LEGO Star Wars 2022 Set Discussion - READ FIRST POST!!!

[Bobbtom]

Sometimes it's helpful to remember that lego isn't the only company producing star wars merch. Hasbro is out there making things for every SW fan from every era. I guess kids dont like captain rex or shock troopers so those black series figures are being sold on deep discount. Wait nevermind, they sold out immediately last year and are now fetching insane resale values. Not only that but hasbro knows of their popularity and made more versions of those figures and playsets for their mission fleet series (intended for even younger audiences then the black series). But let's just keep dismissing people on here as out of touch AFOLs or whatever. 

Edited October 13, 2021 by Bobbtom

[kidtheboss611]

1 hour ago, jdubbs said:

Sorry, but this is a gross oversimplification. You're overlooking the feast-or-famine distribution woes that have plagued Hasbro for decades, resulting in some waves of action figures being impossible to find, while others warm pegs in massive quantities for months on end... Contrast this with LEGO, which keeps product flowing to both their own stores and their retail partners on a near-continuous basis for at minimum 9 months, and as many as 24 months depending on the set. (Yes, I know there are outliers like the UCS Falcon launch and the Bespin Duel convention exclusive, and Australia is another matter entirely... but for mainline sets in the US at least, they're ten thousand times better than Hasbro at distribution).

 The fact that any given action figure isn't on Target shelves has way more to do with the fact that Hasbro can't predict demand for and regulate flow of product to retailers, than it does with the popularity of any one character/theme/era. Likewise, the fact that LEGO's products are on shelves doesn't mean they're not selling... it just means that LEGO can actually replenish stock in a timely manner.

I conced this is true in part but it doesn't mean the demand isn't there nor does it mean that Lego can't make the CW and prequel era sets that are desired. Even if everything you say about in-store sales is true that doesn't mean that the online pre-order sales of clone troopers and popular bad batch characters aren't real. The demand for that era is still there and just cause AFOLs don't like/hate the prequels doesn't mean that Lego shouldn't even touch the era.

My point was more that Lego should branch out of OT just as Hasbro has because the non-OT stuff sells. I didn't mean to say Hasbro was more popular or better stocked than Lego, that's my bad. 

1 hour ago, Bobbtom said:

Sometimes it's helpful to remember that lego isn't the only company producing star wars merch. Hasbro is out there making things for every SW fan from every era. I guess kids dont like captain rex or shock troopers so those black series figures are being sold on deep discount. Wait nevermind, they sold out immediately last year and are now fetching insane resale values. Not only that but hasbro knows of their popularity and made more versions of those figures and playsets for their mission fleet series (intended for even younger audiences then the black series). But let's just keep dismissing people on here as out of touch AFOLs or whatever. 

This is literally the point that some of you refuse to see. 

Edited October 13, 2021 by kidtheboss611

[Mandalorianknight]

1 hour ago, kidtheboss611 said:

That's a fair point but if you remember Rebels sets failed more because they were released months prior to the season starting and once the show actually aired the sets were no longer marketed. 

That was 2 sets. Most released near the end of the first season, like the bad batch set did. And then they got burned again with resistance, so yes, they are being very cautious. 

1 hour ago, kidtheboss611 said:

That's just not accurate though is it. The difference in price usually (over 200 dollars) makes UCS entirely different. Making an X-wing for 30-40 cheaper isn't something new, something new would be making a Star Wars CMF like they did for Marvel, or a dual full-scale starfighter set (like Vader+A-Wing from rebels) or a P2 clone helmet with holes or Force Ghost figs or a Separatist Lucrehulk-class set. Some of those aren't set ideas I know but they would be new to LSW and would be a welcome change from the same OT stuff every year.

