The Energon Pub

I´m curious about BBTS Deluxes then? I have a ton of stuff on Pile of Loot and i´m waiting for the Deluxes. should i send the suff now or wait?

AutobotServo wrote:

Smokescreen GT wrote:Are the G1 repaints of Starscream and Jazz a part of this mid-October thing? I thought they were going to be released on August 26th.

I didn't ask. It was super-crowded there and I thought all I'd get was a "Read the sign." I might ask next time. (Well hopefully they'll just HAVE it there.)

Anyone remember the good old days when stores actully had what you were looking for?


Oh, and does anyone know what I should call them when I ask for them? Whenever I want to ask I think it'll go like this...

AutoBotServo: Pardon me good sir, but do you know if perchance this store has a "Transformers Movie Deluxe Target G1 Redeco Jazz" and "Transformers Movie Voyager Target G1 Redeco Starscream" in stock?

Target guy: .... A What?

AutobotServo: A "Transformers Movie Deluxe Target G1 Redeco Jazz" or "Transformers Movie Voyager Target G1 Redeco Starscream" good sir. Do you have it?

Target guy:Ahhh....We have voice changer helmets. Is that what you're talking about?

AutoBotServo: -sigh- Well do you have Transformers Movie Deluxe Acree, Dreadwing, or Dropkick?

Target guy: God bless you.

AutobotServo: Wha?

Target guy: You sneezed.

AutoBotServo: -sigh-

i had almost the EXACT same thing happen to me when i called kohl's for BB CC! i even went into a painfully detailed description of the package, and even after being put on hold for ten minutes i got "we have only have the helmet thing." i don't know what i was expecting calling a clothing store for toys, but i think its funny!

Nice to see an actual answer to this issue. Hopefully Hasbro will amp up the production accordingly for any future movie line and also for the cartoon line this spring.

good, so now i won't waste gas and that means target might have leader brwal in mid-october.

I hope not all targets are going to have this sign. Has anyone stopped by their Targets to see if it's state-wide? I still can't imagine that they'll get NO Transformers for almost two months. That just sounds crazy.

AutobotServo wrote:I hope not all targets are going to have this sign. Has anyone stopped by their Targets to see if it's state-wide? I still can't imagine that they'll get NO Transformers for almost two months. That just sounds crazy.

i was just at mine and no sign. They had some robot replicas but thats about it

My Target lets the empty shelves speak for them. A sign would just be icing on the cake at this point.

i just found out that a target in my area has a leader prime in stock! i wasnt too interested before, but its looking MIGHTY tempting to help tide me over through the impending "drought."


any suggestions?

Mr.Bond007 wrote:

AutobotServo wrote:I hope not all targets are going to have this sign. Has anyone stopped by their Targets to see if it's state-wide? I still can't imagine that they'll get NO Transformers for almost two months. That just sounds crazy.

i was just at mine and no sign. They had some robot replicas but thats about it

Even if there's no sign, the shortage is nationwide. It's unavoidable.

Well, no. Not unavoidable had they actually thought this through beforehand.

But now, it's unavoidable because they not only dropped the ball, they kinda just left it there and walked away. (Alright, not really, but it certainly feels that way.)

I so tired of ppl complaining about "dropping the ball". They knew the movie would drawl some interest, but nothing like this for the toy line. I think it is a good sign that they are hard to find, it proves that america really still loves TF. Plus, I enjoy the hunt for toys. If every store had every one I wanted, I would not get to enjoy the feeling of finally finding the one I am looking for.

I have been really lucky though, I got my 08bb back in early July and I picked up my G1 jazz redeco last wednesday.

AutobotServo wrote:

Smokescreen GT wrote:Are the G1 repaints of Starscream and Jazz a part of this mid-October thing? I thought they were going to be released on August 26th.

I didn't ask. It was super-crowded there and I thought all I'd get was a "Read the sign." I might ask next time. (Well hopefully they'll just HAVE it there.)

That's a good question. Store exclusives can be difficult to obtain as it is, without a shortage making things worse. However, with the G1 repaints available at other stores already, I don't think Targets receiving them will be a problem.

The real issue will be beating the case-hogging scalpers to the good stuff. I'm just glad my Bumblebee needs are met and there's only a couple of other TFs I want (both G1 repaints being among them, sadly).

brimy311 wrote:I so tired of ppl complaining about "dropping the ball". They knew the movie would drawl some interest, but nothing like this for the toy line. I think it is a good sign that they are hard to find, it proves that america really still loves TF. Plus, I enjoy the hunt for toys. If every store had every one I wanted, I would not get to enjoy the feeling of finally finding the one I am looking for.

