Post by poindizzle on Jun 1, 2012 10:20:22 GMT -5
I try my best in a day not to complain as much. It's an old habit of mine dating back to being a kid that I would whine on and on. I do a pretty good job of keeping it under control, but with that said I have to finally complain.
I know toys aren't an essential per se, but what you do is a huge factor in what you are. What I happen to do (and it's not the only thing, mind you, but an important one nonetheless) is collect action figures.
We know the distribution problems all too well at retail. Bad case packouts, and retail ordering vexing amounts of things (-cough-Walmart-cough-).
The complaint I now have is this: All the stores in a decent driving range for me are in a deadlock. They have been for a few weeks now. Their shelves are so full to the brim that new stock isn't an option for a while. What do I do? Twiddle my thumbs until someone comes along and buys all the B13 figures that are at 3 Wal-Mart's around me? Or all the Signature Series and Mason Ryan/ Randy Orton at ToysRus. Or all the Jakks off the Ropes crap that keeps any local drugstores from having anything of interest? Last week I hit every store I would usually search in a month and they all very literally have no room for new stock.
What do I do? I can't say online-only because right now my spending budget is limited to retail prices. I have a promotion coming but it won't be until this fall. When that comes, Ringside pre-order is going to be my route from now on. I officially hate the hunt now, just like a few years ago with the DC universe Classics.
I'm going to say that Mattel (not the Mattel Design team who I'm sure are great folks who would do all they could to help) Corporate really is to blame. Why are all the Wal-Marts around here just now getting Basic 13? Because they were clogged with Best of Bullsh*t and Signature Series 1 AND 2. Signature Series 2 might as well have been called Best of, too, since it was mostly reissues this year.
Why is ToysRus clogged with Mason Ryan/ Randy Orton? Bad packouts of 3 per case.
Why is target and K-Mart clogged with Randy Orton from E12? Bad case packout and an oversaturation of his character. And target with B15 John Cena? Because he's 4 per case.
The list could go on and on. The bad ordering certainly lands on the lap of Retail chains, but the rest is solely on Mattel Corporate. And if this product shelf warms like it has all 5 months of this year so far then it doesn't give retail much incentive to want to order more.
To counter all this negativity, I would love to say that the product that has been offered this year in the Basic and Elite lines have been pretty stellar for the most part. The new headscans and body sculpts have largely been good, and I have bought more new figures than last year, especially in the much improved basic line. I would buy even more, too, if I could find them.
Retail is important, too. Plenty of people will give up the hobby if it goes online, much the same as if comics go digital only plenty of people will find another pastime.
I know toys aren't an essential per se, but what you do is a huge factor in what you are. What I happen to do (and it's not the only thing, mind you, but an important one nonetheless) is collect action figures.
We know the distribution problems all too well at retail. Bad case packouts, and retail ordering vexing amounts of things (-cough-Walmart-cough-).
The complaint I now have is this: All the stores in a decent driving range for me are in a deadlock. They have been for a few weeks now. Their shelves are so full to the brim that new stock isn't an option for a while. What do I do? Twiddle my thumbs until someone comes along and buys all the B13 figures that are at 3 Wal-Mart's around me? Or all the Signature Series and Mason Ryan/ Randy Orton at ToysRus. Or all the Jakks off the Ropes crap that keeps any local drugstores from having anything of interest? Last week I hit every store I would usually search in a month and they all very literally have no room for new stock.
What do I do? I can't say online-only because right now my spending budget is limited to retail prices. I have a promotion coming but it won't be until this fall. When that comes, Ringside pre-order is going to be my route from now on. I officially hate the hunt now, just like a few years ago with the DC universe Classics.
I'm going to say that Mattel (not the Mattel Design team who I'm sure are great folks who would do all they could to help) Corporate really is to blame. Why are all the Wal-Marts around here just now getting Basic 13? Because they were clogged with Best of Bullsh*t and Signature Series 1 AND 2. Signature Series 2 might as well have been called Best of, too, since it was mostly reissues this year.
Why is ToysRus clogged with Mason Ryan/ Randy Orton? Bad packouts of 3 per case.
Why is target and K-Mart clogged with Randy Orton from E12? Bad case packout and an oversaturation of his character. And target with B15 John Cena? Because he's 4 per case.
The list could go on and on. The bad ordering certainly lands on the lap of Retail chains, but the rest is solely on Mattel Corporate. And if this product shelf warms like it has all 5 months of this year so far then it doesn't give retail much incentive to want to order more.
To counter all this negativity, I would love to say that the product that has been offered this year in the Basic and Elite lines have been pretty stellar for the most part. The new headscans and body sculpts have largely been good, and I have bought more new figures than last year, especially in the much improved basic line. I would buy even more, too, if I could find them.
Retail is important, too. Plenty of people will give up the hobby if it goes online, much the same as if comics go digital only plenty of people will find another pastime.
