The Energon Pub

I think it's very possible that it's the store's own prising rather than RRP. Makes sense considering other recent voyagers they've got (TLK) are that price, so they might have marked them up because they figured it made sense or it's an accidental mix-up. One Transformers Voyager price listing might look like another in some employees' eyes.

If this is a change to Generations' RRP though,

1. THAT WAS FAST! Damn near break-neck speed.

2. If this is an official and new CHUG price-increase, I'm going to have to re-prioritize some things.....

So, Wave 5 Voyagers are being sighted, before Wave 4 has seen any sort of wide release at all, save for Broadside. Only news on Wave 4 Deluxes I've seen is that they were randomly showing up at Walgreens, usually in solid batches of one figure. I just barely found Shuffler at a TRU (Repugnus was already gone) after they'd done a reset for their entire Transformers section...and they were the only Wave 4 figures.

Tell me, am I the only one who has noticed fairly spotty distribution, bordering on awful, since about the middle of Combiner Wars? Nothing from ANY wave of either line has been on the shelf at the same time, and sometimes, only shows up once and is gone. Take for instance, the Protectobot wave. Never saw Hot Spot or the Deluxes on the shelf at the same time, and only saw the Deluxes once. In TR, from the start, none of any wave has really shown up together.

My big question is this: Why is distribution so crap in the last year or two? Is it Hasbro not distributing the figures in a unified manner, or retailers not ordering all of one assortment at the same time, or what? I enjoy TF hunting as much as anyone, but it's gotten to the point where ordering them online, though a bit more expensive, is the easier way to get which figures I want.

Alright, this finally got me to quit lurking and post. I have been searching for the Chaos on Velocitron set since it was first news'd that they were at stores. Not a single box has shown up at any TRU I have been to (every single one in a 50 mile radius of home). Not even a display location for them. Did I really miss out due to the awful distribution and shelving practices of TRU? Or do we think more shipments are coming?

I wanted QS, Fastclash, and Nautica, didn't really care if I got Laser Prime and Rodimus. I definitely don't want to pay the ridiculous scalper prices I am seeing either.

Anyone know if there are sets still available in their area?

Bounti76 wrote:Tell me, am I the only one who has noticed fairly spotty distribution, bordering on awful, since about the middle of Combiner Wars? Nothing from ANY wave of either line has been on the shelf at the same time, and sometimes, only shows up once and is gone. Take for instance, the Protectobot wave. Never saw Hot Spot or the Deluxes on the shelf at the same time, and only saw the Deluxes once. In TR, from the start, none of any wave has really shown up together.

My big question is this: Why is distribution so crap in the last year or two? Is it Hasbro not distributing the figures in a unified manner, or retailers not ordering all of one assortment at the same time, or what? I enjoy TF hunting as much as anyone, but it's gotten to the point where ordering them online, though a bit more expensive, is the easier way to get which figures I want.

Retailers order per product code and each class has its own. For instance here are TRU's MFR# for the different classes:
C0882 Tiny Turbo Changers
C0889 Legions
C0887 Deluxe
C0891 Voyager

They order each individually and Hasbro fulfills the order when they can. When a new line begins, Hasbro has them all ready to give to stores at once and stores want the new product on the shelf so you usually get the first wave or 2 synched up. But as the line goes on, a store will only order and stock what they need. They dont know whats new, its all C0891 to them and not TLK Wave 1 Prime and TLK Wave 2 Hound. A new voyager in Titans Return Wave 6 will look like an old toy to them because its the same class code. The look into their computer, see that they have a bunch of that class code and can thus choose not to order since you have a new voyager class code assiciated to wave 1 of the next line. So technically, the waves mean nothing to retailers, nothing. Orders are made by the corporation to Hasbro when they think they need more, orders are fulfilled by hasbro when hasbro can do it, and then toys are stocked from the warehouse of retailers onto the show floor of individual retailers when stores need more of a certain class. So you have at least 3 big steps contributing to whether a class can be seen on the show floor at any given time. And that class can come from any wave.

Hence why it doesnt look coordinated (because it isnt).

Bronzewolf wrote:Can I be honest? I'm probably in the minority here, but I think Octoneatane rocks that mold.

