Send in the clowns! Last weekend was New York’s Toy Fair, the annual trade show that gets collector’s tongue’s wagging and wallets trembling, as we get a vivid glimpse of what’s in store over the months to come. This year we’re focusing on the top three reveals, that from where I’m sitting made eyebrows raise the highest.
First, perennial favorite NECA unveiled not just one, but two different renditions of Pennywise the Clown from It - both the new version, as well as the original Tim Curry iteration. Both are Ultimate Editions with multiple head sculpts and accessories.
The next big hitter was Hasbro, who’ve gone to great lengths to expand and improve on their popular Marvel Legends line of figures. As part of a special “First Ten Years” series, they’re even giving us characters from earlier films we had assumed we’d never be getting - like Guardians of the Galaxy’s Ronan the Accuser...
The playset will be scaled to 3.75” figures, and is a massive 4-feet long - the biggest Star Wars playset of all time. The catch is, this fanboy dream display requires a commit-to-purchase of $499, and Hasbro must get 5,000 purchasers by April 3rd, in order to move from concept to actual production. That may sound extreme to some, but fans can stimulate the economy along with the best of them, especially when an item’s out of production. The question is, will fans dig deep on the front-end, to guarantee themselves a piece of collector history? I’m betting they will, as we’ve been hearing fans yearning for an item like this for decades. If successful, it could lead to other massive playsets like Deathstar and Cantina environments. If you do the math, it’s a $2,500,000 sum being raised. As of this writing, Hasbro has already got 1,473 backers, after only 4 days. A good start, but still a long way to go.
It’s really a bold move, and certainly shows Hasbro is listening to their die-hard fans. I should mention that the Sail Barge includes a special commemorative book, an exclusive Jabba figure, as well as free shipping - a good deal considering how big this parcel will be.
NECA’s also giving us what sounds like one last wave of figures from Ash vs Evil Dead.
The next big hitter was Hasbro, who’ve gone to great lengths to expand and improve on their popular Marvel Legends line of figures. As part of a special “First Ten Years” series, they’re even giving us characters from earlier films we had assumed we’d never be getting - like Guardians of the Galaxy’s Ronan the Accuser...
But without a doubt, the third and most audacious reveal from all of Toy Fair must also go to Hasbro, who’s launched an ambitious high-end project called HasLab - a crowd-funding enterprise that will offer fans a long-requested Star Wars playset - Jabba the Hutt’s Sail Barge from Return of the Jedi!
The playset will be scaled to 3.75” figures, and is a massive 4-feet long - the biggest Star Wars playset of all time. The catch is, this fanboy dream display requires a commit-to-purchase of $499, and Hasbro must get 5,000 purchasers by April 3rd, in order to move from concept to actual production. That may sound extreme to some, but fans can stimulate the economy along with the best of them, especially when an item’s out of production. The question is, will fans dig deep on the front-end, to guarantee themselves a piece of collector history? I’m betting they will, as we’ve been hearing fans yearning for an item like this for decades. If successful, it could lead to other massive playsets like Deathstar and Cantina environments. If you do the math, it’s a $2,500,000 sum being raised. As of this writing, Hasbro has already got 1,473 backers, after only 4 days. A good start, but still a long way to go.
It’s really a bold move, and certainly shows Hasbro is listening to their die-hard fans. I should mention that the Sail Barge includes a special commemorative book, an exclusive Jabba figure, as well as free shipping - a good deal considering how big this parcel will be.
So go check out the HasLab site, watch the video, and see if you’ve got enough display space to make room for a piece of Star Wars history!
That’s Toy Fair for this year, friends - but the toy collecting year is just getting started!
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment