ShookieJones
We need time for things to happen.
Very possible. Let's think about this. If it's huge in Japan there are probably
Ebay sellers buying this stuff up by the truckload and putting out there..
Anybody check Ebay?
-
Welcome to the WDWMAGIC.COM Forums!
Please take a look around, and feel free to sign up and join the community.
Duffy merchandise proves to be extremely popular - purchase limits coming into effect
- Thread starter wdwmagic
- Start date
Very possible. Let's think about this. If it's huge in Japan there are probably
Ebay sellers buying this stuff up by the truckload and putting out there..
Anybody check Ebay?
During my last visit to WDW, the Duffy story was part of the programming lineup on the TV in my room. Saw it several times. And hoooo booyyyy, talk about cheezy! It had the kind of storybook art that makes Mickey Mouse look unpleasant (and it takes a certain kind of talent, or lack of same, to make Mickey Mouse look un-cute) and a drippy story to go along with it. I've never been crazy about Duffy, but after a few viewings of that video I've grown to hate that little lintball of a bear. Can't believe he's all that popular. I wish Disney would dump him and work on creating better stuffed toy versions of Mickey. I keep waiting for this. I've been to the park 5 times so far and I have yet to buy a Mickey doll because IMO they all pretty much suck.
Yep. I feel the same way. Worst thing about Tokyo Disney when I got to go a couple months ago as an add-on to a business trip was Duffy...everywhere. Seemingly half the guests had a Duffy. He did meet and greets, as did his girfriend. The Duffy stores had lines to get into them. People had their Duffy's in little costumes. There are specially set picture spots with stands so you can put your Duffy on them and get a pic of Duffy with a cool background. Scary.
SleepingMonk
Well-Known Member
It's time he got the credit he deserves!
Figments Friend
Well-Known Member
When i visited EPCOT last year and was finally able to take a close look at all the Duffy bears and clothing, i was immediately reminded of Build-a-Bear Workshop. Even the display racks, and the color schemes.
It seems to me Duffy is really just Disneys answer to the Build-a-Bear fad that has been popular with kids for the past several years. What i saw really drove that home. The only step missing is the fill-it-yourself, but they probably wanted to avoid legal entanglements....
:lookaroun
Figments Friend
Well-Known Member
This is very possible. There are already hundreds of locals with Annual Passses who sell Disney Trading Pins on eBay, so why not Duffy stuff too?
There are always people out there looking to make a buck or two....
AEfx
Well-Known Member
It's about the "whales".
The one-off Duffy sales from a visiting tourist won't change dramatically, but to anyone who "collects" them enough to know (and likely spends a great deal of money) it certainly will drive sales. It's really common psychology with modern "collectables". Make them rare - or seem rare - and make everyone want them. I mean heck, people spend $10 on those Vinylmation things - and you don't even know which one you get! If they were just sold individually or in sets, there sales would be far less than it would be if people weren't buying up stacks of them just to search for elusive "rares".
It's also because for some reason that Duffy junk sells well online - resellers. Kind of like people make bundles on pins and just general Disney merchandise (because people don't know that most regular WDW merch you can order direct from Disney at the same price they sell it for in the parks). I mean, some people have websites showing pictures of items that are sitting on WDW shelves, posting those pictures for "sale", and then go buy it from the store once they have sold it, and upcharge very large sums.
As has been pointed out, since one can just go store to store, the limit is just to give a surge to the Duffy market - it's actually a sign the line is not performing as well as it did/as they wanted it to. Or they would just be sitting back and enjoying the profits. It's not like the materials to make a stuffed bear are rare - and Disney couldn't order a million of them and have them ready in a month if they desired.
JimboJones123
Well-Known Member
BS!
100%
1) Disney really wants to limit the number of something being sold. They would rather only ring up 5 bears for $125 than 20 bears for $500. What a load of crap that is. They would be much more happy with 10-15 super buyers spending a months worth of hotel rooms at the GF in one day than not.
2) Disney has limited orders all the time for special event merchandise and never limits the sales. I have missed out on special merchandise for Marathon weekends, Star Wars Weekends, hard ticket events at MK, F&W and F&G merch. Disney specifically only orders limited numbers of items for these events so they aren't stuck selling a 2012 Everest Challenge shirts at the Character Outlet in 2016.
If they can sell it, they would be happy to. If it is risky that they won't, they won't.
This is soooooooooooooooo fake.
100%
1) Disney really wants to limit the number of something being sold. They would rather only ring up 5 bears for $125 than 20 bears for $500. What a load of crap that is. They would be much more happy with 10-15 super buyers spending a months worth of hotel rooms at the GF in one day than not.