Well he ought to - it was made for HIM, not Optimus

william-james88 wrote:Hence why it doesnt look coordinated (because it isnt).

And no one really wants to seem to fix it, which is stupid. Newer product is going to sell through faster, period. Stores and Hasbro need to focus on getting the latest stuff on the shelves to keep customers buying. Product codes should more distinct than just "size class." Stores need to cool it on over-ordering on the initial waves so that they're not stuck with a glut of unwanted figures for months. Hasbro may need to plan it's roll out of new toys better so that there is a bigger selection to ship for a sustained period of time. Honestly, there are ways to fix this that will mean more sales and money and less waste and frustration for everyone involved, but no one cares to change anything.

mordhelm wrote:Alright, this finally got me to quit lurking and post. I have been searching for the Chaos on Velocitron set since it was first news'd that they were at stores. Not a single box has shown up at any TRU I have been to (every single one in a 50 mile radius of home). Not even a display location for them. Did I really miss out due to the awful distribution and shelving practices of TRU? Or do we think more shipments are coming?

I wanted QS, Fastclash, and Nautica, didn't really care if I got Laser Prime and Rodimus. I definitely don't want to pay the ridiculous scalper prices I am seeing either.

Anyone know if there are sets still available in their area?

I saw them in DFW recently. All I want from the set is Rodimus!

I really don't understand the distribution either...How can a Target store where I purchased TR Leader Sixshot (literally the only one I've seen at retail to date).. then a month later somehow get CW Voyager Silverbolt & Motormaster...I mean you could tell these were case fresh, not something that somebody returned, or that had "fallen in a hole" in the stockroom last year, these were brand spanking new...?

Couple Thoughts:
I need boxsets Nautica and Thunderwing!
Wave 4 Nightbeat looks different than Wave 1 Nighbeat!
Repugnus,Shuffler,and Nightbeat are AWESOME.

mordhelm wrote:Alright, this finally got me to quit lurking and post. I have been searching for the Chaos on Velocitron set since it was first news'd that they were at stores. Not a single box has shown up at any TRU I have been to (every single one in a 50 mile radius of home). Not even a display location for them. Did I really miss out due to the awful distribution and shelving practices of TRU? Or do we think more shipments are coming?
Anyone know if there are sets still available in their area?

The sets are mostly sold out for now, but thats the initial shipment. These sets have yet to be found elsewhere in North America and we know Canada is getting them so Hasbro is sending out more boxsets to North America for sure.

Wolfman Jake wrote: Honestly, there are ways to fix this that will mean more sales and money and less waste and frustration for everyone involved, but no one cares to change anything.

One way to do it would be to have codes for each wave, treating them each as new products everytime (which they are).

Bronzewolf wrote:Can I be honest? I'm probably in the minority here, but I think Octoneatane rocks that mold.

bodrock wrote:While hunting for wave4 of the TR deluxes, I picked up TLK's Barricade -- now that the war is over (*according to IDW, and in my head-canon), he almost could join the PROWL Patrol!

IMG_5711.JPG

Lol, I see your Paw Patrol reference.

I get so many pop culture cross-overs in my head, it can't help but bleed into my pics of the Transformers! It makes it even more fun, really.

I'm afraid we may never see an abundance of wave4 TR figures here -- it's all about TLK, and like others mentioned, they came with a price increase.

william-james88 wrote:

mordhelm wrote:Alright, this finally got me to quit lurking and post. I have been searching for the Chaos on Velocitron set since it was first news'd that they were at stores. Not a single box has shown up at any TRU I have been to (every single one in a 50 mile radius of home). Not even a display location for them. Did I really miss out due to the awful distribution and shelving practices of TRU? Or do we think more shipments are coming?
Anyone know if there are sets still available in their area?

The sets are mostly sold out for now, but thats the initial shipment. These sets have yet to be found elsewhere in North America and we know Canada is getting them so Hasbro is sending out more boxsets to North America for sure.

Wolfman Jake wrote: Honestly, there are ways to fix this that will mean more sales and money and less waste and frustration for everyone involved, but no one cares to change anything.

One way to do it would be to have codes for each wave, treating them each as new products everytime (which they are).

