how it is to collect outside of us

[dracconian]

i read all these threads on alot of forums where people in the us are unhappy if only of 3 stores got the latest figs and waves of joes within less then a hour to drive.

i just want to share how its like to collect outside of us,maybe that drive under an hour wont feel so bad,i think sometimes its easy to forget what you got.

so i want to share a email i sent to hasbro in europe..they didnt even have a adress to my country sweden i had to email denmark division:


Dear T,



Thank you for your e-mail. I’m afraid GI Joe action figures will not be sold in the near future. Perhaps if a sequel to GI Joe: The rise of Cobra will premiere in theaters we will also be distributing new GI Joe characters. But for now nothing is certain. Please keep an eye on our webpage for updates.



Med venlig hilsen/ Kind regards



Morten S

Customer Service Representative



Fra: - -
Sendt: 4. januar 2011 21:36
Til: HasbroDK, HasbroDK
Emne: gi joe



Hello Hasbro!

My name is T.
Im a collector in sweden that collects g.i joe figures "it was sold under the name actionforce in europe in the 80s ,90s".
i have tried to get my hands on the figures from alot of stores but everyone keeps saying no we wont get any.

Is hasbro actually trying to get any gi joe products towards sweden at all at any time?
Not even the big stores like toys r us or br leksaker is saying there will be any more gi joe after the rise of cobra series ended.

Is my only option to buy from ebay /usa? or will any products reach any toy reseller in sweden? if so who? and when?

Its kind of sad when i see they restock starwars from hasbro all the time.


best regards.



t

[dancontrino]

I think what really bugs us here in the US is how erratically the stores allocate specific items. It sucks to hear that something you want is abundant several states away because that means that if a store sells through an item, the warehouse will most likely restock that store, rather than allocate that item to one that hasn't even gotten it yet. I'm with you all the way on the frustration in seeing Star Wars figures in Sweden and no Joes...it makes no sense, especially when they end up selling last year's waves and items that never made to retail to off price retailers :mad: In terms of getting figures, Draconian, let us know what you need. The Joedios crew is one of the best to trade within :)

[dracconian]

i just dont get how hasbro thinks.
the roc movie was actually a hit in sweden with a wide fanbase of kids from the 80s and 90s actionforce was huge when i was a kid.

i actually pushed the point pretty hard with one of the bigger toy retailers after not accepting no i got the most strange answer but its seemed very honest.

we have sold out all the ROC figures there is no more figures anywhere in the country...so we wont take in more because they dont sell (???)

the answer from hasbro directly is also strange because their logic dictates that it isnt any POC figures out until the movie is in theatre...

i cant argue with that kind of logic it makes my brain hurt.
we both know they have poc figures.

i can still buy figures but it take alot of effort and its random and i buy what i can get not what i want.

i could probably buy drugs just 10 minutes from where i live but i cant buy small action figures.

its just strange...i mean the starwars figures comes in the same crate they could ship gi joe.

i work in a company that uses the same kind of logic so i know that i just means "no we have other plans period."

im not trying to get sympathy trading going here i just needed to vent some frustration i have really been poking asking mailing and calling alot of toy ppl to get somkind of grasp why its like this.

[seyms]

It's pretty much the same thing here in the UK. No new gi joe movie, no new gi joe toys. GI Joe just does not have a large enough market in Europe. GI Joe is so America-centric, and large UK toy store chains aren't likely to sell PoC since it has no media tie-in, like RoC toys had with the movie. Star Wars and Transformers are always more popular in Europe and will sell regardless, since a) they are more science-fiction and b) they are not tied to one specific nation state, as GI Joe usually is.

The irony is that the more international flavour of the RoC concept did the European joe fan a big favour; there would have been no toys without the movie for us.

This is all my humble opinion, by the way.

