Sunday, October 24, 2021

HasLab Skystriker

I will preface with the fact that I am not a big fan of HasLab.  In general, it's a way for Hasbro to overcharge for a toy and assume absolutely minimal risk.  They take our money, sit on it for a year or more and then ship out an overpriced toy.  The upside to it is that you do get some offerings that would never be supported at retail.  But, paying $250 for an item that would sell for under $100 at a retail store is a tough pill to swallow.  The collectible toy market, though, is in a place where people are both willing and able to overspend for items that they want.  Hasbro realized this and is capitalizing on it.  I can't blame them.  I don't like it.  Yet, I'm about to drop $230 for the latest HasLab offering, the Skystriker.

2023 HasLab Skystriker, Ace



I'm not a huge Skystriker fan.  While the plane looks great, the reality is that it's large, difficult to play with and takes up a huge footprint on display.  Despite all that, it does look amazing on display.  And, this new version (to ship in 2023!!!!) is only meant as a display piece.  It includes a stand.  But, everything about it is meant not as a toy but a piece of decor for an office, rec room or other such place in a collector's home.  Again, I'm not big on that.  I love Joe because they are toys.  

For me, though, the real value is in the figures.  The initial backing includes two figures: a rehash of the 1983 Ace and an all new co-pilot figure.

2023 HasLab Skystriker, Ace, Co-Pilot



Ace figures are neither hard to find nor expensive.  So, I would have liked something on his paint apps to set him apart from the original.  But, as an homage piece, anything other than the original Ace coloring would have seemed out of place.  It's certain that these figures will be all new sculpts, likely based on the originals.  The real gem, though, is the co-pilot figure.  Not yet named, this mold is light years ahead of the new ARAH-style pieces Hasbro tried to scupt in the 2000's.  He has Ripcord's head.  So, it's tough to see him as anyone except Ripcord.  But, the chest looks pretty good.  I do not like the painted faces.  They look weird and are easy to chip and rub, even just in storage.  And, helmets, like the co-pilots, wreak havoc on painted faces.  So, I do hope that's something that changes prior to production.

Hasbro has to sell 10,000 of these for the Skystriker and the 2 figures to happen.  That is all but a certainty to happen.  Beyond that, though, Hasbro went ahead and revealed three other tiers right off the bat.  And, I will say that it's good that they did.  With just the plane and 2 figures, I would have been hesitant.  But, the possibility of 6 figures makes me all in.

The first tier figure is a flight suit Scarlett.  Coming available at 13,000 units, she is also all but guaranteed to be released.  It's an odd figure, Scarlett in Ace's flightsuit.  But, it's something different and the coloring isn't something you've really seen in the Joe line.  And, she'll be $80+ within a year of this thing's release.

2023 HasLab Skystriker, Ace, Co-Pilot, Scarlett



The next tier brings us Ripcord.  At 16,000 backers, I'd put Ripcord at about 90% certainty to happen.  This is supposed to be a "Night Force" Ripcord.  As my friend RTG said, this figure looks like an early 2000's custom figure.  But, it is Ripcord.  And, fans have been clamoring for a new Ripcord since the early 2000's.  The figure is relatively bland.  But, the parachute rig really helps him.  Not being Duke also really helps him.  And, again, this is going to be an expensive aftermarket purchase.

2023 HasLab Skystriker, Ace, Co-Pilot, Scarlett, Night Force Ripcord

2023 HasLab Skystriker, Ace, Co-Pilot, Scarlett, Night Force Ripcord



The final tier brings us the army builders of this project.  For the first time ever, Hasbro is making flight crew.  The yellow and red figures are nothing special.  But, also something that every USS Flagg owner will love.  You see the re-use of the Ripcord legs and arms.  But, they appear to have new chests and heads.  The digital renderings kind of make them look like CORPS! figures.  But, I suspect they'll be decent enough.  And, considering their role, will fit perfectly for their intended purpose.

2023 HasLab Skystriker, Ace, Co-Pilot, Scarlett, Night Force Ripcord, Flight Crew



The Skystriker also includes a re-fueling and ammo vehicle.  Again, this is a little something extra that's sure to spur rumours of a HasLab Flagg is the Skystriker does well.  The vehicles are pretty cool.  Joe has always needed a missile rack to carry around re-loads for aircraft.  And the fuel vehicle is also something that's useful outside of the deck of an aircraft carrier.  For the money, that's a nice add on.

2023 HasLab Skystriker, Ace, Co-Pilot, Scarlett, Night Force Ripcord, Flight Crew, Refueling vehicle



Below are more pictures of the Skystriker from the Hasbro promo images.  For $230, this thing is expensive.  But, it's also a reseller's dream.  The vehicles will recoup some money.  But, the figures alone are guaranteed to be at least $300 or more on the aftermarket.  And, the plane itself will sell for a premium.  That's why I think this will reach the 18,000 backers without issue.  While there aren't a ton of Joe fans, there are enough.  And, many people will buy two of these.  The resellers will pounce, too.  And, speculators know that HasLab's like this tend to appreciate pretty well.

In the end, this Skystriker was a surprise.  It's a low risk offering that's sure to find a market.  While not my choice, it's also fine and something I'm going to buy.  That's the first time I've said that about a high dollar Hasbro item in decades.  Let me know your thoughts on the Skystriker in the comments.

