Author Topic: 2009: Worst Distribution Year Ever?  (Read 37860 times)

Offline Rob

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Re: 2009: Worst Distribution Year Ever?
« Reply #120 on: November 6, 2009, 09:29 AM »
Yeah, I'm skipping the Interceptor, but I have to pick up the other two.

Offline Jabba the Slug

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Re: 2009: Worst Distribution Year Ever?
« Reply #121 on: November 7, 2009, 10:57 PM »
TLC is making a healthy comeback to my local Targets. The ROTJ wave is hitting hard (the TPM wave not so much), but Malakilli is starting to pegwarm. Please, NOT ANOTHER YARNA!
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Offline speedermike

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Re: 2009: Worst Distribution Year Ever?
« Reply #122 on: November 8, 2009, 09:34 PM »
I still have seen no red card TLC at Target or TRU.  I found the E1 wave a few weeks ago at a Wal-Mart.
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Offline jedi_master_sal

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Re: 2009: Worst Distribution Year Ever?
« Reply #123 on: November 9, 2009, 03:02 PM »
I had hoped to army build the gungan. To date I have 2 of them.
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Offline Keonobi

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Re: 2009: Worst Distribution Year Ever?
« Reply #124 on: November 9, 2009, 03:07 PM »
I don't toy hunt as often as some JDers, but the lack of selection lately is really annoying.  One store me has left overs from the ROTJ wave (two Rancor Keeper, i got the last B-Wing Sullustian), I found Cody and the Utai from ROTS, I've seen nothing from ANH.  But I could still get a Yarna or either Organa at any one of a half dozen stores locally (Albany isn't all that big a town, one TRU, about a dozen Walmarts locally and about 5 Targets).  Soon we'll be looking at four full waves that have been extremely hit and miss, and that's all on the Legacy side of the line.... :(
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Offline Jesse James

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Re: 2009: Worst Distribution Year Ever?
« Reply #125 on: November 9, 2009, 03:15 PM »
I'm in the exact same boat Keonobi, so don't feel alone.  I've got a laundry list of what I've yet to see...

-No Rum Sleg (got the rest of the wave, mostly online)
-Saw ROTJ Wave at K-Mart only and Sullustan Pilot at Target (got what I have online otherwise)
-No ROTS wave at all
-No ANH wave at all
-No AT-ST at all
-Just recently saw the Gunship Turret battlepacks once, never seen them before or since
-Never seen the new Comic packs in stores, just repack remnants
-Never saw the Geonosis Arena 2-packs in stores save for a Yoda/Droideka set, though they are in the stockroom at several Targets locally which never put stuff out in a timely manner.


What I do see are Clone Wars waves steadily come in and go (though I only have seen Bane once now, last night), and Legends crap galore.

Legacy's basically non-existant locally at this point and it's not even coming into Hasbro Toy Shop much where I'd probably buy it all if they had full (or at least mostly full) waves available.
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Offline JES

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Re: 2009: Worst Distribution Year Ever?
« Reply #126 on: November 9, 2009, 04:56 PM »
Jesse I know you're on the East cost like me, not sure on Kenobi, but it seems we're suffering here on this side of the country.

I have seen the Gunship BP sets though more than anything else. I have four I wanted and must have seen at least another four sets that I left behind.

I have seen the comic sets (Vong, etc) once at Kmart. Saw the remains (repacks) once at TRU and saw the Vong (and remains) at one Walmart once. Target is just a total **** hole for anything in ages. I mean no figure waves, BP's, comic sets... nothing...

I have seen a lot of AT-ST's in the last week. Dewback have seen a few, but not many so far.

TPM wave hit WalMarts here, but one case per store in the few stores I saw it at. ROTJ at KMart, but... they had a good four cases worth. They also hit once at one WalMart. Just grabbed the mixed ANH/ROTS wave from (of all places) TRU last week

Offline JES

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Re: 2009: Worst Distribution Year Ever?
« Reply #127 on: November 9, 2009, 04:58 PM »
Opps hit post by accident...

I know it doesn't seem that bad to some, but people are finding wave after wave at several stores and more than once. Most of the stuff I have seen was total **** luck that I had happened to go to the store when I did. Hell people that collect the Mattel DC Universe line are bitching about the wave 10 exclsuive Wally wave and I have seen them a good three to four times. Meanwhile stuff I collect and want I can not find.

