[Jason Abbadon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by trebleshot

Hasbro doesn't really care if you buy doubles. That's not why they do variants or running changes. They aren't actively trying to get anyone to buy multiples of anything. They just want to sell as many as they can and variants, redecos and such may help entice people to buy one version or the other. It also helps spread the production costs out across multiple releases.

On a large scale, I agree...but Hasbro has been awesome to collectors- making stuff that no kid would ever know about in a million years- like classic Havoc. No kid says "Mommy! I want the skinny guy with the eggbeater on his head!"
There's clearly at least an ...appreceation...for us collectors.
If nothing else, having a core of loyal fans is amazing word of mouth publicity- consider how the MU following has exploded in the past year.
Hell, just since I've been a member of this site, we've seen a ton of joinups from people searching for Marvel Universe and finding this (great) site.

The Star Wars collectors get even crazier exclusives and stuff that never even hits stores- like the white Boba Fett. If they only cared for selling the most of that, he'd be a normal release. They have kept that send away model since the 80's Kenner days, and it's paid off.

Establishing a brand loyalty is what keeps fans loyal through all those repacks and repaints- which is why they sprinkle a new figure or two in a repaint wave- if the collectors are out looking for one fig, they're more likely to also but that repainted Iron Fist (or Darth Maul repack).