Author Topic: ...More than they can chew?  (Read 4023 times)

Offline Muftak

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...More than they can chew?
« on: June 14, 2003, 11:30 PM »
Do you think Hasbro made a grave error in slating nearly fifty "new" figures (counting reissues) for release in this non-movie year?

Last year, a movie year, we had about sixty figures (including the POTJ that kicked off the year,) and we were swimming in summer figures by the time Christmas rolled around. Why in the world would Hasbro repeat the same mistake?--compounded this year by the fact that nothing much has hit the shelves yet due to last year's leftovers.

These numbers still blow my mind. Fifty figures this year? What were they thinking? Most folks have barely seen the first twelve or so '03 figs show up in stores near them. Contrast that to last year at this time, when the first 35 Saga figures were pretty readily available across the US. (And remember, that was the second month of Saga's life.)

Do you think Hasbro has bitten off more than they (or us, or retailers) can chew?

Offline Mandalorian Madman

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Re: ...More than they can chew?
« Reply #1 on: June 14, 2003, 11:37 PM »
50 sounds like a lot. seems kind of crazy greedy but I guess sheer numbers translate to big money which is fine but I would rather see quality figures everytime I go in a store, not 20 taun we and bespin securtiy gaurd.  maybe they and retailers have the supply (or distribution or whatever it was) problem nailed down. spacing I think would be important as far as reease so they don't flood the aisles and figures don't get overlooked (ha ha yah right). but the way it seems to me 50 next year means we see 10 and then the other 40 over the next two years. maybe I'm just jaded but I hope they are able to do it.
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Offline Dressel Rebel

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Re: ...More than they can chew?
« Reply #2 on: June 14, 2003, 11:43 PM »
but the way it seems to me 50 next year means we see 10 and then the other 40 over the next two years. maybe I'm just jaded but I hope they are able to do it.

The way this year is shaping up, there's virtually nothing on pegs and it's mid-June, and I'm not terribly optimistic that I'm going to walk into a retail store and see new stuff anytime soon either.

There is literally no retail store I can go to and buy an '03 SW fig right now, or for the past 6 months.

I haven't even see the Tusken Raider yet, the library droids, the new RFT, the the Imperial Officer, Bariss, Aayla, Lama Su....

None of it.  Zero.  Nada.  Zilch.  Not a single one.
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Offline Ben

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Re: ...More than they can chew?
« Reply #3 on: June 14, 2003, 11:54 PM »
I've noticed, if it's on a 2003 card, no matter what it is, it doesn't last long. R2 and Mace, supposed collector stinkers, disappear in 1-2 days, and it takes weeks before anything else remotely new arrives on pegs. What's the dillio? Are these not in distributor's warehouses or what? I find it hard to believe they get cases that infrequently and pegs sit empty most of the time, at least around here.
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Offline Darby

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Re: ...More than they can chew?
« Reply #4 on: June 15, 2003, 12:28 AM »
I think they know the collector base will asorb that many figures a year, but that means you have to get them out in a regular fashion.  Like everyone else mentioned, it's June, there's nothing doing.  There's either going to be a massive glut of backlogged 2003 stuff about to hit (further delaying current and future releases) or we're just never going to see it.  

obi_robz

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Re: ...More than they can chew?
« Reply #5 on: June 15, 2003, 06:24 AM »
As much as I used to envy American collectors for the availability and cheap prices of figures, over the last six months the situation seems to have been really bad for you.

Although Hasbro UK has brought over all 60 or so 2002 figures, and is supplying the full range again this year, there has been no slow down in the availability of the ’03 stuff because our stores (who generally charge only slightly more than TRU) order solid cases. This means less peg-warmers and all the new stuff as soon as it’s released.

So the huge number of different figures released doesn’t affect me too much. I could walk into my local sci-fi store this afternoon and find most of last year’s line, but only one or two of each, because the store ordered fewer of those (solid) cases in the first place. But also there would be every 2003 figure from Padme DFC to the Padawan 2-packs.

