Author Topic: EE Exclusive Astromech 5-Packs  (Read 30336 times)

Offline CloneF13Y35

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Re: EE Exclusive Astromech 5-Packs
« Reply #75 on: August 7, 2005, 12:51 PM »
My son really wants these and I do think they're cool, I like the little astro droids. So from what I've read in the article they won't ship until Dec, is that right?
I haven't pre-ordered anything before, has anyone had a bad experience with pre-orders getting messed up?
Would it be a wise choice since these are "online exclusives" to go ahead any buy these now instead of waiting til later in the year?
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Offline Pete_Fett

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Re: EE Exclusive Astromech 5-Packs
« Reply #76 on: August 7, 2005, 05:17 PM »
My son really wants these and I do think they're cool, I like the little astro droids. So from what I've read in the article they won't ship until Dec, is that right?
I haven't pre-ordered anything before, has anyone had a bad experience with pre-orders getting messed up?
Would it be a wise choice since these are "online exclusives" to go ahead any buy these now instead of waiting til later in the year?

If you pre-order from EE you'll have no problem getting the sets.

If you pre-order from someone else, like Big Bad Toy Store, you might be okay - but it's entirely possible that they may over-sell what EE is letting them purchase and then some of their pre-order folks may be left out in the cold.
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Offline Pete_Fett

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Adam digs himself in deeper....
« Reply #77 on: August 8, 2005, 10:24 AM »
Ok - so this morning I decided to check out Adam's Q&A for the first time in about six weeks and this was in his closing remarks.

Quote
Hasbro, if you're reading, I hope you're considering (or reconsidering) R5-D4 for 2006 or 2007. I have never seen this kind of flood of email demanding a figure see production from the original trilogy short of maybe Tarkin, Wedge, and Slave Leia back in 1996. The fans want R5-D4, they want him as a new figure (or the R4-G9 body with a new lampshade dome), and after you do that, they also wanted me to let you know they would be very happy if you would repaint it in the various very striking color schemes used throughout the Saga. (Maybe one every several assortments. Astro repaints are cheap and fans love them.)

Ok - so here's the part that cracks me up, it's this line:

Quote
Astro repaints are cheap and fans love them.

I guess they're only cheap for Hasbro to make and EE to buy, not for the fans who have to buy them at EE's outrageous prices!
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Offline Darth_Anton

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Re: EE Exclusive Astromech 5-Packs
« Reply #78 on: August 8, 2005, 10:48 AM »
Exactly! Sculpting is the most expensive part of the process. Painting costs as much as it does to pay an artist to paint up the figure, even if they spend one whole week per astromech, it's still dirt cheep.

The prices will always be based on the MSRP of an individual figure, no matter how cheep or expensive it is to make. And if it's an excusive, forget it, every retailer knows they can charge more just for the heck of it.
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Offline DoctorPadawan

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Re: EE Exclusive Astromech 5-Packs
« Reply #79 on: August 8, 2005, 12:26 PM »
Just to say this up front:  I love Galactic Hunter and I visit their site regularly, because (with the exception of JD of course  ;D ) they're one of the most reliable sites on the web when it comes to SW collecting.  I think that Michael Sullenger and Adam May and the rest of the crew do a wonderful job there and I hope they continue for many years to come.  So no offense to those guys at GH at all. :)

There's actually a point in the Q&A that I was marveling at his thinly veiled use of semantics to avoid the cost of the EE packs.  Let's take a look, shall we? :)

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While basic carded figures are the heart and soul of Star Wars collections worldwide, they don't make for great exclusives-- me, I'd rather see more multi-packs of figures if most (or all) of the figures are new enough to be cool.

Now, this I agree with.  I don't like the idea of a basic carded figure being an exclusive, especially if it's an army builder (like the Target Clone) or a unique figure that isn't a repaint.  He had me up until this point, and then the laughter ensued.

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In recent history, individually carded exclusive figures were priced at levels that, frankly, I don't care for-- $10 at Toys "R" Us for a holographic figure, or free with purchase? $12-$16 for Wedge? $13 or so for Holographic Leia or Holographic Emperor? Color me cynical, but I don't much like those prices.

Of course you don't like those prices!  Since those figures are exclusives to someone other than Entertainment Earth, you would have to pay actual retail for them and, you know, have to communicate with the plebians in the collecting community you avoid contact with so much in order to locate some of them!  How dare Hasbro not cater to your individual wishes!  ::)

Are the figures overpriced?  Sure, they're overpriced, and I don't think anyone will deny that.  But the approach that he seems to be taking is that exclusive figures that cost more than a basic figure being sold at retailers other than EE is bad, while those sold at EE for exhorbitant prices is a-okay.  And he further cements this with this little gem:

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If you can get the price down to $8 or less each in a multipack, it's a little more acceptable, if all the figures in the pack are OK. 

So, just a minute ago, 10 bucks for a Holographic Yoda was bad, bad, bad, but 8 dollars for a repaint in, say, a five pack of figures exclusive to Entertainment Earth is perfectly acceptable.  Sure, fine, whatever you say oh sage of the SW collecting world.   ::)  I have to admit though that this one paragraph has shown perfectly (if a bit subliminally) how the conflict of interests between work and hobby is starting to take its toll on people.  :)

Also, for those of you who might be saying, "I don't get that he's condescending toward his readers at all" just check out these little gems from this morning's Q&A:

Quote
As far as other Jedi, well, keep asking Hasbro when you have the chance to bring it up. Write them letters and be sure to ask nicely, because I could care less and won't be asking for them myself.

