What makes a figure become a pegwarmer?

[Mar10Sir]

Reading through "A short essay on collecting - the hunter/gatherer" whatever, I came accross people complaining about seing the same figures over and over again and I thought: "What turns a figure into a pegwarmer?"

First thought: "army builders" like Commtech Stormtroopers, POTJ Sandtroopers, Biker Scouts, Gungan Warriors, Mon Calamri Officers and Imperial Officers move around more easily 'cause some collectors buy them in large numbers.

But then again, I've seen plenty of Saga Massiffs w/Geonosians and Endor Rebel Soldiers around. These last ones are quickly becoming more and more common in large quantities around. Is the Endor Soldier becoming a pegwarmer?

Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, on the other hand, is a figure of which you wouldn't buy more than a few (one for a Senate hearing, one for a Jedi Council meeting in his office and one to keep carded) but disappears from the aisles as sonn as it hits 'em.

Then I think: "why do some figures become pegwarmers?". Is it because better sculpted and detailed figures are bought in greater numbers 'cause the're "cool"? Is it because of the case sorting straight from Hasbro? What do you think?

[bigbarada]

Everytime I try to come up with set-in-stone rules for how figures become pegwarmers, along comes a new figure that breaks all the rules and inexplicably clogs the shelves. However, I think it has to do with a combination of one or both of the following elements:

Overproduction
Lack of Demand

Poor sculpting and poor gimmicks don't seem to have an effect, how else can you explain the Lightsaber Firing Flashback Artoo selling equally with Hoth Chewie and actually selling faster than Floppy Hat Luke and Ceremony Leia?

Or how can Arena Padme be selling at all when Bespin Chewie is warming the pegs?

[Prince Xizor]

Around here, it actually seems to be collecters faults. The store will get a shipment of something in (For instance, Palpatine) the collecters will suck them right up, so the manager in charge of ordering, then orders a ****load of them, and nobody else really wants him. It has happened around here with Palpatine, Puhr, Saga Han, Windu, and FB Fett.

And now that they have a sh*tload of toys warming the pegs, they don't order anymore. And that means I CAN'T GET TA ANAKIN!

[Darth Vellner]

Originally posted by Prince Xizor
Around here, it actually seems to be collecters faults. The store will get a shipment of something in (For instance, Palpatine) the collecters will suck them right up, so the manager in charge of ordering, then orders a crapload of them, and nobody else really wants him. It has happened around here with Palpatine, Puhr, Saga Han, Windu, and FB Fett.

And now that they have a sh*tload of toys warming the pegs, they don't order anymore. And that means I CAN'T GET TA ANAKIN!

Its the same here (IN)! Same figures collecting dust. I have tried to but extra (to Customeize), But it did not help....

What makes a Pegwarmer.?
Answer = Because better sculpted and detailed figures are bought in greater numbers! Because of the case sorting straight from Hasbro,Overproduction, Lack of Demand, poor gimmicks! And the collecters fault, The store will get a shipment of something in (For instance, Palpatine) the collecters will suck them right up, so the manager in charge of ordering, then orders a crapload of them, and nobody else really wants him. **Quotes from Mar10Sir,
bigbarada And Prince Xizor***

[Mar10Sir]

Yeah... I guess bigbarada's right. Overproduction of most figures. But then, that means they're underproducing other figures! Or is it the distribution scheme of some D.C.'s (distribution centers).

Here, at least, in places like TRU and WalMart, cases come from their respective D.C.'s already opened. For instance, Djas Puhr and Palpatine come in the same case and we get enough Djas's around but near to zero Palpies. Hmmm...

Still, there's a huge stock of many items just lying around (like the Reek). Then Hasbro complains about losing money! I might be wrong, 'cause maybe they need to put out a run of, say... 100,000 (just to say a number) to break even on their investment, but something regrettable would be that due to losses on the SW line (due to overproduction) Hasbro cancelled the line. That'd be a pity.

[Darth Vellner]

Mar10Sir

Do you need a Palpatine ?? I can get one or two right now for $3.00 each !!

[Mar10Sir]

That so???? Yeah, sure! E-mail me at m_cerame@hotmail.com.

[sith_killer_99]

Some of it is Hasbro's fault. Some of it lies with the stores and collectors.

Hasbro:

It seems that during "Movie Years" Hasbro goes CRAZY with case breakdowns. They put 6 of one figure, 5 of another, and then 1 lonely figure (Say...YODA).

Of course this is going to cause problems. Now you see 6 of the same figure. And for every Yoda sold 6 more of this ONE character show up.

Hasbro would solve a LOT of problems if they went back to doing even case breakdowns. If there are 3 figures in a wave, pack four of each. SIMPLE! If Hasbro produces an "Army Builder" they should ship solid cases. Or at least 2 army builders with 6 of one and half a dozen of the other.

Stores do have a tendency to over order in a "Movie Year" and this leads to stagnate sales. Product dosen't move and nothing new comes in.

Then there's the question of peg space.

Collectors can be fickle. Not ALL Star Wars collectors remain true to the hobby. During movie years they sometimes crawl out of the woodwork, only to disappear a month or two later.

SCALPERS are also a factor. Sometimes SCALPERS overinflate demand. And sometimes they return merchandise and flood the pegs.

In the end it ends up being a complex equation.

[Darth Vellner]

ok

[Mar10Sir]

Yeah, I could be wrong but I think that Hasbro's case breakdown is a gimmick to shove figures down retailers' throats like SK99 just said.

"If you want your one or two of this figure, you MUST buy four of this and four of that. Whatcha' do with the overstock? That's not my prob!"

I say as well as SK does. Do even breakdowns and solid casings of armybuilders AND give retailers the flexibilty of ordering selected casings.