Here we are LOADED with TONS of Spider-Man 3 toys. They haven't sold ANYTHING!

Transformers? They all disappeared  

 

Funny you should say that since my local Meijer's had 8 of the classic Camaro Bumblebee's just sitting on the shelf when I was there yesterday (as well as some Barricades) it seems they stocked much Wave 1 much later than everywhere else.

Of course looking at Ebay, even prices for Classic Camaro are riduculous ($25 after shipping?!).

 

Things that make me go WTF? Yeah, I have one.

The Toys R Us here has about 80 of the protoform figures. 80. We're talking 13 pegs, each about 6 deep, and some piled up on the shelf because they ran out of peg space for them. The store is essentially worthless as far as movie deluxes are concerned now, because the protoforms will clog up the pegs for months, meaning they'll never feel the need to stock anything new. Meanwhile, both Targets and Wal-Marts here have completely sold out of deluxes. TRU basically shot itself in the foot by massively overstocking the preview figures. As the one pure toy store in the city, you would think they'd try to make up for the department stores' inability to keep all the toys stocked. Instead they're sitting on a huge pile of stuff nobody really wants. Dumb bastards.

 

Working overnight at a Target here in the Tampa Bay area in Florida I can assure you that (before the recent shortage) 08 Bumblebee was out en mass along with the rest of the wave three guys. Problem is, supply has greatly exceeded the expected demand for these items. I can't tell you how many times I'd stock this stuff out (even though I'm backroom and not flow) and I'd come in the next day and they'd be GONE! These things sell like hotcakes. I'm glade I got mine with our first shipment and I can honestly say that I saw at least six boxes of wave three (which translates to 2 per box) and a friend I work with said that he saw at least another three boxes come in while I was off.

It's not that he's not out there it's that you're missing him. And WHAT'S funny is that a couple Transformers fans that I know in the area come in to my store in the evenings before the store closes (I'm just getting ready to clock in so I shoot the shit with these guys before I start work) and they were bitching about the same thing to me. About how we NEVER have any in stock and all that. And I mention to them how much product we've moved (even those damned exclusives have sold out like mad except for Hardtop and he's slowly going bye-bye too) and they stand there with their jaws agape. So, I'm assuming it's just that Transformers fans automatically assume that 'I don't see it so it must not exist' in their heads or something. And than somehow this becomes 'Hasbor f-ing suxxorz' and the like.

...which is a mentality I certainly don't get...

 

How about a GIANT BLADE! coming out of Optimus' arm!!

 

that's because the SM3 toys blow--especially if you compare them to the toys released after the FIRST movie...shorter, crappier paint jobs, less articulation, etc, etc.

I guess you can blame it on inflation--they want to hit that "magic" price point of $6.99 (or whatever) but the materials cost more these days.

It doesn't help that the main ingredients in plastic are methane, ethylene and polyethylene. No wonder China needs to buy up the worlds oil reserves.

 

My WTF moment was when I first saw the promo for the Transformers Animated show. WTF indeed.......Here's to hoping for a good storyline!

 

They designed those toys way back - ILM came up with the sword after they had already designed Prime and most of the other character.

 

http://www.nagasden.com/images/commissions/starscreamsmall.jpg

 

I'm glad the shelves are bare. When they do eventually get new shipments, we'll not only see Bee, Arcee, and that jet, we might actually get Payload and Dropkick. And, while I'm dreaming, I want a pony.

 

WTF!