The Energon Pub

Mon Apr 18, 2011 6:40 am

I'll stop by my local Target, TRU and Walmart if I can to take pics of the horrible sight that I've seen for the past couple of months.

I also want to say that I would happily order from Hasbro Toy Shop and pay the shipping to forego "the hunt". With two little kids and a job that tends to require more than 50 hours of work per week, it's not like I have a huge amount of time to hunt for figures any more. Plus with gas prices being what they are, I don't mind shipping costs.

A couple of solutions have come to mind:

1. I understand that HTS is no different than many brick & mortar stores. They don't want to get stuck with a bunch of Tuner Mudflaps either. Here's where they have the advantage - Hasbro knows when they are producing these figures. Why not offer pre-orders on HTS well ahead of the time when products are made at their factories? I know that they do this at times, but do it consistently for all products, without a limit. If they established a cut-off date and published that date so we knew we needed to get our orders in by a certain time, they could have enough advance notice to get the order to the factories. I would be willing to pay up-front to ensure that I was getting the figures that I wanted without being gouged by ebay or an online store.

2. If they can't manage the first option, why can't FunPub do the same thing with the TF Collector's Club? I would think that would give a lot of people the incentive they needed to join. I know it would make me feel like I _had_ to be a member so that I had easy access to any and all figures that I wanted.

Just a couple of thoughts before I head off to work. Good luck out there everyone!

News Credits: 1 · Mon Apr 18, 2011 7:38 am

ok well im having difficulty uploading my images of Target and toysrus in my area VA 23518... it says my images are to big!!!!!can i just email them to seibertron.com OR somethng. so we can get some new transformers like warpath, lugnuts and grapple...... my toys r us has like 12 pegs full of the transformers previes figures!!! :twisted:

but like 4 pegs of the deluxe figures. they got price tags saying they are 13.99!! :twisted:

my target was on it game but now they havent recieve anything new since the second week of Feb

Mon Apr 18, 2011 7:50 am

I found and purchased: blurr, kup, scourge, hot rod vs cyclonus, thunderwing, jazz, and WFC bumblebee

I have found but not purchased: darkmount, skullgrin, laser-rod prime, WFC megatron, WFC prime. I've seen Grapple once and Lugnut once but didn't have any cash to spare when I saw them. Haven't seen them since.

Tracks was a gift, but I'm still waiting on wheeljack, RtS bumblebee, warptah, perceptor, etc.

Mon Apr 18, 2011 9:39 am

GEEWUN wrote:I found and purchased: blurr, kup, scourge, hot rod vs cyclonus, thunderwing, jazz, and WFC bumblebee

I have found but not purchased: darkmount, skullgrin, laser-rod prime, WFC megatron, WFC prime. I've seen Grapple once and Lugnut once but didn't have any cash to spare when I saw them. Haven't seen them since.

The Wal-Mart near me has plenty of Skullgrin, WFC Megatron, WFC Soundwave, WFC Cliffjumper, Red Alert, Thunderwing, Dirge, Blurr, and plenty of 5-pack PCC (the Destrons, Rallybots, Potectobots, Arielbots, Destructicons, Combaticons) and 1 PCC Darkstream, and a ton of HFTD deluxes. I haven't seen WFC Optimus Prime (which I already got) and WFC Bumblebee (which I don't have) for some time in the same store. In the same Wal-Mart I have only seen 1 Kup, 1 Perceptor, and 1 Scoruge and they had about 4 Rodimus vs. Cyclonus 2-packs (one of them is mine). I guess all of these figures have sold out and have not been restocked.

The nearest Target to me had 1 RtS Jazz (and that one is now mine) and that was it.

I haven't seen G2 Optimus Prime, Tracks, Wreck-Gar, Windcharger, Wheeljack, Thundercracker, Grapple, Deep Dive, or Lugnut.

Mon Apr 18, 2011 9:57 am

Reporting from Philadelphia, PA:

Wal Mart has a full HFTD stock in 2 of my locals (Franklin Mills and South Philly/Columbus Blvd) of 2 waves. Newest items are the Tomahawk/Sidearm Sideswipe waves and the wave immediately before. Generations figs are few, but go as recent as Dirge/Skullgrin's wave(s).

At TRU, generations through Dirge are present but inconsistent. Old toys going back to ROTF Ravage still sit on pegs.

As for the RTS line, I've only found them in Kmart and Walgreens, but these include only the 4 deluxes Tracks, Jazz, Mindset and Fallback, though Jazz seems to be MIA.

