Bonecrusher27 wrote:decepticonjon wrote:Bonecrusher27 wrote:However I'm still confident that Hasbro knows by now that since BB08 is HOT, they might start selling them to distributors in cases of BBs. It'll still sell out in a flash, at least where I am
you sound like you work for hasbro
No I don't. If I did I'd have all the TF movie toys I need at
cost. I hate to tell you what the actual cost of manufacturing each toy is, but I'm sure you can pretty much guess how much more we're paying over the rack.
I do have China contacts though, and I get some information from them. Hasbro definitely knows BB is hot, which any idiot could figure. Unfortunately what they will
do with that info is anyone's guess.
It's all supply and demand tactics. Unfortunately, in this case, it's more keeping an addict from their drug, but just enough to ensure constant need, but too little to really please anyone.
I've seen the case assortments for the next few waves. Bumblebee seems to be the key figure in all of them, but he's only in each case once, perhaps twice. You know what that means? Extra cases must be ordered to meet demand. He sells. Arcee and Dreadwing and their newer compatriots sell...leaving all the older figures included in the cases to slowly clog the pegs, which lessens any chance of actually finding the items you want in later waves, or at least doing so with any ease.
Now granted, that's quite a negative take on Hasbro's tactics, I admit. I've always been quite vocal of their distribution and figure quantity tactics. I will remain vocal about it as well.
They make a fantastic product, and they know we need it (want it should be the term, but need is the correct one.) Any collector is obsessive to a degree. Keeping more than one item of the same series, etc is akin to obsessive thinking. This doesn't absolutely mean it's a bad thing though, just puts you in a bad place during times like this one.
Because of this need, comes in the demand.
Because they want to keep us on our toes, keep us coming into the stores to buy more, more, more, they give us just enough to satiate our hunger (to a degree) and not enough for it to actually quell that hunger pang.
It's downright sinister in a way, but it's a hell of a business model. It works, and works well. Of course this all started out as toyline aimed at kids, but let's face it....five year old Billy has maybe $20.00 in allowance money....tops. On the other hand, 25-30 year old Robert makes a nice living with at least some disposable income, ready at the drop of a hat. Kids were just the stepping stone (and they're still part of the main focus, don't get me wrong) but collectors...oh they know they have a tremendous money machine with us.
We're relentless, buy, buy, buy. Some even beg, rob, and steal to get "My PrEcIoUs!" (repacking the wrong toy in the right box, returning an item to different stores, etc...) and it all feeds right into Hasbro's hands.
I mean, come on...let's face it, let's take a quick look at the list here:
Armada: Kiddified, loud color schemes that draw the eye right in. Ah, but there *IS* a certain little something that entices more than just the kids: An actual Wheeljack figure (even renamed, there's no way on Earth that you couldn't see that that's Wheeljack. You'd have to be whacked in the head not to.) 6 full Seekers. Dirge, Ramjet, Skywarp, Starscream, Thundercracker, Thrust (with clear G1 homages)...
Energon: Kiddified for sure, some of the colors muted, a slightly darker tone overall. Still, plenty of fantastic figures and color schemes to draw in the eye. Ah, but there *IS* an enticement here as well: Megatron in a clear Galvatron homage, hell...even repainted as Galvatron before the end and we sure as hell turned the Earth upside down to get to him and the last of the line stragglers, such as the combiners. (BTW...if that wasn't a fanwank, I don't know what is.) I mean, kids are used to Power Rangers combining into a mech, but TransFormers? No. They're used to the value of team work, in a thinly made cartoon. These combiners also carried their G1 counterparts names. Coincidence? I think not.
Cybertron: Again kiddified, but still a darker tone in spots, but super bright colors, eye candy for all. And yet again, fanwanks all around: Metroplex (toy aside, the name made people go nuts. "YEAH! THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKIN' 'BOUT!") Vector Prime (while not G1, had enough qualities that made fans go wild.)
