Update: 4/7/12 The shop now has a working checkout button and it significantly changes my opinion.
The button links to a Checkout page at DisneyStore.com. This means that you can add whatever you want from Facebook, including the Facebook exclusive figure, and then check out at DisneyStore.com receiving all the benefits there in. Meaning you can then add other items, Vinylmation or not, from the Disney Store into your cart. You can also apply all discount codes including free shipping. You can also of course log into your DisneyStore.com account. I still will not purposefully shop through Facebook unless I really desire the exclusive being offered, but it makes me feel better about the process.
4/5/12 Disney has introduced a Shop section on the official Vinylmation Facebook page. I'll be honest, I did not know such an application existed to shop on Facebook. On the surface it is remarkably brilliant for a company as a way to increase impulse purchases. I mean how many people go to Facebook for the purpose of purchasing an item? The interface however seems a bit clunky and I could not actually find a way to pay for the items in my checkout cart. (and by some comments, I wasn't the only one) The later is an issue I'd assume will be fixed ASAP. So why would you want to purchase through Facebook you ask? For Facebook exclusive figures. The Theme Park Favorites Blue Ringer Tee figure made it's debut yesterday. Here is a rundown of how to shop, the interface and a look at the exclusive figure. First, you have to "like" the official
Disney Vinylmation Facebook page. Then you can click on the Shop icon. Next you have to accept some application notices before you can access the shop.
Right now, the shop only features a few select departments with a limited amount of Vinylmation. Teams, Theme Park Favorites, 2012s, Light Ups and Park 7 LE Fife and Drum are among the initial offerings.
You can then select a department and look at individual items that you can then add to your cart, wish list, share listing with FB friends or let FB friends know you want it.
That is the Facebook exclusive Blue Ringer Tee figure for $12.95. It is a variation on the Red and Yellow versions we have already seen.
You can then add figures to your cart, but there is no checkout button to actually pay for you items yet. So we will continue to check on that (unless someone out there has found the way and can share?)
There are a few other interesting items around the shop. Such as the "Meet the Artist" windows that pop up. Right now, Eric Caszatt is the only one I saw, but this is a brilliant idea. We asked Disney to do this at least a year ago and they told us they didn't have the man-power to put it together. We did offer to talk to the artists and put it on DV, but they kindly declined. I really hope they put more of these up, they are an invaluable tool to get to know the artists. There are also some tabs that do not seem to have a function yet, but point to added features down the road. These include "Rewards" and "Badges". I don't care much for Badges, but if we can rack up Reward points for buying Vinylmation, I'm all for it. How about a Nintendo style point system where we can register our Vinylmation purchases online and rack up points to get rewards or exclusive figures at the end of the year? To me, seeing the "Rewards" tab could make Facebook shopping worth it. I am passing on Blue Ringer, but will certainly use Facebook for exclusive figures that I desire to add to my collection. It will also be interesting to see if Facebook carries vinyls found in the Parks but not Online (right now, that is not the case.) So other than exclusives, and with Free Shipping and Discount codes at DisneyStore.com, there is not an incentive to buy through Facebook for me at this time. Will you be shopping for vinyl at Facebook? Have you ever shopped through Facebook? And what do you think about Rewards and where that can go down the road?
