Odds ‘n Ends > 11/18/08

ODD: I’ve got a new poll up on the sidebar. Please take a minute to fill it out. It’s just another part of my effort to make sure PGPoA is bringing you the content you want.

END: I made an interesting find at the Magic TRU last week. Unfortunately, I can’t go into details because it would spoil a potential Christmas gift. I’ll reveal all after Christmas, but suffice to say the Magic TRU came through for me for the first time in quite a while.

ODD: I’m still (im)patiently awaiting the arrival of my DCUC 5 set. I made a deal with an Illinois collector to send me a complete set, as his Wal-mart is apparently swimming in them. It should arrive by the end of the week, thanks to USPS Parcel Post’s combination of value and painful slowness. I haven’t found any sign of the wave at my local Wal-marts, which isn’t a surprise since Massachusetts gets everything last.

END: I have to say–and I may write up a longer post on this later–but the online discussions of DCUC have become depressingly transfixed on distribution issues. I’m not going to deny that the toys are often hard to come by, but through a combination of pre-ordering, eBay and a few trades, I’ve had very little trouble getting every DCUC figure I’ve wanted. Perhaps I’m being naive, but are there that many people in a situation where they want these figures very badly, but can’t afford to pay shipping on a preorder? And yet they can afford driving around to nine different Targets in a single night? Gas prices have come down lately, but jeesh.

ODD: Any requests for particular holiday-themed posts for next month? Top ten lists, interviews, eggnog recipes?

END: Love the new trailer for Star Trek. I was initially skeptical of the whole enterprise (pun intended), but this trailer just earned my $10 for the ticket. Thank God Abrams actually seems willing to use some of the original show’s design aesthetic.

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3 Comments

  1. So far I can live with alot of the QC issues with the few figures I've gotten of the DCUC/Movie Masters, but I want to be able to personally select how messed up my figure is so driving around is worth the time and effort rather than blind recieving figures.

  2. orionpax636

    I think people are right to worry about DCUC distribution, but you are absolutely right about pre-ordering.

    In general I'm not happy about retailer exclusives, but if the HML Ares wave is any indicator, the DCUC wave may indeed get better distribution than it ever has at Walmart.

    Still, I won't deny it's annoying that at local Targets and TRU's, I seem to need to be there right when they're released. It seems the stores only get a case or two. I don't know who to blame for that, Mattel or the ingenuity of scalpers. However, if distribution had indeed improved, I think I'd see more than I am now.

    Also, I wouldn't include eBay in the discussion of whether distribution has been successful – just because a figure was scalped from a store somewhere doesn't mean that DCUC was any better distributed. All it means is that some figures trickled down the secondary market pipeline. (Not that I judge buying from eBay, mind you, as I've done it in desperate times as well.)

    However, Poe is totally right about pre-ordering. If you're getting sick of hunting, like I am, then just pre-order the damn things. It does mean an added shipping expense, but I think it balances out with commuting costs if you were to hunt it the old fashioned way.

  3. Tom-Tom

    Other DCUC discussions from those who have them seem to be the QC issues.

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