This article from Toy News International seems to also get why subs are not selling:

Start showing some actual faith in your own product: I get that you want to have a number of guaranteed sales so you reduce your chance of taking a loss, but you know what the other message you are sending with that policy is??? You don’t have faith in your own products. If you don’t have faith in your products enough to make enough stock so the figures aren’t constantly selling out then why should I have faith in it as a consumer?
http://toynewsi.com/news.php?catid=241&itemid=18973