[TheBlueMarvel]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jwyss234

1. I don't think standard priced figures will be going anywhere. While I definitely think there is a place for premium figures, I just don't think Hasbro will ever convince people to pay premium prices for lower tier characters like The Hood.
2. There are too many figures being released. BAF waves have gone from 6 figures per wave to 7 figures per wave. The number of BAF waves each year has also increased. Add on to that fan channel exclusives, store exclusives, retro carded waves, and premium waves. Heck, there are even three premium waves this year with ML 20th, SM 60th, and X-Men The Animated Series. And there could be a fourth if they do another MCU premium wave.
3. With the price increase, would people be more receptive to smaller wave? A 7 figure BAF wave at $25 per figure is $175 before tax. However a 4 figure wave would only be $100 before tax. Does the change in total price help any make a difference to anyone?
4. If folks are receptive to smaller assortments, do we even need BAFs anymore? Would eliminating the BAF pieces decrease the price any or at least allow for more accessories? We've seen that Hasbro can sell regular 6" figures with out BAFs as well as larger, deluxe figures on their own.
5. The premium figures aren't really "premium" anymore. Most of them look like they could be swapped out for a regular release from a BAF wave. For example, the Future Foundation Spider-Man costs more but only comes with a few accessories while the retro carded Ben Reilly Spider-Man costs less and comes with more accessories. The deco on the FF Spidey isn't advanced or more intricate so why is it in a premium line like the Spider-Man 60th Anniversary?
6. If Hasbro was going to make premium figures that can compete with Figuarts or Mafex, should each figure be given a unique sculpt or will it be more about paint and accessories? Or all three of those?
7. And finally, the character selection in these recent waves stinks. Going back to the Future Foundation Spider-Man, why is he even in the 60th anniversary wave? From what they've shown, he's not a premium figure worth $28. But that Armani suited Doc Ock that StuartGreen2019 has been asking for would be worth it. That particular look for Ock hasn't done much for me in the past but I would far more interested in a new Doc Ock than FF Spidey. Even looking at the upcoming BAF waves like the Bone Breaker wave, did they have to include Darwin, Vulcan, and Maggot in the same wave? Were those three really more popular than Banshee or the armored Psylocke people have been asking for? And I'm not saying those three should never get figures. I'm just asking why it was necessary to put Darwin, Vulcan, and Maggot in a wave with a skinny Sabretooth and a lackluster Wolverine.

I was tempered in my previous response, but I've since realized holding back for fear of aggravating people with blocks of text is really just silly as communication is the intention of spaces like this one. Additionally, contrary to the derisive screeds about these price hikes, which deserve fan excoriation, this dialogue revolves around paths forward for the line.

1) I agree that standard figures - $24.99 - likely won't be going away, but only provided sales don't crater as a result of hikes. If there is a mass exodus of support, panic will likely set in and Hasbro would be forced to scramble. It could get ugly quickly. My concern with the $24.99 price point is that I'm not accepting that as the new 'lowest tier'. I'd be upset if army builders and 6" retro figs, which are largely re-issues (outside of rare exceptions), were to hit that rate.

2) We are in complete agreement in that there are too many Marvel Legends being released and too many price points. It's confusing for me and I've been collecting since the very start. I can only imagine what the experience for a new convert might be waltzing into this quagmire and trying to create some rationale for the disparate costs.

3) & 4) I would be just fine with a smaller wave. I'd also be fine with no BAF. The actual "Deluxe" figs Hasbro has been testing have become my preferred method of delivery for oversized characters. Hulks, Venoms, Uliks have been working as singular releases and there is no reason why Venompool and Armadillo couldn't have received the same treatment. Getting rid of BAFs might feel like sacrilege, but once Hasbro started delivering normal sized (and small; Puck; Hit-Monkey) builds, the shark was jumped.

5) Agreed, again. The 30th Anniversary Iron Man wasn't deluxe even with the pack-ins. In fact, that old helmet should have been a pack-in itself and the color corrections should have been featured on the retro send-up. That's why I want a truly deluxe line that includes all that I mentioned: placid and expressive heads, hands/fists/splayed-hands, weapons, effects, and improved textures/sculpts.

