Jatta Pake Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 I guess we'll see how orders go when 43 is solicited next month, but we certainly would like to bring more comic shops back into the fold. Can DST really get the word out to local comic shops that this wave is NOT at TRU? Some of the shops I go to in LA have complained that they will not carry any product that can also be found at TRU, Target or Walmart. Most stopped carrying Marvel Universe for this very reason. Only recently did Hasbro shift gears and start producing Marvel Universe variants only available to specialty stores. I think the army builders being exclusive to specialty shops has helped but specialty retailers complain that some packs are available in big box retailers. Even small tampo variants like facial expressions would help as completists like me would buy from both outlets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hellpop Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 I guess we'll see how orders go when 43 is solicited next month, but we certainly would like to bring more comic shops back into the fold. Can DST really get the word out to local comic shops that this wave is NOT at TRU? Some of the shops I go to in LA have complained that they will not carry any product that can also be found at TRU, Target or Walmart. Most stopped carrying Marvel Universe for this very reason. Only recently did Hasbro shift gears and start producing Marvel Universe variants only available to specialty stores. I think the army builders being exclusive to specialty shops has helped but specialty retailers complain that some packs are available in big box retailers. Even small tampo variants like facial expressions would help as completists like me would buy from both outlets. I think, unfortunately, what's probably happened at a lot of retailers is that they aren't aware that some Marvel Minimates are being carried at TRU; they've just found that they've got more Minimates left on their pegs (or shelves, or sitting on the floor, or wherever) and aren't ordering new waves any more. This is what happened at my shop, where the owner stopped ordering Minimates even though I was faithfully buying them on the day of release (though I don't always buy every set released). Making matters worse, he did order the Iron Man comics wave... which I had already ordered from Luke or CSC because I didn't think he'd have them. I think most of us that have been abandoned by our LCBS have found other outlets; it's tricky, though, when you're only after one pack per wave because the others are available at TRU. Conversely, I think having sets available at two different markets creates logjams with those sets. We can probably still all find Thor Reborn/Lady Loki sets at our local TRUs; some of us can still find Iron Man with Stilt-Man and Crimson Dynamo, and I think it's safe to say we'll be seeing Big Time Spidey/Iron Fists into next year. And, I'm just speculating here, but based on his sale page, I think it's safe to say that Luke's still got plenty of these in the Toy Store warehouse. :biggrin: Besides not sharing packs between markets (which I don't think is the most cost effective solution), there seems to me to be a couple of approaches that might work: 1. Cross figures between waves, as has been done with Daredevil. Not ideal, because then you're stuck with having to buy Daredevil twice to get both the Kingpin and Sin-Eater. Probably would work better with army builders; I think most of us would be happy to get another SHIELD agent with our Kingpins. 2. End the 4/4/2/2 shared/exclusive ratio split for TRU mixes. Ideally, you'd invert this, so the TRU exclusives would ship in greater numbers, but just doing 3/3/3/3 would alleviate the problem. 3. Follow the model used by Universal Monsters and Ghostbusters and release box sets to specialty and 2-packs to TRU. Yes, this might seem on the surface to be a reduction in new 'mates, but we'd really only be loosing the variants. Would that be worth it to get retailers back into ordering Marvel Minimates again? I think so, personally. Sorry about all this, guys; I'm at work and thus in pontification mode. :biggrin: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattallica Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 .... Only recently did Hasbro shift gears and start producing Marvel Universe variants only available to specialty stores. ? huh ? i dont believe this to be true Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mystery Man Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 Before I stopped going to the local comic shop and started buying strictly online, something that bugged me was that my comic shop would ONLY order sets of minimates if I were willing to buy at LEAST half the case. Sometimes I'd end up getting stuck with buying the whole thing if they couldn't move the other half of the case. Just one in a long line of frustrations with them that led me to buying from DCBService.com. I don't know how it is at the stores you guys go to, but I hope it isn't like it was for me. Now that I buy my minimates online from Luke and TRU.com, I've never been more satisfied. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murderofcrows Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 my LCBS Rock Bottom was the same way I had to buy half the case. They told me we don't carry them because we have to buy a case. I have had mote than one CBS tell me that. can't order 2 packs have to order whole case. I think if DST relaxed on that strategy they would bring some back. but having said that 43 is a genius move. very nostalgia very CBS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onyx_6 Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 I like the ideas presented for TRU, but I would throw out the idea, too, for LCSes to get god cases. My LCS has, I believe, 4 minimate collectors. They buy 2 cases and always hold a full set for me. Someone else gets the other variant set, but the other collectors miss out. By making every case a god case, LCSes would not be stuck with as much left over mates. Couple this with TRU getting 3-3-3-3 cases and you still have variants and TRU exclusives in limited numbers and fewer cross-distributed mates left on the shelves. Back on topic, I cannot wait for all these awesome mates to be released. I am happy with all I have seen coming out of NYCC this year. Good work DST! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cut2thechase Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 I never imagined that Boom Boom would ever get made especially not in her pink and yellow uniform which didn't last long. That is one set I may have to have multiples of. Plus the completion of the New Mutants team! With this release all that's needed is another Original X-Force Box Set of Warpath, Sunspot, Siryn, and Stryfe or Copycat. Isn't the TRU Warpath that comes with the hard to find X-Factor Archangel considered the X-Force Warpath? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karamazov80 Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 The figure named "X-Force Warpath" is the black and gray costumed one that came with Prof. X 2.0. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turtle Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 TRU Warpath is in his X-Men costume. Modern X-Force is the black and grey uniform. They're pretty much the same design, just different colors. His early X-Force costumes are modifications of Thunderbird's costume. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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