The Energon Pub

Hey guys, as most of u know by experience the hunt for 08 bumblebee is proving to be a great challange. So to make this hunt easyer i was wondering for all u folks who work at target when do they get their shippments? Mine i thought get them tuesday and thursday but they got one on sunday. And what about that walmart sale is it everywhere or just in denver? When do you guys think bumble will be a little easyer to find this week maybe?
any help would be good.

yeah target's shipments seem to be erratic, and when I went they've introduced this whole concept of this offsite warehouse to me that completely fogs things up. Although I have reason to believe the employee was lying.

Given my recent bad experines with Target stores, I have come to the conclusion the company is run by a bunch of Retardicons.

They really screwed up on this one.

there shipments are sporadic, i have a friend that worked there.They never really know when stuff is coming n

Without a DPCI number, they can't tell you what's coming. Problem is, unless it's something like Energon Omega Supreme (where he *IS* the entire case) they can only tell you something might be coming in (might) but in most cases they can't even do that. All they usually can tell you is "There's a place for it in the back room, but none in stock."

Target is really, really sporadic. And extremely random. Even Wal-Mart has 'em beat. They can at least tell you whether or not they've got a case on order, any in back, or when they're expected to arrive. That's how I found out about the arrival of the original 20th. Anniversary Optimus. (not the DVD edition)

Still, in terms of having stuff no one else seems to, Target usually has the first place spot in that distinction. But it sells out quickly so it's almost pointless really.

Autobot032 wrote:Still, in terms of having stuff no one else seems to, Target usually has the first place spot in that distinction. But it sells out quickly so it's almost pointless really.

Why can't I ever be the lucky bastard who sees it before it's gone and buys the last one?

anyone know the dpci for this figure? i called a target last night and the woman asked me if i knew it. especially since she referred me to the site to check, but the figure isn't even up there yet. if it was i'd probably have it by now haha.

neocrasher wrote:anyone know the dpci for this figure? i called a target last night and the woman asked me if i knew it. especially since she referred me to the site to check, but the figure isn't even up there yet. if it was i'd probably have it by now haha.

It won't help you. All it will do is tell you whether or not they've got a case in, or figures from it, period.

It will not tell you exactly which ones they have in stock. All you can do is ask them for TransFormer movie figures and specifically say Bumblebee. That's your best bet.

Autobot032 wrote:

neocrasher wrote:anyone know the dpci for this figure? i called a target last night and the woman asked me if i knew it. especially since she referred me to the site to check, but the figure isn't even up there yet. if it was i'd probably have it by now haha.

It won't help you. All it will do is tell you whether or not they've got a case in, or figures from it, period.

It will not tell you exactly which ones they have in stock. All you can do is ask them for TransFormer movie figures and specifically say Bumblebee. That's your best bet.

I don't think that is true. Every unique item has a DCPI number. If you have the number, they can tell you how many they have in stock and where it is located.

Lapse Of Reason wrote:

Autobot032 wrote:

neocrasher wrote:anyone know the dpci for this figure? i called a target last night and the woman asked me if i knew it. especially since she referred me to the site to check, but the figure isn't even up there yet. if it was i'd probably have it by now haha.

It won't help you. All it will do is tell you whether or not they've got a case in, or figures from it, period.

It will not tell you exactly which ones they have in stock. All you can do is ask them for TransFormer movie figures and specifically say Bumblebee. That's your best bet.

I don't think that is true. Every unique item has a DCPI number. If you have the number, they can tell you how many they have in stock and where it is located.

All about knowing the DCPI

Bonger wrote:

Lapse Of Reason wrote:

Autobot032 wrote:

neocrasher wrote:anyone know the dpci for this figure? i called a target last night and the woman asked me if i knew it. especially since she referred me to the site to check, but the figure isn't even up there yet. if it was i'd probably have it by now haha.

It won't help you. All it will do is tell you whether or not they've got a case in, or figures from it, period.

It will not tell you exactly which ones they have in stock. All you can do is ask them for TransFormer movie figures and specifically say Bumblebee. That's your best bet.

I don't think that is true. Every unique item has a DCPI number. If you have the number, they can tell you how many they have in stock and where it is located.

All about knowing the DCPI

There's never been an individual DPCI number before. I've asked directly, and they said it goes by case assortment, not each figure. The UPC is a record of each figure and goes in the system, so when you make a purchase it tells them that piece of the assortment is gone. I've not seen a UPC number on a Target receipt, just the DPCI number that I can remember.

hmmm either way they told me they didn't have the transformer i was looking for then proceeded to tell me to "move along." i was thoroughly off put.

neocrasher wrote:hmmm either way they told me they didn't have the transformer i was looking for then proceeded to tell me to "move along." i was thoroughly off put.

