Author Topic: Recent Clone Wars Finds/Purchases  (Read 335956 times)

Offline Greg

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Re: Recent Clone Wars Finds/Purchases
« Reply #270 on: March 28, 2010, 10:52 AM »
I picked up an AAT vehicle today. Target has the $25 vehicle assortment on sale for $17 this week.

Offline Darby

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Re: Recent Clone Wars Finds/Purchases
« Reply #271 on: March 28, 2010, 01:52 PM »
Hmm... I might dabble a bit.  I kind of like the little Snail Tank thing (not sure the real name for it.)

Offline Pete_Fett

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Re: Recent Clone Wars Finds/Purchases
« Reply #272 on: April 2, 2010, 12:48 AM »
File this one under a "Lousy Find"....

I went to a nearby WalMart tonight and they were stocking the shelves.

There were about seven toy pallets being worked and three of them heavily contained Hasbro action figure cases.

There was a healthy amount of Iron Man 2, Marvel Universe, Transformers and GI Joe. There were also twelve cases of Clone Wars figures.

Now, I've seen reports from some of you in the last few weeks of walking into a WalMart and seeing a lot of the most recent wave (Snowgear Obi-Wan, Firefighter Droid, Magnaguard, etc...) - I hoped I had stumbled upon the same thing.

Unfortunately all twelve cases were 2009 Wave 4 - which was actually the second Red/White wave of Clone Wars figures that was released back in August of 2009.

You read that right - twelve cases of the Whorm Loathsom/Soft Goods Yoda/Admiral Yularen/Commando Droid/etc... wave

Figures that to this day, you can pretty much find ANYWHERE if you look around...

I guess I won't be checking back at this WalMart anytime soon....   >:(
Peter

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Offline McMetal

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Re: Recent Clone Wars Finds/Purchases
« Reply #273 on: April 2, 2010, 11:51 AM »
File this one under a "Lousy Find"....

I went to a nearby WalMart tonight and they were stocking the shelves.

There were about seven toy pallets being worked and three of them heavily contained Hasbro action figure cases.

There was a healthy amount of Iron Man 2, Marvel Universe, Transformers and GI Joe. There were also twelve cases of Clone Wars figures.

Now, I've seen reports from some of you in the last few weeks of walking into a WalMart and seeing a lot of the most recent wave (Snowgear Obi-Wan, Firefighter Droid, Magnaguard, etc...) - I hoped I had stumbled upon the same thing.

Unfortunately all twelve cases were 2009 Wave 4 - which was actually the second Red/White wave of Clone Wars figures that was released back in August of 2009.

You read that right - twelve cases of the Whorm Loathsom/Soft Goods Yoda/Admiral Yularen/Commando Droid/etc... wave

Figures that to this day, you can pretty much find ANYWHERE if you look around...

I guess I won't be checking back at this WalMart anytime soon....   >:(

Dude, I am seeing the same thing here...pegs go 6 or 7 deep on Yularens, Fistos, Padmes, etc. They are never going to move these steamers, not even for $6 a pop.

What drives me crazy is the thought that somewhere out there is a whole warehouse full of Hondos, Aaylas, and the 2 successive waves that are gathering dust for no apparent reason. I guess we'll see those in a similar glut come July.  ::)

I'm fine with stores getting 12 cases of new TCW figures - just make sure they are the latest ones and they will sell. Otherwise, instant peg warmers.
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Offline Pete_Fett

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Re: Recent Clone Wars Finds/Purchases
« Reply #274 on: April 2, 2010, 03:45 PM »
I'm fine with stores getting 12 cases of new TCW figures - just make sure they are the latest ones and they will sell. Otherwise, instant peg warmers.

Exactly - if one or two of the cases out of the 12 had been that wave, it really wouldn't have bothered me.

If there had been a mix of the Hondo/Bly/Aayla/Jek wave and the Stone/Sidious/Thi-Sen/Snow Anakin/TX-20 wave and the Snow Kenobi/Snow Rex/Firefighter Droid/Magnaguard wave - that would have been totally fine with me.

It still boggles my mind that a case for a wave that was supposed to be out in August is still shipping in such quantities.

Is situations like this the reason that Hasbro has been thumping their chest that the Clone Wars line did so well? As always stores like WalMart over-ordered the first two waves and are still working through them, yet, from Hasbro's perspective, those were sold to WalMart ages ago...

Ignorance is bliss I suppose...
Peter

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Offline Jabba the Slug

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Re: Recent Clone Wars Finds/Purchases
« Reply #275 on: April 2, 2010, 08:17 PM »
Interesting how some stores have yet to put the newer figures on the pegs, but only put out the older ones. I have not seen one figure from the Adventure Padme/Ziro's Droid wave EVER. And the Luminara wave has become pretty common now.
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Offline Dressel Rebel

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Re: Recent Clone Wars Finds/Purchases
« Reply #276 on: April 3, 2010, 08:24 AM »

Unfortunately all twelve cases were 2009 Wave 4 - which was actually the second Red/White wave of Clone Wars figures that was released back in August of 2009.

