Case Fresh to no longer stock Hasbro Products

[Commander Collars]

I woke this morning to not only a Site update, but this too:

[gofigure-26]

Wow, thats big. They have been the number one source for me for a long time.

Not much choice now, off to US ebay for all my business while the aussie dollar is still so strong.
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'I want the things that I had before,
Like a Star Wars poster on my bedroom door'
Everclear - Wonderful

[todd]

Yeah I wasn't very happy when I got that email. But I can understand to an extent. CF don't want to face angry customers when the product isn't delivered from Hasbro Aus. And this would mean that retail stores face the same problem.

I've been filling the holes in my collection what CF could't supply and it hasn't been cheap (ebay prices, shipping costs from multiple suppliers). And with so much great product to look forward to this year it's gonna get very expensive.

So what can Australian fans do about it? I wish I knew more about the processes involved. Does Hasbro Aus deal directly with China? Do they deal with Hasbro US? How do we make enough noise to get things fixed?

And the fact that channel 10 STILL hasn't begun season 2 of CW won't help keep intrest afloat with young fans.

[Mike]

Many moons ago when the "Ask Hasbro" stuff began I was troubled with what I saw a personally 'insignificant' questions being accepted and answered by Hasbro.

Sure, you can't complain when they are willing to answer questions, but the sorts of questions they answer and the sorts of questions they either handball or give half-answers to are what is really telling.

I guess after the family finishes the main mean, the dog gets the scraps.
I think we're the dogs.
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Michael McGoldrick
www.triviagurus.com

[commandernarra]

I personally want to thank Casefresh for their professionalism and integrity to the collector over the last few years.
Hasbro Australia has earned my total condemnation. What a shoddy way to treat its Retail Partners and customers. I've never seen a worse Year at Retail than the 2008-09 period. I am fortunate that I started to source all my stuff from overseas when this trend began. Looks like that will continue indefinitely. It's a pity that we're considered small fry, but from what I read so are Europe and Canada. I hope things turn around but aren't confident.
Hope Casefresh continues as a strong retailer for those that want their product to sell.

[Darth Windu]

No surprise in the slightest there, well except that they didn't do it sooner.
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And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell,
One more soldier reporting Sir, I've served my time in Hell.
Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges

[Darth Malak]

I feel sorry for CF, imagine the impact that would have on their company as a whole. I know that Hasbro is not the be and end all but it must have been a signifcant part of their business, so personally I feel for them

I think we have all felt the writing on the wall in the last year with slow product release and increasing prices, clearly the demand is not worth the hassle for Hasbro Aus to release everything here.

I can imagine more of us finding alternatives elsewhere, hopefully locally but with the lack of regard Hasbro appears to show us I doubt it.

A perfect example of this is the current legacy collection:

While all of the Saga legends made it here only the first wave has hit our shores, I have already invested money in most of the others but to complete this collection is going to be nigh on impossible as OS retailers have sold out of most of their waves as well.

Poor us for this news.
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“You’ve never heard of the Millennium Falcon? … It’s the ship that made the Kessel run in less than 12 parsecs.”

[VintijDroidGutzz]

Yeah, noticed the site overhaul last night.

It's disappointing, but I think we all sensed this coming didn't we. Like someone above said, the big chains will be just as barren for the next whenever too as a result. CF have been great, so I personally want to thank them as well.

So, is SagaCentral gonna be MD's new sponsor??
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[pug205]

To be honest I stopped using CF years ago for many different reasons, some of those being Hasbros AUST fault.

Im sure this was not an easy decision to make for them. Hasbro had long been their number one selling item so it will be interesting to see if the high end products will be enough for them to keep going.

The bigger picture is that this just confirms what many of us have feared for awhile, Australia is no longer important on the Hasbro Star Wars map and it is only going to get harder from here on in, for the serious collectors and that is who I feel the most for here

I have cut back my SW collecting to an almost standstill and the items I would get would be impulse items in store or the very occasional figure loose on ebay. Hasbro sure are making it easy to quit this hobby.

[Minigt]

Sad day indeed. What else would you expect from Hasbro. We are a very small market and they aren't interested in looking after this side of the world unless you are a Woolworth of Coles.

[Rik_Biel]

I too would like to thank Casefresh for their approach here and the past service.
Luckily, when I was collecting Hasbro stuff, they delivered for me.

Now, again, my collecting style and focus has changed and moved away from the action figure line, although I am looking forward to the first ESB wave of the "Vintage Collection" which I guess I will source by the case off ebay.

My other sporadic purchase of SSC and HT (Terminator) stuff will be either CF or ebay depending on mood and timing and strength of Aussie dollar

[Glennfett]

DAMN-sad day indeed...
i have been a customer of CF for nearly 9 yrs in regards to hasbro SW figures....
it was only last yr i shopped elsewhere cause i could spread my money more.
i have recently purchased many Hot Toys and SSC 12inch figures and 2 GI Joe 12inch figures due to ship this week....

