Today on Facebook, Matty gave out some information the cancelled DCU Classic orders for Wave 9.
Hey DCU fans,
A lot of fans have written in about some cancelled DCU Classic orders for Wave 9.
Mattel always does its best to fulfill product on shelves and we’re currently working on shipping as much of Wave 9 as possible. We will work with all of our customers to fulfill as many orders as possible. It is also possible we will go back into production of Wave 9 down the line due to greater demand. But nothing is set in stone yet. Still working on this.
In the future, we will be working even more in advance with retailers and online e-tailers to get orders in early for DCUC to ensure all orders can be filled.
Doing all we can do on this – you have my word!
And to clarify, we will not be selling Wave 9 on Mattycollector.com. Although we reviewed this option a few months back, because online and brick and mortar retailers needed Wave 9 product, we released what we had hoped to sell on Mattycollector to these customers. We’re hoping that by Wave 11 we can indeed offer DCUC on Mattycollector.com and fill all customer orders too. We’ll have more details if they are available and if this goes forward. Again, nothing set in stone right now.
Matty
I don’t usually comment on the Matty Facebook stories, so I wasn’t sure where I should put the thoughts I had to share.
I decided to separate them out and place them in the comments section because my opinion may not reflect that of what Rant, Vault, Sil, manekochan, Ebon, or any of the other contributors think. This is me as a collector and not as a site editor, I want to be clear about that.
This comment isn’t really about the distribution of Wave 9 either. Distribution, at least where I’m located, has been excellent on Wave 6, 7, and 8 (though it seemed to take forever on that last one). Target has been keeping me taken care of on the A cases and TRU the B cases. It’s worked like clockwork, at least here, and I can’t jump on a bandwagon about terrible distribution when I’m not suffering from it.
I did have a DCUC9 preorder at BBTS and no, I haven’t been able to find nine through alternate means yet. I blame that largely on one thing – the “Best Of” Cases. Simply put, they shouldn’t exist, or at least, never in significant quantities. Toylines are by nature about the next wave, not rehashed groups of other waves. That policy, to me, is a dangerous one. It allows stores to fill up on a bunch of figures that many fans may have purchased the first time. In the world of online stores, forum trading, eBay, and everything else – retailers don’t need mixed cases of past figures. Particularly, in a line where reissues are part of the normal case assortments. Right now, all of the Wal-Marts in a two hour radius are full of Best of Cases when they should be full of Wave 9, but I digress.
This comment specifically relates to the communication level of Mattel to it’s fans. I love that Mattycollector has a News section. I even love the Facebook communication. Mattel has stepped up the plate and is directly trying to engage fans. I appreciate that, but once that level is reached, it shouldn’t be backed away from. I appreciate that we’ve now heard about Wave 9, but this is late news. BBTS already told us of shortages, a Q&A had a vague comment about the status of DCUC9 on Mattycollector “changing” without specifics.
This news needed to come earlier. It should have headed off the BBTS shortage email (which itself was delayed – days before the email notice, cancelled pre-orders weren’t going back up for sale like they normally do) or the vague Q&A comment.
I appreciate that Mattel puts itself on display for us, but they need to get ahead of the game. They need to tell us that Movie Masters Joker won’t be on-sale on Sept 15th when they know its going to be delayed. It’s been 2 days since it was supposed to be on-sale and we still haven’t heard what’s going on with the delay or how it will affect future releases, but I’m sure a “clarification” Facebook note is coming.
That’s my complaint here. The lines of communication are open and I wish Mattel would use them to head off problems instead of letting them fester and then “clarifying” after. We as fans would still be disappointed when we hear that Wave 9 was underproduced, but if we heard it from Mattel first, it’d sting a lot less than unfulfilled pre-ordererd and pegs full of the wrong wave.
You do realize that he essentially said nothing and blamed the unfilled orders on the e-tailers not ordering early enough, right?
Either they didn’t make enough or filled orders with that abysmal wave with the Unmasked-Future-Wannabe and the I’ve-got-no-hand Cyborg and then didn’t have stores order enough. Take your pick.
How soon do they have to order?? Geez.
I could definitely see your interpretation. I think BBTS has always had super-early pre-orders, I don’t think they can go any earlier.
Terrific. Wave 9 will now join Wave 5 in Scalper Hell.
What I’m most pissed about is that we were all told Wave 9 would be available on Mattycollector to save collectors the hassle of having to hunt figures down and compete with other e-tailers.
DC Direct is looking better all the time.
Come on, DC Direct cant look that goood.
I know. It’s like a double kick to the gut on this one.
I could be wrong, but I still don’t think these will be as bad as DCUC5, but I only saw the A-Case of DCUC8 a handful of times.
Who’s all in wave nine??
>.< Clicks checklist.
Okay, the only ones I really like are Guardian and Black Canary. Are those tough to find?
Black Canary is going to be a little harder than Guardian since she is more in demand.
The first cases have been more difficult each time. I blame Target.
You gotta knock Canary out early, yeah.
The “A” case was really bad with wave 8, but Canary is in both this time around.
lets see never got the chance to complete atom smasher or giganta and now chemo. I’m getting pretty tired of these half built figures.
I hate the fact that I have actually bought some figures just for the C&C and then have never been able to complete it.
Which pieces are you missing?
I couldn’t live with half built C&Cs. I have to complete them compulsively.
Unlike the lead comment there has been no sign of any new DCUC in the Twin Cities since wave 7 as 8 never actually hit the area. If I completely miss wave 9 I may call it quits on the majority of DCUC collecting. All the major stores near me have had the same Firestorms and Cyborgs along with wave 6 leftovers on their pegs for months.
I’ve been fortunate. Waves 6-9 have all been here enough for me to grab the set.
We didn’t have many leftovers until recently, when the WMs transformed into bottomless pits for wave 4/6.
my only concern is that wave 9 wont be hitting tru/walmart/target at all. i was lucky to have found most 6-7-8 at these locations and a few i needed at the local comic store, but i spend way to much time and gas having to travel great distances to find at most one. and now i worry that with the production down where the hell am i going to have to go to complete wave 9 when im still missing three from 8
I’ve driven 2 hours.
One way.
hate me.
I drive way too much. I’ve been resisting the urge on the wave ten find to drive around and look. I canvas in about an hour radius.
This has gotten ridiculous.
It’s like I said on Facebook, if they’ve been making a set number this whole time, they should anticipate a problem if they’re suddenly asked to make less.
I don’t think they get asked or it’s that specific.
I think they fill orders with cases on hand.
DAMN IT!!
I specifically didn’t pre-order this wave because of the availability. I should haev knonw bettER!
Just keep checking your stores. Mine just showed up at Target.
It’s not like they’re gone. Here’s hoping this whole things blows over.
I think it will get a little better than it is. Even if WM goes off on 10 and Target goes to PE, then TRU can still keep getting 9.
I didn’t pre-order through BBTS, but the place I did hasn’t made a peep about when/how many they’ll get.
The worst part is I saw this wave while low on cash and left it. Worst. Mistake. Ever.
That would suck!
I don’t have that kind of willpower. I always buy and cancel the pre-order.
I need to find this wave!!!
I’m never going to find wave nine.