You read that right - twelve cases of the Whorm Loathsom/Soft Goods Yoda/Admiral Yularen/Commando Droid/etc... wave

Figures that to this day, you can pretty much find ANYWHERE if you look around...


Yeah, what the HELL?  I found this plus cases on pallets from the release in November 2008!  With the little red box on the side of the case that says not to put out before Nov. 11 2008.

I have a bunch of Targets and Walmarts around me, and I've been going all over hunting for Talz Warriors, but I've only found the Talz wave at 1 Target, on 3 occasions, totaling 4 Talz warriors.
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Offline Pete_Fett

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Re: Recent Clone Wars Finds/Purchases
« Reply #277 on: April 3, 2010, 10:17 AM »
Yeah, what the HELL?  I found this plus cases on pallets from the release in November 2008!  With the little red box on the side of the case that says not to put out before Nov. 11 2008.

I have a bunch of Targets and Walmarts around me, and I've been going all over hunting for Talz Warriors, but I've only found the Talz wave at 1 Target, on 3 occasions, totaling 4 Talz warriors.

Hey Dressel - remember back a couple of years ago when it was announced that the Mattel/Disney Cars line had lead paint in/on them? And then there was a scandal where a lot of the toy factories in China were using lead-based paint? Well, that red sticker has nothing to do with shelf dates. That sticker actually reads "Production Date After November XX, 2008" - this sticker is an indication that it does not contain any product with lead-based paint.

Sorry, if that was preaching, I've seen a lot of collectors make that mistake and with those red stickers so eye-catching (I guess that's the point), it's hard not to see the date and think that it's a "do not put out until..." type of thing.

Of course it still doesn't excuse this type of thing happening.

The WalMart closest to me got in more Clone Wars cases and they were also from this same wave.

Earlier in the week, I checked a WalMart near my job and it too had received and put out about three or four cases of this wave.

I'd really like to know what the hell is going on with distribution that all of a sudden, WalMart is getting an unbelievable onslaught of product that for the most part are the peg warmers out of every new wave that ships. That's just what my local WalMart needed - when it's already clogged with Yularen, Jawa 2-packs, and Echo figures - more of all three!

While there are some out there who prefer to drink Darryl's kool-aid, I'm inclined to believe that this was the scenario:

Step 1: WalMart looks at sales data and decides that the comic-packs really aren't that great of sellers, so they scrutinize the three packs they are getting as exclusives and instead of picking on the two packs with droids and troopers, they look for something they can find "objectionable" about the Rebel Pilots pack - they find it in the last panel where the bald chick meets her cousin and that cousin proclaims that they are to be married. Even though around the world and in 24 states in the US you can marry even your first cousin (not something I condone, but whatever) they declare the comic unsuitable and don't want it anymore

Step 2: Hasbro lawyers get involved because now Hasbro has made the product, WalMart has paid the bill, and WalMart wants a refund. Hasbro isn't really inclined to do that since there is no guarantee that another retailer will pick up the Rebel Pilots pack. So instead of giving WalMart a refund for 1/3 of their exclusive comic pack order, the Hasbro lawyers instead offer to send Walmart, (drum roll...) Clone Wars product, because after all, that's the line that's kicking butt and taking names at retail.

Step 3: WalMart agrees. Hasbro in turn essentially screws WalMart over 'cause they've been sitting on a MOUNTAIN of product from August 2009 - the 2nd wave of the Red/White Clone Wars figures. WalMart doesn't really care what figures are in the assortments 'cause it's product that they THINK they can easily sell and gladly accepts it. Deal done, all is once again "right" in the Hasbro/WalMart relationship.

Step 4: Hasbro gets a win-win scenario because online retailers pick up the Rebel Pilots comic pack and they end up not stuck with those either.


While I know this sounds like I watch too much TV or some sort of fantasy, this kind of stuff happens all the time between businesses, the last thing Hasbro would want to do is refund WalMart their money and offering WalMart other product in exchange would always been the preferred course of action, since it means that the business making the product will still be able to declare that income come end-of-quarter - and for a publically traded company, all that really matters is how much income you can declare and whether or not you meet the street's expectations for your company so your stock price doesn't tank.

One more thing - because you think I'm crazy about why WalMart picked on the Rebel Pilots set and didn't seem to care about the two Shadow Commando set - take a look at the comic that comes with General Weir and the Shadow Commando - in it, a character we've even gotten a figure of before, Ten Numb is taken prisoner by General Weir, his hand is cut off and he is essentially tortured to death. The last time I checked, even though it happens, the Geneva convention states that you can't torture/maim/kill prisoners of war. So if WalMart was so determined to trim the comic-packs they were getting by 1/3, I would think that a story that features something that really IS illegal in our world as opposed to something that, in many places, actually is not. The truth is that they left the set with Weir alone because it is two troopers, and troopers sell. Same thing with the IG-97 pack - droids sell so they left that one alone too.
« Last Edit: April 3, 2010, 10:50 AM by Pete_Fett »
Peter

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Offline McMetal

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Re: Recent Clone Wars Finds/Purchases
« Reply #278 on: April 3, 2010, 03:15 PM »
Call me paranoid, but I think that sounds entirely plausible. I just wonder how Hasbro got stuck with that mountain of TCW figures in the first place. Those waves weren't really all that hard to find last year when they originally hit, at least that's my recollection.
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Offline Darby

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Re: Recent Clone Wars Finds/Purchases
« Reply #279 on: April 3, 2010, 10:12 PM »
The only problem with that scenario is that it's not just WM - TRU and Target are getting that same case in bulk right now, and have been for about a month.  I think it's a case of Hasbro cleaning out the warehouse big time, but who's to say.

