Hasbro Q&A Sessions

[commandernarra]

Can't believe Sandtroopers posted that last question, about the Organas:
QUESTION:  Now that  Hasbro has "supposedly" went around to some stores in some areas and removed the "peg warmers" of Yarna, Trinto Duaba, etc. - how long will it be before we can expect those figures to ship in the Legends line?

ANSWER:  It is not "supposed" - we *did* have our legions of retail folk pull back a number of slower moving figures including Yarna, Ak-Rev, the Organas, and Cantina aliens in order to remove them from retailer inventory and stimulate shipment of new waves. They are being destroyed and will never ship, in any form, again.  Was the comment about Legends just poking fun, or did you think we actually repacked poor-selling figures onto new cards?
 Man that shows some Balls...

[JACKOFTRADZE]

That's really a dickish way to ask a question. It's things like that that have the potential to ruin it for everybody. That question could have been simply worded like what happens to recalled inventory. (BTW they are not destroying it, HTS will resell them,. It may take years but it cost more money to destroy them That or they will be donated to charity for the write off)

I am glad Hasbro answered them back with disbelief. They should be kicked out of Q&A for that, not cool at all.

[Darth_Anton]

Too bad I already have 50+ prior versions that will one day be obsolete.   

Depends. The basic sculpt is still the same. It's not like they're going to be a Commtech to VOTC upgrade.

[David]

That's really a dickish way to ask a question. It's things like that that have the potential to ruin it for everybody. That question could have been simply worded like what happens to recalled inventory. (BTW they are not destroying it, HTS will resell them,. It may take years but it cost more money to destroy them That or they will be donated to charity for the write off)

I am glad Hasbro answered them back with disbelief. They should be kicked out of Q&A for that, not cool at all.

WOW. And if I remember correctly, this isn't the first time Sandtroopers has stated a question doucheishly. I think there should definitely be some consequences for this kind of thing, like a temporary ban or something.

[Nicklab]

That's really a dickish way to ask a question. It's things like that that have the potential to ruin it for everybody. That question could have been simply worded like what happens to recalled inventory. (BTW they are not destroying it, HTS will resell them,. It may take years but it cost more money to destroy them That or they will be donated to charity for the write off)

I am glad Hasbro answered them back with disbelief. They should be kicked out of Q&A for that, not cool at all.

The 'Troops have a track record of not pulling any punches with the Q&A sessions.  And they'll have to deal with the consequences of their tone.

I help run the Q&A process over at JTA, and we've got some standards for what questions we submit and the tone in which we ask a question.  Treat the folks at Hasbro with some respect, and guess what?  They're going play nice with you and occassionally confirm something you're asking about.  Treat them like garbage?  Then they're less than likely to give you something that's newsworthy.

[McMetal]

Yeah, I was reading this earlier and found the question and answer both curious.

I simply cannot believe they would simply destroy those figures.

[Jesse James]

Wow, well...  uhm, ok. 

We get some rough questions here too (griping is a big thing that has improved and helped the line evolve since its beginings), and I've never been a guy who feels Hasbro deserves to have slack cut them for anything.  They're a business, we're consumers, and so there's a set relationship there.  I also don't think Hasbro, as professionals, would hold anything against the masses...  It's been suggested in the past, but I don't think it's realistic.  They're not kids who get so hurt by the opinion of a collector at some site, that they'd shut everyone off and take their ball and go home.

What I do think though, is that you are attempting a professional presentation of the site you "work" for...  You need to be equally professional in your correspondence, and that's disappointing to read, actually.  Is editing "fair" to the reader?  Perhaps, and perhaps not...  Then again websites aren't places where readers are entitled to anything either.

Do I agree that the Legends line is a problem?  To a degree, yes, and I think Hasbro should maybe listen to the collecting world somewhat, at least, on the Legends assortment (and perhaps trying harder to meld Legacy/Legends into one line again and not attempting 3 separate lines, but I digress).

I can also attest to seeing figures like Yarna, the Organa's and whatnot being pulled...  There's nothing "supposed" to that, and it was simply a fact.  I'm sure some are still out there though.  I know locally we do have some still lingering on (and on and on and on it seems).  But really, if you wanted to know what those figure's demise ultimately was, you probably should've just asked that point blank, and attempted less sarcasm (or taken the past "word" that they get destroyed as the answer, and just left it at that).  Again, professionalism.

Hasbro's been that courteous back to the community, without trying to dump on things the fans like or want, so fair is fair obviously...  Someone could ask for a new AT-AT, and Hasbro could reply saying, "What are you, retarded!?  The current one is as good as it ever will get, and if you think you can do better then build one yourself", or something.  Of course, a reader/viewer has his or her opinion and expresses it however they want, but I don't think I'd want to convey a **** attitude towards Hasbro through a question from a reader.  It could've been edited to be a tad more polite while still addressing the issue it brings up of course, without losing the underlying tone that collector's aren't happy with what they're seeing with the Legacy or Legends Line and a backlog of pegwarmers.

