Are Star Wars toys just not selling?

Yeah, that was a creepy but business savvy dude in that second video. He's probably still sporting a gray porno mustache while kicking back on his private island in the Bahamas purchased by "MOC" vinyl caped Jawas :). I liked the condescending attitude of the reporter: "And YOU are buying 'Star Wars toys'?"

I think it's clear in those videos that the "hype and demand" surrounding the toys was substantially different back then than it is today.

Yes--they are still somewhat popular with kids today but nothing like they were back then. If anything, there are more adults buying these toys now than there were back then. I think it's in large part these adults that are helping to keep the sales up.

 
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2. Weird mash ups (stormtrooper with a jet pack) that are so out there no only do they make no sense, but kids don't like them as there is no movie reference.

While there technically no movie reference for jetpack wearing stormtroopers they are (sort of) canon because they appear in one of the opening scenes of Star Tours.
 
I don't know why we have a transforming BB-8 playset. I was far more impressed by the work that went into playsets that was supposed to be the playset without that gimmick shell, which often sacrifices a lot to fit inside a particular shape.

The newer Millenium Falcon is garbage compared to the older ones that just wanted to get the vessel right by design of the film. Often it's the added gimmicks that make me less want to buy a figure/vehicle/playset.

TPM's comm-tech chip thing was TERRIBLE. Anything that went beyond the basic figure and issued weapon was a terrible idea. Call me old-fashioned for the vintage, but some of the build-a-whatever left me thinking, "When the heck was this ever shown in the movie? WHAT IS THIS GARBAGE??" And it all adds cost to the figure. I don't want more added value to the $9.99 price tag. I want a better quality basic $7.99 figure.

And then you have all the fancier packaging that actually looks cheaper than the vintage designs. I really really don't like any of the artwork-style stuff that has come out post-Kenner 80's era. The nice big fat photo of the character with classic black card and logo has never been beat. From Star Wars (ANH) to ESB to ROTJ the design remained consistent and nothing looked like it didn't belong. And then the black series packaging is a complete bore-fest.

The toys these days are just presented so cheaply. The last figure I bought was a Force Awakens Kylo Ren figure, but that's out of being a Kylo fan and wear the costume in the 501st.

I didn't really have a set direction I was planning to take with this post. I guess I'm just ranting and being an old 39 year-old grump schooling about the "Good old days" hahah!

.
 
The nice big fat photo of the character with classic black card and logo has never been beat. From Star Wars (ANH) to ESB to ROTJ the design remained consistent and nothing looked like it didn't belong. And then the black series packaging is a complete bore-fest.
:thumbsup x 1 Mio ! (And this comes from someone who was born three weeks before Ep IV premiered. ;) )
 
Black Series packaging is so boring that I'm asking myself why they bothered to pack the figures at all. Selling them loose would reduce shipping and production costs, too. ;)
 
The new toys are over saturated and cost alot. Vintage star wars toys still sell and sell for lots of cash. Every time I turn around, there's more toys with the same flavor. Cheaply made, over priced, and pretty much the same, but with a new accessories list to try to make us buy them.
 
The toys are a bit over saturated, but always have been.

No, the real problem is...

The Last Jedi wiped out all that was good about the series. The jedi are gone, Luke a depressed angst ex-jedi, Leah a super powerful force user who almost dies when she uses the force when she is totally unable to and then..., Han is gone, the rebellion has almost been wiped away, you don't have to learn the force anymore, it just comes to the right person, the new heroes consist of an impatient quick acting no thought pilot, Fin a traitor turn rebel turned traitor to the rebellion thrust into something he does not want turned hero, a force user who does not want to be a force user who does not want to be a hero, the background planets and ships and tactics make no sense, the bad guys win despite themselves, the top bad guys are pathetic, the public at large are all noted to be all corrupt... An uplifting series has been changed dramatically to give it a new spin and the public at large HATES it. The film opened and closed in the same week in many foreign markets.

