Author Topic: Starving for SAGA  (Read 10989 times)

Offline CHEWIE

  • Jedi Sentinel
  • *
  • Posts: 14630
    • View Profile
Starving for SAGA
« on: January 26, 2006, 02:30 PM »
Is it just my area, or does it seem like figures just aren't showing up?  Seems like all the different lines are pegwarming, except the regular figures... they just seem way underproduced/shipped at this point.

Anyone else feel this way?  I'm afraid Hasbro might be underestimating the popularity of SW right now and invested too much in the non-3-3/4" lines.  The demand is high.  The Carkoon wave has sold much better than I thought it would, and when a Hoth figure hits, it's gone almost immediately, even at these higher prices.  When the Coruscant wave hits, I think those are going to be very hard to find due to the high popularity and demand for more ROTS stuff...

Wow.  I'm just amazed to not see more product.  They would have been much better off I think to have started off with 3-4 waves all at once come out, and have some selection available in the stores rather than to launch the new line with a wave here and a wave there... and constantly seeing empty pegs.  Does that not take away from the effect of Star Wars collecting?

Hmmm.... I know it's still only January, but I think this first month has been a letdown.  Not in quality, but in availability.

 :P

Offline Darby

  • Jedi Knight
  • *
  • Posts: 4236
  • I'm not with that guy
    • View Profile
    • darbyharn.com
Re: Starving for SAGA
« Reply #1 on: January 26, 2006, 03:00 PM »
I'd say they're starving the market, for some reason.  Figures evaporate in a few days, or unless your Bib Fortuna at Target, a couple weeks.  Everything else gets stocked pretty regular (and some of it sits, too).

Offline TheBlackDog65

  • Jedi Padawan
  • *
  • Posts: 613
    • View Profile
Re: Starving for SAGA
« Reply #2 on: January 26, 2006, 03:10 PM »
I would agree that though serious collectors have been able to get figures, the casual collector or kid probably has missed out on the figures that have come out. Hasbro is not shipping in quantities that ensure that there is enough product out there, and yes, the other rows of figures are sitting and peg warming. It is rather weird. Usually after a movie year we have a hard time finding product at all. I fear some may be 2 or 4 waves behind before much longer.
Another thought is what happens come summer? Typically in a non-movie year the waves in the summer are very hard to find as retailers back off inventory anticipating the fall/holiday season.
I guess on the other hand though, we might see what we saw with the last Saga wave where they ship and serious collectors got the figures. Then that fall, they reshipped everything back out in sufficient numbers so everyone could get em.
"For too long gentleness has been equated with weakness.  Yet it takes more strength to be gentle than to be mean."

John Keeshan

Wants: Saga Wave 3

Offline JesseVader08

  • Retired Staff Member
  • Jedi Sentinel
  • *
  • Posts: 10862
    • View Profile
Re: Starving for SAGA
« Reply #3 on: January 26, 2006, 03:45 PM »
Are the lack of quantities due to Hasbro not shipping enough, or retail not ordering enough?  My guess is the latter - stores are afraid to order stock with it being a non-movie year and are waiting for the next "big thing" to support.

Offline Brian

  • Jedi Sentinel
  • *
  • Posts: 11749
    • View Profile
Re: Starving for SAGA
« Reply #4 on: January 26, 2006, 04:09 PM »
I think that might be a lot of it too Jesse, retail is being shy since it isn't a movie year.  This year is all about X-Men (which don't appear to have a "movie" line anyways), Superman, and Pirates of the Caribbean 2.  That said, I really hope they start getting more product to the pegs as well.  I guess I can't really complain, as I've been fortunate enough to find the first two waves aside from the Hoth R2 and Vader.  But, on both occasions, a day after I found them the pegs were bare, and in the case of Wal-Mart, they still are.  The only Saga Collection figures in town right now are 4 Derlins, 1 Veers, and 1 Rieekan at Target last time I was there.  Carkoon seems to have come and gone right now, until it re-ships.  I'm more than a little worried about the upcoming waves, and the VOTC figures if/when we see them.  At least the last time we saw the VOTC, we had a big DVD promo going on and a movie the next year, so things were stocked a little more frequently.  If this trend continues, it might be a difficult year, but its still early, so we'll see.  Like I said, it was really just lucky timing that I've found anything at all, because to be honest the pegs have been empty probably 90% of the time this year so far.  It is too bad, we could definitely stand some new product.  Not just for collectors, but for kids too.  Like JesseJames mentioned in another thread...he's looking for a couple of Fetts for the kiddos, and they are a tough find.  I saw 1 Fett the one time I saw the Carkoon wave, and never since.  The ones the kids would like to get seem to be tougher finds, as although I really like figures like Derlin and Veers, I doubt some kids are real excited about them.  I'm hoping its just a "beginning of the year" thing, and not something that will continue.  Best of luck to everyone in their searches though, hopefully it will get better.

