Comments on: Rustin’s Rants > The Good Business of Bad Distribution http://www.poeghostal.com/2009/02/rustins-rants-the-good-business-of-bad-distribution.html A blog about action figures and the toy industry in general by writer and collector Poe Ghostal. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 21:24:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Motorthing http://www.poeghostal.com/2009/02/rustins-rants-the-good-business-of-bad-distribution.html#comment-4921 Motorthing Sun, 15 Feb 2009 15:31:30 +0000 http://www.poeghostal.com/?p=2899#comment-4921 I guess it makes Mattel about as ethical as your local Crack Dealer when put in this light - but if they really are that Super-villain calculating on this kind of crap then I have to say that really this strategy ultimately is as self-defeating as Dr Collossus' elevator shoes and a very low ceiling. It's nuts. It actually minimises the return on a wave of expensive to produce toys and ultimately will kill a line off. Mattel are amoungst those Companies that maintain that Fanboy support at retail isn't enough to keep a mass-market line afloat - so gearing your marketting strategy around pissing them off and ensuring that your product isn't in front of Normal Shoppers either just cannot work. Regular Mum and Dad don't give a fork about Killer Moth, and probably wont buy one - so Fanboys have to - otherwise your line (made in whatever quantity) just tanks. And over the long-haul just enough of your fan community will say to Hell with it if they can't get a complete set and move on to other things. Not really what Mattel want at all - unless completely insane of course........ I guess it makes Mattel about as ethical as your local Crack Dealer when put in this light – but if they really are that Super-villain calculating on this kind of crap then I have to say that really this strategy ultimately is as self-defeating as Dr Collossus' elevator shoes and a very low ceiling.

It's nuts. It actually minimises the return on a wave of expensive to produce toys and ultimately will kill a line off.

Mattel are amoungst those Companies that maintain that Fanboy support at retail isn't enough to keep a mass-market line afloat – so gearing your marketting strategy around pissing them off and ensuring that your product isn't in front of Normal Shoppers either just cannot work.

Regular Mum and Dad don't give a fork about Killer Moth, and probably wont buy one – so Fanboys have to – otherwise your line (made in whatever quantity) just tanks.

And over the long-haul just enough of your fan community will say to Hell with it if they can't get a complete set and move on to other things. Not really what Mattel want at all – unless completely insane of course……..

]]> By: snakesyes http://www.poeghostal.com/2009/02/rustins-rants-the-good-business-of-bad-distribution.html#comment-4913 snakesyes Sat, 14 Feb 2009 19:20:17 +0000 http://www.poeghostal.com/?p=2899#comment-4913 Don't lose hope on these! Fortunatel for me, I work near a walmart and have been for the past 10 months. I have never seen a single DCUC at this place, of any other walmart, ever! At least not since the line was exclusively supes and bats, before the collect n connect began. Finally, after a couple trips a week, with no results, I did manage to build kalibak last month and found the metallo wave minus Atom just yesterday. If this crazy place is just now getting this wave, there is still hope. I thought I'd missed them entirely. Shame to pay extra for a pretty mediocre assortment with so little in the way of new sculpting and accessories. Sucks that kaybee closed just when they started carrying them and now that target finally has a ton, including older ones and variants, they are just sitting there around here. Guess they came too late. Don't lose hope on these! Fortunatel for me, I work near a walmart and have been for the past 10 months. I have never seen a single DCUC at this place, of any other walmart, ever! At least not since the line was exclusively supes and bats, before the collect n connect began. Finally, after a couple trips a week, with no results, I did manage to build kalibak last month and found the metallo wave minus Atom just yesterday. If this crazy place is just now getting this wave, there is still hope. I thought I'd missed them entirely. Shame to pay extra for a pretty mediocre assortment with so little in the way of new sculpting and accessories. Sucks that kaybee closed just when they started carrying them and now that target finally has a ton, including older ones and variants, they are just sitting there around here. Guess they came too late.

]]> By: nerdbot http://www.poeghostal.com/2009/02/rustins-rants-the-good-business-of-bad-distribution.html#comment-4911 nerdbot Sat, 14 Feb 2009 15:59:21 +0000 http://www.poeghostal.com/?p=2899#comment-4911 Yes, buying online is a way around the distribution problem. However, as Rustin pointed out, the QC problem makes doing so a huge crap shoot. Some of you folks may not like the complaining on these boards, but I think it is completely justified. The largest toy company in the world ought to be able to do better than trickle flawed product into a few stores (leaving serious collectors to order online and hope for the best). Yes, buying online is a way around the distribution problem. However, as Rustin pointed out, the QC problem makes doing so a huge crap shoot.

Some of you folks may not like the complaining on these boards, but I think it is completely justified. The largest toy company in the world ought to be able to do better than trickle flawed product into a few stores (leaving serious collectors to order online and hope for the best).

