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Haha, alright guys. I suppose i did jump the gun a little on that one. My bad. :blush:

Anyway, getting back to SDCC09, does anyone know a release date for AFX X-factor set??

August??

what year did "total recall" take place in?

2084...what des that have anything to do with my question?? :blink:

I was asking seriously...

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Let's not turn this into a DCD dead mate thread

I'm still gonna get the X-factor box set. Shortpacking Angel won't stop me. It is really frustrating though to learn about Moonstone/BE and that Angel/Warpath will probably fall the same fate. I love the hunt too, but come on...seriously!

I personally don't care for the hunt at all. Why should it be so frustrating? It's not as though if you find it after hunting it down it makes the item free. I am paying money for it therefore it should be readily available.

Haha, alright guys. I suppose i did jump the gun a little on that one. My bad. :blush:

Anyway, getting back to SDCC09, does anyone know a release date for AFX X-factor set??

August??

what year did "total recall" take place in?

2084...what des that have anything to do with my question?? :blink:

I was asking seriously...

I would guess around the end of the year best case or they may wait until NYCC next year like with the Civil War set.

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Thanks Ivan.

I'm actually stung by Chuck's comments. The Bullseye/Moonstone furore has had me questioning whether I want to continue buying minimates anyway. To learn that they don't appear to be taking our frustrations on board is a bit of a blow.

Let's see how the future plays out. The current plan didn't involve our frustrations, because we hadn't seen these particular issues yet. Now that it's happened and we've voiced concerned, maybe DST will find a different balance between the fans and the mass-market retailer. But that isn't going to happen overnight, I'm sure.

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I think the card for the X-Factor set showed an end of 2009 release (saw it on a picture somewhere)

Regarding Moonstone/Bullseye, Chuck does have a point, and one that we all theorized about. Die hard collectors want everything, but the Toys R Us market targets casual collectors. They're going to go for the more recognizable characters, meaning Spidey, Iron Man, etc. So filling the case with Bullseye/Moonstone isn't going to help move cases off the shelves. Yes it sucks, but given the choice between a variant set at TRU and no set at all, I'll endure a little hardship in tracking this one down.

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I love the hunt too, but come on...seriously!

you know, now that I think about it... the hunt is really worth it. because when it boils down to it... there really isn't a better feeling than going down that aisle, not knowing what exactly lies ahead. upon approaching, you see they've been restocked, you tear through them and you don't see it- WAIT! there it is! lol

by the way, thanks for all the great pics ivan! much appreciated, you are a saint :D

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I think the card for the X-Factor set showed an end of 2009 release (saw it on a picture somewhere)

Regarding Moonstone/Bullseye, Chuck does have a point, and one that we all theorized about. Die hard collectors want everything, but the Toys R Us market targets casual collectors. They're going to go for the more recognizable characters, meaning Spidey, Iron Man, etc. So filling the case with Bullseye/Moonstone isn't going to help move cases off the shelves. Yes it sucks, but given the choice between a variant set at TRU and no set at all, I'll endure a little hardship in tracking this one down.

I tend to agree with this statement as well - look at how many stops we've all made to TRU since they started getting minimates, often looking for the "Exclusive" figures. Some of us wouldn't have gone out of our way to got to TRU before, so they've succeeded in attracting new customers while having product available for the non-collector customer. I'm not entirely convinced that we won't see Bullseye and Moonstone outside of the TRU release either. I think we need to remember the issues some of us had finding Union Jack/Wonderman and Stealth Iron Man/Tony Stark - and those turned out okay for most of us.

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The Mattel rep believes in the hard sell. Much eye-rolling in the audience.

What does "hard sell" mean?

A hard sell is direct, forceful advertising- the traditional advertising model if you will. A soft sell is a more casual, friendly approach to advertising. So companies like Mattel and DCD that make themselves scarce but still "Hey, buy my product" use a hard sell. (Georg Brewer would try to convince us otherwise, but that moron doesn't even know how to spell George). DST I think uses good dose of consumer outreach meant to engender good-will: the soft sell.

