Wave 9 Internet Exclusive Case Problems

Mysterious Stranger · **Posted:** Thu Apr 10, 2008 3:19 pm

Just got this email from BBTS regarding the internet exclusive cases of Wave 9 (extra Snow Serpents & BATs).

BBTS Email 4/10/08 wrote:

Hi - We unfortunately just received some bad news from Hasbro this morning. It appears that their product planning & marketing departments decided to bring in a tiny amount of the 'internet exclusive' Wave 9 - Revision 2 case assortment .0221 that you have ordered from us.

We pre-sold every case of this assortment that we had on order by early this morning, and hours later we received an email from Hasbro stating that there would be massive shortages on this wave - due to Hasbro's internal decisions. We never would have listed so many of these for sale if we had been alerted of the problem in a timely fashion, but Hasbro unfortunately did not contact us until it was too late.

There are two other Wave 9 assortments that will fill normally, and will be used as substitutions for the shorted Revision 2 assortement. Each of these cases contains 1 of each of the 6 new figures in wave 9, as well as two figures from previous waves, so you will get the same full set of figures, but the extra BAT and Snow Serpent are replaced by previous releases.

We estimate that all orders placed after 3:00 AM, Central Time on Wednesday April 9th, will be filled with a substitution case. Hasbro has not confirmed how many cases we will receive, so this is an estimate, but it is unlikely that orders placed later on Wednesday, or on Thursday will fill with the original assortment.

We recommend cancelling your preorder for the Revision 2 assortment, and ordering one of the other Wave 9 assortments found on the links below. If you leave your preorder as-is for Revision 2, we will fill as many Revision 2 orders as we can, and the rest will be filled with the substitution cases found on the links below.

http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/prod ... ode=retail

http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/prod ... ode=retail

Sorry again for the problems caused by Hasbro on this wave, we presented all the logical arguments to them about why they should make more, but the decision had already been made, and all vendors will be shorted on this assortment.

Thanks
Joel

I placed my order on Tuesday so I think I'm good. But others that may have missed the cutoff might be screwed.

I really wonder what happened with this shortage. "Internal decision" sounds an awful lot like under-produced or tooling issues to me but then I'm not an insider so who knows.

J_Man · **Posted:** Thu Apr 10, 2008 3:41 pm

Sounds like BS really. I don't know on who's part, but it's growing more and more ridiculous in the way Hasbro is playing "keep away" with the 25th anniversary figures. I got the email too. I'll probably just keep the order as is. At least I'll get the 6 figures from that wave without having to drive all over town. If I stumble on them later, I can then get my second set for opening. Other than that I'll just let it go. I haven't been driving all over looking for the figures like I was. I'm tired of it and tired of burning the gas.

White Line Nightmare · **Posted:** Thu Apr 10, 2008 3:58 pm

Just got the same e-mail and just fired off a message to Customer Service inquiring if my pre-order was placed in time before The Deadline.

I don't want to jump the gun and cancel my order if I have the Internet-Exclusive pack-out, but if I was too late, I wouldn't mind the Wild Bill/Torpedo case, since Wave 6 is practically impossible to find in my area.

Why is Hasbro making it so hard to collect this line?

If they want it to succeed, they sure have a f***ed-up way of showing it.

I shop online because the distribution is absolute crap, and now Hasbro is screwing with the Internet retailers... do they want us to buy their products or not? We're almost begging them to take our money, and they make bone-headed decisions every step of the way.

The fan reaction to Wave 9 is so positive, where collectors are getting really excited about the line, and they're going to under-produce it?

:verymad:

Mike T. · **Joined:** Tue Jun 26, 2007 10:19 am

Quote:

The fan reaction to Wave 9 is so positive, where collectors are getting really excited about the line, and they're going to under-produce it?

They never said that. The email said one case assortement, which was marked for "internet only" so it was likely a small run to begin with...., was changed. It's still covered by the other case assortments for this wave. Case revisions are changed ALL the time. Even the Star Wars line has case assortments that are cancelled, revised or changed. It doesn't mean anything in regards to production of the actual figures, just how they're packed and shipped. There's NO reason to overreact to a common occurrence.

zedhatch · **Joined:** Tue Jun 26, 2007 10:19 am **Location:** Neon KY

Quote:

There's NO reason to overreact to a common occurrence.

Mike with all due respect I think I understand what is happening here, when I first saw the thread I had a similar reaction, but I think the problem can be addressed in one statement made alreay.

Quote:

Why is Hasbro making it so hard to collect this line?

Which is something I have asked since the 5-packs. I like this line a great deal, but it has become more common for me to go to the store and sigh in front of the empty Joe pegs. One might think it means great sales, but according to some people I know in the toy sections, it actually means a lack of delivery.

I have gone through alternate channels (Comic shops ect) to only have orders cancelled (If any word is passed out on them at all) and forced to call in favors from friends from out of state (who apparently aren't having these problems) or my last resort to pay inflated prices on the net.

With all that for a toyline you can see why some kneejerk reactions occur. None of us like the fruitless searches over and over. It was 6 months before I saw a single Joe pack in the stores (and that was Hooded CC that I suspect was a repack and not scalped like the rest of the case). When you can find the "Uber hard to find" varaints and shortpacked figures from other lines (Marvel Legends, Star Wars ect) but can't even find the common figures from one of your favorite lines, you can understand anger from the fans.

It's been almost a year with no relief in sight or any solution straighten this out, so I hope its understandable why so much frustration exists over things like this.

I know if I didn't actually love GI Joe I wouldn't even bother anymore.

roguetiger · **Posted:** Thu Apr 10, 2008 4:34 pm

I think the next Q & A that Hasbro has we need to ask the question........ WHEN is :hasbro:

going to fix the distribution probs with the Joes? That or someone needs to bring it up at the Con when they see the Hasbro crew.