Offline Keonobi

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Re: 2009: Worst Distribution Year Ever?
« Reply #128 on: November 9, 2009, 05:02 PM »
JES, I'm near Albany, NY, so yeah, the East Coast is either its usually 3-4 weeks behind the rest of the country, or the thread title is pretty accurate.  Kinda funny that the only place I've seen ROTJ was at KMart too.
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Offline JES

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Re: 2009: Worst Distribution Year Ever?
« Reply #129 on: November 9, 2009, 05:06 PM »
Yeah, we're always slooow getting goods on our side of the country Kenobi, but man this **** blows (and not in a good way) this year.

I saw the ROTJ wave at one WalMart once. It was the revision with Ugnaught... and some ****** opened the case took the Ugnaught and left the case on the floor. WTF. I mean even if you own the Nikto guards and Slave Leia would you really leave them behind. Some of the best figures this year.

Offline Jesse James

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Re: 2009: Worst Distribution Year Ever?
« Reply #130 on: November 9, 2009, 08:42 PM »
Yup, we're always in a bit of a toy rut it seems...  For battlepacks we've been so clogged with Jabba CW3D sets, I think that's part of the reason we didn't see the Pod packs till recently.  I have really zero hope of seeing those other new ones that are out now save for etail.

I'm going to do a bit of a big loop tomorrow night and see how things go...  I must say my patience with collecting is as tested now as it ever has been.  It's annoying right now to the point part of me wants to take a break from it.  Might be worth it, I don't know.

So far there has only been one report locally of the AT-ST found in the area...  A couple scalper guys I know even have said they've never seen it anywhere and they're usually out and about in a broader area than I am, that usually do better on distribution than my haunts.  Nada though.
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Offline McMetal

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Re: 2009: Worst Distribution Year Ever?
« Reply #131 on: November 10, 2009, 12:09 PM »
I think we're feeling the crunch from several directions. Stores are ordering less, Hasbro is producing less, there's more competition with holiday shoppers, etc.

I think it's very much a function of your local area and your focus as to what your perception is. I bitch and moan as much as anyone, but I've never had any trouble finding the new comic packs, for example. The Targets around here are littered with Geonosis arena sets, and I've even seen a strong showing of AT-ST's in the past week.

But no sign of the new wave of Battle Packs, and very few Dewbacks so far.

I do think we're at the point where they just need to go ahead and release anything due for the rest of the year. We're down to 6 weeks of shopping before Christmas, for god's sake. (Target - why are you sitting on the Ryloth and Abregado battle packs - THIS IS ASININE! Don't you see the benefit of stocking these for holiday shoppers?!?!)
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Offline Jeff

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Re: 2009: Worst Distribution Year Ever?
« Reply #132 on: November 10, 2009, 12:20 PM »
(Target - why are you sitting on the Ryloth and Abregado battle packs - THIS IS ASININE! Don't you see the benefit of stocking these for holiday shoppers?!?!)

Because every year they hold a few new items so that they have something new to draw you in for the big post-Thanksgiving shopping weekend.  If they put them out now, you'd buy them and you might not come back.  By doling out things slowly, it keeps you coming back to the store again and again.  This is the way it's been at Target the past few years, it shouldn't be a surprise at this point they are holding the CW BPs and the SotE-inspired TIE Fighter for that weekend.
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Offline Scott

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Re: 2009: Worst Distribution Year Ever?
« Reply #133 on: November 10, 2009, 12:32 PM »
Can't find the hot new toy? Blame the economy

Case closed...retail is not ordering product like it did in the past...end of the discussion

Offline efranks

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Re: 2009: Worst Distribution Year Ever?
« Reply #134 on: November 10, 2009, 12:39 PM »
I wouldn't say that's case closed.  What I'm seeing isn't a lack of new product when it comes to the basic action figures, it's the fact that Target is still stocking year old merchandise because Hasbro/Target never cleared it from their inventory.  That's backing up new shipments.

There may be less, but the crappy distribution of product, sometimes due to the automatic computer ordering systems, is keeping what there is from hitting shelves in some areas.  That's a broken system, IMO, not a manufacturer or retail store scaling back.

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