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Should Hasbro Postpone Their Haslab Marvel Legends Figure Campaign Until 2021?


JayC

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During Toy Fair back in February, Hasbro revealed they were going to be offering the first Marvel Legends themed product this year for their Haslab crowdfunding service. While no specific details have been announced, all indications suggest that the item being done will be some type of X-Men Sentinel figure. Hasbro also said that full details would be revealed sometime before San Diego Comic Con in July.

Since Toy Fair, a lot of things have changed in the world thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, causing a lot of uncertainty on many fronts. Assuming Hasbro is even able to still move forward with production on such a figure right now, the question remains should they?

Could a crowdsourcing project for a figure that is likely going to be a fairly expensive be successful in a year like this? A year were disposable income is likely going to decrease for many, as lots of businesses are temporarily shutdown? At this point we don't even really know if San Diego Comic Con will happen or not this year, which would likely be the best chance for people to see the figure up close and personal before deciding if they wanted to plop money down for it or not.

Obviously with everything going on in the world today, we realize this isn't a top priority question. Still we wanted to hear from you the Marvel Legends collector, do you want or think Hasbro should move forward with their Haslab Sentinel this year, or do you think it would be better to wait until next year when things are much more likely to be back to normal? Let us know in the COMMENTS SECTION.
 

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I can see where your coming from and agree on some front. I think there won't be a sdcc this year but I do think that Hasbro will do some sort of online livestream for it. However, they could always announce it during that and give the crowdfunding part until say Febraury of next year to allow people to to raise their fund to get it. 

If they can't do that, then yeah hold it back until Toy Fair and give until SDCC of next year to do it.

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I honestly don't think it matters either way. The Bizarro-World business model that HasLab operates under is such that even if they go ahead with it and it tanks, it won't hurt them any. On the same token, postponing it wouldn't harm their market any. The vast majority of ML collectors couldn't and/or wouldn't get it either way.

On a personal note, I'd like to think that in this time of emergency, anyone with that level of disposable income can think of better ways of spending it.

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Not sure at this point they even could move forward with this proposal...but at this time, I would say hold. Stay in place, re-think and re-work it. I'd rather they took their time and did it right. Whatever project they decide on will ultimately cost a bit more than we're used to, and if they want it to be successful, the quality is gonna have to be top-notch. The best way to achieve that is to really put some time and effort into it.

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Hell no! If anything I think they should reveal it now do some sort of lay-a-way plan where we can start making payments now (based on what your financial standings and future may be) and possibly have it paid out by the time the thing hits production. I think more people would be interested in that format rather than having to fork over a large amount of cash from the start. It's not like some of these other start-up groups who basically have to do a Go Fund Me just to get the capital to begin production of the figures. Hasbro has the cash now and if the customer does drop out and decide to no longer pay on the product they just lose whatever they've put into it. Of course, we should also be able to pay the thing off from the jump if we so please. I think this would really appeal to the people who still want the thing, but aren't quite sure what their financial situation is going to be when this hysteria is over.

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I think they absolutely should postpone the Haslab project. Offering a niche item that would cost between 500-800 dollars during these times would look really tacky and insensitive on Hasbro's part, and I believe they're aware of that. 

As for SDCC....what SDCC and all company attendees should do is something akin to DJ D-Nice's recent and Awesome online Quarantine party; make the Con a total multi-media event where people at home can all tune in at once. Have people sign up and pay online for exclusives and set it up so that everyone who signs up gets one (like a kickstarter campaign) and scalpers can't hoard them. Upcoming movies should be offered to stream for online attendees. Give advance first-episode screenings for new shows, and something equivalent for upcoming video games. And yes, have everyone still show all their upcoming toys (have the official images, naturally, but have someone post regular photos of the prototypes as well). Presented this way, in ways that people can reasonably afford online, people can still have something really positive to look forward to.

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3 hours ago, mako said:

I honestly don't think it matters either way. The Bizarro-World business model that HasLab operates under is such that even if they go ahead with it and it tanks, it won't hurt them any. On the same token, postponing it wouldn't harm their market any. The vast majority of ML collectors couldn't and/or wouldn't get it either way.

On a personal note, I'd like to think that in this time of emergency, anyone with that level of disposable income can think of better ways of spending it.

I agree completely. Therefore, yes, this should be postponed until the world clears from the emergency at hand.

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1 hour ago, Air-Walker said:

As for SDCC....what SDCC and all company attendees should do is something akin to DJ D-Nice's recent and Awesome online Quarantine party; make the Con a total multi-media event where people at home can all tune in at once. Have people sign up and pay online for exclusives and set it up so that everyone who signs up gets one (like a kickstarter campaign) and scalpers can't hoard them. Upcoming movies should be offered to stream for online attendees. Give advance first-episode screenings for new shows, and something equivalent for upcoming video games. And yes, have everyone still show all their upcoming toys (have the official images, naturally, but have someone post regular photos of the prototypes as well). Presented this way, in ways that people can reasonably afford online, people can still have something really positive to look forward to.

