youbastards Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 I think the biggest coincidence is that all three of those retailers had no business (literally) selling toys. I shouldn't joke about Borders. They are headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan (where I am) and the main corporate store is still a figurehead of the downtown businesses. They are closing one of the local stores (the one closest to the local TRU...and Barnes & Noble) , but I have to say that I would rather see any of the 'shopping mall' location stores go under, than lose a great store in a thriving downtown environment. The thing that has always irritated me the most with Borders is that they have one of best DVD selections I have ever seen in a Brick & Mortar retailer, but they charge 2-3 times more than what I can get the same product online at Amazon with no tax, and free shipping. They have been using a business model that has been destined to fail for years, they've just been dodging the bullet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minijeff Posted February 22, 2011 Author Share Posted February 22, 2011 I think the biggest coincidence is that all three of those retailers had no business (literally) selling toys. I shouldn't joke about Borders. They are headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan (where I am) and the main corporate store is still a figurehead of the downtown businesses. They are closing one of the local stores (the one closest to the local TRU...and Barnes & Noble) , but I have to say that I would rather see any of the 'shopping mall' location stores go under, than lose a great store in a thriving downtown environment. The thing that has always irritated me the most with Borders is that they have one of best DVD selections I have ever seen in a Brick & Mortar retailer, but they charge 2-3 times more than what I can get the same product online at Amazon with no tax, and free shipping. They have been using a business model that has been destined to fail for years, they've just been dodging the bullet. the big thing to remember in relation to the DVD sales and prices....places like Borders charge so much because they themselves are charged that much....they do not have the buying volume of someplace like Amazon to be able to get the DVDs for super cheap prices to begin with Jeff of the Miniacs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winkerbean Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 Tower Records got the exclusive Thing / Super-Skrull set - they're now bankrupt. FYE got the exclusive Scarlet Spider / Hobgoblin set - they're now bankrupt. And now Borders, who had the Iron Man / Whiplash set last year, has now declared bankruptcy. Coincedence? Minimate collectors including all exclusives & variants - soon to be bankrupt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
storm 1:08 Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 Minimate exclusives= bankruptcy? bummer AFX is the exception to the rule. Or is it? I just realized something: Borders just claimed bankruptcy and closed how many stores (including the two closest to me)? Does this mean no more Borders exclusive? (Please mean no more Borders exclusive...please mean no more Borders exclusive...) I have no insider knowledge in Borders (or anything to be exact) but I would think they would probably be best spending their money in their core operations and not investing it on something that isn't directly in their main business focus right now. On the other hand, the Iron Man stuff seemed to have done well and they probably made a small profit and doing other things help evolve the business. Heck, a coffee shop in-store took me a minute before it made sense. Either way, I wouldn't count Thor out yet until Chuck says so. Maybe we'll get the civilian Thor wearing sunglasses variant with Battle Damaged Loki! I have to admit that before the Borders exclusive thing, I never stepped into a Borders (or at least remembered if I did). But after that, I liked the atmosphere. It was a nice place to visit, though I only really visited the kids, toys, graphic novels, and magazine sections. The only thing I hated was seeing almost everyone using the place as a library while the people behind the cash registers are just standing there. I really hope they survive but don't think they will in the long run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buttheadsmate Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 My new 'must watch' is 'Treme' which has just premiered in the Uk on the new Sky Atlantic Channel & features many of the characters from 'The Wire'.....I digress..... ....in the pilot episode the DJ from the local radio station has been shafted by the local music-store who have filed for bankruptcy after taking his pre-order & his money & won't let him have his CDs. He's pissed & later comes back,breaks in & gets his stuff ....just his stuff.... & then clears off. Now..... I'm in England & this was good TV but when we see the sign on the front of the store it turns into another 'minimate moment' for me .......TOWER RECORDS "I have those" "You have what " ....the reply "Tower Record Minimates ......I have those....Super Skrull" "?" ....the reply Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hellpop Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 Minimate exclusives= bankruptcy? bummer AFX is the exception to the rule. Or is it? I just realized something: Borders just claimed bankruptcy and closed how many stores (including the two closest to me)? Does this mean no more Borders exclusive? (Please mean no more Borders exclusive...please mean no more Borders exclusive...) I have no insider knowledge in Borders (or anything to be exact) but I would think they would probably be best spending their money in their core operations and not investing it on something that isn't directly in their main business focus right now. On the other hand, the Iron Man stuff seemed to have done well and they probably made a small profit and doing other things help evolve the business. Heck, a coffee shop in-store took me a minute before it made sense. Either way, I wouldn't count Thor out yet until Chuck says so. Maybe we'll get the civilian Thor wearing sunglasses variant with Battle Damaged Loki! I have to admit that before the Borders exclusive thing, I never stepped into a Borders (or at least remembered if I did). But after that, I liked the atmosphere. It was a nice place to visit, though I only really visited the kids, toys, graphic novels, and magazine sections. The only thing I hated was seeing almost everyone using the place as a library while the people behind the cash registers are just standing there. I really hope they survive but don't think they will in the long run. What's odd is that Barnes and Noble had a terrific year last year, and, outside of B&N having the university book store market locked up, I can't for the life of me see what's the difference in their business models. But one has overpowered the other, clearly. As for FYE: I used to manage one of their sister stores, a Coconuts (formerly on Chestnut St in downtown Philadelphia). Terrible company, and I would not be sorry to see it go, though it would be a huge blow to a music industry that has already fallen apart. My new 'must watch' is 'Treme' which has just premiered in the Uk on the new Sky Atlantic Channel & features many of the characters from 'The Wire'.....I digress..... ....in the pilot episode the DJ from the local radio station has been shafted by the local music-store who have filed for bankruptcy after taking his pre-order & his money & won't let him have his CDs. He's pissed & later comes back,breaks in & gets his stuff ....just his stuff.... & then clears off. Now..... I'm in England & this was good TV but when we see the sign on the front of the store it turns into another 'minimate moment' for me .......TOWER RECORDS "I have those" "You have what " ....the reply "Tower Record Minimates ......I have those....Super Skrull" "?" ....the reply Treme's a good show. I also got a kick out of seeing Tower Records. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