[SIC DETH]

Im am sad to hear about this for you Euro guys/gals. Im gona look at this on a some what bright side. PoC is a small line, you will have to pay alil more then what you want but there are not alot of figures to collect unless you are army building. Ebay and Joe fan sites are your best bet. Like dancontrino said, there are alot of helpful people on the boards.

[tycondrius23]

I too feel the same way about this as a collector in Ireland it sucks not being able to walk into a store and pick up joes. I used to do this as a kid all the time but I'm guessing becasue of the over priced hikes they put in for the ROC line it killed any chances of getting extra waves. heck even the store neat me only had Wave 1 Figures for months and very rarely saw wave 2 or 3 . the mobile pit was there first week of film launch then gone. same with the alpha vehicles tons of crusher and ise dagger not much of any other vehicle.

plus the price points was terrible .€9.99 per figure thats was like $16 a joe
and around the corner from the joes corps figures €5.99 for 3 figures and a small vehicle.
I mean honestly wich would you of gone for if you were a parent ??

I remember sending a similar email to hasbro once I learned of POC arrival. and getting the same response.

what I'd love to do is ask Hasbro what you need to purchase a crate of Joe figures and vehicles then ask fellow European joedio's to go shares in it and buy it that was then sell left over's and maybe get a lil on the side for a furture purchase. tho . I dunno how the waves are packed so that could lead to trouble.

I must say cudo's to the Fellow Joedio's troopers here for helping us Eurojoe's to get the newer POC figures and waves . tho one thing I must gripe about is since the release of those Canceled wave 3 Ross finds I find it distasfull that us Euro fans have to pay ludacous ebay prices for an item that was 5.99 at retail and then up to $24 for shipping costs. I get the shipping is expensive hence why i'd preffer to get all the ones I want from the same person instead of having to pay out 24.99 per seller for shipping that gets costly !!!

[Agent Viper]

The Walmart near me tends to have nothing but a massive stock of Star Wars for some reason. When they stocked the 25th figures a couple years back they sold out completely without a single problem. Same with the ROC figures and somehow the Corps. Of all figures they keep stocked they have the ones that are selling poorly up on the shelves.


The Walmart I buy my POC's at is a half hour away (which isn't that bad) but everytime I go there they decide that "there's not a single POC figure up here, let's not bother restocking". Even though they still have ROC Storm Shadow and some smaller vehicles

[ToneGunsRevisited]

Being from Brazil is wonderful for pictures. The weather is cool, the nature is beauty, but buy something at eBay and wait 30 days for it to show it is a $HIT. My collection isn't bigger, army bulding is expensive. And I'm sure that my collection would cost half what it did if I was in the US. And I can't remember how it feel go to a toy shop and found your G.I. Joe wanted.

[Reverend Blood]

[QUOTE=ToneGunsRevisited]Being from Brazil is wonderful for pictures. The weather is cool, the nature is beauty, but buy something at eBay and wait 30 days for it to show it is a $HIT. My collection isn't bigger, army bulding is expensive. And I'm sure that my collection would cost half what it did if I was in the US. And I can't remember how it feel go to a toy shop and found your G.I. Joe wanted.[/QUOTE]

At least you guys get those sweet BOPE vehicles in brazil :D

I do seriously feel bad for all of our collectors outside the U.S.
I'll think twice before complaining about having to drive to three targets to find the latest Joe from now on.

[dracconian]

my only source in sweden pricetags are 29 dollars per singlecard figure.
thats not including shipping stuff.

[tycondrius23]

ouch mate were you looking for prices for that . you know you could try amazon.com. if the order is over $25 its free shipping just make sure you order the stuff with free super saver delivary

[QUOTE=dracconian]my only source in sweden pricetags are 29 dollars per singlecard figure.
thats not including shipping stuff.[/QUOTE]

[dracconian]

that is actually a good idea!

where does everyone who are outside us order their gi joes?

we might actually help eachother out.

[lardman]

Interestingly even while ROC was available here in the UK, most of the time it was cheaper to order from the Chinese EBay sellers.

