Shrinking Retailer Support!

[Admiral Arex]

Here's some unfortunate news from an Asylum Inmate concerning retailer support for all upcoming Trek items:

 

STAR TREK CLASSIC ACTION FIGURE, STARSHIP AND ROLEPLAY AVAILABILITY

as of 7/8/2003:

Gamestop

Musicland = Sam Goody, Suncoast, Media Play,

On Cue

Action Figure Xpress

Various comic shops - call Comic Book Shop Locator - 888-comicbook

or csls.diamondcomics.com

New Force

 

TRU, TARGET, and W-Mart [and KB] are not on board for Classic Star Trek

product but will carry other AA products

 

 

 

Not good. All I can say is, we'd better support every Trek toy AA puts out so we can see more. I came across a question in my other topic as to why AA decides to release only 3 or 4 from each series, citing the Nemesis line. Actually, retailers were leary from the beginning, and wouldn't support larger lines.

 

So don't let Trek toys die! We got a whole campaign going at the AA.com boards if you want more info. These are great toys, people. We waited three years for new Trek toys, and I'd hate to have to wait even more. Small lines stemmed from lack of retailer support, and a lack of retailer support stemmed from a lack of consumer support. If you've never bought an AA Trek figure, I suggest you pick one up (they can usually be found on clearance). And don't limit yourself to your favorite show! Enterprise may have some way to go before it becomes a fan favorite, but the figures are top notch. And if you like what you buy, contact a major retailer like TRU or Target, and ask that they return Trek to their stores. Believe me, when you're rolling in toys thanks to renewed interest, you'll be glad you did.

[Jeff]

I agree. We need to support this line or before to long there wont be any line to support.

[hamsterboy]

To be honest,I think the blame should be put on Playmates for the way they handled the last line. Now,the major chains are going to be wary about carrying anything Star Trek. Just wanted to throw that in,is all.

[Bats]

Actually I don't think Playmates had anything to do with this. I would say the blame would have to be shared between AA and Paramount. Obviously when AA started out with the lisence they had retailer support on board. It was the decision to start out with figures based on a new series hardly anyone had ever heard of that hurt them right off the bat. I am sure this was decided more by Paramount who wanted to have their new series promoted but a line of toys based on it to start things off was very dumb. Also clogging the shelves right off with things that never sell well like role-play toys and large items like deluxe playsets that had the exact same figures that were already sitting on the shelves was another dumb idea. I consider this a bad decision on AA's part. Then came Nemesis toys which they could have done well with if they had marketed them more as just TNG toys. Because the movie bombed they again found themselves with a sleeper line. Again I blame Paramount for making such a bad movie in such a critical period of Trek's life. However I blame AA for only making parts of the crew. I think more people would have been into both the Nemesis and Enterprise figures if they thought they were going to get complete crews. Everyone knew right off the bat that Picard and Data were the only TNG crew members that would be made and I think that turned alot of people off. If they had done the complete crew and maybe the Enterprise E instead of borg figures and role play crap I think Nemeisis would have done alot better regardless of the movie tanking. AA should have started small with Enterprise just doing the basic crew and a few aliens and the NX and then built up support moving to the more popular and well known TNG, making the entire crew and the Enterprise E then moving to the even bigger and very popular Classic Trek, and even with classic Trek I think AA would have been better to do the Enterprise A and the classic crew in their II-VI movie uniforms instead of the TV ones that Playmates had already done. Making a line collectors have been wanting and that Playmates missed the boat on would have been a good move not to mention it would have fit in better with the Enterprise A. As the line built support with consumers and retailers then they could have branched out and tried to do deluxe sets or role play toys, and once they had give the collectors the foundation crew members for each line then they could have branched off into variants like away-team figures or Assimulation figures.

 

Now all they have are a buch of unfinished lines clogging the shelves, its know wonder the retailers wont pick up any more of these toys, and its a shame because the figures are quit nice and the Classic Trek stuff I think will be very popular.

 

AA should consider doing something like Mattel did. Offer the Classic Yellow shirt kirk or something like that as a mail-away. If you send in so many proofs of purchase and a dated recipt for Trek toys you bought in the store in the last month you can get a cool figure. This would entice people to try and clear the retail shelves of the peg warmer stuff thats already out there and then AA could see if they can get one of the major retailers like TRU or Target back on baord, to give The Classic series a try and see how it does. Basically get the crap out of there and then try staring over with the good stuff. If it starts to sell well at one retailer then the other would likely to come back on board to.

