Fan Petition to Hasbro: Make Super-Articulated 3.75″ STAR WARS Figures Mainstream

Figures are the lifeblood of Star Wars collecting. Sure there are other toys, and busts, and elaborate models, but nothing brings you back to your childhood quite like an action figure. So it is with that in mind that we pass you along this campaign that was brought to our attention by one of our readers.

 

 

SWNN reader Colin has made us aware of an online petition to entice Hasbro to bring back their super-articulated 3.75’ figure line.
From changer.org (HERE),

 

In 1977, Star Wars took the world by storm. Renowned toy company Kenner gained the rights to produce toys based on the film, and the Star Wars 3.75″ action figure and toy craze began. In 1995, Kenner brought back Star Wars action figures under their parent company Hasbro. For the next 17 years, Star Wars action figures evolved and improved, receiving high levels of detail and articulation. In 2013, Hasbro devolved their Star Wars figures into very simplistic designs with a basic 5 points of articulation (5POA). In 2015, their 3.75″ super-articulated figures (SA) were given as an exclusive to Walmart, where releases are infrequent and comprised primarily of older, repackaged figures. Distribution and availability under Walmart has been abysmal, and the morale and dedication of lifelong collectors and supporters of Star Wars 3.75″ super-articulated figures is dwindling.

 

Hasbro- Please bring back super-articulated figures as a mainstream product line with respectable availability at all major retailers. With better product being available to worldwide customers and patrons of Hasbro, you will sell more products and regain your reputation as the world’s leading maker of mass-produced toys. As a lifelong customer of Kenner and Hasbro, I have become disheartened and disengaged by the lack of quality Star Wars action figures in the 3.75″ scale. Not all figures require super-articulation, but every mainstream figure available should not be 5POA. Your fans, collectors, and customers want to give you our money. Please deliver figures in the 3.75″ range that are deserving of it.

 

 

Star Wars fans appreciate quality, so offering quality in the figure lines would seem to be a no-brainer. If you agree head to change.org to add your name to the petition.

We also made sure to inform Hasbro about this on going petition.

 

 

+ posts

23 thoughts on “Fan Petition to Hasbro: Make Super-Articulated 3.75″ STAR WARS Figures Mainstream

  • March 28, 2017 at 6:14 pm
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    I signed this petition when I first saw it on jeditemplearchives. I would urge all fans of Star Wars collecting to sign it as well.

    • March 29, 2017 at 7:59 am
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      I’m a fan of collecting but can’t afford to do so myself. I signed the petition because I know what it means to people.

  • March 28, 2017 at 6:16 pm
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    You’re one of the first sites to say anything, besides JTA! I contacted a few sites and they didn’t really care, I’m glad someone reached out to you guys.

  • March 28, 2017 at 6:21 pm
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    Thanks for posting it SWNN!

  • March 28, 2017 at 6:24 pm
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    I disagree. I had the original figures back in the 80’s and they looked better than the new multi articulated ones with have now. At the time I wished that they made them more articulated like the GI Joe figures, but even they looked better than the new ones. My children find the 5POA figures easier to play with.

    • March 28, 2017 at 8:15 pm
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      the 5poa range is better for kids, for sure. I understand the GI Joe figures limbs weakened with time. The force awakens figures had some shockingly bad figures (rebel trooper springs to mind) and really bad painting. I’m sure kids won’t notice much, but there’s no way any of them look better than the 3.75′ black series. I’d like to see them run both ranges in wide release, but I imagine they don’t really sell well enough to warrant them doing so.

      • March 28, 2017 at 8:41 pm
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        I agree that the force awakens figures were of poor quality and just seemed like they had spent as little money has possible. And yes the GI Joe figures did become useless after a while. To be honest they need to decide how they are going to do it and stick to it. Maybe keep the 5POA for the core range and leave the more detailed and articulated figures for the black series.

        • March 28, 2017 at 9:57 pm
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          Thats exactly what happens now. The SA figures are the 3.75″ black series. The problem is a few figures come out sporadically and ONLY at wal-mart, which handles the distribution HORRIBLY. So that’s the whole point of the petition, to get the 3.75′ black series figures back into the main stream, away from being a walmart exclusive.

        • March 29, 2017 at 2:17 am
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          yeah, for sure. I think the point of contention is the availability of the black series (in the 3.75′ range anyway). If they were easy to find, it wouldn’t be a big deal.

    • March 28, 2017 at 9:55 pm
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      its not about getting rid of the 5poa, its about getting the SA figures back in the mainstream where they were. It’s not about removing the 5poa figures from the market.

  • March 28, 2017 at 7:00 pm
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    I like the current line of 3.75″ figures with five points of articulation. They are inexpensive, and the sculpts are really good. You can get more background characters with the cheaper figures, and they still look great. They stand up on their own and are very durable for children. I don’t know why you would be upset that the elbows and knees don’t bend when most adult collectors will keep them on a shelf anyway.

    • March 28, 2017 at 8:12 pm
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      They might be inexpensive in the USA, but in the UK they are between £9 and £12 each. The black series figures in the same scale (only available in Asda- owned by walmart) are £11 each. I’d much rather my money was going on figures that look better quality, even if I do keep the majority of them in the packets.

