I wouldn't just blame Sideshow here. They don't have any control over this whole "batch release" thing HT seems to do these days. A small, initial batch hits, presumably for the local/regional market. That one is quickly gobbled up by "influencers" & Youtube "content creators" (many who may pay a premium price & shipping to be among "the first"). Blogger photos hit, video reviews start to appear, buzz (both good & bad) sweeps the collector community worldwide.
Then the wait begins for everyone else. As someone who orders from a third party retailer (BBTS), we're usually among the last for the domestic US market to receive. It's just something I've learned to accept. No logic to it - having been in some manufacturing in my earlier work life, this batch approach doesn't make a whole lot of sense. I mean, once a run is set up, why not run it through, especially if it's a limited number you're running, to fill all the orders (PO's) you have for that item? But this seems to be the "norm" now, especially with HT.
But NONE of that is the distributor's fault (Sideshow). They can only ship out & distribute what's provided to them. The one thing I will say here is, at least for me, this whole process HT uses now with production & release kind of sucks the fun out of this hobby. Admit it or not, much of this hobby is compulsive and when an addict has to wait for their fix, they get cranky (me included
).
It has made me take pause when I order. Do I want this? Will it fit with where my collection's going? Will I care about having it 2 or so years later when it finally shows? I say "no" a lot more these days as these so-called hot items come up for PO.
Okay - haven't spewed like that for a while...all that said, I'm still anxiously awaiting this figure. My fingers are crossed to breaking that he doesn't show up with QC issues like Padme did....we'll see.