[Admiral Arex]

Obviously when AA started out with the lisence they had retailer support on board.

Actually...no. Not as many retailers would carry AA's figures, as they did Playmates' figures. So HamsterBoy is right when he says Playmates had a lot to do with the current state of Trek toys.

 

It was the decision to start out with figures based on a new series hardly anyone had ever heard of that hurt them right off the bat. I am sure this was decided more by Paramount who wanted to have their new series promoted but a line of toys based on it to start things off was very dumb.

True. But yea, it was Paramount's decision.

 

However I blame AA for only making parts of the crew. I think more people would have been into both the Nemesis and Enterprise figures if they thought they were going to get complete crews. Everyone knew right off the bat that Picard and Data were the only TNG crew members that would be made and I think that turned alot of people off.

Well this is partly AA's fault, but most of it still has to do with retailers. Retailers didn't want large waves of figures (large enough to get entire crews in one wave), so the crews were broken up. Right now, Trip in his SF uniform is available from New Force, and Hoshi and Phlox will follow. As for Nemesis, the retailers were VERY cautious about movie figures. Remember Playmates' Insurrection line? That's why the Nemesis series had only four figures, and not the originally planned amount of six. AA wanted to make the rest of the crews, but lack of retailer support limited them, and lack of consumer support stopped them dead in their tracks.

 

AA should consider doing something like Mattel did. Offer the Classic Yellow shirt kirk or something like that as a mail-away. If you send in so many proofs of purchase and a dated recipt for Trek toys you bought in the store in the last month you can get a cool figure. This would entice people to try and clear the retail shelves of the peg warmer stuff thats already out there and then AA could see if they can get one of the major retailers like TRU or Target back on baord, to give The Classic series a try and see how it does. Basically get the crap out of there and then try staring over with the good stuff. If it starts to sell well at one retailer then the other would likely to come back on board to.

Expect something like that to be done with the little plastic coins.

[meshadowfax]

I agree with you Bats - The Enterprise series was only shown at 10 pm on Sundays and then moved to 11 pm here. Without a prime time series so kids can watch it the toys aren't going to due well. There are so many entriprise and Nemisis figures still on shelves and not selling even at big discounts (less than $3 some places) retailers are not going to order anything Star Trek.

[Riker]

Yea this is rediculous that TRU and Targets won't be getting the TOS figures!!! All the Trek fans must do something about this!!! I mean come-on look it all the crap that you see in TRU there is room for Trek stuff!!!

[Admiral Arex]

Here's a link to a news story at Trek Today about this topic, and our customer-run movement to get it back in stores:

 

http://www.trektoday.com/news/220703_01.shtml

[Riker]

Thanks for the Info Admiral

[Prince Adam]

Do you think if there is enough demand for series one and it does well, that other retailers will carry series two?

[Admiral Arex]

Do you think if there is enough demand for series one and it does well, that other retailers will carry series two?

 

Well the good news is that even though fewer stores are carrying TOS than were carrying ENT/Nemesis, TOS is selling really well. New Force sold out of series one, TOS toys are the best-selling Trek toys at Amazon and at kbtoys.com, and they've been flying off the shelves overseas. Someone had even placed a hold on an entire set at my local GameStop. So as of now, I'd say that series two looks pretty good. And if these few retailers that are selling the toys continue to do well, then retailer support might grow once again. And according to the Trek Today article, KB is taking letters from collectors very seriously. If series one does well, my guess is that KB will be the first retailer to pick up the line again for series two.

 

Keep your fingers crossed!

[Dan Grylls]

The lack of TRU and Wal-Mart support, and the unlikeliness of my specific comic shop to be ordering in cases of Trek merchandise, mean that my only possible avenue may end up being online, which is disappointing.

[Scott]

Try AFX.

[The_Seanestro]

I've noticed that up here in Edmonton that the Star Trek lines from AA sell rather well actually. We've got about 3 TRU's in the city where you can pick up the Star Trek figures (Nemesis, Enterprise 1st & 2nd series) and they aren't clogging the pegs that badly. Actually ... they were down to 1 Malcolm Reed & 1 Travis Mayweather at all 3 stores for the longest time ... then the Nemesis figures and Enterprise Away Team came in and they've slowly but surely started to whittle down. I find this pretty promising for the Star Trek figures overall ... but still .. it doesn't change the fact that Toys R Us doesn't get new stock in here all that regularly.