6) THIS. And - all three. Unique sculpts seem to diminish as lines become larger and more prolific, this phenomenon is almost an industry standard for 'play-lines'. Shifting to direct competition with Mafex and Figuarts would provide cheaper options to fans of those lines and represent a bump up for ML enthusiasts. Win, win. Anyway, Mafex and Figuarts have been asking for it as they've been encroaching upon the Legends space for quite some time now.

7) Constricting the number of figures in waves and raising the price is going to also necessitate skillful character dial-ups. The days of relying on lazy Google searches are gone. Playtime...has ended. (heh-heh) No more 'close but not quite' efforts, be deliberate and accurate with the characters and looks. It's not enough to simply hire an MBA, Hasbro needs to put someone on their production team that is genuinely interested in comics, or, at least, was at some point in their life. It's not enough to hire a suit that read their older sibling's comics (on occasion) while growing up. Not saying that is what going on, that's just my impression based on flubs like Mr. Hyde.

[Nimrod]

Hasbro needs to reduce the number of waves they put out every yr & limit the waves to 1 wave every qt and just 5 figs per wave. No BAFs, just extra alternate heads/hands/accessories, then the $25+ price tag would come out to no more than $125+ per wave. Extra large characters such as a Pym Giantman/Goliath/Jolsten Goliath in the 12' scale could go for $75. Do a movie based wave if a movie is coming out that yr, other 3 waves should be comic based. This is about the only way I can continue supporting this line, if they continue along the lines of this current business model, 22' will be my final yr collecting figs in this line.

[Dr Kain]

Damn, Hawkeye topped Falcon and the Winter Soldier. That was a damn good show!! I can't wait to see what they pull off with Moon Knight now.

[Harbinger]

Got my amazon nimrod fantomex and a few other legends in today. Now i gotta get another nimrod set to open.

[Boogieman4hire]

So I just came by to say how I excited I am to be getting Galactus. A couple of days ago I worked out a deal with another collector who is getting five of them and I am just really happy. It made me really sad to know that I would more than likely have to try my best and ignore Galactus and move on. But turns out I had a forgotten piece in my collection that's pretty valuable himself that this guy was looking for. So yup it looks I'm getting my dream figure.

[ariellagunas]

Been reading the posts in this and other forums about the price increase and the new package.
It definitely feels like a bit of fatigue among long standing collectors (myself included).
For me the price is defo a factor, as I’m working the same hours (often more) and have less disposable money, so I stopped pre-ordering unless is something that I feel will get sold out quickly (like the Spidey/MJ two pack) as there’s so many venues in the UK to order stuff. Plus I have friends in the US that can get me what I cannot get here (like Neca Gargoyles). I don’t want to have suddenly a big expense since everything ships whenever, despite the release dates.
The other factor to slow down is the space. Been doing this for a long time, and I feel at least a third of my collection should go,as I have no room for displaying it.
The package don’t bother me too much. I understand the over use of plastics, and I order online mostly. Will be a pain to return items, but it doesn’t happen too often.
I do feel a little window to see the top half of the figure (ala Fortnite) would be helpful so we don’t get crooked eyes or mouths on foreheads. Not a lot we can do with Two left feet beyond return it.
And the third factor is…
I have almost all the main characters of the MU comics. I certainly don’t buy twenty Spideys or Wolverines. Two or three is fine.
My fear is that with the focus on MCU this year, plus people becoming more picky, plus price yada, yada…is that Hasbro won’t do the more obscure characters in order to make profit.
I mean, I get it. It’s a business etc.
But unless I see a Moondragon, or Marrina, or Shroud or characters like that to fill gaps rather than replace my latest Cap or Iron Man, I’m pretty much done.
I collect a vast array of figures that can keep me going for years, so I’ll focus on those.

[Captain Nash]

There's been some really good discussion here recently, and a lot of good points. As much as the actual reason for it sucks, I'm glad to see I'm not alone in feeling my interest in the line waning.

I think some of us long-term collectors are close to the point that we've seen seen enough of the line to feel it's mostly recycle at this point.

Sure, there's always going to be characters/costumes we definitely would buy but we're more to the point that instead of following everything being released and waiting with anticipation for reveals, we're putting it mostly on the background and will check with what's new sporadically to see if any of those wants show up.

