I Now Know Why The Cobra Viper Is Warming The Pegs

[lldjslim]

I think the reason why the Cobra Viper is warming the pegs is because the scalpers bought up all the Cobra Vipers by the boat load and put them on e-bay to sell them for a marked up price. Thats what the Scalper was thinking.

 

Because, scalpers know that collectors love army builders. But it all back fired on the scalper.

 

You see, the Viper has a flaw, a flaw that most collectors don't like. You all know what I mean, those Funky Wrist. So while back in wave 3 (2008) Hasbro shipped 2 Cobra Vipers per case and then the Viper made another return in wave 4 (2008) as a filler but instead of the 25th anni logo on the card it had from the cartoon series on the card. So most collectors probably only picked up 2 or 6 Cobra Vipers at the most.

 

The scalpers were thinking in there minds that army builders sell well and when nobody was bidding on there auctions of Cobra Vipers on e-bay at an inflated price because Cobra Viper was starting to warm the shelves at the stores so it was a easy find for the collector to find. So then Mr. Scalper tried to sell Cobra Viper in a Cobra Viper lot which also didn't work.

 

So what does the Scalper do in a sitution like this. Well like most scalpers they don't throw away their reciepts. So when they found out that the Viper wasn't selling for the high demanding prices they wanted they just simply returned thier dozens of Cobra Vipers back to their local brick-and-mortar stores.

 

So thats why there are so many Cobra Vipers warming the shelves right now in your local Wal-Marts, Targets, and K-Marts its because of the scalpers couldn't sell them on e-bay for a high price so they just returned them to the stores.

 

Come on now were talking Vipers, one of a collectors favorite troops to army build just like the BATS.

 

Yeah I don't think its price either because, I have 10 BATs, and I love the BATs and the Viper but stopped at 6 Vipers because I don't like the wrist but kept increasing my number of BATs because I don't see any flaws in this figure unless you hate paint wash.

 

And when Viper was realeased, Wal-Mart had increased the price to $6.84 which is now there current price.

 

If Hasbro would have designed the Viper wrist better it would fly off the shelves like the BAT does now and then we would have a hard time finding Vipers like we do w/ the BATs now.

 

So thats why I think the Viper is still warming pegs around here because of the design flaw that collectors don't like and returns from I'm not going to assume there "scalpers" but I will just say customers who are into the hobby and didn't want to army build the Viper because of the flaw in the wrist.

 

Heck, even those crooks over at Brianstoys w/ there skyhigh prices now sells the Viper for $9.99. I bet you if the Viper didn't have the wrist flaw and collectors were army building the Viper then Brianstoys will probably be selling the Viper for $19.99 and be listed as out of stock.

 

You see the flaw in the wrist really hurts the Viper alot in terms of army

building him.

[Stevy Maximus]

Actually, I think shipping him 2x per case across 2 waves and several revisions probably has a LOT more to do with his relatively plentiful supply. The wrists may not be perfect, but I see figures with more glaring flaws (Zartan's sea sickness, Major Bludd's non-articulated arm, the numerous figures with DUKE ARMS) sell just as well.

 

And for the record, while he was plentiful during the summer, I've seen the local supply of Vipers dry up in the last few weeks.

[BrotherShane]

Actually, I think shipping him 2x per case across 2 waves and several revisions probably has a LOT more to do with his relatively plentiful supply. The wrists may not be perfect, but I see figures with more glaring flaws (Zartan's sea sickness, Major Bludd's non-articulated arm, the numerous figures with DUKE ARMS) sell just as well.

 

And for the record, while he was plentiful during the summer, I've seen the local supply of Vipers dry up in the last few weeks.

 

 

I haven't seen the Vipers recently, but for a while they were plentiful.

[RobbieDigital]

I think it has more to do with the fact that the Viper for the most part was easily found. Scalpers go for stuff that is rare or the dreaded 1 per case ratio. They were all over the place.........which meant that everyone was getting them. Collector wise that is........Scalpers feed on the collector that just "HAS TO HAVE" a certain figure.

[Blackmada]

They can't be selling that bad.

 

I have not seen a Viper for the last month and a half. I actually want some more too. Hasbroshop cancelled my preorder for two of them yesterday so they must sold out and gotten too many preorders to fill.

[gojira77]

Man, I'm not too proud to want a Viper, either. If only I could find one-- yes, Distribution is a harsh mistress!

[lldjslim]

well if you want some Vipers just hit me up w/ a PM because the Wal-Marts around here just have so many Vipers warming their pegs tso bad that they are now starting to fall on the floor.

[Crimson Twins]

I would consider this a blessing. The only Joe figures I've seen around here lately have been leftover Dukes with jetpack. NO Cobra army builders have been easy to find here. If the scalpers are scooping them up here, then they either founud their market, or are keeping them for themselves because they sure aren't returning them.

 

As for the wrists, I don't find them unappealing at all. I actually have found them quite practical for action poses. Everyone bashes the Viper figure for being this flawed monstrosity, but I find it to be one of my favorite figures. I have mine set up on my desk at work, and I think everyone that has come in my office has picked him up and played with him. He really can be a fun figure. I think we've all gotten caught up as collectors and what a 'collector's edition' of a figure should be like, that we forget these figures are for fun, too. Give the Viper a break, and try to have some fun with your toys.

[CLAM]

i am going to say you are right on the money man. The wrists and elbows ruined this figure. Hell, I only bought ONE to keep MOC... and I was dying for them to make one.

 

But it sucked.

 

So yeah, if it were good, they would have sold a lot more.

 

Hasbro just needs to put somebody who knows a good figure in their boardroom when they make these decisions.

[hamsterboy]

I've seen more Wild Bills, Hawks and HISS Drivers warming the pegs than I've seen Vipers. Although they are pretty close.

[Crimson Twins]

I think it's got more to do with distribution and location than anything else. I think they've finally started making enough of these, and like it was mentioned above, this particular figure was packed two per case in two different waves. I really think a figure's wrist sculpt is low on the list of things that keep a figure from selling. Otherwise, there would be duke-armed Flint's warming pegs if we were to apply this form of reasoning to other figures. Gimpy handed Destros, and closed fisted Shipwrecks and Flints would abound the shelves. But they don't. Not because they didn't have their flaws, but because they haven't made nearly as many of them as they have the Vipers. A simple sculpting flaw doesn't make a figure a peg warmer.

[Oceanangel]

Actually I'd love one but being in the UK my only options appear to be evilbays high prices, if anyone would be willing to send one other, you'd make this chick very happy.