2009: Worst Distribution Year Ever?

[Darth_Anton]

Although we have still not seen the ANH or ROTS wave here in Los Angeles, I'm still not ready to call it the worst distribution year ever. I'll wait until after christmas to judge. A lot can happen between now and then.

I think that is somewhat fair to judge the year the way you are, but I also think that if one part of the country has to wait 3 months to see figs the other part saw earlier that you can add that to the worst distribution equation.

Perhaps, but I tend to look at the TAC period when the whole country was backed up and waiting as a strong contender for worst.

[efranks]

God damn it!  HTS.com had the ROTS wave in stock for about 2 seconds this morning.  I had time to get them in my cart and before I could get out they were gone.

It's not like I don't want to spend money, they won't freakin' let me!

Edit: I think I got them!  I saved my cart and went back and they all came in stock again, not shipping till 12/1, though. Hopefully I won't get screwed on the build-a-droid parts.

   E...

[McMetal]

Sorry for the stupid question, but if they're in stock now, why would they wait until 12/1 to ship them? That doesn't seem like good customer service. Sounds more like a backorder. (Having worked in a mailorder dept, I know this is an anathema to most customers)

[Jayson]

Yep, they're pre-orders.

[efranks]

They're basically pre-orders but I've ordered product from them before with this type of status.  It seems that HTS.com only puts things up for sale when they know they have the figures allotted to them.  I've never ordered anything that was listed as in stock and shipping in the future and had it get cancelled.

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[McMetal]

Makes sense...thanks for the explanation.

[Pete_Fett]

I'm not going to claim to be 100% responsible for the change of things at my local WM - but at that WM where I had the conversation with the Hasbro reps and the WM employee claimed to "order more" over the past week, they have gotten in at least four cases of the ROTS wave and two cases of the ANH wave.

This after NEVER getting the TPM or ROTJ waves at this store at all.

Clearly, laziness and/or a clogged pipeline had something to do with this store not getting in new Legacy product.

[efranks]

Very odd things at Target.  I found a SCUBA Clone Trooper and Nien Nunb B-Wing at Target but no other new figures, and the pegs are still packed with the latest 2008 Wave 4R2 figures. 

Both had R3-M3 parts so they're from the ROTJ wave cases.  No other carry forward figs like ARC, Saleucami or Biker Scout, though, so I can't believe the store got a full case.  I'm wondering if someone returned them from K-Mart.  That would explain the odd leftover carry forward ROTJ figs at that store as well.

Don't know.  Odd things going on here right now.  Unfortunately, the carry forward ANH figs I found at KMart tonight have the YV-H1 B-a-D parts so unless something else shakes free, I'm going to be 3 parts short on my R3-M3 droid.  HTS is already moved on from that wave 9 case in their stock.

I'm still blaming Hasbro on most of this fiasco.

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[Jayson]

LMK what R3-M3 parts you are looking for as I have some extras that I can send you.

[efranks]

I'm not sure yet what I'm going to need because I haven't picked up the rest of the ROTJ wave yet.  I'll have to wait till I get a shot at those figures before I know, but thanks for the offer.

I just got a shipping notice today from HTS for all of the figures I ordered the other day.  So even the "pre-order" figures shipped already, didn't have to wait till December.

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[Darth_Anton]

I'm not going to claim to be 100% responsible for the change of things at my local WM -

But you could be. Stores have the ability to control how much they get.

[jedi_master_sal]

LMK what R3-M3 parts you are looking for as I have some extras that I can send you.

Say if you've got an extra of the leg that came with the Ewoks (not sure if that's the left or right), I need it.

I've got extra parts to if you need something. Let me know and I'll check my "scrap pile," LOL.

[Brian]

Although our local WMs and TRU have continued to pretty much be barren of SW figures (unless that has changed this week), Target has been stocked to the gills it seems.  Although I already have what I need via online sources, I've seen quite a bit of the ROTJ wave - and this morning the ANH wave was on the pegs as well.  It is the most Legacy I've seen out in some time, and the Legends/CW pegs are full of figs as well.  Nice to (finally) see some stock making it out.

[JACKOFTRADZE]

TPM wave seems to be the hardest of the last three waves they are the only one that I am not seeing. It would make sense they would make a shorter run of that wave. They still have instinctual fear from 1999.

Think about it we have not had a single rerelease of a TPM vehicle. I would have thought we would have seen a dirt AOTC deco Naboo fighter by now.The upcoming BP with Maul's speeder is the first I know of. You can sort of count the Eopie but that was a mail away. They fear TPM.

But distribution issues for now seems to have been addressed in a great deal hopefully it will stay that way. We shall see.

[tmanthegreat]

Although our local WMs and TRU have continued to pretty much be barren of SW figures (unless that has changed this week), Target has been stocked to the gills it seems.  Although I already have what I need via online sources, I've seen quite a bit of the ROTJ wave - and this morning the ANH wave was on the pegs as well.  It is the most Legacy I've seen out in some time, and the Legends/CW pegs are full of figs as well.  Nice to (finally) see some stock making it out.

Yes, my targets have done the same with the ANH and ROTJ waves.  They've also been putting out last year's wave of CW figures, but on the new cards.  I've not seen the new waves of CW figures or the ROTS wave yet.