Why The Vintage Collection Will Tread Water Until It's Inactive Again: Part I

Folks, The Vintage Collection is treading water, and this will be our lot in life until the line goes inactive again. We are now three years out from the Star Wars film that killed the franchise, was toxic to merchandising, and contained some of the most awful characters that ever made up a Star Wars trilogy. The dreaded The Last Jedi film products are STILL poisoning retail, and now clearance outlets are beginning to taste their toxicity. (more….)

What The Last Jedi (and so much else of Disney Star Wars) did to the franchise and especially collecting can be described in a graphic metaphor. It is the equivalent of Star Wars falling into raw sewage, and no matter how much one tries to scrub off the stench, the smell still lingers and will always be there. It’s ever-present, and it affects not only sales but engagement from the buying Star Wars public. All you need to do is look around. The apathy to Star Wars collecting is palpable. Most specifically, The Last Jedi killed Star Wars merchandising. Remember when the failing Toys R Us stores couldn’t get rid of it for 90% off? The stores were nearly gutted, except for The Last Jedi Hasbro Star Wars toys. That wasn’t a coincidence.

And now here we are, THREE YEARS LATER almost to the day, and the never-arrived-to-Walmart exclusive Rey (Island Journey) figure is now showing up at Ollie’s stores by the boatload. (If you need a refresher on what happened with this figure, JTA broke the news years ago. Check it out HERE.) I just visited my local store this morning, and they had THIRTEEN CASES of the figure. The pegs were stuffed to the gills with this awful character. How long will these sit until completely sold through at Ollie’s now? Another half-decade, perhaps?

Facts like this don’t bid well for the line. What stores would ever want to take a chance on another exclusive Star Wars item again, let alone general marketplace merchandise? Buyers know Star Wars is retail poison. Unlimited Fan Channel outlets have already tried to sell the leftovers of this figure. Kids’ Warehouse has clearanced out this figure. Entertainment Earth was the first to rescue the figure and they ditched it. And now Ollie’s is going to try to sell it. What a disaster.

Hasbro will never produce another character from the Sequel Trilogy again, and if they do, it will have strong ties to the Original Trilogy. The Disney characters are toast.

Oh, but there is more. Come back later for Part II.

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