The newest toy I have found at WalMart, TRU and Target is the DOTM preview Prime, but it stands alone as the only release since Christmas.

Mon Apr 18, 2011 10:01 am

Great story! Addressed the concerns I've had for months! I know that they don't think collectors are a large portion of their business, but when you look at what toys are gone from shelves, and which ones linger on, it's pretty clear that the collectors are an important part of Hasbro's business.
What I don't get is that Hasbro knows, or should know, that toys introduced between January and September are going to have a hard time making it onto shelves. It seems like a tremendous waste of research and design time and money to create these toys, and then release them at a time and manner where they sell very few units. It's not good business in my view to pay someone to design something, and then essentially never release it because it's only available in a few cities.
I would love to hear Hasbro respond to this, but I doubt they will.

Mon Apr 18, 2011 10:30 am

Kansas is always behind on these releases. We just started seeing Tracks and Dirge in the last few weeks. Before that, all we had was wave 1, which we didn't see until late January / early February.

News Credits: 1235 · Mon Apr 18, 2011 10:43 am

JustPlainME wrote:Kansas is always behind on these releases. We just started seeing Tracks and Dirge in the last few weeks. Before that, all we had was wave 1, which we didn't see until late January / early February.

Which part of Kansas are you in?

News Credits: 3647 · Mon Apr 18, 2011 11:18 am

Mach Wind wrote:Very concerning indeed, as I never saw Blurr in my local Target for the last 3 months.

Anyone here found Blurr in the upper Midwest?

Yes, he's been found at various Targets and Walmarts in the Michigan and Illinois areas. I was just at a Walmart on Friday in Marquette, MI that had two sitting around.

News Credits: 3647 · Mon Apr 18, 2011 11:20 am

AutobotCliffjumper wrote:Just to give you an update, this is what my Toysrus and Target (respectively) Transformers section looks like.

Pretty sad huh?

Thank you for the pictures. This is great stuff to send them.

What city are these stores in?

News Credits: 3 · Mon Apr 18, 2011 11:53 am

I'l be going on a hunt within the week with camera in hand to see how the stores have done since I checked...a month ago (I've been going less and less due to lack of change in stock)...I'm not a "collector" persay (especially with my budget - I'm a college student), but like some other members look forward to a lot of figures. I've since really given up hope on all but the two I most desire - Warpath and Lugnut, which I 've seen neither hide nor hair of.

Jazz I had to ask a fellow TFfan to puchase for me and ask to bring with him to botcon this year so I can get it from him.

Eventually (about a month later) I saw him once (twice if you include someone else buying him), but that's it.

I live pretty close to Walmart headquarters now, and I always expected them to do better than this since I moved here in 2008 and found several figures I couldn't find back in Vegas. But just the past fews months have been terrible; very slow moving stock, and because I work as a cashier at a Target, occassionally I get to see the folks who're buying. One may have been a scalper - he bought up all of the meager three Cyc vs. Rod packs we had in stock at once as soon as we got them in. But I'm no longer bothered by that because a Wally world a few miles north has got about 5 of them on shelf (last I checked...) Another fan managed to catch the Jazz I mentioned above (the second one didn't come out til a week later). He encouraged me to check Kohl's, which I did, but by that time they had all their TFs in a box on the floor and all that was left were plentiful amounts of the unwanted TFs (which, surprise, I didn't want any of).

ABSOLUTELY no new voyagers, whatsoever since HftD.
There are a lot of figures I simply haven't seen. It seems I always got there too late for when anything FINALLY hit shelves, thanks to overstocking and apparently some other really quick (or knowledgable) collectors.

As I mentioned at the first of this post, I'll be going out one day this week (I think I have tomorrow off), and I'll have my camera in hand. I'll probably visit some 7 various stores withing 25 miles of my place.

Why don't I buy/preorder online? Because then I know I'd spend more than I had because I could have anything I wanted, lol. I'd finish up what few Zoids I'm missing from when they were in stores (because I did collect them), then I'd probably have to buy all the takara ones, and all the new ones....ugh, I couldn't stop.

(So in a way not being able to find all the figures is good, but not to this degree).

Mon Apr 18, 2011 11:57 am

Seibertron wrote:
AutobotCliffjumper wrote:Just to give you an update, this is what my Toysrus and Target (respectively) Transformers section looks like.

Pretty sad huh?

Thank you for the pictures. This is great stuff to send them.

What city are these stores in?

