Target Exclusive Clone Trooper

[speedermike]

I hava a crummy story about the Traget Clone...I went to Target on Saturday night around 9:00 to get some formula for the baby.  Naturally, I look to see if there are any new figures, or even the exclusive.  Jackpot!  I find #37-44 inclusing the SA Clone. I saw no exclusives.  Anyway, after  getting the baby's stuff, I head to checkout.  I would never consider shopping on a Saturday night a family event, but I guess many do.  The place was mobbed.  Each register was abut 10 carts deep.

After 15 minutes in line, I buy all of my stuff and head out.  On my way to the doors I spot carts full of returns, and a Target Clone sitting on top.  I look at the lines again.  They're just too long to wait in again.  I stand there for a moment and try to figure out what to do.  Honestly, I considered trying to walk out with it.  But I chucked it back on the returns and went home.

So, maybe I'll never have one, but I have my dignity!!

[Rob]

So, who else was stupid enough to get up early at try to find this Clone?

I already had the Clone, but I woke up early hoping to find 41-44.  And I didn't.  At the 4 targets I went to I ran into more than one obvious nascar guy who was looking for the clone and only the clone.

At one store, the SECOND we walked through the front door of the store, two guys say to us 'okay guys, what's the deal on this exclusive star wars thing?'

Translation:  I know jack **** about SW, could care less about SW, but am out here at the crack of dawn looking for a potentially rare collectible I can make a quick buck off of.

We just politely told him that they all got sold about 2 weeks ago and that there wasn't any point looking - if nothing else, just trying to throw him off the trail.

[knashdx]

The 2 Targets I hit here in MN I did not see any of the new 41-44 stuff. I was able to pick up the repacked Anakin with Dooku sword, and after calling a couple stores I was able to land the Operation table Darth Vader and Yoda with Dragonfly.

[Ben]

Hey, how did these bastards get ahold of these? And how are they able to sell it to us for the low, low price of $18?

OMGCNFO.

Well (naturally) this site has that price beat.

Forty dollars?!?!

The lows just keep getting lower.

I guess I'll give it a few months or years and let the prices go down. Look at Sacul. Mad high prices for a few months, now it's down to somewhat-affordable-not-pissing-off-the-significant-other realm.

[Ben]

Forgive the RS linky, but it looks like there's a glimmer of hope after all.

Eww...RS linky.

[Nathan]

A thought ... should this be retitled something like "Target Exclusive $13 Clone Trooper" to more accurately reflect the contents? That's what the thread evolved into, and the other items mentioned in the opening post now have their own threads.

Or you could split the thread I suppose.

[Ryan]

So, who else was stupid enough to get up early at try to find this Clone?

I was. But I did get a clone. We had to ask an employee, luckily we hadthe DCPI number. He went in the back and brought out a case, the store only got one case in the shippment, by the time eveyone got theirs there were 3 left. And the guy, who was a manager, told us they are only getting one more shippment. So lucky for me I don't have to worry anymore.

Oh and on a happy note, there were 2 scalpers there waiting while my friend yodafan2, on these boards, went into the back with the manager, they thought that he left and there were no clones. So the scalpers left 30 seconds before the clones were brought out, so the scalpers didn't get ****.

[Pete_Fett]

There is a report on RS that there will be a second wave of these shipped to Target - however, from talking with my friend who works for Hasbro, he thinks that the Target exclusive will be a rolling exclusive of differently painted clones. So for example, while these are the clones that are serving under Commander Neyo, we might next see the Red & Blue Shocktrooper Clones.

[evenflow]

Thats cool if they have some more versions, but th eprice tag still sucks!

[Dressel Rebel]

from talking with my friend who works for Hasbro, he thinks that the Target exclusive will be a rolling exclusive of differently painted clones. So for example, while these are the clones that are serving under Commander Neyo, we might next see the Red & Blue Shocktrooper Clones.

Cool, more $5 figures for me to leave on the pegs for those who are too willing to pay $14 for them.

[Brian]

Although I definitely want more Clonetrooper color/squad variations, enough with the exclusives already.  This one, while overpriced, was kind of neat...but I don't want to be paying $13 every time we want a different Clone.  Plus, why limit themselves that way?  You know these would sell in bunches, even if sold everywhere instead of being limited to Target.

[Dressel Rebel]

Although I definitely want more Clonetrooper color/squad variations, enough with the exclusives already.  This one, while overpriced, was kind of neat...but I don't want to be paying $13 every time we want a different Clone.  Plus, why limit themselves that way?  You know these would sell in bunches, even if sold everywhere instead of being limited to Target.

I may be a little too critical of those who are actually buying these things at 2.5x the fair price because I'm a customizer.  I already have made several of each of 5 color/decor variants of clone troopers because I bought about 70 EIII clones thus far.  I'm good enough at it now that you can just barely tell the difference between one of my paint jobs, and one of Hasbro's.  The main reason I collect Star Wars if for troop building and battle dioramas.  I already have Felucia grunts, Red Coruscants shock troopers, Blue 501st special ops, Neyo's grunts, and Commander Bly.  So I'm not really driven to shell out $14 per figure, especially when I usually buy upwards of 50 of each army builder (gotta love the wookiee army, whew).  But guys, in all seriousness, if you keep supporting this bull**** everytime Hasbro makes an "exclusive" figure at 2-3x the fair price, especially if it's an army builder, you're really helping to kill the hobby the same way Topps slaughtered baseball card collecting in 1993.  This has got to stop.

[DoctorPadawan]

Plus, why limit themselves that way?  You know these would sell in bunches, even if sold everywhere instead of being limited to Target.

Because they would take up valuable space in case assortments that could otherwise be used for reshipping the first two Obi-Wans, Anakins, and Yodas.   

(even though I'm being sarcastic, I'm sure someone at Hasbro does think this way...just look at the future case assortments in Collection 1 for later this summer)

[Darth_Anton]

there will be a second wave of these shipped to Target - however, from talking with my friend who works for Hasbro, he thinks that the Target exclusive will be a rolling exclusive of differently painted clones. So for example, while these are the clones that are serving under Commander Neyo, we might next see the Red & Blue Shocktrooper Clones.

That would be such a slap in the face. I dpn't think it will happen like that though.

[JesseVader08]

I'm all for more Clones with unique paint jobs, but I think Target and Hasbro are kidding themselves if they think we'll keep paying $13 a piece for these.  Once is okay, I can usually accept that when dealing with exclusives.  But if they repeat this again and again, I think they'll find that people will simply refuse to keep  doing so.