Duh, of course the toy sales are tanking. Who wants to be associated with such a pathetic disaster of a new series. Hey kids, do you want to be the whiny heroes that don't actually want to be rebels or the whiny bad guys who fail at everything they do but still come out on top and throw fits? Choose your side and have fun playing your favorite... characters...meh.

You cannot take all that was good away and expect success.
Just because "It's Star Wars".
 
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I remember in the 90s, I had the power of the force line, the Action Fleet, and all the relevant vehicle toys that I hoped my parent's would get for me. I still get that feeling when I see POTF toys on display at cons and whatnot. I don't think I've ever "felt" that way with current merchandise. Sure, there's a select few pieces that catch my interest, but as a whole, I've never had that same perception since POTF. Perhaps it's just a product of my time, so there's that bias, but I feel the toy lines these days would be better served if they replicated the same kind of products we had, cause all I really see is just a crap ton of figures, 1 or 2 vehicles (that's really it?) and everything else is a gimicky playset OR education-related product. Honestly, the on things I'd love to collect are those X-wing game miniatures, but they're like $15 a piece, and they're barely larger (on average) than the Micro Machine vehicles.

I wasn't a bright child growing up, so maybe I'm speaking for myself when I say that we just wanted cool figures, cool vehicles,etc, and didn't care much for the crazy gimicks that I would honestly toss out. It's like when you find a board game with some cool figurines, and toss out the rest, cause you don't care, I just wanted those figures.
 
When I was younger I had dozens (probably over a hundred) of the 3.75" figures, starting with POTF2, POTJ, and the Prequel lines - ships, playsets,vehicles, the works. I'd arrange them up into dioramas, play out scenes, and hunt for figures I didn't have at stores and flea markets. That all lulled from mid high-school through college - no movies and nothing really to keep my interest as I got older.

What did catch my interest was the master replicas stuff, but that was always unobtainable in the price ranges.

As an adult, I was excited by the initial black series line, and some of the s.h. figuarts and mafex figures coming out of Japan; but mostly I've focused on prop replicas (lightsabers primarily) and I have a few sideshow/hot toys that caught my eye.

I don't think they're making quality toys anymore for star wars, a lot of shovelware products that don't mean much to anyone who actually wants to play with toys.
 
I did a quick ebay search for Han Solo. (was actually looking for blood stripes for my pants) I saw well over 15 pages of Han Solo figures starting at $50,000, that were over $100. I think 8500 items total. Several pages of figures that were several thousand dollars.
 
I did a quick ebay search for Han Solo. (was actually looking for blood stripes for my pants) I saw well over 15 pages of Han Solo figures starting at $50,000, that were over $100. I think 8500 items total. Several pages of figures that were several thousand dollars.

What did did you search? I did an ebay search for Vintage Han Solo figures and nothing is over $50 loose... and most are under $20.00. Most completed sales were under $20 on the vintage ones. Carded ones of course are commanding more, but I don't see the numbers you are talking.
 
Holy moly - look at THAT:

https://www.ebay.de/itm/2017-Topps-...D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

I'm an avid collector myself and have many figures from all ranges. Of course the classic Kenner ones are the best. I have put them in ziplock bags. Whether you believe it or not - when I open one of them up it smells exactly like it did when I first took it out of the blister package. It is a unique smell unlike anything else. Nothing like old car tires but more than a sweet plasticy visit at the toy store. It's hard to describe but I think most of you who grew up with the classics know what I mean. It brings back very fond memories. :)

What I don't get it the AFA grading. Graded items demand ridiculous prices. Why? I do understand the procedures of the 501st when it comes to authentic costuming. But what on Earth does an AFA grading do aside from boosting the price? If I see a great-looking figure on a great-looking card it is completely unnecessary for me to get a certificate saying awesome it is. Put it in a clamshell and it's ready to go. Anyway, what qualifies an "AFA grader"? No offense to anyone, but I still don't get it. :)
 
Just typed in Han Solo and them sorted Highest price first.

Ah... thanks. Those are some crazy asking prices.... but of course, looking under the completed auctions, they are not actually getting those prices. Carded ones are selling for a lot, but not the loose and loose graded ones.
 
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