Now that POC is out in the USA, and there are people commenting on how cheap things are getting, it's quite frustrating to see that the US EBay sellers are still asking quite strong money for figures, back to China via EBay I guess! :)

[neapolitan joe]

http://www.hisstank.com/gi-joe-news/gi-joe-renegades-19/hasbro-announces-deal-with-mediaset-for-italian-distribution-of-gi-joe-renegades-10073/

Hasbro has reached a deal with Mediaset to bring Transformers Prime, G.I. Joe Renegades and other Hub programming to Italy. The press release is as follows:

Hasbro Studios and Mediaset, Italy’s Leading Media Group, Reach Deal Covering Animated Series Based on Popular Brands

Mediaset also Designated as Hasbro Exclusive Licensing Agent for Series-Related Merchandise in Italian Market

Hasbro Studios, the Los Angeles-based production and distribution division of Hasbro, Inc., has concluded an overall programming agreement with Mediaset, Italy’s leading media group, to broadcast Transformers Prime, My Little Pony Friendship is Magic, G.I. Joe Renegades, The Adventures of Chuck and Friends and Pound Puppies on its multiple channels, it was announced today.

A significant component of the deal, which launches in the fourth quarter of 2011, will have Mediaset also serving as Hasbro’s exclusive licensing agent for merchandise in the Italian market related to the five flagship programs successfully reinvented, re-imagined and reignited for television. Additionally, the licensing deal will cover Hasbro’s popular Monopoly, Trivial Pursuit and Littlest Pet Shop brands.

Licensing Mediaset has been successfully operating for more than ten years in the Italian market with the most successful and prestigious TV brands.
“Mediaset is Italy’s leading media group and the perfect strategic partner for us in this key territory,” Hasbro Studios President Stephen Davis said. “We look forward to a long and productive relationship.”

[dracconian]

ok i just placed an order from bigbadtoystore for Assault on Cobra Island & Cobra Defense of Cobra Island 7-Packs.

just to see how it works out ordering from usa.

god bless the internet.
:)

[tycondrius23]

I've ordered from them before they're fairly straight up I got both POC wave 3 and 4 [QUOTE=dracconian]ok i just placed an order from bigbadtoystore for Assault on Cobra Island & Cobra Defense of Cobra Island 7-Packs.

just to see how it works out ordering from usa.

god bless the internet.
:)[/QUOTE]

[brianregan09]

Hey tyco mate im from Ireland aswell and i collect MU and GI Joes i emailed hasbro UK before about the same problem and the responce i got was actually not funny they acted as if the waves of MU i was looking for didn't even exist ??? what the hell like i then sent them pictures of the stuff i was looking for and they said no plans for those kind of figures here its bullshit i swear

[tycondrius23]

yup from what I can gather Hasbro EU and Hasbro states seem to be two seperate entities . wich sucks as I had tried to email hasbro.com but if kept redirecting me to the Hasbro EU .

wellcome to the site btw

[QUOTE=brianregan09]Hey tyco mate im from Ireland aswell and i collect MU and GI Joes i emailed hasbro UK before about the same problem and the responce i got was actually not funny they acted as if the waves of MU i was looking for didn't even exist ??? what the hell like i then sent them pictures of the stuff i was looking for and they said no plans for those kind of figures here its bullshit i swear[/QUOTE]

[brianregan09]

Cheers mate i find Scfigenre.com and staractionfigures.co.uk to be very reasonable on price and shipping for most of my orders

[MEXJOE]

[QUOTE=ToneGunsRevisited]Being from Brazil is wonderful for pictures. The weather is cool, the nature is beauty, but buy something at eBay and wait 30 days for it to show it is a $HIT. My collection isn't bigger, army bulding is expensive. And I'm sure that my collection would cost half what it did if I was in the US. And I can't remember how it feel go to a toy shop and found your G.I. Joe wanted.[/QUOTE]
I SHARE THE SAME FELLING MY DEAR LUIS, BEST REGARDS FROM MEXICO!

