darkSpyro

When Gamestop does things like this http://www.gamestop.com/collec...a-bundle/107755 it makes me angry in a way. Why do they not let these go to stores to be sold?

Exactly. Same with the one that came with gold Chop Chop and gold Drill Sergeant. Pretty stupid seeing as the bundleslike that are always unavailable.

^ Agreed!! Frustrating...! Although it sounds like people have found some snow variants at GameStop this time around (wave 3)!!

If this comes back into stock again, someone notify me please?

It was just in stock for like 5 minutes. I picked one up and when I reloaded the page it was gone! Poof!! I think I got quite lucky on this one! now to just get lucky with the glitter variants and I'll be a happy man!

easy! this way they can throw a bunch of useless characters and accessories together and charge 245.00 for the lot! In the end they win!

Too much $$$$. I would rather buy the $130 wal mart glow warnado packs that comes with all 32 ssa figs.

Looks to me they are beating the scalpers to the punch. I guess they figured if someone is going to get $$$ for them (Scalpers) why not them. I visited a TRU over the weekend (1hr 30 min away) and the manager told me that they are not allowed to sell the flocked ones when/if they get any. They are to send it back to their Head Office. He is not sure what they do with it after that point.

Scalpers are probably the ones that get them and then put everything on ebay and profit off of it.

Could you provide a link to that Wal-mart deal? Searched the site, and can't locate it. Personally I think GITD Warnado is a lot easier (and cheaper) to get then Snow flocked Prism Break.

Quote: Sivadreamer

Could you provide a link to that Wal-mart deal? Searched the site, and can't locate it. Personally I think GITD Warnado is a lot easier (and cheaper) to get then Snow flocked Prism Break.

What are you referring to? This is about Game Stop not Walmart.

Quote: RainMan

What are you referring to? This is about Game Stop not Walmart.

I think he's referring to X-Treme's post about a bundle. I don't think they have that bundle any more. (I don't even recall one with everything in it though.

This is another prime example of Gamestop screwing people out of stuff. If it wasn't for exclusives, I'd never shop there. As one user who worked there stated, they're basically taking the special ones out of the boxes at their distribution center, and sending packages with missing content to their stores. That's not really fair no matter how you look at it.

Yeah, there were bundles back in october containing 32 ssa landers and:

Gitd warnado

Clear wham shell

Any of the gold/silver variants for $110-$140 i dont remember the exact price.

I've gotta be honest, this constant "blink and you miss it" thing with the chase variants has delivered a piledriver to my desire to keep collecting the Giants set. Heck, and I'm almost done.

Right now it just looks like something that increasingly takes up a lot more room than I'd like it to.

Activision does not let retailers sell Skylanders for more than MSRP (manufacturers suggested retail price) (this is very common practice in retail). GameStop knows there is very high demand for a rare figure. The market might be willing to pay $100 for the item but Activision won't allow that.

Instead they make a bundle that requires people to buy a large quantity of items in order to get the rare figure. The price per figure is MSRP, but they got a $245 sale instead of a $20 sale.

I wrote off the chase variants long ago. It just simply isn't feasible to find them. It feels like cheating to go Ebay to "collect" them, you are just throwing money at the problem. Finding them is like a needle in a haystack, when the employees aren't skimming the shipments, the companies themselves are doing it (like Gamestop/Walmart/possibly TRU). You can give up on finding ONE, let alone all three from a Wave, or even the horror of trying to find all for the current game.

They need to up the quantity sent out, or find a way next year to hide the contents of the package so stores cannot do this (and this would not be feasible either). I cannot imagine that Activision or TFB is happy when a store does this. If they wanted a store to have a special figure to sell as a premium, they work out a marketing contract. It completely defeats the purpose of getting the fans to look for them, and the excitement of finding one. Right now, very few make it to the shelves, and immediately get Ebayed - or Gamestop/Walmart packages them in a HUGE bundle. IMHO, at this point they just need to stop making the chase variants, because all they are doing is driving the secondary market and figure mark ups. If they want it to be a real collectible, then it should be realistic to look for one.

Quote: dinoah2005

Looks to me they are beating the scalpers to the punch. I guess they figured if someone is going to get $$$ for them (Scalpers) why not them. I visited a TRU over the weekend (1hr 30 min away) and the manager told me that they are not allowed to sell the flocked ones when/if they get any. They are to send it back to their Head Office. He is not sure what they do with it after that point.

