Rant: Longshots.. Where are they?!:P

Longshots. As hard to find as Wally/Waldo?!:P

I just got a pretty interesting comment on a post back in March regarding the rumours of the Longshot being discontinued. Sooo.. since the comment was by an "Anonymous" reader- here it is:

"Pocket: you need to stop getting people's hopes up high about the Nerf Longshot. It is OFFICIAL that the blaster has been discontinued. It happened last year in the States and other countries will follow suit. The stock you Ozzies have is old stock, probably from china and once it's gone, it'll be gone just like it is here. I like your blog but i'm sick of hearing about how the Longshot is available because one day you will go to your stores and realise its gone and wish you did buy up when you could"


Oooh, I sense it's RANT time! More after the jump:)


Other than the Maverick REV-6, the most common Nerf blaster found in Australian toy stores in 2011 is.. the Longshot CS-6. I kid you not, the most acclaimed N-Strike blaster on any die hard Nerf affectionato's list is probably the most available. Prices have also come down a fair way too from this time last year- the rumour of them being discontinued kept prices around the 70 dollar AUS mark, but now you'd have no problem with picking out up for under 40 bucks.

Regardless of how available they are for us, and how often we keep saying "hey friends, they're everywhere", we keep still getting emails and msgs saying "no they're discontinued". They were featured at this year's Australian toy fair; they make it into every toy store's catalogue, and they're on every toy store's shelves wherever we go. And were not talking a box or two that was found in the back room.This is new stock, that KEEPS on coming.

During sale time, it's not unheard of to see maybe 30, 50 units stacked up, only to be replenished several weeks later. Ever since the rumours of them being discontinued last year, this has been a regular occurance. We're talking over 8-9 months of Longshot saturation, people. Throw your rumours out that we just got the US's old stock, or these were old factory rejects or whatever. They just keep on coming.

I appreciate, they're not easily available in the US. This is unfortunate, but it doesn't mean they've been discontinued. I'm happy to accept maybe they've stopped being distributed to the US, or even discontinued in the US, but that again does not translate to "Nerf have discontinued them". Cos they're.. still here. It's like us insisting Alpha Troopers or Spectres didn't exist because they weren't available here in Australia last year. We knew they were around.. and we went to great lengths to get them.

And that's the other really odd thing. Regardless of how much the Longshot is loved and missed by so many of our American friends, they still will not..import. Even 35 dollars AUS is too expensive and while we're always getting "you're lucky" and "I wish they'd bring them out here" and even every second day a kid begs Nerf on the Facebook page to bring back the Longshot, not once have we ever had any request to buy and send over to the States.  Do you not believe your own rumours?

When the Alpha Trooper was first released, we paid 70 bucks AUS for it to bring it over. Was it worth it, really? Well it depends on how you value things. Now, you can pick one up for under 25 bucks at your local Target in Australia, but this time last year, they were a blaster we all wanted. Kids saved, and hit up eBay and other etailers and paid the ridiculous shipping prices to get one.

Now, maybe we're just dumb, and maybe our American friends are smarter and know a Longshot just isn't worth paying 35dollars AUS plus shipping to get; but the main thing it comes down to is, as with everything- if you want it- you can get it, it just depends how much. If the Longshot is that "rare" and you all really want one.. well I can guarantee you there's plenty here in Australia and if you really do believe the rumours (and I'm not saying they're not true, I'm just going with what I see every Friday night) then surely you'd be snapping them up as fast as you can and schmoozing Aussies left right and centre to get you as many as possible!

Many of us, (me included) listened to the "they're discontinued" line and stocked up. I have two Longshots still in box sitting in the corner that I paid 69 dollars for each. I admit I feel a lil sheepish every time I walk past Big W...

But...If the Longshot is destined to be like the Crossbow- surely it's better to stock up now where they're plentiful at whatever price, as it's gonna be cheaper than the 400 bucks they might one day go for on eBay in the future?:)