The world of Amiibo collecting has quickly become this decade's equivalent of the now-incomprehensible Beanie Baby craze of the 1990s . Pre-orders for hard-to-find Amiibo go for significant markups in the secondary market . Customers are camping out to get limited shipments of retailer exclusives. Last month, a rush of customers at GameStop locations across the country brought down the retailer's point-of-purchase computer systems in their eagerness to pre-order a new wave.

Through it all, Nintendo has been less than helpful or clear communicating specifically which figures from among the four existing waves of Amiibo figures will be available where, when, and in what quantities. That situation will change, according to a statement the company posted on Facebook this afternoon.

We appreciate the enthusiasm that our fans continue to show toward amiibo. Sales for the product have exceeded our expectations. We understand how frustrating it can be at times if consumers are unable to find certain figures, and we apologize for that. As our library of amiibo continues to grow, some figures will be easier to find than others. We are constantly looking for the opportunity to reissue amiibo and are already making plans to bring back some currently out-of-stock amiibo figures. Stay tuned for details. Nintendo plans to make it easier for consumers to know when new amiibo are on the way, through Nintendo press announcements, timely updates on our social media channels and working closely with retailers."

Nintendo also promoted the recent launch of the Nintendo's Greatest Bits service, which lets Amiibo owners unlock limited classic game demos on the Wii U.

Amiibo availability is of interest to more than just toy collectors. With Nintendo increasingly locking gameplay content behind an Amiibo-unlocked gate, knowing the availability of specific figures is important to those who want to get the most out of their games.

Those interested in the collectible side of the equation, though, should note that Nintendo is apparently making small changes to the appearance of some reissued Amiibo. Inevitably, this will lead some collectors to place inflated value on the rarer "first issue" figures, even as they attempt to track down every variant and slight alteration to add to their collections.

In any case, Nintendo's promises for improved communications are a welcome, if vague, step in the right direction toward making the Amiibo market a little more predictable and easy to follow. If Nintendo wants to make good on that promise, it could start by clarifying just what is up with the rumored silver Mario figures that have recently been spotted in the wild and on internal retailer systems but not officially announced. Come on, Nintendo, spill the Amii-beans already!