Can Hasbro Compete in the Big Leagues?

Since the late 70’s, the Star Wars toys Kenner, and then Hasbro, made were for kids. The current line-up of Hasbro toys, however, are adult collectibles. Perhaps no recent figure makes that more apparent than the Deluxe Boba Fett (Tatooine) release. At $28, it is unlikely that the average parent would make that purchase for a child or even teenage collector. Expensive action figures are not unprecedented, nor are adult collectible 1/18 scale lines. How does Hasbro measure up? Can they compete in this market, and how does this gateway figure compare to other similarly expensive lines? More…

I don’t only collect Star Wars figures. I’m sure I have more Star Wars figures than any other collection, but I’ll be the first to admit I have a plastic addiction. I have 1/18 scale figures from Boss Fight Studio, Joy Toy, Acid Rain, and a few other lines. Since Hasbro is charging what these other companies are for what they deem to be “deluxe” figures, I think it is fair that we make some comparisons.

Click on the above images to see the accessories included with each figure.

Accessory count:

• Boba Fett: 8
• Knight: 10 (spearheads counted separately, but they don’t work on their own)
• Joy toy figures generally include around 15 accessories since many of their armor parts are removable, but they usually cost $10-40 more than these $28 figures. 

Accessory-wise, Boba Fett is comparable to other figures of a similar price-range. Where the figure differs greatly is in quality of construction and control. The plastic used to make Boba Fett is so rubbery you can bend the blaster in half and it will pop back into shape. The plastic used for the Knight is a very rigid, sturdy plastic. You will hurt yourself if you poke the spearhead too hard! 

If you get a good sample, the paint on Boba Fett is incredible. Both figures are comparable in paint applications. However, the quality control on these mass-produced figures is subpar compared to the Boss Fight figures. BFS rarely (and I mean rarely) has quality control issues.

Boss Fight is not a licensed line, so they don’t have to pay royalties to Disney or anyone when designing their fantasy figures. Their licensed lines don’t include as many accessories. They also are designed to re-use parts a lot which brings production costs way down. While Hasbro loves to repack and repaint parts, the Star Wars line requires a lot more new tooling than BFS figures. 

I was happy to find that the number of accessories Boba Fett had was comparable to other figures that I paid that much for. However, at this price, the rubbery plastic used for the accessories is inexcusable. Also, where is his gaffi stick? For a big company like Hasbro, I don’t feel the mass production and rubbery plastic warrant $27. $20-22? Absolutely. It’s got the accessories and premium articulation of a deluxe figure, but if Hasbro is going to compete with more expensive collectibles, they are going to need to step up the quality of the plastic they use. For the record, I buy maybe 4-5 BFS figures per year because of the price. My Star Wars collecting would be drastically reduced if all the figures cost this much.

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