Changes in 2025 to Transformers Waves / Case Assortments

[@TransformersSlagPodcast]

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[@Saturnlock]

I think this should overall be a benefit. It means those of us on the poorer side will have more time to get the figures we want.

[@ronjie]

👊🏽

[@williammckinley1035]

The only distribution that people have a big problem with is the regular retail...walmart, target, etc. I guess we'll see how all this pans out in the coming year.

[@Mr.GalacticGamer]

I still have legacy evolution stuff at my local Walmart

[@dwbrown9875]

My local Walmart has Legacy Skullgrin on the shelf still, leaving me unable to find things like the Walmart exclusive Star Seekers...

[@MST2312]

A few of the Walmarts in my vicinity have the first line of Legacy figures

[@brandonwoods9930]

I am going to your local walmart lol Mine rarely has main stream transformers

[@kyujee5360]

​@@dwbrown9875Tell me about it. Only last weekend did the supercenter near me finally get a roadpig, lockdown, and two cannonballs, both being scratched to shit

[@danielbyram7595]

Me to

[@robertdickson9319]

I think the bigger issue has always been how retailers order each wave - the first wave of the year was always purchased heavier ("new" packaging!) than the successive waves which led to some successive waves never appearing in a store thanks to the backlog. There needs to be a retailer expectation that a particular wave has a re-order/replenishment cutoff to allow the wave to sell through prior to the successive wave coming in.

[@DefDungeon]

This is an excellent breakdown of the new release calendar and I think it will greatly benefit my retail experience. Thanks Slag!

[@hackslash316]

I just wish they would release Hound by himself. I already have everyone else in the multipack.

[@katiepersons6575]

can't. Have to make room for another 86 Jazz repack.

[@minelanders7034]

I hope they’ll still re-release some other characters that were hard to get like they’ve been doing with Dirge and Ramjet. I still want a new chance to get Prowl and the other seekers.

[@crossover1015]

When they revealed SS Scrapper and Bonecrusher you can see that not only did the package style change but they seemed to be without the scene backdrops. Does this mean they’re moving past those? Just a thought for a future episode for you

[@Zyugo]

I get there could be possible backlash on that change especially, the backdrops and the numbering are essential parts of Studio Series since launch. As for TakaraTomy's releases of the new SS figures, they might just continue the numbering from where the old era left off and treat all SS figures (GE and 86 included) as part of their numbering system. P.S.: I could expect they will put Age of Primes as AP-XX in their coding system.

[@knetge]

I'm up for this will give me better changes to find stuff on the shelf

[@smileformer968]

I have five legacy kickbacks at my Walmart

[@sci-fi.tsunami]

And how man Shrapnels & Bombshells? 0?

[@smileformer968]

@@sci-fi.tsunami and a headless skullgrin

[@JamesQ-l9l]

Think it is a good marketing strategy however you hit the nail on the head about the toy manager at Wal mart if they don’t order another set of figures 😅

[@menageriestudios]

Where I live in USA I hardly see new product as it is I have to order online if I want to make sure I get something. I will have to keep doing that.

[@parapeyton]

Hasbro: Every wave will include completely unique characters and have zero wave fillers Also Hasbro: Is reissuing 86 Jazz

[@Saturnlock]

You didn't pay attention.

[@nordtwentysix]

No your a just a moron ​@@Saturnlock

[@alexanderoamador]

As long as i can find it i won't complain

[@MatthewPhelps-lq6tr]

Im glad they're phasing out core class, i had heck finding the dinobots at Walmart, but scar and swoop were the ONLY dinobots they had, so i had to go online and get them all. Core class was hard for the stores here to get anyway they always get the deluxe and voyagers, but not the cores

[@TomMSTie1138]

I think my local Walmart is one of those Zombie Locations, so I'm worried how this will work. Might have to preorder all the Primes and Aerialbots.

[@elxr9434]

What is a zombie location?

[@sci-fi.tsunami]

@@elxr9434 A location like mine that is DEAD! They never restock. They never have anything new. They are 2-4 months behind the rest of the country. And they absolutely do not like to put anything on clearance. They basically only get 1 or 2 cases & then they forget they have a toy department for months until the next reset. It's a fucking nightmare!!! And online is always SOLD OUT. Thats why Hasbro has to keep reissuing shit.

[@daviddalrymple2284]

@@elxr9434 A Wal-Mart with a lower sales volume. I think that most Wal-Marts are "zombie locations". It's only the privileged few Wal-Marts that consistently get the latest waves in a timely manner.

[@TomMSTie1138]

@@sci-fi.tsunami Yes, exactly. Although we're pretty up-to-date on Studio Series, TF One and any Walmart exclusive stuff, but mainline is a dud. We still have Legacy Evolution figures that haven't moved in months. I work there and could get a 10% discount, but there's nothing I want to buy.

