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How hard/easy is it to find figures in your area?

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How hard/easy is it to find figures in your area?

Posted by decepta-scott Thu Sep 08, 2011 11:15 am

Hello all!! I live in louisville ky. Within about a fifteen min trip from my home there are five walmarts, three TRU,two coles, one T.J.max, one target, one meijers, one marshels, six right aids, five walgreens and five krogers.Bear in mind that I only collect RTS and generations.
Now, including the wal mart I work at three of the five have gobbs of thunder wing, cliff jumper and skull grin that have been there for a few months. The other two sell out of generations fast but only restock with the red alert,t wing, skull grin megs and sound wave. I got lucky and found a single war path wave finally but that sold out fast and has been replaced with the same ol stuff. None of my wal marts stock RTS.
TRU is a joke here. I remember before the movie figs came out both TRU told me they were sitting on a bunch of generations figs and would release them with dotm figs. I waited and was rewarded yet again with t wing, cliff jumper, skull grin, sound wave and megs. Again nono of my TRU stocks RTS.
Meijers has only three pegs for generations and therefore sells out kind of fast. It was there that I found and bought the only generations prime and B.B. that I have ever seen. Every once in awhile they will stock with the scourge/kup wave which sells out quickly, but not often. Once again they do not stock RTS.
Target has had the same red alert, skull grin and three t wings for two months now. Again they do not stock RTS line.
Coles, marshels and T.J. max never have squat. I only find a stray skull grin ar thunder wing every once and awhile but thats all for generations. All three stores did stock the RTS line for a few months and it was at marshels that I was able to find and buy the only RTS B.B. that I have ever seen. Other than that they had a few mind set and the occasional tracks. All three stores are now barren of any gen or RTS figs and have been for awhile.
Right aid, walgreens and krogers all barren of generations figs, but stocked the RTS lines. A few of the rite aid and wal greens still have tracks and mind set for twenty bucks apiece but kroger is out of RTS and has been for awhile.
So that wraps it up for my stores. Pathetic hu? This info has been collected over a seven month time period. I have had to revert to ebay for most of my figures. I have gotten lucky and found scourge, kup and war path in stores though. I am currently only missing a wreck gar and I have given up any hope of finding him in stores.
Where do you live and what do your stores look like as far as gen and RTS figs are concerned? Just wondering if other cities look as bad as mine do. Does hasbro know which figures are gumming up the shelfs and making it difficult to get new product in there? Are they going to do anything about it? Re do the case assortments maybe?
I have been told that in a few weeks the unsold dotm figs get sent back and a few of the spots will be given to generations line. That should be a good thing as long as no more shelf warmers show up.
Take care all!!
Scott. :CON:
decepta-scott

Re: How hard/easy is it to find figures in your area?

Posted by crossblades Thu Sep 08, 2011 11:25 am

Within a 30 minute drive of mine i have

1 TOys'r'us
3 tescos
2 sainsburys
1 smyths
1 tk maxx
2 bn bargains
2 home bargains

So far ive found...

@ Toysrus
Generations - thunderwing, soundwave, cliffjump and skullgrin at toyrus - nothing else generations, they had those 4, 1 of each only...
RTS/HFTD - Highbrow

@Bn Bargains
Battle blades prime

...

...


thats it! all my other RTS/HFTD and generations have come from ebay.

lucky you to find so many within such a short distance!
I'm also looking for G1 Scattershot - complete with all parts for computron (i've got all the other techno bots, just not got their leader! If you have him and are looking to sell or swap for something please let me know - cheers
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Re: How hard/easy is it to find figures in your area?

Posted by decepta-scott Thu Sep 08, 2011 11:41 am

Wow that stinks!! I wouldnt go so far as to call me lucky for finding a whooping three figures (only one of which is on the hard to come by list)though. Im shocked that your TRU is skimping so badly on the generations line. Are you looking for any of these......

wheeljack
warpath
scourge
kup

If so Ill keep an eye open for you. As Im sure youve gathered having just read my post I dont see many of those figs around here but If I do Ill grab em for ya if you want.
Also who is high brow and what does HFTD stand for? What is battle blades prime? Is that the RTS prime done in the movie style with the sword? If so, I saw him in the paper add that came with B.B. and jazz.(I got him from ebay) He looks neat and I wanted to get him but alas I can find no trace of RTS save a few stragglers. Is he a small figure compared to the gen line? Thanx.
decepta-scott

Re: How hard/easy is it to find figures in your area?

Posted by gavinfuzzy Thu Sep 08, 2011 11:42 am

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I live in Singapore... with a country thats is ~ 64 KM from edge to edge, you can go to any departmental store/TRU/toyshop within half an hour. All stores here are very up-to-date with figs. Problem is price, if you been to Asia, you'll realize they cost quite literally twice as much as they cost in the US. ;)

So i still cheap out and end up waiting for a sale. Generations recently dropped to $15 SGD and i snapped up a thunderwing. :lol:
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Re: How hard/easy is it to find figures in your area?