An xwing for $40 cheaper is nearly half the cost, that's a HUGE deal to a kid, the target audience as you say.  $50 compared to $90 is a MASSIVE game changer for kids who, quite simply, don't have that kind of cash. It's definately a new thing to make system scale sets at nearly half the price they were previously at for vehicles of that type. And now I'm confused with some of the other options. A different clone helmet mold is new, but all the new molds over the past couple years aren't? Another dual "full scale" starfighter set after 5 years is new, but a UCS prequel set after 10 isn't? A lucrehulk is new, but a Razor Crest or Bad Batch shuttle or Nite Owl starfighter or Galaxy's Edge transport or DS1 trench run or trash compactor or TIE dagger or arquitens cruiser isn't?

Point is that it's objectively true that lego star wars is trying new things, they just aren't all things that you specifically want. Plus, many of them are OT because it helps them balance the risk, since OT sets sell best. We're already starting to see non-origional trilogy versions of these new ideas with the mando helmet, and I'm sure it won't be long before a mustafar diorama or cheaper republic fighter or what have you. It's important to remember that lego sets take awhile to design, it's not like they can see that the bad batch shuttle is selling well in august 2021 and have bad batch sets on shelves by january. They spedrun more mando sets ASAP and it still took them until august 2020 for even a brickheadz and august 2021 for a mando-heavy wave, and mando was much, MUCH more popular than bad batch. 

[kidtheboss611]

2 minutes ago, Mandalorianknight said:

That was 2 sets. Most released near the end of the first season, like the bad batch set did. And then they got burned again with resistance, so yes, they are being very cautious. 

An xwing for $40 cheaper is nearly half the cost, that's a HUGE deal to a kid, the target audience as you say.  $50 compared to $90 is a MASSIVE game changer for kids who, quite simply, don't have that kind of cash. It's definately a new thing to make system scale sets at nearly half the price they were previously at for vehicles of that type. And now I'm confused with some of the other options. A different clone helmet mold is new, but all the new molds over the past couple years aren't? Another dual "full scale" starfighter set after 5 years is new, but a UCS prequel set after 10 isn't? A lucrehulk is new, but a Razor Crest or Bad Batch shuttle or Nite Owl starfighter or Galaxy's Edge transport or DS1 trench run or trash compactor or TIE dagger or arquitens cruiser isn't?

Point is that it's objectively true that lego star wars is trying new things, they just aren't all things that you specifically want. Plus, many of them are OT because it helps them balance the risk, since OT sets sell best. We're already starting to see non-origional trilogy versions of these new ideas with the mando helmet, and I'm sure it won't be long before a mustafar diorama or cheaper republic fighter or what have you. It's important to remember that lego sets take awhile to design, it's not like they can see that the bad batch shuttle is selling well in august 2021 and have bad batch sets on shelves by january. They spedrun more mando sets ASAP and it still took them until august 2020 for even a brickheadz and august 2021 for a mando-heavy wave, and mando was much, MUCH more popular than bad batch. 

I would say the popularity of CW sets after years of their releases say enough about show sets selling and should negate the over-cautious nature of Lego release.

1. X-Wings for $40 cheaper are all fine and dandy but that doesn't mean they're new they're just smaller and cheaper. It's not some huge revelation to sell a different variation on the same ship. 

2. I mentioned a clone helmet mold cause that's one of the bare minimum things that should have been done forever ago. Also just cause we get a couple new of molds for new characters doesn't mean we shouldn't have a better mold for older iconic characters. No need to be such a big corporate defender I promise you Lego can afford it. 

3. The dual starfighter set is incredibly popular on the aftermarket and would be refreshing in comparison to what we have now which is an OT remake every 3-4 years. 

4. Just cause you to mention other ships that have been made doesn't mean a lucrehulk wouldn't be new. In fact, it's precisely because they made that god-awful Dorito Tie and the Galaxy's edge transport that there should be a new separatist capital ship. If useless crap like that can be made into a Lego set why can't Lego make a new Separatist cruiser or lucrehulk. 

Point is that it's objectively true that TLG doesn't want to try new things with SW that doesn't revolve exclusively around the OT (except for one mando helmet, so sorry for forgetting that). 