Offline CHEWIE

  • Jedi Sentinel
  • *
  • Posts: 14630
    • View Profile
Re: Starving for SAGA
« Reply #5 on: January 26, 2006, 04:15 PM »
So it seems it's not just my area.  That's good (and bad) but I think things will get better.  We must be optimistic.   :)

The thing that hurts though, I think is that the retail space for the 3-3/4" figures is very small compared to the rest of the space alloted for the other stuff.  I see just 4 pegs at the Targets, nothing at TRU, and anywhere from 4-8 pegs at Walmarts.  About 90% of the Star Wars space is dedicated to the other crap, which honestly will end up on clearance. 

Bread and butter Hasbro and retailers... ever heard of it?  I would blame the retailers to an extent, but at the same time I think it's more Hasbro.  They are the ones spreading the line thin with all these other gimmicks.  Stick with the main line, and maybe test the waters with a couple of other new things too, but don't take away from the primary focus.

 :P

Offline Brian

  • Jedi Sentinel
  • *
  • Posts: 11749
    • View Profile
Re: Starving for SAGA
« Reply #6 on: January 26, 2006, 04:28 PM »
Yeah, the same thing is going on here.  The basic figures have four pegs at Target, and I think about the same at Wal-Mart if I remember correctly (they're always empty anyways :P).  The majority of the Star Wars "section" is taken up by Unleashed Battle Packs, Force Battlers, Transformers, and lightsabers.  Our WM doesn't seem to be carrying Galactic Heroes right now, although Target has four pegs for them as well.  I understand they want to try different product lines for different age groups, but I'd really like to see the line streamlined a little.  Have the basic figure line as the "bread and butter" as CHEWIE said, and then support it with a couple of other branch lines.  Like I've mentioned before, ideally for me I'd like to see 7" Unleashed ("collector" line), Galactic Heroes ("kid" or collector line), alongside the basic figures as the main line.  Of course, everyone has their preferences, so its hard to judge which lines should stay and which should go.  It just seems like the basic figures are almost an afterthought in the Star Wars section nowadays, and that's a shame.

Offline CHEWIE

  • Jedi Sentinel
  • *
  • Posts: 14630
    • View Profile
Re: Starving for SAGA
« Reply #7 on: January 26, 2006, 04:49 PM »
Yeah, that's the main problem from what I see.  It seems that 90% of what what the Star Wars consume wants is the regular line, yet when you go to a store looking, 90% of what you see is from the other lines.  If they want to kill the line by having a bad 2006, this would be an effective way of doing it. 

 :P

Offline Darth Slothus

  • Jedi Knight
  • *
  • Posts: 3401
    • View Profile
Re: Starving for SAGA
« Reply #8 on: January 26, 2006, 05:20 PM »
I opened 5 cases of hoth last nite and left 2 unopened-but this was at 4 WM's total

It seems retail is ordering 2-3 cases every 2 weeks typical of a non-movie year.
Jesse brought up a good point that it really isn't Hasbro's fault, they only produce/manufacture according to retail's demand. So, retail is to blame. However I don't see the pattern changing since retailers are aware/wary of recent busted non- movie year lines with several pegwarmers(ex: saga-original). I remember several pegwarmers in the POTF2 line as well. It seems in recent non-movie years retailers are ordering fewer case quantities per shipment- I noticed it starting with the OTC line, then post OTC and now-seemed like those figs couldn't stay on the shelf! Lessons learned from Saga line perhaps?

From what I read..it seems Target is ordering more cases then WM but I can't verify since I don't shop at Target often enough and besides WM's cases stocked are usaually drained by the next day anyway(maybe because of lower prices?) so it's hard to speculate who's getting more stuff in now. I don't even bother with TRU or Kmart/KayBee anymore because they get stuff about once every 5 weeks :(

PS: Holo Elvis- can you verify if Target is getting more cases of product then WM?

SilverZ

  • Guest
Re: Starving for SAGA
« Reply #9 on: January 26, 2006, 05:40 PM »
Jon, I see the same pattern at my closest Target as your Walmarts. They get a couple cases at a time, and they seem to replenish every 1-2 weeks.

That hasn't been enough to make any particular figure hang for too long. A "pegwarmer" so far means a Bib Fortuna or other figure that is packed at x2 or more per case that doesn't sell within 48 hours of being put out.