Stealth Viper · **Posted:** Thu Apr 10, 2008 4:40 pm

It's a catch 22 for them.

DTC figures didn't selll worth a damn. Sigma 6 didn't sell worth a damn. They don't want to overproduce product that eventually has to be blown out on super clearance.

They are no doubt trying to find the "sweet spot" of producing enough to meet demand, without causing "peg warming" and eventual clearance fodder.

It's in their best interest to produce enough to sell through the wave, then onto the next. This keeps all departments running at full steam - designers, sculpters, writers, production facilities - rather than to produce more than possible demand, causing retail orders to grind to a screeching halt. Better to underproduce and have empty pegs than overproduce, and the retailer not order the next wave(s) thus stagnating further production, resulting in some waves never existing in areas that still have other waves pegwarming (which Lord knows we've seen plenty of before)

viperlord · **Posted:** Thu Apr 10, 2008 4:43 pm

It's not fair to blame Hasbro for distribution problems that aren't their fault.

TRU's wharehouses are full. Their stores are full. Every Target I've been to is full. Wal-Mart constantly gets figures (Though their pegs are usually empty thanks to their scalployees).

Those figures are coming from somewhere. There is no shortage.

Mike T. · **Joined:** Tue Jun 26, 2007 10:19 am

Quote:

It's not fair to blame Hasbro for distribution problems that aren't their fault.

That's very true. And, if you waste one fo the Q&A questions asking about distribution, that is the EXACT answer you will get from Hasbro. The stores control distribution.

And, from the stores perspective, I can see the hesitance to order tons of Joe. Retailers have gotten burned with several products bearing the G.I. Joe name since 2005. What would make them think this line is any different? All lines sell well at first. But, they can also grind to a screeching halt with no warning. Retailers don't want to be caught with tons of product they can't move and have to clearance or liquidate. Plus, the marketplace right now isn't ripe for stores to take chances. Sales are slow overall, so there's even less incentive to take a risk on a brand whose name has been a retail dud for the past 3 years.

I'm sure as we head into fall, we'll see more stuff on the pegs. (Though, I still don't think these figures are that hard to find if you spend an appropriate amount of time searching for them.) But, were I a retailer, I would certainly not risk much of my capital on an unproven recent brand like Joe. So, I really don't blame them for being cautious.

zedhatch · **Joined:** Tue Jun 26, 2007 10:19 am **Location:** Neon KY

Quote:

It's not fair to blame Hasbro for distribution problems that aren't their fault.

See I have no problem with that, but am I to believe Wal-Mart, K-Mart and all the marts around me as well as the comic shops all have the same distributor. That is where I have problems.

PaidLoad · **Joined:** Wed Jun 27, 2007 6:52 pm

Mike T. wrote:

I'm sure as we head into fall, we'll see more stuff on the pegs. (Though, I still don't think these figures are that hard to find if you spend an appropriate amount of time searching for them.)

I kind of think it's inbetween winter & summer resets, and that there's going to be a flood of stuff when the vehicles start hitting the east coast, but in larger areas like mine it's become borderline impossible to find them unless you live way out in the suburbs and/or have a job near a store and it's more affordable to take multiple trips.

With rising costs in more important necessities like food & gas and all, I'm not about to waste the $3.30/gallon in gas to drive around looking for something that in all likelihood won't even be there. I'm getting a feeling though that Hasbro has deliberately cut back on single pack production at least for a while to get their costs in line judging by the price jumps for figures.

pluv · **Posted:** Thu Apr 10, 2008 5:43 pm

Eh, I cancelled the pre-order entirely. Some of those replenishing waves still haven't come in for previous waves. I thought with this pre-order I would at least be able to sell off the extra army builders to recoup some of the cost. That's something that Major Bludd and Torpedo won't be able to do.

viperlord · **Posted:** Thu Apr 10, 2008 5:44 pm

zedhatch wrote:

Quote:

It's not fair to blame Hasbro for distribution problems that aren't their fault.

See I have no problem with that, but am I to believe Wal-Mart, K-Mart and all the marts around me as well as the comic shops all have the same distributor. That is where I have problems.

I honsetly don't know Zed.

But all TRUs should have the same distributor, all Targets, and all Wal-Marts, and all K-Marts too. So if my stores (And a lot of other people's) can get them, your's should be able to as well.

I know for a fact that TRU's midwestern warehouse is FULL of Joes. I can look at the computer and see them at all the stores around here. I unload them every week off our truck (Tommorrow at 4am!).

The distribution problem is not on Hasbro's end.

PaidLoad · **Joined:** Wed Jun 27, 2007 6:52 pm

pluv wrote:

Eh, I cancelled the pre-order entirely. Some of those replenishing waves still haven't come in for previous waves. I thought with this pre-order I would at least be able to sell off the extra army builders to recoup some of the cost. That's something that Major Bludd and Torpedo won't be able to do.

but you can make him into an international bludd, just in time for the olympics...they could use a good mascot instead of the acid-trip cartoons of years past. i say that knowing that this years look cooler than past years ones, but still..it'd be the olympic edition chinese major bludd!

psychoviper · **Posted:** Thu Apr 10, 2008 9:50 pm

Zed, your first post perfectly summed up how I (and so many other collector's) feel in regards to the shortage of figures compared to most other toylines.

While I understand distribution is the province of the stores, I don't think it absolves Hasbro of all blame. I mean, on their own website they regularly sell out of figures. Yes, they are underproduced.

I say we march up to Pawtucket with torches and pitchforks!

Wave 9 Internet Exclusive Case Problems

Who is online