Jump to content

Vintage wave: A sincere effort by Hasbro or a cash grab?


Hogun

Recommended Posts

It has come to my attention that the vintage wave figures feel more and more like cash grabs by Hasbro than a sincere effort to give us good figures. While some figures justified a re-release like Beast (especially him), Storm, Dr. Doom, Jim Lee Rogue, Kingpin, Mysterio and Electro. I don't see the point of some of them. They feel very half-assed and just a cheap way for Hasbro to make a quick buck. Who asked for Samurai Wolverine? I get re-releasing the Jim Lee Rogue, but Gambit? Really? I've seen the Caliban wave Gambit shelfwarm. Iceman and Dazzler are still shelfwarming like crazy and with more coming. It just pains me to see these figures on retail shelves. In fact, most vintage wave figures shelfwarm.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't see the Vintage line as a cash grab, I see it as a BAF-less line. While some of the figures maybe re-releases, there are a lot of new figures in the lines as well. You may complain about the likes of Madripoor Logan but it would be no different, if he was added to a BAF wave instead.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The all blue Dazzler in that wave is my go to Dazzler. I was really happy they released her along with Iceman and Storm. Also looking forward to that new Gambit with the new head sculpt. I did not like the last one too much with the way they did his hair. I hope they reveal more X-Men Vintage cardbacks soon like maybe give us a Longshot and or a Banshee.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It can be, but in general no, I don't see it being a cash grab.  For the re-issues it's an inexpensive way to get the figure without paying scalper prices on the secondary market.  For most of the figures you mentioned, these are upgrades or much needed re-issues.  Kingpin and Rogue both come to mind as figures that are in high demand and fetch high prices.  Kingpin is also a clear upgrade on the original BAF and allows people to have a Shadow King without shelling out for a second BAF.  Rogue, though I don't like the new colors and face, is another one fetching premium prices on the secondary market, so she makes sense, just not as a Target exclusive.  Gamibt, while doing some shelf-warming, has been plagued by complaints about his hair sculpt, so Hasbro's gone and given him new hair and TAS colors, to appeal to/appease people that didn't like the first one.  And Electro? Other than a poor choice of buck this one is head and shoulders above anything we've gotten from Hasbro.   

Yes there are some, Storm, Doom, Mysterio, etc. that are just a re-color and it's Hasbro being Hasbro and getting some mileage out of the mold or exclusive parts, but people can decide for themselves if they want to buy them, same with the "deluxe" BAF re-releases.  Plus, there's probably a whole subset of collectors that just dig that vintage cardback, I know I'll pick up an extra Spider-Man if I get the chance, just to keep one on that cardback.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't see it as a cash grab.  If anything its easier to cherry pick a retro wave than a BAF wave, so just skip Madripoor Wolverine, Iceman, and Dazzler if they are upsetting you.  

Spidey retro wave was my favorite wave for 2020.

I feel like if anything the retro waves tend to feature more sought after characters, since they don't have a BAF part to help boost sales but must instead sell on their own merits.  As long as they include appropriate accessories with the figures, I'd like to see more retro waves, not fewer. I do wish they had included wall-crawling hands with retro spidey, that still bugs me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, bashpics99 said:

I don't see it as a cash grab.  If anything its easier to cherry pick a retro wave than a BAF wave, so just skip Madripoor Wolverine, Iceman, and Dazzler if they are upsetting you.  

Spidey retro wave was my favorite wave for 2020.

I feel like if anything the retro waves tend to feature more sought after characters, since they don't have a BAF part to help boost sales but must instead sell on their own merits.  As long as they include appropriate accessories with the figures, I'd like to see more retro waves, not fewer. I do wish they had included wall-crawling hands with retro spidey, that still bugs me.

Exactly, if you don't want a Vintage Figure you don't have to buy it (unless you are a completist) and you don't have to worry about you BAF missing a head or a leg. 

Also I agree with the idea of them featuring sought after characters. People wanted Peter and Gwen, characters like Mysterio, Kingpin and Rogue to get re-released and Hasbro have delivered

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 hours ago, Hogun said:

It has come to my attention that the vintage wave figures feel more and more like cash grabs by Hasbro than a sincere effort to give us good figures. While some figures justified a re-release like Beast (especially him), Storm, Dr. Doom, Jim Lee Rogue, Kingpin, Mysterio and Electro. I don't see the point of some of them. They feel very half-assed and just a cheap way for Hasbro to make a quick buck. Who asked for Samurai Wolverine? I get re-releasing the Jim Lee Rogue, but Gambit? Really? I've seen the Caliban wave Gambit shelfwarm. Iceman and Dazzler are still shelfwarming like crazy and with more coming. It just pains me to see these figures on retail shelves. In fact, most vintage wave figures shelfwarm.

I understand what you are saying. I would say that Patch Wolverine sold out on Amazon while I was buying Dazzler and Silver Samurai. Wolverines always sell, I guess.

What I like about the vintage waves is no BAF. I missed Sauron, and have to figure out how to economically finish Strong Guy because I don’t want to complete those waves. 

