1/6 Hot Toys - MMS648 - Episode II: Attack of The Clones - Clone Pilot

[MyenShi]

Yeah, I don't like having to resort to the secondary market or hoping for a waitlist conversion. Some think this is a ploy, but I'm not so sure and don't want to find out the hard way its not.

That said, if it puts anyone at ease, nothing wrong with getting your preorders locked in. Small price to pay for peace of mind.

I honestly think it’s a sales tactic, though.

 

[Gipetto0812]

I went ahead an hopped on the WL. Both Timewalker and AE don't have it up for order anymore. Not sure how long it was at Timewalker, but I just checked AE about 2 weeks ago and they still showed it available to PO. Wonder if SS told them something

 

[MyenShi]

I went ahead an hopped on the WL. Both Timewalker and AE don't have it up for order anymore. Not sure how long it was at Timewalker, but I just checked AE about 2 weeks ago and they still showed it available to PO. Wonder if SS told them something

No, the authorized retailers just get very small allocations. I can’t speak to AE but Timewalker can sell through their allocations on in demand figures within a few hours.

You typically have to be on their site the day after an announcement when they put them up otherwise it’ll be gone.

They know how many they’re getting from Sideshow upfront. And they also told me they’re reducing preorders for some figures due to cancellations from customers. So folks need to be better about that.

There is no conspiracy.

 

[slynger]

Not saying it’s not a sales ploy, but I see it highly probable that HT significantly reduced the number of figures being produced after so many of their Marvel, Mando and others sat on the shelves.

 

[MyenShi]

Not saying it’s not a sales ploy, but I see it highly probable that HT significantly reduced the number of figures being produced after so many of their Marvel, Mando and others sat on the shelves.

That is very likely as well; Hot Toys likely is going to make fewer figures and Sideshow ordered fewer for inventory.

But fewer doesn’t mean none for stock. That would be a ridiculous over correction by both parties.

Undoubtedly the piles of unsold troopers (Shoretooper, Shoretrooper SL, Artillery, Tank, and Transport) have given Howard, Sideshow, other distributors and retail partners TFA flashbacks.

But even the Rogue One figures after the even bigger TFA debacle still hit stores normally.

 

[Gipetto0812]

No, the authorized retailers just get very small allocations. I can’t speak to AE but Timewalker can sell through their allocations on in demand figures within a few hours.

You typically have to be on their site the day after an announcement when they put them up otherwise it’ll be gone.

They know how many they’re getting from Sideshow upfront. And they also told me they’re reducing preorders for some figures due to cancellations from customers. So folks need to be better about that.

There is no conspiracy.

Yea I know how it works with the retailers and their allotments I just find it odd/interesting/coincidental that AE showed it for PO for awhile including failry recently and now it’s “sold out” at there. I check with their website regularly since I usually order from there. Could just be a mere coincidence or maybe when it got on WL at SS, ppl quickly went and placed orders at any retailer that showed it still was available to order.
AE isn’t reducing PO’s like a Timewalker though based on what I’ve heard, but instead implemented an NRD to help with customer cancellations since they had a lot of cancellations in the last 2 years.
But I just also wouldn’t put it passed SS to to stoop lower given how brutal SS has been to retailers in the past with cutting their allotments and no longer allowing the roughly 8-10% PO discount retailers used to be allowed to offer customers like the olden days to try to force you to order more through SS. In some instances it obviously works, but SS probably wouldn’t have had to discount all those figures so much if they weren’t hoarding all the stock for themselves.