[EasySimpleStuff]

Well,

I've been doing my joe hunting mostly on the net. Ebay and smalljoes are my usual places to buy figs.

I've had some deals with fellow joedioists and tankers on hisstank, and I thank these people from the bottom of my heart for either giving good deals on figs I've been looking for awhile, or actually going and getting them from the stores themselves.

Finland did carry the Rise of Cobra figs, and I got some of them from local retailer equivalent to Wall-mart.. crazy expencive though, like 11.99 € per figure... thats like what 15-16 dollars.

So basically even if Finland would sell PoC or other G.I. Joe figs, I would still buy from the net... it's cheaper if you order enough at the same time from the same seller... and some ebay stores I use have free shipping on certain figs, so you do the math.

Also, been to New York twice in the past 1, 5 years, so imagine the amount of U.S. priced figs with me when I got back...

Walking to Toys R' Us and seeing the figs on shelves was like childhood all over again :eek: ...My fiancé claimed she saw a tear in my eye...which wasnt far from truth :p ... I just remember seeing myself on the mirror and looking like the Joker :D

[spm]

Hasbro UK's distribution centre is about 5 minutes down the road from me. Their response to UK sales is that there was insufficient retailer interest to bring any of the new product in after the movie line (well, even some of the movie line figures didn't make it to some of the retailers).
I have managed to get a trade address out of them, which can only be written to (they don't have e-mail, apparently...!)
Would any of the UK buyers on here be interested in finding out if we could bulk-buy stuff and split it between us?

[dracconian]

well ordering from the states is my solution to this problem the verdict is still out though.

i think i will actually pay half the price compared to use local middle man.

but the border inspection will slap me with added costs when the package gets here so i dont know what the final price is before i have the bill in hand.

but it sure beats buy-what-i-can-get at random with unknown time periods.

and if hasbro eu dont want my money i will give them to the us instead.

i will try smaljoes also i have a long shopping list and its only makes sense to order alot of figs if im going to do it since it takes time and shipping is high anyway.

i need to complete alot of my collection so i can get my diostory going.

Im wondering is bigbadtoystore ever gets new 25th figs most of the stuff is sold out?

or is sold out forever? no point in waiting?

[HK-47]

Here in my little corner of the world (Honduras) it is very difficult to buy the latest figures since we don´t have a dedicated toy store, the last one closed a more than 5 years ago, we depend on department stores. But the way they operate and the selection they bring leaves much to be desired.

My figures and vehicles collection (G.I. Joe & Star Wars) comes mostly from Internet purchases, the other comes when I or a family member travels to the US.

My favorite sites to buy are: smalljoes, bigbadtoystore and hasbrotoyshop. Entertainment Earth only the exclusives or when there is a sale. I used to buy at Brian's Toys, but it has become to expensive.

Regards,

[EasySimpleStuff]

[QUOTE=HK-47]Here in my little corner of the world (Honduras) it is very difficult to buy the latest figures since we don´t have a dedicated toy store, the last one closed a more than 5 years ago, we depend on department stores. But the way they operate and the selection they bring leaves much to be desired.

My figures and vehicles collection (G.I. Joe & Star Wars) comes mostly from Internet purchases, the other comes when I or a family member travels to the US.

My favorite sites to buy are: smalljoes, bigbadtoystore and hasbrotoyshop. Entertainment Earth only the exclusives or when there is a sale. I used to buy at Brian's Toys, but it has become to expensive.

Regards,[/QUOTE]


Does Hasbrotoyshop ship to Honduras???

I've been looking to buy from them, but they have no info on international shipping (exept Canada) in their website...

So do they ship internationally??

[dracconian]

only shipping info i find at theyr website is:

We are currently shipping to the 50 United States, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, Canada, and APO/FPO addresses. Please note: we cannot ship to a PO Box. Please allow extra shipping time for orders delivered to Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, and APO/FPO addresses.

