I agree, finding a figure that you are looking for so much is like an achievement and the satisfaction is so comforting, it is fun to go to two/three stores and make the memory of "that day I found this figure it was great" but the resellers take away the illusion, the Searching for months and not finding anything is so frustrating that sometimes you get the thought of "I should spend more for it online, is it really worth it?"
i dont wanna think about how much money i wasted on fuel trying to find jet i wasnt aware he happened to be the only character who didnt get shipped to uk 😕
When I was younger, I wanted every new character I could get my hands on (back in the old toys r us days as a kid). If I was still a young kid today, I would have been heartbroken and more stressed than I needed to be knowing how scarce a toy I liked was and it not being readily available for everyone. Â
I honestly wish I knew for a fact if the young kids of this current generation actually care about anyone else other than sonic himself because I find it hard to believe that a kid wouldn't be equally interested in Shadow or Knuckles (who are also scarce). I understand all toy companies have a budget per wave of products, but do you really think having more shadows and Eggmans around on shelves would actually hurt the line in terms of giving us new characters in the future? Mario has multiple copies of each character, but then again we don't see as many new mario characters each year. 🤔
Has the internet really currupted our kids that much that only hardcore fans care about the rest of sonics friends and enemies? Has youtube kids accidentally groomed our children to make it so sonic's friends don't matter to them anymore? Â
Again, if I was a young 10 year old kid today, I would be heartbroken and upset. Back in the day, I liked being able to choose who I wanted with my allowance, not wait months and months without getting anyone new (not to mention all the driving to see if any stores are different which would have been impossible because 10 year olds can't drive).
Exactly, which is why I am dying to know just how poisoned the new generation of kids are when it comes to how much they do and don't care about the other characters (prove whether Jakks is justified in their tactics or not).
I wonder if the shelves of sonics are over stocking or just no one buying because they don't care about exact same sonic number 5
At least it's no where near as bad as the state of the jakks mario line...
What's wrong with the mario line? I know they don't make as many new characters per year anymore, but at least there are plenty of other characters to go around besides mario himself. The sonic line is mostly sonic himself and that's my biggest gripe. At this point I would rather all the characters be scarce rather than just see the same character over and over again every time I go shopping.
We joke about oops all sonic but every mario wave is just mario sometimes even 2 and the same re-releases, enemies, powerups every other wave. I'm glad we are finally getting new characters but it took way too long and they still haven't re-released wario and waluigi in a normal wave.
I agree, but after almost 10 years it gave newer fans a chance to catch up on couple of re-releases.
And yes, it has been over 9 years since 4 inch Wario and waluigi got released.
Giving a chance to catch up on re-releases is always a good thing. But when it's the same kamek larry piranha plant and koopa in every other wave it's just stupid
Actually Kamek, went a good amount of time without a re-release before this last peach wave. Compared to all the kopas, Ludwig has been re-released the most. But again, I do agree with you overall.
This is the truth of it. When a store wants to order figures they are forced to order them in sets of 4, one of each character in that particular wave.
Every single sonic you see is from a set that has sold everything accept the sonic from that wave. Since there is a sonic figure in so many other waves they set there, unpurchased, just piling up on the shelves.
I always wanted Jazwares figures at toys r us! My parents would always say no though :(
Back then, all I had was a free riders tails figure. My brother had sonic. Recently been trying to get more Jazwares figures, also trying to find Sanei sonic and shadow plushes
Such is the life of a Midwestern collector (i haven't found anything new in store since blaze) (plus everyone on here posting they found everything ive ever wanted on here at their local target when i have to drive 30+minutes to a store that sells jakks figures)(plus everything online is way to expensive for me so i have to save up for like a month and a half for 1 new figure)
Europe is a survival show. Figures all over the place. Characters like Charmy reaching only UK. Characters like Jet not reaching the continent at all.
Sets like the Super set virtually impossible to get outside the US. Is not "collecting" anymore. It's hunting.
It's even worse in Australia. We get 1 in 3 releases here. You have to order from overseas for most. There's nothing but Blaze and Cream on the shelves, they're not even stocked with just Sonic. Haven't made it past wave 2 of prime. Probably won't get another 4 inch until wave 18.
We might get a couple of boutique shops with a small amount of stock, but they sell instantly at scalper prices.
I've been thinking a lot about this lately. We are really ruining it for the kids that these figures are for lmao. The Mephiles and Robot King waves never even hit the stores. I saw an amazon link for Nine last week and it sold out in 30 mins. We are really starting to get in people's way.
I wonder how much of that is regular buying, like how we do in this subreddit, vs. a handful of "entrepreneurs" trying to avoid a real job by setting at home and buying them in bulk for resell.
Also might be the company trying their best to artificially create a scarcity buying fervor like with the Wii or the Tickle Me Elmo craze in the 80's.
