1/6 Hot Toys - TMS130 - The Bad Batch: Clone Commander Scorch

[Ramatuelle]

Test marketing? Did not Commando 1 reveal how much interest there was? 1000 figures and a queue of 40,000 fans? It sure felt like 40,000 people.

So they doubled down, did it again.

 

[Pose Mastery]

Yep because if they go all put with new tooling with a full size production it’s not going to sell, like Hunter and Echo. Whereas limited repaints do sell because of fomo. HT will keep iterating the popular characters with updated releases. Since they are just starting to make commandos my instinct is they will iterate the design. When the tooling is all new they will do a wide release to recoup cost.

 

[chrisstbh]

Yep because if they go all put with new tooling with a full size production it’s not going to sell, like Hunter and Echo. Whereas limited repaints do sell because of fomo. HT will keep iterating the popular characters with updated releases. Since they are just starting to make commandos my instinct is they will iterate the design. When the tooling is all new they will do a wide release to recoup cost.

Then they truly don't understand their own market if they don't think that Clone Commandos will sell.

 

[Pose Mastery]

Then they truly don't understand their own market if they don't think that Clone Commandos will sell.

No one knows the market, why won’t Rex, Mandalorians, or Snowspeeder Luke sell? the video game versions of Commandos are niche. They are even less well known. I would like one but I bet most people buying them will not know their origins.

 

[chrisstbh]

No one knows the market, why won’t Rex, Mandalorians, or Snowspeeder Luke sell? the video game versions of Commandos are niche. They are even less well known. I would like one but I bet most people buying them will not know their origins.

They do sell, they just overproduced them. We don't know how many they made.

But 3000 of a Clone is not enough, we already know this.

 

[Ramatuelle]

Yep because if they go all put with new tooling with a full size production it’s not going to sell, like Hunter and Echo. Whereas limited repaints do sell because of fomo. HT will keep iterating the popular characters with updated releases. Since they are just starting to make commandos my instinct is they will iterate the design. When the tooling is all new they will do a wide release to recoup cost.

Interesting theory, which I dont believe one bit.... But interesting.

Since "The Eternals" stuff did not sell, are they no longer going to make superheros?

 

[Wor-Gar]

why is he called 'Scorch'?

 

[chrisstbh]

why is he called 'Scorch'?

He likes to make things go boom. Demolitionist.

 

[rayeknor]

I don't see the problem? There is 500 units more of this one then the previous commando exclusive available worldwide! 500!

 

[SOU7567]

Yep because if they go all put with new tooling with a full size production it’s not going to sell, like Hunter and Echo. Whereas limited repaints do sell because of fomo. HT will keep iterating the popular characters with updated releases. Since they are just starting to make commandos my instinct is they will iterate the design. When the tooling is all new they will do a wide release to recoup cost.

This isn't really correct, Hunter and Echo were part of that last group of figures that were overproduced, during the COVID era. When/if a Commando becomes a general release, it won't sit around like those figures or like Snowspeeder Luke, Rex, Jango, and all those 2020/2021/early2022 figures.

It'd be more like Crosshair (who was actually under-produced), Wrecker and most of the SW releases from the past year or two who sit around for a short time or not at all. A lot of us were surprised has scarce the B1 Battle Droids and regular White Clones became when they were released last year.

 

[Pose Mastery]

This isn't really correct, Hunter and Echo were part of that last group of figures that were overproduced, during the COVID era. When/if a Commando becomes a general release, it won't sit around like those figures or like Snowspeeder Luke, Rex, Jango, and all those 2020/2021/early2022 figures.

It'd be more like Crosshair (who was actually under-produced), Wrecker and most of the SW releases from the past year or two who sit around for a short time or not at all. A lot of us were surprised has scarce the B1 Battle Droids and regular White Clones became when they were released last year.

I had a conversation about the overstock of HT figures with one of the guys who runs AgesThreeAndUp. HT started making less quantities in excess after SS ordered a lot of figures that still sit around like the ones mentioned. They overestimated the demand and people cancelled their orders.

HT is suppose to be made to order. The B1 and white clone were open for pre orders all the way up ‘til few months before release. I’m sure those who PO’ed those and Crosshair got them. Smaller batches just meant less demand at the time for said figures.

 

[jaztermareal]

I had a conversation about the overstock of HT figures with one of the guys who runs AgesThreeAndUp. HT started making less quantities in excess after SS ordered a lot of figures that still sit around like the ones mentioned. They overestimated the demand and people cancelled their orders.

