Wal-Mart Droid Factory Sets

[Jeff]

Maybe I'm missing the advertisements, but with the exception of the Target Imperial Shuttles, I can't recall seeing an significant advertising for any big box exclusives. 

Really?  Target usually (almost always) puts their exclusives in the weekly ad at some point.  Plus they ran a whole promotion around the original '07 UBPs, with a figure contest and everything.  TRU often advertises them as well... especially if they are tied to a new DVD or movie or something.

[Keonobi]

Jeff, forgot about some of that advertising (skipped the UBPs and a lot of the TRU exclusives...), but I think the people who buy a set simply because it has a character they've heard of (Darth Vader, Luke, Han or Chewie) aren't going to be pulled in by that.  I know that many of the members of the collector community have at one time or another helped out a gift buyer in the toy isle, and they weren't there because of advertising.  (In particular I remember the mom and grandmom who wondered why the Concept Vader from the 30AC looked so different than they remembered, and they were buying a character they'd heard of!!).  I still think most sales at Target, Walmart and TRU are by people who are either already in that store (grocery shopping or whatever) or if they made a trip special its because that's where they always go when Jimmy has been good and he can pick out a toy.  Exclusives, even if they are advertised to a greater extent, still are aimed at the (very vocal) minority of Star Wars toy buyers.

My lawyer has advised me to note these are only my opinions 

[CHEWIE]

Here's the way I see it... when they pack in a crappy Grievous and a crappy Maul, I think they could do a lot better.  The newer sculpt of Grievous would have been preferred by most people, and the first Evolutions Maul would have been much more ideal than the shirtless version.  And Corran Horn?  Ok, fun to get the character but not in this format... plus the Animated Fett?  And the Comic Pack Anakin?  Really? 

Good, well-rounded army builders would have been better than what's in these sets, I think.  Or even some sort of unified theme for the actual figures packed in... what we see with these sets is all over the place.  And I didn't think I would say it, but all of a sudden the Target Geonosis Arena sets seem interesting to me, mostly because these ones are so terrible.

Hell, they could have just made them all SA Clone 2-pks and I really don't think we'd see as many people complaining... each one with an AOTC trooper with unique battle damage along with a ROTS version. 

[iFett]

I assume Target's Geo sets are going to be $9.99-$12.99?  Wouldn't that be a real kick in the nuts for some of you if Target followed WM's lead and jacked their price up to $17.99?

[Adam_Pawlus]

I assume Target's Geo sets are going to be $9.99-$12.99?  Wouldn't that be a real kick in the nuts for some of you if Target followed WM's lead and jacked their price up to $17.99?

After the Rancor, it's more likely that they will.  I should probably start getting the DPCI and checking it...

[JediJman]

I assume Target's Geo sets are going to be $9.99-$12.99?  Wouldn't that be a real kick in the nuts for some of you if Target followed WM's lead and jacked their price up to $17.99?

That's hardly an issue for those of us with patience.  I think I got pretty much all of the last two O66 sets for about $5 each on average.   

[CHEWIE]

I assume Target's Geo sets are going to be $9.99-$12.99?  Wouldn't that be a real kick in the nuts for some of you if Target followed WM's lead and jacked their price up to $17.99?

After the Rancor, it's more likely that they will. 

Good point.

[Jeff]

I checked the DPCI for the Target Geonosis Arena sets tonight (087-06-0634) and they were still listed at $12.99 here in MN...  no guarantees of course, but for now it still looks OK.

[Ryan]

I found these at a Wal-Mart near me last night and with th $17 I just couldn't bring myself to buy them all. I picked up the  Corran Horn set and that was it. It is ridiculous how these are basically just a rehashed 2-Pack with a big accessory and yet they are $17. The packaging is also the same size as a basic figure.

The Anakin and Grievous packs looked terrible in person. Maul wasn't worth $17 to me, and they didn't have the Boba set. At this point I don't know if a Dark Trooper is worth $85 to me. So I may try and wait for clearance. Except none of the Wal-Marts around here ever put Star Wars figures on clearance.

[JACKOFTRADZE]

I missed out on the Boba set. It seems stores are only getting 3 sets each I ask the toy reps and the story was the same. It seems to be the case with guys on ebay too.  So these will never see clearance, you will be lucky to find them. I hit two Wal-Marts today and the story was the same. Seems the Boba set is the most popular.

If anyone can help me get the 2 Boba sets and 1 Corran set I will pay $22 each plus shipping as well as throw in any two figures from my trade list. Please help me complete the Darktrooper and get raped by the outrageous price. I am a sucker but I really want these.