I just don’t get why all the huge US retail stores can’t order solid cases instead of assortments which maybe only contain 3 or 4 saleable figures. Then it wouldn’t matter so much then how many different figures were released. Stores could buy a case of 12 of each figure in each new wave, and then just re-order the figures that sell.

Sorry for the rant, but I just don’t get what’s going on over in your country anymore.
« Last Edit: June 15, 2003, 06:27 AM by obi_robz »

Offline Muftak

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Re: ...More than they can chew?
« Reply #6 on: June 15, 2003, 09:10 AM »
Nope, no solid cases in the US, and what really burns us is the fact that most new "waves" have only one or two new figures in them, with the rest being previous releases.

POTJ's biggest figure year (2001) saw about 35 new figures released. Things were slightly bumpy then availability-wise (as it has to be in non-movie years), but what really helped out was the fact that each wave featured four brand-new figures. The classic POTJ pegwarmers (Bespin Guard, Duros, Ketwol) were the result of them being carried over for a second wave.

In all honesty, I look to really see 2003 product start hitting in fall 2004, much the same way the tail end of Episode I/POTF2 hit at clearance prices at the end of 2000. There is just too much '02 backlog in the warehouses.

Offline Nicklab

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Re: ...More than they can chew?
« Reply #7 on: June 15, 2003, 09:22 AM »
I think we're only going to see about 40 or so Basic Figures this year.  My list appears to be right around there.  I don't think we're going to break fifty.
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Offline Darth Kenobi

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Re: ...More than they can chew?
« Reply #8 on: June 15, 2003, 10:53 AM »
I have started to see the remains oof 03 cases at Target stores here in SoCal.  I think that soon we will start seeing more cases of 03 figures soon.  As far as having fifty figures this year I think its a risk for htem but if they make money off of them then it was a good risk for them to take.  If they don't make money or think they won't ake money then they will propbally make less figures this year or next year.  

Offline CHEWIE

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Re: ...More than they can chew?
« Reply #9 on: June 15, 2003, 04:21 PM »
Every Target and many Walmarts in the St. Louis area are primed for a lot of new figures.  Their pegs are virtually empty.  Even a couple of TRU's are nearly out of SW figures.  The space is still there, but the product is lacking.

I think that a lot of stuff is going to start surfacing soon, or at least I hope.  Even though I get most of my new stuff online now (which is because of Hasbro's inability to get the stuff out at retail on time), I still buy a lot at retail if it's available; army-builders, custom fodder, etc.

All I have to really say is that I am thankful that the opportunity is here to get stuff online.  This waiting for retail crap sucks.

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Offline Jedirhino

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Re: ...More than they can chew?
« Reply #10 on: June 16, 2003, 01:28 PM »
I think that we pretty much know what is in store for the rest of the year...Toy conventions come later this summer and fall will show the late 03 and new for 04...look for a slowing down just before Christmas time like last year...

Offline Darth Broem

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Re: ...More than they can chew?
« Reply #11 on: June 16, 2003, 04:59 PM »
Perhaps Hasbro should have had a bigger show at Toy Fair afterall?  

Offline Brian

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Re: ...More than they can chew?
« Reply #12 on: June 16, 2003, 05:16 PM »
Although I'm always a fan of seeing new figures come out, I thought fifty new ones seemed a little bit high too.  I am concerned (as many others have stated), with the distribution though.  It is nearing July, and there have been no 2003 (or the late 2002) figures in my area at all.  Thanks goodness for online ordering, but if Hasbro, the stores themselves, or wherever the problem may lie don't get this figured out soon, it could really start hurting the line.  Out with the old, in with the new!  Hopefully things will improve once Clone Wars is released, the line seperates, and everything has new cardbacks, maybe the stores can differentiate between the old and new a little bit better then :).