Also, I think it's important to mention that you didn't have a response regarding the CMF series because you know just as well as I do that something like that is long overdue for LSW.

[AIex]

how many times will the same people have this same discussion?

[Kit Figsto]

I feel like something that tends to be forgotten when discussing sets is that there is a long shelf life for many products.  Longer than action figures (which seem to be "if you don't get it when the store restocks during the one wave that figure is available, you're never going to get it at retail"), for sure.  So when you look at the January 2022 wave and say "There's nothing that appeals to kids, what are they doing!", that may be true for that wave specifically, but from there are at least a dozen system scale sets that are also still on shelves and have a very good mix of characters, from basic OT Luke and Leia to Bo-Katan and Ahsoka to the Bad Batch.  Anecdotally, it seems like a LOT of sets from the past year have been selling really well.  The X-Wing and TIE Fighter are still not always on shelves near me (especially since Target and Walmart seem to have these permanently marked down to $40 and $32, respectively), and the summer wave is still iffy if I can even find those sets, despite it being two full months since release.  I'm pretty sure I've never seen the Arquitens in stores, and I've only seen the Bad Batch Shuttle once, I think. 

Point being, those sets will still be around when this January wave hits.  Therefore, there's still system scale playsets on shelves that have more appeal than dioramas or helmets or sets without minifigures.  I would bet MOST kids definitely have not acquired the full summer wave, considering how expensive that is and how much this stuff has been selling.  It's not like they're just abandoning their core consumers.

It's also easy to point to "This set is selling well, so LEGO is dumb for not making more sets from [insert movie/show here]" but there's some confirmation bias in that.  A lot of people reported the summer wave sets selling out, but a lot of people also reported the X-Wing or the most recent helmets selling out.  It's impossible for us to know what the demand truly is, and I would really argue with the idea that LEGO's idea of what sells well is flat out wrong.  Of course, companies make mistakes, but there's a difference between a new theme not selling well (when they're relying mostly on speculation) and them looking at actual, concrete data of "This is how well this set sold, compared to this set" within the SW line.  

It seems fair to assume that they did a big summer wave full of stuff that had been requested for some time, and are now going with a wave that seems targeted mostly towards adult collectors, then will probably do another large summer wave that's system-heavy.

Finally, not every wave is going to please every person.  The summer wave had some nice builds, but a lot of that stuff wasn't really for me.  I enjoy The Mandalorian and TCW/BB, but only the Mandalorian Fighter set was one that I really feel like "Yes, I'd like to buy that," and even then, I haven't purchased it yet.  This upcoming wave, I'm definitely interested in quite a few sets from both the diorama-style and the system-style. 

I am surprised, however, that this wave doesn't have any prequel-era stuff yet (it wouldn't surprise me if there's a Bad Batch minifigure pack that comes with Omega, or something like that), but the summer one was all prequel era and Mandalorian, which was also a little bit surprising.  

[Brickroll]

@AIex:

Dread it. Run from it. Hide from it. You can try to escape, but prequels vs ot sets selling well arrives just the same.

But you’re right, this discussion has been had so many times, and the answer is that Lego is the only one who knows how well sets sell.

Edited October 13, 2021 by Brickroll

[LDigital]

This new thread hasn’t had its customary regular 2 page moan about MandR and his content yet, but it won’t be long and then we will know the cycle is complete and it’s truly up and running.

[Brikkyy13]

6 hours ago, kidtheboss611 said:

You'll see the X-wings and TIE fighters riding shelves but you won't see Black Series CW Anakin or Hawk. 

Of course you won’t see those two CW black series figures, they were limited release and they sold like hotcakes. X-Wings and TIEs warming the shelves because everyone has them already and they’re saving their money for the new wave of CW stuff, no stores near me have anything CW cause it all sold out day 1.

[STARHAWK]

9 hours ago, NoOneOfImportance said:

Does anyone wonder if maybe LEGO has made less sets for Bad Batch to start in response to poor sales of Rebels sets around the same time in the series? Maybe LEGO just wants to be safe to prevent petering waves of low sales? 