I have been really lucky though, I got my 08bb back in early July and I picked up my G1 jazz redeco last wednesday.

It is easy to be tired of complaining when you are sitting high and mighty with a few figures.



Up until now, I have been very patient and editorially supportive with Hasbro. But this is getting ridiculous. With a major movie in theaters and strong desire for their product, they should have known to step up production to meet demand. They could not have been this blind.

I wonder if there are other circumstances affecting Transformer production right now. Maybe they switched manufacturers or had to seriously investigate their Chinese manufacturers for lead paint. Maybe there is a connection with the fragility of the current movie toys and Hasbro is changing or updating their manufacturing for those reasons. Either something is up and Hasbro is exercising their right not to inform the public, or they were just plain blind to the fact that the motion picture would fuel demand for their product.

I seriously have my doubts that they did not anticipate the demand. There must be a reason. A delay until mid-October is a very significant delay.

AutobotServo wrote:Oh, and does anyone know what I should call them when I ask for them? Whenever I want to ask I think it'll go like this...

AutoBotServo: Pardon me good sir, but do you know if perchance this store has a "Transformers Movie Deluxe Target G1 Redeco Jazz" and "Transformers Movie Voyager Target G1 Redeco Starscream" in stock?

Target guy: .... A What?

AutobotServo: A "Transformers Movie Deluxe Target G1 Redeco Jazz" or "Transformers Movie Voyager Target G1 Redeco Starscream" good sir. Do you have it?

Target guy:Ahhh....We have voice changer helmets. Is that what you're talking about?

AutoBotServo: -sigh- Well do you have Transformers Movie Deluxe Acree, Dreadwing, or Dropkick?

Target guy: God bless you.

AutobotServo: Wha?

Target guy: You sneezed.

AutoBotServo: -sigh-

Yeah, that's pretty much how it goes. People who work in the toy departments are clueless.

Bumblebee-otch wrote:i just found out that a target in my area has a leader prime in stock! i wasnt too interested before, but its looking MIGHTY tempting to help tide me over through the impending "drought."


any suggestions?

Get that Prime, you might not see another for a long time...

Lapse Of Reason wrote:I wonder if there are other circumstances affecting Transformer production right now. Maybe they switched manufacturers or had to seriously investigate their Chinese manufacturers for lead paint.

Before any of the Mattel controversy came up, there was an enormous and devastating flood in China. While there's no way to know precisely what was affected, at least from our end, I can only assume it had some part in this.

And yeah, the movie's massive success was never predicted by anyone, not at this level! $600+ million internationally wasn't even a pipe dream.

Bumblebee-otch wrote:that means no G1 Jazz till then! NOOOOOOOOOOO!

I just bought G1 styled Movie Starscream and Jazz this weekend. I have 4 G1 Movie Starscreams on eBay right now as well. I also bought the new Cyber Slammers at Target this weekend.

i_amtrunks wrote:And it is Hasbro's fault, for greatly underestimating the demand for the Transformers figures, so I think that sign has every right to blame Hasbro.

whoa whoa whoa, that might be takign it a bit too far. I think its fair to say EVERYONE under estimated the demand. Hell a good number of us back when images were first surfacing were preaching that all of these toys would be shelf warmers. If you're gonna blame anyone for underestimating, I think everyone deserves some blame, not just Hasbro.

Seibertron wrote:

Bumblebee-otch wrote:that means no G1 Jazz till then! NOOOOOOOOOOO!

I just bought G1 styled Movie Starscream and Jazz this weekend. I have 4 G1 Movie Starscreams on eBay right now as well. I also bought the new Cyber Slammers at Target this weekend.

I know it is off topic, but are you going to do galleries of the Cyber Slammers?

Seems like they could easily have gotten away with scaling back the stupid voice changer helmets and those blaster things and built more deluxe figures. Those dumb role play things are stinkin up the isles all over the place here.

Lapse Of Reason wrote:

brimy311 wrote:I so tired of ppl complaining about "dropping the ball". They knew the movie would drawl some interest, but nothing like this for the toy line. I think it is a good sign that they are hard to find, it proves that america really still loves TF. Plus, I enjoy the hunt for toys. If every store had every one I wanted, I would not get to enjoy the feeling of finally finding the one I am looking for.

I have been really lucky though, I got my 08bb back in early July and I picked up my G1 jazz redeco last wednesday.

It is easy to be tired of complaining when you are sitting high and mighty with a few figures.



Up until now, I have been very patient and editorially supportive with Hasbro. But this is getting ridiculous. With a major movie in theaters and strong desire for their product, they should have known to step up production to meet demand. They could not have been this blind.

