So upset with Hasbro right now...Comic Con was an absloute nightmare!

[Stroggos]

heaven forbid that children see a googly-eyed silly pony, THE HORROR!

Made my day.

Although my judgement may be tempered by not having been at Comic-Con, I'm willing to cut Hasbro some slack on the grounds that Bubble Horse was manufactured at all. I think that's pretty good going in terms of customer engagement.

Unfortunately, the more desirable the product, the more things will get stressful for collectors when the buying window does open.

Still, there are now a lot more of her out there than the original 100 Taobao prototypes, so she will be accessible in future at a more reasonable price I should think when the dust has settled.

There could be a good chance they simply underestimated the response she would create.

[sailorstitch]

I have a guy that goes to SDCC every year for me. He's been picking up ponies and other exclusives for me for 6 years. This is the first year that he was unsuccessful in his quest.

Here's a copy of the email he sent me with his Pony horror story. (He gave me permission to post it here.)

I had no idea how popular that pony was. I usually show up at 10am when
the doors are already opened and no lines to the exhibit hall. I got to
the convention extra early just for you, 6:30am. So I waited in line for
30 minutes until they let us enter the building at 7:00am and I ran
upstairs to the Sails Pavilion to get in the hasbro ticket line (the 2nd
Line). I was told Friday that tickets were going to be passed out at
8am, I was maybe #200 in line, that line stretched outside of the sails
pavilion and became an amusement park line. After an hour and a half
(8:30am), I got the ticket to go down stairs to get in line at the
Hasbro Booth. I know enough about Con to know every booth keep stock on
a daily limit of figures that they sell. So I knew I had to find a way
downstairs to get to the hasbro booth before the masses. And
unfortunately the doors open at 9:30am and my ticket said "can't be used
until 10am", I knew it could be sold out by then. But I was hoping for a
miracle.
 
I found a way to sneak past security using my pro badge, I made it down
stairs through the back of the convention, which places me closer to the
hasbro booth. (score) I made nice with some people that had handicap
stickers, they were waiting to be let in early before the main crowd.
They were let in at 9:25am, and so was I. Miracle.
 
I ran to the Hasbro booth, and got in my 3rd line, I think I may have
been #25, don't even know how those people even got there before me, but
# 25 is better than 200. A guy walked up to me and asked if I was buying
the Transformers Bruticas for $100. I said no, so he asked if I could
buy him one. He seemed kind of shady like an exhibitor that was going
back to his booth to sell it for $400, and he more than likely had
bought his limit. But I said sure as he passed me the $100. Just as he
did, a mad rush of people came out of no where getting in line for
Hasbro, it wrapped around the booth, and they started a 2nd line away
from the booth by the back wall. Insane.
 
The line began to move and the Hasbro security guard asked me for my
ticket,  I showed it to him, and he said I can not go in until 10am, I
said I had a panel I needed to be in at 10. He did not care. "Here take
mine" I heard as the shady guy handed me his Friday ticket from the day
before, which the guard then accepted. So I was allowed in. Another Miracle.
 
As I said, I was maybe #25 in line, and when they reached the 4th person
in front of me, they pulled down the Pony sign that said "In Stock." I
could not believe it, to come so far and to be so close. And the lady
said they were not just out of Pony's for the day, they were out of
Pony's for the rest of the show. You should have heard the gasp, and
shrieks of horror that came from people. I could only imagine the anger
on the other 1000 people behind me in line when they found out. And
worse of all, I dreaded having to tell you this bad news. It has always
been a challenge getting you your ponies every year, but this year was
by far the worse, but to to fail you, is what made it even harder. I am
so sorry. :-( :'(
 
If I had known I would only have one chance to get you the ponies, I
would have missed my panels on Thursday and Friday to do so. I wish
Hasbro would pre-sale their merchandise like Mattel does. Since Mattel
and He-man are the only things I care about at Con, I just pick them up
at the hotel next door when I feel like it, just show my receipt, no
stress. But Hasbro, they seem to want to torture their fans. I hope you
will be able to get the pony online some how, and hopefully not pay a
fortune.
 
Here are a few pictures of the sanity. Photo 001 is outside trying to
get into the building. Photos 004 & 005 is the Hasbro ticket line. They
had us zig zagging like an amusement park. And one feel good photo of
the San Diego Trolley.
 
Once again I am greatly sorry. I do hope you get your Derby some how.

Here are the photos he sent me.

The LIIINNNNNEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!
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And the PONY TROLLEY!!!!!!
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So I'm sadly on the hunt for Pony too.....

sailorstitch

[Zenobiaa]

That first photo is a single LINE? o-O My gosh, it wasn't half that bad when I got there. I really hope Hasbro learns from this. I've never bought an exclusive from Mattel, but their system sounds amazing, I wish Hasbro would use something like that. And I know she's supposed to be exclusive but they're crazy if they thought 1000 ponies was enough to satisfy even a fraction of the demand.