[pinoyronin]

Here in Thailand, only the ROC line made it to the toy stores in the malls. And more than two years after the movie was shown, the remaining peg warmers were sold at "rock-bottom" prices (247 Baht or $8.5 !!!) from their old retail price of nearly THB 600 (or $20.6!!!). I don't know why they're so expensive here (even the other 1:18 figs are priced the same (Marvel, Star Wars, Iron Man, Indiana Jones, Terminator, etc.). There's a handful of Thais who collect Joes but they also rely on online stores.

This is why I usually buy online from fellow collectors in the US, Malaysia or the Philippines. I haven't tried buying yet from online toy stores (except Marauders which actually sell only 1:18 accessories).

I also make it a point to explore toy stores in countries I go to on business trips. Sometimes I hit pay dirt, like in Toronto, Canada; Singapore (ROCs were on sale there Feb last year); and Jakarta, Indonesia (ROC too). And of course, whenever I go home to the Philippines for a visit.

[HK-47]

[QUOTE=EasySimpleStuff]Does Hasbrotoyshop ship to Honduras???

I've been looking to buy from them, but they have no info on international shipping (exept Canada) in their website...

So do they ship internationally??[/QUOTE]

My brother has a P.O. Box in Miami that we use whe we buy online, but we must pay the shipping costs of the company, which wasn't that bad, but now we must pay national income and custom charges for shipments above US $30.00, so I try to keep muy purchases below that number.

Regards,

[dracconian]

im not to impressed yet.
ordered and paid january 8th and not until i emailed them today do they tell me the things i ordered are out of stock.

[dracconian]

well that sucked,i got a "refund" of store credit but since they are out of stock on almost everything i ordered a bunch of figures i really dont want or need.

so i figured since im going to be bored anyway why not mkae it a delivery race?

so i placed an order at smalljoes for equal amount..i placed the orders the same time,the same expensive delivery service.


smalljoes went from pending to paid to shipped in a few hours,bigbadtoystore almost as fast but it got extra attention from them for screwing up in the first place.

ill let you know who is the winner.

[Rambo]

Here in the corner of South America (Colombia) it is very difficult to buy the latest figures since I only know 2 hobby stores that carry Joes and other toys very poorly. And department stores only carry Star War and Marvel and again very limited and expensive ($25 per figure). RoC was carried and disapeared.

My figures and vehicles (G.I. Joe mostly) comes mostly from Ebay and in the last year from trades with Dan, Claudio and Luis, and some nice 25th figs that Russ sent me.

Making things short, buying Joes in Colombia sucks.

[dracconian]

smalljoes.com won the race!
put in my order: Fri Jan 14 11:52:40 2011 (Central Time)
and i picked it up today,the packing was good despite what i read on hisstank im not a moc collector but checked it anyway.

the package has now traveled over 7000 kilometers probably more.

[temedoro15]

It's pretty much the same in the south east of Mexico, 25th figures came almost 2 year later and just like 10-15 different figures, I guess it was just thanks to the upcoming movie. Then ROC arrived, but there were 2 waves missing. I went to a Sears not so long and they still had neovipers and destro's.

Before holidays I saw a dude with a hasbro shirt on a store, unpacking figures, I asked him about POC figures and he said that hasbro didn't showed anything new from g¡ joe.

Fortunatly, I met a guy on a Convention that has a store figure store ("MECHANICTOYS") on the center of the country (en el DF para los que son de México), he told me that he could make some imports and make deliveries.
[COLOR=YellowGreen]For those mexican collectors here's the e-mail mechanictoys@hotmail.com[/COLOR]

[dracconian]

today my package from bigbadtoystore arrived.
its well packed im not a moc collector but checked it anyway.
it took a few days longer but then again the package was bulkier dont know if thats why.

in conclusion you can order from us without problems i used USPS express so i could track the packade and the delivery didnt take to long..bigbad did snafu and needed a week to realize they had nothing to put in the box but i guess it could happen any webshop.