Little Plastic Jokers Sell Out in Minutes

Posted by Michelle Graham (michelle@filmschoolrejects.com) on May 7, 2008

It seems that fortune smiles on every single part of The Dark Knight available so far. From treasure hunts for trailers to memorabilia, fans just can’t get enough of the Caped Crusader. Though poor old Batman isn’t really the focus of obsessive affection, is he? Instead, the watchful eye of fandom has swung its gaze upon the Joker, and it just can’t get enough. Literally.

Over in New York city, there just wasn’t enough of the Joker to go around, as the plastic model of everyone’s favorite clown sold out in minutes city-wide. FAO Schwartz, Toys “R” Us, according to the New York Post, they’ve all been emptied of the newly ultra-rare $9.99 collectible, and one employee is quoted as saying “There are none left in the warehouse, either. You will be waiting a while if you want one.” Instead, fans may be forced to spend ridiculous amounts online in order to secure Ledger’s action figure, and the NYP has heard of one auction where the Joker was sold for $55 as part of double deal with Batman. Of course, store managers live to paint a brighter picture, and were quick to remind people of the fact that there will in fact be more shipments of the crazy clown coming in, so don’t worry too much just yet, there is hope.

There is of course, some part of me that wonders how much of this craze would have happened had Ledger not died tragically earlier in the year. Of course there was a huge wave of Joker madness, but would action figures have been sold out in mere minutes, if the role wasn’t his last? One man was seen buying 30 of the figure, 30! He must be pretty sure of their collectibility, and with people like him around to buy up stock, isn’t it guaranteed? Would he and his pals have had the same game plan if Ledger was still alive and well, with The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus in post production and another role lined up?

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