[@Dinowrestler]

Here in Newfoundland we totally miss waves, and parts of waves. Hopefully with an extra month on each wave, slower stores and get orders in to actually get products.

[@Brandon-McFadden.]

My guess is exclusives will kinda fill in the slots between waves, weird that SS wave 2 for 2025 will have 3 Voyagers which hasn't happened since DOTM. Hopefully we get an extra Leader in AOTP since wave 1 has 2.

[@Zyugo]

I think it will be beneficial especially my country's one of those places where finding figures are hard to do, especially in smaller markets. Their new approach of releasing the new stuff could probably benefit, although I'm worried about the prices for SS86 Devastator that will be released across the next fiscal year.

[@Kooster69]

If the 2024 releases have been reduced by 2, then how does this affect retools and repaints? Does this mean that Hasbro will release the TF character that was intended for a new mold right away? Or do we still have to deal with Hasbro’s shell game with a new mold?

[@Cyclownus]

I’m worried how this would work for refreshes for characters people really want next year such as Cosmos, Galaxy Shuttle and SS86 Grimlock since scalpers are charging them 3 times their original price

[@lgww1940]

I really hope this leads to better figure distribution here in the south. Texas has struggled so bad with having literally any figures to show. Still waiting for the later waves of legacy united to hit.

[@taz-b5m]

5:25 My collectability habits? I’m not collectable, there’s only one of me. 😅

[@dialNforNinja]

That makes you more collectible. You're limited edition!

[@shawn4137]

I was seeing Dragstrip from legacy the whole way up to united until recently

[@benconforzi5696]

Well, at the very least this should make things harder on scalpers. Of course scalpers are gonna scalp, no matter what.

[@dialNforNinja]

My main problem is that more more unique products coming out in the year, I'm gonig to miss out on more of them just due to budgeting, and the lack of carry-over for more popular ones mean they'll be even harder to get later, where previously you could pretty much always count on for example "this year's Dumbassotron" to hang around until a gap opened up in the budget and/or they went on sale.

[@Trebleshot]

I'm curious if the deluxe cases will be filled with 8 unique characters (so 1 of each) or if there will be 4 characters and 2 copies per case. Because if it's the latter and only 3 waves per year to me that means fewer overall products and not an increase.

[@nerdycatgoddess]

yea i live in a dead zone all my Walmart's don't like to move to the next wave. target is not as bad but still not the best way better then Walmart though

[@sci-fi.tsunami]

So you live in East Tennessee too? lol

[@ultimateblaze23]

Crasher and Jazz, Galvatron are all getting PR so, we're still getting repeats, we're just getting less figures overall. Sorry this is clearly a cost cutting measure.

[@shawnhamilton8585]

he specifically said Studio Series, not Legacy of the Primes. The Legacies may still have refreshes.

[@xhairstargetmaster6338]

So pre order if your stores suck at getting new stuff in like mine!

[@ericveilleux8539]

Up , less shelf dusted figure. Down, less change to get your fave if you miss it first. For me it is a Pulse shopping gimmick,

[@sonofabrick]

My walmart is one of those zombie locations. Still have yet to see a single star raiders figure on shelves, only Legacy product I see is Legacy wave 4. Everything else is wave 1 earthspark or Transformers one RC helicopters, no studio series figures.

[@Cody-fe5oe]

With this new wave distribution, will the reissue SS86 Grimlock still come or has it been cancelled?

[@bbrigman9382]

I live in "zombie land", but that is OK because I buy mostly online anyway ... save for store exclusives. I wonder how this will effect them?

[@frostangel]

My store still has normal legacy figures

[@sci-fi.tsunami]

Zombie locations like mine don't restock. They will leave the same 2 pegwarmers hanging there all year long. My Walmart had the Bombshell wave 1 time. I don't think they ever got the Shrapnel wave. Bombshell was never restocked. Everybody hogs up the same exact figures & leaves the rest. So we will still have trouble finding certain figures. I personally think this will make the pegwarmer situation even worse. But I could be wrong. We'll just have to wait & see.

[@towzone]

There is no space for core class, the shelf space is protected by Tacticons. Pegs and pegs of Tacticons and one step changers. Pegs and pegs and pegs.

[@towzone]

This is a big deal. Now maybe toys will end up in stores, and takes some pressure off my wallet. But they better refresh core class Snarl who is nowhere.

[@BLACKHORNSVIDEOS]

in other words they are directly helping scalpers

[@asura-astrian9760]

I think you missing the point a little bit, basically they will restock more and have longer gaps between waves more so you have a more chances to get a figure. this is preventing scalpers as they will stock more frequently, or at least Thats what I got from it.

