JoeDeclassified.com

Seems I recall hearing Hasbro likes having the brand being prevalent in the minds of the consumer leading up to movie releases. Think about it, why would you want the people to find out about GI Joe during the movie line? Typically they'd find out about it somewhere in the middle of the line, but if the consumer finds out about the brand before the movie line hits, there's a better chance they'll be there buying up product from the start of the movie line.

Well, I think if Hasbro was going to invest in a larger sized vehicle they want to be sure they get something worthwhile out of it. Something that would not only spark sales, but also get collectors talking and be a big talking point. They probably figure if they're going to get anything sparked, they want to do something iconic that will appeal to all crowds. The Skystriker is that.

Not only that, but they get more mileage out of the tooling with the SDCC Exclusive re-deco, and the potential for the Night Boomer or other deco's as well. It's an expense that will absolutely get the best return of their investment.

Keep in mind, too, that while the Skystriker is large, there aren't a ton of separate parts. I see so many fans lament the fact that we're not getting a WHALE... well, the WHALE is a whole different animal in comparison to the Skystriker. There are so many different uniquely tooled parts involved with the WHALE, while the Skystriker is a fairly solid piece of tooling. Plus, there are very few vehicles in the Joe line as iconic as the Joe plane.

The Skystriker isn't too far out of line, price-wise... weren't all those Target-exclusive Rattlers and Conquests originally $25 just a couple of years ago?

No, I think RoC threw prices for a loop. There needed to be a piece of the pie that was big enough for the movie studio to get its cut, and rather than cut into its own part down any further, Hasbro added to the bottom line like any business would. This is why Star Wars toys have traditionally (i.e., until RoC) been more expensive than G.I. Joe toys.

I am completely floored by how incredible this is going to be.

As always, huge thanks for sharing with us. I know you've got some gems in your collection, but this one nearly outshines them all.

I agree with this. I remember we all had sticker shock when the RoC stuff hit and everything was significantly higher priced. Whatever their reasons were for that, it was overpriced. Had it been priced better, I know it would have sold better. But $8-9 for a crappy figure? Pass.

This is a good point. Even though stuff like the Rattler and Conquest looked nearly identical to their vintage counterparts, there was a pretty significant amount of new tooling in each. Granted, probably not to the level of the Skystriker, but it certainly was there.

Then yes, probably to compensate for licensing costs, increased production, etc... the RoC prices jumped, and the combination of higher prices, market flooding, and poor sell through just totally flipped on Hasbro and the retailers, and we're still dealing with that fallout today. We will be continuing to deal with that fallout right up until the sequel comes out, I have no doubts.

In Hasbro's defense, too, at least the extra money that's being earned on non-RoC merchandise is probably paying off a load of new tooling for the last year's worth of figures. They could've just thrown that cash in the bank and told us to be happy with another 25A Duke repaint.