These stores are in Orange,CA (Target) and Rowland Heights, CA (ToysRUs a good 20 miles away from each other). Seriously, the Walmart near my house is really bad as well. They are stocked to the BRIM with Hunt For The Decepticons pegwarmers and have some of the generations such as WFC Soundwave, WFC Cliffjumper and WFC Megatron, but they have absolutely NONE of the newer waves. No Perceptor, no Wreck-gar, no Sergeant Kup, no Scourge. The racks look full....but they are full of figures that no one wants like HFTD Elita-1, Sea Attack Ravage and Tuner Skids (yuck). Hasbro needs to see this and know that we are there to back them up all the way. But this is a two way relationship and they'll need to scratch our back so we can scratch theirs.

News Credits: 5 · Mon Apr 18, 2011 12:24 pm

I don't like how the Canadian retailers and Hasbro are operating this year. I still need a MOC Windcharger and a MOC Scourge (I have United Scourge and 2 Generation Scourges for Sweeps) and another Kup because I am going to upgrade him with the Igear Heads...and want to have one that isn't modded. I preordered a Warpath and hopefully we will see some on the shelves here soon for my MOC figure but I don't know if that is going to happen anytime soon.
Only 2 Windchargers per case and a crapload of repaints, After reading a sighting I get there too late and only see that damn motorcycle repaint. I wanted to buy an extra Windcharger to make a G1 show accurate version of him...now I am going to have to wait till a buddy finds one for me or pay a huge price online for him...damn you hasbro.

News Credits: 23 · Mon Apr 18, 2011 12:48 pm

Wow, this topic has gotten alot of response from new posters or some lurkers. It's nice to know that this IS something that is effecting all of us collectors and how much you all care. Casual or not. Old or new. Very impressed guys. As a community, I hope we we all do here will help Hasbro realize that some changes need to be made for the betterment of us all.

I have yet to see RTS Jazz, Tracks, Perceptor, Wreckgar, Grappel, Lugnut, Scourge, or even Highbrow from the movie line. I don't see why I have to resort to online purchasing for some figures that I could get a lil cheaper (saving on shipping) because all the stores are close enough to me as it would be cheaper to drive. Don't get me wrong, I have since gone mostly online anymore because I can't trust the stores to carry what I need. Which is a shame if you ask me.

Mon Apr 18, 2011 12:58 pm

Cyberstrike wrote:
GEEWUN wrote:I found and purchased: blurr, kup, scourge, hot rod vs cyclonus, thunderwing, jazz, and WFC bumblebee

I have found but not purchased: darkmount, skullgrin, laser-rod prime, WFC megatron, WFC prime. I've seen Grapple once and Lugnut once but didn't have any cash to spare when I saw them. Haven't seen them since.

The Wal-Mart near me has plenty of Skullgrin, WFC Megatron, WFC Soundwave, WFC Cliffjumper, Red Alert, Thunderwing, Dirge, Blurr, and plenty of 5-pack PCC (the Destrons, Rallybots, Potectobots, Arielbots, Destructicons, Combaticons) and 1 PCC Darkstream, and a ton of HFTD deluxes. I haven't seen WFC Optimus Prime (which I already got) and WFC Bumblebee (which I don't have) for some time in the same store. In the same Wal-Mart I have only seen 1 Kup, 1 Perceptor, and 1 Scoruge and they had about 4 Rodimus vs. Cyclonus 2-packs (one of them is mine). I guess all of these figures have sold out and have not been restocked.

The nearest Target to me had 1 RtS Jazz (and that one is now mine) and that was it.

I haven't seen G2 Optimus Prime, Tracks, Wreck-Gar, Windcharger, Wheeljack, Thundercracker, Grapple, Deep Dive, or Lugnut.

If you don't mind me asking, where are you located at in Indiana? My area is as dry as the others and worse in some cases. :-(

Mon Apr 18, 2011 1:10 pm

Does anybody at Hasbro realize that by short packing or overcharging the most wanted figures and the only way to aquire them is to pay scalper prices that they are turning away the new generation of collectors?I see kids spending more money on action figures like Iron Man and the newer Thor figures because the stores will stock those ten times faster than any of the Transformer figures.People are also going back to buying knock-offs or other brands of Transformers such as the Mars Convertabots because for $10.00 you get a leader-class toy which may not have the best quality but its affordable.I realize that people need to make money to survive but c'mon,$30.00 to $50.00 for a Windcharger or Wreck-Gar? Thats insane because I can buy a GN.1 version of either one of those and even though they are older toys,the quality is better and trying to convince a kid that the scalper prices are NORMAL prices is criminal.I'm not directing this at anyone in particular,its just my opinion.