Posted by decepta-scott Thu Sep 08, 2011 11:51 am

gavinfuzzy wrote:I live in Singapore... with a country thats is ~ 64 KM from edge to edge, you can go to any departmental store/TRU/toyshop within half an hour. All stores here are very up-to-date with figs. Problem is price, if you been to Asia, you'll realize they cost quite literally twice as much as they cost in the US. ;)

So i still cheap out and end up waiting for a sale. Generations recently dropped to $15 SGD and i snapped up a thunderwing. :lol:



LOL!! So collectors are getting the proverbial shaft globaly and not just nationaly hu? Just cant win. Dont feel bad bro. Id wager that the vast majority of us have been forced to resort to ebay to procure a great number of our more recent collection. (within the last couple yrs or so) Most of the time you end up spending double what they cost in stores and thats for a loose figure.
The only six inch figures Ive seen that go for double in stores are to be found at drug stores such as walgreens, rite aid, etc.
Twenty bucks retail for a turbo tracks?! WOWZA!!! I wish I could say I did not partake but I had to have a tracks. I like him pretty well though so I guess the sting was dulled a bit when I cracked him open and got him to bot mode.
decepta-scott

Re: How hard/easy is it to find figures in your area?

Posted by Jelze Bunnycat Thu Sep 08, 2011 12:02 pm

Motto: "The only good is knowledge, and the only evil is ignorance."
I live in the Netherlands have quite a few toy stores in my immediate (by your standards) area, with roughly the same stock between stores of the same chain. Right, we have:

Intertoys
Hunt for the Decepticons Deluxe Wave 3, US import
Reveal the Shield Legends, US Import
Dark of the Moon Deluxe Wave 2, Voyager Wave 1, Leader Wave 2
Cyberverse Wave 1, Autobot Ark

Bart Smit
Hunt for the Decepticons Deluxe Wave 4, Canada import
Dark of the Moon Deluxe Wave 2, Voyager Wave 1, Leader Wave 2
Cyberverse Wave 1

ToysXL
Animated Voyager Bulkhead (!)
Dark of the Moon Deluxe Wave 1, Voyager Wave 2, Leader Wave 1
Cyberverse Wave 1, Action Set wave 2, Autobot Ark

The imports are 50% local retail price. ;) This is offset by our regular retail prices: more than twice the US dollar price.
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- TR Twinferno & Grotusque
- Greenlight, Lancer and PotP Elita-1
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- Spare CW HFGs (Air Raid/Skydive)
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Re: How hard/easy is it to find figures in your area?

Posted by Va'al Thu Sep 08, 2011 2:06 pm

Motto: "Till All Are Pun!"
Here in Italy, it's hell.
There is some good stock (but only recent waves) in Toys Center (our version of TRU), but extremely expensive.
The only other option is to go for independent or smaller chains (say regional over national), where prices are lower, and they usually don't hide leftover figures, but keep them out on clearance.

I got the Leader Starscream for about €30 (=$42ish) under Christmas, last year, from the shop in my town/city.

Which is why I like the UK for this expensive hobby. :D
In Leeds I had Argos, Forbidden Planet International, and various supermarket chains all within 30 minute walks.
In Norwich, same shops, minus FPI, plus Toys'r'Us. Ten minute walk.
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Re: How hard/easy is it to find figures in your area?

Posted by Jelze Bunnycat Thu Sep 08, 2011 2:24 pm

Motto: "The only good is knowledge, and the only evil is ignorance."
Va'al wrote:The only other option is to go for independent or smaller chains (say regional over national), where prices are lower, and they usually don't hide leftover figures, but keep them out on clearance.


Funny you should mention that. Older cities here are rife with privately owned stores, and one sells toys, imported from Germany. The list:

Same above as but, Cyberverse Commander Wave 2, Human Alliance Basic Wave 1.

I forgot to add Human Allaince Deluxe to the ToysXL, but I ain't buying them: $70 converted!
The resident Rewind... well, half of one :lol:

- Jelze Bunnycat =:3

Looking for:
- TR Furos (Hardhead's head) and Crashbash (lost him :()
- PotP Punch head
- TR Galvatron right arm (the gun one)
- CW Brake-Neck/UW Wildrider, CW Offroad
- TR Twinferno & Grotusque
- Greenlight, Lancer and PotP Elita-1
- Legacy Core Slug, Sludge & Snarl
- Spare CW HFGs (Air Raid/Skydive)
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Re: How hard/easy is it to find figures in your area?

Posted by waaaaghlord Thu Sep 08, 2011 4:28 pm

decepta-scott wrote:Wow that stinks!! I wouldnt go so far as to call me lucky for finding a whooping three figures (only one of which is on the hard to come by list)though. Im shocked that your TRU is skimping so badly on the generations line.