Yeah, if every store can have a different code for every lego set that comes out, they can certainly do the same for 4 waves of figures across various price points

Hit 5 walgreens, target, meijer, and 2 walmarts in my town, and found nothing new. I'm beginning to seriously worry that I'm gonna miss Shuffler and Quake - that's all I want, shame the online stores aren't breaking up the waves for them.

Yeah they should definitely at least give new codes each wave. I can walk into almost any store and buy a Lego set that's come out in the 8 months. But of course I'm sure Lego sells better.

And each set having a unique code explains that. I always wondered why Lego was so plentiful.

SureShot18 wrote:Yeah they should definitely at least give new codes each wave. I can walk into almost any store and buy a Lego set that's come out in the 8 months. But of course I'm sure Lego sells better.

And each set having a unique code explains that. I always wondered why Lego was so plentiful.

That's because lego spends a lot of time and money making sure everything is properly stocked, obviously, doing this would eat into hasbro's profit margins

Another thing retailers could try, especially TRU, is running a sale every once and a while to clear out older stock for newer. I think Target has had one sale on Generations toys in the past 3 years, and TRU seems to have sales on everything but Transformers.
Please read post with a pinch of over exaggeration and a pound of sarcasm.

Cobotron wrote:Another thing retailers could try, especially TRU, is running a sale every once and a while to clear out older stock for newer. I think Target has had one sale on Generations toys in the past 3 years, and TRU seems to have sales on everything but Transformers.
Please read post with a pinch of over exaggeration and a pound of sarcasm.

No salt needed, as that sounds just about right, been ages since I've seen sales on tf's I remember during reveal the shield, tru had an awesome bogo free on tf's got leader scream and battle blades bee for free, that's how you clear stock (except back then, it was when the fresh waves hit)

I know others found him awhile ago, but Sky Shadow is surfacing in Oregon!

I originally was not going to get him, but after seeing Overlord, I prefer the mold on him. I will just have to save my money for MMC's Carnifex....

mordhelm wrote:Alright, this finally got me to quit lurking and post. I have been searching for the Chaos on Velocitron set since it was first news'd that they were at stores. Not a single box has shown up at any TRU I have been to (every single one in a 50 mile radius of home). Not even a display location for them. Did I really miss out due to the awful distribution and shelving practices of TRU? Or do we think more shipments are coming?

I wanted QS, Fastclash, and Nautica, didn't really care if I got Laser Prime and Rodimus. I definitely don't want to pay the ridiculous scalper prices I am seeing either.

Anyone know if there are sets still available in their area?

I had the same issue. They hit some stores quick, some people bought them for them, others bought to scalp and sell. Then they were gone within a week. Never even hit my local TRU and we don't know about any more. It has really pissed me off with this set.

On that note, some interesting stuff: every store in my area has 3-5 Broadsides put out, along with Hot Rods and Breakaways. No Twinferno, no Triggerhappy. the wave 3 titan masters are not moving. I asked my one walmart about new wave 4 titans return, and they said they are not ordering any for a while since the movie toys are moving in. I haven't seen any of wave 4 save Broadside anywhere, so this is incredibly frustrating

Hellscream9999 wrote:

william-james88 wrote:

mordhelm wrote:Alright, this finally got me to quit lurking and post. I have been searching for the Chaos on Velocitron set since it was first news'd that they were at stores. Not a single box has shown up at any TRU I have been to (every single one in a 50 mile radius of home). Not even a display location for them. Did I really miss out due to the awful distribution and shelving practices of TRU? Or do we think more shipments are coming?
Anyone know if there are sets still available in their area?

The sets are mostly sold out for now, but thats the initial shipment. These sets have yet to be found elsewhere in North America and we know Canada is getting them so Hasbro is sending out more boxsets to North America for sure.

Wolfman Jake wrote: Honestly, there are ways to fix this that will mean more sales and money and less waste and frustration for everyone involved, but no one cares to change anything.

One way to do it would be to have codes for each wave, treating them each as new products everytime (which they are).