 

[MyenShi]

Yea I know how it works with the retailers and their allotments I just find it odd/interesting/coincidental that AE showed it for PO for awhile including failry recently and now it’s “sold out” at there. I check with their website regularly since I usually order from there. Could just be a mere coincidence or maybe when it got on WL at SS, ppl quickly went and placed orders at any retailer that showed it still was available to order.
AE isn’t reducing PO’s like a Timewalker though based on what I’ve heard, but instead implemented an NRD to help with customer cancellations since they had a lot of cancellations in the last 2 years.
But I just also wouldn’t put it passed SS to to stoop lower given how brutal SS has been to retailers in the past with cutting their allotments and no longer allowing the roughly 8-10% PO discount retailers used to be allowed to offer customers like the olden days to try to force you to order more through SS. In some instances it obviously works, but SS probably wouldn’t have had to discount all those figures so much if they weren’t hoarding all the stock for themselves.

I figured you knew but wanted to clarify for other people reading since there’s been some intense speculation going on with all of this.

If AE just sold out then it would most likely be people reacting to the figure going to waitlist at Sideshow and panic preordering whether they can.

Same goes for the other figures that went to waitlist that are not pre-sold out at all the other retailers.

 

[Gipetto0812]

I figured you knew but wanted to clarify for people reading since there’s been some intense speculation going on.

If AE just sold out then it would most likely be people reading to the figure going to waitlist at Sideshow and panic preordering whether they can.

Same goes for the other figures that went to waitlist at all the other retailers.

Understandable and much appreciated

My conspiracy theorist mind has been letting itself out more than usual these days with the wee bit of extra free time the holiday season has allowed

 

[Mike86]

Alter Ego just sold out on Friday. I almost grabbed it but then 3PO went on waitlist and for me that one took priority (got 3PO with Alter Ego and hopped on waitlist for the Clone Pilot).

 

[MyenShi]

Understandable and much appreciated

My conspiracy theorist mind has been letting itself out more than usual these days with the wee bit of extra free time the holiday season has allowed

It’s understandable. I think we’re also all kind of feeling a bit of whiplash from this sudden shift in the way of things.

I get the reasons for it, but it does feel like an overreaction by them.

But it’s definitely a shift, and in some ways going back to how things used to be. Best to preorder your must have figures at your authorized retailer of choice as early as possible moving forward.

Timewalker has been implementing an NRD as well with recent figures. A necessity which I don’t mind. I’m all for supporting the US based authorized retailers as much as possible.

 

[Gipetto0812]

It’s understandable. I think we’re also all kind of feeling a bit of whiplash from this sudden shift in the way of things.

I get the reasons for it, but it does feel like an overreaction by them.

But it’s definitely a shift, and in some ways going back to how things used to be. Best to preorder your must have figures at your authorized retailer of choice as early as possible moving forward.

Timewalker has been implementing an NRD as well with recent figures. A necessity which I don’t mind. I’m all for supporting the US based authorized retailers as much as possible.

ooo "whiplash" that's a great way to put it! Can't remember if it was this thread or another where I mentioned that I don't PO that much anymore unless it was for an EX, but yea, just a few days pass and it seems like now I'll have to go back to the way things were

As uncomfortable the change back may be, I do think is ultimately good b/c it really makes you decide if you really want something that will hopefully stay in your collection for the long haul. I know with things being they way they have been, I've been more or less, loosely ordering things here and there and then I'm finding myself needing to sell some of those since I really wasn't all that interested in them in the first place. Sorta of like wanting to see what they were like inhand but then not really wanting to keep them. We need a "Blockbuster" for figures

That said, I'm considering refocusing my collection on Star Wars as it is, though so POing right away won't be such an issue anymore. That's where my 1/6 started years ago when Sideshow first started making Star Wars figures (don't really count DC Direct's 13" figures) and I think that's why Star Wars is the only IP that I tend to not sell off (unless I'm forced to like before).

As for NRD's, I don't mind them either. Can't expect to have no skin in the game these days especially if it's a retailer that's treated you well in the past. And one thing I do love about ordering through Sideshow is how quick and easy returns/replacements are. Even with ordering through AE, my recent replacement that I started before thanksgiving is taking forever b/c Sideshow is dragging their feet on getting it to me But if it was a sideshow order, I'd have already had the part by now, which unfortunately is something I (and maybe others) will also need to consider when deciding on where to place an order in the future as well.

