Kenner / Hasbro Collecting > General Hasbro collecting
Pricing tactics in stores....
dax415:
Hey guys,
Was out and about looking at prices for figures at Walmart and Target and noticed some patterns in how the figures were not only priced, but which waves were put out. Over the last year I've noticed Target and Walmart almost never have the same waves on the pegs and if so, put a very small amount of the same ones on the shelves. In my area, there were entire waves that didn't see the light of day except a box here and there. I'm assuming they have buyers which dictate whether or not they purchase alot of figures or not. Lately I've noticed Star Wars prices drop from 6.99 to 6.00 and of course the more desirable figures were definately in the 6.99 range. Talked to one of the toy managers in my area and he said be prepared for the star wars figures to shoot up in price. If like myself you were customizing, the prices for Rise of Cobra GI Joe figures just shot up from 5.00 to 6.99 (or was it 6.49 i forget) at Walmart and there wasn't any new figures... just peg warmers on the shelf. Along with this the amount of new figures put on shelves is significantly a smaller amount, only a couple of boxes at a time over the duration of a week. Sad thing is while I do enjoy collecting and the scavenger hunt for the figure, there isn't enough to go around. A couple of days back a hoarder walked right past me with 2 commander cody figures, 2 luke hoth figures and alternate cloud city guard figure and another one I couldn't see. I came at the right time to get a cody figure as the last box came out and what was really messed up is that a kid (probably 6 or 7) went over to the associate in tears telling him there was a guy who blocked him off from getting the figure he wanted and when he asked if he could get it since he had two of them, the guy grabbed the other figure he was reaching for and walked off. They couldn't even get the guy ..... me and the kid went to go to try and catch him at the front registers while the associate called it in. We found out later from security he went out through the gardening section . Got conflicting stories on whether or not more figures were in the back..... associate said there were but wasn't allowed to open them, manager said there weren't anymore of the figures the kid was looking for. Ended up giving him my commander cody as i thought this was really messed up.
Phatty:
Unfortunately, all major retailers have regional buyers. Some person sits in a cubicle and determines how much of what to order. Hasbro is partially at fault here, pushing the Clone Wars and Legacy figures, touting these waves as "most popular" because Hasbro still believes that only Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker and R2D2 will ever sell, stating that kids buy the majority of figures, not adult collectors. Hasbro tells Wal-Mart, Target, TRU, and others, that they need these waves if they want to turn a profit. Therefore, the saga cases don't get bought up. So these regional buyers buy 10 cases of Saga Legends, and when the shelves are clogged with Super Battle Droids, Plo Koons, Darth Vaders, and other figures not desired by either child or collector, the stock shows they have plenty in stock, and will not order new waves. Waves get released by Hasbro, but not bought by retailers because they still have quite a bit of stock.
Now, the price goes up and down because (according to Hasbro), the petroleum prices fluctuate. So when oil goes up, they jack up the prices. Usually, the prices don't go down when oil prices do, because Hasbro has stated they go with the predicted max price of oil so as not to lose money, as if that would happen. The reason for price drops is so that the retailers can unload stock they have taking up space in the stock room. Once they clear out their extras, they can then put prices back where they were. As for the sudden spike in G.I. Joes, I'm guessing it's because more of us have been buying them for customizing, so the sudden depletion in stock that had sat around for months (years?) has made these retailers think they can get more for them now. Too bad they haven't learned that the only reason they ARE being bought like they have been is because they WERE $5.
By the way, these statements have been given by Hasbro in previous Q&As and by actual Hasbro reps seen at Wal-Mart.
dax415:
doesn't make alot of sense to me, i know hasbro is wanting to milk the molds for their clone wars stuffs..... but these things are peg warmers. i know this question has come up time and again about producing all the various darth vaders, r2d2's, which become peg warmers. kids as well as big kids purchase cool figures, if by now hasbro hasn't figured out which figures should be produced x3 to a wave, they need to start firing people in this department and hire one or better yet, several of us yarders to get their act together.
zedhatch:
--- Quote from: Phatty on April 24, 2010, 06:41:33 AM ---Unfortunately, all major retailers have regional buyers. Some person sits in a cubicle and determines how much of what to order. Hasbro is partially at fault here, pushing the Clone Wars and Legacy figures, touting these waves as "most popular" because Hasbro still believes that only Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker and R2D2 will ever sell, stating that kids buy the majority of figures, not adult collectors. Hasbro tells Wal-Mart, Target, TRU, and others, that they need these waves if they want to turn a profit. Therefore, the saga cases don't get bought up. So these regional buyers buy 10 cases of Saga Legends, and when the shelves are clogged with Super Battle Droids, Plo Koons, Darth Vaders, and other figures not desired by either child or collector, the stock shows they have plenty in stock, and will not order new waves. Waves get released by Hasbro, but not bought by retailers because they still have quite a bit of stock.
--- End quote ---
You just confused me cause one minute you say Hasbro pushes Legacy but retailers buy Legends, isn't it Legends they are pushing since there are so many ont he shelves, or is there something you are leaving out.
--- Quote from: Phatty on April 24, 2010, 06:41:33 AM ---Now, the price goes up and down because (according to Hasbro), the petroleum prices fluctuate. So when oil goes up, they jack up the prices. Usually, the prices don't go down when oil prices do, because Hasbro has stated they go with the predicted max price of oil so as not to lose money, as if that would happen. The reason for price drops is so that the retailers can unload stock they have taking up space in the stock room. Once they clear out their extras, they can then put prices back where they were. As for the sudden spike in G.I. Joes, I'm guessing it's because more of us have been buying them for customizing, so the sudden depletion in stock that had sat around for months (years?) has made these retailers think they can get more for them now. Too bad they haven't learned that the only reason they ARE being bought like they have been is because they WERE $5.
--- End quote ---
Hasbor long ago abandoned the "oil" excuse when prices of oil plumited and the prices of toys skyrocketed. I believe it was in one of the GI Joe Q&A's at the time they said basicly that there were many facotrs that effected prices and they didn't have the time to explain, one of the most rude comments I have ever seen on one of thier q&A's.
As for the price increace on Joes, everything I have read says that is a retailer desision purly. They are the ones that brought the prices down in the first place when they weren't selling. The joe line (like the SW line) is on hiatus until august. What reasoning they have for putting the price back up is beyond me.
The spike in Joe sales have been since the rollbacks and reductions, Just needed to watch the stock to see thatone.
--- Quote ---By the way, these statements have been given by Hasbro in previous Q&As and by actual Hasbro reps seen at Wal-Mart.
--- End quote ---
Same here, its interesting when you watch the different Q&A's like Marvel TF and GI Joe cause you get conflicting info. However the CEO of Hasbro did say they put out the GI Joe Rise of Cobra figures at too high a price and that they should have been lowered, I found it interesting cause his statement almost implyed they jaked up the price just cause they thought they could.
Phatty:
My bad, I meant Legends, not Legacy.
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