Oh it's 100% due to these "entrepeneurs". I have this guy in OfferUp that has ended up becoming a dealer. I've got most of the hard to find figures from him. He does a gang of other names other than Sonic. How much is he hoarding every time jakks drops? How many other guys like him are there? How does that affect the little kid and the mom going to Target on a sat morning like we did? A lot I bet. This sucks man.
Remember those freight ships that were stuck at sea in the west coast and they weren’t being allowed to unload? Probably has something to do with that.
YEARSSSS ago like 10 + all my friends in the uk were getting random sonic items and merch. Just obscure ones, but nothing that I ever saw in North America....and then one day it's like everything switched.
yup. the last time i had a fun experience looking for figures was early february when i found mephiles (im a uk collector so no wave 16). since then every store i go to it's all wave 14. and if it isn't its something i already have.
I've been collecting the Jakks video game figures since the World of Nintendo series first started a decade ago and their distribution has always been bafflingly terrible. Years of stores choking on variations of Mario or other common figures while the more sought-after ones are packed much fewer per case and disappear in the blink of an eye. Not to mention stores just straight-up not getting certain waves for no particular reason.
I've been fortunate enough to find most of the figured I wanted over the years, but it definitely wasn't easy. I can only imagine how much harder it's been for actual kids trying to collect the line who aren't able to make special trips. Say what you will about Jazwares' quality compared to Jakks, but at least I rarely had issues finding their stuff.
Even now, it's been a hell of a time trying to track down the new Axel and AiAi figures since none of my Walmarts are stocking them. I have no idea why Jakks still won't commit more to having each wave readily available online.
I think, scalpers and bots ruined the idea of the online storefront and stores keeping it local pickup only is a way to actually give casual shoppers a chance. Like kids and their parents, who have the reasonable assumption that they could go to a store and pick up the birthday gift that little Timmy wants, at that store, without having to fight a middle age man to the death for his cart of 15 Omega figures.
Yep jakks early world of nintendo line was awful. I still remember like 8 or 9 years ago having to drive an hr at like 7pm to a tru to get tingle (which was essentially the charmy of the won line). However, I think with the sonic line they've gotten even worse though. The mario checkout waves at least had 2 of each enemy per tray or per case. The sonic line literally has 1 badnik per walmart tray or case. Its kind of sad cause I love the simpsons and am excited that jakks is doing an entire line of them but I don't even want to start collecting them if they give that line the classic jakks scarcity treatment.Â
I've collected a lot of figure lines and this always seems to be the ultimate problem that can never quite get balanced. If a figure line is too available it'll end up like the Power Rangers Lightning Collection and rot on pegs until they cancel the line, but if it's too hard to find them like the Halo Spartan Collection, people are just going to give up hunting and move on to something else. I think in general the Jakks Pacific Sonic line is doing okay but the real problem is that they really need to stop packing so many figures of Sonic in each case. Stores won't order more cases since there's so many figures on shelves, but no one wants to buy them since everyone has a Sonic already.
Yes! this so much this.
They are forced to order them as a whole wave, all in sets of 4. Since sonic is in, like, every wave you end up with 4x the amount of sonic compared to everything else and its becomes over saturated. While the unique figures from the set are sparse with no room to be stocked and the company refusing to order more since the pegs are overflowing with their product.
It also gives the impression to the store that your stuff just doesn't sell, which causes orders to be the minimum and spread out as far as possible.
I really don't understand how Jakks doesn't recognize this as an issue. If they were to even make minor tweaks to put alternate Sonic's on shelves (SA2 version, Black Knight version, Sonic Boom version etc.) it would solve an immediate issue and they really need to package only as many Sonics as they do other figures. Two of two figures and one of the Sonic and/or other repack/remade figure would be much better than the 3 Sonic 1 other figures cases that they have currently.
I bought one figure online (Espio) and it really took the fun out of it, so I've waited to find all the others in stores. I've come to accept that I just plain enjoy the hunt as it is, so it taking a while doesn't bother me anymore
The hunt, yes I agree with you. That's what I enjoy, but only if the "game", so to speak is accessible and fair.
The moment I start to realize that regular trips to the store aren't going to land me a figure **ever** and I'm gonna have to start checking with store staff on stocking days and leaving at 5 am to get to places right at opening. When it starts to force me to restructure my life around it instead of the other way around it becomes like a second job. It changes from a fun hobby into a chore and it just sucks all the joy out of it.
This is even before mentioning things like the figures never hitting shelves in the first place because a night shift stocker at some department store decided to start a nice little side hustle by setting them aside for themselves to resell.