They have been awesome throught,Daisy,Marcus and the team....a sad for them and us....but a new beginning for hasblo Aus......

[Commander Collars]

Now that several of you have had your say, I guess I'll have mine.

Firstly, thank-you CF for being a voice for collectors. As a business who started up primarily selling this line, I realise that this was probably not a rash decision.

I guess we all saw the writing on the wall, maybe some of us refused to believe it though. Maybe this is a blessing in disguise????

I will however, continue to use them for other SW and no SW items alike.
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[Mike S]

Case Fresh have done an outstanding job over the years, for the Australian collector market in regards to Hasbro Star Wars. They've gone above and beyond the call of duty on many occasions and have even given Hasbro a "kick" in the rear, more than once so that Aussie collectors, wouldn't miss out on certain waves and lines.

I guess this has been coming for a while now. It's no secret that it is significantly cheaper to import them ourselves (majority of us do it) - this is the end result, this is where we are today.

I don't blame Case Fresh for dropping Hasbro, I suspect dealing with a corporation like that, is like trying to talk to a brick wall.

[rootrooper]

Is this the straw that breaks the camels back? In my case it may well be. CF always was a great service as far as i was concerned. Now it just seems like we as customers really are not a priority to Hasbro Aus. Not having any new product on the shelves for so long has taken all the joy out of the hunt. With the convenience of CF gone (despite other good etailers like Sagacentral) I just can't be shagged chasing around for this stuff anymore!

Maybe I'm getting old! Today I talked to my wife about not buying Hasbro anymore & maybe boxing/selling off the collection (dirt cheap). I will keep some items like the Hemble dio's, Vintage stuff & the Koto's but maybe offload everything else.

I know a couple of you have moved off the Hasbro stuff after collecting for years, how does it feel? Should I jump off? I'm thinking its time. If you are interested in anything from micromachines to Kenner Hasbro from the last 20 years then keep a watch out in the next few months you might catch a bargain from a disaffected collector.
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"Kaylee, find that kid who's taking a dirt nap with baby jesus. We need a hood ornament"
"Jane, try not to steal too much of thier s**t"

[TK-421]

It will be interesting to see what's on offer at toy fair in Melbourne next month.
I will be surprised if Star Wars, both Clone Wars and Legacy occupy more than a shelf in a display case.

The thing about the Aus toy fair is what you see is not necessarily what you get. It's been that way for a long, long time. If the retailers don't bite and pre order at toy fair, only written down surplus stock will flood our shelves during the year.

Personally speaking, i will be surprised if anything Legacy hits our shores this year.

The Legacy offering at the US Toy show is weak to say the least. I suspect Hasbro are simply keeping to their minimum agreement with Lucasfilm in order to retain the licence.

I too been thinking about selling up what I have. I've been trying to score a Utris Bespin Guard and to say it's difficult to find is an understatement. I'm getting to a point I just can't be bothered.

In top of having to wait until August until we see something new in the Legacy line makes stopping now all the more compelling.
Trent
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Star Wars Aficionado since I was 7, in 1977.
Well before it became A New Hope, it was STAR WARS.

[Mike S]

Don't forget, Hasbro were holding stuff back (at the NYTF) so they'd have something to show at other cons and so on.
Plus, some things weren't ready in time for the TF.

[VintijDroidGutzz]

Not that it's a life & death thing by any means, but my biggest concern if our stores get jack, is trying to get MOC TVC figures from OS that aren't damaged in some way during transit. No more clamshells now..

It'll tip me right over, if I've wasted my time & money trying to achieve this - & I'll be wanting a LOT of MOCs from the new line!
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[jarjarjake]

damn Hasbro i hate them but i love their action figures. the dark times have started again.

[Hemish]

Gotta love hasblow
Good on you casefresh for telling them to bugger off
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You know life is like a box of chocolates you never now what you're gonna get, but yours mother is more like a box of LIVE GRENADES!!

[Harves]

[TK-421]

[jarjarjames]

wow, this news is sooo sad. one less place we can get our figure fix from. Feel sorry for the nice guys at casefresh, and cant help think that Hasbro are kind of assholes for the treatmeant they dished out to casefresh, not replying to information requests, supplying wrong figure assortmeants, not filling orders, etc etc. BAD Hasbro BAD !!!
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liking my latest figure-- Zuckass -- my first Saga Legends figure for 2010

[Mike S]

Personally, I think it's too early for Live Action TV product, at least to show the public anyway.

[Titan]

I think for those of us contemplating stopping their collecting of Hasbro products, the decision becomes the slightest bit easier.
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I live my life a quarter mile at a time....