Dear Hasbro
 

Dear Hasbro, could you release the new wave of 25th figs with Alpine, Vipers, and Wild Bill already!!! I'm suffering from delerium tremors from figure buying withdrawal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I second that. I want Vipers!

When did Alpine get thrown in that wave?!?!?!

I wanna see someone do a video for the 25th anniversary line like that one guy did for the director of the movie, where he says "dear Hasbro, Don't F*&k it up".....

Whoops..too late! They already F&*ked it up! LOL!

Word! :D

ender u are right bro .....

I'm guessing he mis-spoke and meant to say Sprit...?

Either way, I have no problem waiting for that wave to show up, since first I'd like Rock n' Roll, Torpedo, and Battle Armor Cobra Commander to show up in my area... :(

Hasbro having a mid-life crisis???
 

Seriously, does Hasbro really know what it's doing? It wants to make a profit. It wants to create enterainment. It also wants to protect it's properties by doing what they think is right. But honestly...

It's been discussed on the JBL (and probably other Joe websites) that the prices will be going up. It's said that the single figures will be going up 25%. The WalMart fans are whining cuz it'll push Joe figures to around $6. Maybe $7. Sure, oil prices are going up which means that it affects not only transportation, but whatever else uses oil in their processes.

I can't help but come to a sense that Hasbro doesn't know what it wants to do. Does it want to create collector-oriented 'things' or do they want to supply the demand for toys? IF the price is going up, then it starts to become a collector's game. It's already been stated that the 25A is geared for Collectors. Be it nostalgiac or not. At the same time, Hasbro is a toy company and they have always tried to cater to the kids. I canj't help but feel that they are at a crossroads.

Hasbro can't figure out what to do with most of their toy properties. You got Star Wars which has MULTIPLE lines and a million other things. Then you have something like Transformers and they've done classic, re-releases, binaltech, etc. Those lines have HUGE fanbases but what about GI Joe? It's a pretty niche market. Hasbro is raising prices but not increasing production to meet demand. Economists have their views but let's face it, is Hasbro creating a DEMAND market they feel they don't need to meet? HOW does that factor into that Hasbro is a toy company???

NOW, we know that Hasbro wants to do a Hall of Heroes. Is it a way to grab more collectors? Is it a STar Wars thang? Are they trying to get figures out there that 'kids' may have missed?

I feel that Hasbro needs to figure out WHY they are in the game. The world is already too money-grubbing as it is. Hasbro should just make toys for the kids, period. Collector-base? That's what different series are for. I don't know, Hasbro has made some weird choices w/ the 25A and I have no idea where it's going.

Cheers.

http://joebattlelines.com/phpBB3/vi....php?f=5&t=5616

http://joebattlelines.com/phpBB3/vi....php?f=5&t=5553

In the end, it all comes down to, what can we do?
Grandma won't stop buying them for her grandkids, and Hasbro will go on thinking that the line is fine.
I have an open line with them, supposedly, with the "ask hasbro" B.S. and we always get the same answer
"Not right now, but who knows what the future may hold".....lame
In another year, the movie will come out....once the movie is done it's run, Hasbro will once again put Joe on the back burner, and we'll have to go back to relying on Ebay and trades to get our Joes.
Hasbro sucks. We hate em.

and they don't care.

I lost my faith in Hasbro long ago. From their total disregard of the collectors who have supported the line since day one, to their generic, meaningless answers to fan-submitted questions. Nothing they do surprises me anymore. Disappoints me, yes, but surprises me, no. Heck, I don't even care enough to get angry anymore. As long as the $$$ are rolling in, why should they give a *#@% ?

Which is mostly true for every company out there.
They are out to make the big bucks, if the cash keeps rolling in, and there isn't a noticable discrepancy then they won't change a thing.

You really think that if they started catering to all the whims and whishes of us "old school" types that they would sell more? I actually highly doubt it.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.
I think this discussion will come up again in oh, 5 years when Gijoe has its 30th anniversary.

we can only wish for the best, but expect the worst (as I always do).

Well here's the thing. When Hasbro first started, did the Has- Brothers get in the game to make a buck or did they want to make toys for kids? Back in 1982 when they released the 3.75" Joes, did they really plan on making HUGE DOLLARS? Haven't Hasbro reps said in the past that between GI Joe and Transformers, it ended up bigger than they ever expected?