Also, do many other companies seem to be making much merchandise in regards to Bad Batch? Maybe it isn't just LEGO avoiding merch for this series at the moment (and if so, maybe there's a bigger reason).

Only FUNKO is able to keep the tempo. I dont see much support for new SW shows. SW IP is a damaged goods - so stores are ordering less, now u dont really see entire sections dedicated to SW IP as it was in the past.

Also the keeping of all new projects secret makes it difficult to prepare toys to support the shows

6 hours ago, Bobbtom said:

Sometimes it's helpful to remember that lego isn't the only company producing star wars merch. Hasbro is out there making things for every SW fan from every era. I guess kids dont like captain rex or shock troopers so those black series figures are being sold on deep discount. Wait nevermind, they sold out immediately last year and are now fetching insane resale values. Not only that but hasbro knows of their popularity and made more versions of those figures and playsets for their mission fleet series (intended for even younger audiences then the black series). But let's just keep dismissing people on here as out of touch AFOLs or whatever. 

Hasbro is at this point underproducing and absolutely not available worldwide - then it may easily happen that everything is sold out right on pre-orders (how an u sell of preorders ? - just take all the orders and produce that many)

In my country i cant get any Hasbro Vintage Collection 3.75" Super Articulated or Black Series 6" but i can get every SW Lego set - see the difference ?

[Bobbtom]

20 minutes ago, STARHAWK said:

Hasbro is at this point underproducing and absolutely not available worldwide - then it may easily happen that everything is sold out right on pre-orders (how an u sell of preorders ? - just take all the orders and produce that many)

In my country i cant get any Hasbro Vintage Collection 3.75" Super Articulated or Black Series 6" but i can get every SW Lego set - see the difference ?

The point is that lego doesn't seem to think that a new captain rex figure and others are warranted despite the huge demand, but hasbro does and has continually made constant variations and new releases of rex and other figures in different product lines- not just one line. Clearly the demand for them is there among kids otherwise they would have been one offs that are never to be seen again. This is indicative of a lot more than just the one character. I was fortunate enough to obtain a phase 2 rex years ago at a reasonable price but many people can not. I know kids who would like one but the price of one these days is pushing $150+, completely outrageous 

Edited October 13, 2021 by Bobbtom

[STARHAWK]

1 hour ago, Brikkyy13 said:

Of course you won’t see those two CW black series figures, they were limited release and they sold like hotcakes. X-Wings and TIEs warming the shelves because everyone has them already and they’re saving their money for the new wave of CW stuff, no stores near me have anything CW cause it all sold out day 1.

Again are we comparing apples to oranges with Hasbro vs Lego.

Hasbro is not selling things worldwide at this point (i had no problems purchasing original TVC or Transformers back in 2010 - during the golden times before Disney, some of the transformers are now slowly starting to appear in special toy shops, TVC and TBS nowhere)

Hasbro is underproducing stuff

Hasbro is selling too much store-exclusive figures

Hasbro does not restocks / keeps the product available through the year - sometimes stores even receive one case and never any more again - Lego keeps the products from a wave available for multiple years

12 minutes ago, Bobbtom said:

The point is that lego doesn't seem to think that a new captain rex figure and others are warranted despite the huge demand, but hasbro does and has continually made constant variations and new releases of rex and other figures in different product lines- not just one line. Clearly the demand for them is there among kids otherwise they would have been one offs that are never to be seen again. This is indicative of a lot more than just the one character. I was fortunate enough to obtain a phase 2 rex years ago at a reasonable price but many people can not. I know kids who would like one but the price of one these days is pushing $150+, completely outrageous 

Keep in mind that specifically clones are for Hasbro a lucrative article - they do just a different print and voila, new product with minimum effort. Ask the TVC collectors how often they get a completely new mold figure - someone from the cantina aliens.

I believe we will see lego Rex soon, Lego knows the demand and now with the BL data also the secondary market demand/value. They just cant release a figure just like that (for now - where is that damned SW CMF to keep up the characters demand) - it has to be in a set. And they cant release all the sets at once - there is a slot for a pricepoint to be filled and OT stuff like x-wing has to be always on the market - that was confirmed by designers

 

For me, im sad we dont have more SW animals - a mall set with an animal similar to Friends have now with the pods would be cool.

[BrickBob Studpants]

TLG is participating in the “Bring Home The Bounty” event, in which new merch will be revealed each Tuesday for the next 12 weeks  If we’re lucky, Boba’s palace might get revealed this way, probably pretty close to the premier of the first episode though (or at least after the first trailer has aired).

Technically, there are enough sets that one could be revealed every week, but I have sincere doubts they’d unveil a set scheduled for May in December, let alone earlier 

If we’re particularly unlucky, it’s just the boring January wave 

[TeddytheSpoon]

1 hour ago, BrickBob Studpants said:

TLG is participating in the “Bring Home The Bounty” event, in which new merch will be revealed each Tuesday for the next 12 weeks  If we’re lucky, Boba’s palace might get revealed this way, probably pretty close to the premier of the first episode though (or at least after the first trailer has aired).

Technically, there are enough sets that one could be revealed every week, but I have sincere doubts they’d unveil a set scheduled for May in December, let alone earlier 

If we’re particularly unlucky, it’s just the boring January wave 

Or perhaps it'll be the AT-AT?

[BrickBob Studpants]

29 minutes ago, TeddytheSpoon said:

Or perhaps it'll be the AT-AT?

Good point, I somehow forgot about that one  It should leak / get revealed any day now

[Pedilego]

The comp I'm keeping an eye on is sixth-scale figures:

 

 

 

• Hot Toys & Sideshow produce high-end figures ($200+).
• Star Wars doesn't sell well in their home market (Hong Kong + China).
• As a result, they're risk adverse when it comes to Star Wars - just like TLG.

 

• Earlier in the decade, Sideshow (notoriously lesser quality than Hot Toys) created a line of Clones.
• Sideshow P2 Fives & Echo now each fetch fetch around/over $1,000.
• Hot Toys Dark Side Anakin had been going for nearly $1,000 (but there's a CW version on the way).
• Hot Toys usually increase in price on the aftermarket, but ^those prices exceed most (if not all) OT figures.
• Secondary market prices for old Clones are absurd. Theoretically, just like TLG, there are signs a market exists.
• e.g. TLG signs include secondary market prices on minifigures & an entire cottage industry around custom clones.

 

• Hot Toys just started releasing Clones (e.g. Cody, 501st, Coruscant Guard, Rex) topical to Clone Wars Season 7.
• They've released, are releasing, and/or have revealed lots of lesser Mandalorian characters:
• That includes Paz, Armorer, Artillery Stormtrooper, IG-11, Moff Gideon - all things that TLG has produced.
• Also: Black-Robe-Boba, Incinerator Trooper, Blurrg, Axe Woves, Koska Reeves, Kuiil, Transport Trooper, Loth Cat, Cobb Vanth.
• Caveat: Not all of ^those are guaranteed to be produced for purchase by Hot Toys; it depends on interest & sales.
• They're more willing to create $200+ figures of characters (based on demand) that Lego hasn't even produced yet.

 

• Hot Toys clearly follows the money, which is more than many of us can confidently say about TLG.
• Question is: Do Clone sales (combined with market signs) justify Hot Toys to go 'backwards' to do more Clones?
• If no, if they're willing to make all of ^those Mando characters but not more Clones, well, that's a bad sign.
• If yes, I'll personally be more confident that TLG is letting fear drive their decision-making a bit too much.
• As we know, fear leads to feelings of anger & suffering in fans. (That's [mostly] a joke.)