Mon Apr 18, 2011 1:21 pm

HoosierDaddy wrote:
Cyberstrike wrote:
GEEWUN wrote:I found and purchased: blurr, kup, scourge, hot rod vs cyclonus, thunderwing, jazz, and WFC bumblebee

I have found but not purchased: darkmount, skullgrin, laser-rod prime, WFC megatron, WFC prime. I've seen Grapple once and Lugnut once but didn't have any cash to spare when I saw them. Haven't seen them since.

The Wal-Mart near me has plenty of Skullgrin, WFC Megatron, WFC Soundwave, WFC Cliffjumper, Red Alert, Thunderwing, Dirge, Blurr, and plenty of 5-pack PCC (the Destrons, Rallybots, Potectobots, Arielbots, Destructicons, Combaticons) and 1 PCC Darkstream, and a ton of HFTD deluxes. I haven't seen WFC Optimus Prime (which I already got) and WFC Bumblebee (which I don't have) for some time in the same store. In the same Wal-Mart I have only seen 1 Kup, 1 Perceptor, and 1 Scoruge and they had about 4 Rodimus vs. Cyclonus 2-packs (one of them is mine). I guess all of these figures have sold out and have not been restocked.

The nearest Target to me had 1 RtS Jazz (and that one is now mine) and that was it.

I haven't seen G2 Optimus Prime, Tracks, Wreck-Gar, Windcharger, Wheeljack, Thundercracker, Grapple, Deep Dive, or Lugnut.
If you don't mind me asking, where are you located at in Indiana? My area is as dry as the others and worse in some cases.

South Indianapolis.

Mon Apr 18, 2011 1:30 pm

I felt compelled to reply to this thread. I've lurked for a very long time and this particular issue caused me to register and give my two cents.

I'm from Delaware and the shelves up and down the state have been barren. The Walmarts in the area only have ROTF stuff and the RTS two pack. Nothing else. The Targets have some of the Generations figures but that's about it and the KMarts have nothing at all.

I'm very sad because I was so psyched to see Wheeljack and Wreck Gar but nothing has shown up at all. At one point Toys R Us has some of the newer stuff but the person I talked to said they didn't expect any of the RTS stuff and it wasn't in the system. A gentleman at Target said about the same thing with no new stock until the movie comes out this summer.

I'll take a swing around some of the stores tonight and post some pictures.

Brad

Mon Apr 18, 2011 1:58 pm

Since no stores near me (2 Walmarts, 3 TRU's and 3 Targets)have anything newer than Skullgrin and Tomahawk, I have resorted buying my figures online from a 3rd party retailer. So far, ordering the figures hasn't been too much more expensive than buying them at a store, once you figure in taxes and gas cost. Online retailers have already started jacking the price of hard-to-find figures (look at the prices for an individual Wheeljack or Kup. Better yet, check out the prices of Warpath).

I want to know why Hasbro doesn't stock their own website with more stuff. Maybe they wonder if online shopping will catch on.

News Credits: 251 · Mon Apr 18, 2011 2:25 pm

So basically Christmas caused this terror from above? You are dead to me, Santa Claus! 8-}

If anyone finds a Scourge anywhere in either Wilmington, North Carolina, or North Carolina as a whole, lemme know immediately!

Mon Apr 18, 2011 2:58 pm

Cyberstrike wrote:
HoosierDaddy wrote:
Cyberstrike wrote:
GEEWUN wrote:I found and purchased: blurr, kup, scourge, hot rod vs cyclonus, thunderwing, jazz, and WFC bumblebee

I have found but not purchased: darkmount, skullgrin, laser-rod prime, WFC megatron, WFC prime. I've seen Grapple once and Lugnut once but didn't have any cash to spare when I saw them. Haven't seen them since.

The Wal-Mart near me has plenty of Skullgrin, WFC Megatron, WFC Soundwave, WFC Cliffjumper, Red Alert, Thunderwing, Dirge, Blurr, and plenty of 5-pack PCC (the Destrons, Rallybots, Potectobots, Arielbots, Destructicons, Combaticons) and 1 PCC Darkstream, and a ton of HFTD deluxes. I haven't seen WFC Optimus Prime (which I already got) and WFC Bumblebee (which I don't have) for some time in the same store. In the same Wal-Mart I have only seen 1 Kup, 1 Perceptor, and 1 Scoruge and they had about 4 Rodimus vs. Cyclonus 2-packs (one of them is mine). I guess all of these figures have sold out and have not been restocked.

