This actually happened last night, but I was a bit wiped after my all day work travels, and frankly a little browbeat over the rampant assaulting of the Collectors’ Club. But it’s news, so here goes!
The G.I. Joe Collectors’ Club has officially announced that all attendee and non-attendee 3 3/4″ Oktober Guard Convention Packages are sold out. This has, of course, caused somewhat of a frenzy from collectors who are disappointed that they didn’t get a chance to get their hands on these sets. While that disappointment is certainly justified, I will say that it can be difficult to judge numbers and just because everyone thinks a set is a sure fire home run, that doesn’t necessarily guarantee a quick sell out. It’s easy to play armchair Toy Collector Quarterback with someone else’s checkbook, but it can be something totally different to take a risk, ramp up production, and increase the possibility of taking a bath on the sets.
I know it’s popular to say that Pre-Orders are the way to go, but I think there are simply too many moving pieces and the Club is too small an operation to be able to handle that responsibly.
Of course, if you really want to attend the Convention, you can still order the 12″ Adventure Team Heavy Weapons set, which actually looks pretty awesome as well, and that will get you admittance to the Convention and allow you to do everything you want to do.
Congratulations to you folks who got them, a bummer for folks who missed out, and I’m looking forward to seeing what else is in the works down in New Orleans!
For all the latest information on the G.I. Joe Convention, keep your browser pointed to GIJoeCon.com!
Sigh.
Yet another thing to add to the list of things I’ll never be able to get. I’ve already seen some of these pre-sell for $600 on E-Bay so that’s just so crazy for a freakin toy and completely out of range for most people.
I know its crazy to complain because without the Club these things wouldnt even exist, but I find myself cursing them more than praising them. They dangle a lot of things in peoples faces that only the wealthy or lucky can actually get and its rather annoying. And yes, I noted the conflict and irony of my statement at the start of this paragraph.
Not sure why they always offer so few sets, they ever had a problem selling whatever they do make? Not that I know of.
Of course, that seems to be the theme of the year. Retaliation prices are high due to limited stock and those $6 Dollar General figs are probably gonna cost me triple that to get.
That is probably the number one thing I would criticize Hasbro on, they are releasing a lot of product through other avenues that are causing a lot of fans to shell out big bucks to get, yet hasbro itself is not recieving any of that extra income, thereby shooting themselves in the foot. They would be better off offering those Dollar General figs in their online store for $10 and everyone can order and they actually get all the money.
When hasbro toy shop opened this is what i thought they were doing, but sadly I was wrong. I agree, putting those Dollar store figs, at the very least in the hands of other online retailers would go along way to making us happy.
While I of course agree, it would make me a lot happier, I’m not even talking about making collectors happy (a virtually impossible task considering our vast range of wants and don’t wants) but just what makes sense as far as selling their product. I’m sure there are valid reasons why Dollar General has these figures but it sure isn’t an ideal way to sell them as we have to go out of our way to find them. Right now I can list over three dozen friends that want these badly, two have gotten them. That’s it. That’s a lot of wasted sales. I just hope there is soe major product coming before the wave 2 repaints come.
Getting back to topic, why doesn’t the club offer a second printing so to say. Let everyone order (and pay) for how ever many sets they want now that the initial ones have sold, and then keep it open for few months and you get your set early next year or something. Is that really so hard a process to make it cost prohibitive? Between when we finally had seen all the figures and could make up our minds if we even wanted the set to when it was for sale (for three hours) was not much time. I for one, given the opportunity would buy two sets. That’s $800 just from one guy they are getting nothing from right now. How can that not be a win win situation?
The problem with saying “Armchair Toy Quarterback” is that the only sets that have sold hot like this are the ones that a lot, lot, LOT of people have asked for. Not many in the US asked for or wanted a red shadows set, but tons and tons have told the club again and again that they wanted PP and Oktober Guard sets, and THOSE are the sets that get shorted. The club keeps missing these obvious money making opportunities because it seems like they only listen enough to get themselves in trouble. A perfect example was the Python Patrol Stinger from last year… They didn’t make that many, because they weren’t sure how many people would want them. How Many? How about every GI Joe Collector that owns a PP A.S.P. and needs something to tow it with?
But the sets didn’t get “shorted”. The Club raised their production numbers from years previous in anticipation, they just didn’t raise them enough, apparently.
Actually, there was quite a bit of “Make Red Shadows”-talk in the late 2000’s at the Con.
I would have liked the set, those oktober gaurds are among some of the best club produced figs, but I tend not to get to worked up about these kinds of things, especially for things that are high priced.
That sucks, I really wanted the 2011 set & the 2012 set would have been nice to get.
I kind of wish I didn’t get the 2010 set & saved that $$ to get the 2011/2012 sets
Justin are you sure the attending sets are sold out? It only says non attending are sold out on the Con Page.
Yes. If you try and register, it does not let you buy the attending set and states that both sets are sold out for 3 3/4″.
So, normally I wouldn’t add fuel to the fire, but did anyone see the ad on YoJoe today from Guru-Planet. I don’t know whether this was Club licensing this to them or just Guru-Planet buying a bunch for resale, but either way, I think it’s pretty incredibly lame. I don’t know how many they had before their “Last One” that I saw shortly before posting this, but man alive that kinda blows.
http://store.guru-planet.com/gicoex.html
I was planning on buying a set, and only at the last minute decided not to, and then saw the sell-out, which I took well since I had decided not to buy. BUT – the only reason I didn’t buy is because of the upfront cost and last minute reveals which made it difficult to save up for. I dunno. The club would do well to re-release this set…the demand is obviously there, and given enough warning, I would definitely save up for one. But honestly, I’d need at least three month. As for the re-sellers…they can suck it.