 

tl;dr

• They're risk adverse when it comes to Star Wars - just like TLG.
• Secondary market prices for old Hot Toys Clones are absurd. Theoretically, just like TLG, there are signs a market exists.
• Question is: Do Clone sales (combined with market signs) justify Hot Toys to go 'backwards' to do more Clones?
• If yes, I'll personally be more confident that TLG is letting fear drive their decision-making a bit too much.

tl;dr

• They're risk adverse when it comes to Star Wars - just like TLG.
• Secondary market prices for old Sideshow Clones are absurd. Theoretically, just like TLG, there are signs that a market exists.
• Question is: Do Clone sales (combined with market signs) justify Hot Toys to go 'backwards' to do more Clones?
• If yes, I'll personally be more confident that TLG is letting fear drive their decision-making a bit too much.

Edited October 13, 2021 by Pedilego

[kidtheboss611]

8 hours ago, Brikkyy13 said:

Of course you won’t see those two CW black series figures, they were limited release and they sold like hotcakes. X-Wings and TIEs warming the shelves because everyone has them already and they’re saving their money for the new wave of CW stuff, no stores near me have anything CW cause it all sold out day 1.

You're so very close to the point but still no cigar. 

7 hours ago, STARHAWK said:

Only FUNKO is able to keep the tempo. I dont see much support for new SW shows. SW IP is a damaged goods - so stores are ordering less, now u dont really see entire sections dedicated to SW IP as it was in the past.

Also the keeping of all new projects secret makes it difficult to prepare toys to support the shows

Hasbro is at this point underproducing and absolutely not available worldwide - then it may easily happen that everything is sold out right on pre-orders (how an u sell of preorders ? - just take all the orders and produce that many)

In my country i cant get any Hasbro Vintage Collection 3.75" Super Articulated or Black Series 6" but i can get every SW Lego set - see the difference ?

SW IP is not damaged, it's quite literally the most profitable toy IP for both Lego and Hasbro and that is without a doubt. Doesn't matter if the sequels and some Disney stuff are hot trash (TLJ didn't kill it off yet), The Mandalorian and CW-7 revived SW in 2020, and it's fully back in the top spot.

4 hours ago, BrickBob Studpants said:

TLG is participating in the “Bring Home The Bounty” event, in which new merch will be revealed each Tuesday for the next 12 weeks  If we’re lucky, Boba’s palace might get revealed this way, probably pretty close to the premier of the first episode though (or at least after the first trailer has aired).

Technically, there are enough sets that one could be revealed every week, but I have sincere doubts they’d unveil a set scheduled for May in December, let alone earlier 

If we’re particularly unlucky, it’s just the boring January wave 

I guarantee it will be a reveal of a Hoth battle pack and AT-ST. 

[BrickBob Studpants]

14 minutes ago, kidtheboss611 said:

I guarantee it will be a reveal of a Hoth battle pack and AT-ST. 

These two and the Razorcrest MF - which together form the puny January wave - will get revealed this way, no doubt. The question is if the much more interesting March stuff also gets unveiled on one of those Tuesdays 

Not really a fan of these fragmented waves, to be honest. Maybe there are logistic reasons behind it, in which case it’s weird that neither of the last two 2HY waves seem to have been affected in the same way 

[jdubbs]

You guys keep comparing apples to oranges, and trying to draw conclusions based on these faulty comparisons. Hottoys, Sideshow, and yes even Hasbro Black Series cater to a much older, more affluent audience... kids barely factor into their equation. As has been stated and restated a million times before, LEGO's target market is primarily kids (and parents of kids), with AFOLs a distant (but admittedly growing) second place. What appeals to one audience does not necessarily appeal to the other. 

The fact that Hasbro or Sideshow or whomever sells out of its Clone action figures does not mean that LEGO will do the same with its Clone minifigs. I see ample stock of two recent LEGO sets which collectively feature three different (all-new, unique) Clone designs at every Target, every online store, and every LEGO store I visit. In fact, both have been pretty consistently marked down 20% for the last 9 months... an indicator that retailers are trying to clear out stock of these sets. This doesn't mean they're somehow a failure (all sets get marked down eventually), but it certainly throws cold water on the "if only LEGO would release Clone sets, they would sell out just like Hasbro's Clones do" argument some of you seem to believe.

