The Energon Pub

News Credits: 2 · Sat Feb 25, 2012 7:07 pm

Between two different stores I found a grand total of 15 PRID Bumblebees.

15 of the little yellow terror. Nobody else. :BOOM:

I get that he's a popular character with the kids, but this seems like overkill. A little character variety wouldn't kill sales.

Sat Feb 25, 2012 8:10 pm

When I first saw the title, my first thought was "Bumblebee?"

Then I thought "Nah, he's talking about older white figures having yellowing plastic."

Shoulda gone with my first instinct.

Sat Feb 25, 2012 10:00 pm

when i went TF:prime hunting today all i found were bumblebees and primes. :BANG_HEAD:

Sat Feb 25, 2012 10:09 pm

There are some Wheeljack's at the Walmart I work at, but mostly Bumblebees and Primes. Ugh! I'm tired of the 'Bee.

News Credits: 2 · Sun Feb 26, 2012 1:30 am

RK_Striker_JK_5 wrote:There are some Wheeljack's at the Walmart I work at, but mostly Bumblebees and Primes. Ugh! I'm tired of the 'Bee.

I'm only looking for one figure from the first wave (Soundwave). The case breakdown pegs him at one per case. Bumblebee comes three per case.

Retailers seem to think that Prime and 'Bee are the only ones that sell. Again, I get the popularity factor but this is overkill.

Sun Feb 26, 2012 9:54 am

Went to Wal-Mart yesterday, and they had JUST gotten the wave with Bumblebee, Wheeljack, Soundwave, and Cliffjumper. Got me all but Bumblebee because I actually don't like that mold.

And I can't wait for someone to repaint Soundwave as a Production Type Evangelion!

News Credits: 2 · Sun Feb 26, 2012 10:06 am

Valandar wrote:And I can't wait for someone to repaint Soundwave as a Production Type Evangelion!

Nah, Screamer makes a better Harpy.

Sun Feb 26, 2012 12:40 pm

Then which Eva could Soundwave be? He has those huge vertical shoulder fins...

News Credits: 3 · Sun Feb 26, 2012 12:49 pm

Valandar wrote:Then which Eva could Soundwave be? He has those huge vertical shoulder fins...

None, he works better as a Grappler ship from Outlaw Star:

Sun Feb 26, 2012 12:50 pm

Eva >>> Outlaw Star.

News Credits: 3 · Sun Feb 26, 2012 1:03 pm

Valandar wrote:Eva >>> Outlaw Star.

They're both over-rated(Lodoss War > both), my point is it fits better, especially since Soundwave's body and leg design doesn't lend itself to an Eva body style.

Sun Feb 26, 2012 9:11 pm

Valandar wrote:When I first saw the title, my first thought was "Bumblebee?"

Then I thought "Nah, he's talking about older white figures having yellowing plastic."

Shoulda gone with my first instinct.

Those are the two things that crossed my mind.

I really wonder if kids are sick of bumblebee too. I wonder what kind of like, testing or what not hasbro does that tells them to ship more bumblebee than anything else.

News Credits: 2 · Sun Feb 26, 2012 10:55 pm

Screamfleet wrote:
Valandar wrote:When I first saw the title, my first thought was "Bumblebee?"

Then I thought "Nah, he's talking about older white figures having yellowing plastic."

Shoulda gone with my first instinct.

Those are the two things that crossed my mind.

I really wonder if kids are sick of bumblebee too. I wonder what kind of like, testing or what not hasbro does that tells them to ship more bumblebee than anything else.

I don't think it's Hasbro's fault entirely. Retailers ultimately have the power to determine who and what they put out for sale. Since the movies, this means more of the yellow terror. The fact that Prime 'Bee is essentially Movie 'Bee in cartoon styling doesn't help matters.

Meanwhile, nowhere seems to have Soundwave, online or on-location. It's going to be one of those kinds of hunts. :BOOM:

Sun Feb 26, 2012 11:04 pm

I'm pretty sure hasbro determines what comes in each wave. So, having 3 bumblebee toys in a case shipment was up to them.

News Credits: 2 · Sun Feb 26, 2012 11:17 pm

Screamfleet wrote:I'm pretty sure hasbro determines what comes in each wave. So, having 3 bumblebee toys in a case shipment was up to them.

