I’m waiting until it’s around $50-60. Even that is still too expensive, but I can swallow that better than $100+ I remember paying around $65 for the Heroes series 5 Halo 3 Chief, which was one of the biggest toy purchase regrets I’ve had. So much money for a tiny thing, and when I got it it had a large black paint splotch on the visor. So my affinity for overpaying for Mega stuff has dwindled considerably
The entire set is fairly expensive for what you get. Especially so when you only want one or two figures in it at best. To be honest now that I've secured Mickey I only want it just to have it. I'll probably sell or trade it later down the road. I either have the figures in here or I just don't care enough about the others.
Halo sets selling out on Amazon before they even have listings that get into search results... meanwhile, the new Call of Duty set that hasn't been out a month is already ten dollars off.
No one really cares about CoD stuff outside of the games. That community isn't about toys or collectibles. Meanwhile the Halo toy line has been around for a long time, and lots of fans enjoy both toys and games. This isn't a surprise to me at least, as someone who is kind of into the Halo fandom. With a new Halo game on the horizon the hype for Halo is at an all time high. I'm speculating here but this franchise hype is fueling the rush on Mega sets. Mega and Halo go a long way back.
All the circumstantial evidence points to this. Why do you put stuff on sale? You are either trying to hype a new product (Everyone get this brand new item at reduced price NOW and enjoy it!) Or you're trying to move product that's been sitting around. The CoD set has been available for awhile now. Certainly isn't a new product. It's not selling so Amazon has it on sale to attract sales. Meanwhile a hype game series is getting a hyped release, and it's tied to a toy release that's also hyped and been a long time partner of the franchise. If hype and excitement aren't fueling the craze then why did the Havoc Staff stay up for a week? Why didn't bots destroy the listing like they have with other Halo offerings? Why can we still get CoD? Halo has consistently been the only Mega product that should be readily available that's also hard to get.
Crash site barely released a month ago. But it being on sale proves your point. Also just strengthens Mega's hesitancy on releasing more robust CoD sets. This why we just get character packs. I just bought this set on Oct 6th to send overseas to a redditor who needed help and bought myself one last week. Luckily I got my $10 back on the obe I bought for myself. They wouldn't do the 1st one (14 day limit). MOTU and Halo are the only one that still sell and even then they have problems. I suppose Pokemon is too, but I have my doubts.
I think hype is part of it. But I think false hype is a bigger part of it. And there are many contributing factors. The fan fear of Mattel distribution. Not unreasonable, I suppose, but we didn't see last year's sets have any issue shelf warming when it was all settled. Current supply issues. Which seem to slow things down right now but certainly don't restrict customers getting what they want in time. The CoD set being beneath the radar of your beloved and ill informed scalpers who think Mega brands [primarily Halo] is more than a niche collector's habit. When, ultimately, the demand is often the got to have it now just on the chance that there won't be a second chance. But, as you say, Halo is Mega's biggest thing. And, as I said, last year's distribution of that assortment suggests there will be plenty when the current market demand settles.
I think we're forgetting the fact that the 20th set, at least, is an Amazon exclusive. Amazon, a site that's screwed over one fandom regarding exclusives. I think any worry that you won't get this set is valid. Botted to hell, Mega's distribution woes of the past, Amazon screwing over Earthrise, there's ample worry and lack of trust that people will get this set. Of course last year's sets were available...they were retail. They were gonna be everywhere, and if you couldn't get it on Amazon or whatever, you could go into any retail and get it. I got my Warthog Rally something like 2 weeks after they released andn people were buying them for 3x retail just by hitting up the 8 or so Targets during that period. But I can't do that for the 20th set. I'm forced to glue my face to the screen just for the chance. I'm not going to lie. When you spend literally 6 hours, constantly adding a non-existent item to your cart, having it pulled out of your cart twice, seeing reports of somehow people getting sets...well I'm not going to lie if I lost all motivation to actually try and I just went and got Mickey. I was stressed, irritated, and I just did what I had to remove that source of stress and irritation, which was to secure Mickey no matter what the cost. Had this set been at Target, or Gamestop as well as Amazon, or whatever, I probably would've had it by now, but it isn't the case. We all have our limits to what we're willing to tolerate and this BS with the set broke my limit. I'm not saying this to be "woe is me." But I'm saying that I don't begrudge people if they really want it and are getting it early. NO toy is worth stress and irritation, and if getting it will resolve that then it's worth more than toy morals or whatever.
There's always the option of just going without. From my perspective, if a company doesn't make it easy for you to get their product, then they don't deserve your purchase. Put that money towards something else that'll entertain you, and who does more to deserve your money. These are meant to be enjoyed, thus no amount of stress, monetarily or otherwise, is worth it, imo. If I can't afford it, if I can't get it, or if it costs more than its perceived value, screw it. Or at least that's my goal, but it's easier said than done when emotions get in the way.
But you didn't give in to buying from a scalper and another option presented itself in the long run, right? And, man, they are just not ready to give up that dream of doubling their money on their scalp bait: One of my Razorbacks arrived today. The other has been delayed again.
I could afford a 30 dollar Mickey, that's why I did it. That's why I don't need the set anymore. I still want it just to have it, but as far as the rest of the figures in the set I'm okay going without. There was no way I was going to go without Mickey. I have a nearly complete Alpha 9, and the opportunity presented itself to actually complete the team. I hope I'm not coming off as too irate, but I don't know how it isn't connecting. Because Warthog Rally wasn't exclusive. Warthog Rally is carried by Amazon, but also carried at Target, Walmart, Fred Meyers, and other retailers that sell toys that have a Mega section. This isn't counting the countless smaller E-tailers that specialize in block toys or toys in general. I also know that the upcoming Spring 2022 stuff will likewise be available because everyone will carry them. I'm not stressing about Razorback because, well, everyone will carry it. The 20th set is stressful because you can ONLY get it on Amazon. While it is being scalped, it can ONLY be acquired from a scalper. There is no options here. It's either wait for Amazon, which is no guarantee given Mega and Amazon's history, or buy from a scalper once prices come to an acceptable level. Your point is only valid if I could walk into a Target or Walmart and pick up the set, but I can't.
It doesn't sound irate at all. I thought you had asked sdmacleod for help. He helped me out. A few other folks have gotten help from Canadian collectors.
I did but I couldn't wait and the 30 dollar Mickey came up and I just pulled the trigger. It's one of those "It's not you, it's me" situations. Waiting was making me lose my mind so I just got him all by my lonesome.