[Black Arbor]

Clips from MoM are leaking on social media folks, beware character spoilers!

[Dr Kain]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Black Arbor

Clips from MoM are leaking on social media folks, beware character spoilers!

I tend to always avoid any posts about any movie/tv show I am going to watch until after I see the movie/tv show.

[Robb]

I am seriously thinking of selling off my marvel collection. The only problem is it is a large one and I would rather sell all at once and possible to anyone who is local to me because shipping would be insane. I am also trying to avoid ebay and paypal fees. I am planning on logging what I have in the next few weeks. My question to the group is if there is anyone in the S.C. area or close by who might be interested. If so pm me. Thanks .

[Sataninjaku]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robb

I am seriously thinking of selling off my marvel collection. The only problem is it is a large one and I would rather sell all at once and possible to anyone who is local to me because shipping would be insane. I am also trying to avoid ebay and paypal fees. I am planning on logging what I have in the next few weeks. My question to the group is if there is anyone in the S.C. area or close by who might be interested. If so pm me. Thanks .

Well, I'm neither in the S.C. area, nor am I in a position to buy a giant lot of figures, but if you're willing to sell a few pieces, I can certainly help you avoid PayPal and eBay fees. Feel free to drop me a PM if you'd like to see a wants list.

[MeLikeJinx]

IMO you should keep all your Spidey stuff... Spidey stuff seems to be the only Legends stuff that consistently retains value over time... I mean even X-men Legends are becoming less and less coveted over time it seems like.

[Robb]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MeLikeJinx

IMO you should keep all your Spidey stuff... Spidey stuff seems to be the only Legends stuff that consistently retains value over time... I mean even X-men Legends are becoming less and less coveted over time it seems like.

I will keep a few things, but on the most part I am going to try and sell.

[Nimrod]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MeLikeJinx

IMO you should keep all your Spidey stuff... Spidey stuff seems to be the only Legends stuff that consistently retains value over time... I mean even X-men Legends are becoming less and less coveted over time it seems like.

With X-men now part of the MCU, I'd hold on to X figs, once they start appearing on the big screen again, their value will probably go up.

The recently announced MCU BP wave is another example of Hasbro rehashing stuff that already was made, just giving the figs a different paint job is BS. That line was on the pegs for quite a while, available via BBTS/DS/Amazon, etc. if someone missed out on these figs, it's cuz they really didn't want em. As was previously stated, the constant rehashes has gotten old. There are tons of figs that have yet to be done that people have been asking for and yet, Hasbro refuses to do them. Those outta date, oversized Wrecking crew figs are in dire need of a redo on the new 80s retro 80s Herc buck, where are the classic comic based versions of the Guardians of the Galaxy, Starjammers, Inhumans, core members of the Squadron Supreme, Squadron Supreme, more Serpent Society members at? Classic Tarantula, Hector Ayala White Tiger, More Ironman enemies? Nobody is asking for umpteenth MCU Starlords, Groots, Venoms, etc.

[Spyne98]

Regarding selling Legends. I think if I ever decided to really sell off everything, the X-Men stuff would be what I kept. That's my favorite area of Marvel.

[hasbroherofan]

My two cents on the line are that I'm actually fine with the current output because I've always cherry picked the line. I don't buy everything or even every figure in a wave I'm otherwise interested in. If I really want the BAF but have no desire for certain figures, I try to track down the remaining pieces loose.

As for actual BAF waves being smaller, I don't have a particular horse in the race. We're already at a point now where every wave of 7 figures tends to have at least one that doesn't come with a piece, so I can see the appeal. Conversely though, if it's a wave from a film or something that has a lot of characters, I can see why that method would be appealing.

I don't think we're going to see a significant scale back of waves (or at least not to the extremes some have suggested here; one wave a quarter is simply not feasible). The issue is now we're getting like 2-3 Marvel movies a year plus multiple TV shows, and Hasbro isn't just gonna not cash in by not doing anything for those projects. So if they did seriously cut back on something it'd have to be comic figures, and I can't imagine that'd go over well with the collectors who only collect those corners of the Marvel Universe and aren't into MCU stuff.

