The Energon Pub

I've notice Walmart started putting out both Kup and Scourge. So they are starting to be put out more. Have patience. Sometimes they are hidden in the shelves too ,and scalpers don't be so greedy ,and give others a chance. Like you would like a chance too.

SpacerAM2 wrote:I've notice Walmart started putting out both Kup and Scourge. So they are starting to be put out more. Have patience. Sometimes they are hidden in the shelves too ,and scalpers don't be so greedy ,and give others a chance. Like you would like a chance too.

yeah seriously!! i went to tru by my house and saw a guy with 3 bags of rts wave with g2 prime, wreckgar,and perceptor.i go in and the whole section is cleaned out.then this knucklehead(trying to watch my language) in a tru shirt has the nerve to tell me hell sell them to me for 35 a piece! sooo..i walked up to the manager and ratted his ass out.he lost his job and i got a fresh set from the back. woooh! feels good to get it off my chest ok rant done

alternator77 wrote:

SpacerAM2 wrote:I've notice Walmart started putting out both Kup and Scourge. So they are starting to be put out more. Have patience. Sometimes they are hidden in the shelves too ,and scalpers don't be so greedy ,and give others a chance. Like you would like a chance too.

yeah seriously!! i went to tru by my house and saw a guy with 3 bags of rts wave with g2 prime, wreckgar,and perceptor.i go in and the whole section is cleaned out.then this knucklehead(trying to watch my language) in a tru shirt has the nerve to tell me hell sell them to me for 35 a piece! sooo..i walked up to the manager and ratted his ass out.he lost his job and i got a fresh set from the back. woooh! feels good to get it off my chest ok rant done

Excellent work

alternator77 wrote:

SpacerAM2 wrote:I've notice Walmart started putting out both Kup and Scourge. So they are starting to be put out more. Have patience. Sometimes they are hidden in the shelves too ,and scalpers don't be so greedy ,and give others a chance. Like you would like a chance too.

yeah seriously!! i went to tru by my house and saw a guy with 3 bags of rts wave with g2 prime, wreckgar,and perceptor.i go in and the whole section is cleaned out.then this knucklehead(trying to watch my language) in a tru shirt has the nerve to tell me hell sell them to me for 35 a piece! sooo..i walked up to the manager and ratted his ass out.he lost his job and i got a fresh set from the back. woooh! feels good to get it off my chest ok rant done

awesome man! I had a "friend" who works at TRU who i asked to get me one of those ML Deadpool/Warpath 2 packs....he did then tried to pawn it off to me for 40 bucks! granted thats not too much of a markup compared to ebay prices but not from a friend. He was just trying to exploit me and my hobby and it ended up with me calling him some very vile things all along the lines of being a filthy scalper.

I ended up getting one for cost from a fellow collector, as it should be.

We're just impatient.

No one can wait for slag anymore.

4th quarter last year and this year, I have done more ordering online than in shopping in stores.Like someone else said in an earlier post, it's saving me time and gas just ordering online. Plus where I live, it's like we're last in line to get anything. The Walmarts here are just now getting the Generations waves that include Skullgrin and WFC Cliffjumper. The Toys r Us got them way before that, but that's it. Target has the RTS Prime wave in, but they're about gone, and not restocking. And still no new Voyager class in. I had to get the Takara Grapple since I waited to late trying to wait for our stores to get the the Hasbro grapple. and apparently all the sites I shop at have sold out. Don't get me wrog, I like the Takara version, but I really wanted the Hasbro version.

I may be impatient, but I feel that poor distribution has been more of an effect these past few months.

Was lucky enough to grab the last of my wish list until wheeljack and warpath start hitting stores, but I'm seriously considering a preorder for those just to avoid all the extra driving around.

i dont fault the distribution too much.i mean in much of the country were just starting to thaw out from massive back to back snowstorms.that definitely has had an effect of getting the product out from the ports to the stores. now with better weather we should see an up tick.

headsortails wrote:4th quarter last year and this year, I have done more ordering online than in shopping in stores.Like someone else said in an earlier post, it's saving me time and gas just ordering online.

Me, too. Before I always give retail stores a chance, but now things have been changed. The major concern is of course the gas price. It just keeps going up like a balloon and I just don't get enough reward or luck while driving around to hunt them.

I think we can blame on Hasbro for the distribution but not all their fault. While retail stores still have problems cleaning up those overstocked you know who, I don't think they will restock those new figures and even if they do, the amount will be small and they will be gone right away with many buyers waiting, plus those scalpers.

I don't think we are being impatient at this point. I think I'm going to start purchasing new release figures online from now on, even though I enjoy going to the store and buying in person

As a general question I'm new to the US and as an added bonus I live in San Francisco which has no Target, Toys R Us etc., but is it usually this bad or is this an unusual time? Blurr and the Dinobot PCC vanishing, Windcharger nowhere to be seen...

Diem wrote:As a general question I'm new to the US and as an added bonus I live in San Francisco which has no Target, Toys R Us etc., but is it usually this bad or is this an unusual time? Blurr and the Dinobot PCC vanishing, Windcharger nowhere to be seen...

This is unusually bad. It does tend to slow down after Christmas and heading into the first quarter of the new year, but this is one of the worst dry spells I've ever seen.

BBTS didn't receive their full shipment when this all started.

My local K-Mart had none in the back, none in the warehouse, unable to order any.

My local Wal-Mart's been getting in older cases of Battle Blades Optimus, and now the Sea Spray wave.

My local TRU keeps getting in case after case of the Cliffjumper/Skullgrin/Blurr wave and nothing newer.

My local Target has done the same as TRU. Though neither of those two have stocked anything but the Deluxes.

Usually, we see something new, even if it's once or twice, and other than Blurr, I've seen nothing rare, hard to find, whatever.

This is abnormal, going by past experience.

Diem wrote:As a general question I'm new to the US and as an added bonus I live in San Francisco which has no Target, Toys R Us etc., but is it usually this bad or is this an unusual time? Blurr and the Dinobot PCC vanishing, Windcharger nowhere to be seen...

Usually the later waves in a line are the hardest to find, but with RtS being new it is pretty unusual.

well it looks like all I need to be looking for is Wreck-gar until Warpath and Frenzy/Rumble come out. I have managed to order everything else through BBTS and HTS.

so yea, I think my question has been answered. Of course we are all impatient but the biggest problem seems to be distribution w/ these current lines. which is ok, as long as I can get them online eventually

Does BBTS receive shipments on the same schedule as retail stores? By asking that I'm wanting to know if you can figure out when a store should get thier new releases by the dates BBTS. Has them listed.

It seems to me to be mostly poor distribution. With 7 Walmarts and just as many Targets and 3 toys r us's in San Diego that I check weekly I notice each store has it's shelf warmers that vary from the previous.

I never once saw a Highbrow and only once saw an Axor. I grabbed an Axor online after passing him up at Walmart, thinking I'd see him many times over. Highbrow being a no show anywhere (even the Military NEX/MCX) is weird, considering I still occasionally find a Banzitron and some of the other decent HFTD's.

I went last night and checked a Walmart I rarely visit because of the drive and found that they still have Bludgeon and Mindwipe instock. Their newest seemed to be the WFC line. There were only a few of those , but plenty of Jolts and other overstocked ROTF figures..... I do kind of wonder if the fact of ordering online has alot to do with them not really restocking or getting in new stuff.

dirk2243 wrote:It seems to me to be mostly poor distribution. With 7 Walmarts and just as many Targets and 3 toys r us's in San Diego that I check weekly I notice each store has it's shelf warmers that vary from the previous.

I never once saw a Highbrow and only once saw an Axor. I grabbed an Axor online after passing him up at Walmart, thinking I'd see him many times over. Highbrow being a no show anywhere (even the Military NEX/MCX) is weird, considering I still occasionally find a Banzitron and some of the other decent HFTD's.

This is exactly what I'm talking about. It's definitely distribution.

Erie, PA:

West Erie Wal-Mart: Nothing new.
East Erie Wal-Mart: Nothing new, and the pegs are bare.
Peach St. Wal-Mart: Same as the East.

Toys R Us: Restocks of the Cliffjumper/Thundering/Skullgrin/Blurr wave. Blurr is constantly sold out.

Target: Same as TRU. Restocked the Prime/Banzai-Tron wave.

That's five stores so far, and that's not even counting the K-Marts there.

Edinboro, PA:

Wal-Mart: Pegs and shelves are bare save for three boxes of Battle In Space and an errant Legend here and there.

Meadville, PA:

Wal-Mart and K-Mart: Same old, same old, except K-Mart's even worse, minus three old deluxes, the entire area is bare. The Legends exclusive pack was moved to clearance.

That's seven stores, and I've called others in the area with the same results.

That's not us being impatient. That's terrible distribution.

I can only speculate on the causes, but I couldn't find the classics Deluxe toys (Bumblebee, Wreck-Gar, Jazz, Laser Optimus, Perceptor) with the exception of Tracks until a few weeks ago. Suddenly, I woke up one Saturday, and headed to Target 5 miles down the road, and they had two or three of each.

Since then I've seen all at several Target stores, though fewer of Jazz and Wreck-Gar than the others. But I haven't seen them at local Wal-Marts or Toys R Us. Toys R Us still has a ton of ROTF Deluxes, which Target completely cleared out last year. And Wal-Mart just got a bunch more of crap like Tuner Skids and Sea Attack Ravage a couple weeks ago.

I still have not seen a single Voyager Reveal the Shield toy.

And there's the case of Power Core Grimstone. I saw exactly one at one local Walmart in December or so. Have not seen a single one at any local store since.

All I know is that it's unpredictable when the stores will get them. Beyond the problems of stores not receiving shipments when expected, I'd speculate that some store managers over-order on the early waves, then hold off ordering the later waves because the early ones don't sell as well as they hoped. I never saw a single HA Mudflap in Maryland--had to buy mine on Amazon. But there was always a crapload of HA Bumblebee and Skids, and now it's Shadow Blade Sideswipe.

I'm not sure why people are now surprised about the poor distribution and delays. During this season, it's always like this. 2009 ex: Universe 2.0 Legends Wave 5 were never spotted in Florida. 2010 ex: TRU Arcee was impossible to find for months.

It Is Him wrote:I'm not sure why people are now surprised about the poor distribution and delays. During this season, it's always like this. 2009 ex: Universe 2.0 Legends Wave 5 were never spotted in Florida. 2010 ex: TRU Arcee was impossible to find for months.

Ah, but you're not being entirely fair there.

Universe 2.0 Legends, yes. Never saw 'em once.

TRU Arcee wasn't impossible to find everywhere, but she was in small, small, small numbers.

This time? There's not only nothing on the shelves, there's nothing on order, and if there is any restock, it's of old stuff because they can't get in the new.

I'm pretty sure that even California hasn't had a sighting of Lugnut at retail. Legends? Canada, but only like once or twice.

Even BBTS was shortchanged on their order.

That's clearly a distribution issue and it's worse than it's been in a long, long time. Think Energon bad.

Wing Saber and the Dinobots were next to impossible to find. So was Galvatron.
The combiner limbs were horribly distributed. I found the first two of each combiner, and one of the second two of Superion at retail, and had to order the rest over the 'net.

Energon and RtS will go down in TF history as being the absolute worst in terms of distribution. Because it's a widespread problem in both cases.

The 2.0 Legends were merely one size class, not the entire line.

Autobot032 wrote:

It Is Him wrote:I'm not sure why people are now surprised about the poor distribution and delays. During this season, it's always like this. 2009 ex: Universe 2.0 Legends Wave 5 were never spotted in Florida. 2010 ex: TRU Arcee was impossible to find for months.

Ah, but you're not being entirely fair there.

Universe 2.0 Legends, yes. Never saw 'em once.

TRU Arcee wasn't impossible to find everywhere, but she was in small, small, small numbers.

This time? There's not only nothing on the shelves, there's nothing on order, and if there is any restock, it's of old stuff because they can't get in the new.

I'm pretty sure that even California hasn't had a sighting of Lugnut at retail. Legends? Canada, but only like once or twice.

Even BBTS was shortchanged on their order.

That's clearly a distribution issue and it's worse than it's been in a long, long time. Think Energon bad.

Wing Saber and the Dinobots were next to impossible to find. So was Galvatron.
The combiner limbs were horribly distributed. I found the first two of each combiner, and one of the second two of Superion at retail, and had to order the rest over the 'net.

Energon and RtS will go down in TF history as being the absolute worst in terms of distribution. Because it's a widespread problem in both cases.

The 2.0 Legends were merely one size class, not the entire line.

Just a reminder, it's only February. You've still got a few months to find these guys. It's way too early call this one of the most poorly distributed lines, ever. You might feel differently in May.

I was convinced those Universe 2.0 legends figures didn't exist until I saw Brawn, the only one I DIDN'T want, at K-mart one day for like $6. Hasbro should re-release them.

Evil_the_Nub wrote:I was convinced those Universe 2.0 legends figures didn't exist until I saw Brawn, the only one I DIDN'T want, at K-mart one day for like $6. Hasbro should re-release them.

Yeah, I remember K-mart pricing Wave 3 at $6, which seemed like way too much.

I got lucky and nabbed the last BB at a Wal-Mart overflowing with Wave 3. The only other time I saw him was when I first spotted Cyclonus and Hound while out shopping with my girlfriend. Justifying two toys right before Christmas was hard enough, but three, whoa man... didn't want to tempt fate there.

If you're still hunting for the Legends, the Henkei minibot 3-packs I don't think are that expensive compared to the rest of the line, that might be worth looking into if your willing to settle for Takara-Tomy

It Is Him wrote:Just a reminder, it's only February. You've still got a few months to find these guys. It's way too early call this one of the most poorly distributed lines, ever. You might feel differently in May.

True...
(gets in time machine, sets for May 16th)
Ah...Toys R Us...boy I can't wait to get my hands on Dark of the Moon Ultimate Optimus Pr-
Reveal the Shield wave 2! Generations Wheeljack! C'mon, I bought those guys months ago. (turns to employee) Excuse me, when are you getting Dark of the Moon toys in? "Umm...like July at the earliest. I got some more of these guys to restock yet. Hey, we got more Revenge of the Fallen packs to put out soon."

Business as usual in my city. I seriously wouldn't doubt that this happens.