Is Hasbor Finally Learning?

[HissCommander]

Im just curious what your take is on the recent price drops, and re-releases.

*All stores (minus TRU?) have lowered their prices to around $6, with WM dropping down to an astounding $5.

*The recent exclusive multi packs have been VERY reasonably priced, with a figure breakdown of about $4-$5 each.

*More "Vinatge" repaints hitting the pegs. (everyone loves old school stuff)

*RoC Combat Heroes dropping to $5

*12" figures dropping to $10

Im just curious if you guys think Hasbor is getting it through their thick skulls that people dont want to pay $8+ a figure, or if you think this is all a ploy to move out all the old crap for the holidays and start that price gouging up again in 2010?

All in all i think the RoC/PoC line is pretty great, with opened ended possibilities. What i think hinders it from moving as well as it could (despite the bad distribution)is the prices it started out with. Lets just hope Hasbor is finally listening to the fans.

[CAPT. GRID-IRON]

I will go with "option four" which is they way overproduced crappy characters, nobody wants them, the retailers were forced to lower the prices or get stuck with a crap load of product that they will have to clearance in december anyways, and i wont be surprised if it still doesn't sell and goes to clearance, especially the vehicles which are not selling anywhere and are still overpriced.

As for the ROC line having possibilities, it "had" posibilities, but the character selection is really really bad, and there are just too few jems that grab everyones attention. I mean i could make a list of ten figures that everyone likes, and the rest are all worse than poop. Ten characters do not a good line make. And the army builders are all Fugly or repainted Fugly movie vipers. We dont need neo viper and viper commando and elite viper, in every color of the rainbow, they were marginally good at best in their original colors.

what is positive about ROC , here is what i have, let me see if i can come up with even ten figures i REALLY like
still have not purchased any vehicles yet, because the price points are too high

PARIS PURSUIT SNAKE EYES
CHARBROIL
SHIPWRECK
HELIX
ICE VIPER
FLASH
CITY STRIKE SNAKE EYES
ARCTIC THREAT STORM SHADOW
PIT COMMANDO
COBRA COMMANDER

[carnage717]

I have to side with Chuckles on this, they produced way to many batches of the first figures and have to find a way to get rid of ALOT of stock. Im betting the price drop is only through the holiday period and we'll see it go back up after Christmas.

[gijoefrank]

I agree, its a ploy to get rid of all their excess stuff....they had Transformers for 10.00 / 15.00, once they got to managable stock...prices went up again...same thing here.

[Hawk MMS]

Too much supply, lower demand = lower prices. Its economics. hasbro has to get their retailers to move inventory to make room for the stuff on the boats.

[TRAIN]

Well I'm not sure who set the high price phase into motion, Hasbro or the retailers, but this just falls back to greed from the corporate heads. Just think of how much other stuff we are paying way too much for, and they wonder why the economy is sluggish. I have to say I didn't see the movie in theaters and after watching it last night It gave me some great ideas for customs, so I hope that they will lower prices even more, but I feel if they had set the price at $5.00 to begin with they would have sold more of their stock and wouldn't be forced into clearancing the stuff now. I don't feel Hasbro over estimated how much of the product they could sell, I think they over estimated how many they could sell at such a high price.

[Tolan]

the retailers are setting the prices...hasbro already got paid .


I am sure there is a buying contract between them so the retailers have to sell the merch or it will fill the distribustion centers.

the blame squarely sits with the retailers

[MORE_MACHINE_THAN_MAN]

i really think A.they tried to see what they could get away with,and B.they over produced on the first few waves and now have to play clean up.....

[zedhatch]

My understanding from a guy I have class with who is a stock manager at WM (I asked him about why the prices hadn't lowered yet) is the retailers are lowering the prices to move stock along, not Hasbro, as such I would have to say Hasbro is not learning.

[Python Viper]

Maybe. Sometimes they seem like they are getting things right, but some things still have me scratching my head.

[SnakePlissken]

I'll believe they're learning when they stop producing crap people don't buy.
The clearance prices are because they have too many figures that people aren't buying. Rapid Rollers? Action Battlers? How about that giant Accelerator Suit Duke? These don't interest me at all, and I don't see them flying off the pegs either. The same thing goes for the Transformers line, they've got toys designed for little kids that aren't selling because kids that age probably aren't interested in the movie. They're more interested in Yu Gi Oh or something.
They're over producing the early figures which aren't selling that well. Meanwhile the ones that people actually want to buy (City Strike Snake Eyes for example) can't be found. This is the same thing that happened back in the early stages of the 25th line. The vehicles were over priced and uninspired. They should have had figures selling for like $6 or $7 from day one with small vehicles for about twice that. Instead they started selling things for about 50% more per item and wondered why people weren't buying tons of them.
It seems that they're only now catching on to the fact that the big fans of Rise of Cobra actually liked the original G.I. Joe cartoon series. I like that they have the battle packs coming out with themes and molds based on the old toys. I would have rather seen a more practically sized version of the U.S.S. Flagg instead of the Mobile Pitt, and a Skystriker Jet to be able to battle the Night Raven. At least they almost made some progress by having a DragonHawk to match up against the Cobra Gunship. Too bad the DragonHawk is too small and wimpy looking to be really cool. The DragonHawk looks more like a scout vehicle.
Hopefully they continue to learn and the toys for the sequel have a better lineup and over all design theme. No spring loaded launchers anyone? I'm looking forward to some decent Drednoks. Please let Zartan get thrown out of the White House only to take over a biker gang!

[Dark 5cythe]

Hasbro made their money when they sold the toys to retailers. Its the retailes who gouge us to recoup their loses and then make some profit.

next year will be right back to ten bucks a figure as soon as all this crap is off the shelves.

GIJOE is about action figures and cartoons. Ok fine comics a little bit. But all this other crap? mini figures, action battlers, talking giant duke, role play items. its all overboard. Keep to the basics. And why on earth did htey think they could move that many molepods?

I nominate the molepod or the gunship as the worst pegwarmer of all time.