The Target in Brick, NJ has had the punch-in, whether or not there is more in the stock-room type price scanners for over a year now - so it's not one of those cases where they just put new price scanners in.

Perhaps the computers were just acting screwing as a side-effect of pending reset.

This is the same Target where they have over-run their Star Wars aisle with all manner of crap simply because they don't have the SW stock to fill the aisle.

You know - Hasbro PAY$ to have a "feature aisle" like that, Target just doesn't GIVE them one. Granted some of that "pay" may be in the form cheaper cost to Target for exclusives, more exclusives, etc.... nevertheless, Hasbro still gave Target "something" to have that aisle through August.

Now since Hasbro can't get the stock to the stores fast enough, they've filled the aisle with toys from all of Hasbro's competitors.

Good job Hasbro!!!

 

I was in the Brick, NJ Target store - which is still as baren as the wastes of Tatooine and I thought I would check the price scanner for items and NONE of the numbers we have work anymore.

Are they re-assigning the toys new numbers or is this phenomenon just local to me here in NJ?

Yeah - this version makes MUCH more sense than the Carrying Case version.

Now I'm excited to see this figure on an TSC Card!

Wow, this is an idiotic idea. Good job Big H.

Quote

Why is Hasbro combining our beloved Star Wars brand with red-neck entertainment?

WalMart Dude: Yeah, I guess. The bike replicas sell pretty good in our southern state stores.

Insinuating something Pete? 

Only that certain things seem to sell better in certain areas of the country than others. If you look at WalMart for example, up here in NJ, they are sitting on MOUNTAINS of that American Chopper crap.

Down where my step-daughter lives in SC, they can't keep it in stock.

So yeah, I was kinda being mean in my generalization, but I was really trying to make light of the fact that it boggles my mind what market research is Hasbro looking at that's telling them that "choppers" is a big seller across the boards in this country?

Here's my biggest problem:

Making Choppers, Titanium Forged Figures, Force Battlers, Transformers and Unleashed Battle Packs - all require the creation of BRAND NEW tooling and money pumped into the manufacturing process, packaging design, marketing, etc... just so they can have something "different"

Regardless of whether or not Hasbro admits it, the economics is simple. Instead of taking the money you spend on tooling up stupid f**king choppers, make the necessary molds for a Sith Infiltrator, AT-TE, Turbo Tank, modify the Ewok Village, the Cloud Car, new Snowspeeder sculpt, etc.. ANYTHING to add to the PLAY VALUE of your already existing 3.75" toy line!!! The biggest problem I see with the figures today is that the lack of vehicles, pre-posed action stances and spring-powered action features RESTRICT the play-pattern that can exist with the toy line. Give a kid a nice sturdy, poseable Luke Skywalker a small vehicle that is star wars-like that his mom or dad can pick up for $10 - $15, allow him and his parents to find a bunch of "bad guys" and you've got a winner of a toy line.

Just this morning I saw a mom and two boys in the pathetic excuse for the Star Wars aisle at the Manahawkin, NJ WalMart. Here was their Star Wars purchase options: Silly String Blasters or 1 Unleashed Aayla Secura.

That's it. No figures, no vehicles, no lightsabers, not even the Mustafar playset - NOTHING. I could tell the mom wasn't too thrilled with the idea of a silly string blaster either. Parents look at a toy like that and say to themselves "I don't want to clean up that f**king mess" and they leave it on the shelves. To see WalMart getting in like 10 cases of these things is a JOKE.

Whatever high Hasbro may be riding right now due to Q2 earnings is going to come CRASHING down on them for three reasons:

1) Star Wars is still hot, yet there is no new product on the shelves
2) Transformers Cybertron has just debuted but I don't think the show is starting until September on Cartoon Network - that leaves only one month of the quarter for kids to have seen the show and want to buy product
3) The 3.75" GI Joe line languishes on the shelves and will soon be all returned for merchandiser credit and the Sigma Six line will debut this fall and become the SHORTEST LIVED Joe line in history.

By the end of the fiscal year, Hasbro is going to be so far down in profits the stock isn't going to be worth **** and thankfully this year, they can't make Star Wars the whipping boy excuse.

To go off on a tangent for a second, I remember when you could turn on TLC and you know, actually learn something.  Now it's all "West Coast Celebrity Poker Showdown with Angry Biker Bounty Hunter Bob Vila on an Airplane" or something.   