    • March 28, 2017 at 9:58 pm
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      Again, its NOT about getting rid of the 5POA figures. Keep the cheap 5poa figures, they sell well (according to Hasbro) so keep them, this petition is about getting the 3.75″ SA figures out of this horrible walmart distribution and get better/more figures. NOBODY is trying to stop the 5 POA, i think that needs to be clear.

    • March 29, 2017 at 10:36 pm
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      Totally agree with Andy below. Not sure what prices are in US but in Europe – Slovakia in my case – the 5POA are horrible expensive 12 – 14 Eur for the base figure. I also can from time to time find some leftovers with multiPOA for about 11 Eur in a local toystore chain (recently found a Grand Moff Tarkin and E55 Cloud City dress Leia). So in my region the price remained but the quality dropped. I an my fried who also collects SW figures are not willing to spend money on this 5POA toyline. I absolutely agree that those are great for children as it easier to play with them, but they should not shut down the collectors/adults line in 3.75″ scale. I dont want to switch to their 6″ Black Series line – its too expensive and it takes more space to display. Its different to have 3 figures for 100 Eur and 10 figures for the same money. Also what totaly upsets me is that those big figures dot even have a proper stand packed with the figure which is priced at 30 Eur WTF !!!

      STARHAWK

  • March 29, 2017 at 7:32 am
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    Hasbro is the EA of action figures, Killing their industry by cutting corners is what they do best.

  • March 29, 2017 at 5:58 pm
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    and put them back on vintage look card backs!

  • March 29, 2017 at 11:24 pm
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    I wish you all luck, but there’s almost zero chance of this happening. Plastic and tooling costs have skyrocketed, and clearly the sales did not justify continuing to mass produce the hyper-articulated line. At the necessarily higher price point, the sales dropoff is immense. There’s nothing worse to toy companies than a bunch of unsold, physical inventory. See: the death of Disney Infinity.

  • March 29, 2017 at 11:59 pm
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    I’m fine with the 3.75 figures not having as much articulation because there’s a bunch of smaller scale figures that do have more articulation from other producers. My gripe right now is with the 12 inch figures because I collect a lot of the Kenner figures of that size. They’re huge, have articulation where you need it, cloth parts and other plastics to make the materials true to what that character is. What do we get now? If you’re not getting a $300+ sideshow collectable, all of the regular 12 inch figures have the same 5 points of articulation and the same exact plastic for every part. I get that they’re more expensive to make, but I think it’s a crime to not give figures THAT big more articulation at least. Toy rant over.

  • March 30, 2017 at 5:29 am
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    I’m all for this if it wouldn’t come to the detriment of 6″ figures. Hear me out. I think equal focus on different scales (like 3.75 and 12″ figures getting more love) would be great, it just seems like an industry where an improvement comes at the cost of something else being cast aside.

  • March 30, 2017 at 6:39 am
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    Those figures that are highly articulated in a 3.75″ scale are a must for collectors. It looks like the collectors got nothing but 6″ SA figures. All they have is the 3.75″ action figures less articulation and it’s mainly for kids to play with. One day Someone has to listen to collectors. I hate to see collectors get nothing at all. All collectors want are the 3,75″ action figures that are super aritculated.

  • March 30, 2017 at 9:09 pm
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    I started collecting again when Hasbro ‘devolved’ the figures, to me, especially the Rebels figures, have a more retro feel about them that sits better with vintage ‘Kenner’ figures.
    I’ve ‘devolved’ (customised) a few of the Clone Wars figures, so they sit better together too.
    I can see why people love articulation, but I’m happy with 5 points.

  • April 1, 2017 at 11:39 am
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    I never heard about this site and this is my first visit…but if you support the 3.75 “action” figure cause, im going to make this one of my regular SW sites.

  • April 6, 2017 at 1:22 am
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    Finally someone who says the truth. I miss these super detailed, or at least super-articulated figures. I still remember the time the figures started to change to the more simplistic ones we have today. It was around the time the Phantom Menace 3D came out. At first the changes were minor but noticable for the hardcore collectors, but about a year later the changes were big. Besides the articulation there was also the quality itself that took a downturn. For example the paintjob nowadays looks terible, especially on most of the rebels characters. Some people might say that this change gave Hasbro the oportunity to make more background characters, this however is not the case. We got besides the main characters many background characters in the past like Yarna d’al’ Gargan and Pablo-Jill (just to name a few). There is also the problem that most of the new figures don’t go to well with the old vehicles, you can’t change their pose to much to sit in an old cockpit for example. No matter if I bought the figure in 2010 and the vehicle in 2003 they were always able to fit. And maybe even the worst part, lightsaber battles look terible, from holding the lightsabers in any position (like Obi-Wan’s pose with his lightsaber above his head and pointing his fingers to the opponent) they went to moving the sword back and forward, it’s so boring and looks bad on display. And then there is the fact that they put unremovable helmets on characters, I was so sad when I came home with my newly bought Sabine figure to find out that she didn’t even have a face (stormtroopers okay but main characters…). And then there is the price change, in some parts of europe for example, in the past the detailed (super-articulated) figures where between €8,- and €10,- Now the figures (which have less quality) are about €12,- and €15,- That’s a huge price change. We get less for more money. Anyway I would love to see the return of the 3.75 super-articulated figures.

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