I could rattle off a butt-ton of things I'm not happy about...  

-I want that 2nd Hoth Trooper headsculpt in some quantity someday.
-I would like to see a lower price on figures overall.
-There's a handful of figures I'd like to see done because they're overdue.
-I'd like to see some ships/vehicles improved that are 30 years old here now.

But I doubt I drop a   in with some snide remarks, hoping to hear positive news on those fronts...  ya know?  Or any news really...  It's not really worth a response at that point.

[Brian]

I was sort of surprised that in this round of Q and A's, Hasbro confirmed that there would be no ANH wave in 2010 (but it would be the first wave of 2011).  I guess we did get (or will) two 8 figure waves from that movie this year though, and it has gotten a fair amount of attention lately when the OT has actually been featured in the line.  I'm guessing we'll get a couple of waves focused on ESB with the anniversary, and we know there is at least one ROTJ wave on the way with a few confirmations from past Q and A's.  If they are counting the EU wave as the first of 2010, I wonder what the rest of the year will look like?  I suppose we could piece things together a bit from past Q and A confirmations, and knowing that they are planning on 40-45 figures for the year (which would probably be around 7 waves or so).  I just hope it isn't incredibly PT heavy since we're not getting any waves from ANH, we've had enough of that over the past few years (although this year will be better).

[CHEWIE]

I hope they're not destroying figures.  If they want to go that route, donating them to charity would make more sense... Christmas is right around the corner.

[Jesse James]

If they're destroying them, I have a feeling it's because they feel "why should a kid get a figure nobody wants", ya know?  Most companies do donate, and would probably donate more worthy toys like CW figures or other things a child would more actively want, than a six-tittied fat chick, or whatnot...

For some reason I recall that being mentioned in the past, as to a possible reason why figures get "destroyed".  I know though that it's not been a mystery as to what happens to them as well, as Hasbro's said in the past that figures pulled are generally destroyed.

Would a kid be excited to get the Organa's?  I don't know. 

[GrandMoffNick]

One year my dad and step-mom had to get us stuff from Santa Anonymous. We got a basketball, pencil sharpener, and something else I forget. I would have been thrilled to get an action figure even if I didn't know the line it was from let alone if it had been SW.

[Jesse James]

I'll rephrase my thought I guess some...  Kids aren't maybe picky about it, but the company perhaps feels they should donate things that they know will be more appealing to kids.

In local donation programs the "rules" generally imply to give something you'd want to give to your own children, or think they would enjoy...  I think some of it is the thought behind the item, rather than giving the "leftovers" to the kids who can't afford stuff.

I'm sure Hasbro donates a lot of toys every year...  I'm not against them destroying cast-offs that they feel aren't something a child would be happy getting, or that it's just going to a poor child because nobody else wanted it...  If that makes any sense.

[McMetal]

I disagree about the donation stuff. Why do there have to be any RULES at all? Why qualify a charitable gesture?

When charities run can drives, people always donate their least used items. And they are happy to have them. I don't see why it would be any different for action figures.

Something is always better than nothing. Who's to say what will appeal to kids and what won't?

I think it is an obscene waste of time and money to destroy any action figure that is still serviceable.

[Jesse James]

Hasbro's pretty good at discerning what they think kids will like, or not...  considering the business they're in.  Toys and food aren't exactly comparable either.  I personally try to donate food that I think a family would appreciate having more when I donate to the food group locally, but sometimes I send things I didn't want/like.  I've donated toys I "didn't have a use for" as well, but that's because I figure it's better than ME destroying it since I can't do anything else with it.  Who knows, maybe a kid got it and was disappointed in it?  Kids are kids afterall...  I can't blame them really.

The local toy drive which the PSWCS puts on every year with Toys for Tots asks for Star Wars toy donations that are packaged and some other "rules" (they're not really rules, more like guidelines) that you should donate something nice that you think a kid would like.  I think Lightsabers make cool gifts for that every year because of how much kids like the role-play stuff.  I try not to unload just old stuff I don't want or which I don't think a kid would like.

Hasbro doesn't have "rules", just their own set of standards I suppose as well, as to whether they donate it or not...  or so it would seem.

I could be completely wrong too, and Hasbro are just pricks and want to destroy this stuff rather than donate it, but I really don't know...  Maybe someone at some site should ask that?  I do know that their destruction isn't new news though, and Episode 1 toys, Episode 2 toys and other stuff in the past has been canned after it was pulled off shelves by Hasbro reps and sent back.  Hasbro could try (since they probably paid to take it off the shelves at retail) to sell it to TJ Maxx or another bulk overstock store as well, but I guess incineration is better?  Who knows.

[Greedo The Green Menace]

So when these things get incinerated, what then? Can the melted down plastic be re-used? Seems horribly un eco friendly.