HT is suppose to be made to order. The B1 and white clone were open for pre orders all the way up ‘til few months before release. I’m sure those who PO’ed those and Crosshair got them. Smaller batches just meant less demand at the time for said figures.

Smaller batches means less excess product made. Normally would be pre-order number plus certain percentage extra. During Covid not only did retailers order extra anticipating high demand but HT produced extra on top of PO number to meet expected excess demand that didn't happen. Now they are producing quantities closer to the pre order numbers, very little if any excess stock.

A big shift has been the drop in demand in mainland China. A dozen or so stores in just one northern City I visit often that used to carry many HT figures are now long gone, and now pop-marts, Top-toy, 52toys and other stores are everywhere with lego style kits, vinyl toys, super deformed figures and the like being the new bread and butter of collectibles here. Many HT collectors moved on to different things.

General HT releases will not sit around with this current state of affairs with lowered production numbers unless a character is deeply unpopular. There is no need to make figures exclusive to sell the stock, general releases of troopers etc will sell through now, what this is about is reclaiming the reputation of being limited, high end collectibles. In Art is stealing customers and threatens to take HT customers away as they become the new king of high end. HT needs to build back the reputation and make collectors buy every release out of fomo, fearing that if they don't prices will skyrocket on secondary market. Once buyers are conditioned to order everything again they will up the production quantities gradually as they did before until the next bubble pops.


Edit: another factor leading up to the bubble bursting was minimum order quantities. One store owner in nothern china mentioned how in the 2020-2021 era they could not order one or two of a figure, they had to order sometimes 10 units. With all the stores carrying so much stock once demand dropped (due to pandemic finances, MCU burnout etc) stores were left sitting on unsold stock that they could not shift and were in debt from purchasing. The sudden shift in demand meant they were sent into a discount arms race trying to clear their stock, selling at loss just to be the best deal so they could actually shift their stock and recoup some of the cost.


Lower-mid end collectibles like Lego, Gunpla, vinyl figures etc seem to still be doing fine but for the high end many stopped buying or shifted to different brands (Inart etc) or types of collectible (statues, high end model kits yadda yadda).

 

[The Glorious League Freak]

Disappointed they didn't fix the body proportions.

Now Im considering if you buy these commandos and just do a body swap. Im not sure how well it would work because obviously the armour is made for the smaller body, but it might be worth a shot.

 

[jaztermareal]

Disappointed they didn't fix the body proportions.

Now Im considering if you buy these commandos and just do a body swap. Im not sure how well it would work because obviously the armour is made for the smaller body, but it might be worth a shot.

Wont work as armour is too tight. Need to just 3D print a better set of armour (budget3dworks, skylu3d etc) or buy a custom (IIRC floydcustoms)

 

[Tee-Kay]

If anyone want to give it a shot. OSK opened PO for Scorch (and other summer exclusives). It is to be noted that they are not 100% garanteed and deposit will be refunded if Kit isn't able to fulfill (all) orders.

 

[The Glorious League Freak]

Wont work as armour is too tight. Need to just 3D print a better set of armour (budget3dworks, skylu3d etc) or buy a custom (IIRC floydcustoms)

I built a RC myself using 3D printed parts and from memory a Mandalorian body. It came out alright but it would have been cool to just be able to buy the finished product from Hot Toys.

 

[Raνen]

why is he called 'Scorch'?

He always has a sick burn quip before he executes someone

 

[WhoaItsJBot]

I've wanted Delta Squad figures for years, Scorch in particular. Makes sense that when one finally happens, Hot Toys half asses it like always. Scorch from a different media, without even his grenade attachment. Not to mention the "Commander". They're making figures they don't even know about.

Unfortunately I still want one.

 

[chrisstbh]

I've wanted Republic Commando figures for years, Scorch in particular. Makes sense that when one finally happens, Hot Toys half asses it like always.

Hot Toys and half assed inaccurate Clones... name a more iconic duo...

Scorch from a different media, without even his grenade attachment. Not to mention the "Commander". They're making figures they don't even know about.

To be fair, he is a Commander in The Bad Batch.

 

[DarkChocobi]

I've wanted Delta Squad figures for years, Scorch in particular. Makes sense that when one finally happens, Hot Toys half asses it like always. Scorch from a different media, without even his grenade attachment. Not to mention the "Commander". They're making figures they don't even know about.

Unfortunately I still want one.

you're clearly taking out of your @ss. This Scorch is from the Bad Batch animated series. Not a Republic Commando from Delta Squad video game.