At the end of April, Mousedroid was able to sit down with the Boy Toys Marketing Managers here in Australia for a one-on-one discussion about Star Wars, the industry and collecting down under. There are not many companies in Australia, or even the world, that will grant fan news sites such access, as well as discuss their feelings on the market, their products and plans for the coming year. For that, Hasbro Australia well an truly deserve a big thank you from the collectors and Mousedroid, for being able to present our case and opinions in such an open forum.

One item we were eager to discuss were the TOP 5 QUESTIONS TO HASBRO AUSTRALIA that our readers submitted on their 2007 Star Wars Survey. Well, read on, as below are the answers to your questions.

Question #1 Why is there a such a price difference between Australian and US Star Wars items?

HASBRO REPLY:
The price differential is primarily due to the difference in retail structure between the two markets. Although the exchange rate is far more favorable to Australians than it has been in the past, our prices do not fluctuate with the rapid changes in the value of the dollar. Our prices are reassessed on an annual basis when we take into account many factors including the exchange rate. Hasbro does not set retail prices and as such you will certainly find some variation between retailers.

Question #2 Is it possible to get custom case assortments made for Australia?

HASBRO REPLY:
Hasbro Australia endeavors to select the best and widest range of the pre-planned case assortments for import into the local market. The creation of custom cases for a wave is an expensive action that throws off the balance of production capacities and requires considerable pre-planning and very large order quantities. As such Hasbro does not create market specific custom cases.

Question #3 Can Australian collectors get access to 'all the US store exclusives' (e.g. Wal-Mart)?

HASBRO REPLY:
Exclusive items for stores such as Target, Kmart, Toy’R’Us and Wal-Mart are all available for distribution here in Australia, if these local retail stores take up the stock or release stock for independent sale. Hasbro Australia understands the collectible nature of these exclusives and tries to find local retailers for the best of the US Store exclusives, with the exception of those items created internationally for StarWarsShop.com or Conventions.

Question #4 Is it possible for an Australian Exclusive figure to be made?

HASBRO REPLY:
Unfortunately, it is not possible to create ‘Regional Exclusives’. That is, exclusive product that are only available within one region and not linked to a promotion or convention. It has been previously assessed that the Australian market is not able to meet the minimum order for materials to create a ‘repaint’ exclusive nor cover design and tooling costs for a new exclusive item.

Question #5 When will Hasbro create an Online Store similar to HasbroShop.com?

HASBRO REPLY:
Hasbro Australia has been discussing the idea of an online outlet for HasbroShop.com here in Australia for some time. Hasbro Australia does not have any firm plans to look into this kind of venture for the next 12-18months.