Small Scale Military Headquarters

Yesterday Small Joes announced they finally had the new GI Joe Defence of Cobra Island 7 packs up for preorder for $37, two hours later they jacked the price up to $45! Even worse anybody who had their oder in at the lower cost had it cancelled in the middle on the night. And to top it all off? yesterday when I resieved their e-mail they urged you to get your order in quick, at a one time low preorder price. I would think twice about buying from them now on.

thats not right.

I bet Hasbro raised their cost at the last minute. These are turning out to be more that people originally thought. I've ordered from SmallJoes in the past and have been quite pleased with them.

ParatrooperCarbine wrote:I bet Hasbro raised their cost at the last minute. These are turning out to be more that people originally thought. I've ordered from SmallJoes in the past and have been quite pleased with them.

But only on that one and not the other set.

ParatrooperCarbine wrote:I bet Hasbro raised their cost at the last minute. These are turning out to be more that people originally thought. I've ordered from SmallJoes in the past and have been quite pleased with them.

I have had no problems either.. Small Joes has always been fair in pricing and it does sound like a case of the original price not being right.

I found 4 in Laredo TX on ebay for $38.00 Item number: 180379873323 FYI
EDIT: oops I just read where it said preorder.

Bryce wrote:

ParatrooperCarbine wrote:I bet Hasbro raised their cost at the last minute. These are turning out to be more that people originally thought. I've ordered from SmallJoes in the past and have been quite pleased with them.

But only on that one and not the other set.

Which other set?
Do you mean the Cobra and not the GI Joe set?

ParatrooperCarbine wrote:

Bryce wrote: But only on that one and not the other set.

Which other set?
Do you mean the Cobra and not the GI Joe set?

Exactly.

Mine hasn't been canceled yet.

Ohh i Bought both!! I see what you are saying.

I don't want to play the blame game, but a few weeks ago I placed an order and what I thought I ordered is not what I received. I got the last of these they had in stock so by the time my order arrived I couldn't go back to check and see if their photo of the item is what I expected it to be. I e-mailed a VERY businesslike question asking if what they shipped was in fact what was advertised. I even stated I might be mistaken, please clarify. I received a rude, terse reply stating this is what I ordered and they can't be responsible if I'm not happy.

Needless to say I'm not buying from them again.

This is just my experience and your mileage may vary.

I've had nothing but good experiences with smalljoes for years now. I think I placed my first order with them in ~2003 (?)

Here is a possible explanation. Smalljoes has to order these things by the case. That is an investment of cash they lay out. Thus the preorder. You agree to pay up front, then they don't have to assume the risk of laying out cash and not being able to sell the items.

Except.....They probably have to order even numbers of the the 2 sets (for example the sets may ship 12 per case, 6 of one set and 6 of the other)

If most people are interested only in one of the sets (Defense of cobra island) then smalljoes is going to end up with a large inventory of the less popular set (assult on cobra island). What's more smalljoes will have had to lay out their own cash for a portion of the cost of each case.

If we assume that the less popular set will sell, no problem. But what if it doesn't? Then smalljoes is out of luck. They get stuck holding inventory they can't sell --- precisely because it was an unpopular item to begin with!

Solution? Increase the price of the Defense of cobra island set from $31.99 to $45.99.

How is this a solution? Well, notice you can still pre-order both sets for $64.99 combined. This should encourage buyers to buy both sets, keeping smalljoes from holding too much inventory and laying out too much of it's own capital. Notice too that you can still preorder the assult set for $31.99.

If buyers still only what the defense of cobra island set (even at a high price), great! At least the extra money paid for it will reduce the risk accepted by smalljoes. I suspect that the price had to be upped because that set is much more popular than the other, and that smalljoes simply cannot lay out their own cash and risk getting stuck with a set that won't sell.

Do I think this is fair? Yeah, I think it is fair. What do you think?

Bryce wrote:Even worse anybody who had their oder in at the lower cost had it cancelled in the middle on the night.

Not true. Three orders out of hundreds were cancelled due to exceeding limits, all other orders (regardless of price) stand.

flayrah wrote:I e-mailed a VERY businesslike question asking if what they shipped was in fact what was advertised. I even stated I might be mistaken, please clarify. I received a rude, terse reply stating this is what I ordered and they can't be responsible if I'm not happy.

Wow, that is certainly a different version that what I received in the support inbox a couple of weeks ago! Is this the revised 2nd edition?

It is always funny how the story morphs and changes when it is recalled later.

