Legacy Collection Comic Packs

[Corax]

The thing is though Scott is that Hasbro has maintained that the comic packs have been strong sellers.  The problems really started this year with the horrible distribution.  If the comic packs would have hit the shelves like they were planned to we wouldn't be at this point at all.  

[GrandMoffNick]

The thing is though Scott is that Hasbro has maintained that the comic packs have been strong sellers.  The problems really started this year with the horrible distribution.  If the comic packs would have hit the shelves like they were planned to we wouldn't be at this point at all.  

I admit I'm basing my info on what you guys are saying, but if these were good sellers and then Hasbro makes the distribution suck and then says these have stopped selling well, then I would put that on the distribution more than the character selection. Even though I could see there being enough EU dislikers out there to slow the line down over time too.

[Corax]

Right now the blame does fall squarely on the shoulders of distribution.  The part about character selection comes from Hasbro saying that the comic packs have to sell well through 2010 in order to continue.  If we get all that has been advertised for the end of this year and the new stuff for next year as well with fewer Marvel packs and repacks clogging the pegs then the comic packs should sell through.  But all of that is based off of the comic packs hitting the shelves in the first place.

[Jesse James]

I can't agree the blames falls squarely on distribution...  I have stores locally with nothing much on the pegs as far as comic packs go, lots of room for something new.  THe problem was it took a while for the variety they did have to sell down.

I love the comic packs, so don't get me wrong.  I would happily buy lots more of them.  I think they saw a significant slowdown in sales, similar to Legacy, and that's not just a distribution issue.  It's economic woes, it's character selection (I think Jeff's point on the Marvel sets was spot-on.  Many of those packs were dumped at local discount stores for $9.99, and it was the sets Jeff mentioned), it's kids having the animated line first and foremost.

I think comic packs CAN continue, but I think limiting them is the best option.  I think the Legacy line should see a scaled down release schedule as well.  It's too much.  And it's lean times for this stuff, so scaling down/back the ammount would help alleviate all the issues.  I've got tons of stores locally with room for new comic packs, they just don't seem to order much beyond a case at a time, if anything at all.  That's not a good sign.

[Corax]

Ok I have to ask, how do you limit them?  Are we just talking about the characters that Hasbro chooses?  The amount of comic packs released per year?  If your local stores have room for new comic packs and they aren't receiving them isn't that a distribution problem? 

[Jesse James]

No, not entirely...  If there's a backlog of comic packs not moving at all, and easily discernable pegwarmers, and repacking the same things that aren't selling, that's a distribution issue. 

Unfortunately what happened as near as I can tell is things backed up because sales slowed down on them.  Some of it is because they were lame choices (again Jeff's Marvel example, which backed up here a lot and took a while to sell through, and even saw dumping at discounters), some I'm sure is economic issues (something has to go, for many people, and comic packs are a secondary line like Deluxe and whatnot...  That's probably what went then, due to its higher pricetag), and you add another steep price increase on these ($9.99 to $12.99 isn't a short jump) and there's a mix of reasons.  I'd also say some distribution issues probably didn't help, but they just don't seem to me to have been a huge impact as these other issues were.

Now what has happened is retailers sales data shows the line slowed down, so they order less whether there's space for more or not.  They fear their ability to sell-through at a rate they want, and so they'll only order a case at a time...  That's not distribution, that's simply retail saying these don't sell fast like they used to.

The thing that doesn't imply distribution issues (I'm sure there were some things that should've been packed less or more) to me, is that there really weren't many sets one could cite as constantly repacked, constantly clogging up the system...  It's not like Yarna, or LEgends Plo Koon...  The only set I see routinely is the Shadows of the Empire one, and that really isn't preventing stuff from getting to the pegs...  Retailers refusing to order more, for one reason or another, is.  They just don't want a massive glut of sets out there right now it seems, and at this time of year usually they're anxious to have the pegs filled.  I think they just don't have faith the line is selling well anymore.

I think if the comic packs continue, you'll see less pegspace devoted to them...  That's how they'll be limited by retail.  I think Hasbro, if they continue them, will look at simply doing fewer sets in a year...  Similar to what Legacy may be seeing in 2010 as well.  Some waves will get cancelled, things will shift around, and so on.

[Corax]

Alright thanks for the clarification on distribution So how does Hasbro fix the problem?  Do the comic packs that debuted at SDCC get moved to retailer exclusives or boxed sets?  Are boxed sets a viable alternative to comic packs?  Would you rather get 2 figures and a comic for $13 or 5 figures for around $40?  Personally I could see some of these getting moved in that direction, I would gladly pay $40 for a 5 pack of Legacy characters or KotOR characters.

[Jeff]

Do the comic packs that debuted at SDCC get moved to retailer exclusives or boxed sets?

If the line crashes and burns...  

The ones they've shown us (the 7 sets from SDCC'09), those I'd imagine just get delayed.  Let the dregs at retail now get clearanced out and then re-launch.  Instead of being for Fall 2009, they end up being Spring 2010 comic Pack product.

The ones that are rumored but not yet officially confirmed/revealed (Camie/Fixer, Noghri/Wookiee, etc), they'll probably be the ones that get dumped as an exclusive or dropped someplace else (basic figure line, box sets, battle packs, etc).  For example, they have already confirmed that the rumored Visionaries Comic Pack has been taken out of the regular Comic Pack line and made into the SDCC'10 exclusive Comic Pack.

[CHEWIE]

I think the problem falls mostly on the shoulders of Hasbro. 

