Just when it looked like Hasbro was taking a step in the right direction with collectors, the G.I. Joe Classified Series Dreadnok Thunder Machine Made-to-Order terms may have the company taking three steps back.
To borrow a saying from our good friend It’s_Chad:
“That! That! Bullshit!”
#ChadWasRight
The G.I. Joe Classified Series #244 Dreadnok Thunder Machine is priced at $124.99, but collectors need to pay close attention to the terms before ordering.
According to Hasbro Pulse, the Made-to-Order window closes October 23, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET, with payment processed when the ordering window closes. The Thunder Machine isn’t estimated to ship until approximately September 1, 2027.
That’s roughly 10 months between Hasbro collecting your money and the vehicle’s estimated arrival.
Now, there is an important distinction. HasLab campaigns already operate on a model where customers are charged after the campaign successfully closes. Collectors participating in HasLab understand that they’re funding a product well before it ships.
The concern here is Made-to-Order.
This appears to be a change from Hasbro’s previous Made-to-Order campaigns, where collectors weren’t subjected to this same payment structure. The Thunder Machine’s terms therefore blur a line between the Made-to-Order and HasLab models:
Hasbro gets the money when the ordering campaign ends, while collectors potentially wait months for the finished product.
And the timing isn’t great.
Collectors are already being hit with numerous expensive figures and vehicles heading into the holiday season, on top of previous Made-to-Order releases such as the Arctic H.I.S.S. Asking customers to hand over another $124.99 months before delivery puts additional pressure on collector budgets.
It also raises a legitimate question:
Why change the Made-to-Order payment model now?
Some collectors may wonder whether collecting those payments during the fourth quarter benefits Hasbro’s financial reporting. There is no evidence establishing that the policy was created to pad quarterly results, but the timing certainly gives collectors another reason to ask Hasbro for greater transparency.
As we covered in our original Plastiq News Thunder Machine report, Made-to-Order looked like an interesting alternative for bringing products to market without HasLab. Changing the payment structure could significantly alter how collectors view that program.
Official Hasbro Pulse Thunder Machine:
https://www.hasbropulse.com/product/gi-joe-classified-series-244-dreadnok-thunder-machine/G43155L00
Disclosure: Plastiq News does not receive any revenue, commission, or other compensation from links included in this article.
Hasbro can make one step forward with collectors and somehow take three steps back at the exact same time.
That! That! Bullshit! #ChadWasRight
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