You know - my son put on Mythbusters tonight 'cause they're doing the Shark Week myth busting and during the program there was a commercial with Lance Armstrong and he's returning to his hotel room and he can see sparks flying from underneath the door - when he opens the door he sees the three retards from "American Chopper" have modified his Tour de France bicycle into some redneck piece of trash and the fat son goes "ta-dah!" Lance is obviously playing along, but he has this look on his face like "retards".

It's like TLC KNOWS they're accomodating the lowest-common-denominator with this kind of programming, they embrace it and they, right-in-your-face make fun of it.

*sad*

So wait, Hasbro is "nervous" about putting out a full case of clones because they think they'll clog shelves, then they green light this ****?

Right - but remember, Darryl DeRetard can go to the main toy buyer for WalMart down in Arkansas and have this conversation...

DD: Ok - so I'm going to tell you about the EXCITING Star Wars products we're working on. Tell me, what's "Hot" right now

WalMart Dude: Poker, Texas Hold 'Em

DD: Err... ok what about the "chopper" craze - like Orange County and West Coast Choppers

WalMart Dude: Yeah, I guess. The bike replicas sell pretty good in our southern state stores. By the way I'm not sure I like where this is going, you told me one of those SW figures was going to be a cross between a chopper and a droid - and that darn thing looks nothin' like a motorcycle!

DD: Right, but our market research of old women in trailer parks turned up this startling fact! If you combine Star Wars and Choppers, and by this we mean REAL Choppers, you can corner that lucrative market of both Star Wars AND OCC/WCC collectors. Just think about it!

WalMart Dude: So, these choppers are going to have Star Wars artwork on them?

DD: Better! They are going to look like they are choppers from the Star Wars universe and Star Wars figure will ride them into battle!

WalMart Dude: I'll admit, I'm not so smart, so I steer clear of those dem Star Wars movies 'cause the plot is so hard to follow, but I do remember them having vehicles, but they all seemed to float, none of them had wheels

DD: Well, true, but we're saying "What if?"

WalMart Dude: Ok fair enough. And I'll be wondering "What if" these don't sell? Can I return them to Hasbro for manufacturer's credit whatever doesn't sell over the Christmas season?

DD: Sure, I guess, but we think this line will be hot!

WalMart Dude: Sure, whatever, just ship 'em and we'll be shipping 'em back come January. Shelves are lookin' kinda bare right now anyway. Hey - what happened to that 3.75" figure line you used to do? My distribution hubs aren't getting any of that stuff in - I thought I placed orders on that product through 2008.

DD: We're trying some new ideas. When I was in charge of GI Joe, I revitalized that brand by bringing back the 3.75" figure line. Now I hope to do the same with Star Wars by using the "Spray and Pray" methodology of product development. We have 20 new distinct lines under development right now - those nerds who collect this **** can't possibly collect it all, so whatever "sticks", we'll keep making it!

WalMart Dude: Good plan 

DD: Thanks! Hey, did you roll your eyes at me?

WalMart Dude: Uh... Nope  whatever gave you that idea

DD: There, you did it again!

WalMart Dude: Ok - well, I have to go meet with the guy from Matel, I'm sure you can show yourself out.

DD: Wait, I'm not done! I didn't even get to tell you about the Titanium Forged Figures!

WalMart Dude:  Oh, you're done. Please leave. WalMart security leaves marks. That's not a warning, I'm just letting you know.

Here's the thing - look at the story....

Hasbro has plans for a new line of Star Wars Choppers, and we've gotten word on three vehicles in the planning stages right now:

Darth Vader's Imperial Chopper
Luke Skywalker's Rebel Chopper
Boba Fett's Bounty Choppper

Imagine your favorite Star Wars characters with weapons drawn racing into battle on top of motorcycles. Yeah, that's right.

The part that worries me is Imagine your favorite Star Wars characters with weapons drawn racing into battle on top of motorcycles - first off - NO, I DON'T WANT TO IMAGINE THAT.

Second - that to me means they will be putting figures on top of these things.

Third - to Jeff's point which is an extension of the point many of us have made on the Future of SW Collecting thread - WHY IS HASBRO WASTING TIME TOOLING UP THIS CRAP!?!?!

I completely missed this 

If any kind soul has an extra from SDCC that they wouldn't mind selling me, I would be very appreciative.