Hasbro is raising prices across the board. To me, that starts to sound like they are getting cocky and as Craig has pointed out, Hasbro's out to make money.

I can believe that oil prices are effecting things. But not increasing product and rising prices can only mean a larger profit for them. What sort of strategy is that?

IF Hasbro wanted to make the toys to be accessible to kids, why are they doing such low runs and the distribution spotty?

I can't help but question whether Hasbro has bit off more than it can chew. THey have so many toylines. Look at HTS and check out ALL the brands! It's crazy!




And yet, here I sit still buying these darned things!

Not that I get a lot of 25th stuff, but it irks me that you can't find more than one or two packages of new stuff in the stores (If You're lucky enough to find that!) and on HasbroToyShop.com the stuff goes from "Coming Soon" to "not in Stock" Even if I wanted to collect this stuff, how could I? The only way is through online retailers or eBay scalpers. Hasbro is too busy looking for a new cash cow/windfall line to be bothered with the line that made it famous.

They don't care about collectors or regular consumers. they care about squeezing every penny until it bleeds. They only put out enough product to make sure they sell ALL OF IT and screw the consumers. And they allow the big three to dictate what is offered. I understand the purpose in business it to make money, but they are SOOOO overly cautious about not taking risks they are killing the profits they could make on the collectors side of things! Why don't they offer stuff on HTS a little more liberally?

Mid Life Crisis.
 

I don't think hasbro has known for some time 'what it's doing' the mid life crisis.. if they are suffering from it, had started around 94.
"we're canning the line" I write to them, they explain
"we don't foresee that we will be making or releasing GIJOE at any point in the near future"
3 Years pass, and they are back out. :confused:

I spoke at length to Stormer a while back about Hasbro's poor distribution to the stores. Why can't people get the 25th product. Not that i'm bothered so much anymore, but like Ender says "Even if i wanted to get them, my only hope is ebay scalpers or if i get lucky on HTS" :(

Stormer stated a while back he thought that hasbro might of done this on purpose, to make the line and the product appear more popular than it actually is. In the line being constantly out of stock, it means when they do appear on shelves people are panic buying in bulk usually. I can almost see it happening and it has to be said whatever the reasons hasbro began making figures and releasing them back in the 80s, i'm sure "making money" was definately one of their own targets.

The problem with them is that back in the 80s they didnt have as many lines, Hasbro's focus and end game was the GIJOE line, they had to put everything into it and focus on fan complaints, now they have so much financial power and their hands are in so many pockets (they have more toy lines to manage).. they are disinterested in 'what fans want' they do have that Q & A thing, but i'm with the others on this that it's just a ruse for fans to believe they are listening.

The only thing they've learned is that we don't like neon on our joes.. they haven't gone back to that........... yet. :rolleyes:

See, there's some malfunction with Hasbro. People WANT to give them their money (or the stores, whatever). Put the product out there, they'll buy it. Why they are holding back, it feels like they want to be a Collector's Toy Company like McFartlane Toys. If Hasbro feels that way, that's fine. But they're as bad as Britney Spears when trying to get their act together. Those guys need to look at what their mission statement is and get someone in there who BELIEVES that what they do is for the good. NOT just to make money so the execs can buy another house or island.

Hasbro
 

I'll start buying hasbro stock and we'll take over the company. It's a business Sonny. They don't care about people just the bucks. The greed of a ceo and a board knows no bounds. I think the current line is not geared toward kids. The advertisement for the then Snake Eyes and now Snake Eyes proves it. Try not to let it discourage or weaken the fun you have with the line. Wherever there is steak there is bound to be fat for sure!! I hate Hasbro becuz we demanded the October Guard be made and it wasn't for twenty years. They don't care period!! But don't let it get to you.

I am with Sonny. hasbro has some serious problems...


cool toys -> o-ring for oldies -> :) customers buying -> more $$$ -> more cool toys
new scultp for kids

and if you add some marketing like cartoons, comics, a movie, etc... the process could flow faster...

;)

Dear Hasbro..
 

....thanks for 25+ years of laughter, tears, happiness and frustration........

Here's to another 25!!!! :cool: