Shortpacking: Difference between revisions

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m /No clue why that whole sentence is in italics...changing it so that only "Generations: Fall of Cybertron" is in italics/
 
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A toy is said to be '''shortpacked''' when it is shipped in lower numbers than the rest of its release [[Wave|wave]].  Typically, this term is used for toys which ship at one per carton, although there are many lines like [[Alternators]] where most if not all of the toys ship at one per carton due to the assortment containing only four toys and retailers demand a variety of toys in those assortments, thus the four toys at one per case.
A toy is said to be '''shortpacked''' when it is shipped in lower numbers than the rest of its release [[wave]] - such as a toy that shipped at one per [[case]] while others had multiples in the same case.


Generally, shortpacking is most notably a problem when an item first hits. Continued shipments and later assortments are often intended to make up the demand.  This collector-coined term is a response to companies making fewer of a figure for any of a myriad of reasons, including cost with the most expensive toy in the case being a shorter run, or certain characters, colors, or genders being produced in smaller numbers due to sales predictions.
There can be several reasons behind shortpacking, with certain characters, colors, or genders being produced in smaller numbers due to sales predictions.  Sometimes shortpacking is only noticeable when an item first hits, as further shipments or repacking into later assortments may help to meet the demand.  Similarly, toys that are shortpacked in some markets (such as the [[United States of America|United States]]) may be far more abundant in others.


A toy that is shortpacked may be harder to find than other toys from the same assortment, since there are fewer of it produced. This rarity may make it attractive to [[Toy scalping|scalpers]], although if this happens during a period of heavy distribution, like a movie launch, few will notice any one character being shortpacked.  Case in point, the initial shipments of Dark of the Moon Deluxe MechTech Figures Wave 1 had 3 Bumblebees, while having 1 each of the remaining 5 figures.  Not all shortpacked figures are hard-to-find, particularly internationally-- outside the US, particularly in the UK and Europe, reports frequently indicate that those figures seem to be selling more poorly due to kids preferring other, more popular characters which sell better in those markets.  This isn't always a result of shortpacking, as some assortments just received incredibly poor distribution in the USA while the toys showed up outside the USA to the point of being common.  [[Ultra Magnus (Energon)]] and much of the 2010/2011 [[Reveal the Shield]] line are examples of this.
And sometimes they're just plain hard to ''ever'' find, and stay that way, with a degree of rarity that makes them more attractive to [[Toy scalping|scalpers]].   


Sometimes, toys which are shortpacked in one wave are released in greater numbers in a later wave.  Other times, a wave may ship with an alternate version of that same wave at the same time, creating assortments which are intended to compliment one-another by having a particular character at 2 in one version of the case while he's 1 per case in the other.  The revision case switches this number, which theoretically (and frequently actually does) result in the ratio of product meeting the market's needs.  (Sometimes, it doesn't quite work out, and as always availability may vary from neighborhood to neighborhood due to the local shoppers' needs.)
While inspiring similar feelings for many fans, shortpacking should not be confused with [[chase figure]]s:  the latter are often aimed exclusively at collectors and are intentionally very rare, though to date that phenomenon has mostly been reserved for [[TakaraTomy]] product.   
 
While inspiring similar feelings for many fans, shortpacking should not be confused with [[Chase figure|chase figures]] which are often aimed exclusively at collectors and generally are intentionally much rarer. (A shortpacked toy may be 2 per [[case]], while a chase figure may appear as seldom as 1 per every 2 cases.) Chase figures as collectibles do not generally exist in the Transformers line-- to date Hasbro has not mass-produced variants or collector-specific products in Transformers specifically designed with creating additional collector value, although this has been seen in other lines like Galoob's UltraForce, Mattel's take on Toy Story 2, Hot Wheels, and a few lower-run variants in Hasbro's own G.I. Joe and Marvel Universe assortments.


==Examples==
==Examples==
* ''[[Generation 1 (toyline)|Generation 1]]'' [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] shipped one figure per every two cases.
* [[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]] [[Skids (G1)#Generation 1 2|Skids]] shipped one figure per every two cases.
* ''[[Robots in Disguise (toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Side Burn (RID)|Side Burn]] and [[Prowl (RID)|Prowl]] each got 3 figures per case, but [[X-Brawn]] had only two.  Two per case is, traditionally, not necessarily considered rare especially in an 8-piece case.
* Generation 1 [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmaster]] [[Scourge (G1)#Targetmaster|Scourge]] was packed one in a case of twelve. His casemate [[Cyclonus (G1)/toys#Targetmaster|Cyclonus]] was two, the others three per case.
* ''[[Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' [[Acid Storm]] shipped 1 per case of 8 in Wave 2, while the other new toy in the assortment, [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]], was shipped 2 per. Wave 2 revision 1 (which shipped at the same time) had 1 each of Galvatron and Acid Storm, as did waves 3 and 3 revision 1 which shipped later that year.
* [[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|''Universe'' (2008)]] [[Acid Storm (G1)|Acid Storm]] shipped one per case of eight in Wave 2, while the other new toy in the assortment, [[Galvatron (G1)/toys#Universe (2008)|Galvatron]], was shipped two per case. Wave 2 revision 1 (which shipped at the same time) had one each of Galvatron and Acid Storm, as did waves 3 and 3 revision 1 which shipped later that year.
* ''[[Dark of the Moon (toyline)|DOTM]]'' [[Human Alliance]] [[Skids (ROTF)|Skids]] was shipped 1 per case of 4 in Wave 1, with [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys|Bumblebee]] filling out the remaining 3 figures. At the very same time, however, a case shipped with 2 of each of the 2 characters, meaning it may not have been a problem at some stores in some markets.
* ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (toyline)|Dark of the Moon]]'' [[Human Alliance]] [[Skids (ROTF)#Human Alliance 2|Skids]] was shipped one per case of four in Wave 1, with [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#Human Alliance 3|Bumblebee]] filling out the remaining three figures. At the very same time, however, a case shipped with two of each of the two characters, meaning it may not have been a problem at stores in some markets.
 