groundhog7s Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 I have no insider knowledge in Borders I do. And it's very clear to me that they are a company that reacts to buying habits and market changes rather than preparing for the change that will come in them. I think that's what happened to past stores that sold exclusives also and are now out of business. But as much as I want to see Minimate exclusives, I'm glad to not have a half-dozen places to be looking for them. Here's a question I've had-if we're seeing a TRU wave for Thor and First Class, will there be a Captain America one also? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youbastards Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 Yes, I think they were shown at Toyfair. Dum Dum is one of the TRU exclusives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
storm 1:08 Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 What's odd is that Barnes and Noble had a terrific year last year, and, outside of B&N having the university book store market locked up, I can't for the life of me see what's the difference in their business models. But one has overpowered the other, clearly. From what I gathered and in-line with groundhog7s' statement, Borders' Kobo e-reader came late and B&N's Nook already got a good head start. Not sure if that is the biggest reason for the gap but one reason I know of. Does B&N even sell toys like Borders does? Not that I want to buy exclusive minimates from them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MinnesotaIceman Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 Does B&N even sell toys like Borders does? Not that I want to buy exclusive minimates from them. They sell a few. Mostly board games, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TENIME_art Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 (edited) I think the biggest coincidence is that all three of those retailers had no business (literally) selling toys. I respectfully disagree. I worked for Tower up until they went under. The reason for the bankruptcy was they bought too much universal stock on credit, and couldn't pay it back. Before I started working there, toys were a big seller, and when I took over the department, it even became our number 2 product (behind CDs). Heck, Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz came in one night, and all he bought were toys. We had a hard time keeping things in stock. I agree about Borders, but I'm confused about the FYE comment. They're still thriving in IL (where I live) & IN (where a friend works at one) as far as I know. Suncoast/Sam Goody went bankrupt & FYE bought some of them. FYE bought Tower, too, until the liquidating company greased the right judge's palm, and was given the stores instead. Edited February 23, 2011 by TENIME_art Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buttheadsmate Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 FYE bought Tower, too, until the liquidating company greased the right judge's palm, and was given the stores instead. Allegedly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TENIME_art Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 No, actually. The guy who came into our store to oversee the liquidation confirmed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buttheadsmate Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 I'm pulling your leg Tenime .....I'm sure you're sure ,it happens the world over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drgnrbrn316 Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 Don't forget that ToyFare had an exclusive set and they're still...oh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buttheadsmate Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 Fortunately ADV are still thriving Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TENIME_art Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 I'm pulling your leg Tenime .....I'm sure you're sure ,it happens the world over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hellpop Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 I think the biggest coincidence is that all three of those retailers had no business (literally) selling toys. I respectfully disagree. I worked for Tower up until they went under. The reason for the bankruptcy was they bought too much universal stock on credit, and couldn't pay it back. Before I started working there, toys were a big seller, and when I took over the department, it even became our number 2 product (behind CDs). Heck, Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz came in one night, and all he bought were toys. We had a hard time keeping things in stock. I agree about Borders, but I'm confused about the FYE comment. They're still thriving in IL (where I live) & IN (where a friend works at one) as far as I know. Suncoast/Sam Goody went bankrupt & FYE bought some of them. FYE bought Tower, too, until the liquidating company greased the right judge's palm, and was given the stores instead. This might just be the oddest thread digression ever. Apologies to anyone coming here for Thor info. Hey, the action figures are out! I tried to figure out if Trans-World Entertainment, the parent company of FYE, has indeed gone bankrupt, and I couldn't find anything to say that they have filed, but they've definitely cut back stores. Just this last month I've seen both a Suncoast and FYE close around my area. They were really hurt by the collapse of the music industry, but they've somehow weathered the storm. But I repeat: terrible company. Even when I worked there I used to go to the Tower down the street. I agree that those places did just fine with toys. I miss that brief time when you could go to the mall and find collectibles at 3 or 4 different shops. Those were the days.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael McGowan Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 I think the biggest coincidence is that all three of those retailers had no business (literally) selling toys. I have to agree with Tenime here the fact is that the only way some of the brick and mortar bookstores will survive the economic disasters will be to sell things like toys to supplement income. I have a Schuler Books and Music, which is more of a local based bookstore, similar to B&N but there are only 3 of them. They started carrying a huge selection of Scleich toys and Ugly doll merch. They've slimmed down on Cd's and started carrying vinyl, and they've added a "Print Your Own Story" Book Machine, to the store. I think that adding hard to find vinyl, and toys, will be a way for these companies to survive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TENIME_art Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 Actually, I just disagreed that Tower "had no business selling toys", and that doing so wasn't the reason for their bankruptcy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luke314pi Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 The Thor Army Builder cases are arriving next week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TM2 Dinobot Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 Don't forget that ToyFare had an exclusive set and they're still...oh. LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minijeff Posted March 9, 2011 Author Share Posted March 9, 2011 The Thor Army Builder cases are arriving next week. D'OH!! I am excited for these, just thought I had more time to order lol Can't wait to see them! Jeff of the Miniacs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MINI_MYTE Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 Well that's a surprise. What about the Excalibur boxed set? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youbastards Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 Thanks for the update Luke! I just saw the Hasbro Thor figures for the first time yesterday, glad to see the other product is starting to hit this early too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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