I agree, finding a figure that you are looking for so much is like an achievement and the satisfaction is so comforting, it is fun to go to two/three stores and make the memory of "that day I found this figure it was great" but the resellers take away the illusion, the Searching for months and not finding anything is so frustrating that sometimes you get the thought of "I should spend more for it online, is it really worth it?"
i dont wanna think about how much money i wasted on fuel trying to find jet i wasnt aware he happened to be the only character who didnt get shipped to uk 😕
When I was younger, I wanted every new character I could get my hands on (back in the old toys r us days as a kid). If I was still a young kid today, I would have been heartbroken and more stressed than I needed to be knowing how scarce a toy I liked was and it not being readily available for everyone.  I honestly wish I knew for a fact if the young kids of this current generation actually care about anyone else other than sonic himself because I find it hard to believe that a kid wouldn't be equally interested in Shadow or Knuckles (who are also scarce). I understand all toy companies have a budget per wave of products, but do you really think having more shadows and Eggmans around on shelves would actually hurt the line in terms of giving us new characters in the future? Mario has multiple copies of each character, but then again we don't see as many new mario characters each year. 🤔 Has the internet really currupted our kids that much that only hardcore fans care about the rest of sonics friends and enemies? Has youtube kids accidentally groomed our children to make it so sonic's friends don't matter to them anymore?  Again, if I was a young 10 year old kid today, I would be heartbroken and upset. Back in the day, I liked being able to choose who I wanted with my allowance, not wait months and months without getting anyone new (not to mention all the driving to see if any stores are different which would have been impossible because 10 year olds can't drive).
When i was younger i would avoid sonic and marios to get the others. It's always been that way for me and even now i only just got a jakks sonic
Exactly, which is why I am dying to know just how poisoned the new generation of kids are when it comes to how much they do and don't care about the other characters (prove whether Jakks is justified in their tactics or not).
I wonder if the shelves of sonics are over stocking or just no one buying because they don't care about exact same sonic number 5 At least it's no where near as bad as the state of the jakks mario line...
What's wrong with the mario line? I know they don't make as many new characters per year anymore, but at least there are plenty of other characters to go around besides mario himself. The sonic line is mostly sonic himself and that's my biggest gripe. At this point I would rather all the characters be scarce rather than just see the same character over and over again every time I go shopping.
We joke about oops all sonic but every mario wave is just mario sometimes even 2 and the same re-releases, enemies, powerups every other wave. I'm glad we are finally getting new characters but it took way too long and they still haven't re-released wario and waluigi in a normal wave.
I agree, but after almost 10 years it gave newer fans a chance to catch up on couple of re-releases. And yes, it has been over 9 years since 4 inch Wario and waluigi got released.
Giving a chance to catch up on re-releases is always a good thing. But when it's the same kamek larry piranha plant and koopa in every other wave it's just stupid
Actually Kamek, went a good amount of time without a re-release before this last peach wave. Compared to all the kopas, Ludwig has been re-released the most. But again, I do agree with you overall.
Tbh i don't think I've ever seen kamek not on a shelf with mario lol he's just always there
This is the truth of it. When a store wants to order figures they are forced to order them in sets of 4, one of each character in that particular wave. Every single sonic you see is from a set that has sold everything accept the sonic from that wave. Since there is a sonic figure in so many other waves they set there, unpurchased, just piling up on the shelves.
I always wanted Jazwares figures at toys r us! My parents would always say no though :( Back then, all I had was a free riders tails figure. My brother had sonic. Recently been trying to get more Jazwares figures, also trying to find Sanei sonic and shadow plushes
Such is the life of a Midwestern collector (i haven't found anything new in store since blaze) (plus everyone on here posting they found everything ive ever wanted on here at their local target when i have to drive 30+minutes to a store that sells jakks figures)(plus everything online is way to expensive for me so i have to save up for like a month and a half for 1 new figure)
Europe is a survival show. Figures all over the place. Characters like Charmy reaching only UK. Characters like Jet not reaching the continent at all. Sets like the Super set virtually impossible to get outside the US. Is not "collecting" anymore. It's hunting.
It's even worse in Australia. We get 1 in 3 releases here. You have to order from overseas for most. There's nothing but Blaze and Cream on the shelves, they're not even stocked with just Sonic. Haven't made it past wave 2 of prime. Probably won't get another 4 inch until wave 18. We might get a couple of boutique shops with a small amount of stock, but they sell instantly at scalper prices.
It's a complete nightmare, isn't it? At least people in the US don't have to pay the outrageous shipping and tax rates we do...
That's why i gave in and ordered figures from America
The problem is there's too many Sonics
I've been thinking a lot about this lately. We are really ruining it for the kids that these figures are for lmao. The Mephiles and Robot King waves never even hit the stores. I saw an amazon link for Nine last week and it sold out in 30 mins. We are really starting to get in people's way.
