A lot of people are starting to find Transformers toys on shelves, and some are running into big headaches - namely, stores telling them that the toys aren't for sale, because they were put out early. Yes, like those terrible Spider-Man 3 figures, Hasbro had a specific put-out date that stores were expected to follow.
Anyway, some stores are already selling the movie toys. Target, having clearanced out all its existing TF product, had a huge empty hole on the shelf to fill, and did it with movie toys. Other stores, you notice, are still packed with Classics and even Cybertron stuff.
So word came down from "a reliable anonymous source" that Hasbro was lifting the street date, and anyone could sell the toys. Ah, not so! Turns out the anonymous source wasn't so reliable: Hasbro told the stores that had already put the movie stuff out that they didn't have to pull it off the shelves, but they told the stores who were waiting that they still had to wait until June 2.
If you want movie toys, don't try to argue with the store clerks about how you heard the embargo had been lifted. Don't take print-outs from transfans.com or tfw2005.com - just take your ass home and wait until the weekend. Or go shop at Target, and go home happy.
And for more on this topic, check out our newest Point of Articulation column, The Word on the Street (Dates)...
--yo
And now, some more OAFEry:
What's up with Transformers movie product
A lot of people are starting to find Transformers toys on shelves, and some are running into big headaches - namely, stores telling them that the toys aren't for sale, because they were put out early. Yes, like those terrible Spider-Man 3 figures, Hasbro had a specific put-out date that stores were expected to follow.
Anyway, some stores are already selling the movie toys. Target, having clearanced out all its existing TF product, had a huge empty hole on the shelf to fill, and did it with movie toys. Other stores, you notice, are still packed with Classics and even Cybertron stuff.
So word came down from "a reliable anonymous source" that Hasbro was lifting the street date, and anyone could sell the toys. Ah, not so! Turns out the anonymous source wasn't so reliable: Hasbro told the stores that had already put the movie stuff out that they didn't have to pull it off the shelves, but they told the stores who were waiting that they still had to wait until June 2.
If you want movie toys, don't try to argue with the store clerks about how you heard the embargo had been lifted. Don't take print-outs from transfans.com or tfw2005.com - just take your ass home and wait until the weekend. Or go shop at Target, and go home happy.
And for more on this topic, check out our newest Point of Articulation column, The Word on the Street (Dates)...
--yo
And now, some more OAFEry: