Toymaker Hasbro, through its crowdfunding platform HasLab, announced a new product today. It’s a 32-inch tall action figure of Galactus, destroyer of planets. The scheme works because if HasLabs gets enough people to commit $399.99 to the project, they will produce the toy and deliver it to each backer. If not enough people commit to it, the toy does not get made, and the people who backed it get a refund.
Here are the specs of the action figure:
- 32-inch (812.8 mm) Galactus figure
- +300 pieces and +70 points of articulation!
- 20 points of articulation in each hand!
- LEDs in the head and chest (4x AAA batteries required, not included)
- 3 swappable face-plate accessories for alternate expression
- Marvel Insider Points Redemption code (70,000 points per purchase, limit 2 code redemptions per account) & all three digital comics issues of the Galactus Trilogy (Fantastic Four #48-50, Lee/Kirby, 1966) to read in the Marvel Comics app (available in iOS and Android). Open only to US residents 18+.
Over 300 pieces. I feel sorry for the Vietnamese children who have to put these things together.
HasLab is taking orders beginning today until August 31. If they get enough backers (they will), the action figures will begin going out to backers Fall of 2022.
Much like how the comic book version of Galactus destroys planets, I have to imagine this toy will destroy a marriage or two. I have to think when your significant other takes a look at the credit card bill and asks what a HASLAB is, and you try to explain why you thought it was a good idea to spend $399.99 on an action figure, it’s going to lead to an argument. All things being equal, you hope it would lead to an argument, right?
One of the benefits of my marriage is my wife talks me down any time I want to spend a lot of money on something foolish. I would return the favor, but I cannot remember her ever wanting to spend a lot of money on something stupid. In our marriage, that’s my department.
Update
I think I was too harsh with my original assessment. Who am I to judge what people do with their stimulus money? Also, at $399.99, that works out to be twenty (20) of the normal-sized Marvel Legends action figures. I could see someone spending $20 on a Marvel Legends action figure every two weeks or so. I wouldn’t necessarily label that as being financially irresponsible. Over the course of a year, the person buying a Marvel Legends action figure every two weeks ($520 over the course of a year) would spend more than a person who paid $399.99 for this Galactus figure.
I guess it all depends on how you look at it.