The Energon Pub

[skyblast]

So I must begin by saying that I am in my mid thirties and lived through the original G1 phase. It wasn't until the 2007 transformers release that I got back into loving transformers again.

With that said I must admit that four years ago I got completely and totally hooked on collecting everything TF that I could get my hands on. Not sure why but I did. I also soon learned, thanks to this forum that in my local area I was not the only one.

Another Seibertron forum member and I would update one another on a regular basis as to what was in stock or soon to be in stock. I remember one evening I pulled an all nighter just to see if I could get my hands on an 08 deluxe bumblebee. I hit at least four walmarts that night. At my last stop jackpot!! I attached a few pics of that night/morning along with some of my other escapades. I sure miss those days.

(not a scalper thread. I had to sell my TF when the economy went south. Still have a few left though)

So here is my question. Are there still any die hards left? Is there anyone still around like me who still hits 24 hour walmarts in search of unopened boxes on pallets? I know that this is a bit of a touchy subject but man was it a thrill. If so, how is it going? I thought about staking out a few places to find generations thundercracker but ebay is so much easier than schmoozing employees for inside info on when new shipments might be coming in.

I must say though that back in the day there was something amazing about finding a never seen TF as you round the corner, sitting on a peg at 2:36am!!!

[LiKwid]

Oh I have my hunting day..I have a route I go on and hit as many retailers in one day as my gas tank permits. I go as far as to set up the route so that I hit al of the non 24 hr stores first and finish with a 5 pack of wal marts at the end of the night. I don't do it as much as I used to, mostly due to me discovering that i dont need every single figure out there.

[fenrir72]

G1 stalking at ebay. 20 years plus of searching off and online.

[Mykltron]

I dont' know if I'd pull an all nighter but as distribution here is awful and there aren't that many toy shops and they certainly wouldn't be open at 2:36a.m. I really couldn't say. I suspect I'd be more likely to phone all the shops.

When I want a toy I scour the net for it though.

[Jelze Bunnycat]

Yow! The worst I do is visit every toy store and department store in a city when I'm near that city, to "check their status" so to speak. Even worse, I visit the store in my home town more often than I really should: once every 2 or 3 days, even though they only restock once a week. Yes, I do glance at Hasbro's shipping boxes...

[Erailea]

I've never run out to a store in the wee hours of the morning to find a toy and I've never stalked the boxes (though I was tempted once), but I have, once or twice, run out at 8pm-ish to drive the 25 minutes to TRU after hearing a toy was released there. Usually when I'm on the hunt though I go with what's directly around me (unless it's early enough in the day).

I have a Walmart, Target and TJ Maxx within 2 miles of my house so they're first hit... there's a TRU-express too but it's in a really expensive mall I despise, so unless I'm desperate I tend to evade it and hit the TRU that's 25 minutes away (which also has a Walmart, Targert, TJ Maxx and Ollie's within 2 miles of it). That's pretty much my limit with stores, lest I choose to hit the TRU near where I work.

If I'm really looking for something I might make a run through the 3 stores near me twice in a week

[paul053]

Yeah, I remember that. The most craziest one I had was on my way driving to Chicago, I tried to hit as much Target/Walmart/TRU as possible to find ROTF HA Barricade and TFA Arcee. End result, I found nothing. Later I got Barricade at a Walmart near me and Arcee at a TRU just a little bit distance away.

[SJ21]

I haven't had to go out stalking for a while. Mainly because there hasn't been that much out there that I want. Over time I've also become pretty good at estimating when the retailers here are going to get stuff.

The last TF I stalked was that stupid RTS Windcharger. What a mess. The major retailers didn't get him at all. I had to wait until 5 Below had him on Black Friday.

[Nemesis Destron]

I still do now and again depending on that TF. Like the last time I really stocked was MP Rodimus. Besides going to most of the TRU stores around I asked certain associates at the stores I actually went to, to call other stores for me in order for me to save on gas. What sucks about that is their computer inventory may say 3 in stock at a store but in reality it's either missing some how or it's hidden perhaps.

I think I did some hunting for HA Roadbuster when first sightings were announced but never hitting any stacked palates or partially stacked.

[Autobot032]

Pulled all nighters, waited for the employee to go on break (or when no one was looking) and busted open the case with my keys to get MY PRECIOUS.

Called, driven beyond sensibility, etc, etc, etc.

Not so much anymore, but on occasion I'll take a road trip if need be. Usually, I will mail order if it's starting to cost me too much patience, time and gas money. (Which is usually quite soon.)

[Rodimus Prime]

Don't really do it anymore. I used to, until I had to move and realized just how many TFs I actually had. And now I work at WalMart and get first crack at stuff coming off the trucks. Hasn't helped me a lot, except on a few occasions. Managers aren't big on letting employees open every damn box looking for something that in their opinion I am 20 years too old for. But I look anyway. Nowadays, if something really sticks in my mind and I just gotta look for it, I usually do it online. More convenient and I have more options.

[Counterpunch]

It was only really possible while in college. I just don't have time anymore.