And I'm not sure if that's good or bad just yet. I can't say I've had a horrible time finding the figures I've needed, but I've also been peristant about the hunt. If I was, say, 25% more casual about the pursuit (or didn't have a Target that I walked through as a shortcut to the train station every day), I wouldn't be caught up.

At this moment (and I reserve the right to bitch and moan at the first incident of frustration later) I'm siding with the idea of a slow trickle of product over the notion of a landslide of figures so that there's a figure on the pegs for a kid to find 24/7. I say this because I'm dredding the thought of stores bumping up orders just in time for a turd wave like Geonosis to overorder on.

Offline Darth_Anton

  • Jedi Sentinel
  • *
  • Posts: 10672
  • Whatever
    • View Profile
Re: Starving for SAGA
« Reply #10 on: January 26, 2006, 08:42 PM »
Don't forget, January is a sluggish month because all the stores are doing inventory. Things should pick back up soon.
Please subscribe to my YouTube Channel - The Imperial Communique -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyEfCtMv1lWhxSH-B1Scr4g
"Snark is the idiot's version of wit."

Offline Darth Slothus

  • Jedi Knight
  • *
  • Posts: 3401
    • View Profile
Re: Starving for SAGA
« Reply #11 on: January 26, 2006, 09:06 PM »
Correct Anthony I made that point in other forum the other day about inventory time

Definately have to agree with Jared here...
All we need is a dudd wave to hit en masse then the retailers won't restock the new product due to lack of shelf space. The way it's going is fitting in with my go shopping 3-5 times a week schedule.

Offline Clone Commander

  • Jedi Padawan
  • *
  • Posts: 640
  • I ate my Lama!
    • View Profile
Re: Starving for SAGA
« Reply #12 on: January 26, 2006, 09:19 PM »
I havent even seen a Boba Fett so far...  :'(
But the wave is definitely going way too fast, there isnt much hope now for Commander Cody...
Clone Commander Appo.

Offline TheBlackDog65

  • Jedi Padawan
  • *
  • Posts: 613
    • View Profile
Re: Starving for SAGA
« Reply #13 on: January 27, 2006, 02:43 AM »
I hit five Walmarts in the Salt Lake City and great SLC area tonight. All put out the same things and I was sore amazed that they brought out three  pallets that only had maybe four to five cases of stuff to put out (all non-Star Wars). So I think what were seeing is definetly the retailers not ordering heavy.

I mentioned this above, but does anyone remember with the orginial Saga that they hit pretty rapidily after a slow start, and  then in late August early Sept. Hasbro re-released the figures in different case ratios so that everyone could get them? I remember that because I basically was able to make most of that fall off from hunting.
"For too long gentleness has been equated with weakness.  Yet it takes more strength to be gentle than to be mean."

John Keeshan

Wants: Saga Wave 3

Offline Jesse James

  • Staff Member
  • Grand Master
  • *
  • Posts: 35448
  • Slippery When Poopy
    • View Profile
    • JediDefender.com
Re: Starving for SAGA
« Reply #14 on: January 27, 2006, 06:43 AM »
My neck of the woods is starting to back up with stuff now.

Target(s) are starting to back up and I'm wagering this is due to price.  They have been getting cases in, in fairly good quantity too, and they're backing up.  Some figures are selling due to (I'm guessing) a panic.  The Gonk Droid's like 1 to a case I guess so it's hard to find right now but hopefully not for long.  I'd like a couple.

The Carkoon Wave and Hoth Wave are SLOWLY starting to sit though it seems, and then stuff like Fett and the Gonk are just selling steadily. 

Now, at the same time Wal-Mart isn't this way.  I see Bib routinely, and starting to see Han here and there, but that's it.  I think the prices have people wanting to stick to Wal-Mart to shop...  I broke down and got Hoth's at Target though, but WM is getting in less (like one or two cases at a time)< while Target gets a ton, and at a higher price, so they sit longer.

It's still dry though more or less.  Stuff's just not out in big quantity right now.  I think Hasbro missed a beat here between the shoddy distribution/quantity at stores during the holiday season, and now into the new year a month and there's still not a LOT to be had, and definitely very little for selection.

I think Hasbro lot a lot of potential fans over the holidays though when it was a real pain in the ass to get things for kids and whatnot.  I know I've had trouble since November finding much...  especially what the kids want.  They want Fett's, I can't find a BF for the life of me for them (gotta get two for two boys).  Clones were a pain to find over the holidays and I'm glad I got stuff early for the kids...  It's rough out there.

And now I can't find a friggin' Gonk for myself, this is just silly.
2011 Rebel Fleet Trooper Gets My Seal Of Approval!  But Where's The Friggin' Holster On Him!?
Jedi Defender.com Contributing Editor, Twitter @JediDefender & @Jesse_James77