They'll do that. I had a stocker tell me "Look we don't have it, I confirmed that much, but even if we did, we won't pull it out of the back for you. Please drop this, I have to get back to work. Have a nice day." and she walked away.

You know what I asked her?

"Do you have (insert here) ?"

"Hmm. No. I don't think we do." she said.

So I asked her about the scanners (some scanners allow you to put in a DPCI code, others don't. Not all stores are capable of the input though.)

She said "The scanner won't tell you. Unlike other Targets, we don't have the updated scanners in our store."

So I asked (and quite polite, mind you) "Is it possible to check the DPCI with handheld scanner?"

She scoffed and said "How do *YOU* know about DPCIs?"

I was a little stunned by her attitude, but explained that I had heard about 'em online and was told that they could be scanned, if asked.

She groaned (and this was fully audible), and she stomped off, grabbed the gun and scanned it. She shook her head no, and said "Here. Here you can see we clearly don't have it."

I said "Ah. Seems to be the case with all of the Ohio and PA Targets I've gone to. I guess they're one of the last in the chain to get the items. Ah well, I'll try again later."

Then she hit me with that line at the very top of the post.
I just stood there with a blank look on my face, kinda stunned at what had just happened.

So the following week, I went back, they did have the item, but not on the shelves. I asked for assistance, they sent her back and I said "Oh no, someone else please. She wasn't exactly Ms. Congeniality last time, and I will not be treated like that again." She gladly walked away, and another woman went in the back and pulled it for me. Couldn't have been nicer and apologized for my last encounter.

Target needs to work on their customer relations skills, and their stocking system. Just because an item's selling at one point, doesn't mean you have to fill the shelves and pegs with it, hoping to repeat that kind of business. It's proven to not work before, so why on Earth would they do that? Seriously....

Wal-Mart's just as bad with their stocking, but it's out of pure ineptitude. They see that the item's not selling and go ahead and order more for the Christmas season, just in case. (I had a toy associate at the Wal-Mart I worked at, tell me this one time. I was floored.)

Either way, there needs to be a better system. 3 to 4 of each figure per case is ridiculous, 2 would suffice. 1's not enough. That way if they ordered more than one case, they wouldn't be inundated with all of the 'warmers, just a couple of stragglers.

man that person really hates their job.
i'd say that more often then not whenever i get the inkling to even ask an employee something that they'd give me some lip. i mean, SURE it's kinda a crappy job BUT you are getting paid to do it. i've worked retail and food services and it doesn't matter to me how much the customer irks me, i'll always try my hardest to do something for them. whatever, it's my job. so far, the most i get is what we have on the shelves is what we have and i'll believe em. sometimes someone tries to go to the back but is told not to go fishing for "collectibles" so i asked to speak to the manager who informed me that even though the pegs are empty they can't just restock on the spot which i can understand i suppose. a little bit later a guy comes up with a fresh case with the old bumblebee, jazz and barricade and as i'm looking at the box and saying awesome he gives me this dirty look and says some snide remark as a get jazz and barricade.
i remember a time when you could ask if they had something in stock and they'd check and bring it out for you. simple. i guess that could happen now, but there seems to be alot of rules and regulations against it.

neocrasher wrote:man that person really hates their job.
i'd say that more often then not whenever i get the inkling to even ask an employee something that they'd give me some lip. i mean, SURE it's kinda a crappy job BUT you are getting paid to do it. i've worked retail and food services and it doesn't matter to me how much the customer irks me, i'll always try my hardest to do something for them. whatever, it's my job. so far, the most i get is what we have on the shelves is what we have and i'll believe em. sometimes someone tries to go to the back but is told not to go fishing for "collectibles" so i asked to speak to the manager who informed me that even though the pegs are empty they can't just restock on the spot which i can understand i suppose. a little bit later a guy comes up with a fresh case with the old bumblebee, jazz and barricade and as i'm looking at the box and saying awesome he gives me this dirty look and says some snide remark as a get jazz and barricade.
i remember a time when you could ask if they had something in stock and they'd check and bring it out for you. simple. i guess that could happen now, but there seems to be alot of rules and regulations against it.

Sad thing is, all of these rules and regulations that they have in effect against collectors actually prohibits collectors from getting the figures, but lets the scalpers grab 'em right off the bat.

Which...is ass backwards. I still to this day haven't figured that one out. I know some people can be bribed to go in the back and get you something (I've heard of it being done at TRU at least) but to what end? To end up paying three times (or more!) than what the figure's worth, not to mention it will probably flood pegs in the following weeks to come...