How many times do we need to see that Marvel Vader/Rebel repacked?  Why when a new wave hits does it have half of them as repacks?  That's the main problem in my eyes for places like Target and TRU - but then you look at Wal-Mart which is overstocked with their exclusives Comic Packs that aren't selling, so at that point they don't have room for the new stuff.

The price hike on these is an issue too, when they were $9.99 we felt like we were getting a bargain because basic figures were almost $7 anyway, which is close to what they are now.  That's not the case anymore as these cost close to $14, while figures are around $7.50.

[Jayson]

Hasn't the Vader/rebel set only been repacked once thus far? IIRC after the original TAC release, that set only had deco changes that came in later TAC case revisions.

[iFett]

but then you look at Wal-Mart which is overstocked with their exclusives Comic Packs that aren't selling, so at that point they don't have room for the new stuff.

Wow.  I haven't seen those in a looong time.  Seems like they came in went in the matter of weeks in my neighborhood, but we're talking WM so that's no suprise I guess.

[JediJman]

Hasn't the Vader/rebel set only been repacked once thus far? IIRC after the original TAC release, that set only had deco changes that came in later TAC case revisions.

I think there have been at least two.  The first version came with mostly black vader.  Then there was a TAC repack in a later wave with bluish aps on the Vader.  And now we have a second repack in the Legacy packaging.

Personally, I don't think that pack is the problem.  Just like the Han Trooper/Chewie and Luke/R2 packs, these seem to sell thru eventually, at least around me.  There's always some residual demand for these core characters, so I don't mind a repack of these guys every 3-4 waves. 

I also don'tsubscribe to the theory that EU figures are not in demand.  They have sold well in previous waves and the price of the comic packs is still pretty fair at $13 in most places.  There's a lot of interest in the upcoming basic figure EU wave, so there's obviously some demand out there.  I don't even mind the goofy comic paint jobs (blue shading on stormtroopers with red eyes?), but maybe that has hurt demand among some collectors.

Personally, I blame the poor sales on the timing/distribution of the cases and the sheer number of repacks out there.  The latest wave has just three new sets of figures versus 5 repacks.  The repacks are not core characters, so I can see where these might be pilingup fast in some areas.  That mix of figures makes no sense to me - there are still people in MN that are having trouble finding the latest 3 figs. 

The other issue is timing.  I have two Wal-Marts near me that have only recently re-stocked with old cases of the Tobbi/Leia/Fenn/Dengar wave.  One store got two cases of them within the last couple months - how are they ever going to push through 16 old packs that have been available for a year already?   I'm not sure if this a Wal-Mart DC issue or Hasbro shipping this stuff late, but seems like an average individual store shouldn't be getting more than 2-4 cases of the same stuff. 

Be it demand or distribution, having the same old stuff on the pegs for a year or so is going to hurt the line.  I really like all of the new CPs shown thus far and will still be picking up 2x of each...assuming I ever see them. 

[Scott]

I wasn't saying there isn't demand for EU figures...I am saying there IS a segment of the collecting world that will not buy EU figures (or are more selective in those purchases).  While the quantaties of packs made and repacks haven't helped, neither does trying to sell the same product to fewer people.

[Jesse James]

Agreed, that there's a demand for EU, but I'm with Scott that EU isn't basic...  The demand isn't equal, and when the demand becomes less equal we see less interest.  I think that's the basic negative that impacts a lot of the more obscure basic figures like Yarna...

I gotta say, if they never made Yarna, I'd not have been upset by that.  I don't know if that sentiment puts me in the minority or the majority though.  It seems to me though, EU is generally second tier...  Or third.  Some of it's very liked, some of it isn't...  I think that break-up in demand is what hurts it.  I've barely bought any Marvel figures at all.  Luke/Lumiya is the only set off the top of my head that I think I have bought maybe. 

But how many Marvel sets have come out?  That's a lot of stuff that I, as a fairly devoted consumer, have passed on.  I'm falling into a similar pattern with $25 vehicle assortment items.  I'm just passing...  Some of it's nice but I just can't justify the price, and some of it just doesn't appeal to me anymore.  I'm becoming the statistic of lost sales Hasbro's witnessed in the last year or two, I guess. 

Locally most of my stores don't have a massive glut of comic packs.  There's room for more, especially Target which has very, very few on the pegs.  I'd say at least half my WM's are the same, and the other half have semi-full pegs...  Most of those stores (WM's) have a lot of their exclusive wave still left, which they all got a TON of cases of the exclusive wave.  It sold out at all other stores pretty well save for the odd pack here and there.  Those did really well here.

This is just my take though of course, from what I see locally.  There's a lot of space for new, and nobody ordering it because it's slowed down in sales...  It's probably even more annoying than having a glut of stuff on the pegs, actually.  At least that the problem's visually obvious.  With comic packs it's almost like the retailers have given up on them completely here.

[Corax]

I guess the question I'm left with now is how are comic packs ordered?  Is it like basice figures that are automatically re-ordered by the system once a certain amount sells or is it all done manually?  I know my local Wal-Mart is set up to re-order automatically but are they all like that?  The reason why I ask that is because it changes the landscape if the store's computers are placing the orders and there isn't anything there to replenish the stock, rather than an independent department manager saying 'Oh these aren't selling.'  I guess the easiest way to find out what's going on with these is either a direct question to Hasbro or see what the bigger chains of Wal-Marts and Targets do during their next reset.