1. To follow up with your question last week about Hasbro "re-issuing" the Proton Pack, you mentioned you don't have an issue with this Haslab being re-released, since it is different, among other reasons. You also mentioned that you don't see any of the Star Wars Haslab's being "re-released".

Do you think that Hasbro would not entertain re-releasing products, like the Barge, due to the state of the Star Wars hobby being in a lull? The Razor Crest & Ghost were made in HUGE amounts and can be purchased "close" to retail cost, the Barge is 4-5X the original cost. Could Hasbro make this item and store it in their warehouse; make 10,000 pieces and see what happens? Yes it would kill the aftermarket (as someone who purchased it in 2019) BUT would it be better?

--Jeremiah

If you're trying to convince me to lobby for a Barge rerun, let me hit you back with "no" up front and save you some reading. Skip coffee, have PB&J for lunch, sell some stuff, and buy one off eBay in two or three years.

As always, I'd suggest crowdsourcing names to see how many people want a reissue of anything. I don't think Hasbro would want to make the relatively small run that I believe would serve the market. Keep in mind inflation will make the $500 2019 Sail Barge cost about $650-$700 in today's dollars. It's not coming out today, either, it would be at least two years away. The economy is hard to predict and prices would likely continue to increase. Freight isn't getting much cheaper, either. USPS is increasing rates again.

Hasbro marketed the Barge as a "this is the only way you can get this item with this particular figure variant." I expect they will hold true to their word. Maybe they'll make another Barge product some day, in another style, in a smaller size... but I don't think they will. The Proton Packs from Ghostbusters are like a lightsaber - anyone who sees that movie is going to think "Hey, I want one of those!" and I would hope Hasbro keeps making them. The Barge is a big item that requires a home to enjoy, was in the movie for about 10 minutes, and demands the owner have dozens of action figures to go with it. There is less opportunity here.

I don't doubt there are fans (and secondary market toy flippers) who would love a rerun, but you seem to be making a case to do what I said they won't do. There's not going to be an identical rerun of the Barge, and 10,000 pieces is more than Hasbro made the first time. I really do believe fans who missed it will need to buy one when a collector regrets how much space it takes up - which happens on eBay - because there's probably never going to be enough customers to warrant another full-size run of this massive item. Hasbro will never make a run that large, of an item that big, that's going to be super expensive, in hopes customers will show up for it later. It's just not good business. If it happened, there would be some sort of pre-order or crowdfund first to see who's serious.

What's going on with the Proton Pack (a new product, with a pre-order, that's different from a crowdfund item) is apples to the oranges of what you suggest for the Barge (a reissue of an item pushed hard as a crowdfund exclusive with no changes, where Hasbro assumes full financial risk and makes more than they built in 2019.) I'd love everybody to get everything they want, but it's too risky for Hasbro. I also don't know how many fans missed the Barge and would pay $600 or $700 or $800 for one at this point - but it's not 10,000.

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2. Adam, I’ve never quite been able to put out of my mind the failed Airwolf crowdfunding project. I’ve seen the YouTube videos showing the shoddy craftsmanship of the final product, but it feels like 3D printing is getting better and better. Do you think we will see more people take the initiative to make their own vehicles and players that are similar enough to get fans interested, but different enough to avoid lawsuits?
--Derek

Short vehicle answer, no. Or at least, not until higher-quality 3D printing is safer, easier and the designers make models you put together rather than completed things you have to slice up.

3D printing is a lot of fun, and I've 3D printed The White Witch... and it's OK. The people who design models are not people who usually design toys or model kits. It wasn't designed to work well with figures, despite what the photos and description said. It doesn't feel like it's incredibly stable, either. It's like owning a prototype. Future 3D print toy engineers will need to come up with designs that feel sturdier, and that may mean smaller parts, more glue and screws, and simpler original creations.

I honestly thought we'd be seeing playsets made by unlicensed side businesses by now. I'm seeing some really cool 3D print designs - same caveats as before - but I want something that doesn't require sanding and painting (and bigger build plates.) Nobody can sell a Death Star without a license - but you can sell a Space Station. Hoth is off limits - but Snow Bases, Tree Houses, and other designs are perfectly legal yet nobody's done it. We've seen a lot of this with Transformers where the designs are so close to the licensed characters that I would consider it infringing. But they don't step on trademarks and seemingly rarely get shut down. Where am I going with this?

If non-Hasbro factory-manufactured unlicensed 3 3/4-inch Star Wars-compatible vehicles or playsets were going to happen, they would have happened.

When I brought up "let's make a Hoth Wampa cave but call it a Yeti Cave" people bristled. When I said "let's make a Mini-Rig original space ship designs that just happen to fit 3 3/4-inch action figures" I've been turned down - despite the fact that a completely original design, just aping the size and vibe, infringes on nothing. The AST-5 is a great little toy that takes zero inspiration from the movies or franchise - and there's no reason another company couldn't make a great, wholly original creation.

If you want some random guy to make you a large Rebel Transport on Kickstarter? That's never happening. The question I'd lob back at the fandom is "what do you want that you don't have?" and start making a fuss about a few specific items - maybe Hasbro will hear you. We got a Barge that way. And for some reason, we also may get an eighth Republic Gunship.

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FIN

For August, we're doing Q&A every day! I started writing about Star Wars toys online way back in August 1 of 1995. To celebrate, I'm posting a new Q&A every day - the question might be old, but there will be new answers too. Please look forward to it.

People are asking if the Republic Gunship fails, if the line is in danger. I don't believe so. We've got the 50th anniversary around the corner, plus two (or more) movies allegedly coming. They're all going to want to keep selling us things.

It's been interesting watching the editorials on the HasLab Gunship slowly edge over to a tone of support. There's some snark about "what can you afford" but I'd just go back to "vote with your dollars." I'm even seeing some fans assume the line will end if it fails... which seems unlikely. If a Gunship is something you want, you should back it. If it isn't, Star Wars - the modern line, the one that kicked off late July or early August 1995 - just turned 30. We have hundreds of ships, dozens of playsets, and thousands of figures.

That's a lot of stuff, and it's all still out there.

1995's POTF2 - The Power of the Force - collection is just turning 30. A Froot Loops Han Solo figure usually sells for under $10 before shipping. A 1995 sealed Millennium Falcon is $100-$200. If you're new to toy collecting, there are thousands of different items you can buy for (adjusted for inflation) very reasonable prices if you don't like the alternatives coming to market this year. If you refuse to buy anything that's not perfectly scaled and 100% accurate... well that's not my problem.

I was writing a friend and the 30th anniversary of the modern line came up. I mentioned that if Hasbro just up and ended the line after The Power of the Force in the year 2000, it would have been a pretty satisfying line. We'd have gotten several vehicles, a few playsets, a couple hundred action figures, and a smattering of creatures and carry cases. Sure, it didn't have everything, but some version of most key original trilogy vehicles and figures were all available by that period of time. Way back in 1997, we got Slave Leia and Tarkin and Garindan. That was a huge deal!

If you've been here the whole time, don't take your collection for granted. You got great stuff. There are new versions of things, and maybe you'll want to upgrade. But don't forget you put a lot of effort into getting those toys over the years, and you might even find they're going to make you happy if you revisit them. And if they don't, Hasbro may just crowdfund you a better one.

--Adam Pawlus

Got questions? Email me with Q&A in the subject line now! I'll answer your questions as soon as time (or facts) permit.

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