What are they going to do when Boba and Vader exclusives go up for pre-order

[Agent23]

LOL tomandshell...

Yea, you can also chalk up Darth Maul, for another day when all hell will break loose.

 

[chamildav]

I think SSC could have sold a whole lot more Luke figures than they offered. Same is true of Ani and Obi I imagine even with increased edition sizes. I'd bet they will produce more Vader's than any other single figure but it still may be difficult to meet the demand for what is probably science fiction films most iconic character. I think they are trying very hard to offer a true collectible figure line and not cheapen it by overproducing and having to dump discounted figures into the market place. Bad for SSC, bad for the dealers, and bad for many of the collectors alike when that happens.
I believe SSC is dealing with determining what realistic production runs are for this line and I think they may be finding the demand much greater than initially anticipated. This is a nightmare for a small company because you want to meet demand but you simply don't have the capacity to produce enough product to do that. In order to create that capacity you have to invest in greater production, distribution, and delivery resources. If demand then doesn't meet your hightened expectations/projections you've possibly just become a hugely successful bankruptcy case. They have some very tough decisions to make with the Star Wars line.
It's a mixed blessing to have something so vastly popular to offer when your typical production and distribution resources are geared to much smaller niche products. This is a pretty nice problem to have though, as problems go.

 

[tomandshell]

Remember, regular Obi-Wan did not sell out today, and probably won't do so for a week, if he follows the pattern set by Luke and Anakin. They're certainly not making enough exclusives to meet the demand, but that's kind of the point, I guess. The regular versions seem to last long enough for everybody to get one who wants one. In fact, they don't even announce the addition size until everybody has had an opportunity to get one, typically stopping sales after a week or so. This line was never meant to produce figures that would sit on a shelf somewhere waiting for somebody to stumble across them. Buyers must show some initiative and stay alert. People who are interested in them (and are paying attention) have plenty of time to get a regular version of the figure. But the exclusives...not so easy, I'll admit.

 

[The Josh]

You don't do anything now, you're always on the forums

Between subbing and coaching I'm always doing something but I usually have access to a PC. Being a Computer Teacher is fun

 

[Darth Rage]

What would the exclusive Stormtrooper have?

 

[tomandshell]

Oh man, that's funny.

 

[bluesparrow]

Seeing how Obi-wan sold out in an hour, what's it going to be like when they release a Boba or a Vader exclusive?

Lots of anger, frustration, cursing, threats, tears. Typical preorder day, slightly magnified.

Best thing they could do is make the exclusive for those characters so insignificant that only the people who feel a need to collect all the exclusive editions will really want it.

 

[tomandshell]

I would rather not have an exclusive version of Boba Fett if it meant I didn't have to deal with the stress of trying (and possibly failing) to order him.

Or they could go the Elektra route and make the exclusive version come in a different color scheme. That I could live with.

 

[Buttmunch]

Very funny. Seriously though, the blaster and possible a rifle are all they really have. Sure you could throw in a mousedroid as an exclusive but why? If they are only going to have two accessories to begin with, it really isn't vary fair to give the third as an exclusive. Anakin and Obi-Wan come with about 7-10 NON-exclusive accessories. The exclusives just wan't be logical for some figures. I fear some will just end up site exclusives like Skinner.

Clone trooper exclusives would be easy paint variants, but until the special, special, special edition of the OT, Stormtroopers only come in one color.

 

[Darth Rage]

I suppose the exclusive storm trooper could come with the sandtrooper rank epilets (is that the right word?) You know, the grey or orange shoulder bits to denote rank. That would be an exclusive to make people nuts if they missed it. I think more likely it would be the difference in guns though, blaster pistol for standard with the blaster rifle included with the exclusive.

Perhaps the little parts found on Tatooine? "Look sir, droids." Again, we're delving into sandtrooper territory.

How about an unconscious princess leia after blasters were set to stun in Ep IV?

 

[88th division]

Again from episode IV. The exclusive stormtrooper could have the paldron and the backpack. Although I would prefer something not so important. As someone said before, if you make an exclusive with a must have piece, you are going to piss off a lot of people.

 

[Viking28]

I agree with there is no need to make a exclusive for every figure released but
I totally disagree with the thought "its like printing money" with this line, its better to keep the line in tow. Then going all out crazy and doing 30,000 for each character, we all seen what happened to the LOTR line when some screamed that the edition size needs to be bigger.

I think they are doing fine with the edition sizes, in my view its better to produce something that has staying power and value then something that will be marked down past wholesale to try to sale. Usually when specialty companies go that route they dont last that long because nobody wants to carry items that just sit around. And anyway I want to see Sideshow around for a long long long time.

 

[Alice Adrenochrome]

I don't know what SSC will when those 2 come up, but I hope they don't mess with the ES! And even though I, just like" some others on this board, don't expect every single 12" to come with an exclusive, I'd love the idea that the exclusive would be more significant then they are now. A real "must have" item would be the salt AND the pepper in the Star Wars 12" soup! Yes!