Bear in mind that crossblades is in the UK. We haven't seen Warpath, Wheeljack or Thundercracker at retail at all and only TRU have been carrying the mixed wave of Generations figures made up of the couple of US waves that came before those guys.

Va'al wrote:Which is why I like the UK for this expensive hobby. :D
In Leeds I had Argos, Forbidden Planet International, and various supermarket chains all within 30 minute walks.
In Norwich, same shops, minus FPI, plus Toys'r'Us. Ten minute walk.


I've not had much joy with Leeds the last few years, it's gone downhill for toy shopping since Toyworld and City Cyber Anime closed a few years back. Middlesborough and York are (roughly) the same distance from me as Leeds and I tend to do better in either of those.
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Re: How hard/easy is it to find figures in your area?

Posted by Va'al Thu Sep 08, 2011 5:21 pm

Motto: "Till All Are Pun!"
waaaaghlord wrote:I've not had much joy with Leeds the last few years, it's gone downhill for toy shopping since Toyworld and City Cyber Anime closed a few years back. Middlesborough and York are (roughly) the same distance from me as Leeds and I tend to do better in either of those.


I only moved there three years ago, and got back into stuff two years ago, so that's what I found..
You make me feel as though I missed out! :-(

(Although, as I pointed out, I was comparing things to Italy. Most of my stuff comes off eBay - and a couple from Amazon - anyway. :P)

Where in York, exactly?
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Re: How hard/easy is it to find figures in your area?

Posted by waaaaghlord Thu Sep 08, 2011 5:27 pm

There's not much in central York since Toymaster closed, pretty much just the toy department in the basement at Fenwicks, but between the Clifton Moor and Monk's Cross out of town shopping developments there's Tesco, Asda, TRU, Home Bargains, TK Max, Wilkinsons and a couple of bargain chains that get things in from time to time.
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Re: How hard/easy is it to find figures in your area?

Posted by Noideaforaname Thu Sep 08, 2011 6:40 pm

I don't have a car and have to rely on... ugh, public transportation, so my list of stores is incredibly limited.
Target, Boscovs, and TJ Maxx are (relatively) easy to get to. Target is pretty good with it's stock, Boscov's OK, TJ Maxx is, well, TJ Maxx. And there's a local toystore just a few blocks from me, though it's prices are higher and selection much lower.

Then there's a WalMart, TRU, Ross, and another Target within driving distance, but I can't really get to those currently.
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Re: How hard/easy is it to find figures in your area?

Posted by Mykltron Fri Sep 09, 2011 6:10 am

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Distribution to the UK is bad. Wave 1 of a new line normally appears on time but subsequent waves either come months later or not at all.
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Re: How hard/easy is it to find figures in your area?

Posted by LOST Cybertronian Fri Sep 09, 2011 6:51 am

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My city is actually pretty decent for finding figures. We have 6 Wal-marts, 4 Targets, 1 Toys'r'Us and 2 K-marts not including small towns a short distance away.

I have found every figure released locally in the last few years with the exception ofthe last RTS Voyagers (Grappel, Lugnut, Stryfe, ect.) and RTS Scouts (Windcharger, Bodyblock, etc.).
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Re: How hard/easy is it to find figures in your area?

Posted by decepta-scott Fri Sep 09, 2011 9:21 am

I feel bad for all of you. I wish Hasbro would make it easier for us all to find the figures we so desire. I wish that I had an abundance of figures at my disposal so that I could send them to members at cost plus shipping. We should not have to revert to ebay for the vast majority of our collection. It stinks to have to pay two or three times what theese are worth.
I check alot of stores frequently and Im sure that here in a few weeks when the dotm over stock is burried next to all the excess atari E.T. video games my stores will start to recieve some good shipments of figures. If there is anything I can keep an eye peeled for that any member may need be they in the U.S. or china let me know. As long as you are willing to pay the shipping I have no problem picking up your figure and selling it to you for exactly what I paid for it.
Heres hoping that hasbro can get it together and make it a bit easier for the fans that paved the way and made it possible for transformers to be one of a very select few toy brands that have remained present in stores since their introduction in 1984.
Cheers to us!!!! :)
decepta-scott

Re: How hard/easy is it to find figures in your area?

Posted by crossblades Fri Sep 09, 2011 3:07 pm

WOW

after a little bit of a drought in sheffield i've just discovered a little treasure trove at Toys'r'us

DOTM - £11.00 each
Deluxe: starscream
Deluxe: sideswipe
Deluxe barricade

Then go shopping at Morrisons and find:

HFTD

Deluxe: Tomahawk
Deluxe: Hailstorm
Deluxe: Terradive

Each only £5!!!!!!

so can't complain too much about movieverse, just generations :P
I'm also looking for G1 Scattershot - complete with all parts for computron (i've got all the other techno bots, just not got their leader! If you have him and are looking to sell or swap for something please let me know - cheers
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