I bloody love that idea!! When the Olympics is cancelled, the chances of SDCC going ahead as is is currently between absolutely not and no chance in hell. But yeah: why shouldn't people have an event to look forward to? Something which shows the kindly, responsive face of capitalism?

So, why not use this opportunity to do something different? A mega-pay-per-view or pay-per-access VCC (Virtual Comic Con! It's a terrible name, but I'm trademarking it just the same) with the companies that would normally attend offering tiered access to their brands/offerrings. 

Each company would offer levels of access (some kind of 'Brand pass' offering) so Hasbro would have a Star Wars/ Transformers/ Marvel/ GI Joe etc. offering, and Lego maybe a generic & licensed ', which would probably cost more than say, Sideshow Collectibles or MacFarlane.

Virtual attendees to each brand show/exhibit would/could also get limited access to the cc exclusive items that are usually hoarded by scumbags and flogged on ebay for between 10-100 times what they are worth. Don't even get me started on Lego.

With some decent management, cooperation and organisation this could not only work very well, but actually save each company a huge amount of money. Not least because they (a). wouldn't all need to decamp to one area for three days and (b). Wouldn't have to just put all the displays & items & other paraphernalia of comic con in storage. And instead of, just one example, the Marvel Legends comic con q&a trickling out on fan sites, the whole world could, in theory, attend this live. Maybe even ask questions at certain points. First time ever. And all the exhibitors would still get paid for doing what they normally do, but in a different way. The technology is there. On our phones.

Because really, what are the alternatives? As far as I can see, (1). a very limited, very austere 'Social Distancing Comic Con' which would just be terrible and grotesquely magnify all the existing problems with SDCC, but with none of the advantages, or (2). Cancellation. And a whole lot of toys, displays, hospitality staff etc. sitting in warehouses. 

I've had to get used to the idea that I'm never, ever going to have the privilege of being able to attend the US event. Like a lot of other fans who don't live in the US. That's okay: I still look forward to the coverage and (if I can afford it) some of the Exclusives cropping up on ebay.  All of these companies just love telling the dorks and geeks how much they listen to us, they wouldn't be here if it wasn't for us etc. etc. Well, here's your chance to show it: think differently, do it differently, make just as much money. And maybe set a precedent.

Or not. The toys will come out just the same, and none of us collectors will be out of pocket. Some will actually save money.

As for the HasLab Sentinel. Cancel, cancel, cancel. We've got the AOA and Avengers Gamerverse waves imminent; store exclusive Grey Beast & Starboost Iron Man and Iron Man 2020. Then, deluxe Apocalypse and Nimrod. Then, the Deadpool/Strong Guy Wave, then the Venom wave & the Venomised Store Exclusives & 1980's War Machine. Then the Classic X-Men 2 packs. Then the Retro Spider-Man wave.  Then the Fox X-Men 2 packs & singles. Then Old Man Hawkeye & Logan. So, we've kinda got enough for a while, I'd say (and I've maybe missed 5 single figures and 1 wave from that list...oh, and the Amazon Fall-2020 exclusive and whatever was planned for sdcc).

 

 

 

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Regarding SDCC, I hate to say it, but calling it off for the year is the only play that makes since. Even if, by some miracle, we managed to get a handle on this thing in the next three-and-a-half months, going directly from world-wide pandemic to stuffing a few thousand people into a stuffy convention center seems . . . counter-intuitive.

 

 

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5 minutes ago, mako said:

Regarding SDCC, I hate to say it, but calling it off for the year is the only play that makes since. Even if, by some miracle, we managed to get a handle on this thing in the next three-and-a-half months, going directly from world-wide pandemic to stuffing a few thousand people into a stuffy convention center seems . . . counter-intuitive.

 

 

125,000

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I agree with most of you. Canning the Haslab project until we get through this crisis is a wise move. Closing down SDCC IS an even wiser move. Keeping it up and running would be a disaster in my opinion. 

 

I will say...all of y'all my "virtual family" have helped the hours go by. Thank you for that. I pray you all stay safe and Healthy as well as your families.

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I could care less if SDCC is canked or not. July is 4 months out. This pandemic could be over in the next 45-60 days for all we know. I still wanna see pics of the Sentinel & see what scale it's going to be & what the price point is. No need to cancel it imo. The common flu is still killing 10x more people than this. Fear mongering at it's worst. 

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6 hours ago, Gigantor said:

I could care less if SDCC is canked or not. July is 4 months out. This pandemic could be over in the next 45-60 days for all we know. I still wanna see pics of the Sentinel & see what scale it's going to be & what the price point is. No need to cancel it imo. The common flu is still killing 10x more people than this. Fear mongering at it's worst. 