Nice (grammatically incorrect) insult there, isn't it?  Also, way to imply that your opinions are the only right ones and the only ones that you will support (he does this several times, discounting the support for any KOTOR figures while saying how Kir Kanos would be his big choice, as if that would sell any better than a KOTOR figure).  ::)  I'm curious how he knows what fans are talking about and what fans want considering, from all reports and observations, he doesn't take part in any fan communities, not even the GH forums.

It actually took me a good while to get through the Q&A due to the obstructed view created by the huge ego floating in front of it.   ;D

« Last Edit: August 8, 2005, 12:34 PM by DoctorPadawan »

Offline ruiner

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Re: EE Exclusive Astromech 5-Packs
« Reply #80 on: August 8, 2005, 01:45 PM »
Crap, I just tried the $10 coupon that was posted on the main page about a week or so ago and it doesn't work....go figure.

Anyone else have any luck?

Offline JesseVader08

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Re: EE Exclusive Astromech 5-Packs
« Reply #81 on: August 8, 2005, 03:38 PM »
I'm curious how he knows what fans are talking about and what fans want considering, from all reports and observations, he doesn't take part in any fan communities, not even the GH forums.

Painful, isn't it?  "It appears [his] hypocrisy knows no bounds."   ::)

Crap, I just tried the $10 coupon that was posted on the main page about a week or so ago and it doesn't work....go figure.

Anyone else have any luck?

The $10 off coupon at EE is only good for in-stock items.  Unfortunately, pre-orders don't count.  :-\
« Last Edit: August 8, 2005, 03:43 PM by JesseVader08 »

Offline CorranHorn

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Re: EE Exclusive Astromech 5-Packs
« Reply #82 on: August 8, 2005, 06:46 PM »
Ok - so this morning I decided to check out Adam's Q&A for the first time in about six weeks and this was in his closing remarks.

Quote
Hasbro, if you're reading, I hope you're considering (or reconsidering) R5-D4 for 2006 or 2007. I have never seen this kind of flood of email demanding a figure see production from the original trilogy short of maybe Tarkin, Wedge, and Slave Leia back in 1996. The fans want R5-D4, they want him as a new figure (or the R4-G9 body with a new lampshade dome), and after you do that, they also wanted me to let you know they would be very happy if you would repaint it in the various very striking color schemes used throughout the Saga. (Maybe one every several assortments. Astro repaints are cheap and fans love them.)

Ok - so here's the part that cracks me up, it's this line:

Quote
Astro repaints are cheap and fans love them.

I guess they're only cheap for Hasbro to make and EE to buy, not for the fans who have to buy them at EE's outrageous prices!

Some extra fuel to add to the proverbial fire, from today's Q&A w/ Adam...

Quote
As such, allow me to make a couple of things known regarding the upcoming droid exclusive, as many of you seem to think that this item should have been included in this set. First, it's no secret that this, like the Clone Trooper set, is essentially a big box of repaints. It is possible Hasbro might make some modifications to the molds, but these sets came into being based on the limitation that they were repaints, which means, no mold changes.

So there we have it, outside of new paintjobs, there have been no changes made to the figures, which considerably reduces the cost of production on these figures. Well I guess that leans us towards the answer of who decided on the high price of these droids.

Edit: Had to fix the subject header to more accurately represent the overall topic.
« Last Edit: August 8, 2005, 07:23 PM by CorranHorn »
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Offline Rob

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Re: EE Exclusive Astromech 5-Packs
« Reply #83 on: August 16, 2005, 12:14 PM »
Anyone have any coupon codes for EE that CAN be applied to pre-orders?

Offline Diddly

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Re: EE Exclusive Astromech 5-Packs
« Reply #84 on: October 3, 2005, 06:14 PM »
 ::)

These sets have now been delayed until January 2006.

http://www.entertainmentearth.com/prodinfo.asp?number=HS87055AA
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Offline CHEWIE

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Re: EE Exclusive Astromech 5-Packs
« Reply #85 on: October 3, 2005, 06:19 PM »
Hmmm.... I'm ok with them being delayed.  My budget is very tight right now.

 :P

Offline Darth Broem

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Re: EE Exclusive Astromech 5-Packs
« Reply #86 on: October 3, 2005, 07:21 PM »
They look nice though. 

Offline Morgbug

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Re: EE Exclusive Astromech 5-Packs
« Reply #87 on: October 3, 2005, 09:37 PM »
::)

These sets have now been delayed until January 2006.

http://www.entertainmentearth.com/prodinfo.asp?number=HS87055AA

Good news, bad news.  Lots coming in the fall, January is better.
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Offline Paul

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Re: EE Exclusive Astromech 5-Packs
« Reply #88 on: October 3, 2005, 10:08 PM »
I agree.  These will be a nice way to kick off the New Year, I can wait till then.  I'm liking them more each time I see the pics.

Hopefully it will be successful enough for the people at the big H to do more.  I know they seem pricey at 5 for $40.00, but they seem well enough done that I can live with it.

Now they just need to do the Astromechs of all the Rogue Squadron Pilots...

Offline ruiner

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Re: EE Exclusive Astromech 5-Packs
« Reply #89 on: October 7, 2005, 02:28 PM »
God, I hate to say this, but really the price isn't that bad. 

When you consider how much gas money you'd spend to find all ten variations at retail, it's in-line - from a certain point of view!   :P