Star Wars Legacy Collection
Hasbro
2013 - 2015
In 2013 Amazon decided to try and get a piece of the Star Wars pie with a set of exclusive figures. Available only as a six pack, the set's main draw was the build a droid pieces, packed one per figure that could be combined to create TC-70 - Jabba's protocol droid during the Clone Wars era.Each set was pre-packaged in a white box, and delivered inside your typical brown Amazon box. This helped ensure that each collection would get to its specified location in fair condition (note we didn't say "mint"). Priced at $59.99, many collectors felt it was too steep to plunge in for essentially three new figure, as the rest were nothing new in terms of characters. If we're being honest, saying it's three new figures is being generous as it can be argued that despite being called the Black Squadron TIE Pilot, this figure is really nothing more than your average standard TIE Fighter pilot, and out of the package would probably be sold just as such.
A full set comprised of; FA-4, Black Squadron TIE Pilot, Sandtrooper, Battle Droid, 212th Battalion Clone Trooper, Sun Fac, and the build a droid TC-70.
Beyond the stale figures, the packaging is actually some of the more unique to be found in terms of Star Wars figure collecting to date. With all the detail to the dome section, and overall presentation, the Astromech shaped cardboard stands out as being more impressive than the actual figures inside.We've asked this before, and we'll ask it again - With how much attention Hasbro puts into the packaging of their figures, and so little care and attention as to what figures are actually inside, we really wonder who they're catering to. Because it really feels like they're only interested in those buying toys to keep in the package. Seriously, how many more Battle Droids, Clone Troopers and Sandtroopers do we honestly need? It's lazyness and greed on the part of Hasbro and Amazon to think that collector's were going to jump at the opportunity to yet again buy figures we've already gotten a hundred times over - Just in different packaging.
In December 2013, Amazon was blowing these sets out at $14.99 - A far cry from the initial asking price. This seems like a loud and clear message to Hasbro that Star Wars fans aren't going to buy the same figures over and over anymore just because they're Star Wars related. They want quality figures, and the characters that haven't been done yet. However, that price has since jumped back up, and is hovering around $40.00 now.
Exclusives are typically geared towards the die hard collectors, as well they should be. They're the only ones who are really going to invest the time to track things like this down. Thus it should have been six brand new figures which haven't been released, even if they were the more obscure characters - Nay, especially if they were the more obscure figures. Show the fans you care, and they will in turn show their support with their wallets - The only true support than any company really wants.
On a side note, it's interesting to see people on ebay trying to sell these sets when they're still readily available from the direct source - Amazon. It's equally intersting to see that some folks are asking more than what you can buy it for from Amazon. Sadly, unless these people are all but giving the sets away, they're not selling. $25.00 to $30.00 seems to be the average sale price. It's a shame to see people taking such a loss on their investments, but unfortunately it's a common mistake in the world of collecting. Just because it's exclusive doesn't mean it's in demand. It also doesn't help when said exclusive is mass produced in great quantity.
***UPDATE***
With the mild success of the exclusive series (or possibly from massive overstock still remaining), Hasbro made an additional set of figures that were produced in 2015. While related to the series, each figure featured slightly different packaging, and in the case of the build a droid, TC-70, was slightly different as well.
WAVE 1
212th Battalion Clone Trooper*Battle Droid
WAVE 1
Luminara Unduli*FA-4 (Build A Droid)*Pablo-Jill
WAVE 1
Sandtrooper*Sun Fac
WAVE 2
Anakin Skywalker*TC-70 (Build A Droid)*Biker Scout
WAVE 2
Clone Trooper Sergeant*TC-70 (Build A Droid)*Padme Amidala
WAVE 2
R2-D2*TIE Fighter Pilot
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