I don't really got an answer about what the solution for all this is, other than that regardless of how many figures are released a year, it doesn't particularly matter to me since I'm not buying everything. It's why I've never quite understood some of the doom and gloom when people see Hasbro announce a figure they aren't personally interested in. If there's something that I have zero interest in but someone else might want? Cool. Win-win. Good for them and I get to save some cash.

Onto whether or not BAFs should continue, I don't know. Deluxe has definitely opened up a new venue for larger characters, but I have a sneaking suspicion some of the deeper cuts we've gotten as BAFs might not be chosen for a program like that. If you look at the list of characters we've gotten as deluxes, it's usually either big deal characters (Giant-Man, Archangel, the Kingpin, Black Widow, the Rhino, Venom/Toxin, Vulture, Strange, Apocalypse, ect.) or someone who has a movie or other big media tie-in. Ragnarok is one of the first real outliers, but it's also clearly a cashgrab attempt to get some reuse out of the otherwise unique 80th anniversary mold. I guess Ulik will be testing the waters a bit to see if lesser known characters are viable for standalone deluxe releases like that.

Something I would be open to is a release strategy akin to McFarlane's DC Multiverse. No, not 8 million Batman variants, but rotating between BAF waves and ones without BAF parts. I'd be totally cool if some waves came with BAF pieces while others came with more accessories instead.

[Benn Roe]

I would be fine with quarterly five-figure waves… as long as they were all X-Men waves. When my interest wanes, it’s usually from too little output, not too much. I can definitely sustain a few more X-waves per year than what we’re getting, anyway.

[TheBlueMarvel]

^Don't worry, soon it will be just X-men and Spider-Man because those will be the only licenses people will buy at the new rates. /s

[EvilMonkeyPope]

What do Odin's heads look like on the blue/gold Thor body?

[Boogieman4hire]

So what is everyone's hopes/guesses of what the next Marvel legends Haslab could be? Assuming it's a figure and not a vehicle I'm expecting a Giant Man or Celestial. That would be really cool but personally I'm hoping for either Fin Fang Foom or Shuma Gorath. Don't know that either would be popular enough but I'll never not go for a giant monster figure.

[Sataninjaku]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boogieman4hire

So what is everyone's hopes/guesses of what the next Marvel legends Haslab could be? Assuming it's a figure and not a vehicle I'm expecting a Giant Man or Celestial. That would be really cool but personally I'm hoping for either Fin Fang Foom or Shuma Gorath. Don't know that either would be popular enough but I'll never not go for a giant monster figure.

I'm looking at my shelves right now and wondering where in the hell I'd put a Fin Fang Foom... but rest assured, I'd figure it out.

[Harbinger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boogieman4hire

So what is everyone's hopes/guesses of what the next Marvel legends Haslab could be? Assuming it's a figure and not a vehicle I'm expecting a Giant Man or Celestial. That would be really cool but personally I'm hoping for either Fin Fang Foom or Shuma Gorath. Don't know that either would be popular enough but I'll never not go for a giant monster figure.

Ego the living planet!

[jwyss234]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boogieman4hire

So what is everyone's hopes/guesses of what the next Marvel legends Haslab could be? Assuming it's a figure and not a vehicle I'm expecting a Giant Man or Celestial. That would be really cool but personally I'm hoping for either Fin Fang Foom or Shuma Gorath. Don't know that either would be popular enough but I'll never not go for a giant monster figure.

It's been more than 10 years since the Fin Fang Foom BAF was released so I could see them making a new one for HasLab. I'm not familiar with Shuma Gorath so I can't comment on feasibility or fan popularity. Celestials are also possible.

After that, I think it would it would be a vehicle. The Fantasti-Car, Blackbird, and Quinjet come to mind.

I doubt Giant Man would be a HasLab. I know some folks don't like this idea but Hasbro could make a Giant Man using the 12" Spider-Man body from 2016. I also wouldn't put it past them to make a Giant Man BAF that was the same height as their MCU Giant Man BAF (~9").

[sh002]

X-Men Danger Room.

[MeLikeJinx]

I hope it is not something like the Blob... or like the Blob being one of the tiers. I bet the next Haslab Marvel project is on the smaller side and less pricey.