Limited edition, lucky draw...why use them?

Knightdramon · Post by **Knightdramon** » Sat May 28, 2005 6:32 pm

It's been some days since I thought of this. Basically, the idea spring after seeing galleries of ghost starscream and black fire convoy at fantofan.jp.

Why are they producing such things in limited quantities? To my knowledge, lucky draw prizes are given for free. Yet they only make so few of them. Wouldn't it be more profitable for them to release black fire convoy or green unicron [for example] as mass released items?

In other words, what's the profit in releasing such sought-after items in such limited qualities, since on the secondary market [e-bay etc] they'll go for insane prices?

Anybody care to share a few thoughts?

Alpha Trion · Post by **Alpha Trion** » Sat May 28, 2005 7:12 pm

Lucky Draw prizes serve as incentive for people to buy other products. For example, the second edition of the Transformers: Generations book had an entry form for the Lucky Draw Primus contest, which could be enough for some people with the first edition to justify buying the new one.

Cyclone_X · Post by **Cyclone_X** » Sun May 29, 2005 3:52 pm

compare it with a contest for sports: only the best get a medal and a price, for TFs its the one who's picked out of a lot that gets a special TF

off course there are people that take advantage of this and sell for big money, but you cant blame the toy companies, as they get nothing from that money

and it wouldn't be a special TF if everyone would get one

Knightdramon · Post by **Knightdramon** » Sun May 29, 2005 4:03 pm

I agree with your points, but it is still pointless in my opinion. Most of the times those items go to Japanese people [can't blame takara for that] and the only way for americans or europeans to get a hold on them is to pay insane amounts of money.

Same goes for botcon exclusives. Transmetal Tigatron, Shockaract...the list goes on. Those toys are available [mostly] to Americans only. I can't understand the notion. Many europeans would like to own such toys without having to spent 50 $ and more.

Nevermore · Post by **Nevermore** » Sun May 29, 2005 4:54 pm

Well, for that reason, exclusives usually are "only" repaints, not entirely new molds.

Cyclone_X · Post by **Cyclone_X** » Sun May 29, 2005 5:38 pm

for convention exclusives it is only logical that those are only available at the convention where it is held, and we dont have such things in europe, they tried it once in the UK (european botcon, or was it european OTFCC?)

Nevermore · Post by **Nevermore** » Sun May 29, 2005 5:52 pm

Originally posted by Cyclone_X
for convention exclusives it is only logical that those are only available at the convention where it is held, and we dont have such things in europe, they tried it once in the UK (european botcon, or was it european OTFCC?)

Both. They had two cons, actually.

http://www.transformertoys.co.uk/conven ... urope_1999
http://www.transformertoys.co.uk/conven ... urope_2002

Post by **Denyer** » Sun May 29, 2005 8:58 pm

Originally posted by Cyclone_X
and it wouldn't be a special TF if everyone would get one

What's the point of having "specials" if the effect is simply to piss off a lot of customers and potential customers?

Knightdramon · Post by **Knightdramon** » Mon May 30, 2005 3:55 pm

Originally posted by Denyer
What's the point of having "specials" if the effect is simply to piss off a lot of customers and potential customers?

Exactly my point. If there's such a demand for the repaint or remould, why not mass release it?

Furthermore...have you noticed that everybody likes those repaints, yet everybody whines about half the energon line being full of repaints?

DrEvil · Post by **DrEvil** » Mon May 30, 2005 4:01 pm

What they should do is test the lucky draw, limited edition repaints to see if they are liked. Yeah give them away to someone whose lucky but if they like it and fans like it, mass produce it. Instead we get a bunch of crap repaints that are just crap to look at.

But it will never happen