[@BLACKHORNSVIDEOS]

@@asura-astrian9760 no repeats means you can miss figures easier and the whole wave will be scalped not just the rare character not to mention several places dont get all waves

[@sci-fi.tsunami]

@@asura-astrian9760 Zombie locations like mine don't restock. They will leave the same 2 pegwarmers hanging there all year long. Everybody hogs up the same exact figures & leaves the rest. So we will still have trouble finding certain figures.

[@Mavneto_real]

@@sci-fi.tsunami still got nemesis leo prime collecting dust at one of the stores in my city, it's so bad the hooks they have to hang onto the shelfs have fallen off the box

[@BLACKHORNSVIDEOS]

@@Mavneto_real same

[@dwbrown9875]

I don't see how this solves the problem. Does this mean there won't be any short-packed figures like Cosmos? Will figures actually be shipped to stores in all available markets, or are we going to have repeats of the Galaxy Shuttle debacle? I like the idea of each wave actually having unique characters in them, but if they never show up to a store ( in my recent experience, other than the ones above, talking about Beachcomber, Devcon, Axlegreese and so far all the Walmart exclusive Starseekers, save Ferak ) I don't think this will actually address the issue...

[@TransformersGeek14]

Basically they’re going to be on shelves longer, and since they’re on shelves longer they’re going to try to do all unique characters instead of releasing figures that were harder to find/releasing figures to fill up slots.

[@dwbrown9875]

@@TransformersGeek14 The question is, what happens when those figures don't even get shipped to the stores to sit on the shelves longer? Or there's a character that comes, say, 1 in a pack of 8 deluxes that disappears immediately, what then?

[@BS_Profile]

It's awesome to finally see the schedule like that. I have looked it up but never found it. It also kind of explains why Walmart sucks so much. I've still been looking for cannonball. NONE have restocked since the initial release of the star raiders

[@Hurricanelive]

I would like to see them say, they will keep an eye out on stand outs that have earned an end of year reissue, just set some time aside on the manufacture side to slip in 1 or 2 really hot sellers, really scalped or really small distributions. I'd also love to see more restock of unique products instead of a case of 8 where half that case isn't selling. Make an audible mid wave and have the final quarterly restock consist of boxes of just 4 to 8 of those 1 to 2 figures retailers "should" restock. I would like more consistent restock of popular merch which is asking a lot. I wish the Joe branch would decrease waves and kill the failed retro line that stores despise.

[@slicerneons3300]

Still getting package refreshes though. This means one Voyager will be harder to find than the other. Unfortunate. Distribution will always be difficult.

[@kendrickvieraramos]

I guess package refreshes are gone

[@ToaKoran]

I think package refreshes are still happening for characters that had horrible distribution in the past, like Beachcomber and Ultra Magnus. We got Tarn, Cosmos, and now we're getting Galaxy Shuttle and Devcon. Heck, we're even getting Scorponok and Omega Supreme getting refreshed. Figures that were impossibly-difficult to get I'm confident will get refreshes.

[@recklessninja4419]

What is this gonna mean for their reissues? Will they be put in another line?

[@Windcharger84]

Well, I'm screwed. My Walmart still has Legacy wave 1 on shelves, there not even on clearance

[@brandonwoods9930]

I think IT will be Horrible for US who buys the figures... Hasbro pretty much caved to Scalpers in this way while they Cost Cut. I do like that they are bringing back the plastic cases. I get Hasbro is trying to problem solve the Supply shock.

[@brandonwoods9930]

I am also waiting badly for pulse to redo it's outlet in time for Christmas.. because those sets at Target ARE NOT SELLING!!!

[@starscream7755]

Kinda sucks though because if you miss something you're screwed and doomed to resale. I feel like the real issue was the choice in character that they would rerun

[@robertdickson9319]

That & the quantities of particular characters in a wave *cough* Cosmos *cough*.

[@kainthedragoon8081]

For Australia this is horrible because Hasbro never bothers with the final wave. Also it means Australia will never get the likes of Dreadwing and Galaxy Optimus

[@thegotlandisfarmer8774]

I live in a transformer desert no stores on this island in Sweden I live on sells transformers Amazon’s it’s the only way for me to collect so I think it will be no change for me

[@tomlaney2053]

No more repacks then of scalped product

[@asian_wtf]

I'm pretty excited for this, cause i legit just got back from Walmart and saw about 2 Skids's and an Arcee. Just please, get them out of here...

[@StupidGobotFred]

Uh MOST OF THEIR PRODUCT NEVER EVEN MADE IT TO MY LOCAL WALMARTS OR TARGETS.

[@starscream7755]

That's because those stores aren't ordering it

[@MrDEMarq]

Im just glad Hasbro is going back to window 🪟 boxes.