[TheBlueMarvel]

FYI – I just spoke with a Gamestop manager about their Marvel Legends offerings and he informed me that their new CEO is moving the company away from stocking Legends and toward pre-order only. I asked whether the decision was based on poor sell through, to which he replied he wasn’t sure, but most likely, that was the rationale. He also said the new CEO wants to return Gamestop to a retail outlet known primarily for games, citing that they had too many non-gaming sku’s on shelves. I commented that I thought that was pretty short sighted and that gaming and toy collecting were interests that cross-pollinated; often the same person that games also collects figures/collectables and vice versa. He agreed and shared with me that they’ve started this new campaign where they take your info and add you to a VIP list and call you when new Marvel merch (or Star War/ Anime/ etc) is in stock, similar to the way they call for games. I told him that this could possibly work because many collectors have been complaining about the difficulty of finding exclusives at Walgreens and Walmart in the wake of TRU’s demise. We laughed at how he would likely be the one calling me, because, as has been mentioned often here, not all employees are as committed to what they do.

In any event, I thought I’d share this with the community. Maybe someone else brought it up previously, or knows already, but I figured I’d give you guys a heads up about the VIP list. This could work out if Hasbro starts funneling exclusives to Gamestop, saving many the headache of chasing ghost-brickseek listings.