The Energon Pub

by **necare** » Wed May 14, 2008 7:53 am

So with the recent online deals and exclusive availability, I have been able to order everything online, whereas only a few months ago I was hunting for figures at every walmart, target, TRU, that I could find in my extended area.

I hear everyone always contemplating whether to buy things or not. Now getting items early on ebay or from an ebay sponsored site is one thing, but prereleases from established stores like TRU or hasbro usually has some sort of discount going on which pretty much nullifies the shipping cost. In recent days I've ordered all the animated figures I plan to get, and the premium figures that have become available all online. Using discount codes I actually got the items cheaper online then I would at the stores. If you factor in gas prices, it's sort of a no brainer to order things online.

HOWEVER, there is something to say about the hunt. And when you finally get to a store and find the figure you've been waiting for for months, it's a pretty good feeling. That is opposed to the feeling of terrible anticipation after you've ordered the figure and it gets sent and you have to sit and track the item.

So which do you like better? I have personally been ordering items online and from a cost benefit, it's much better.

Do you like to order, or hunt?

by **Dagon** » Wed May 14, 2008 8:05 am

While ordering or preordering leaves little doubt that you'll get the figures you want, it tends to be more expensive (for me at least) because I can get whatever I want. Since I can order basically anything I desire, I tend to order a lot of stuff.

The hunt on the other hand, is my favorite part of collecting. It gets frustrating when availability is limited or waiting for restocks and so on, but the hunt leaves you with a feeling of accomplishment. While it tends to be cheaper than monkeying around with shipping charges and waiting for deliveries, it costs more in time spent hunting.

I prefer to hunt, but ordering makes the hobby all too easy.

by ***RATBAT*** » Wed May 14, 2008 8:14 am

For me, ordering and pre-ordering online is the only way to go.

My area is seemingly always devoid of Transforming toy robots whenever anything decent starts hitting the shelves. Most of the reissues from Hasbro were met with empty shelves with like two Grapples and Hoists and not much else. I only ever saw a handful of Alternators when they were around, and of course they were always the crap ones. And I never saw a Masterpiece Starscream in a store.

I'm sure that when the Animated and Universe lines come out I won't see them for close to a month after they are released, and when I do it will undoubtedly be the figures I could care less about. And the gas money factor does weigh heavilly on my not driving around looking for more toys. Forget it, shipping is WAY cheaper than gas these days. And I'm guarenteed of getting what I'm looking for instead of driving all over hells half acre for nothing. And for that I can thank the scalpers.

News Credits: 23 · by **Prime Evil** » Wed May 14, 2008 9:14 am

It depends for me I guess. I love the instant gratification that comes with going out and hunting the local stores for a find. But lately, the shelves have not been restocked. My trips have been my driving around and pretty much wasting gas looking and finding absolutely nothing. (TRU Wingblade, Walmart BigDaddy). The stores aren't far, but with the cost of gas, it's starting to become pretty expensive just looking for toys.

Lately, I've found myself buying exclusive or imported figures (Henkei Astrotrain, Cliffjumper Kit, Energon Magnus Requiem Blaster, etc.) So those figures are really not available in the regular local market. It's easier to find what I'm actually looking for (at times) then just driving around, rolling the dice in hopes that I'll have a purchase after a trip. I've also become more patient, so ording online for me is a more definite way to secure a toy anymore. When Universe 2.0 comes out, I'm sure I'll be hunting like most, but for the time, it's the online shopping for me.

News Credits: 17 · by **JTKranix** » Wed May 14, 2008 9:48 am

I like going out and looking for stuff but so often anymore with all the different toy lines I collect I come up empty handed or close to it. The frustration plus the money for gas ($3.99/gallon) is enough that I have pretty much started ordering everything online.

News Credits: 3604 · by **Seibertron** » Wed May 14, 2008 9:53 am

While I have fun "hunting" for toys, I started ordering the majority of my figures online a couple of years ago. Thanks to the flexibility of pre-orders with BigBadToyStore.com, I will often pre-order almost all new figures. If I happen to be at a brick and mortar store that has the pre-ordered figures in stock, I buy them and then come home and remove them from my pre-order list. By doing that, I don't have to spend lots of time hunting for figures. With as expensive as gas is and with as long as it takes to do photogalleries of the figures for this website, I decided that my time was worth more money than spending it hunting endlessly for new figures. Plus it's fun to get packages delivered at work.