I wonder if there are other circumstances affecting Transformer production right now. Maybe they switched manufacturers or had to seriously investigate their Chinese manufacturers for lead paint. Maybe there is a connection with the fragility of the current movie toys and Hasbro is changing or updating their manufacturing for those reasons. Either something is up and Hasbro is exercising their right not to inform the public, or they were just plain blind to the fact that the motion picture would fuel demand for their product.

I seriously have my doubts that they did not anticipate the demand. There must be a reason. A delay until mid-October is a very significant delay.

To first bolded part: Exactly. I wholeheartedly agree. For a company that's been in the business as long as they have, and with as many toylines as they have under their belts...they haven't quite seen it like this before, but they've had an idea. Should've gone with their gut on this one.

To second bolded part: The floods in China are probably what the problem is. With as much damage as they've caused, a toy factory isn't even a close second on the to-do list. Still, given the popularity before the floods came...gave them plenty of opportunity to fill a void and they never took it apparently.

To the third bolded part: From what I was told, it's to help stock up for the Christmas rush. So they'll have plenty to fill the shelves with at the end of the year when everybody buys the shelves bare. Problem is, if there's no product (like what's going on now) the shelves are already bare and people will buy something else.

Hasbro's not perfect, and they're not psychic, I get that. I really do. I appreciate what they've done for us in the past, I mean we've gotten things we didn't think possible. Still...as I said in another thread, if we were in their shoes, we'd be expected to fill the orders, meet the demand, so why aren't they?

Has anyone e-mailed Hasbro about the status of what's going on? I'm new at this, but I think they'd give us a real answer.


maybe.

AutobotServo wrote:Has anyone e-mailed Hasbro about the status of what's going on? I'm new at this, but I think they'd give us a real answer.


maybe.

Oooh. Good question. I can't remember if anyone has or not. I don't think anyone on here has.

i_amtrunks wrote:At least they are informing their customers that they do not have the stock, and will not have the stock for some time. Sure beats just having empty shelves.

And it is Hasbro's fault, for greatly underestimating the demand for the Transformers figures, so I think that sign has every right to blame Hasbro.

Actually the opposite is true. Target is trying to pass the buck because they didn't order enough of the stock the fans are looking for. They did like they do with other movie toy tie ins, order a bunch of the first run stuff, no matter what it is, stuff the shelves, and then let it sit until it sells. No new stuff gets ordered til the old stuff is gone, regardless of what it is. In this case, No matter what it is, if it's got "Transformers" on the box, and it's sitting on the shelves, to them it's not selling, so they're not ordering anything else til it does(in this case, they think mid-october will be the magic date cuz of the holiday season).

Ask Target or any other mass retailer why they have an over abundance of other summer movie toys. It's because of what I just explained. The only reason this Target put out a sign to pass the buck on THEIR screw up is, I'm sure, the managers are tired of answering angry 8am line ups, phone calls, letter bombs, ect. It's very typical for mass retail to watch the trend on similar products. In this case, movie toys do well initially, then all but stop. They expected Transformers to do the same, and were way off. This happens. What's crappy is that they post a note saying it's Hasbro's fault, when in all actuality, THEY dropped the ball. But being the fanbase is easy to blame Hasbro for everything, we get a reaction like we have here "Oh, see, it's all Hasbro's fault. Target said so. BOOOO! HASBRO!" When this is actually Target just covering their ass.

And before anyone rips into me over this:
I used to work retail, I was a manager. I've done the very same thing in similar situations. I've thrown distributors under the bus to the customers to save face for the store I worked for. I didn't like it, but when a higher up(in my case, the owner) tells you to do so because of customer complaints, you do it or you lose your job. And that's why I don't work retail anymore.

But it still begs the question will everyone learn from this in time for the new animated series next year and make sure to have alot of stock ready not just the first wave. Because I think it will be just as big a seller due to the popularity of the movie and it having a new take on some old designs. Oh well only time will tell what will happen hindsite is 50/50 after all.

shortround wrote:But it still begs the question will everyone learn from this in time for the new animated series next year and make sure to have alot of stock ready not just the first wave. Because I think it will be just as big a seller due to the popularity of the movie and it having a new take on some old designs. Oh well only time will tell what will happen hindsite is 50/50 after all.

You would think they would. But it's common practice, unfortunately. That's why we go through droughts of new stuff the way we do. But in this case, instead staring at shelfwarmers as we normally would, we see empty pegs. It sucks, and it'll probably keep happening well into TF:Animated and beyond.