SSC Luke Skywalker Snowspeeder Pilot Sixth Scale Figure

[IrishJedi]

That price is.... WOW.

 

[Lee in MI]

I'll just make my comment short...this sh|_|t ain't worth $260 bucks.

 

[Wor-Gar]

I agree, these prices, however conceived, can't be good for the hobby as a whole.

Perhaps the problem was the original model: 1/6th figures for $50.

Perhaps there just wasn't a big enough pool to pull from? Perhaps there's really not that many people out there that care for 1/6th dolls. So the model changes -- changes to gouge the crazy fools who do collect 1/6th dolls and will pay thru the nose to get their collection.

I think its pretty clear the 1/6th hobby is a much smaller group with a lot of expendable cash. If not, why would SS even begin to think it can charge $270?

 

[aeluna]

I don't think that's our problem to be honest. I think that's Sideshow's problem - that they're NOT perfectionists.

As for the pack, you forgot to add DX07 sculpt, surely essential for this figure.

The only studio I've seen lately that I would qualify as perfection would be Prime 1 Studios, but with that perfection accompanies a hefty price tag plus I don't think they are in the 1/6 market.

 

[Tom Day]

The only studio I've seen lately that I would qualify as perfection would be Prime 1 Studios, but with that perfection accompanies a hefty price tag plus I don't think they are in the 1/6 market.

Thanks for the info, I don't know much about them - I'll have to check them out.

Thanks also for your comment, it made me think about what I mean by perfectionism - I don't expect it for $270 but I do expect them to strive towards perfectionism. I don't get that from this release from what we've seen. I do feel they tried really hard with Hoth Han and that kind of effort is what I'd like to see more of.

 

[DCFett]

I think its pretty clear the 1/6th hobby is a much smaller group with a lot of expendable cash. If not, why would SS even begin to think it can charge $270?

Definitely. Which is why you'd think playing those of us left for fools would not be their end game. Us same folks with expendable dollars will also pay $800 for Hulkbuster, and would likely gladly pay $300 for Luke if he was the DX of this rendition. Missing accessories, lukewarm sculpt, missed opportunities for improvement all amount to a lack of effort to keep your dwindling audience fully engaged at whatever price.

I'll attempt to draw an analogy, might not fit, but bare with me: ever watch any car shows that test vehicles? Ever note how demanding they are of car manufacturers and how those op-Ed comments change as the price goes up? Reviews of the latest Civic are much less scathing than the newest BMW 4 series. That's because it's natural to expect greater product and technological advances as the price increases. How would Ford look saying yes, the latest Festiva has Bluetooth, however, that didn't make it into this badass SVT model...? To me, that's exactly what trends with SS. Not always, but certainly since the "renegotiation". We'll pay what the market will bare, but the value has to be there as well.

 

[jstep13]

I'll just make my comment short...this sh|_|t ain't worth $260 bucks.

My biggest fear isn't today, it's tomorrow. If a 1/6 figure is $260 today, what will it be in 6 months, 12 months, 18 months from now? What will the ceiling be? Is there a ceiling? Will there be a time where we reminisce about the good ol' days where sixth scale figures were 'only' $250...scary to think about

 

[Ahab]

Based on the release date of Dec2016/Jan2017, I'd imagine this price point will be pretty common from here on out.

 

[Platty]

I quite like this

Really looks like him with the helmet on

 

[inked]

I quite like this

Really looks like him with the helmet on

I think it looks great with the helmet on, the other sculpt is definitely weaker but still looks like Luke.

I'll be displaying it helmeted as I have the X-Wing Luke carrying the helmet rather than wearing it.

 

[Cap'n Cook]

Wasn't he talking about that like a year ago? Is there any new confirmed news regarding - ANY - HT ESB or ROTJ figure (beyond Fett)?

Just seemed like there was a ton of talk long ago about HT's ESB and ROTJ plans, but then HT went silent on OT SW. It's been almost a year since the last OT announcement...

I keep expecting to see a Luke Jedi, Yoda or Han Bespin announced, but...



Just noticed this head has a weird "snow" effect (that looks like grey hair) on the headsculpt hair, which is also another fairly underwhelming hair sculpt - a bit unfortunate considering how poorly the Luke X hair came out, downgrading the unhelmeted head in terms of realism.

Dunno what people are complaining about on the likeness though - this looks like it could have potential, but who knows what the prod'n sculpt will look like.

Better likeness than HT.

 

[TonTon]

Depending how the paint app comes out this could be the clear winner for me. Looks more like Hamill than the DX.

But that's how I felt about the SS Hoth sculpt, but after production would I call it better than the DX? Probably not.

 

[TaliBane]

I think the DX boots might be a little skinny for this figure.

There are two different versions of the boots - insulated "fat" and "thin" - so technically, the DX07 boots would be accurate. They can be seen in studio shots. When Luke jumps into the snowspeeder (in studio) he's wearing the thin boots, but when he crashes (on location), they switch to the fat ones.

I don't think that's our problem to be honest. I think that's Sideshow's problem - that they're NOT perfectionists.

As for the pack, you forgot to add DX07 sculpt, surely essential for this figure.

