As an answer to one of the questions on another site that dealt with getting the SDCC exclusive Destro as a wider release figure, Hasbro's answer was: "We have no plans to release these as mainline items. They were designed specifically for exclusives because we know collectors and customizers enjoy these types of figure."

I'm wondering if that is true? My fellow collectors, do you like exclusives?

I ask only because I for one hate them.

Personally, I like being able to buy cool toys at leisure without having to fly across the country, or driving all the way across town 7 times a week to a particular store, or paying the equivalent of my theoretical son's college fund on E-bay. For me, exclusives make this hobby less fun.

But maybe I'm the exception.

So what do you all say?

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Your options reach too far in the extremes.

Exclusives are good. They often allow for a figure to be made that would not be as viable for a wide release. Were it not for exclusives, GoBots's Crasher would not have been revamped as Fracture as part of a set of Wal-Mart exclusive Transformers toys.


Suit Destro, whether we like it or not, would've likely never even been considered had it not been for SDCC. Likewise, Pimp Daddy Destro.

As for store exclusives, it's given you the opportunity to own some final remnants of the 25th Anniversary line, with the internet-exclusive Assault/Defense 7-packs, and the Wal-Mart exclusive two-packs featuring Monkeywrench, Tunnel Rat, Resolute Gung-Ho and the likes.
Hate on exclusives all you want, but if it wasn't for them there'd be a lot of toys us collectors want that we wouldn't get at all.

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Are they really exclusives if they release them to the mass market after said event? I mean after SDCC they give the opportunity for others to own that figure.

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I think it sucks really to have them. It makes fans mad and in some cases it has made some fans stop collecting the product line of some of the items that were exclusive. SDCC isn't a convention I'll probably ever go to so knowing every year there is a potential item I might want that I might not be able to get isn't fun. I don't like having to buy from an Ebayer.

As many of us know, it is very hard to get back what you paid for an item. I'm not in it for the money, but there is times you want to trim down your collection. When that time comes, some of the items you had to jump through hoops to get all of a sudden isn't worth crap. You can't get anything for the item. But then when you had checked before it was impossible to find the item for a reasonable price. I don't know how that works, but it happens every time.

After so many years of being at the collecting game you come to the idea that if you miss something you just pass on it. After passing so many times it does get easier and easier to pass on more and more. Before too long the fun is gone and you pass all together on it all. Sounds extreme? Not really.

At least Hasbro has made it a little easier selling the items on their website. This past year the items were up for a pretty decent amount of time. If all companies would do that and keep it up, I wouldn't complain. Even if the item was a little different than the one sold at SDCC (like He-Ro from Mattel had the SDCC logo and the one on the website didn't), I'd be fine with it.

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I don't like them when they're just an excuse to release something that should have been mass released at a higher price point. And I disagree with the statement that the suit Destro would not have been considered if not for SDCC. That's HOW THE CHARACTER LOOKED FOR 99% OF THE MOVIE.

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I agree with Darko. That figure would definitely make it out if it wasn't an exclusive. I'm sure it still will, only without the vac-metalized parts maybe.
I also think they should release Stormy in a white version that suit, just with different legs. SE and SS always sell.

If said figures (GH, MW, TR etc) would never get released as exclusives, they'd likely make it out as vehicle drivers or similar.

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Neither of Rex's toys look like they did in the movies. The Doctor is in a gimp suit, while the Commander lacks the reflective silver helmet and trades in his labcoat for a knit trenchcoat.
Likewise both Paris Pursuit Baroness and Storm Shadow diverged greatly from their on-screen counterparts. Baroness lost her cleavage while Storm Shadow traded in his white suit for a different white leather ninja suit.

It's a children's toy line, the kids want battle-ready toys, not a guy dressed like Dad on his way to work. I never got the first T-1000 figure from the Terminator line because a motorcycle cop is just boring compared to Robotic Ahnuld.

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If your dad wears a purple pin-striped suit to work, I imagine that mom wears fishnets and a tube top. And the others still looked vaguely like their movie counterparts. RoC Destro looking nothing like any film incarnation, which is why I imagine he's a peg warmer just about everywhere. CC may have a different coat and Baroness may be a bit more modest, but at least kids will be able to recognize the characters.

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To kids, a suit is a suit. Plus, my dad generally wore a shirt and tie thing, not a full suit. Still remains that it looks more like a boring working human than a big villain to have fights with.
And if that's Destro's excuse for pegwarming, what's Cover Girl's? Up here they pegwarm in equal numbers.
(personally I only skipped on Destro because of his dull grey color. I got the SRO version instead)

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...probably that she was on the screen for 5 minutes, had two lines, and then died.

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To add a bit of hilarity to this discussion:


http://www.articulateddiscussion.com/po ... -15th.aspx

EDIT: Also, from http://www.cooltoyreview.com/story/fron ... 128615.asp

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I like the club exclusives (or liked) because it gave us opportunities to get things we'd never gotten or would never get. SDCC on the other hand is dictated by Hasbro, so no I don't really care for SDCC exclusives.

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Forced exclusives, variants, chase figures, etc are annoying to say the least. I think in the original Joe run they were kinda cool, because it wasn't shoved in your face every year, but I think thats more the internets fault. I didnt realize how many uncommon Joes were out there until way after the fact.

I collected Playmates Star Trek line back in the 1990s, until they released that 1701 limited edition 3 pack. Once all the Trek collectors realized they could never have a complete set, they started dumping thier figure collections and to this day the Playmates Trek figures hold little value (the majority anyway). Playmates soon realized thier mistake and later released the sets to the masses but the damage was done and the line soon fizzled.

I used to collect several toy lines but due to crap like this, thats why I cut it back to Joe only.

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I agree with Jay's first post. Exclusives to allow an item that would never see a normal release to get released. I also agree with ZG, forced exclusives suck. Making something rare that is in high demand is rather stupid if you ask me. It doesn't benefit the manufacturer at all, only the scalpers.

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If the stores who carried the exclusives would actually receive them, that would be nice. TRU never gor the ROC SRO sets here. Wal-Mart (3 of them locally) never stocked the battle stations, the Star Wars AT-ST or the last wave of exclusive comic packs.

At least K-Mart stocks their terrible exclusives.