Target Exclusive Imperial Shuttle

[Darth_Anton]

Please enlighten us.

Just call it a hunch.

It'd say that chances are remote since there has never before been a SW black Friday release and every time people have speculated about one, it never happened.

[ruiner]

Really?

I thought TRU did one about four years back on basic figures...

 

[ruiner]

Please enlighten us.

Just call it a hunch.

You're the mole from inside Hasbro, aren't you?  That's why you're so damn proficient with the QNA thread - you have them typed out weeks in advance.

[Jeff]

I thought TRU did one about four years back on basic figures...

Yeah, but those were not a new release or an exclusive item.  I think that is what Anton means.  Like last year, Target had the LEGO Falcon on sale on Black Friday for $50, but it had been out for a while and wasn't a new release nor an exclusive item.

Every year there is always Black Friday speculation for some unreleased excluisve item.  For example, last year everyone was speculating that the Separation of the Twins would be a Black Friday special.  But, just like last year, it's never turned out that a store started offering their exclusive on Black Friday. 

I think that most retailers already know that you will be making a special trip looking for the exclusives, so they use the other stuff, the regular release stuff, to attract you into the store because you are saving money versus another store.  No need to sell the exclusive stuff that day since you have to buy that stuff at their store anyway.

[ruiner]

The price (if it's true) is throwing me off.

Why were all of the other vehicles exclusives this year so darn expensive but this one is half what it originally was (plus two pack in figures)?

And why not do an exclusive for Black Friday?  Personally, I don't think it's worth fighting the crowds to save a little $$ on everyday items.

Maybe the retailers have changed their strategies a little to get collectors (and not just gift givers) in their stores on Black Friday?

All I'm saying is that it's plausible - I just don't know how else you can jusify the $59.99 price for an exclusive big box item.

 

[Darth_Anton]

I think the $60 price tag is what it should be in the first place. I think the reason why FAO had it at $125 is because they're FAO and charge a premium for everything.

[Matt]

You're the mole from inside Hasbro, aren't you?  That's why you're so damn proficient with the QNA thread - you have them typed out weeks in advance.

You caught me! 

Here's the scoop:  I have a Word document saved in which I've got several different questions already typed out, only with blanks for the specific item that's being asked about.  Like this:

"Hey Hasbro, I sure would like to see more ________.  Especially a _______________.  When will this happen?"

Or this:

"Question: Where's my _______________ figure?  I can't believe you haven't made one yet!"

Or this:

"Any chance of a _______________ any time soon?  My __________________ needs something to ________!  C'mon, Hasbro!"


And then, on Q & A Friday, all I have to do is go through and plug in the variables, like so:

"Hey Hasbro, I sure would like to see more (playsets).  Especially a (Death Star playset).  When will this happen?"

Or this:

"Question: Where's my (Super-articulated Jedi Luke Skywalker) figure?  I can't believe you haven't made one yet!"

Or this:

"Any chance of a (Twin-Pod Cloud Car) any time soon?  My (Cloud Car Pilot) needs something to (pilot)!  C'mon, Hasbro!"

Saves a buttload of time.  And what's great is, it works just as well for the answers, too:

"We've looked at __________, but they just don't seem viable for the marketplace at this time."

Or this:

"Interesting idea!  A _______________________ figure is something we've been wanting to do for a long time.  Check back after ________."

Or this:

"We have no ___________________ planned for ____.  Maybe in ____."

(You guys can print those out and write in your own answers, if you want.  It's fun!)

Close.

[Matt]

The price (if it's true) is throwing me off.

Why were all of the other vehicles exclusives this year so darn expensive but this one is half what it originally was (plus two pack in figures)?

And why not do an exclusive for Black Friday?  Personally, I don't think it's worth fighting the crowds to save a little $$ on everyday items.

Maybe the retailers have changed their strategies a little to get collectors (and not just gift givers) in their stores on Black Friday?

All I'm saying is that it's plausible - I just don't know how else you can jusify the $59.99 price for an exclusive big box item.

 

Jeff and Anton are right.  Every year, people always think there's gonna be some really cool Black Friday deal with Star Wars, be it an exclusive item, or a new wave of figures, or what have you, but that rarely, if ever, pans out.  The only BF deals I ever remember seeing have been things like "25% off all Star Wars toys" or "Buy two figures, get one free," things like that.  Usually at TRU.

It's easy to do sales like that, but a big item like the Shuttle would be a logistical nightmare.  They ship, what, two to a case?  And you'd want to have at least a couple dozen of them for that morning.  And they're huge.  And they're a low-demand item.  People are out that day looking for cheap George Foreman grills, not big-ass vehicles from a 23-year-old movie.

And on the price--Like Anton said, it's not that the Target Shuttle is really cheap, it's that the FAO Shuttle was really expensive.  $60 is much closer to where it should be than $120 or whatever it was. 

[ruiner]

We all know $120 was too expensive but if you compare a $60 shuttle with the recently released CW gunship at $45 with NO figures, there's something awry.

And this comment (or lack thereof) from Hasbro:

From SWcollector.com: The Target computer system is showing an Imperial Shuttle (DCPI #087-06-0483) coming with a $59.99 price tag. Is this a repack of the old FAO Schwarz exclusive, or is it something from another line?

Hasbro: No comment.

I'm suspicious, that's all.

[Matt]

Well, clearly, they're not ready to announce it yet.  But that doesn't mean that it's gonna be a Black Friday thing--it just means that they're not ready to announce it yet. 

[ruiner]

 

If I'm right, you can buy me lunch.

If I'm wrong, you can let me hear about it.

[Matt]

If I'm right, you can buy me lunch.

If I'm wrong, you can let me hear about it.

I'll do you one better--if you're right, I'll pay for your Shuttle.

And if I'm right, then yes, just allow me the pleasure of wallowing in my own satisfaction.

How'd that be?

[ruiner]

That's a mighty big bet there Matt.  Now I'm convinced you work for the Big H.

Don't worry, your secret is safe with me.

 

[Artoo]

Pics are up at Scum home page. Is that another 500th Vader or maybe a movie acurate Evo Vader?

[Dressel Rebel]

You're the mole from inside Hasbro, aren't you? 

He can't be the mole.  Because I'm pretty sure he's already Larry David.  It'd be hard to pull both jobs off at the same time.


I've decided for $59 I'm finally going to get this shuttle.  Not giving FAO once cent for this item really made me happy.  Soon after I passed on the item, they went out of business in Boston.  That's what you get for charging $9.99 for a basic figure and the "privelege" of shopping in their much heralded store.

But now at Target, $59 is fair and I'll take it.