* Infamously, ''[[Transformers: Prime (toyline)#First Edition (2011)|Prime: First Edition]]'' [[Starscream (WFC)#Prime: First Edition|Starscream]] and [[Arcee (WFC)#FirstEdition|Arcee]] were shortpacked at two per case each. Again, this normally wouldn't be considered rare if it weren't for the fact that there were four [[Bumblebee (WFC)/toys#FirstEdition|Bumblebees]] per case, meaning the little yellow guy took up ''half of the goddamn case''.
==In Popular Culture==
* ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' [[Wheelie (G1)#Generations|Wheelie]], himself an Asian market and [[Toys"R"Us]] [[exclusive]], was packed at one per case of eight in the original Asian retail release. [[Springer (G1)#Generations|Springer]] and [[Swerve (G1)#Generations|Swerve]] were evenly packed at two figures each, while [[Cliffjumper (G1)/toys#Generations|Cliffjumper]] was packed at three. This was remedied when they were re-released in Asia and released in the US at an even ratio of two each per case.
* One of the world's finest web comics is based on this term. It's called Shortpacked!
* ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)#FOC|Generations: Fall of Cybertron]]'' [[Kickback (FOC)|Kickback]] and [[Fireflight (FOC)|Air Raid]] were packed at one each per case in wave 3, whereas the others ([[Starscream (WFC)#Generations|Starscream]], [[Sideswipe (WFC)|Sideswipe]], and [[Ultra Magnus (WFC)#Generations|Ultra Magnus]]) were packed at two each per case.
 
* ''[[Transformers: Prime (toyline)|Prime:]] [[Transformers: Prime (toyline)#Beast Hunters (2013)|Beast Hunters]]'' [[Starscream (WFC)#BHDeluxe|Starscream]] and [[Ripclaw]] were packed at one each per case in wave 2, whereas the [[Autobot]] toys ([[Bumblebee (WFC)/toys#BHDeluxe|Bumblebee]], [[Bulkhead (Prime)#Beast Hunters|Bulkhead]], and [[Smokescreen (Prime)#Beast Hunters|Smokescreen]]) were packed at two each per case.
* ''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]'' ''Velocitron Speedia 500 Collection'' [[Cosmos (G1)#Legacy|Cosmos]] and [[Clampdown_(G1)#Legacy|Clampdown]] were packed at one per case each, where as [[Road_Rocket_(G2)#Legacy|Road Rocket]], [[Burn Out (Diaclone)#Legacy|Burn Out]], and [[Blurr_(G1)/toys#Legacy|Blurr]] were packed at two per case. It also didn't help that this entire subline was Walmart exclusive, making it even harder to get a Cosmos.
* The fourth wave of ''[[Transformers: Age of the Primes|Age Of The Primes]]'' Deluxes had Beast Wars show cast member [[Quickstrike (BW)#Age of the Primes|Quickstrike]] and ''first-new-toy-in-39-years'' [[Sureshot (G1)#Age of the Primes|Sureshot]] shortpacked at one per case, while [[Blast Off (G1)#Age of the Primes|Blast Off]], [[Quintus Prime#Age of the Primes|Quintus Prime]], and original redeco character [[Jalopy]] were packed at two per case.
[[Category:Toys]]
[[Category:Toys]]

Latest revision as of 18:53, 14 April 2026

A toy is said to be shortpacked when it is shipped in lower numbers than the rest of its release wave - such as a toy that shipped at one per case while others had multiples in the same case.

There can be several reasons behind shortpacking, with certain characters, colors, or genders being produced in smaller numbers due to sales predictions. Sometimes shortpacking is only noticeable when an item first hits, as further shipments or repacking into later assortments may help to meet the demand. Similarly, toys that are shortpacked in some markets (such as the United States) may be far more abundant in others.

And sometimes they're just plain hard to ever find, and stay that way, with a degree of rarity that makes them more attractive to scalpers.

While inspiring similar feelings for many fans, shortpacking should not be confused with chase figures: the latter are often aimed exclusively at collectors and are intentionally very rare, though to date that phenomenon has mostly been reserved for TakaraTomy product.

Examples

[edit]
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