Apr16th

McFarlane Changes Packaging, Chase Figures

By Adam McFarland | Posted at 12:03 pm | Filed Under McFarlane

McFarlane made an announcement the other day that they will be changing their packaging (again), this time to better showcase the figures.

This new format will give our designers more freedom to create new and unique sports poses without size limitations. For example, a pitcher can be fully extended in a pitch follow-through, or a receiver can be diving for a football with arms fully extended - without the worry imposed by previous size restrictions.

In the past, we have had to “cut” some figures to fit in the packaging, thus requiring some assembly before displaying. Now, collectors who prefer to leave their figures in packaging will have an improved, more inclusive display.

Here are the two prototypes they unveiled:

New McFarlane Sports Packaging

This is a GREAT move in my opinion. One of the great advantages (probably the only one) of Starting Lineups over McFarlane’s is that they displayed much, much better. Now McFarlane is wising up and realizing that most people don’t open the packaging and want something that doesn’t look like a torso and collection of limbs.

Now, the other announcement (that’s buried a bit in the article) is that they are changing the way they release chase figures.

A “chase” is an alternate version of the advertised figure, usually involving a different paint scheme. These chase figures are mixed randomly into our casepacks - and are sought by collectors for their rarity and additional value on the secondary market.

In the last few years, we’ve been making chase figures for about half the figures in a typical Sports Picks lineup. Starting with July’s NFL Legends 4 lineup, every new figure will have a chase version, but the rare versions will be more subtle - less likely to get picked off the shelf except by the informed collector who knows what he’s looking for.

Our traditional-style chase figures (alternate jerseys, throwback uniforms) will be added to future lineups, as a way to expand our series depth (from six to eight or nine players) while offering collectors the opportunity to purchase a figure they might have had trouble locating under the previous guidelines.

For example, the Joe Montana figure in this July’s NFL Legends 4 will be released in a red San Francisco 49ers jersey, with the chase figure featuring a tweak of that jersey. A re-painted Kansas City Chiefs version of the Joe Montana figure is scheduled as an additional figure to ship with our NFL Legends 5 series in the summer of 2009. By making the Chiefs figure available as part of next year’s lineup (rather than the chase version in this year’s line) we will make that figure available to more collectors, and also be able to ship solid-packed cases to stores that sell Chiefs merchandise strongly.

Eh. I personally don’t like it. Yes, it makes every figure available to everyone…but wasn’t part of the fun with the Tom Brady snow figure or Marshall Faulk Colts figure that you couldn’t find it in stores? I think this move will take a lot of fun out of the collecting for the hard core McFarlane sports collector.

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Comments

4 Responses to “McFarlane Changes Packaging, Chase Figures”

Jacob on April 19th, 2008 1:57 am

I really don’t understand what they are doing with the chase figures. They are making the changes more “subtle” (less exciting)? I just don’t understand the reason for the change. If you can find the figures in your local wal-mart they shouldn’t really be called chase figures any more.
Adam McFarland on April 19th, 2008 8:28 am

I agree Jacob - essentially they are doing away with the ‘chase’ figure as we know it and just producing variations of figures with different colors…all readily available.
Steve on July 3rd, 2008 9:10 pm

I heard an interview with Todd McFarlane about a year or so ago on the radio where he talked specifically about the Snow Brady. He said there were around 100 of those released. That can’t be right can it?? I mean there are times where I don’t see any listed on E-Bay and then all of a sudden two are listed. Adam, can you shed any insight on this…..
Adam McFarland on July 3rd, 2008 11:50 pm

Steve - I believe I heard that same interview and that was the only time I heard a number cited. It’s hard to tell - like you said there are times when there are several listed on eBay so it seems like 100 is waaaay to small of a number (I believe I see one listed right now).

Anyone else have any light they can shed?

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McFarlane Changes Packaging, Chase Figures

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