[Greg]

I missed out on the Boba set. It seems stores are only getting 3 sets each I ask the toy reps and the story was the same. It seems to be the case with guys on ebay too.  So these will never see clearance, you will be lucky to find them. I hit two Wal-Marts today and the story was the same. Seems the Boba set is the most popular.

If anyone can help me get the 2 Boba sets and 1 Corran set I will pay $22 each plus shipping as well as throw in any two figures from my trade list. Please help me complete the Darktrooper and get raped by the outrageous price. I am a sucker but I really want these.

Hey man, that's some offer but if I find any I'll get them for you at retail. My local Wal-Mart and one in Greeneville had nothing, but I'm checking a better Wal-Mart out tomorrow. I'll PM you if I can help you out.

[JACKOFTRADZE]

I missed out on the Boba set. It seems stores are only getting 3 sets each I ask the toy reps and the story was the same. It seems to be the case with guys on ebay too.  So these will never see clearance, you will be lucky to find them. I hit two Wal-Marts today and the story was the same. Seems the Boba set is the most popular.

If anyone can help me get the 2 Boba sets and 1 Corran set I will pay $22 each plus shipping as well as throw in any two figures from my trade list. Please help me complete the Darktrooper and get raped by the outrageous price. I am a sucker but I really want these.

Hey man, that's some offer but if I find any I'll get them for you at retail. My local Wal-Mart and one in Greeneville had nothing, but I'm checking a better Wal-Mart out tomorrow. I'll PM you if I can help you out.

Hi Greg,

Someone is currently helping me out so I should be good to go. I really appreciate the offer to help. For anyone who is on the fence my friends in NJ & CA are reporting the same thing, 1 case with 15 pieces(x3 sets) per store. So Hasbro was not kidding when they said buy them when you see them.

[Greg]

Are these being found near the regular action figures? I'm betting Wal-Mart has an endcap or two planned for the exclusives later this year, so perhaps these will ship again? One case per store seems very, very low. I'm hoping the Target Geonosis Arena sets are stocked in quantities similar to Order 66 rather than this assortment.

[DoctorPadawan]

Still no sign of these in my neck of the woods, and the rumors of a lower production run have me a bit concerned that I won't be able to find these at all.   Last year's Droid Factory assortment only showed up at one of the two local Wal-Marts, and they only got one case of those (the aisle endcap cases), so if this year is 30% of last year, that means one Wal-Mart will get less than nothing (which is fairly typical for that store), and the other will get nothing. 

I'm just waiting for the day that Hasbro starts making figures exclusive to a particular store in a particular state.  "Now you can get the eagerly anticipated and much demanded action figures of the Tonnika Sisters in an exclusive two-pack!  Only available at Jethro's Gas and Gulp, Route 227, Bum****, Tennessee!  If you see Farmer Bill's barn, you've gone too damned far!  Free Rancor Keeper with a fill-up!  Free Yarna with a Sloppy Joe meal!  Kids eat free!  Ask about our Mon Calamari fishing bait!"   

[Brian]

Still no sign of these in my neck of the woods, and the rumors of a lower production run have me a bit concerned that I won't be able to find these at all.   Last year's Droid Factory assortment only showed up at one of the two local Wal-Marts, and they only got one case of those (the aisle endcap cases), so if this year is 30% of last year, that means one Wal-Mart will get less than nothing (which is fairly typical for that store), and the other will get nothing. 

I'm just waiting for the day that Hasbro starts making figures exclusive to a particular store in a particular state.  "Now you can get the eagerly anticipated and much demanded action figures of the Tonnika Sisters in an exclusive two-pack!  Only available at Jethro's Gas and Gulp, Route 227, Bum****, Tennessee!  If you see Farmer Bill's barn, you've gone too damned far!  Free Rancor Keeper with a fill-up!  Free Yarna with a Sloppy Joe meal!  Kids eat free!  Ask about our Mon Calamari fishing bait!"   

I went checking for these today as well, with no luck.  Like you, I'm a little bit concerned if there is indeed a lower production run.  Plus the fact that our closest Wal-Mart (and one of the other ones in town) is one of the new "small toy section" ones, and I just don't see where they are going to put all of these upcoming exclusivses.  Heck, there really isn't even "endcaps" on the toy aisles there anymore, just smaller, waist high shelving (currently filled with Transformers and Joes).  We've been very spotty the past year or so with WM exclusives here anyways too.  I hope most to all of this is available online, as WM seems to be getting some spiffy stuff this year (Dewback and AT-ST in particular are must haves for me, as well as at least some of these sets).