What do you think about Hasbro doing exclusives?

[Mandalorian Candidat]

Tycho, I've seen plenty of Targets with the starship. But even if TRU had been the only stocker of that item I wouldn't have called it an exclusive or been too freaked out to find one. That original $100 price tag really made it unreasonable to just go out and by, IMO.

I really dislike the idea of exclusives, but we have gotten new items. However, what makes them so distasteful is that the costs are generally inflated and the quality of the items aren't that great. $40 for a B-Wing with a Rebel Pilot "clone" and no cool features, i.e., electronics or projectiles. If they continue to cost this much w/o good extras then I'll just refuse to buy them.

Why can't they just produce a smaller amount of good ships and send them out to the retailers, instead of producing millions of Slave 1s which will just sit forever?

[mark2d2]

I honestly think that exclusives DO give us toys that otherwise would never see the light of day. For Example: THE TIE BOMBER. (Hands down, my favorite ship yet produced.) And I know that this is my only hope for the Sandcrawler.

It's just something you have to live with. Besides, scalping would always just happen anyway. There's just no way around it, I guess. Look at all the hubbub over Count Dooku.

[DarthBrandon]

Exclusive suck for various reasons mentioned in alot of the last posts, they are no good for people who do not live in the area of Target , Fao, and K and B. They have to realize that the market is worldwide, not just in these areas, cause alot of us are no where near these stores. This will def promote scalping and all sorts of bad things in the collecting community. I do not agree with this system, but how are we supposed to stop it. I say petition like EP and Dryanta suggested in one of our forums.

[stillakid]

How's this for a solution (that'll never see the light of day).

Hasbro "claims" that they have to offer exclusives in order to make some of the ships (why this doesn't apply to all of the ships is the biggest incongruity of the entire argument).

Anyway, assuming that this policy won't change, if Hasbro offers an exclusive deal to a retailer, then they can continue to "claim" that this is the only way that that particular item could have been offered. BUT they should also offer it at the official site for slightly more $. Doesn't seem fair, right? Right.

But assuming that they continue to lie about the reasons for offering exclusives, they won't change that. Having the items available at the fanclub does two things:

First, it being a slightly higher price than retail, keeps the retailer from feeling like there is any real competition for the item and keeps them happy. Plus, the added shipping costs more than seal this argument. It is ironclad and Hasbro nor a retailer could successfully find a way to argue around it.

Second, it gives consumers without access to the retailers a fair chance to PURCHASE merchandise (isn't that what a corporation is for in the first place , to SELL stuff to get money?). So anyone not within spitting range of a TRU, Target, KB, KMart, Walmart, or FAO (what, aren't they like 5 of these left anymore anyway?) could successful continue their collection, albeit at a higher cost, but at least they could avoid ebay, scalper shops, or not getting the item at all.

[billfremore]

I'd have to agree with Stillakid, I think if the items in question were available to everyone at a decent retail price then we'd be much happier and less grumpy about exclusives.

Let the fan club have every single exclusive.

I voted no in the poll above but I don't necessarily hate exclusives.

All we want is a chance to buy these things at normal non-inflated prices.

[Vortex]

I'm impartial to exclusives. Doesn't both me much, I have all the big retailers within striking distance, and around here, the stuff doesn't move that fast, and it always goes on discount shortly after it hits. The only exception was the skiff...that I never seen it at target. The 12" luke, and biker scout just sat on the shelves around here for ages, and its same with all the exclusives.

Plus I'm not overly hot on a re-painted, re-tooled, ship or figure. They just make you shell out a little more. Like the snow speeder, when it was 1st released it was what 15 bucks, less when it was on clearance? Now with the old buff luke pilot, and a generic fig labeled as dak, and some deco paint on it they want 30 for it...

But to me it doesn't matter, hasbro is just squeezing us for a few more bucks. I could take it or leave it.

[the last jedi]

Well I will tell you, I dont like exclusives. Its cool if they were exclusive but as we have seen in the past oh o look who else has it! And Fao is way out of my price range. I love collecting and also buying some for toys for my kids. I have been collecting since 1985 It used to be fun. now it has become a fight to get the piece. So in short 2nd hand dealers and scalpers are bad for exclusive's and bad on the wallet WOW. So remember when you buy from those guys you hurt all of us collectors.

[Dryanta]

Hey all,
I voted no.For the same reasons most of you voted no.
I have finished two petitions.They are ina new thread in The Saga forums,
Hasbro and GL petitions thread.Go check them out and see if we can swamp them both.
Thanks alot for this poll Tycho.It really needed to be done.Going to support thre petitions?

[WesleySr]

OK EVERYONE, HERE I GO AND IT IS REAL SIMPLE. I HOPE THE RETAILERS OF THE EXCLUSIVES ARE READING THIS. FIRST OF ALL, THE ONLINE STORES NEED TO CARRY THESE AND SHIP TO ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. WAL-MART, TARGET, FAO, TOYS R US, ETC. THIS MEANS YOU!!!! CARRY MORE OF EACH EXCLUSIVE PRODUCT FOR ONLINE DISTRIBUTION SO THAT YOU DONT SELL OUT IN AN HOUR AFTER YOU LIST IT. AND WHAT ABOUT PRE-ORDERING??? HOW ABOUT 10% NON-REFUNDABLE DOWN??? THAT WAY NOONE CAN CANCEL THEIR ORDER WITH A PRICE. START ABOUT 2 TO 3 MONTHS BEFORE THE PRODUCT IS READY TO BE MADE THAT WAY IT GIVES EVERYONE A CHANCE TO GET IT AND YOU KNOW HOW MANY TO ORDER FROM HASBRO. OFFER THE PRE-ORDERS IN-STORE AND ONLINE. THIS WILL SERIOUSLY HINDER SCALPERING. ALSO, LIMIT ONLINE ORDERS TO 2 OF EACH VEHICLE PER ADDRESS. THAT WILL ALSO HINDER SCALPERING AND GIVE THOSE COLLECTOR'S WHO BUY 2 OF EACH ITEM (1 TO KEEP AND 1 TO DISPLAY) A CHANCE TO GET 2 OF EACH. IS THIS REALLY THAT HARD TO FIGURE OUT??? PLEASE LET THE EXECUTIVES FROM THESE COMPANIES READ THIS. LIKE I SAID IT IS A REAL SIMPLE SOLUTION. ISN'T IT???

[fanboy]

I have to vote no on this. I just want to finally let my "voice" be heard; If its a TRU or a fan club exclusive is one thing, but when they become a Walmart, Target, and KB exclusive...they might as well not exist!! I don't have a Walmart or Target near me so I wind up paying scalper prices! As for KB, those stores are such a mess and full of old destroyed packages, it would be a wonder if they carry anything new at all.