They've proven it over and over.

Perhaps the problem was the original model: 1/6th figures for $50.

Perhaps there just wasn't a big enough pool to pull from? Perhaps there's really not that many people out there that care for 1/6th dolls. So the model changes -- changes to gouge the crazy fools who do collect 1/6th dolls and will pay thru the nose to get their collection.

I think its pretty clear the 1/6th hobby is a much smaller group with a lot of expendable cash. If not, why would SS even begin to think it can charge $270?

Sideshow must be totally surprised that they had a profitable, officially licensed SW 1/6 business model that worked at a $50 pricepoint, but ten years later they have to charge $270 for the same thing to make a profit.

They must be SO surprised at this development because there aren't any other businesses that are charging five times higher for the same basic product a decade later. Maybe in the fashion or jewelry industries?

 

[Tom Day]

Sideshow must be totally surprised that they had a profitable, officially licensed SW 1/6 business model that worked at a $50 pricepoint, but ten years later they have to charge $270 for the same thing to make a profit.

They must be SO surprised at this development because there aren't any other businesses that are charging five times higher for the same basic product a decade later. Maybe in the fashion or jewelry industries?

That's a great point. Less people are buying - because the product is inferior and expensive - so they have to keep making it more expensive. You'd expect this to be a death spiral for the line as quality drops and prices rise. But they've reached an agreement with HT not to tread on each other's toes, so there's no effective competition; and because Star Wars is so massive they can stay in business through a small pool of collectors who will buy anything at any price, or buy a figure for the parts they want and sell the rest (like me!). You never even see good unlicensed figures because the LFL legal dept is so ferocious. The losers are people who just want to buy a great figure out of the box without doing all kinds of kit bashing.

 

[DCFett]

"Name an industry that charges 5 times more now for discretionary goods, than it charged 10 years ago...?
How about: Oil Industry
Survey says...? X
I don't know either.

 

[LipSmack]

"Name an industry that charges 5 times more now for discretionary goods, than it charged 10 years ago...?
How about: Oil Industry
Survey says...? X
I don't know either.

oil industry has bottomed out... and before the crash the certainly didnt inflate 5x

 

[Wor-Gar]

Sideshow must be totally surprised that they had a profitable, officially licensed SW 1/6 business model that worked at a $50 pricepoint, but ten years later they have to charge $270 for the same thing to make a profit.

We don't really know how profitable it was 10 years ago.

Margins must be better now, even with the loss in buyers.


You guys who are comparing necessities to luxury items are silly. This hobby is a definitely luxury... and its costs show. It has nothing to do with costs (though China's come a long ways in 10 years) but has more to do with "what the market will bear". Once they hit that ceiling, they can always back off.

So don't buy Luke Snowspeeder. It's really that simple. I'm not buying it. That's my ceiling.

 

[Deeznutz6]

We don't really know how profitable it was 10 years ago.

Margins must be better now, even with the loss in buyers.


You guys who are comparing necessities to luxury items are silly. This hobby is a definitely luxury... and its costs show. It has nothing to do with costs (though China's come a long ways in 10 years) but has more to do with "what the market will bear". Once they hit that ceiling, they can always back off.

So don't buy Luke Snowspeeder. It's really that simple. I'm not buying it. That's my ceiling.

Mine also, and when sac realizes this the price will com down of they will make what they can at the going pice and put the balance when needed to clear space

 

[TaliBane]

"Name an industry that charges 5 times more now for discretionary goods, than it charged 10 years ago...?
How about: Oil Industry
Survey says...? X
I don't know either.

No, oil chart below... and the major supposed factor, China wages, have doubled plus a bit (25,000 CNY in 2007 to 55,000 CNY in 2015) - but have not gone up by three, four or five times.

We don't really know how profitable it was 10 years ago.

Margins must be better now, even with the loss in buyers.


You guys who are comparing necessities to luxury items are silly. This hobby is a definitely luxury... and its costs show. It has nothing to do with costs (though China's come a long ways in 10 years) but has more to do with "what the market will bear". Once they hit that ceiling, they can always back off.

So don't buy Luke Snowspeeder. It's really that simple. I'm not buying it. That's my ceiling.

I'm just really bummed it happened in a business I was a customer in, and to something I cared about. It turns a passionate fan into a "whiner who shouldn't buy it then" in the space of 3-4 years.

Honestly, I could get my head around figures going from $50 to $150 in ten years (headsculpts/apps have improved a LOT,) maybe even some knocking on the door of $200 - and yes, people were incredulous about $200 when it first showed up. But pushing $300 for a standard figure from a starting point of $50 is appreciation that defies all logic and explanation.

That's the kind of appreciation you expect over 30 years, not 10. It's way, way out there. We're in the thin air of three standard figures costing $1000.

If you think of those pics of collections where people have a hundred or so 1/6 figs in the Detolfs... collections with that number of figs will cost nearly $30,000 starting very soon. Up from a cost of $5,000-7,000 ten years ago.

 

[Tinman2000]

After the C-3PO debacle I'm not PO anything made by SS; I think the outfit looks great but I'll wait for in-hand pics and comments before I make a commitment or put down the cash.