1/6 Hot Toys - MMS 650D46/651 - Star Wars Episode II: AOTC - C3PO & R2D2 Collectible Figures

[Mike86]

AotC? Not currently -

Well it was.. that’s frustrating because I literally just pre-ordered from Alter Ego as a result of it showing on waitlist. Oh well, it’ll be cheaper there than getting it from Sideshow anyways.

 

[Tazzy2918]

Well played Sideshow.

 

[endor1]

AOTC R2-D2 [WAITLISTED]
https://www.sideshow.com/collectibles/star-wars-r2-d2-hot-toys-911040

AOTC C3PO [WAITLISTED]
https://www.sideshow.com/collectibles/star-wars-c-3po-hot-toys-911039

 

[Chainedstream]

Go on waitlist of all items you want. That way, we might be able to impact their production numbers.

 

[MyenShi]

I have some figures on preorder - not at SSC currently except for exclusives - but I refuse to play this game with every single figure being released.

We’ll see what happens. We won’t know what their overall plan is till well into next year.

But if the outlook isn’t good, then that may mean reevaluating how we go about collecting these figures for some of us, I think.

I will jump through hoops to order replicas or models from places like RS or MYC, but I’m not doing that with Sideshow and Hot Toys.

 

[xtinct1990]

I get Sideshow not wanting to sit on dead stock for years but we are now venturing into losing sales, profit and turning customers elsewhere to get their figures. Waitlisting figures a year before release is just asinine.

 

[Chainedstream]

I

I get Sideshow not wanting to sit on dead stock for years but we are now venturing into losing sales, profit and turning customers elsewhere to get their figures. Waitlisting figures a year before release is just asinine.

t's a cycle. Next round of figures, after they realize the issues with their ploy, they will get back at having stuff available till in-stock, and their figures will end up as shelf warmers and become victims of Bogo sales

 

[fantasticfrog]

No way anakin and padme can have this low stock. They have to be major sellers.

 

[ebor]

 

[Mike86]

I get Sideshow not wanting to sit on dead stock for years but we are now venturing into losing sales, profit and turning customers elsewhere to get their figures. Waitlisting figures a year before release is just asinine.

It really is pretty stupid. Sideshow wonders why people aren’t pre-ordering right away? There’s no rush to do so whatsoever when figures aren’t out for a year or more in most cases. So create a false scarcity to try and get people to lock in pre-orders sooner.

 

[DCFett]

I get that they need revenue and POs provide that for them. But it would be nice if they had a better rapport in the community and were communicative about what type of support they need from us instead of the deal with it, wall of silence. HT, and by extension, SS are luxury brands. NO OTHER high end brand is so far removed from their customer base. I say that understanding that they consider SDCC outreach, but I’ve been at their booth for the past 15 yrs. Communication has gotten worse every year. Now, if you get someone that will talk to you, they don’t know **** anyway.

 

[IronPatriotFTW]

This waitlisting is very irritating

 

[choombaz]

Very simple solution just don’t go with SS. I have never used them, the second I saw their outrageous shipping charges I was outta there never to return.

 

[DCFett]

I hear you. It’s just something about humans and brand loyalty and all that. You like Coke cause your granddaddy drank it, your dad drank it…not that Pepsi is bad. Just been with them since I started in the 1/6th arena, but like a bad girlfriend, they’ve FORCED me into other pastures.
******* toys and 1st world problems

 

[IronPatriotFTW]

I can’t help but feel they tested this strategy not long ago, but with those stupid countdown timers

 

[Mike86]

Very simple solution just don’t go with SS. I have never used them, the second I saw their outrageous shipping charges I was outta there never to return.

The problem is that if you want to buy in the US every other distributor gets their stock from Sideshow and in a more limited quantity. So once those other places sell through their allotment they generally don’t get more. In that case Sideshow ends up being the better option.

 

[ebor]

Dear Mr Hot Toys and Mr/Mrs/Ms Sideshow:

I will pre order c3po IF you promise to NEVER re-release the Doc Brown head-sculpt ever again…

 

[choombaz]

The problem is that if you want to buy in the US every other distributor gets their stock from Sideshow and in a more limited quantity. So once those other places sell through their allotment they generally don’t get more. In that case Sideshow ends up being the better option.

Fair point. Im not in the US and have always bought local Aussie or HK.

 

[MyenShi]

Very simple solution just don’t go with SS. I have never used them, the second I saw their outrageous shipping charges I was outta there never to return.

Unfortunately Sideshow provides only small allocations on figures for its authorized retail partners.

So it’s likely most popular and reliable stores will either be pre-sold out or have very limited stock. Some of them pre-sell out within hours of the figure going up.

Sideshow pulling this pre-sell out/waitlist stunt on figures a year out is going to only make things worse.

I don’t particularly enjoy having to camp out on retailer sites to grab a pre-order. I mean, no one does. But I guess I’ll have to go back to doing that for “must have” figures in the future.

 

[Chopper Face]

As a favour to the rest of the world, US collectors should boycott Sideshow and hope it dies.

There would be no more manipulative games, no more stranglehold on the entire western market- of which only one country actually benefits- no more sideshow exclusives, HK resellers could get their stock in earlier and HT may then consider making new region specific arrangements with other stores to better help collectors around the world.