greatest releases specifically because retailers told them that people kept ripping the boxes open to actually see what they were buying. Packaging may have gotten more accurate since then but people still want to see something with their own eyes and not what a camera or computer render thinks the item in question looks like. Is history repeating itself?

[Sean C]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Comedian

The closed boxes look so stupid on shelf. I open, so I never really cared but I’m glad for those that did.

As for the environment. “Oh, so Mother Nature needs a favor. Well, maybe she should have thought of that when she was besetting us with droughts and floods and poison monkeys!”

Anytime anyone used "Mother Nature" (often with "Don't mess with...") and they are actually being serious I restrain myself. Nature is happy with you DEAD as an infant. That's nature. It's sweet tasting fruit...that's poisonous. It's diseases. It's pretty flowers. It's good, it's bad. We live in houses for reasons. We cook food for reasons. We messed with Mama Nature to protect ourselves.
Not that I think plastic pollution is a good thing. Because recycling and the like is also part of protecting ourselves.

[Dr Kain]

Hell yeah!!!!!!

[omniriven]

Thank you Elon Musk for that tweet.
You truly are a Coordinator.

[JerpJerp]

Glad it's back for those who really needed it.

I open everything but I still like windows.

[ghostbogey]

Box?...
What Box??? ;^)

[VashTS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cjflan32

I'm sure their 1st quarter earnings report will help shed light on the situation.

What really happened is a number of things. Poor sales, economy imploding, Disney/Marvel/Star Wars being a dumpster fire and most importantly Blackrock stopped funding ESG.

Hasbro chose ESG money over fans, and no that both dried up, they claim they now "listened" to fans.

GTFO. What a joke and I cannot believe the number of toysites claiming otherwise. Very misleading and dishonest.

We didn't really win....if Blackrock kept funding it, we would still see the awful boxes.

They lost me as a fan. I no longer collect Hasbro figures. Last year I purchased one Spidey figure and nothing else I can think of. I am someone who had EVERY Hasbro figure for an 7 year span or so, but their treatment of the fanbase, Star Wars burning led me to spend on other lines.

[Dr Kain]

Quote:

Originally Posted by VashTS

What really happened is a number of things. Poor sales, economy imploding, Disney/Marvel/Star Wars being a dumpster fire and most importantly Blackrock stopped funding ESG.

Hasbro chose ESG money over fans, and no that both dried up, they claim they now "listened" to fans.

I have no idea what any of that means, but it sounds like you need to keep your tinfoil hat on.

[TheArtofHorror]

I love reading these comments. Honestly the whole idea of going to windowless packaging because of the "environment" and then going back to it again is just so funny to me. I personally look at every figure for the best paint job so windowless didn't cut it for me. I had a feeling they'd go back to standard packaging anyway.

[LeiaOrgana]

I had zero doubt that this would happen - I'm just glad they are doing it this quickly.

That they did it in the first place was lunacy, as they basically lose a huge portion of their collecting base. That's why I was so surprised at the people who insisted it wasn't a big deal, because clearly it alienated so many groups that they depend on for sales - and if this many people stop buying because of it, they wouldn't be making any at all for anyone.

* Those who collect and display packaged figures
* Those who buy extras of their favorite characters to have both open and packaged (for me, that's anything Leia, for example, I buy a minimum of 3)
* Highly discouraged spontaneous retail sales - I can't tell you how many times I personally had no intention to buy a figure, but then seeing what it looks like in real life was like "okay, that's cool, I have to buy that" - just seeing a generic picture on the outside of the box that I've already seen online doesn't do that

And of course, that doesn't even mention not being able to see QC issues or even if the figure on the outside is the same one on the inside, isn't missing accessories, etc. - the retailers undoubtedly got a mountain of returns on these from all angles (scammers as well as legit buyers).

It was bone-headed to do in the first place, I'm just glad they ate their crow and reversed this silliness as quickly as they have.

[lordbest]

I don't give a damn about the packaging, I just don't understand why they didn't go with bio/recycled plastic to begin with. Long term they are going to have to shift entirely to sustainable plastic even for figures. It makes sense to start with the packaging since that's intended to be disposable in a way the figures obviously are not.