2023 HasLab Skystriker, Ace, Co-Pilot, Scarlett, Night Force Ripcord, Flight Crew, Refueling vehicle

2023 HasLab Skystriker, Ace, Co-Pilot, Scarlett, Night Force Ripcord, Flight Crew, Refueling vehicle

2023 HasLab Skystriker, Ace, Co-Pilot, Scarlett, Night Force Ripcord, Flight Crew, Refueling vehicle

2023 HasLab Skystriker, Ace, Co-Pilot, Scarlett, Night Force Ripcord, Flight Crew, Refueling vehicle

2023 HasLab Skystriker, Ace, Co-Pilot, Scarlett, Night Force Ripcord, Flight Crew, Refueling vehicle

2023 HasLab Skystriker, Ace, Co-Pilot, Scarlett, Night Force Ripcord, Flight Crew, Refueling vehicle


10 comments:

  1. Woah, this is actually dope. The co-pilot looks like it was supposed to be Hawk. Scarlett and Ripcord look phenom.

    Too bad a recession is about to about to hit with lots of jobs lost already. No one is going to be able to afford this.

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  2. I was all in as soon as I heard o-ring. The figures look good, and all but confirms standard Ripcord and Scarlett will be offered during the first year.

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  3. I have other priorities right now, so definitely not for me.230 dollars is not actually that bad of a price, but it's not worth it to me. The figures look way too bland to muster much interest.

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  4. That is really cool. I haven't collected vintage styled Joes for years but I'm glad they're giving the community something new. That's a nice set of figures if they reach all of their goals, too.

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  5. I backed this project and bought the SE/SS set (even though neither of them are among my favorite Joes or even molds of those two characters). I have been pondering my future in Joe collecting and no lie the morning before pulse con had made a decision to re-visit the 2000-2002 RAHC collection and the Dollar General line from the ME as my focus. Once the news that o-ring was returning that pretty much changed all my plans. I was hopeful that the Retro line when announced last year was going to be an actual retro line (much like the MOTU, Ghostbusters retro lines) rather than ME type figures. I have collected some of the retro line and enjoyed my toy hunts to find things but overall the return to o-ring is a big deal and Hasbro has given me something to focus on rather than continuously cycle through phases of collecting via the after market.

    As I got back into collecting the ARAH vintage stuff I decided that if there was a ME version of the classic vehicle I would not buy the original vehicle - so I have the 30th anniversary Sky Striker, Target Conquest, Target Rattler, Target PP Conquest. Getting a new vintage O-ring Sky Striker is something that really appeals to me though - especially since it addresses my main gripe - the Wing/Wheel mechanism working in tandem. Getting a new release of the classic Ace, his co-pilot are equally cool. In terms of figures I don't collect the 82-84 ARAH figs just because I think they are a little more fragile. So getting a brand new Ace that is a faithful representation of the original iconic Ace is pretty cool.

    I'd love for this project to hit all the goals but if it at least gets to Rip Cord I would be happy. Again, Rip Cord is a figure I really like but don't have his ARAH version. Slapping the Night Force colors on him was a nice touch. I also like the two crew members and the fuel tank/weapons cart certainly can make one think of the similar small vehicles that came with the FLAGG.

    Overall I am really optimistic and excited about this return to o-ring. An OG-13 done correctly (not the 1997 Stars and Stripes debacle) would be most welcome in my collection. Honestly, anything o-ring from the Vintage run that was released would be welcome. Once the news of the releases comes out - if we see classic figures re-released from 82-86 how that will play out on the after market with the originals. Depending how far Hasbro takes this o-ring project I can see myself parting ways with many of my iconic original ARAH figures and replacing them with the newer versions. I want to capitalize and maximize profits so I can invest that money into the new versions. Anyways I wonder if the after market will cool down once the same o-ring figures are available again at retail.

    I hope that we see a return of many collectors who left the line back in 2007 when they started with the ME builds. I also hope that ME/Classified collectors will be more positive as many of us o-ring collectors have been waiting for this news for 15 years. So far the ME collectors seem to be a mixed bag which is unfortunate. I've always felt that if Hasbro is not releasing the GI Joe scale I want I would at least be supportive/happy for those getting the things they wanted.

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  6. Honestly, if they made the figures available separately as a set, I'd get those and probably not think I missed out on the jet. The last jets I got I never took out the box. No room to display. I passed on nice Conquest and Rattler reissues in modern era for that reason. I sort of regret that but I'd never do anything with them, so...maybe not so many regrets.

    I cannot rationalize it at the moment. And I have disdain for Haslabs and the recent mentality that companies are doing us a big favor with overpriced preorders and kickstarters. The Storm Shadow and SE set is $40. For two o-ring figures? $20 for the set would make me hesitant. So bloody what they have special packaging? IT'S CARDBOARD. CARDBOARD.

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  7. I would never consider buying this. I have the 2011 Skystriker, which is a brilliant update to the original and looks beautiful on display. Yes, the pilot has the modern construction, but you don't notice that when he's in the cockpit. I just don't see the point of this new release.

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  8. I kinda want these figures but don't need the SkyStriker. I bought some of the reissue planes (Conquest, Rattler) and just ended up selling them. As much as I like GI Joe, I just don't want store or display big vehicles.

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  9. Totally with you about the vehicles. As cool as the skystriker is i am at the point with joe where i just don't have any desire to have or display the playsets.

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  10. I share similar sentiments as Anonymous in regards to Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow. Honestly, I didn't start with GI Joe until 1989 so by then, the Skystriker was not something that I coveted having. Over the years, I ended up with couple of them and never really cared for it. When I saw this haslab offering on a toysite, I immediately lost interest thinking that this was just another re-release of the same vehicle. It wasn't until I started looking at it again that I realized that it was not the same jet, it had room in the cockpit for two figures and a stand for the jet. I hope we get the stretch goal for Ripcord, that is the one figure I would love to have, the other extras, Scarlett & Pit crew don't do anything for me. O-ring Joes are where it is at for me, I just hope this haslab offering is a success. I would love to see other offerings in the future.

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