Here's my thing. If Hot Toys is going to do these exclusives like this, Sideshow needs a better way to handle it. The Anakin Artisan I got in, added to cart, for kicked back to the line. Got back in, added to cart, kicked back the line. Got in a THIRD time, was checking out finally and SOLD OUT. (Thankfully I got a waitlist conversion). And that's far from the only issue I've had with these queues.
I've gotten lucky and/or used an absurd amount of devices if I'm at work for various releases, but there's so many issues with this queue system. People getting kicked out. Or the technix issues that happened during the Commando where the site kept crashing. And people getting kicked out of the site, some saying they couldn't add to cart because they were "ineligible", just so many issues. Now, I don't like the way this is at all. I like the idea of doing a 24 hour order window for exclusives or something, BUT if we HAVE to deal with it like the way it is now, they could make this process so much smoother.
I've shared these ideas with SS many times, and the time-frames and such that I provide are just purely for example. They can be set at any number. So keep that in mind. #1. Use the RSVP/Invite system that they have. Since the queues randomly assign place in line, we may as well go back to a lotto system as they've done in the past. You register, you get chosen, you get an email and/or it appears in your RSVP/Invite page like they've done with event exclusives like sideshow con and such. You have 12 hours or 24 hours, whichever, to complete the order and if not, it's released to the next person. Yes, this can be abused. I can make a bunch of new sideshow accounts. Just like we can all use a ton of devices or other methods to make a billion windows to cheap the queue system. That's where idea #2 comes in.
#2. You must have had a sideshow account for at least a month to be eligible. Again, just an example. Could be two weeks. Could be whatever. The point is it helps stops scalpers and absurd amounts of duplicate accounts (which they say are not allowed and usually close down. They could easily crack down harder on this for events like this and, if they don't already, have someone design a system that flags duplicate addresses/phone numbers ECT. Which I'm assuming they already have since they do close down duplicate accounts). You can even go so far as to say "active accounts" (ymmv on how you want to define that term).
Perfect system? No. Not at all. But it will help stop scalpers. It will REALLY help stop people getting screwed despite being like number 85 in line and getting a technical error and losing out. Recently someone mentioned that Sideshow said they are "beholden to Hot Toys" regarding how they handle these releases.
I mean...there's many other ideas out there that are better than what is being done now.
Thank you for reading my new book titled "Sideshow: Living and Dying by the Queue" now on sale in your local book store in limited quantities, but you have to get into a digital queue first.