Your personal thoughts on the virus itself are immaterial here. The impact it is having on society and the economy is real and showing pics whether it be online or at a convention would be pointless if people aren't in a position to pay for it right now.

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Have they announced if they're postponing anything? And I'm not just talking the HasLab. With the way things are currently, I've had to just downright stop collecting for the sake of saving money. If they are planning on still releasing waves of figures, there will be a lot that I miss. 

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1 hour ago, Hordak Rules said:

Have they announced if they're postponing anything? And I'm not just talking the HasLab. With the way things are currently, I've had to just downright stop collecting for the sake of saving money. If they are planning on still releasing waves of figures, there will be a lot that I miss. 

They will continue to release stuff but but you will see store delaying orders and shipments.

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15 hours ago, GrtWhiteCustoms said:

I agree with most of you. Canning the Haslab project until we get through this crisis is a wise move. Closing down SDCC IS an even wiser move. Keeping it up and running would be a disaster in my opinion. 

 

I will say...all of y'all my "virtual family" have helped the hours go by. Thank you for that. I pray you all stay safe and Healthy as well as your families.

If they can SDCC (which they probably will), there would be nothing stopping the various companies from releasing news online, like they did with the Japanese Anime Convention last week

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11 hours ago, Gigantor said:

I could care less if SDCC is canked or not. July is 4 months out. This pandemic could be over in the next 45-60 days for all we know. I still wanna see pics of the Sentinel & see what scale it's going to be & what the price point is. No need to cancel it imo. The common flu is still killing 10x more people than this. Fear mongering at it's worst. 

Glad to know you're safe and haven't resented the effects of the pandemic. You could try empathy for a change, the fact that you haven't been affected by this doesn't mean nobody has. I'm lucky I can still work and do everything from home, but a lot of friends have either lost their jobs or can't work at all since this broke out, and that means they are limited to what they can and can't afford by their savings.

The fact that you and I may be able to pay for something 500usd + doesn't mean that everyone will be, and on the empathic side of things, those 500usd+ could be used for something a bit more helpful to yourself and society. 
I'm not talking about donating, or even loaning, but you could probably boost those 500 into something more like investing in some business for when the dust settles.

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30 minutes ago, SpiderS said:

I can’t see them going forward with it but at the same time people are at home and some still have some savings  they can spend on figures due to boredom, it really depends how much worse economic situation is going to be. 

Personally I'm holding off buying figures until Mr. Virus has gone away, then I going to used the money I have saved during this crisis to support my local stores (and get my book launched)

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11 hours ago, Gigantor said:

I could care less if SDCC is canked or not. July is 4 months out. This pandemic could be over in the next 45-60 days for all we know. I still wanna see pics of the Sentinel & see what scale it's going to be & what the price point is. No need to cancel it imo. The common flu is still killing 10x more people than this. Fear mongering at it's worst. 

This is hardly "fear mongering". It could be over in 60 days, hopefully....but it might not be. But even if it is, immediately going back to jamming 1000s of people into confined spaces, from all over who knows where, is a risky notion. Haslab can go on the back burner for now.

There's still uncertainty around the mortality rate, but annual flu typically has a mortality rate of around 0.1% in the states.  In comparison, recent data suggests COVID-19 has a mortality rate more than 20x higher, around 2.3%(according to a study published Feb. 18 by the China CDC Weekly). The death rate varied by different factors such as location and an individual's age. 

All the people dying in Italy, Spain, and elsewhere is not fear mongering- that's reality. Even a certain someone who said the 2-3% fatality rate was a "false number", is finally starting to come around to realizing its a serious issue. I have a friend who's now on a ventilator, too weak to breathe on her own or even talk. She was totally fine 2 weeks ago.

The Sentinel and the conventions can hold off for now. Stay safe! Stay healthy!

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1 hour ago, Atlantis said:

This is hardly "fear mongering". It could be over in 60 days, hopefully....but it might not be. But even if it is, immediately going back to jamming 1000s of people into confined spaces, from all over who knows where, is a risky notion. Haslab can go on the back burner for now.

There's still uncertainty around the mortality rate, but annual flu typically has a mortality rate of around 0.1% in the states.  In comparison, recent data suggests COVID-19 has a mortality rate more than 20x higher, around 2.3%(according to a study published Feb. 18 by the China CDC Weekly). The death rate varied by different factors such as location and an individual's age. 

All the people dying in Italy, Spain, and elsewhere is not fear mongering- that's reality. Even a certain someone who said the 2-3% fatality rate was a "false number", is finally starting to come around to realizing its a serious issue. I have a friend who's now on a ventilator, too weak to breathe on her own or even talk. She was totally fine 2 weeks ago.

The Sentinel and the conventions can hold off for now. Stay safe! Stay healthy!

I hope your friend gets well soon.

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