Oh and in the middle of all of this? PRIMUS & UNICRON. We finally got our hands on the unattainable. What was once considered intangible, was finally sitting on our shelves. I mean we got the Chaos Bringer, and THE FRIGGIN' PLANET CYBERTRON...AS TOYS! (How could you not go insane? Both friggin' rock btw.)
Oh and Classics...sweet, sweet, Classics: Kiddified to an extent, but it was so G1-esque, it was almost like they stepped right out of our DVDs and walked right into our hands. And now Universe/Classics 2.0...doesn't that scream "MEGA THERMONUCLEAR FANWANK!"
I know, it seems like I'm rambling aimlessly, and I thank you for giving me this much leeway, but I promise you, I'm tying it all up, and right now:
If you look at the A/E/C trilogy and Classics...one key component shines through: They were aimed heavily at the fans, vicariously through the children who eat this stuff up like candy. (They're supposed to. Kids are supposed to like toys and enjoy their childhood.)
Look at each line and you'll notice that a good portion of the figures that were G1 tie ins...are shelf warmers. Oh they sold well enough, sure. The collectors snapped them up quicker than a coke fiend getting their next fix. But once those figures were picked up by collectors, and perhaps a few kids...they collected dust and crashed and burned to the bottom of the clearance bucket. Some are still sitting there, to this day! Because the kids generally don't give a damn about those figures, they were aimed at us, not them.
Now, look at the movie line.
You can clearly see it was marketed at kids and adults 50/50.
Adults: Mainline and Real Gear figures. Complex transformations, incredible amounts of detail, higher price points, etc.
Kids: Cyber Slammers, Cyber Stompers, Fast Action Battlers. Borderline mental growth age/Simplistic (Cyber Slammers) to easy (Stompers, FABs) (I've seen more parents buy their kids Cyber Stompers (and they enjoy them!) than I have mainline figures...)
What does that tell us? They finally did it. They finally made a line that fully enraptures both age demographics by giving everyone what they want, and cross marketing to the different ages. (Admit it, some of you bought 'Slammers, FABs, and Stompers...)
Which ensures that we addicted fans will come back for more, and will continue to do so long after this.
And it also locks the kids into wanting more, just as we do, and they'll grow up somewhat obsessive in collecting TFs as well. (No, of course I'm not stupid enough to believe it will happen to a great number of kids...that's just crazy talk. It will, however, work quite well on some of those kids, thus continuing the money machine.)
And now we come full circle back to Bumblebee...(I told you I'd explain it all, and I apologize and thank you for my indulgence here...) with the movie line being aimed at kids and adults, that makes the competition issue larger than it ever was before, and with Bumblebee being the main hero, not to mention the Poke'mon of the line "GOTTA CATCH 'IM ALL!" everyone and their brother, and their sons will want to get their grubby mitts on one. Like it's a line of coke laid out for an addict...all they have to do is partake in it.
Well now, you've got the demand...by leaps and bounds.
The problem is, you don't have the product. And depending on your location, getting that product might not just be a torture, but damn near impossible. Thus, continuing our need for Hasbro and their products...we're all salivating at the mouth for a Bumblebee, any Bumblebee, and it was a gamble that paid off for Hasbro.
In the end, they'll make their money, no matter what. You though, will you finally get what you want and need for your collection? I doubt all of us will.
...I don't think we're asking too much to be able to buy a $10.00 item here and there. It's not like we're taking food off the table to buy one.
I thank Hasbro for the stuff they've given us, and if it weren't for them, we wouldn't have TransFormers at all. But it's an almost sinister plan, and it works.
...and it sucks for all of us. Were the wanks over the years, worth it? Might not be in the end.
NOTE: Realize that I am not a perfect Christian, nor do I profess to be. I apologize if anyone's ever offended by me, I'm not perfect. Don't hold my posts and opinions against other Christians.
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