I think Target has the best interests in the beginning, but never execute it correctly.

i dunno. i hate it but i think in the long run if it's in effect all the time it could work in some small way. but i don't think anything can ever stop or deter scalpers. it's just making it hard for anyone to buy those toys: scalpers, parents buying for their kids, collectors buying for themselves, hell even kids with their own money. i mean if a scalper walks by and sees 5 bumblebees, they're gonna be able to buy all of them since there's no limit that i know of. but there's also the person buying for themselves and their friends. those rules just make it so you have to be there at the right time versus making it there and asking and getting the product and leaving happy. for most people that's gas money down the drain, bus money, mass transit system money, etc. now i'm potentially waiting for the figures to come out in abundance on amazon because one it'll be free shipping on orders over 25 which is easily done, two they ship things exceptionally fast, three i'm not spending money or time being disappointed coming back empty handed, and four i'm not spending more than they're worth. on amazon there's no rules, just listings and quick mouse skills.
blegh, these toys will be the death of me.

neocrasher wrote:i dunno. i hate it but i think in the long run if it's in effect all the time it could work in some small way. but i don't think anything can ever stop or deter scalpers. it's just making it hard for anyone to buy those toys: scalpers, parents buying for their kids, collectors buying for themselves, hell even kids with their own money. i mean if a scalper walks by and sees 5 bumblebees, they're gonna be able to buy all of them since there's no limit that i know of. but there's also the person buying for themselves and their friends. those rules just make it so you have to be there at the right time versus making it there and asking and getting the product and leaving happy. for most people that's gas money down the drain, bus money, mass transit system money, etc. now i'm potentially waiting for the figures to come out in abundance on amazon because one it'll be free shipping on orders over 25 which is easily done, two they ship things exceptionally fast, three i'm not spending money or time being disappointed coming back empty handed, and four i'm not spending more than they're worth. on amazon there's no rules, just listings and quick mouse skills.
blegh, these toys will be the death of me.

I searched high and low all over Amazon. I couldn't find a single new figure. I know a while back that TRU.com had '08 Bumblebee and Arcee for sale. (Or pre-order...I'm not sure which.)

I'm getting to the point where I might just go ahead and order a full case from BBTS and sell off the ones I don't want.

that sounds like a plan haha. i wish i had that kinda money. i'm gonna just wait till they pop up everywhere to the point where i'd be able to buy it on ebay for about 15 bucks if i get crazy waiting for a listing to pop up on amazon.

sandmunky wrote:yeah target's shipments seem to be erratic, and when I went they've introduced this whole concept of this offsite warehouse to me that completely fogs things up. Although I have reason to believe the employee was lying.

I disagree with what you said. Over here in Brisbane Target seems to have a good range of Transformers Movie Toys. They seem to be selling out very quickly though, due to it's close appearance.

neocrasher wrote:that sounds like a plan haha. i wish i had that kinda money. i'm gonna just wait till they pop up everywhere to the point where i'd be able to buy it on ebay for about 15 bucks if i get crazy waiting for a listing to pop up on amazon.

Normally, I don't. However, all of the figures I need are in the one case. I can sell off the Recon Barricade (or whatever he's called at this point) and the two Dreadwing drones. Get what I need and make some of my money back, even if it's just store cost plus shipping. Something's better than nothing I say.

Bumbled wrote:

sandmunky wrote:yeah target's shipments seem to be erratic, and when I went they've introduced this whole concept of this offsite warehouse to me that completely fogs things up. Although I have reason to believe the employee was lying.

I disagree with what you said. Over here in Brisbane Target seems to have a good range of Transformers Movie Toys. They seem to be selling out very quickly though, due to it's close appearance.

Ah, but they're Target in name only. According to Wikipedia they actually share no connection (other than usage of the same name and logo, which is slightly altered) to the American stores. So your Targets actually do perform their job better and your statement doesn't fit.

It's a weird setup, I know.

Im trying to figure out when to call them sence they apparently get shippments anytime. Should I call em everyday? I don't know about that so what do u guys think? Also won't most stores have wave 3 in back by now because all the stores i've called say they dont have em.

Mr.Bond007 wrote:Im trying to figure out when to call them sence they apparently get shippments anytime. Should I call em everyday? I don't know about that so what do u guys think? Also won't most stores have wave 3 in back by now because all the stores i've called say they dont have em.

Calling them everyday will just piss 'em off. This is not a good thing.

I was told that they receive shipments on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. It seems to be the case for all, because three stores told me that.