Thats just me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think the Vintage waves are sincere, a lot of people already mentioned good points towards the argument that they are a sincere move over a cash grab, I think they generally are great waves with a ton of anchor characters getting great versions, I.E. Storm, Dazzler, Iceman, the whole first Vintage wave and 2nd one were fantastic, The card backs are also really wonderful, and some people collect them just for displaying on card purposes, I also think re-releasing sought after harder to find figures is extremely collector friendly figures like Storm, Beast, Doom, Rogue, Kingpin, Mysterio all were harder to find at retail for the most part so giving people a second chance was a nice move on Hasbro's part. I also think we can't forget that they go out of the way to give us costumes we have been asking for like Jim Lee Storm, Outback Dazzler, Classic Kingpin, Blue Wasp etc. and we also sometimes get entirely new molds like Silver Samurai, Gwen Stacy and a whole new Spider-Man. I also love that they have no BAF pieces because... Cherry picking!.

I'm all for the Vintage/Retro stuff, I think it's in fact a sincere gift to the real collectors of Legends.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm always leery of "who asked for ______" type questions, because it shows a stubborn bias on the part of who's asking it. Ok, YOU may not care for, say, Rock Python, but I know people that want to throw him a ticker tape parade, women that want to have his children. Why, there's an actual facebook page dedicated to using his jockstrap as a covid mask. Supposedly chief finance officers of several fortune 500 companies swear they make them rich. I dont know, but you can get them on eBay for under $100.00. 

I dont see a cashgrab or scam in releasing vintage figures. One, they're not all "vintage"- that Black Panther was a more modern styling. Two, they really help collectors who missed the figure the first time around. For whatever reason not every region gets every Legend. Never saw the Storm or Cyclops from the Jubilee wave out here. But these re-releases help to avoid paying scalper prices on the secondary market.  That's always a plus in my book.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cash grab or not, they usually probably take a loss when they overload us with too much stuff nobody wants, then we can sometimes take advantage by getting a peg warmer off the shelf for a lower price . I try to keep an eye out for the price cuts on a certain figure now and then. in the end we mostly only buy what we want. Mostly.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, Atlantis said:

I'm always leery of "who asked for ______" type questions, because it shows a stubborn bias on the part of who's asking it. Ok, YOU may not care for, say, Rock Python, but I know people that want to throw him a ticker tape parade, women that want to have his children. Why, there's an actual facebook page dedicated to using his jockstrap as a covid mask. Supposedly chief finance officers of several fortune 500 companies swear they make them rich. I dont know, but you can get them on eBay for under $100.00. 

I dont see a cashgrab or scam in releasing vintage figures. One, they're not all "vintage"- that Black Panther was a more modern styling. Two, they really help collectors who missed the figure the first time around. For whatever reason not every region gets every Legend. Never saw the Storm or Cyclops from the Jubilee wave out here. But these re-releases help to avoid paying scalper prices on the secondary market.  That's always a plus in my book.

Totally agree with the idea of re-releasing figures in the Vintage line. I really wanted to get my brother a Mysterio but never saw the Lizard wave version and now thankfully thanks to the Retro wave, he will finally be getting one for his birthday.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I personally love the Retro Vintage Wave. Its a great shout out to back in the day and gives others a chance at getting into Legends with getting some key needed figures. Also gives Hasbro a chance to revisit and improve on certain figures.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think it may have initially started as a cash grab, but now they are doing more with it. The first 2 waves sat on the shelves forever, and you can still find them. They had slight color variations, light accessories, so you really were getting them mostly for the cardbacks.

But now it seems as if they a truly treating it as a special line, with more new sculpts/characters. I still think some of these can be pack-ins (new Gambit head, new Rogue glove), if there wasn't much else that would change. There's a thin line

Link to comment
Share on other sites

44 minutes ago, enzosaurusrex said:

I think it *can* be seen as a cash grab by some because it's essentially the same as other Legends (including the price tag) without the Build-a-Figure part. We're essentially paying for extra thick cardboard.

So by that measure, every exclusive would be a cash grab, too. Plus every $40 2-pack with no BAF pieces (not to mention sets at a higher price point). Basically anything but a BAF wave figure is now a cash grab, including the double packed figure that doesn’t have a BAF piece. Personally I think this is a silly argument

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

No, I don't, and I appreciate that they've started giving them more accessories to make for the lack of BAFs. The fan channel ones, in particular, tend to be repaints of sought-after figures.

That Beast was a complete misfire, though- he never had those proportions when he was grey- they should have reissued the blue one with some new parts, and done a separate grey beast release on the Jackal body (which I hope they still do).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...







Sign Up For The TNI Newsletter And Have The News Delivered To You!


Entertainment News International (ENI) is the #1 popular culture network for adult fans all around the world.
Get the scoop on all the popular comics, games, movies, toys, and more every day!

Contact and Support

Advertising | Submit News | Contact ENI | Privacy Policy

©Entertainment News International - All images, trademarks, logos, video, brands and images used on this website are registered trademarks of their respective companies and owners. All Rights Reserved. Data has been shared for news reporting purposes only. All content sourced by fans, online websites, and or other fan community sources. Entertainment News International is not responsible for reporting errors, inaccuracies, omissions, and or other liablities related to news shared here. We do our best to keep tabs on infringements. If some of your content was shared by accident. Contact us about any infringements right away - CLICK HERE