I went out Christmas shopping this weekend and every store I went to seemed to be packed with TFA. This doesn't look good for the line imo. Is anyone else noticing this pattern? Transformers Universe were almost all gone, Star Wars- Gone, Dark Knight- Gone just about every toy line but Indiana Jones and TFA were gone. I was surprised to see even some of the main characters left Optimus, Bumblebee and Rachet although not as many as some of the newer waves. Even all of the old stuff from the movies was gone that has been clogging the pegs for a year.

Makes me wonder how long the series will last if sales do not improve. I hope they at least make an Omega Supreme.

 

You can't* judge how well a toyline is selling by the number of toys on pegs in one store.

and as for it vs. Universe:
Stores generally order more Animated than they do Universe.

* Well, you technically can, but it probably wouldn't be a very accurate judgment.

 

I was at the store yesterday, and yes, Transformers were being cleared out. Universe was gone except for a handful of Ironhides, all the Movie shelfwarmers had suddenly disappeared, and there wasn't that much Animated left. But I did see employees restocking Animated during the day, so it's selling okay. At least in my area.

 

The east coast is where Transformers seems to go to die. Three states, over 20 different stores, all full shelves of Animated. And not just Animated, but Transformers in general. If I was still buying figures, I'd have no problems getting all the big hype figures like Animated Magnus or any Universe figure. Hell even looking at Gi.I. Joe stuff, I've had no trouble finding figs like Matt Tracker. This year is just a bad year for toys. People are cutting back and name brand toys seem to be the first thing to be cut.

 

This. Though I haven't seen any Animated figs in ages.   Most of my purchases had to come from the internet. Did see one Universe Sunstreaker at Zellers, though, but it was gone next time I checked. Transformers movie has some stuff left, but, my Zellerse never ordered a whole bunch, anyway.

 

I think the problem with animated is that it is way over produced...everybody already has ones and twos of everything on the pegs...

 

ian5555 correct me if im wrong but based on several of your previous posts your not really much of an Animated fan, you like Omega Supreme but beyond that you tend to come across as one of those folks who tends to see TFA as a wasted oppertunity for G1 2.0, you like Universe way more than Animated and likely are one of those folks that think of the 2 it should have been Animated that went on hiatus for the duration of the movie line not Universe.

This being said I tend to not put much stock in doomsaying about "OMG Animated isnt doing well in my area I reckon the line is FUBAR" when these types of threads tend to be posted buy people who dont REALLY like the line, its like they are trying to convince us and in so doing reinforce there own hopes, hell even the title of your thread is indicative of what Im talking about being someone who really loves Animated if I was that worried that it wasnt doing well and that the lines future was in doubt my thread title wouldnt be anything akin to 'TFA for Christmas=fail'.

 

Well I would agree with you if that is what my thread was saying but it wasn't which would be why I put a "?" after Fail and asked "Is anyone else noticing this pattern?"

I was basically asking how TFA was selling in other markets. When the whole toy section is pretty much empty at 2 Walmarts, TRU and 2 Targets and the only thing left is the same Indiana Jones and TFA stuff that has been sitting there for weeks then yeah, that would be an indication to me the line isn't selling well at least in my area.

Indiana Jones obvoiusly has been a failed line in the eyes of Hasbro and they canceled it so the fact that those 2 lines are clogging the pegs in my area doesn't make the line look good when Star Wars and Dark Knight and other lines are selling like hotcakes.

Ravage- I do like Animated and have 2 of all the figures 1 moc/mib and 1 loose (look at my collection pics I have a whole shelf of TFA stuff just not up to date.) I just disagree that it is the best thing since sliced bread and I also happen to think the line is going to fail as it has not captured the main market for which it was intended, children. The movie might generate more interest in it.

 

The walmarts I frequent empty of Universe, movie stuff is absent almost(thank god!), animated is in good quantity.

Like when I was gettin Blurr and Swindle, the shelf was packed and a total mess. I saw a guy stocking some other ones and decided to ask "wow, i guess business has fallen a bit this year" His reply, "Nope, we're trying to cram as much out as we can so people will find it and buy it, workin good on those you're holding"

Depends on the area still i guess.

 

Well I can only go off what I see here and my own experiences and I understand that Australia being a secondary market doesnt have any real effect but still. Animated often has alot of stock on the shelves but from what ive seen its not the same stock, which means its moving well enough that they are restocking quickly. My 4 nephews aged between 4-10 love Transformers yes they love the movie but it only sparked their interest they will watch Animated, Energon, BW, G1 whatever my sisters buys they will watch over and over. Initially thats the way my sister bought them toys as well however she has started to buy only Animated because the boys can actually transform the toys (and with relative ease) something they couldnt do with the movie toys.

In the end you really cant judge it unless you have access to the actual numbers of units that are selling and how fast those unitsare moving sure where you are sales could be poor but its the total sales (in the US primarily) that matter as long as the total sales justify the continuation of the line it will continue its just that stores in areas where it doesnt move will order less.

Indeed sometimes the criteria your using to determine lack of sales is actually opposite a line thats selling poorly will often have only a few figures on the shelves the one thats selling well will be regularly restocked.

 

Universe deluxes go pretty fast in my area. Silverbolt shelfwarms like crazy. Most animated stuff sells the only exceptions being black rachnia, ratchet, swoop, and sentinel Prime. I dunno why but those are always left when I check out the aisle. Some of my local shops have gotten in a ton of Skywarp and Shockwaves. Shockwave has disappeared. Whereas you can find 6 or 7 Skywarps on any given day. The Animated leader class figures sell pretty well too.

 

Universe goes relatively fast and TFA sits on the shelf, at least here in Central FL.

However, I don't think it's an indicator of the line's performance/popularity as much as the fact that TFA is the current mainline and they're just ordering more of it... not to mention the general downturn in toy sales due to economic factors.

 

You guys are lucky, all I can find are Blackarachnias, like, TONS of Blackarachnias, kids probably are acting all "EWWWWWW GIRL ROBOT!!!" and nothing getting her.

Other than that, Animated seems to be doing pretty well too, and believe it or not, the best sellers of Universe here are AUTOBOT BLASTER AND THE ROBOT HEROES! Maybe kids just dig the red and black colors.

Now, Movie toys, hoho! These things are clodging shelves! Lots of leaders, Voyagers and the repainted Deluxes, apparently kids don't like non-movie characters and the leaders are too expensive.

 

I also have seen a ton of the 25th Optimus Prime. I think they priced that way too high and probably been around $29.99 imo.

I will say this about TFA the Activators line is pure genius for small children. I was able to pick up OP and Starscream for my 4 year old nephew and these are awesome as he will break his older brother transformers trying to transform them(although I didn't buy any for myself). Best looking easy to transform transformers ever. I don't think that line gets enough credit considering how close they look to their bigger counterparts and how easy they are to transform in comparison.

I bet TFA would be doing better if JC Penney and Sears still had their wishbooks. Those were win in the 80's for getting exposure of toys in kids hands.

 

My Target hasn't had movie toys come in since before Thanksgiving. I think they have finally cleared out of the dist. centers. All transformers are light, except for the Target exclusives, which are shelf warming. There is a big toy clearance markdown for toys at Target tonight, so if you go to Target early tomorrow, you may see clearance non-carried forward TF's. Not a guarantee though.

 

I actualy despise Voyager Grimlock, Starscream and Deluxe Ratchet.

Just because they're WORSE than the Activators! All that size, plastic and engineering gets plowed by little spring-loaded toys! Props to Hasbro-guys for their work on the Activators line.

 

Hey guys, remember way back at the beginning of the year when were mad at Hasbro because there was no Animated on the shelves?

Good times.

 

I live in Oklahoma City, and Animated sells very well around here.

Infact all lines seem to sell very well around here.

So to say that one store had a lot, doesn't mean it is the same everywhere else.

These things go like hotcakes here where I live. All lines...

 

In RI you're lucky to find one or two animated figures. There completely clean most places.

 

the animated decepticons are very hard to find in my area, it seriously took me around 4-5 months to find a soundwave, i happend to find 2 at my local walmart and bought them both, one for me and one for my gf who drives an xB (the car soundwave is based on)

i see tons of ratchets, bulk heads, primes and magnus'. prowl and bumblebee are a little harder to find and every now and then a lockdown and lugnut will show up. Universe are usually pretty much dwindled down to ironhides, i dont pay attention to indiana jones or dark knight. Movie characters are hard to find as well