[kidtheboss611]

16 minutes ago, jdubbs said:

The fact that Hasbro or Sideshow or whomever sells out of its Clone action figures does not mean that LEGO will do the same with its Clone minifigs. I see ample stock of two recent LEGO sets which collectively feature three different (all-new, unique) Clone designs at every Target, every online store, and every LEGO store I visit. In fact, both have been pretty consistently marked down 20% for the last 9 months... an indicator that retailers are trying to clear out stock of these sets. This doesn't mean they're somehow a failure (all sets get marked down eventually), but it certainly throws cold water on the "if only LEGO would release Clone sets, they would sell out just like Hasbro's Clones do" argument some of you seem to believe.

To be fair the battle pack was sold out and non-existent for its first 4-5 months but point taken. It's not really about selling out Lego but rather making something different that includes clone troopers who are stupid expensive on the secondary market (which Lego has all the data from cause they won Bricklink).

[Kit Figsto]

I think it's likely that one or multiple TBoBF sets are revealed during this toy reveal.  Last year they did that with the Trouble on Tatooine set, when the toy reveal weeks were Mandalorian focused.  It would only really make sense for them to reveal a toy based on TBoBF.  

And one last thing on the action figures, I don't know if my previous comment really articulated this well, but people are pointing to "These clone figures sold out instantly" which is probably true, but I'm also looking on a site right now with all of the Black Series releases from the past 8-12 months, I've legitimately never seen 95% of these in stores.  I think I saw Cal Kestis, Bo-Katan, Chopper, Celebration Luke, Greef Karga, Wrecker, K-2SO and Hoth Han.  Everything, whether it's OT, PT, ST, or expanded universe (with the exception of Rogue One, because I swear there are still toys from the release of that movie sitting on shelves) they put out seems to sell out, which I think is more of an issue of them underproducing figures than anything else.  

[TeddytheSpoon]

I'm not sure how relevant aftermarket prices are for gauging demand. Apart from the fact there isn't necessarily crossover with the average LEGO target market, the existence of scalpers and 'investors' looking to make a quick buck on their second-hand figs (I believe Childish Landino shared something on these to-the-moon types a while back) would distort the picture quite a bit, I imagine.

[jdubbs]

4 minutes ago, Kit Figsto said:

...which I think is more of an issue of them underproducing figures than anything else.  

They underproduce now because for years and years, they overproduced, which combined with their abysmal distribution meant that one region would be flooded with product while another went bone-dry, only to receive a glut of product months after it was originally released. Resellers like Target would refuse to order more, or would wait to put out new stock until the old peg-warmers cleared away... All this created a vicious cycle where the product that actually got sold fed straight into the secondary market. 

Now, they seem to have migrated to a new model in which they've scaled back production runs, offer a very limited number of each figure to retailers as pre-orders (which sell out instantly), and then dump whatever is left onto Amazon or Hasbro Pulse months later. I did not think it possible for them screw this up worse than it was before, but they've made collecting Black Series an absolute nightmare.

I'll happily take LEGO temporarily running out of a battle back or two each or year, over the mess that Hasbro continues to make of its SW line.

[Nootella]

Does anyone know why lego fragmented this years entire winter lineup?

[STARHAWK]

3 hours ago, kidtheboss611 said:

SW IP is not damaged, it's quite literally the most profitable toy IP for both Lego and Hasbro and that is without a doubt. Doesn't matter if the sequels and some Disney stuff are hot trash (TLJ didn't kill it off yet), The Mandalorian and CW-7 revived SW in 2020, and it's fully back in the top spot.

Tell that to the stores which are still not ordering the same amount of SW toys as it was in the past. I agree that Mando and CW7 brought the sales up to a degree, but the retailers still dont trust this IP that much. Even in US the SW sections are almost nonexisting and in other countries it is already nonexisting.