That wasn't exactly the point I was getting that, but you have a point. Yes, they determine how many of Character X comes per case. No, they cant't enforce how many of Character X can be put out for sale at once.

I.E., the Retailer can open X amount of cases just to get X amount of a certain character, while ignoring anyone else that comes in said case.

For example, the local Target had 8 of Bumblebee on the pegs (4 per peg). Using the case breakdown from eariler, that means three cases were opened up to get those 8 'Bees. That also means 6 Wheeljacks, 6 Cliffjumpers, and 3 Soundwaves are collecting dust in the back.

Sun Feb 26, 2012 11:50 pm

I really don't see a retailer opening 3 cases, taking out the bumblebees, and keeping the rest in the back. I've worked retail, this is not standard practice. They open a case, the would have put out all the product, unless they ran out of room on the shelf. The other toys in the case probably sold out. Trying to specifically sell bumblebee first ahead of other figures is more attention to detail than any retailer really does.

News Credits: 2 · Mon Feb 27, 2012 12:36 am

Screamfleet wrote:I really don't see a retailer opening 3 cases, taking out the bumblebees, and keeping the rest in the back. I've worked retail, this is not standard practice. They open a case, the would have put out all the product, unless they ran out of room on the shelf. The other toys in the case probably sold out. Trying to specifically sell bumblebee first ahead of other figures is more attention to detail than any retailer really does.

Didn't think it worked that way. I just assumed the above, or perhaps i'm jumping to conclusions out of annoyance and spite. I just hate 'Bee that much I guess.

If he's going to shelfwarm as bad as his DOTM counterparts, I might as well give up now.

News Credits: 1 · Mon Feb 27, 2012 3:58 am

I'm torn between feeling sorry for you and hating your guts because you actually get a new BBB from another toyline.

I'm still drowning in DOTM 'bees.

News Credits: 36 · Mon Feb 27, 2012 9:12 am

As people have said, Bee ships 3 per case; unfortunately he ships 3 per case in Wave 2 and 1 per case in Wave 3, so he's going to be around for awhile yet!!

Soundwave does carry over into Wave 2, but only 1 per case again, so grab him when you see him!

News Credits: 1 · Mon Feb 27, 2012 12:15 pm

Heh, and I thought you were speaking of yellowing plastic.

When I think about it, this is actually worse. Yellowing ruins good figures, the 'Yellow Terror' as you phrased it, keeps good figures from appearing at all.

News Credits: 2 · Mon Feb 27, 2012 10:20 pm

I guess I should count my lucky stars I was able to find the two Prime Cliffjumpers and one Prime Wheeljack amongst the TWELVE (that's 12) FULL PEGS OF DOTM Bumblebees that comprises the Transformers display at my local WallMart. :HEADHURTS:

News Credits: 10 · Mon Feb 27, 2012 10:33 pm

I walked into a Walmart here in CT, early in the evening two days ago, and BAM! Prime Soundwave right in front! Lucked out this time. I left about 9 Bumblebees behind.

Wed Feb 29, 2012 11:16 am

But.....kids love Bumblebee!!!! So it's more than wonderful that there are 70 of them in every store, because obviously those are the figures parents are buying!!!

News Credits: 12 · Fri Mar 02, 2012 5:17 am

I must admit, I feel a little bit sorry for poor old Bumblebee. I liked him in the original cartoon and the movies (I haven't seen Animated or Prime) but now he shall forever be associated with endless tides of redecoes and shelfwarming.

Ironically, my Bumblebee was actually the first Movie Bumblebee toy available (the one that turned into the '70s Camaro) and he got just 1 redeco-whereas the concept Camaro mold got over 20 (or possibly closer to OVAR 9000!).

Meanwhile, whilst Bumblebees are forced onto toy store shelves, I shall be denied Soundwave and Arcee (who I was going to make into Chromia).

Sigh.

Fri Mar 02, 2012 8:00 pm

I don't get why even kids would particularly care for the movie/prime (yeah, same difference practically) version of the character. That whole can't talk thing is pretty damn annoying for anyone who isn't a ninja-commando hybrid.