The nearest Target to me had 1 RtS Jazz (and that one is now mine) and that was it.

I haven't seen G2 Optimus Prime, Tracks, Wreck-Gar, Windcharger, Wheeljack, Thundercracker, Grapple, Deep Dive, or Lugnut.
If you don't mind me asking, where are you located at in Indiana? My area is as dry as the others and worse in some cases.

South Indianapolis.

Kokomo area here and I hit the Target and WalMart just this morning (sorry I forgot to take pics but will once I'm out again). Walmarts has about 15 Tuner Mudflaps, PLUS they RECENTLY RESTOCKED WITH...... ROTF Voyagers! It's good that I saw a Grindor on the shelf, but not at $21 almost a year later. I know a few people around here that missed on Stratosphere and I've seen him there now. But more Voyager Prime movie1 repaints and Fallens. Target also just restocked... the HFTD wave with more Terradives, Eltia-1's etc. They at least have 2 Seasprays, remolded Voyager primes and the yellow constructicon (name is eluding me sorry).

All I can say is right now I am happy to be broke because if I was sitting on some spare cash waiting to see these guys, I'd be going insane right now!!! And the thought of some of these DOTM figures makes me cringe lol Besides, how many deluxe BBs does 1 collector need? I have 4 deluxes, 1 HA, plus the movie1 Cliffjumper repaint. UGH, I feel everyone's pain in this thread!!!!!

Mon Apr 18, 2011 3:00 pm

Here in Dublin CA, there are lots of Generation line Transformers at toys r us, but for whatever the reason they don't have any Reveal the Shield except for the battle in space two pack. I was able to buy a scourge and kup at this Toys r Us. But I was lucky because I ask the stock guy to break open a new case. The distribution from Hasbro stinks. Inside this case there is 1 of each of the following figure, Scourge, Kup, WFC Soundwave, WFC Megatron, Dirge, Skullgrin, Thunderwing, and Blurr. So base on how many Skullgrins I saw on the shelf, they must of broken 4 cases. This Toys R Us at Dublin has many rolls of Generation figures but most of them are the unpopular ones, WFC Cliffjumper, Megatron, Soundwave.

And Skullgrin, this one has got to be the worst one of the batch because even though there are empty pegs at Walmart shelves, you will most likely see a Skullgrin or two. Target stores are good for RtS figures as I have been able to spot all of the deluxe figures. Found Perceptor and Wrekgar, Kup and Scourge at the Target Store also at dublin, it helps that these two stores are inside the same plaza. At the Emeryville Target, there are a couple of RtS Tracks, many g2 Power Prime and RtS bumblebee. Basically, at the Toys R us stores and Target Stores here in the Bay Area CA, there isn't much empty shelve. Walmart has empty areas and that is only because they don't even reserve much space for transformers. Walmart is really weird because they don't reserve much space for transformers but when the movie comes out, the will dedicate a whole aile for it.

News Credits: 332 · Mon Apr 18, 2011 4:46 pm

Here's a story that might shed some light on this whole situation:

About 10-11 years ago Playmates (at least I think it was playmates) had the license to make figures from the Muppet show and Toys R Us may have had the line exclusively or were the only ones carrying them. TRU had an issue with the case layouts as they wanted Kermit, Ms. Piggy, Gonzo, etc. on the shelves at all times. Playmates wouldn't change the case layouts since they knew that this line would only cater to collectors who wanted all the characters from Kermit to those tall floppy haired puppets. TRU then stopped carrying the figures which forced Playmates to discontinue the line. The final wave which only ended up in the hands of a few collectors included a chase Gonzo in a gold suit from one of the Muppet movies.

As you can see the stores have a lot of pull as to what gets released and how many. Imagine if TRU had a falling out with Hasbro and decided to stop carrying TF's or Joe.

Mon Apr 18, 2011 4:54 pm

Hmmm... that's something to consider.

Mon Apr 18, 2011 5:06 pm

I haven't found a decent figure in the Philly/mountgomery county area at any of the big 3 stores(walmart, target, tru)this entire year!

If it wasn't for Bigbadtoystore.com Wheeljack, Kupp, Tracks, Scourge, Thundercracker and Jazz would still be a myth in these parts. Had to journey out to a comic book store to purchase Wreck-gar and Perceptor for the eye gauging price of $17 a piece which is something I'd never imagine doing this time last year.

In a way I'm kind of grateful that there aren't too many more figures left on my want list since this has gone way beyond frustrating. So with Rumble rumored to be out of the picture. All that's basically left is Warpath then me and my wallet are gone...