And thanks for all of the reports, Ivan. It almost lets me feel like I'm there.

Edited by Turtle
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The Mattel rep believes in the hard sell. Much eye-rolling in the audience.
What does "hard sell" mean?

A hard sell is direct, forceful advertising- the traditional advertising model if you will. A soft sell is :

post-2737-1248450183_thumb.jpg
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Stop. They are dead and continue to be dead. Brewer was most likely placating Lobsterman

Wait...Brewer..huh, i just rememebered i'm friends with his son!! Yea, his kid goes to my school; we had a theater class together...wow... :blink:

Chuck's comments are a bit discerning...not really something i wanted to hear. Do i think maybe sometime down the line they'll get re-released?? Probably. Due i want him to realize the set's popularity and ship it out with the Wolvie Wave 2?? Yes; very much. Here's hoping.

The Minimates.com page looks nice, even if it's just a card. Willing to bet "Buy" is "Where to." shame; that'd be a very nice feature.

"Build your Own Minimate??" FUN!!!! Hoping we can have it shipped to us...wait, we're allowed more than one and everything up to the TRU Wave 3 is included, right Chuck?? :lol:

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Sorry I wasn't clear on the Mattel rep/hard sell comment. All of his answers to audience questions were littered with "Go to MattyCollector.com," "We're selling these fine products," and "Be sure to come to our toy panel for that answer," etc. I'm paraphrasing of course.

Chuck's 'hunt' comment seemed to be a personal preference in toy collecting. I don't think it was meant to say everyone should like the hunt. Sometimes the hunt is necessary though. Business decisions have to come first.

Other show notes:

The Stay Puft bank variant sold out on Preview Night.

Overall Ghostbusters have been very good to DST

They're going to try and do one more wave/series of GB but they have to maintain the right balance of main and support characters.

The new website will be more kid-centric and not duplicate what is available on artasylum.com and diamondselecttoys.com

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Regarding Moonstone/Bullseye, Chuck does have a point, and one that we all theorized about. Die hard collectors want everything, but the Toys R Us market targets casual collectors. They're going to go for the more recognizable characters, meaning Spidey, Iron Man, etc. So filling the case with Bullseye/Moonstone isn't going to help move cases off the shelves. Yes it sucks, but given the choice between a variant set at TRU and no set at all, I'll endure a little hardship in tracking this one down.

I'm using drgnrbrn316's view of Chuck's point purely because it is so concise & I do not aim my next comment at drgrbrn316......................

......That is total crap . I accept that 'Mom & the Casuals' might not pluck Bullseye/Moonstone from the shelves at TRU in preference to Spidey,Wolverine et al, but what's stopping TRU.com offering them online to the aforesaid 'die hards'?

Do they think we're daft?

All I see is 'smoke & mirrors' at the moment.....

...........no not at the moment ....as usual :angry:

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Regarding Moonstone/Bullseye, Chuck does have a point, and one that we all theorized about. Die hard collectors want everything, but the Toys R Us market targets casual collectors. They're going to go for the more recognizable characters, meaning Spidey, Iron Man, etc. So filling the case with Bullseye/Moonstone isn't going to help move cases off the shelves. Yes it sucks, but given the choice between a variant set at TRU and no set at all, I'll endure a little hardship in tracking this one down.

I'm using drgnrbrn316's view of Chuck's point purely because it is so concise & I do not aim my next comment at drgrbrn316......................

......That is total crap . I accept that 'Mom & the Casuals' might not pluck Bullseye/Moonstone from the shelves at TRU in preference to Spidey,Wolverine et al, but what's stopping TRU.com offering them online to the aforesaid 'die hards'?

Do they think we're daft?

All I see is 'smoke & mirrors' at the moment.....

...........no not at the moment ....as usual :angry:

That is actually a great point BHM, screw the hunt, gimme an online option to order, then they don't have to chance them not selling like the spidey/wolvie sets

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Thanks Ivan for filling us in and giving us the Day 1 report. :thumbsup:

Chuck likes the hunt.

