Banding together in NZ.
Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2017 11:28 pm
I have brought up the topic before and i have no idea where to start.
So i'll share an email that i got from Hasbro last year when i was trying to track down the exclusive walmart figures, that the Warehouse and other toy companies weren't even aware existed.
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Hello D
Unfortunately we do not always have the final decision in what is released in New Zealand.
The rebels vehicles are old items which we did not bring to NZ.
We are not bringing in the 3.75” figures to Australia or New Zealand due to lack of retailer support i.e. companies like The Warehouse & Farmers need to want to sell the product and if they do not wish to sell them then we are unable to force them.
We are always happy to pass on collector feedback such as yours to the retailers but the final decision is theirs.
New Zealand is a small market and therefore is unable to cater for every wave of figures & vehicles that is released although we do try hard to ensure our collectors are catered for.
We are sorry we are unable to assist further.
Kind Regards
Lynn Sansum | Customer Care Representative | Hasbro New Zealand (A branch of Hasbro Australia) | 221 Albany Highway, Auckland, New Zealand | tel +649 915 5232 | fax +649 915 5212 | lynn.sansum@ap.hasbro.com
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There is an important bit in there "New Zealand is a small market and therefore is unable to cater for every wave of figures & vehicles that is released"
So as collectors we are just "*censored* out of luck" if we want to buy local, but i do remember a couple of years back, the local stores having a cry about tax costs and how Kiwi's weren't buying from them and ordering online.
This could be our ticket to pressure places like the Warehouse into carrying all the released starwars stuff, even Mightyape could import whatever the Warehouse can't get, there are more than enough specialty stores which Hasbro just are ignoring.
I've also given another email this time pointing out how not giving them stock encourages collectors to for the most part ignore them and buy online/overseas to mightyape/warehouse/toyworld
But i am one person trying to tell them the tide is coming in, and they're going to get wet i'd love some backup, some advice, anything!
I can just buy online i've done it this far i only have about 20 items brought from retail stores, and less than that i've paid more than retail price for, most of my thousands of figures collection is bulk less than $10 a figure so the fact our local stores act like idiots while hasbro's poor choices screw them is kind of a moot point.
But i'd like to walk into a store and pickup some figures from the shelf and be like "wow, i'll buy this" because besides last weeks 6 inch reduction to $10 i hadn't bothered doing it.
I also said there is no reason each of these places all need to buy the same stock.
What if each retailer did something different?
The warehouse had 4 inch, Vehicles and 5poa.
toy world did 6 inch, all their vehicles (limited they are) but brought more stock.
and Mightyape picked up the slack, they could get cases of exclusive stuff, like the Captain rex directly from hasbro's website, pickup any stray vehicles hasbro nz doesn't bother to import, and even have collectors tell them when certain 4/6 inch waves are going to be "very popular" like the royal guard wave we still don't have, and they'd pick up a couple of them.
Wouldn't that encourage people to buy locally? would you build some personal interaction with "your store" like we used to if your local Toy world was stocking the entire 6 inch wave you could go and pre order, be in there for every waves release, get to know the service people, Right now i imagine its just getting in the car and traveling to as many places as possible to find your figure and get home, if you don't just buy online.
Maybe i'm crazy i can't find a good deal of collectors who seem worried about this or anything, and i'd rather not have to step up and speak out but i feel like its required.
Disney are going to keep making more films - Hasbro and Co are going to make more figures Hasbro have already kicked Bandai somewhat limiting their releases while keeping their own from us.
Its a matter of what we kiwi's want, do we want to spend money overseas or support local stores? surely we can collect and support our country at the same time if they work with us, but at the same time if they can't be bothered then why should we?
So i'll share an email that i got from Hasbro last year when i was trying to track down the exclusive walmart figures, that the Warehouse and other toy companies weren't even aware existed.
----
Hello D
Unfortunately we do not always have the final decision in what is released in New Zealand.
The rebels vehicles are old items which we did not bring to NZ.
We are not bringing in the 3.75” figures to Australia or New Zealand due to lack of retailer support i.e. companies like The Warehouse & Farmers need to want to sell the product and if they do not wish to sell them then we are unable to force them.
We are always happy to pass on collector feedback such as yours to the retailers but the final decision is theirs.
New Zealand is a small market and therefore is unable to cater for every wave of figures & vehicles that is released although we do try hard to ensure our collectors are catered for.
We are sorry we are unable to assist further.
Kind Regards
Lynn Sansum | Customer Care Representative | Hasbro New Zealand (A branch of Hasbro Australia) | 221 Albany Highway, Auckland, New Zealand | tel +649 915 5232 | fax +649 915 5212 | lynn.sansum@ap.hasbro.com
-----
There is an important bit in there "New Zealand is a small market and therefore is unable to cater for every wave of figures & vehicles that is released"
So as collectors we are just "*censored* out of luck" if we want to buy local, but i do remember a couple of years back, the local stores having a cry about tax costs and how Kiwi's weren't buying from them and ordering online.
This could be our ticket to pressure places like the Warehouse into carrying all the released starwars stuff, even Mightyape could import whatever the Warehouse can't get, there are more than enough specialty stores which Hasbro just are ignoring.
I've also given another email this time pointing out how not giving them stock encourages collectors to for the most part ignore them and buy online/overseas to mightyape/warehouse/toyworld
But i am one person trying to tell them the tide is coming in, and they're going to get wet i'd love some backup, some advice, anything!
I can just buy online i've done it this far i only have about 20 items brought from retail stores, and less than that i've paid more than retail price for, most of my thousands of figures collection is bulk less than $10 a figure so the fact our local stores act like idiots while hasbro's poor choices screw them is kind of a moot point.
But i'd like to walk into a store and pickup some figures from the shelf and be like "wow, i'll buy this" because besides last weeks 6 inch reduction to $10 i hadn't bothered doing it.
I also said there is no reason each of these places all need to buy the same stock.
What if each retailer did something different?
The warehouse had 4 inch, Vehicles and 5poa.
toy world did 6 inch, all their vehicles (limited they are) but brought more stock.
and Mightyape picked up the slack, they could get cases of exclusive stuff, like the Captain rex directly from hasbro's website, pickup any stray vehicles hasbro nz doesn't bother to import, and even have collectors tell them when certain 4/6 inch waves are going to be "very popular" like the royal guard wave we still don't have, and they'd pick up a couple of them.
Wouldn't that encourage people to buy locally? would you build some personal interaction with "your store" like we used to if your local Toy world was stocking the entire 6 inch wave you could go and pre order, be in there for every waves release, get to know the service people, Right now i imagine its just getting in the car and traveling to as many places as possible to find your figure and get home, if you don't just buy online.
Maybe i'm crazy i can't find a good deal of collectors who seem worried about this or anything, and i'd rather not have to step up and speak out but i feel like its required.
Disney are going to keep making more films - Hasbro and Co are going to make more figures Hasbro have already kicked Bandai somewhat limiting their releases while keeping their own from us.
Its a matter of what we kiwi's want, do we want to spend money overseas or support local stores? surely we can collect and support our country at the same time if they work with us, but at the same time if they can't be bothered then why should we?