Ted Mays of Gecko Books & Comics in Honolulu, Hawaii read L.E. Becker's remarks concerning the lateness and quality of DC Direct products (see "L.E. Becker of WARP 9 on DC Direct Products") and had this to say.

L. E. Becker's comments about DC Direct surprised me, because the first thing I look at in the Previews every month is the DC Direct stuff, and I consider their products to be an integral element of our future existence.

Help me out here.  Is there another source where you can order full cases of "top tier" characters that are accurately sculpted and painted?  And you know ahead of time exactly what's in the case?  And exactly when they will arrive (or fully returnable)?  And you don't have to order crazy amounts to get a competitive discount?  And you know Walmart and Target and Kmart, etc. won't have them?  And even if they did you can sell them at a competitive price for a change?

This is what happens at my store every day:

Customer: "Do you have a Spider-Man toy?"
Me (paraphrasing): "We have this $22.00 SRP Marvel Select hunk of immovable plastic that takes up a cubic foot of space and is usually not in stock at my distributor, or I have these leftovers from the recent Hasbro assortments that are a daily reminder that I can't make any money on a case of Marvel Universe figures because Walmart sells them for less than my wholesale."
Customer: "I'll pass.  Do you have Batman or Superman or Wonder Woman toys?"
Me: "Here are 6 different versions of each at a reasonable price"
Customer: "I will buy these."
Me: "Thanks, I will use the money to pay rent."

Am I alone here?  And was I the only retailer who sighed with relief when they saw the Marvel Select Gambit is finally arriving next week?

The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial staff of ICv2.com.