Toys to Retirement Weekly Wrap-Up #22
Hello friends,
A hectic week for many in the Amazon space, as it seems more gatings, section 3’s, and other typical Amazon nonsense continues to run amuck.
Sellers continue to be squeezed from every angle, with adidas now partnering with Amazon directly and Nike also re-gating several sellers asking for 100+ unit invoices.
I feel for those affected by this, but it continues to cement in my mind that Toys & Games are the safest category as a reseller. As I always preach, collectible toys have numerous exit strategies even if everything went wrong. Amazon and Walmart could kick us all off tomorrow, but that doesn’t mean the collectible market suddenly vanishes — it just shifts. That is why I will continue to ‘put all my eggs in one basket’ in this category, even if it means missing out on some profit from other categories. The collectible market existed before ecommerce, and it will continue to exist whether the retail giants want to participate or not. Ups and downs sure, but we can protect ourself by focusing on tried and true intellectual properties. Pokemon, LEGO, Marvel, etc. — they aren’t going anywhere. Squishmallows? Goo Jit Zu? Probably won’t last forever. In uncertain times, precise product selection and patience are your strongest tools.
Anyways, just wanted to bring that up again. I know there is a lot of uncertainty out there, rightfully so, and just wanted to clarify where I stand on all of the recent shakiness.
Speaking of gatings…
My understanding was that yesterday, 3/13/25, would be the deadline for several toy brands before gating people. Monster High, Marvel, Pokemon, etc. I’ve been watching intently, and I really don’t see any out of the ordinary seller count drops (yet). What this tells me is that Amazon really is saying “use it or lose it.” If you don’t sell X amount of a brand in X amount of time, it seems Amazon may be keen to gate you. Hopefully Amazon sticks to gating and NOT restrictions moving forward.
Should I Un-Gate It?
Earlier this week I did a 30-minute product research video on ‘Hasbro Gaming’. This is one of the brands that was RESTRICTED for me last year, but recently opened up for application if I purchase 100 units. I wanted to show you guys my process for determining if I want to spend the money to un-gate this brand, and recorded it here:
![[VIDEO LESSON] Should I Un-gate it? Hasbro Gaming](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_140,h_140,c_fill,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F15584648-f5a2-4a90-a955-3cf6091fab8d_500x500.png)
Nothing earth-shattering was discovered, but I did find some leads that I’m really interested in monitoring going into Q4 (both for Amazon to Walmart and Amazon to Amazon). If you’re one of the people who like live product research and enjoys picking up little nuggets here and there, this one could be a nice watch for you.
Incredible LEGO Gift with Purchase
One of the best LEGO GWPs I’ve seen in my opinion. Botanical, solid attainable threshold of $150, great piece count, displayable, and comes just in time for Mother’s Day. I was selling the previous flower GWP for $70, and I imagine this one will be no different in time. I stacked up on every exclusive set that I’m interested in this year, even though it’s early. You can also stack a nice 10% gift card discount from giftcards.com with code SHAMROCK. Don’t forget to use your VIP points as well for an extra GWP!
Stranger Thing’s Sadie Sink cast in Spider-Man 4
It’s always an exciting time for Marvel when news, leaks, and rumors start to appear for upcoming Avengers and Spider-Man films. These sort of casting announcements can be useful for product research, depending on what merchandise is already available for the characters that are going to be portrayed. Here’s the thing — people aren’t sure who she will be playing! The obvious call out is her red hair must mean she’s playing some Mary Jane variant right? Not necessarily. Rumors are also circling that Spider-Man 4 will inch us closer to mutant territory, and that could mean — Firestar! Not well known by mainstream audiences, but a character who could be elevated into stardom depending on how the character is written and how Sadie portrays her. Perhaps the Marvel Legends Series Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends 3-Pack is destined for a nice price bump, or maybe we will get a new figure altogether. Time will tell!
Lilo & Stitch Trailer
Nothing to say here. We all already know it. Going to be shocked if this isn’t doing a billion at the box office. Expect merch to explode and store shelves to be absolutely flooded with Stitch stuff this year. Very confident Disney will stick the landing with this one and I have to imagine there will be some kind of live-action version of a talking plush that gets released — serious potential there. I stocked up on some Stitch stuff this past December in anticipation for this movie, but it definitely won’t be enough. A few hundred Funko, some plush, some keychains — very excited to see how the merch all pans out here.
Pokemon Vending Machines now have limits
Finally. Hopefully we will see a reduction in fist fights and arguing at the machines. I know we’re all dirty resellers, but let’s at least have some compassion and a moral compass.
If you’re into Pokemon investing, here is a list of the official Pokemon vending machines:
https://support.pokemoncenter.com/hc/en-us/sections/13360842288916-Pok%C3%A9mon-Automated-Retail-Vending-Machines
Haven’t had luck catching any 151 or Prismatic at my local one yet, but did see someone get some Surging Sparks.
Just a reminder for those who aren’t paid subscribers…
Remember last week when I mentioned “There are a surprising number of LEGO sets that are already discontinued still sitting on the virtual and physical store shelves”? And then I linked to a paid article I did outlining all of the ones I was interested in?
Well, coincidentally, two days later about five of those sets went on a nice discount. They’re all gone now. I got about 30 of each. They’re all already profitable and will very likely never be restocked.
Why am I sharing this? Because if you aren’t a paid subscriber, you should be. You won’t make money off my newsletter every single week, but if you truly pay attention to a lot of what I’m sharing you will set yourself up for success to the point where a single SKU going on sale can cover your entire year of membership.
7-day free trial is still available.
Alright friends, going to wrap it up there. Have a lovely weekend and don’t forget to stack up some gift cards — the deals are insane right now!
Is there a way to get notifications on target? I had one of the retiring legos favorited but when I checked on the item it was already to late.