News Credits: 5 · by **zodconvoy** » Wed May 14, 2008 9:57 am

Hunt. The only time I'll order something is if it's not going to be released in my area (ie: other region store exclusives, Botcon, Japan, etc) or if I missed it while it was everywhere (C Override, blue Movie Arcee, etc) but I prefer to hunt. Hell, now that I don't drive I like hunting more! Justifies the ride home on SEPTA.

News Credits: 23 · by **Energon** » Wed May 14, 2008 10:05 am

For me it is all about the thrill of the hunt. But driving around lately has been all somewhat disappointing. Finding great deals at comic conventions is a great deal of fun. I also like hunting for stuff on ebay or Japanese auctions. Shopping Mall Japan has made it much easier to find the minicons that I cannot seem to find here in the states. Sometimes I do pre-order items, but that is a rarity.

It is weird, but I have purchased nearly all the movie bots and have no desire to open their packages due to there are so many and they were so easy to come by. So having to hunt for something makes it alluring and more valuable to me.

News Credits: 1452 · by **Blurrz** » Wed May 14, 2008 10:24 am

Hunting is really, really fun. Ordering is a bit too easy, and a tad expensive seeing as i'm outside US.

News Credits: 1 · by **Cheetron** » Wed May 14, 2008 10:50 am

I used to love going to hunt. Hit up tons of stores, drive to different states or even up to the border and hit those stores.

And that was before, when you could actually afford to fill your gas tank.

Now I find it a lot cheaper to order online than to drive to stores at least 50 miles away and hope and pray they have something. It's not cost effective anymore. Its either $15 shipping for a load of toys or $45 for gas and hope they have something.

Hunting was fun but I'm afraid unless you live in a big city or near a lot or stores, it's pretty much only done at X-mas.

News Credits: 6 · by **City Commander** » Wed May 14, 2008 11:17 am

I like to promote supporting the store, so that they will buy more tf stock.

But since UK stores are ****, online mostly.
I do enjoy the hunt though. That feeling of butterflys when you find something you really want, and not having to wait for it to come.

News Credits: 2 · by **Tekka** » Wed May 14, 2008 11:20 am

I prefer to order as it saves me wasting time looking around stores.

However, by ordering I run the risk of getting a figure with a crappy paint job. Which was unfortunately the case with my Henkei Starscream's messed up shoulder.

News Credits: 6 · by **City Commander** » Wed May 14, 2008 11:54 am

You didn't try to paint it did ya? XD

News Credits: 2 · by **Tekka** » Wed May 14, 2008 11:55 am

Why you little... I'll paint you!

News Credits: 5 · by **--B--** » Wed May 14, 2008 11:56 am

I happen to be lucky enought to have Target, TRU, KB, Boscovs, Walmart and 2 K-Marts between home and my office, so it's the thrill of the hunt for me, plus it's the money involved. All but one of the two K-Marts are within a two miles of each other, so it's a fuel efficent way to search. Like it has been said, unless it's something not in stores, I'll buy it brick and morter.

News Credits: 1082 · by **Tigertrack** » Wed May 14, 2008 12:06 pm

Blurrz wrote:Hunting is really, really fun...

And also very, very frustrating, and adding in my vote for also wasting to many resources.

Still if it's shipped to us we are getting the gas figured in eventually.

Like Seibs said, I do a little of each, and pre-order a bunch at BBTS hoping I can beat them to finding them (without too much frustration or waste), and if not, oh well.

I do not go out of my way to hunt anymore. Nor do I do like day long, or even half a day long trips. Too many times I come up empty and wonder what I could have done with the time, and wasted gas money. I-)

News Credits: 5 · by **decepticonjon** » Wed May 14, 2008 12:09 pm

recently, i have gone the way of the interweb. after last years 08 bb catastrophy, a simple preorder from bbts, can be cancelled if i find the fig cheaper or sooner. it helps since i work out of town alot, and even better when hts has coupons for free ship and like 20% off. you get a better deal, save the tread on your tires, and keep your peace of mind.

by **Pyrostrata** » Wed May 14, 2008 12:33 pm

As much as I'd like to claim "thrill of the hunt" and all that, I have gotten away from that and more into ordering online.