Yeah he likes knowing we're running around like idiots at TRU stores for that moonstone/bullseye pack. I agree with everyone that was bs and I do understand the business decision. Everybody makes mistakes. It still doesn't make me any less pissed off. I know they produce more mass market and it's not even close to comic shop numbers, but dang these cannot be found anywhere. The exclusivity makes you go to a TRU so you can waste more money but it sucks for some of us that only get minimates now(because of the recession) Let's see, for several weeks I've gone to 7 TRUs (most far) wasting gas and struck out on this wave. I've spent more $$ on gas and diet pepsi at TRU than I have bought minimates. I thought that comment on moms buying them was funny, you know it's a scalper buying to sell when the exclusives are the only ones they take which is what I've been seeing. At the end of the day the scalper(non minimate lover) wins because I'll have to overpay for them and my efforts to go to TRU were for nothing except wasting gas, time and diet pepsi

minimates.com idea sounds interesting. Wonder what exclusives they plan on selling.(bullseye/moonstone anyone?) I do hope it'll be a positive experience.

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At the end of the day the scalper(non minimate lover) wins because I'll have to overpay for them and my efforts to go to TRU were for nothing except wasting gas, time and diet pepsi

Yes, but maybe they're hoping the scalper will turn around and spend the money he made on more TRU exclusives. Or maybe DST has stock in Diet Pepsi and oil. It'd be a fool-proof fan.

I'm not too upset by what Chuck said unless these two figures won't show up again. Then I'll be pretty ticked. To comment on the thrill of the hunt, it's only good if you eventually find what you're looking for. I'm afraid the next TRU exclusive DST announces will be the Snipe Hunt Minimate. Just keep looking a little more and you'll find it...

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I'm not too upset by what Chuck said unless these two figures won't show up again. Then I'll be pretty ticked. To comment

Here's hoping(crossing finggers) that they show up again. but I won't hold my breath. One thing's for sure, I'm not wasting any more gas and buying diet pepsi lol :teehee: (well maybe not until the next exclusive Snipe Hunt Minimate)

To tell you the truth no other 2-pack has frustrated me more, got to live with it.

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Wonder what exclusives they plan on selling.(bullseye/moonstone anyone?) I do hope it'll be a positive experience.

The problem is, everything that isn't released both at TRU and through Previews is listed as an "exclusive" of some kind, and even some of the packaging variants that are released at both places are called "exclusives" from time to time, so I don't know that the term means much in terms of Minimates any more. Everything is either: an AFX exclusive; a SDCC exclusive; a Previews Exclusive; a Toys R Us Exclusive; etc.

I'm hoping they do sell genuine exclusives of some kind, though. Site-exclusive exclusives would be nice, as would the Bullseye pack of course.

Going back to the Bullseye thing for a moment, if the business decision was to get fans going to TRU more frequently than they otherwise would, they probably have succeeded in that. You put the single best figure from a team soon getting a box set in a 1-per-case store exclusive, and yeah, you'll get the fans to go to your store more often. But I think posts like Rad's are telling. This might be enough to turn serious fans off, and that is something they don't need to do.

Edited by karamazov80
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The hunt issue is +/-. I mean if your finding it, then there's nothing to complain about. If not, yeah it sucks. I know not everybody here has access to TRUs. TRU.com had the punisher/jigsaw pack, so don't give up hope. Plus don't they(DST) make a couple of thousand mates to cover cost? I struggled a little to get mine, but they are out there.

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I'm using drgnrbrn316's view of Chuck's point purely because it is so concise & I do not aim my next comment at drgrbrn316......................

......That is total crap . I accept that 'Mom & the Casuals' might not pluck Bullseye/Moonstone from the shelves at TRU in preference to Spidey,Wolverine et al, but what's stopping TRU.com offering them online to the aforesaid 'die hards'?

Do they think we're daft?

All I see is 'smoke & mirrors' at the moment.....

...........no not at the moment ....as usual :angry:

I will agree with you there. TRU hasn't been very consistent with selling the Marvel stuff online.

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