They might as well tell Activision/TFB not to even send them out to their stores then. All that's going to happen is they will get sent back to the main office and then somehow scalped by people there. At least that's what I'm guessing would happen to them.

I feel that the best way for Activision to distribute the variants would be to do them as a give-away via the on-line game. When you register the figure, it puts you in a random drawing for the limited edition version of it. This would assure that those who play the game get access to the figures.

Good idea. I never saw one variant!

Quote: UncleBob

I feel that the best way for Activision to distribute the variants would be to do them as a give-away via the on-line game. When you register the figure, it puts you in a random drawing for the limited edition version of it. This would assure that those who play the game get access to the figures.

^ Not everyone plays the online game... Personally, I sit at a computer all day at work and the last thing i wanna do is sit at a computer even more when i get home!! I haven't even registered any of my figures online because I simply don't play games on my computer... playing the console and 3DS versions are enough for me!! They could definitely use some revision with how the chase variants are handled because right now it only benefits the middle-man/scalper which can't be what they were going for...!!

They did it right with Frito Lay and the Flocked Stump Smash. It was relatively easy to get one just by calling the 800 number daily. It said I won so many times it was ridiculous but they limited one per household. I know it was only for the U.S. but if they made that available for other countries as well it would be an even keel to get one and it would also be realistic. Heck I even bought the mixed packs of the Frito Lay chips just to get the Skylanders Sidekicks. Do something like that and it would eliminate store employees getting their hands on the first and would drive down the scalpers as well. Granted there would still be scalping but it wouldn't be as prevalent.

The answer could be as simple as non see through packaging. I am sure they tinkered with this idea in a think tank. Variants would be discoverable upon opening.

Now I know collectors who keep stuff in the package would poo-poo this idea, because you could never have an official sealed variant. I mean seriously 1-100 chance of getting a Variant stays at 1-100 rather than employees and now companies pilfering the pot and making it a 1-1000000 shot.

Of course kids buy with their eyes and seeing the figures is far better, but if you are going to have variants, you can't just put them on the shelves with the regulars.... thats as dumb as putting them in Happy-meals! = (fat kids, happy meal distribution would be awesome though.)

^This made me LOL

Quote: Spyroguye

The answer could be as simple as non see through packaging. I am sure they tinkered with this idea in a think tank. Variants would be discoverable upon opening.

Now I know collectors who keep stuff in the package would poo-poo this idea, because you could never have an official sealed variant. I mean seriously 1-100 chance of getting a Variant stays at 1-100 rather than employees and now companies pilfering the pot and making it a 1-1000000 shot.

Of course kids buy with there eyes and seeing the figures is far better, but if you are going to have variants, you can't just put them on the shelves with the regulars.... thats as dumb as putting them in Happy-meals! = (fat kids, happy meal distribution would be awesome though.)

This would not work this time around for the non see thru package. As most of the new figures show up as "Special" in game. So really if Gamestop or anyone wanted to they could go thru all of them and place them on a portal and see which ones are special.


As for the Frito Lay promos. I agree this is a better way to do it, however I have one issue with it. If I was someone who got a double of the sidekicks, just to see that they had extras to go to Gamestop I would be a little upset at that. Now, I have to go and spend 30 bucks to get the one(s) I need. Something of a website to place your order and then select the one you will get maybe a way around this.

Easiest thing for them to do would be to release more of the variants. That way more people can get them. Something around 1 per 5 or 1 per 10 boxes. Heck, even boxes full of them. (Not as much as say..Red Drilly or GITD Sonic Boom though)

It would greatly decrease the value of them sure...but then that means there's more for fans and just average kids playing the game.

Suprised they listed the glitters for $9.99 but they put the snowy PB in a bundle for the $250! I thought they would make a listing for the glitters in over-priced bundles too. Once I saw the the glitters in-stock a few days ago, I hoped Activision got mad at them for making the bundles in the first place (Probally to hopeful, right?) and made them list the chase variants online for retail price. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy they listed the glitters in the first place but really hoped they would also sell other chase variants along with the glitters for $9.99. And again, thank you GameStop for listing them in the first place or I would have 0 chase variants.
Sorry for the long and possibly confusing post!

