The Energon Pub

So I have basically every single one of the Age of Extinction toys that I am wanting, "Leader class, Voyagers, Deluxes, and a few of the one step changers..."

AOE Snarl is eluding me completely! Hasbro Toy Shop has yet to even show it on its site. The only place I have seen it is two places:

Target... Which when looking up in my local stores around me they say they have it... Which based on their shipping numbers my assumption is its hiding some place in their back room....
http://www.target.com/p/transformers-mo ... term=Snarl

And Amazon... But $40+ for a deluxe? Not even Takara...

Anyways anyone know if this is being released next to Slog? As I have Slog on pre-order at Hasbro Toy Shop...

According to the Target product locator, it's "in stock" at every Target in my area. I find that a little hard to believe... but then again, I found Rattrap and Tankor there just last week, which was quite a surprise.

I'm glad you posted this. I'm going to hit up Target during my lunch break and I'll go there armed with the DPCI number.

Yea I asked them with the DPCI number and it showed up... However they were reluctant to go and open another "case."
Which leads me to believe they are sitting on several cases. My local Target is SUPER slow when it comes to putting out Transformers. It even seems its not just my Target but "all" Targets... They release them in a way that seems "backwards..." They sat on Fall of Cybertron's Ravage, Rumble (2-packs) and all of the 2-packs for months. Then suddenly put them on display AFTER the line was finished! Which thus makes them shelf warmers...

Right now they have the Platinum Edition Silver Knight and some of the others that are more towards the current wave...

Just really really strange that Snarl has not showed its face any where... Not even BBTS, K-Mart, Walmart, Toys R Us...
Already told my wife that soon as it hits the shelf we will be buying every last one! muhahaha...
Just seeing the pictures it is most definitely my favorite of the AOE dinobots...

I think the online store locator is broken. It said it was in stock at my local Target, but when I went to the actual store and put the code into the scanner, it said it was NOT in stock.

Hasbro's Snarl is not in the US at this time. There are Asia located sellers on eBay that have it and it's usually 3-4 weeks after that that we see them on shelves/pegs, so he's coming, but slowly.

Takara's is available on eBay, some from US sellers. I bought one for $36.50 shipped and I don't regret it. He's quite possibly the best Dinobot mold out of all of them. He's well balanced, his transformation is simple enough to be straight forward, but has enough involvement to keep you happy.

His weapon has two modes (one's not shown in the instructions, you can thank TF reviewer Peaugh for finding the second) and those are:

1.) A giant blade weapon, plus a club.
2.) A giant bladed axe. (Peaugh found this combination and he's right, it fits too well not to be intended. Probably left out of the instructions by accident.)

To make the axe, open the blade, slide it's handle up into the opening of the club and it'll lock in to form the axe.

So you know, and I know it's frustrating, stores use a very DUMB system to keep their stock levels recorded and controlled.

K-Mart and Wal*Mart use the UPCs on the packaging. (More on that in a moment.)
Target uses DPCI (DePartment Class Inventory).
TRU uses SKN.

Now each name and number is really much ado about nothing, because all the retailers more or less use the same system, with their own personal twist on it.

Snarl and all AoE Deluxes use the same DPCI at Target, so if it says they have ANY Deluxe movie figure, it'll say they have Snarl in when they actually do not. The website and the workers cannot differentiate between figures because of this system. When you call in or have them scan the number, it'll of course say they have it in stock, because they have that size class in stock. The only way to know for sure is to physically check their stock, or have someone go in the back and check through the cases for you. (If you're nice and polite, they'll do it. Sometimes begrudgingly, but they'll do it.) So many people have been misled by this system, because they really think a new figure is in stock, when it's not. It's just reading that they have that size class in stock, period.

This system also does the same thing for Voyagers and Leaders as well. The only time a DPCI will help you find a specific item is if the item is a Target exclusive such as the Platinum Edition Optimus or the Platinum Edition Voyager Grimlock/Deluxe Silver Knight Optimus 2-Pack. Since they're a case of the same item, instead of an assortment, the one DPCI will help you locate that exact item. (This is where DPCI does work.)

TRU uses SKN, it's exactly the same deal as Target. Just a different name. One number covers all items in a certain class. Exclusive items, such as the Platinum Edition 2-Pack of Leader Class Grimlock and Optimus, can be directly located through their SKN number, just like Target's DPCI because it's for that item only. One nice thing though, SKNs work for finding a specific Masterpiece figure. If you go to TRU and give them the SKN for let's say...Masterpiece Sunstorm, they'll be able to check and see if they have it and locate it in the store for you. (This is where SKN does work.)