In fact, your email was accusatory in nature and directly stated that we shipped you a product that was not what was advertised. At no time did you suggest that "you might be mistaken". When I provided you with a photograph of what we shipped to you, explaining that this was always what was advertised (poly bagged Elite Force pilot, no accessories) I got an equally ignorant response back the second time. I found the whole exchange to be rather ridiculous in fact, especially over a $2 figure.

James, excellent business analysis of the situation, you're definitely on your game and 110% correct about the situation.

I have ordered from them before too...and they are good and...uh...do you have to point that thing so close to my head?

I've ordered from smalljoes ALOT and each time I got GREAT Customer Service and my stuff was shipped and packed EXCELLENTLY! Both comic books and 1:18!!
My WIFE even LOVES smalljoes, for the fact that smalljoes has STOPPED me from WASTING my day off driving around looking for 1:18 as I've been ordering what I want at smalljoes!!
THANK YOU, coreystinson!!
A BIG tip of the helmet to ya!!

I've ordered three BBI planes in the past two months with Small Joes and had excellent service. Great communication and very protective packaging and fast shipping. Great prices too!! I'll definitely get the 1/18 F-14 from Small Joes if he is able to receive them.

I am mystified that people are so much more excited about the Defense (Cobra) set than the Assault (GI Joe) set.

The GI Joe set includes several figures many people have been eager for (Zap, Ripcord, Recondo, Chuckles, and Outback) plus some less-anticipated but still-awesome figures (Hit & Run and a different Wet Suit).

And yet the big winner is the Cobra version with:
um, Dr. Mindbender....
one really cool pilot
a BAT (cool but not hard to find anymore)
a couple of decent troop builders
a purple guy who looks as if he's going to make real trouble for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles one of these days if they aren't careful
an orange guy who will protect Ming the Merciless to the bitter end.

No offense to my fellow collectors but... I'd take the pilot and the troop builders if the price was right, but to me if there's something to anticipate here it's the Joe set...

ParatrooperCarbine wrote:I am mystified that people are so much more excited about the Defense (Cobra) set than the Assault (GI Joe) set.

Part of this can be chalked up to rarity-hysteria. If Hasbro had packed 7 of those to a case, and only three of the Assault set, we'd be having the same conversation about the Assault set instead.

Hasbro should have packed these 6 (Defense) and 4 (Assault). This would have been sufficient to meet "army builder" demand without the unintended consequence of creating rarity-hysteria on the Assault set, and would have mitigated the need to price-adjust the Defense set so much.

Small Joes rocks!

* I've never had a problem. In fact , I think they have good Customer Service which Corey deals w/ you personally via e-mail in which is congenial and very business like.


- Mitch v MG

Small Joe's has the best "everyday" low prices of anyone.

Walmart doesn't count anymore, neither does the Monkey with the "blammo" sale.

Nothing but fair prices, service and selection IMO.

I order from smalljoes every Christmas for the hubby and I've never ever had a problem with them. They are always so fast, professional and darn cheap!!

JamesW wrote:I've had nothing but good experiences with smalljoes for years now. I think I placed my first order with them in ~2003 (?)

Here is a possible explanation. Smalljoes has to order these things by the case. That is an investment of cash they lay out. Thus the preorder. You agree to pay up front, then they don't have to assume the risk of laying out cash and not being able to sell the items.

Except.....They probably have to order even numbers of the the 2 sets (for example the sets may ship 12 per case, 6 of one set and 6 of the other)

If most people are interested only in one of the sets (Defense of cobra island) then smalljoes is going to end up with a large inventory of the less popular set (assult on cobra island). What's more smalljoes will have had to lay out their own cash for a portion of the cost of each case.

If we assume that the less popular set will sell, no problem. But what if it doesn't? Then smalljoes is out of luck. They get stuck holding inventory they can't sell --- precisely because it was an unpopular item to begin with!

Solution? Increase the price of the Defense of cobra island set from $31.99 to $45.99.

How is this a solution? Well, notice you can still pre-order both sets for $64.99 combined. This should encourage buyers to buy both sets, keeping smalljoes from holding too much inventory and laying out too much of it's own capital. Notice too that you can still preorder the assult set for $31.99.

If buyers still only what the defense of cobra island set (even at a high price), great! At least the extra money paid for it will reduce the risk accepted by smalljoes. I suspect that the price had to be upped because that set is much more popular than the other, and that smalljoes simply cannot lay out their own cash and risk getting stuck with a set that won't sell.

Do I think this is fair? Yeah, I think it is fair. What do you think?

Yeah I think its fair, to advertise a sale and then welch out of it, thats fair.