[GuardiaStar]

I preordered the Guardians of the Galaxy Star-Lord Hot Toys from AlterEgoComics. It's supposed to ship sometime in March. One site, that I was going to preorder from (but looked too shady for business) gave the actual date, March 12th I believe..Anyone know for sure when it will ship? If so on the 12th it would be in time for my birthday, possibly. I was actually able to order this within my own country.

 

[Marine boy]

Release dates (regardless of manufacturer) need to be taken with a pinch of salt. Most figures are usually delayed by a month or 2, but others can be on time (early even). Delivery time is greatly affected by location as well. Asian markets tend to get it first, followed by US, then Europe. Any dates given are largely irrelevant.

 

[Moonbase Alpha Male]

I would say that if a manufacturer announces a date, the only thing it means is that the figure will likely be released within @ 4 months from that date. Release exactly on time is rare, and release any earlier is very rare (but not impossible).

To put it another way, I think legitimately accurate time estimates will be phrased as "fourth quarter 2014" with the understanding it could spill into the next Quarter. Anything more specific than that is just random guessing. As specific as "March 12" is likely absurd (or it comes from someone who has to put the item down on a specific Orders list like Diamond's, so they just guess an arbitrary date). As actual release gets closer, distributors and retailers may be given some more specific updates by the manufacturer which may or may not be reliable. The unpredictable complications of Asian release vs international customs etc means that any estimate would still be +/- 1 month even if we could calculate based on knowing the exact manufacture release date -- which we never do anyway.

Thinking you could have a reasonably precise 1/6 release date list, like eg for Comics, will drive you insane.
__________________
The guidance counselor was surprised: “I didn’t even know career aptitude tests had a Super-Villain category.”

 

[onesixthpolice]

So, in other words, you'll get it in time for your birthday.......exactly which birthday is unknown.......:lol

 

[DeltaForceChung]

If you're demanding and expecting precise/precision release date for any/all 1:6 figures you collect/pre-order, then you may want to consider another hobby.

It's like demanding/expecting precise/precision release dates for a variety of products. If they don't come out when they're supposed to, then are you going to get upset and buy it from someone else who claims they have it and/or can get it faster when they too are awaiting delivery from the manufacturer?

The example I used is an exaggeration and hyperbole.

We as collectors are at the mercy of when an item gets released where the release date can change/shift for many reasons. We've all been through it before.

 

[crusader1xxx]

Without knowing your exact birthday, I am going to say NO. :dunno

 

[pukingdog]

I live in eastern Kansas, and I have a pre-ordered DAM Russian Alpha figure that just turned over 6 months today. The US Customs has hosed American hobbyists and dealers, and if/when the US stuff gets released, it still takes time to get to the east coast. So, the already tenuous nature of release dates is all the more unreliable here.

 

[highwayman57]

Any projected release date of an action figure given by a manufacturer needs to be taken with a grain of salt the size of a Volkswagen. Most of us can tell you from personal experience that delays in production, shipping, customs, etc. are so common as to be the norm rather than the exception. I'm currently waiting on two pre-ordered figures: one was originally slated for October of this year and is now currently supposed to ship about Christmas time (we'll see if that holds true); the other was supposed to come out in August, and is at this moment supposed to ship in late December or early January. It doesn't matter much when they ship to me, as long as I get them and I'm happy with the in-hand product.

I would advise patience on your part, and recognize that there are many other collectors in the same boat as you.

David

 

[onesixthpolice]

To add a tidbit, this hobby is no different than any other as far as release dates go.....my other hobby is model railroading, and a certain boxcar took 4 years to finally be released, after announcing that it would be the next quarter.....

As far as this hobby goes, the DML 1/6 Sherman Firefly is still in the cue, after being announced about a year ago.....and release dates keep getting pushed back.......

 

[rogerbee]

I learned 20 years ago what the pain of pre-orders was like. Diamond had a Previews catalog and in it you could pre-order stuff. I pre-ordered a vinyl kit of Freddy Krueger and by the time I got my hands on it from the US, it was out in the UK. It took months to arrive. I cancelled all my other pre-orders with them and none of the other ones I had pre-ordered ever materialised.

I've never pre-ordered since and have still been able to get what I've wanted

CHEERS!

 

[Moonbase Alpha Male]

I learned 20 years ago what the pain of pre-orders was like. Diamond had a Previews catalog and in it you could pre-order stuff. I pre-ordered a vinyl kit of Freddy Krueger and by the time I got my hands on it from the US, it was out in the UK. It took months to arrive. I cancelled all my other pre-orders with them and none of the other ones I had pre-ordered ever materialised.

I've never pre-ordered since and have still been able to get what I've wanted

CHEERS!

Diamond Previews has a catalogue that's driven primarily by items that do have relatively fixed dates, like comics and magazines, and as well, DVDs and Blue-Rays. Even some of their toy and hobby stuff is a bit more susceptible to fixed dates as well, if it's mass market items that may be tied to scheduled paid advertising, or may already have firm committed delivery dates to the mass market stores, or that come to Previews in-house from Diamond Select. This creates a catalog system that is efficient for local comic book stores to globally order from, but it's inevitably a poor fit for hobby kits and 1/6 collectibles.
__________________
The guidance counselor was surprised: "I didn't even know career aptitude tests had a Super-Villain category."

 

[rogerbee]

Yep, it most definitely was, but, till Amerang got their act together I had no other way of getting the stuff. This was pre internet and eBay.

CHEERS!

 

[Efbee]

Release dates (regardless of manufacturer) need to be taken with a pinch of salt. Most figures are usually delayed by a month or 2, but others can be on time (early even). Delivery time is greatly affected by location as well. Asian markets tend to get it first, followed by US, then Europe. Any dates given are largely irrelevant.

:agree That's spot-on.I have one item on Pre-order currently whose release date was slated to be September.As of last week,after a few bumps already,it's been pushed back to December.
But it's cool,i know i'll get it eventually.Like the other here are saying,never be in a rush cause that way lies disappointment.

 

[88Reaper88]

The release date will be a month or two after you expect it, usually just after your car blows up or something else sucks your wallet dry

 

[itchybitz]

The one thing I do like about pre-orders, if you pay the whole thing upfront, is that by the time you get it it's like getting it for free:lol

 

[highwayman57]

The one thing I do like about pre-orders, if you pay the whole thing upfront, is that by the time you get it it's like getting it for free:lol

Yeah, I've ordered from Alter Ego Comics several times, and each time I elected to pay the full amount upfront using PayPal... it's always worked out great for me!

David

 

[onesixthpolice]

By doing that....paying the total up-front.......do you worry about the item being cancelled, or never materializing at all? Is there a time limit on how far you can go back to recover thru paypal?

 

[highwayman57]

By doing that....paying the total up-front.......do you worry about the item being cancelled, or never materializing at all? Is there a time limit on how far you can go back to recover thru paypal?

No, I really don't worry about it. Most of the stuff I've pre-ordered that way have been Hot Toys figures that were heavily promoted, so I was 100% certain they wouldn't be cancelled. The last item I pre-ordered that way is the Go Hero Rocketman figure, which they've been working on for several years, and when I saw the final prototype photos of the figure & accessories, I knew I just had to have it. Plus, I have a lot of faith in Alter Ego Comics; they have top-notch customer service, and I have no doubt that if any item was cancelled by the manufacturer, they would refund my purchase in full without me having to file a PayPal claim. How many other companies could you say that about?

David