Wow, only since 05? That's surprising. I would've guessed it was up longer than that.
Yeah short of assortment number information, which I assume is kept track of to some degree, I don't know. Individual figure UPC's matter at all other retailers though, so I imagine they get maybe better tracking info from a TRU or WM then? Or they too just maybe go by assortment numbers. Hasbro will say, "X figure sold really well..." though.
I never see the Hasbro reps people have seen over the years... Separate topic of course, but it just strikes me weird that I think I have seen a Hasbro rep two times since 1995 in a toy aisle. I don't know how important they are (were?), or if they even still do that?