Yeah, if every store can have a different code for every lego set that comes out, they can certainly do the same for 4 waves of figures across various price points

Technically speaking, every single TF toy has a unique product code, with the toy ID and assortment code if applicable (exclusives and figures that are the sole entry of their size class don't have that part, like Titan Class). Hasbro seems to think it suffices, despite some rather unfortunate trends.

And giving waves their own unique code is just a bad idea, purely for logistic reasons. Already each Size Class has its own assortment code (like B7762 is Hasbro, Transformers Generations Titans Return, Deluxe Class). That's all a retailer should need, really and keeps everything nice and organized. Ever tried logging the numbers for the G1 toys, without any standards and at times, each year/wave getting its own number? They're all over the place in later years!

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:

Hellscream9999 wrote:

william-james88 wrote:

mordhelm wrote:Alright, this finally got me to quit lurking and post. I have been searching for the Chaos on Velocitron set since it was first news'd that they were at stores. Not a single box has shown up at any TRU I have been to (every single one in a 50 mile radius of home). Not even a display location for them. Did I really miss out due to the awful distribution and shelving practices of TRU? Or do we think more shipments are coming?
Anyone know if there are sets still available in their area?

The sets are mostly sold out for now, but thats the initial shipment. These sets have yet to be found elsewhere in North America and we know Canada is getting them so Hasbro is sending out more boxsets to North America for sure.

Wolfman Jake wrote: Honestly, there are ways to fix this that will mean more sales and money and less waste and frustration for everyone involved, but no one cares to change anything.

One way to do it would be to have codes for each wave, treating them each as new products everytime (which they are).

Yeah, if every store can have a different code for every lego set that comes out, they can certainly do the same for 4 waves of figures across various price points

Technically speaking, every single TF toy has a unique product code, with the toy ID and assortment code if applicable (exclusives and figures that are the sole entry of their size class don't have that part, like Titan Class). Hasbro seems to think it suffices, despite some rather unfortunate trends.

And giving waves their own unique code is just a bad idea, purely for logistic reasons. Already each Size Class has its own assortment code (like B7762 is Hasbro, Transformers Generations Titans Return, Deluxe Class). That's all a retailer should need, really and keeps everything nice and organized. Ever tried logging the numbers for the G1 toys, without any standards and at times, each year/wave getting its own number? They're all over the place in later years!

the other thing that needs to be kept in mind, is that Corporate does not automatically decide what each individual store gets. Those stores turn their orders into their district warehouse, who in turn gets their stock from the regional hubs, who report to corporate what to buy. Each individual store would have to know constantly what bew figures are coming out and which ones they need to order to restock. For example, that little Neighborhood Walmart would have to know they are out of Triggerhappy, but have 3 Hot Rods and need to make room for a new Quake. Not gonna happen. Lego can do it because they are largwly selling the same sets all year, is basically selling the same product and can to some degree control the entire aisle. Transformers is selling new figures every other month, and is only a small part of the stuff Hasbro sells. I wish we could guarentee new stuff all the time; I have yet to see Broadside, have only seen 1 Sixshot long after I got mine through BBTS with Lio Convoy, but its just not feasible.

So in short, with any long-running line, if assortments are year-based, or the products themselves are in case of exclusives, that's what the chains favor, am I right?

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:So in short, with any long-running line, if assortments are year-based, or the products themselves are in case of exclusives, that's what the chains favor, am I right?

Stores like things easy. Consistant is easy.

Wave 4 is just going to sit in a warehouse for a year before it ends up at clearance retailers - I suppose.

It's also more than likely that if they normally would have given them some more boat space later that boat space has instead been given over to Movie toys. which means they may be sitting in a vietnam warehouse waiting to ship out still.

Maybe some of them will randomly show up months later like Skylynx did.
But it's annoying to have a a wave skipped when it's what you actually want to buy and reissued DOTM toys and a few lacklustre new moulds at premium prices really isn't on my priority list right now.

I'm still plenty irritated about missing Scatterspike, Bisk and Ratchet and i'm just keeping my fingers cross that some of them will show up as repack/refresh items in the cases that have Bludgeon & Thermidor in : but it looks like the whole lets not complete a set of seekers thing is going to come into play again with no sign of an RID Thundercracker.

And having Blurr and Hotrod and not TR Kup is the same sort of degree of irritation to me.