2) Disney has limited orders all the time for special event merchandise and never limits the sales. I have missed out on special merchandise for Marathon weekends, Star Wars Weekends, hard ticket events at MK, F&W and F&G merch. Disney specifically only orders limited numbers of items for these events so they aren't stuck selling a 2012 Everest Challenge shirts at the Character Outlet in 2016.
If they can sell it, they would be happy to. If it is risky that they won't, they won't.
This is soooooooooooooooo fake.
JimboJones123
Well-Known Member
They're pulling my leg with this one.
unkadug
Follower of "Saget"The Cult
Duffy?
You're obviously a fan..Google gives us several pix...What is this?
It's time he got the credit he deserves!
You're obviously a fan..Google gives us several pix...What is this?
The Hammer
Banned
Here's a new theory, maybe when Disney says that Duffy is popular and a big seller, he actually is, and you guys are wrong? Some how I think if it was the Orange Bird, no one would develop strange theories to explain his success.
The Orange Bird was brought back to capitalize on nostalgia. I'm not sure that Duffy is at quite the same level in that regard....
As others have said (me included), Duffy's whole creation was for only one thing - to sell merchandise. Disney would love it if someone wanted to buy a hundred of these things, scalper or not. They'd be more than happy to take the money.
Unless there's a problem with a supplier, this is all complete bs.
Unless there's a problem with a supplier, this is all complete bs.
AEfx
Well-Known Member
Can you support that theory?
How does a limit on a single purchase change anything? How does it matter when someone can just go on to the next store, or even go back to the same store a few minutes later and buy from a different counter? Are these bears so rare that Disney will be tracking you? Via video? Your credit card? What if you use a different card with the same name?
It's all hooey. Just like bag check, it's theater. It's very common to artificially make a "collectable" rare, and that's all this is. Unless you think Disney is such a weak company that they can't make enough stuffed bears to keep up with "demand".
unkadug
Follower of "Saget"The Cult
wdw71fan
Well-Known Member
The problem is internet resellers...
Duffy is VERY popular overseas, and they have 'unique' items at WDW and Disneyland.. that aren't sold anywherer else in the world..
So... Local buy tons of it, resell it to overseas customers (ebay, amazon store fronts, etc) and make profits off of it..
Simple process, and disney is trying to make it harder for them.. and I don't disagree with the method..
I'd be ed if some jack-wagon bought 500 bux worth of Duffy merch, and my kid couldn't buy one because they cleared the rack...
and it has happened, and continues to.. So, good policy change here!!
Duffy is VERY popular overseas, and they have 'unique' items at WDW and Disneyland.. that aren't sold anywherer else in the world..
So... Local buy tons of it, resell it to overseas customers (ebay, amazon store fronts, etc) and make profits off of it..
Simple process, and disney is trying to make it harder for them.. and I don't disagree with the method..
I'd be ed if some jack-wagon bought 500 bux worth of Duffy merch, and my kid couldn't buy one because they cleared the rack...
and it has happened, and continues to.. So, good policy change here!!
sweetpee_1993
Well-Known Member
Yep. Like I was saying, there's some listings that are for a lot of like 10 or 20 of a single bear. If you do the math the price break per bear isn't that significant if it exists at all. So who are these listings geared towards? They aren't new. Since the US parks release, as long as I've searched for Duffy stuff (mostly I look for Japanese items) I've seen them. I've often wondered what anyone would want these listings for. Obviously they wouldn't exist over such a long period of time if there wasn't some success with them. I think Japanese buyers who mark them up to resell individually over there is the best explanation.
I seriously need to go to TDL! I would looooove to see & participate in the Duffy hype there. I know it's not for everyone but it's right up my alley. Obviously Duffy (as well as all things kawaii) strikes a nerve with the Japanese so it's part of the overall experience of doing Disney in a foreign country. I don't know what I'd break the bank more on: Duffy & Shellie May or Minnie Couture. I could totally hurt myself with the Minnie Couture plush.
sweetpee_1993
Well-Known Member
What I don't get is why Disney thinks imposing these limits will deter the people who want to purchase quantities to resell in other markets. It's just like anything else, there's ways to skirt the system if you really want to. So instead of going to a single shop and buying 25 Duffy bears at once you go to 5 shops, buy 5 Duffy bears at each, and pay with cash each time. It's not like you can't go to Downtown Disney and maybe 1 resort to find 5 shops selling Duffy. Ya know? The people who really want to do this still will. :shrug:
imagineer boy
Well-Known Member
I don't understand why Duffy would be that popular in the first place. Its just a friggin Teddy Bear that doesn't do anything. :shrug: