Uh...yes, times are less hard at Wal-Mart, because they're still the largest retailer in the land and thus get the best wholesale deals from manufacturers, as well as having far more padding to take losses or minimal profit on some items if their profits on all the other stuff they sell are good enough. But put it this way: If Toys R Us is paying, say, $3 a figure (purely hypothetical) for Star Wars figures, Wal-Mart is probably paying $1.50.

But hey, if you all want to believe it's the grand Hasbro conspiracy to piss off toy collectors, be my guest.

My post didn't have anything in it that isn't supported by a few simple internet searches for yearly and quarterly earnings by Mattel and Hasbro, and what you can see with your own eyes every time you go to one of the stores over the past few years. Stuff floods in the fall/winter, and droughts the rest of the year unless it's a movie tie-in. The only difference now is that the drought is even drier because the retailers are losing confidence and faith in traditional toys over higher-profit items and electronics. Notice which sections of Wal-Mart and Target keep getting smaller and which keep getting bigger year-by-year.

I wouldn't know this is my first spring/summer in collecting/hunting, although the TF are getting enough love to fill my plastic crack needs.

This is all pretty much on point. Walmart, or any large multi-national, can take advantage of economies of scale by buying in larger bulk quantities than their nearest competitors. The more you buy, the more you save, basically.
The thing with the volatile global economy is that households are spending less on non-essential items, and for example MU figures at $9 a pop will be one of the first things to be reduced or eliminated on a family budget. And with only collectors being the main buyers of the primary MU line, only the HTFs or short-run figures are selling. More than likely, Walmart's inventory will only show, say, 15 MU figures on shelves. Sure, it may be 10 wolverines and 5 iron mans (men?) but Walmart's software likely doesn't differentiate between different characters and won't reorder. This, in essence, is the main problem. Hasbro chooses how it packs cases, retailers stock and won't restock until the levels are ata sufficient low.

This guy knows what he's talking about.

what guy?

You lol. Until Hasbro or Mattel [for example] comes up to my face and tells me why distribution is poor, everything that everyone else says is just speculation and opinions, which they are entitled to of course.

I said nothing about a conspiracy,and no this is not the typical "dry period" we have all come to expect,forget numbers and figures from spreadsheets and quarterly earnings,stats only go so far,fact is in the 6 or so years I have been collecting it has never been this dry for this long at EVERY store,something is off,not sure what but its not typical.

oh, lol,yeah I agree Tiberius,speculation and nothing more.

Stats are facts.

Your "feeling" that this year is "different" is anecdotal evidence at best, which is no evidence at all.

You're trying too hard to find some kind of complicated answer that when you're presented with some relatively simple truth you refuse to accept it. Speculation? Sure, if you want to be pedantic and argue semantics anything that isn't coming straight from Hasbro/the retailers/whoever's mouth is speculation.

The difference is that SOME speculation is backed up by logic, reason, available facts, and historical patterns, which makes it a hell of a lot more credible than just flailing in the dark and screaming "DAMN YOU HASBLOW!" like some folks like to do.

Man...look what happens when retailers don't order toys/toy companies to ship out toys.


We resort to facts and logic.



Shame.

Lol,like I said,its good to know you at least know the answers,but like I said before,you may want to visit some of the other toy forums and put everyone elses mind at ease as well with your "logic driven truth straight from hasbros mouth",I dont care what facts you draw up or what numbers you throw at me it means NOTHING bro,we are from 2 different schools of thought,dont jump at me because I dont share the same opinion as you,believe your "facts" and be at peace knowing you have the answer,I will continue to believe that this years distribution is unlike any I have seen in years past and wonder why,being I dont know for sure the true reason.

Here's my part in trying to get these off the shelves so these "POS" systems can order some new shit lol

http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/l...1/IMG_1109.jpg

One from Target & one from Wally

What I've come to pick up over all your posts in this thread, is that you're not looking for answers, you're looking for people to agree with you.
And if that's the case, then no answer on this topic is going to ever be good enough for you if it's not the one you want to hear. Doesn't matter if it's real, false, fact based or "feeling."

no,I just cant stand it when people claim to know the answers to everything,speculation is speculation,no matter if its coming from your mouth or mine,offer your opinion but dont claim to know yours is right while the rest of us were just to dumb to figure it out.

My "opinion" on POS is not an opinion. I worked at walmart for several years and delt with it day in and day out. It's a hard fact exactly what that system does, and where it breaks down and clogs shelves.

There is no conspiracy to mess with your collecting.
There is nothing different now than any other time, outside of the effects being amplified due to the pisspoor economy.

You don't like the facts, that's your problem, not mine or anyone elses.

Ha ha love it!

you need to stop putting words in my mouth,I NEVER said it was a conspiracy,the passive insults are redundant bro,you take your "retail logic/facts" and sit back with the other guy and relax,feel good that you have it all figured out while the rest of us speculate(it is our right)as to what other things could be causing such a hault in distribution.

Lol this whole thread is becoming stupidly funny.

This is why I like Canadian retail now.

You don't expect to find shit, but when you do, you are happy you did.


To me it seems down south everything is expected to land on your shelves and once it isn't there, shit goes down.


I FINALLY found Klaw and Constrictor at retail and bought them on site. Was a happy camper. I won't see wave 2 for another few months while my American buddies are freaking out because they haven't seen wave 4 [meaning by the time wave 3 will probably be flooding shelves in the states and wave 4 will be expected soon].

Shit, I probably won't even see the Avengers 6" ML figures at Wal-mart because it is an exclusive and I hear that Wal-Mart Canada won't get them because bi-lingual packaging won't be made for them.


So in the end, be happy with what you all have, even if it takes ages to get there.

I second that!

When have I insulted you, passively or otherwise?
Not once have I tossed even the slightest bit of insult your way.
In fact, early on in the thread I went out of my way when your posts rambled and made no coherent sense like you were intoxicated (when the majority of your posts are normally fairly clear) specifically *not* to be insulting when I was trying to find out if something was up, and you were still insulted. To which I even appologized.

The insults exist in your head.
If I wanted to insult you, I would have no problems about doing so (because you're giving me plenty of material right now), instead of trying to tiptoe around you to keep *from* sounding insulting.
I've been trying to genuinely treat you with respect, and trying to contibute real answers to an asinine bitchy/whiney thread.
Shows me not to bother.

Accept the facts or don't. They are what they are, and your reality won't change them. I give up.

passive aggresive BS bro,thats all this is,F*ck it man,I dont care, at this point this whole thing is way too petty to continue arguing with you over,you see it your way,I see it mine,agree to disagree,but dont give up,just dont think your the end all when it comes to a retail question.

Gotta love how I had the only logical post and it gets ignored [except by another logical arker]. I hear horror stories about Hisstank a lot, but not in great detail. I think the way this thread is going, it doesn't belong anymore as it is starting to sound like something one would expect from The Tank. This all started out as a discussion as to why this person thinks this, and why that person thinks that, and then it turns into "I'm right, your wrong" very, very quickly.

Oh moderators, come liberate us.

This^,really?why,because I dont agree with you?

nevermind,not worth it.

Sure you got a point, but there is a limit. It IS at the point where insults are going to be tossed back and fourth and temp bans will be issued. You AND Crazy Jetty are regular arkers who both contribute your own things. Is bickering and fighting with each other really worth it?

Also, I have reported Crazy Jetty's and a post of yours, because this is getting stupid. Yes, people can disagree, yes they can bicker but this is becoming more and more uncivilized by each post.

It is nothing personal, to either you or Jetty, you both just need to drop it and come live in Canada and deal with our retail [it's a joke].