 

[MyenShi]

ooo "whiplash" that's a great way to put it! Can't remember if it was this thread or another where I mentioned that I don't PO that much anymore unless it was for an EX, but yea, just a few days pass and it seems like now I'll have to go back to the way things were

As uncomfortable the change back may be, I do think is ultimately good b/c it really makes you decide if you really want something that will hopefully stay in your collection for the long haul. I know with things being they way they have been, I've been more or less, loosely ordering things here and there and then I'm finding myself needing to sell some of those since I really wasn't all that interested in them in the first place. Sorta of like wanting to see what they were like inhand but then not really wanting to keep them. We need a "Blockbuster" for figures

That said, I'm considering refocusing my collection on Star Wars as it is, though so POing right away won't be such an issue anymore. That's where my 1/6 started years ago when Sideshow first started making Star Wars figures (don't really count DC Direct's 13" figures) and I think that's why Star Wars is the only IP that I tend to not sell off (unless I'm forced to like before).

As for NRD's, I don't mind them either. Can't expect to have no skin in the game these days especially if it's a retailer that's treated you well in the past. And one thing I do love about ordering through Sideshow is how quick and easy returns/replacements are. Even with ordering through AE, my recent replacement that I started before thanksgiving is taking forever b/c Sideshow is dragging their feet on getting it to me But if it was a sideshow order, I'd have already had the part by now, which unfortunately is something I (and maybe others) will also need to consider when deciding on where to place an order in the future as well.

Agreed on all counts. Aside from running out of space, this has made me reconsider getting certain figures. I was going to pick up the entire AOTC lineup but I may pass on some now. I’ve needed to super focus on certain areas anyway, and this was kind of the kick I needed.

Yeah Sideshow doesn’t always make it easy to get replacement parts through the authorized retailers. I know some of them have gone to bat for me, which only furthered my loyalty to them.

I don’t think Sideshow is terrible in general, but there are certainly areas they need to improve on. You’d think they would; doesn’t seem that complicated. But then sometimes they just decide to do something else entirely instead instead of addressing the core issues.

 

[evenflow]

This is one I wanted but figured I would wait. If I dont get it on release. Oh well...

 

[DCFett]

I did manage to put in an order at Monkey Depot before they closed the order page. they are able to fulfill it.

 

[slynger]

So now this sits at “unavailable“ with a $199.75 price? What’s going on here?

 

[TheClient]

Looks like BBTS got at least one more up for grabs, back on ore-order this morning. Act fast if you want to secure one.

 

[slynger]

Looks like BBTS got at least one more up for grabs, back on ore-order this morning. Act fast if you want to secure one.

And gone.

 

[jedibear]

And while you're mentioning BBTS...they just got an interesting group of previously "sold out" figures (on their site at least) back up for "preorder" with arrival in March. Got a feeling this is BBTS helping Sideshow winnow down some of their excess stock after "selling through" their own allotments. Even the "exclusive" Armorer is listed among the PO's. Not a bad thing if it helps some folks pick a figure up that they missed out on from them earlier.

The point here...don't let these so-called "sold out" or "waitlisted" preorders spook you too much. It's pretty likely that most figures will become available once they actually release, even some of the exclusives*. Unless HT is really going to implement smaller runs on figures on some of these, I think this "waitlist/PO" approach is more about hype than anything.

Pretty sure this pilot will be fairly easy to get once it's out.

* - the only big exception here was that "Arena" Black-suited Fett which sold out fast and quickly shot through the roof on the scalper market. That was one figure that could have had a small run and the demand for it was wildly misread. But...want a chrome Stormtrooper, anyone?

 

[SwTaArRs]

I received my “incomiming soon” email for the Clone Pilot tonight. This was from Sideshow. I was hoping for the Jesse notice too, but not yet…

 

[DCFett]

I got the warehouse imminent email too. Now I have an extra on reserve at Monkey Depot if anyone needs it message me.