[Sciencefriction]

Wow, reopening a web exclusive preorder? That is pretty awesome.

[Matrixbeast]

Quote:

Originally Posted by uchihabro77

Blade stuff is really popular isnt it?

That's because Japan knows what's up.

Anyway, the only middle man I know is Yokatta. Is there a better option or should I stick with that?

[Thessair]

Whoops. Jumped on one of the Figuarts Cyclones on Mandarake today before I realized it was 'The First' version. Still, it was another motorcycle and was only $20. No big loss, really.

I really should be more careful about these things.

[uchihabro77]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matrixbeast

That's because Japan knows what's up.

Anyway, the only middle man I know is Yokatta. Is there a better option or should I stick with that?

Nippon-Yasan, Ive only used them once, but apperantly their good. http://www.nippon-yasan.com/lang-en/

They might have Blade King back up in the next few days.

[Matrixbeast]

Quote:

Originally Posted by uchihabro77

Nippon-Yasan, Ive only used them once, but apperantly their good. http://www.nippon-yasan.com/lang-en/

They might have Blade King back up in the next few days.

Thanks.

[Dr Kain]

Quote:

Originally Posted by uchihabro77

Blade stuff is really popular isnt it?

WHich is funny because didn't people say they would do Blade last because it is the least favorite series in Japan with the worst toy sales next to Hibiki?

[Matrixbeast]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr Kain

WHich is funny because didn't people say they would do Blade last because it is the least favorite series in Japan with the worst toy sales next to Hibiki?

Apparently Japan realized the error of their ways because the Blade SHFs are selling like crazy

If Blade had such low sales, I am rather curious for why their Figuarts are so popular that both releases have required a second run due to such demand, though.

[uchihabro77]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr Kain

WHich is funny because didn't people say they would do Blade last because it is the least favorite series in Japan with the worst toy sales next to Hibiki?

Technically they, arent the only Heisei Riders left are Hibiki and Kiva now that they have done Blade?

[Den-O]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matrixbeast

Apparently Japan realized the error of their ways because the Blade SHFs are selling like crazy

If Blade had such low sales, I am rather curious for why their Figuarts are so popular that both releases have required a second run due to such demand, though.

They've required another run because Bandai didn't think they'd sell very many of them. That's probably also why they bundled Garren with Rhombus, they didn't think the bike would sell on it's own. Don't be fooled though Blade, followed by Hibiki, have the worst toy sales of any Heisei Rider series. That's most likely why they left them for the end. The Kiva Souchaku's came out at the tail end of the line very very close to when that series originally aired so they gave it a pass for several years. Once they've done Hibiki and Blade they'll swing by Kiva for another pass. Alot of what I have to say after that is speculative but I think it holds up.

Blade was expected to sell at only the average level that retail releases do so they most likely underproduced him purposefully to sell out. Then they could produce more of them based on actual demand and not be stuck with a huge back logged quantity. The same can be said for King Form. TWE's are produced in lower numbers than mass releases anyway to offset the higher costs, so there were definitely going to be less Kings than standard Blade from the get go. I'm sure Bandai didn't think they'd sell the same number of Kings as standards, hence why it became an exclusive.

Now that they know they can sell more Blades after the initial run is sold out they'll probably do this each time to ensure they sell out.

As an example it's like how DC short produced their 3D covers for Villains Month in September. Despite any report to the contrary it was intentional. They underproduced to increase demand artificially, then they produced 2D covers to sell to retailers to fill out their allocated orders. Thus ensuring they sold even more than they initially would have. They sold out of their entire intial stock and then a huge majority of a second wave. When they saw they could create a second run, 3D or 2D, and sell them in mass numbers it was probably a no brainer.

[Baltan II]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Den-O

TWE's are produced in lower numbers than mass releases anyway to offset the higher costs

Huh? Tamashii Web exclusives are made to order, and it's because of their lower production runs that they command higher prices for what they include compared to retail releases, on top of the fact that buying direct means no discounts like the big retailers either. Even if that wasn't true, how would it make sense that a company mitigates the cost of production by making less?

Everything else you wrote though, totally on board and 100% agree. You can count the number of second-run TWEs on one hand (not counting event exclusives), so doing this for King Form is a clear sign that Bandai's ready to milk collectors dry.