Since I re-started collecting again, I have become overly aware that the stores in my area are deplorable in their ability to get/keep decent product on the shelves. I have a Wal Mart, a Target and a TRU within three miles of my house, and Target is the only one who consistently keeps TFs of ANY kind on their shelves (mostly the crappiest of the movie line as of late). I will not get into the unscrupulousness of the warehouse crew at the Wal Mart by my house, since it might get a few of them in trouble (I thought about it though, since what they do is wrong on countless levels!). I have been forced to order my goodies online....but I am poor, so I have to pick and chose what I buy and when...it's GOTTA be a deal or it's a no-go, and there are deals around for the intrepid seeker!

I would enjoy being able to drive down the street to Wal Mart or Target or TRU and purchase what I require, just to support my local establishments, but they have made it impossible for that to be the case! With the TF:A line coming out, I am nearly positive that the posted "street dates" for them will come and go without me seeing a SINGLE figure appear on ANY of my store shelves before Halloween, and even after that, the pickings will be abysmally slim!

News Credits: 7 · by **Omega Charge** » Wed May 14, 2008 1:02 pm

Hunting is fun! There's something about seeing the guy you want hanging on that peg, and then you you can take him home!

I order online when it's a figure I can't find easily, or obviously if it's not available anymore. It's still exciting when the mailman comes with a box, but there's nothing like hunting.

News Credits: 9 · by **Sowndwave76** » Wed May 14, 2008 1:24 pm

I'm doing both, although ordering has increased in the last month or so.
But my local Walmart has done a great job of stocking, and it's maybe a mile and a half from my house.
Which would lead me to estimate the Target is under 2 miles away.

I'm not going out of my way to hunt any more... Thankfully I make a run to Target or the grocery store about every week.

The most hunting I've done recently was to get 2 Jetstorms.
Went about 2 miles away from my work (no dice),
and then hit a store that is about 10 mins. from where I live (jackpot).
If TRU ends up having a buy-one-get-one sale, that place will be well worth the drive.

News Credits: 11 · by **kirbenvost** » Wed May 14, 2008 2:09 pm

Nobody uses the bus, eh? It's a heck of a lot cheaper if you do...

I agree, the hunt is really fun. When I find Anyway, I have the luck of being near the retail location of Ages Three and Up, and the same mall has a Zellers, Toys R Us, and The Bay (not that they ever have anything). A3U posts their new arrivals on their forum, so I watch that and if anything shows up I make the trip, or check if I'm already going. If there's something I'm REALLY looking for, another TRU is on the way home, but A3U usually covers it.

That said, if there's something I know is going to be in short supply, selling out quick, or most of the Japanese releases, I'll order online. Shipping sometimes takes forever though...

by **bcm77** » Wed May 14, 2008 3:45 pm

All the toy or comic stores in my area of the UK are **** so ordering online is how I get all my TF's.
Why would I want to waste time hunting for a figure when I can secure one with a few clicks of a mouse?.

News Credits: 1 · by **Agent 007** » Wed May 14, 2008 4:15 pm

i like to hunt. It feels more fufilling to find it on your own. And the feeling that you get walking into the action figure area and finding the figure that you've been lookin for that can't be copied by ordering it. Howevere if I can't wait for it or can't find it like alt wheeljack then I like to order.

by **videriant** » Wed May 14, 2008 4:16 pm

The friend I buy for in England is a MISB collector so hunting is important to find the paint job. Premium Jazz, Jolt, and Big Daddy had some paint issues that you can't resolve from ordering online. I think I've liked the paint job on 2 out of the ten Premium Jazz's I saw. Sucks about the Henkei. I ordered mine with Astrotrain so my order hasn't come in yet.

Right now, ordering online isn't bad but if they adjust the shipping rates to reflect the gas prices then it'll be back to store hunting for me.