]]> By: Michael Lovrine http://www.poeghostal.com/2009/02/rustins-rants-the-good-business-of-bad-distribution.html#comment-4908 Michael Lovrine Sat, 14 Feb 2009 11:37:51 +0000 http://www.poeghostal.com/?p=2899#comment-4908 And yeah distro is bad in parts around here, but I'm not sure what I'm more sick of at this point. The distro or the people that continously moan about this stuff. Happens with every popular toyline in the past 10+ years and beyond folks... And yeah distro is bad in parts around here, but I'm not sure what I'm more sick of at this point. The distro or the people that continously moan about this stuff. Happens with every popular toyline in the past 10+ years and beyond folks…

]]> By: Michael Lovrine http://www.poeghostal.com/2009/02/rustins-rants-the-good-business-of-bad-distribution.html#comment-4907 Michael Lovrine Sat, 14 Feb 2009 11:36:41 +0000 http://www.poeghostal.com/?p=2899#comment-4907 Just..BUY ONLINE. Entertainment Earth sells singles for close to retailer prices and added shipping isn't all that much more and should cover the cost of gas. Bam! Problem solved. I'm sure its great to hunt and hunt but unless you got a fuel efficient vehicle and hordes of cash out the wazoo to pay for said fuel, who really cares if you can't "hunt" them in stores. Its 2009, not 1999 or 1989. Just..BUY ONLINE. Entertainment Earth sells singles for close to retailer prices and added shipping isn't all that much more and should cover the cost of gas. Bam! Problem solved. I'm sure its great to hunt and hunt but unless you got a fuel efficient vehicle and hordes of cash out the wazoo to pay for said fuel, who really cares if you can't "hunt" them in stores. Its 2009, not 1999 or 1989.

]]> By: Chuck20 http://www.poeghostal.com/2009/02/rustins-rants-the-good-business-of-bad-distribution.html#comment-4901 Chuck20 Sat, 14 Feb 2009 01:51:12 +0000 http://www.poeghostal.com/?p=2899#comment-4901 nope.it is indeed a repack nope.it is indeed a repack

]]> By: Reverend Ender http://www.poeghostal.com/2009/02/rustins-rants-the-good-business-of-bad-distribution.html#comment-4899 Reverend Ender Fri, 13 Feb 2009 20:38:47 +0000 http://www.poeghostal.com/?p=2899#comment-4899 Repacks? With no C+C? I have never seen a repack. Unless you are referring to the two-packs? Repacks? With no C+C? I have never seen a repack. Unless you are referring to the two-packs?

]]> By: Newton Gimmick http://www.poeghostal.com/2009/02/rustins-rants-the-good-business-of-bad-distribution.html#comment-4898 Newton Gimmick Fri, 13 Feb 2009 20:07:44 +0000 http://www.poeghostal.com/?p=2899#comment-4898 You guys are forgetting Mattel's brilliant repacks. I went to Walmart and they had about a dozen Green Lantern figures on the shelf, all from wave 8(?) and they just come with stands. Those repacks haven't started affecting things yet, but give it time and I suspect it'll be the #1 issue with DCUC. You won't be able to get new stock because of all the peg warming repacked figures. They should of at least been repacked with their C&C piece. You guys are forgetting Mattel's brilliant repacks. I went to Walmart and they had about a dozen Green Lantern figures on the shelf, all from wave 8(?) and they just come with stands.

Those repacks haven't started affecting things yet, but give it time and I suspect it'll be the #1 issue with DCUC. You won't be able to get new stock because of all the peg warming repacked figures.

They should of at least been repacked with their C&C piece.

]]> By: AnimateTed http://www.poeghostal.com/2009/02/rustins-rants-the-good-business-of-bad-distribution.html#comment-4897 AnimateTed Fri, 13 Feb 2009 19:22:29 +0000 http://www.poeghostal.com/?p=2899#comment-4897 There's a dark second act to your tragedy my friend... the Overcompensation! You see, Wave 5 sells out! Wal Mart says - Can we have more? Mattel says no, but can I interest you in the shiny new Wave 6? Wal Mart says "HELLS YES! In FACT - DOUBLE MY ORDER!" Mattel laughs! And obliges. There are now twice as many cases in the back... and 4 times as many 12.00 Superman figures with horrible haircuts hanging high. (I like alliteration). Mattel's on the phone... would you like the new Wave 7 - We've actually SPLIT the wave into 2 different cases... You'll need BOTH for you customers to complete the C-n-C figure! Wal Mart shyly replies... actually. I'm sitting on all these Superman figures, and I have 2 cases with some neon colored bug that no one wants. Nahhh... Only give me half of my order for Wave 5, and only of one case. They can find the other figures somewhere else. And we lose... AGAIN! There's a dark second act to your tragedy my friend… the Overcompensation! You see, Wave 5 sells out! Wal Mart says – Can we have more? Mattel says no, but can I interest you in the shiny new Wave 6? Wal Mart says "HELLS YES! In FACT – DOUBLE MY ORDER!" Mattel laughs! And obliges. There are now twice as many cases in the back… and 4 times as many 12.00 Superman figures with horrible haircuts hanging high. (I like alliteration).

Mattel's on the phone… would you like the new Wave 7 – We've actually SPLIT the wave into 2 different cases… You'll need BOTH for you customers to complete the C-n-C figure! Wal Mart shyly replies… actually. I'm sitting on all these Superman figures, and I have 2 cases with some neon colored bug that no one wants. Nahhh… Only give me half of my order for Wave 5, and only of one case. They can find the other figures somewhere else.

And we lose… AGAIN!

]]> By: Mark http://www.poeghostal.com/2009/02/rustins-rants-the-good-business-of-bad-distribution.html#comment-4896 Mark Fri, 13 Feb 2009 19:01:15 +0000 http://www.poeghostal.com/?p=2899#comment-4896 We don't even get them distributed in the UK unless a comic shop happens to get some in. Forbidden Planet may get them in but I live over 60 miles from FP. I like to inspect them in person before buying. We don't even get them distributed in the UK unless a comic shop happens to get some in. Forbidden Planet may get them in but I live over 60 miles from FP. I like to inspect them in person before buying.

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