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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Hasbro does it again! (Shortpack new figs)

Discussion in 'Collecting' started by BucMan55, Dec 31, 2002.

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  1. BucMan55

    BucMan55 Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Feb 15, 2002
    Yes, we know that eventually they'll put some of the shortpacked figures into the later cases...

    But by shortpacking it in the first place, it creates an artificially high secondary market value. This means, that when the value is established, scalpers in the know will begin looking for these shortpacks, and when they're found, buy them up simply for resale.....(And to keep the supply available to regular collectors at a minimum)......

    Do any of you remember the 1995 POTF2 Leia and Lando??? Both released at 1 per case.



    Do you realize it took them dedicating a case assortment to shipping basically 6 figures(back when they came 16 to a case). That assortment had 2 Lukes, 2 Vaders, 3 Landos, 3 Leias, 2 Stormtroopers, 2 Obi-Wan Kenobis, and 2 other figures that were intermediate difficulty.(Think maybe Luke X-Wing and Boba Fett)

    Lando and Leia originally were released 1 per case. Their value was up to $40 at hobby shows....Well, I walk into a Wal-mart and there is a guy going through about 12 cases of this "scalper killer" assortment. He's pulling out all the Landos and Leias, saying he'll get $30-40 each at shows for them...

    It was only by shipping hoardes of these cases that Hasbro was able to get Lando and Leia to a fair market level and the scalpers would leave them alone.....

    I don't see them doing this again.....
     
  2. Ret

    Ret Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    Dec 17, 1999
    "I posted this on the Buffalo boards, saying that i wiped them out"

    I'm sure that really helped people out.

    And when you said on the buffalo board you found Yoda and the destroyer droid I went and looked and there were none. So just becuase you see some doesn't mean there's boatloads.
     
  3. B'omarr

    B'omarr Jedi Master star 6

    Registered:
    Apr 7, 2000
    My local KB has bunches of the sit down Yoda and new Destroyer, as they're the only ones getting any new SW stuff in. Don't knock yourself out looking for them, they're not that great. :(

    That said, I've had no problems finding any of the new Saga stuff. In fact, I welcome the challenge of finding something new and hard to get. Even though those figures are packed one per case, Hasbro would ship out a jillion cases, if the stores would order them. And if they have to short pack a few figures to keep subsequent waves coming out, I say go ahead.
     
  4. BucMan55

    BucMan55 Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Feb 15, 2002
    B'Omarr:

    Shortpacking is a necessity.

    You just don't shortpack a new figure who is on the scene for the first time. Shortpack some of those redux troopers that are in a previous case assortment/wave....
     
  5. TOBBI_DALA

    TOBBI_DALA Jedi Youngling star 2

    Registered:
    Nov 1, 2002
    What i did for the Saga line, was to buy the newest (higher numbered) figures as soon as i saw them. I was constantly seeing Kit Fistos, Plo Koons, and Saesee Tiins on the shelves, so i was buying Dookus and Luminara Undulis. Cant say this will work for everyone, but i basically have every figure from #22 - #53 (twice), and i only need 7 of the first 21 to have them all. The only one of those 7 that i havent regularly seen in stores around here is Nikto. I just recently found 2 Shaak Tis at KMART for $2.99. And they had the Super Battle Droid for the same price.
     
  6. BushiFox

    BushiFox Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Sep 16, 2002
    Wow. Maybe I'm crazy...First, I would like to answer the nostalgia question: You believe the kids of today won't be nostalgic for Star Wars toys when they are older because they weren't able to get a certain figure or two when they first came out? Or aren't able to complete their entire collection? Holy cow. Thats insane. Are there any kids that collect one brand of toy exclusively? I know I never did growing up. So, when I got Star Wars figures, I'd get maybe 4, and then I'd get he man, and transformers...same thing today. There are sooooo many cool toys out there, no way are kids going to get just one kind to play with. Anyway. Blaming Hasbro's distribution for the death of nostalgia in the future is silly at best. (It still scares me that Pokemon will one day be seen through nostalgic eyes. *shudder*)

    So. Do I think you guys are making way to big of a deal over this? Heck yes! Why is there a high secondary market for short shipped figures? Becuase crazy people *have* to have the newest figure as soon as possible! I don't consider this collecting, this is overrampant consumerism. You remember that 1995 POTF2 Monkey Faced Leia? I can't sell one right now for 3 dollars. MOC. This means that right now, you can find this figure for below retail. This is just one example because it was used earlier as an example of short shipping...up to 40 bucks.

    In the end, if you can't control your consumerism and *have* to have a figure, don't blame Hasbro because they don't want to have a bunch of shelf warmers. Blame yourself for not waiting an extra month or two for the figures to become more common.

