[Iceman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by trebleshot

I wouldn't go that far. Capsule toys are just as random as gum ball machines. At least with a toy aisle in Walmart, you can see exactly what you're buying (unless it's blind-bagged stuff like minifigs). That's why I don't think they should be included in this particular discussion - there's nothing really to compare it with in the US.

We'd have better luck dividing by zero.

EDIT: Besides, that's the Japanese market. We're talking about Hasbro, who doesn't have a branch in Japan (they have a deal with Takara-Tomy about that which started with Transformers).

The randomness and different delievery method isn't the point I was making. Just that Japanese kids DO buy toys. They just have these things that take a up a large part of the market. They are low cost to make and low upkeep for sellers (no staff) but some of the stuff comes with better detail than stuff kids buy here for more money. I am just saying that the wall of vending machines is THEIR Wal-Mart toy aisle, not that the two are the same but that they serve the same purpose. Maybe having this stuff servicing the large part of the child toy market in Japan is part of what allows them to make high-end adult focused lines. Also, having a large consumer base in nearby countries like Korea. I just think that the reason Japan has more high-end figure lines has to do with a lot of things and way more adult collectors than the US. Model building is also big over there so that probably eats into the market and with smaller living spaces people don't have as much room for a collection as the typical American. We are a collecting driven society. From baseball cards to stuff like collectors plates, beanie babies, cars, spoons, antiques, cats, etc. I think people collect stuff they loved growing up that bring back fond memories and the action figure is fairly new but the people that grew up with them in full force are of the collecting age now and that market seems to get more and more crazy every year.

And as I said before the population of the US is much more spread out with many more retail locations that are spread out to supply with toys than Japan does (proportionally to population). Distribution would likely be a lost easier if you took the population of the US and pushed them to one half of the country. I have no solution to the distribution issues and clearly it isn't easy for the pros or else we wouldn't get annoyed by it.