Quote: Bazinga

This would not work this time around for the non see thru package. As most of the new figures show up as "Special" in game. So really if Gamestop or anyone wanted to they could go thru all of them and place them on a portal and see which ones are special.

All true, great point. But you missed the true problem EMPLOYEES skimming before CUSTOMERS can buy them. But whats better.... visible so people can skim them with NO EFFORT, or not visible so someone would have to take the time to check each one... If the demo portal doesn't show "special" most people couldn't check... and If you brought your ds/ipad and portal to Walmart and checked every one in the store, you probably deserve a variant if you find one, but you would have checked each package with YOUR eyes instead in 1/100th the time... Not fool proof but deterring skimming. Less stores would have a fanatical manager or employee checking, like the Target guy who got 2 Stump Smashes on here, because of the time/work commitment. But I'm sure there would be a few of them. And if you think companies have time for warehouse workers to check each one on a portal before shipping them out, you don't understand companies priorities. Of course GameStop is shady and they would probably do this anyway at the store level, the other 5 Major Retailers would get "Better."

So I guess you could have a sealed variant If you checked before opening on a portal when you get home though...

Who are we kidding, they don't listen to us about our opinions anyway ;P

Maybe a reward system like others have said to get "reward" points to cash in for variants. Or a lottery with a code to check for redemption of the variant... Again incentive to opening. There goal is to sell more, wouldn't you buy more if you needed a few more points to get a Flocked Swarm(or any)?

Quote: UncleBob

I feel that the best way for Activision to distribute the variants would be to do them as a give-away via the on-line game. When you register the figure, it puts you in a random drawing for the limited edition version of it. This would assure that those who play the game get access to the figures.

That would kind of screw the people out there that can't load the game. I have tried multiple times since SSA and since Giants came out to get that game to come up and it always times out. I have tried everything Activision has told people with that issue to do and no dice. I know there are lots out there with that problem after looking online.

Quote: Spyroguye

Quote: Bazinga

This would not work this time around for the non see thru package. As most of the new figures show up as "Special" in game. So really if Gamestop or anyone wanted to they could go thru all of them and place them on a portal and see which ones are special.

All true, great point. But you missed the true problem EMPLOYEES skimming before CUSTOMERS can buy them. But whats better.... visible so people can skim them with NO EFFORT, or not visible so someone would have to take the time to check each one... If the demo portal doesn't show "special" most people couldn't check... and If you brought your ds/ipad and portal to Walmart and checked every one in the store, you probably deserve a variant if you find one, but you would have checked each package with YOUR eyes instead in 1/100th the time... Not fool proof but deterring skimming. Less stores would have a fanatical manager or employee checking, like the Target guy who got 2 Stump Smashes on here. But I'm sure there would be a few of them. And if you think companies have time for warehouse workers to check each one before shipping them out, you don't understand companies priorities. Of course GameStop is shady and they would probably do this anyway at the store level, the other 5 Major Retailers would get "Better."

So I guess you could have a sealed variant If you checked before opening on a portal when you get home though...

Who are we kidding, they don't listen to us about our opinions anyway ;P

Maybe a reward system like others have said to get "reward" points to cash in for variants. Or a lottery with a code to check for redemption of the variant... Again incentive to opening. There goal is to sell more, wouldn't you buy more if you needed a few more points to get a Flocked Swarm(or any)?

I get what you are saying. I think the best answer to this is...... we don't have a best answer. Their will always be ways around it.

^ Get what I'm saying... WE NEED A BETTER ANSWER. Because what they are doing sucks like a DYSON!

One other thing I wouldn't like about the not being able to see. If it has a defect like painting that wouldn't make it collectible I would hate to open that when I got home.

Because you would rather keep it boxed?

Or you don't like defects?

If you don't like it, they have return policies... If you do like them, I bet activision hates them. Manufacturing variation is a sign of bad product/quality control. If they had it their way it would be eliminated.

Theoretically no one would have a sealed defect. But you and anyone else with an open one would have an open one that just as collectable.

It's not about advantages and disadvantages, to activision it's about sales.

It really depends. I have seen a swarm with his right arm pointed down. (I think that is the one that is supposed to be pointed up.) I would like to keep that boxed. Now, if it has a bad paint job, I would want to return it.

In the end, each way has it's advantages and some have disadvantages.