    And to give up collecting because of this, well, thats just sad.
     
  7. Punisher

    Punisher Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 20, 1998
    Well, back in my day, I played with only SW figures... the Transformers, He-Man & G.I Joe didn't appear until after ROTJ (1984/85).
    I did play with Transformers & G.I. Joes, but at the time I had quit playing with SW stuff... G.I. Joe, He-Man and TF had comics, cartoons, SW was over by 1985 (essentially).

    Yes, I do think that lack of playing with a figure will affect nostalgia UNLESS, it has to do with you wanting a figure, seeing it in a store and no one bought it for you.
    For example, I never had Megatron or Shockwave (Transformers:Generation 1), I'd buy either of them if I saw them somewhere, just because I saw them in the store as a kid, but never had them.
    If I had NEVER seen them in stores and only was able to play with a few Transformers (say 5 out of a line of 60) as a kid, I wouldn't care.

    I don't expect people to quit collecting over this, but if you want them all, expect to have to put up with this kind of stuff.
    I think it's silly anymore to spend a few hours or more of my time and also burning up lots of gas, looking for a $5 figure.

    It's not like the new SW figures are gonna be worth as much as the original figures (or more)because there are so many of them MOC in someone's basement.... there's value in rarity and condition only.
    That's like asking a 1995 Superman comic to be worth the same as a Superman first appearance comic, it's not gonna happen... at least, not in the original purchaser's lifetime!

    The only modern SW stuff that will be worth a lot is rare stuff (cast/crew stuff)and limited edition, expensive stuff. Spend a lot, later it will be worth a lot!

    (Of course, all of the preceeding applies if you are into collecting for money, not for display or to play with.)
     
  8. TOBBI_DALA

    TOBBI_DALA Jedi Youngling star 2

    Registered:
    Nov 1, 2002
    Ret,
    Allow me to apologize. I didnt really mean boatloads, literally. Well, maybe Ewok boatloads. Rafts? Lifeboats? Dinghys? The last time i was at TRU on NFB, i did see more Destroyer Droids because i was going to buy them. I have 2 opened up, and i would like to have 4-5 of them. If youre having a problem finding something, let me know. My wife works there and im in there all the time, so if i see something you need.....
     
  9. dinoX

    dinoX Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Feb 20, 2002
    i just hope they don't make limited quantities of the Y-Wing when they re-release. It will probably be the first and last star wars thing I get this year. :(
     
  10. Master-Fett

    Master-Fett Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    Sep 25, 2002
    YOU KNOW , I'M JUST TIRED WITH HASBRO !
    IF THEY WANT TO SELL THEIR FIGS THEY NEED TO TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT .
    I SUGGEST THAT THEY MAKE AN EQUAL AMOUNT OF ALL OF THEM . IF THEY MAKE LESS OF THE BAD ONES AND MORE OF THE GOOD ONES , EVERYONE WILL WANT TO COLLECT ALL OF THEM . NOT ONLY WILL THAT BE GOOD FOR US , BUT IT WILL MAKE THEM MORE MONEY .

    SHOOGLEDORF !
     
  11. Darth_Stove

    Darth_Stove Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    May 2, 2002
    In response to the Scalper post and the person who saw a scalper going thru box's for the htf figs....if People wouldnt buy from scalpers than the scalpers couldnt do this. Its that simple....people get too impatient and have to have all the new stuff right away regardless of price. Be patient my friends
     
  12. AnotherAgentSmith

    AnotherAgentSmith Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Jul 18, 2002
    It's just sad that some figures and Star Wars items are so hard to get. :(

    At least many of you live in the USA where you have reasonably 'easier' access to the figurines and toys. :)

    Over here in Europe most of the toy stores only have a few items and at prices easily 40% to 50% higher than the standard release price in the USA.
    (Last toy stores I went to only had the Padme Amidala -Geonosis Arena-, Kit Fisto, Jango Fett, Anakin Skywalker -Tatooine-, Obi-Wan Kenobi -with force flipping action-, Count Dooku -with force flipping action- and some of the vehicles, the speeders, Slave I and the Jedi Starfighter. And the 'standard' figures went at 12$ a piece)
    Even the more 'specialized' stores and local online sellers have only a limited number of figurines, toys and items.
     
  13. PhantomMenace

    PhantomMenace Jedi Knight star 5

    Registered:
    Apr 20, 2001
    BucMan55: I remember when Leia and Lando were packed 1 per case back in '95. It really sucked. It took me over a year before I finally found Leia. Stormtroopers were hard to come by as well.

    *PhantomMenace
     
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