I'm so sorry he had to go through all that and still wasn't able to get you a pony sailorstitch

[Prismatic]

Yep that was what the line looked like both days I went lol.  Surprised I managed to get anything.  The second day there had to have been 500 people ahead of me, at least, but it seems most were after ballroom 20 or other stuff, I somehow ended up near the very front of the exhibit line.

I've never bought an exclusive from Mattel, but their system sounds amazing, I wish Hasbro would use something like that.

Not really.  Honestly, Hasbro's line was better.  With Mattel, if you were after the mh doll (as most were),if you weren't in their lines within 5 minutes of them opening the exhibit hall, you got a big fat nuthin.  It's great if you preordered, but the mh doll's preorders sold out quickly too.  Mattel let you buy double the dolls, you could get back in line, and they only sold 500 a day.  Great if you need to get her for others or were a scalper, but sucked for a lot of little girls and collectors who couldn't get in line fast enough.  She sold out faster than Pony.  We passed the hasbro booth at noon on thurs and the sign still said 'in stock' (not sure if they still were or if they just didn't bother to change the sign) Scarah sold out in about 25 minutes.

[LuvMyBoy]

Wow, that doesn't even look fun at all.... I know some people got mad at me when I said "hasbro = fail" a while back, but seriously..... fail.... They could have made a small fortune on these ponies and instead seem to enjoy "torturing their fans" as the person in the email said. I truly don't get it. i will probably end up buying from a scalper and paying several times what hasbro sold it for in the beginning. Learn from this Hasbro! For the love of god think of your fans! Don't bite the hand that feeds you!

[Heliodor]

Oh my GODS THOSE PICTURES. I have noooo desire to go to something like that ugh!!! I can't believe your friend couldn't get one after all those lucky moments!!

[Ren-Ren]

One year (probably in the early or mid 2000's...?) we attempted to "drop in" on Comic Con when we were going to be passing through the area. Uh...that didn't work out so well, LOL. The line to buy tickets was *literally* a mile long

[sailorstitch]

Oh my GODS THOSE PICTURES. I have noooo desire to go to something like that ugh!!! I can't believe your friend couldn't get one after all those lucky moments!!

I know..... When I was first reading it I kept hoping for one more miracle. so close, yet so far.....

I just hope that they still have some set aside for the website. When do they normally go on sale online? I've never had to buy on online before.

sailorstitch

[Heliodor]

Actually I have heard that normally go on sale the Monday or Tuesday after the con, so they've been late putting them up. In one of the other threads Hasbro did confirm they would be putting stock up on HTS, but could not verify a date or time, so it's really a crapshoot right now... I'm so sorry your friend missed out! I just can't imagine spending a whole day in a mile-long line...or several...ughhh so not fun. I preordered her for 60$ well over a month ago and my seller was able to get it (I really thought they would say they had no luck too!) I don't mind paying for it, because I have no desire to go to SDCC and the only reason I would go would be to get her...so I'm saving like boatloads of money & time by not going and also more than likely NOT getting her. But not everyone can/wants to do that, and I just can't believe your friend missed out so quickly!! I have no idea how people even got one when it was like that?? OMGS. Freaking out at the pics still. 

[reanna-mator]

My Pony has shipped! Phew! I was beginning to worry... with shipping I paid $68 for this girl, only surpassed by Mimic! I still feel awfully bad for those who wanted one who haven't gotten one especially since I wasn't even at the con... This really has been a fiasco.

[majikarte]

That "line" is why I'd never want to go to a big convention, ugh. I love the Friendship Express there though!

[Stroggos]

.. Those photos.. Sweet Celestia. I had no idea.

[Pinecone]

THAT LINE

I prefer Zecora, anyway.

I don't think it will be a general toy though. Too much name controversy.

[goddessofpeep]

Yup, I was in that line Thursday.  Didn't get at ticket either, so it was a complete waste.  That's several hours of my life I'll never get back. 

Next year if I go, I'm not going to try to buy from the Hasbro booth.  It costs A LOT of money to attend with the tickets, gas, food, and hotel fees.  I'm not going to pay all that money to stand in line the whole day(or days) for a toy, I don't care how special it is.  I'll find some other way to get the ponies. Hopefully not involving scalpers, but my time is worth something too.  I don't like supporting scalpers, but really what choice does anyone have?  I might just go without that particular pony, it's that awful an experience to buy from them.  Mattel has the system down.  Why can't Hasbro get their act together?

[Calico_Star]

...Oh wow. Those pictures have greatly diminished my desire to ever go to Comic Con. What a bummer