[Benn Roe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheBlueMarvel

It's been said before, but without any ancillary TV/film media associated with street dated figures, the action feels completely arbitrary.

It's very likely that the increased focus on street dates for exclusives is an attempt to address the problems people have been having with flippers, and is the result of pressure from Hasbro. If the street dates were universally adhered to, it might even help. Knowing exactly when a product goes on sale gives people who are serious about getting it a clear path to doing so. Granted, it gives flippers the same clear path, but I believe that's the reason for these street dates. In reality, with stores routinely breaking the street dates, it actually exacerbates the problem, since flippers are more likely to have the connections or persistence to get those street dates broken.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Archangel

I’ve worked retail my entire life. Sitting on product in the backroom because of an arbitrary date goes against how I was taught. Push product out the back and make sure every customer leaves satisfied. You can blame managers for “breaking” street dates, but there’s a lot that goes into running the daily operations of a big box store, especially as you get closer to Black Friday. Street dates on $19 toys only complicates things further.

I too have worked retail my whole life, and now own a retail store, and I find this comment a little perplexing. Street dates are very, very common in industries where the manufacturers respect and rely on small retailers. Virtually every product that comes through my store has a street date, and the reasons are really valid. There are two big advantages to requiring stores not to sell before a particular date: 1) customers have a concrete idea when to look for a product, and 2) no retailer has an unfair sales advantage just for getting their shipment earlier. Every time I read on here about someone cancelling their preorder because they found the item somewhere else a few days or a few weeks earlier, I thank the board game industry for its street date standard. Every product has an organized roll-out and nobody cancels their preorders with me because I always have the products for sale exactly when everybody else does. Is it sometimes a pain or minor financial strain getting product early and not being able to sell it? Sure, but the benefits way outweigh that minor inconvenience.

Obviously none of that excuses behaviour like what was described above of that Target manager, but it's a customer service issue, not a problem with street dates persay. The manager should have apologized for the mistake, explained that they couldn't sell the product before the given street date, and done everything possible to make up for the mistake, like keeping the figure on hold for the customer until release day, or providing them with a small gift card, or whatever else.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robb

Off topic-- For those who use some type of photo editing program which do you use ? I am looking at some programs on amazon and wanted to know what would be the best to edit toy photos, such as removing unwanted items and putting a photo into another photo. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Definitely GIMP for free software!