Marketing direction?
Grab as much as cash in each quota
Dude It's warzone out there.
Hot toys pouring out new items like there is no tomorrow. Prime1 is also announcing new statues every week! Not to mention sideshow releasing items now and then.
Collectors have limited cash as you mentioned. Only way to win them is make something more attractive and fast! to get customers orders before other companies do.
They are doing darn fine job, if you ask me.
well, you forgot the part some folks collect stuffs based on line up. for those that ordered VF-1J cockpit, they might have had interest on continuing the line up, if they came later, how late? like after they finished paying up the VF-1J and eagerly awaits for the next product in the line up?
by announcing multiple products of same lineup even before the VF-1J is released, most collectors will probably stop at VF-1J, mainly due to money & space issue, and the fact they are forced to make a decision which they probably skip as they already have VF-1J on order. the SDF-1 might be exception but i can't imagine half the folks whom bought the VF-1J hikaru will preorder the max within such short period of time. many probably want to see how VF-1J turns up before deciding to commit to the whole line up.
if it were Figma or SHF or Neca or even He-Man which are affordable to most people, announcing multiple figures or whole line up all at once would help gain buyers into committing to full lineup as they would have no issues placing orders on them due to cost & space.
dude saying it like those that announce their products next year will make 0 sales because everyone already spent their cash on this year's purchase. look at sideshow 10 years back, they were the premium in 1/6, look at them now, people still buying 1/6 figures, just not that much on sideshow because better products coming out from other companies.
Robotech itself is a good example. Last time it was Bandai, then came Yamato & Toynami, now it's Arcardia, Bandai & Kids Logic & Toynami, people still buying them.