Clone Wars Lucasfilm 50th Anniversary wave

[Nicklab]

Thanks to Jayson / Yakface for posting these links in the wee hours this morning.  I was able to place an online order for all.

ARC Trooper Echo

Clone Pilot Hawk

Clone Wars Obi-Wan Kenobi

Clone Wars Anakin Skywalker

[Diddly]

These were all sold out online by the time I could get to them, and in a totally shocking shock, none of the 5 Targets I checked had put any of these out. Pegs were untouched, no special end cap, nothing in the Father’s Day area. Fun fun fun.

[Diddly]

Was able to secure Anakin and Pilot Hawk online this morning, so hopefully Target doesn’t cancel those orders. Still on the hunt for Echo and Kenobi. Kenobi will be especially difficult since it isn’t showing up online or in the Target app for me.

[Nicklab]

My online orders have been gradually making their way to me.  First I got Clone Pilot Hawk.  And I have to say that the packaging looks really good!  Yesterday Obi-Wan Kenobi arrived, and the improvement in the facial likeness is pretty remarkable.  Anakin and Echo arrive over the weekend.

From what I've been able to tell from the tracking data from Target, it looks like they're shipping these from stores.  I noticed this on some orders for other items I placed with Target, because the data indicated what appeared to be a store number in a city where you wouldn't expect there to be an online fulfillment center.  Thankfully Target is doing a bit better on packing items than another chain that's doing the same thing (looking at you Best Buy).  Maybe they're doing this in order to move stock from stores where product isn't moving as quickly?  It seems preferable to do that than to put so much product on clearance.

[Dave]

From what I've been able to tell from the tracking data from Target, it looks like they're shipping these from stores.  I noticed this on some orders for other items I placed with Target, because the data indicated what appeared to be a store number in a city where you wouldn't expect there to be an online fulfillment center.  Thankfully Target is doing a bit better on packing items than another chain that's doing the same thing (looking at you Best Buy).  Maybe they're doing this in order to move stock from stores where product isn't moving as quickly?  It seems preferable to do that than to put so much product on clearance.

This is exactly what Target is doing and they articulate it in the corporate strategy.  Its allowed them to lower shipping costs by having the items ideally sent from stores near you, plus it reduces the need to have dedicated e-commerce distribution centers and staff.  Their earnings have been off the charts over the past year and this is part of the reason.

I do wonder though if it makes it harder to actually find things on the pegs because the stock that would be on pegs is getting shipped.

[Pete_Fett]

Still have yet to have any luck scoring an Echo 

Hopefully, there will be more coming....

[Nicklab]

From what I've been able to tell from the tracking data from Target, it looks like they're shipping these from stores.  I noticed this on some orders for other items I placed with Target, because the data indicated what appeared to be a store number in a city where you wouldn't expect there to be an online fulfillment center.  Thankfully Target is doing a bit better on packing items than another chain that's doing the same thing (looking at you Best Buy).  Maybe they're doing this in order to move stock from stores where product isn't moving as quickly?  It seems preferable to do that than to put so much product on clearance.

This is exactly what Target is doing and they articulate it in the corporate strategy.  Its allowed them to lower shipping costs by having the items ideally sent from stores near you, plus it reduces the need to have dedicated e-commerce distribution centers and staff.  Their earnings have been off the charts over the past year and this is part of the reason.

I do wonder though if it makes it harder to actually find things on the pegs because the stock that would be on pegs is getting shipped.

It's definitely food for thought.  On one item I ordered (not a Star Wars item) I was able to discern that it came from a store that's 10 miles from my house, but it had to go through a whole chain of UPS handling it.  That seems to be where this isn't completely efficient.  But on the flipside I saw an IG post from Yakface of around 50 6" Echo's on a shelf.  This way of fulfilling online orders definitely has to have a positive impact on that kind of situation.

As far as the packing goes?  Target has done a good job on these items for me so far.  Now if only Best Buy can fulfill their orders in a similar fashion!

[Diddly]

I was somehow able to secure Echo today using the Store Pickup in the Target App; I guess a local store got some in and I was early enough for them to actually go to the aisle and grab the figure for me. So now I only need the Kenobi.

[Diddly]

And got Kenobi this afternoon from a store across town. Sucked to drive all that way but even the gas I burned would be far cheaper than succumbing to the secondary market!

[JediJman]

I managed to drop into the local toy show this weekend shortly before they closed and counted at least six tables that had some combination of these 4 for sale.  Some were priced as low as $25-30, others were $50-60.  I get that there will always be some presence of scalpers/flippers in the collecting community, but I take some small satisfaction knowing that many of the scum that buy this stuff just to turn a profit on other collectors are not getting the silly inflated prices they had hoped.

[Dave]

Glad Target seemed to make enough to go around with these.