ROTS in Austria !!!

[Real_Scooby]

Well, we dont have this MM event, but I Will check the local TRU tommorrow morning if they restocked with any ROTS items.
I just took a look at the walls when driving by at the local store and they removed ALL of their previous adds.

This let me think that they could start tommorrow with advertisings and stuff.

Some of the local comicshops already have them but about twice the price as TRU would take.

I am sooooooo excited for the coming day, I just cant sleep.

[Jeremy]

I just got back from Austria today

Jeremy

[Tyranusspotting]

Why didn't you announce you'd come over? I could of showed off my collection to you.
Anyway, I probably won't be getting the toys in Austria anyway due to the almost 100% plus pricepoint you get charged here. But still thanks for posting the news.
If you find anything, let me know if they already had Anakin's exclusive green Starfighter, please. I'm really hoping this will be put out earlier than mid May.

[Real_Scooby]

Found the first ROTS items today at TRU. I only picked up the Holo Yoda and five basic figures yet.

Currently they had :

about 16 Basic Figure from Wave 1 and 2 of COllECTION 1 @ 9,90 EURO
EXCLUSIVE HOLO YODA !!!! @ 9,90 EURO ( because of this I am pretty sure they will have the Green Starfighter too )
Force Battlers @ ??? ( no interrested )
A few LEGOS like the ARC, Jedi Starfighter @ ??? ( not interrested )

The girl I know there told me they will get more figures, vehicles and Deluxe figures during next week.

But the best is, she also told me that there will be some kind of clearance sale already staring on 6th. There will be a "Take 3 - pay 2" offer on Basic Figures.

[Jeremy]

I was away over in Salzburg Land, in a small town called Altenmarkt im Pongau catching the end of the season (it rained for 4 out of 5 days). There's a strong chance I'll be in Wein in June though, and after that Altenmarkt again in January.

Jeremy

[Tyranusspotting]

Well, PM me if you come over to Vienna, okay?

The prices on the ROTS figures seem quite cheap for European standarts, especially with this offer you told us about, Scooby. Weren't the SAGA basics around €10-€13.99? And thinking back a little more the Episode 1 figures must have retailed at €14.

I will still buy the things in Indy and save a little more. If the pricepoint will be around $4.99 by late April then I will pay $14-something for three figures which won't happen over here until clearance comes around. But by then only the peg warmers will be around.

Kids can call themselves lucky. After ten years they finally get to buy another Darth Vader at retail. I just hope Collection 2 will be sold over here this time too.

[AlrikFassbauer]

Here around Cologne I usually pay 10 Euro for a figure, in Berlin things are a bit more expensive (although I must say that I don't know many shops there still selling them) : around 12 Euro.

[Jeremy]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font>
Well, PM me if you come over to Vienna, okay?

[/QUOTE]

I will for certain!

Jeremy

[Real_Scooby]

Yeah, if I can manage it I would like to hook up with you guys too.

[Tyranusspotting]

So, I've been to a couple of toy stores on April 6th checking out what is available at retailers around here. I expected them not to carry any Collection II items but I was suprised exactly how the selection looked like in most cases.

Wave 1 and 2 of Collection 1 (around €9.50-€11.00)
Creatures/ Small Vehicles (can't remember seeing any BARC Speeders though) (around €25)
ARC-170 Clone Starfighter (around €50-€57)
Millenium Falcon (around €82-€88)
Jedi Force Battlers
Darth Vader Voice Changer Helmet/ Mask
Lightsabers
Anakin's Colorchanging Lightsaber (around €46)

Okay....that means:
No Padmé
No C-3PO
No Jedi other than the four main Jedi
Two Yodas
No Jedi Starfighters
No Deluxe sets
No Tri-Droids
No Grievous' Wheelbike

Pros: At last Austrian kids get an updated Darth Vader sculpt
The Millenium Falcon is available again as well (though, NO OT FIGURES!)

Had retailers (or Hasbro) accepted a wider range of toys this line would probably be a huge success (we'll see what happens as soon as the movie is out though).
What should the retailers have done:

ROTS LINEUP:
Buy Collection 1 (Wave 1-3)
Buy Collection 2 (Wave 1-2)
Deluxe (Wave1-2)
Ships: Jedi Starfighter, Tri-Droid, Wheelbike, ARC-170 Starfighter, Republic Gunship (never hit retail during the SAGA and CW lineup)
OTC LINEUP:
Figures #1-#38
X-Wing, TIE-Fighter, Millenium Falcon

That way, toy stores would offer a best of for both Trilogies and reintroduce children to it. The stuff toy stores offer so far out of the initially released products is missing the things I listed above (especially Padmé and C-3PO would would have been important additions).

Anyway, here are some pictures:

Mueller (Mariahilferstr.)


Kober Toy Department Store (Graben)




Bannert (1st District, near Schottenring)



I've been to that new toy store that is in place of RUNCH! as well (they had a couple of loose figures set up in the shop window as well- even a Ep 1 Darth Sidious and a SAGA Telescoping Lightsaber Anakin Skywalker).
Also checked out the toy department area at Gerngross- as I was looking through the figures two adults suddenly joined in (before I got to there the place was empty- ROTS possible buyers must have a magnetic effect- of they've been to embarrassed to check it out and waited till someone else did- don't remember them going away with anything.)
I also checked out RUNCH! (now located Neubaugasse/ Burggasse). They have it all (though at friggin' €18.30something a figure!!- Madness) as well as another toy shop on Lerchenfelderstr.

All in all- toy stores seem to have dramtically cut back. There seems to be less available then for AOTC Hasbro wise. Most stores have these ROTS Store Displays, which only have room for a couple of things as you can see above.
Now I'm wondering if they have a lot more in the back waiting until the movie comes out or if that's it. Maybe if the line does well, they'll order runnerup waves and other things (like the mid-sized vehicles).
That was my report.