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06-30-2018, 02:03 PM | #21 |
I LIVE!
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Altus, OK
Posts: 6,087
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Again, it sounds "easy" in a vacuum, but it ignores a LOT of logistical complexity and realities of selling toys. This is especially prevalent in the comments where some people remark "Why not just run more of x popular figure later?". I've seen that happen, and I've seen the consequences, which have largely been less than ideal.
At the end of the day, even collectors still view toys as "cheap impulse buys", despite the expectations collectors have. The largest percentage of toys are still sold at retail, and that includes a majority of "mainstream" collector lines like Star Wars Black, Marvel Legends, and Transformers Generations. In that respect, with the market largely consolidated to Walmart, Amazon, and Target, the retailers have ENORMOUS say in how they want to have toys stocked. About the only retailer with the pull to make any major changes to the market is Amazon, but, again, toys (ie, Action Figures) have neither the margins or prestige to warrant Amazon giving the segment the focus to force any changes to "the system". Hasbro could offer 50 different GI Joe actions figures at once, sold per figure, and make it as collector friendly as we've ever seen. It won't mean a damned thing if no retailer will actually bother stocking/marketing the line. As is, especially with Walmart, we've seen them "roll" assortments together, making even Hasbro's meager attempts at stock management pointless. Collectors may make up as much as 25 to maybe even 30% of the toy market (perhaps more in action figures), but many STILL have the same mentality of 15-25 years ago. We don't (or don't want to) see the actual costs of the hobby, and don't "plan out" purchases. Dropping $15-20 a couple times a week is a LOT different, mentally, than dropping $75-100 at once for the same products by preordering. Hell, factor in gas, and preordering likely comes out ahead for a majority of collectors. But many still want that "fix" and "rush" of getting something at retail, the instant gratification. And there is not a damn thing a major company can do to address THAT issue. The market is changing, no argument. We also aren't seeing changes to core elements of the ENTIRE system. Not only the manufacturers and retailers, but the consumer and collector. Right now, retailers have the power. Regardless what Hasbro makes, if Walmart decides not to carry a product...there is a VERY low chance of it being produced at all (see the criminally under appreciated Monster Mashers from a couple years ago). This was a post I made on another forum that asked if the wave system was needed anymore: Quote:
I think a bigger issue is the conflict between what retailers want and what is realistic. Retailers WANT to have a steady supply of different toys to drive people to stores (traditionally), but in the last few years, toys aren't the driver they used to be, so retailers have cut back on toy orders. But they haven't rescinded many of those mandates that come into play when toys were FAR more popular with higher sales.
My observation is that, especially the last couple years, that stores will NOT order enough to fill their pegs until Christmas. In fact, my local Walmart allotted FOUR PEGS for Solo action figures...but only got ONE CASE of product. I think a more valid approach is to increase the cases sizes, at least for, theoretically, higher turnover product like basic figures. Last year, The Last Jedi saw a meager 21 single carded figures produced between the fall rollout and its wrap after Christmas. Would the line have done any better or worse if Hasbro simply offered a 24 unit case with all those figures and a few duplicates? Re-ordering is all done by a computer algorithm, so it is not as if stores have to worry about tracking the inventory. It DOES put more investment on the product though. If they can't sell through, they have less flexibility in dumping the product to outlets like Ross or Big Lots. In the case of Transformers deluxe figures, why are we still doing 3-4 waves per year when Hasbro could just do a 12 or 16 figure cases assortment, and just ship two assortments per year, as Playmates and Bandai have, largely, been doing for decades? Again, though, that comes back to whether retailers WANT to carry that much inventory at one time...and who knows anymore. I just feel like a LOT of people in the industry are holding on to how things were done in action figures' heyday of the 90s and early 2000s than addressing how all this should work today. Outside of supporting your favorite online retailer, especially those like BBTS and Entertainment Earth that have done REALLY well in picking up items that have been abandoned by retail. The infamous "last half" of most Star Wars lines over the past couple years has been salvaged by Entertainment Earth, making a LOT of stuff available that would either be stupid rare or completely unproduced.
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07-01-2018, 01:46 AM | #22 |
Crimson Guard
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Pittsburgh, Pa
Posts: 2,998
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Quote:
Instead of doing a new wave every quarter, of say 12 characters, do 8 over the first half of the year. |
07-01-2018, 11:03 PM | #23 |
Psych-Out's Intern
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Clifton, TX
Posts: 205
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I’m not sure this helps if there’s nothing in there I want.
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