Offline Jabba the Slug

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Re: Recent Clone Wars Finds/Purchases
« Reply #280 on: April 3, 2010, 10:46 PM »
I went to a local convention and was amazed to find an absence of TCW figures! I found scores (SCORES!) of TLC red-phase figures, but only found a few TCW figures: Cold Gear Anakin & Obi-Wan, Fire Patrol Droid, and Commander Cody. It was mainly a few figures from the latest 2010 Waves 2-3 cases (minus Sidious and Talz Dude :().
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Offline Dressel Rebel

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Re: Recent Clone Wars Finds/Purchases
« Reply #281 on: April 5, 2010, 06:02 AM »


I'd really like to know what the hell is going on with distribution that all of a sudden, WalMart is getting an unbelievable onslaught of product that for the most part are the peg warmers out of every new wave that ships.

The newer waves also have not been popping up on HTS.com of late, at least for Star Wars.
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Offline jedi_master_sal

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Re: Recent Clone Wars Finds/Purchases
« Reply #282 on: April 7, 2010, 05:50 PM »
I got Aayla Secura and Commander Bly from www.thecollectorate.net

Considering I didn't have to waste money on gas to find them, it was worth the little bit extra. I haven't seen this wave at all and those were the two I really wanted from it. I might pick up a Hondo, but if I don't find him, it's no big deal.
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Offline Ryan

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Re: Recent Clone Wars Finds/Purchases
« Reply #283 on: April 8, 2010, 02:36 AM »
I got Aayla Secura and Commander Bly from www.thecollectorate.net

Considering I didn't have to waste money on gas to find them, it was worth the little bit extra. I haven't seen this wave at all and those were the two I really wanted from it. I might pick up a Hondo, but if I don't find him, it's no big deal.

Prices look a bit scalperish on that site... I may not have purchased any figures since early January, but last I checked a sinlge Legends Chewbacca isn't worth $12 not including the shipping. I could walk into any number of stores around and find that figure for 2/3 that price... Most basic figures on that site are priced over $10, and I din't see anything there not overpriced. Yeah it's cool getting figures you don't have but why overpay and support these kinds of sites? Seems kind of silly to me...

I guess i just don't have in me anymore to pay that much for a figure. I found some scanning troopers the other day, at Kohls so they were $10 or $11 a piece or something like that and I decided to pass. It wasn't too long ago that I would have probably picked up at least one of them.
« Last Edit: April 8, 2010, 02:46 AM by Ryan »
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Offline jedi_master_sal

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Re: Recent Clone Wars Finds/Purchases
« Reply #284 on: April 8, 2010, 12:41 PM »
It's due to the way Hasbro packs figures that they have to charge more. They know (as do most of us) that the new figures would sell like crazy, leaving the retailer with unwanted figures. So many sites sell figures at a higher rate to take account for the loss they would have otherwise.

$2 more isn't scalping to me. And you know you'll have to pay shipping with any site you order from, so that' basically a wash.

What you CAN count on from thecollectorate.com is their rating. They check each and every piece, look for flaws in the packaging and rate it as such. Also, they literally CLEAN every item of particles on the cardboard and/or bubble. The packing material they use is biodegradable, so they are doing their part to be as "green" as possible.

I happen to know both of the owners there and believe me, they don't want to charge the extra cost, but have to in order to justify staying in business and not take the loss on the older figures. If Hasbro would get THEIR act together and go back to solid new figures in cases, it wouldn't be an issue. Then you'd see prices drop everywhere. Also, the customer service you get with thecollectorate.com is better than if not the best out there. They'll go out of the way to help you if it takes that.

Heck, many places don't even allow you to order specific figures anymore. You either have to order the whole wave or the whole case. Those sites have realized that they can't recoup the cost otherwise.

So like I said, a figure here or there isn't all that bad to me. I'm all caught up on SW, Halo, TF and only need 2 Marvel Universe figures. So that means I won't need to go shopping for several weeks or longer. That's a lot of gas, time, and money saved. I consider that every time I purchase online. If it looks like I can save in the long run by buying online, then I'll do it. This was one of those times.

Resepctfully,
Sal
I'm just a humble collector trying to make his way through the universe...of toy aisles.
"We are strong. We are resilient. We are American." - President Barack Obama, State of the Union Address 2010