K-Mart and Wal*Mart's system is pretty much the same thing as the above two, but it's a bit worse because their system reads the figure directly by name, which leads you to believe they actually have that exact figure in stock. It'll even say they have multiples upon multiples of Snarl, when in fact they couldn't be farther from the truth on that. (I can't tell you how many times I was misled by that system in the past.) K-Mart also has a K-number they sometimes use to locate an item and it's intended for internal use only. (Sometimes you can obtain them from a worker there, but customer service doesn't like you having them and will ask you how you got it. That's been my experience when using it.)

Both Wal*Mart and K-Mart use a system like Target and TRU (one item's number covers an entire class, not just a single figure) but instead of a DPCI or a SKN, they use a figure's actual UPC number and spread it out to cover the entire assortment. See how that can get even more confusing? So, yeah, if you call or go to Wal*Mart and they say "Yep. We have three of this Snarl character on hand, according to the Telzone." they don't. And if you think it's difficult for us, imagine working in the toy department. Plenty of parents are given the UPC to help aid their search at other stores and when you call in, the staff can't find what you're looking for, even though they have the exact item's UPC. In recent times, however, they've been training staff to handle this better. A lot of them will say something like "Oh, these come in an assortment and share the same number. We have to go and check the names on the packaging and the UPC on the card itself to confirm it's the figure you're looking for. Rather than have you come out and waste time and gas, let me go check to make sure we actually have it in stock and not just the assortment."

The whole system sucks, doesn't it?

Snarl is possibly the last AoE figure I am interested in, but I'm losing hope that it'll make it to retail in the UK.

Autobot032 - Thanks for the detailed explanation!
When I talked with the people at Target they explained it in a similar but shortened way.

I am guessing Snarl will possibly start showing up in the next month or so... But if your saying the Takara version is worth it... I think I might take the plunge on that one... Only Takara one I went with was Darkside Soundwave.. (Soundwave #1 fav so had to...)

Hopefully one day we will get an updated system that makes a bit more logical sense and these stores can order specifics and what they need verses tons of Shampoo bottles... (However people seem to be buying these!)

I think if the figure's wrists had a joint in it, it would make it my favourite of the Dinobots. However with the wrist at that odd angle, it limits the action poses one can go with his axe.

Still it's a good figure, but Scorn is still my favourite.

Va'al wrote:Snarl is possibly the last AoE figure I am interested in, but I'm losing hope that it'll make it to retail in the UK.

Isnt it the last figure that will come out too?

william-james88 wrote:

Va'al wrote:Snarl is possibly the last AoE figure I am interested in, but I'm losing hope that it'll make it to retail in the UK.

Isnt it the last figure that will come out too?

Yeeeaaah.. That makes it practically a given that it'll never show up.

Va'al wrote:

william-james88 wrote:

Va'al wrote:Snarl is possibly the last AoE figure I am interested in, but I'm losing hope that it'll make it to retail in the UK.

Isnt it the last figure that will come out too?

Yeeeaaah.. That makes it practically a given that it'll never show up.

I am looking into my crustal ball and I see... scalpers...a bunch of scalpers

william-james88 wrote:

Va'al wrote:

william-james88 wrote:

Va'al wrote:Snarl is possibly the last AoE figure I am interested in, but I'm losing hope that it'll make it to retail in the UK.

Isnt it the last figure that will come out too?

Yeeeaaah.. That makes it practically a given that it'll never show up.

I am looking into my crustal ball and I see... scalpers...a bunch of scalpers

In the UK it just doesn't make it to retail at all.

Even scalpers get the brown, smelly end of the stick.

Va'al wrote:

william-james88 wrote:

Va'al wrote:

william-james88 wrote:

Va'al wrote:Snarl is possibly the last AoE figure I am interested in, but I'm losing hope that it'll make it to retail in the UK.

Isnt it the last figure that will come out too?

Yeeeaaah.. That makes it practically a given that it'll never show up.

I am looking into my crustal ball and I see... scalpers...a bunch of scalpers

In the UK it just doesn't make it to retail at all.

Even scalpers get the brown, smelly end of the stick.

According to my list, the final wave will contain Snarl, Bumblebee (New Camaro) and Hot Shot (Tracks repaint of Crosshairs). Wait for US or bite the Japanese bullet...

And we're still stuck with Wave 1 here. At €28, €45 and €65-€70 a pop, I'm not surprised. The One-Steps made it to Wave 2 tho

Opt'd to for Takara version... Used some points and got it down to $20 instead of $31 on Amazon...

I might still pick up the Hasbro version or the Exclusive G1 version... Haven't decided...