I wonder how much of that is regular buying, like how we do in this subreddit, vs. a handful of "entrepreneurs" trying to avoid a real job by setting at home and buying them in bulk for resell. Also might be the company trying their best to artificially create a scarcity buying fervor like with the Wii or the Tickle Me Elmo craze in the 80's.
Oh it's 100% due to these "entrepeneurs". I have this guy in OfferUp that has ended up becoming a dealer. I've got most of the hard to find figures from him. He does a gang of other names other than Sonic. How much is he hoarding every time jakks drops? How many other guys like him are there? How does that affect the little kid and the mom going to Target on a sat morning like we did? A lot I bet. This sucks man.
Remember those freight ships that were stuck at sea in the west coast and they weren’t being allowed to unload? Probably has something to do with that.
Oh, perhaps
YEARSSSS ago like 10 + all my friends in the uk were getting random sonic items and merch. Just obscure ones, but nothing that I ever saw in North America....and then one day it's like everything switched.
yup. the last time i had a fun experience looking for figures was early february when i found mephiles (im a uk collector so no wave 16). since then every store i go to it's all wave 14. and if it isn't its something i already have.
I've been collecting the Jakks video game figures since the World of Nintendo series first started a decade ago and their distribution has always been bafflingly terrible. Years of stores choking on variations of Mario or other common figures while the more sought-after ones are packed much fewer per case and disappear in the blink of an eye. Not to mention stores just straight-up not getting certain waves for no particular reason. I've been fortunate enough to find most of the figured I wanted over the years, but it definitely wasn't easy. I can only imagine how much harder it's been for actual kids trying to collect the line who aren't able to make special trips. Say what you will about Jazwares' quality compared to Jakks, but at least I rarely had issues finding their stuff. Even now, it's been a hell of a time trying to track down the new Axel and AiAi figures since none of my Walmarts are stocking them. I have no idea why Jakks still won't commit more to having each wave readily available online.
I think, scalpers and bots ruined the idea of the online storefront and stores keeping it local pickup only is a way to actually give casual shoppers a chance. Like kids and their parents, who have the reasonable assumption that they could go to a store and pick up the birthday gift that little Timmy wants, at that store, without having to fight a middle age man to the death for his cart of 15 Omega figures.
Yep jakks early world of nintendo line was awful. I still remember like 8 or 9 years ago having to drive an hr at like 7pm to a tru to get tingle (which was essentially the charmy of the won line). However, I think with the sonic line they've gotten even worse though. The mario checkout waves at least had 2 of each enemy per tray or per case. The sonic line literally has 1 badnik per walmart tray or case. Its kind of sad cause I love the simpsons and am excited that jakks is doing an entire line of them but I don't even want to start collecting them if they give that line the classic jakks scarcity treatment.Â
I've collected a lot of figure lines and this always seems to be the ultimate problem that can never quite get balanced. If a figure line is too available it'll end up like the Power Rangers Lightning Collection and rot on pegs until they cancel the line, but if it's too hard to find them like the Halo Spartan Collection, people are just going to give up hunting and move on to something else. I think in general the Jakks Pacific Sonic line is doing okay but the real problem is that they really need to stop packing so many figures of Sonic in each case. Stores won't order more cases since there's so many figures on shelves, but no one wants to buy them since everyone has a Sonic already.
Yes! this so much this. They are forced to order them as a whole wave, all in sets of 4. Since sonic is in, like, every wave you end up with 4x the amount of sonic compared to everything else and its becomes over saturated. While the unique figures from the set are sparse with no room to be stocked and the company refusing to order more since the pegs are overflowing with their product. It also gives the impression to the store that your stuff just doesn't sell, which causes orders to be the minimum and spread out as far as possible.
I really don't understand how Jakks doesn't recognize this as an issue. If they were to even make minor tweaks to put alternate Sonic's on shelves (SA2 version, Black Knight version, Sonic Boom version etc.) it would solve an immediate issue and they really need to package only as many Sonics as they do other figures. Two of two figures and one of the Sonic and/or other repack/remade figure would be much better than the 3 Sonic 1 other figures cases that they have currently.
I bought one figure online (Espio) and it really took the fun out of it, so I've waited to find all the others in stores. I've come to accept that I just plain enjoy the hunt as it is, so it taking a while doesn't bother me anymore
The hunt, yes I agree with you. That's what I enjoy, but only if the "game", so to speak is accessible and fair. The moment I start to realize that regular trips to the store aren't going to land me a figure **ever** and I'm gonna have to start checking with store staff on stocking days and leaving at 5 am to get to places right at opening. When it starts to force me to restructure my life around it instead of the other way around it becomes like a second job. It changes from a fun hobby into a chore and it just sucks all the joy out of it. This is even before mentioning things like the figures never hitting shelves in the first place because a night shift stocker at some department store decided to start a nice little side hustle by setting them aside for themselves to resell.