Walmart TVC "Original 96" Exclusives

[Nicklab]

I got the first of the two Leia's that I ordered.  When I saw that it was a single figure I was completely expecting it to arrive in a bubble mailer envelope.  But it arrived in a shipping box (which had suffered some kind of spill).  And miraculously the card was in decent condition.

I also got a shipping notification for one of the four AT-ST Driver's that I ordered.  All told I ordered 8 figures, and yet the first two are coming individually.  WTAF, Walmart?  Get your shipping logistics together in something approximating efficiency.

[Dave]

Have the cards gotten even thinner and flimsier on these figures?  I got a Paploo in the mail yesterday and the card is all warped but feels really weak.

I'm an opener so it really doesn't bother me, but feel for those that are trying to get a mint carded version.

[Matt_Fury]

I've done a couple of more reviews:

AT-ST Driver.

Endor Leia.

[Jedi Idej]

Have yet to watch the Leia review. The AT-ST is a nice one. Didn't realize who the likeness was of. Now I have to search if I have the other version with the likeness of the other guy.

As for shipping, I an liking OnTrac more and more. Got an email from Walmart that a figure had shipped. Clicked and saw Paploo went out yesterday from Southern California... and was already dropped off at my front door this afternoon. Sure it's only 400 miles, but 1 day+ from a Sunday is still impressive.

Meanwhile, after scanning in IL, Endor Leia has traveled the Midwest more than I have and will arrive a day later than the initial estimate.

[Brian]

I’m honestly not usually one to stress too much about packaging, although the shipping the past couple years has been atrocious, because I generally open about everything. The exception to this is retro carded stuff, particularly the Vintage Collection, and even more specifically the figures that were in the original line.

I’ve started getting my figures in over the past week too. I ordered two of each in the hopes that maybe one of each would be passable. First was a lone Paploo, who did arrive in a box, and was in fair shape. A big crease in the bottom right of the card, but otherwise largely “ok”. I’m hoping for a minty set of TVC Original Trilogy figures, but with the WM exclusives that might be too much to ask.

Then today I got in two AT-ST Drivers, packed separately for some reason. One in a bubble mailer, pretty much destroyed. The other in a box, also destroyed (the box was too small). I’m not sure that ordering more would help. First world problem, for sure, but just a bummer.

[Matt_Fury]

I received the rest of my order from Walmart with my second Endor Leia and Paploo.  They came in a box so they were mostly ok (the Leia's card was a little warped).  Glad to have this wave complete and now I'm just waiting for the next wave for the Death Star Droid and Tusken Raider.

I did a review of the Paploo figure and compared him to his Legacy Collection release.  You can watch it here.

[Nicklab]

The 2nd figure of 8 in my order arrived - the AT-ST Driver. And again in a box that seems like it was barely big enough to hold a TVC card.  It got to me in decent condition, but the way the helmet is sitting on the figures head looks weird.

[Matt_Fury]

I saw these yesterday in my local Walmart.  They have a special endcap display and are not in the Star Wars section.  Come to think about it, there's nothing in the Star Wars section.

[Jesse James]

If there’s nothing in the Star Wars section, is it a Star Wars section anymore?  🤔

[Matt_Fury]

According to the planogram....yes.

[Nicklab]

If there’s nothing in the Star Wars section, is it a Star Wars section anymore?  🤔

It's so common to see absolutely NOTHING now.  I went into one Walmart and there wasn't anything in the action figure aisle.  The only was I was able to discern that there had ever been Star Wars inventory was by searching the peg tags to see if it might just SAY Star Wars.  To call it piss-poor distribution and merchandising is a massive understatement.

[Rob]

Very common. 

I stopped in a Walmart last weekend and they had two random toys on two random pegs.  No stock, no labels.  No SW section.

[Jeff]

To call it piss-poor distribution and merchandising is a massive understatement.

They just don't make enough stuff anymore.

  1,900 Target stores
10,526 Walmart stores

That's 12+ thousand stores.  If the current rumors are true and the average production run is about 15-25k per 3.75" figure, then there are barely enough figures to get one/two of each figure to each Target/Walmart, let alone have stock for Gamestop, Walgreens, Amazon, Pulse, EE, BBTS, etc etc.

It's no wonder everywhere you go has empty pegs.  It's hard to distribute what isn't even being made. It was much easier to stock stores when they were cranking out 50k-100k of each figure. 

[Matt_Fury]

And that's why I pre-order virtually everything.  It saves on gas.

[Jesse James]

Look how fast stuff sells out too though.  Production numbers are low low low.  It’s tough to blame hasbro because contrary to the rose-colored glasses crowd, everything would see sales and clearances, including the beloved TVC. 

And it’s not Disney’s fault.  It’s not Rey or Rose...  complacency among collectors maybe?  Prices hitting their limits to what a broader audience would support perhaps?  Look at stuff like the Tantive IV hallways.  Perfect display items for shelves and ignored.  It’s not just TVC either.  Look at the centerpieces.  Those are awesome and ultimately we’re ignored.  I don’t even like 6” and I liked those as 3.75” compatible.

There’s always excuses and finger pointing that it can’t be the collector realm’s fault, and for the diehards it isn’t.  I think it’s just now that we are seeing Hasbro adjust how the line is dialed up or down based on the size of the audience they feel is there and willing to spend money.