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Post by Last Trent Barreta Fan on Aug 6, 2014 12:46:16 GMT -5
The whole "scalper" thing is soooooo overblown. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but if it was happening to the degree that people on here claim, eBay would be flooded with the more disired figures and they aren't. It's just silly to jump to the assumption that it MUST be a scalper since you couldn't find it on the first go around. You are on point I have been collecting toys since I was a kid. I am forty now so twenty years as an adult. Most of the time it is just other collectors beating you to the punch. Scalpers are still big in hot wheels and in the mid ninties with Star Wars stuff, which is where they earned the reputation they have today. There is one guy on eBay from my area who occasionally sells figures on eBay, but it's rare. The rest of the time he sells Disney Cars and Hot Wheels. I've run into at least three or four collectors during my time collecting so those are who I have to beat in my area lol
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2014 12:47:33 GMT -5
Rather do retail because when I order online it hardly ever comes moc. Besides who really enjoys waiting for a backorder?
But scalpers suck. Doesn't suck as much for wrestling figs as it does with shoes but it still blows.
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Post by PJ on Aug 6, 2014 12:57:08 GMT -5
I'm with you...what and how can scalpers have a warehouse? That profitable? It's very simple. T0y W!z has a warehouse off Spook Rock Rd in Airmont/Tallmen NY. An actual store in either Nanuet or Spring Valley NY. (I think it's Nanuet but it might be right on the boarder of Spring Valley) and besides getting product from the manufacturers they have people they pay to go to every TRU/Target/WalMart/Disney Store in the Rockland County/Northern NJ area. Hell, one of the guys that works for them said they sent him down near Philly to the Franklin Hills TRU for Zuzu pets when they were popular a few years back. Then every so often (usually once or twice a year) you can walk into the Nanuet TRU, Palisades Center Target, Spring Valley Target and Airmont WalMart and see tons of pegwarmers or Disney exclusives that still have their (T0yW!z) price stickers on them. Until Target changed their return policies they used to do it every couple waves of Jakks CS and Marvel Legends. Stores would have nothing for weeks and then overnight you would walk in and see all the pegwarmers from the last few waves. Every time I am out I see one of two TW people at my stores. One I am friendly with and the other is the mother of the owner. God knows how many times over the years I would hear parents talking at birthday parties my daughter was at about how they had to go to TW to find something because none of the retailers had it in stock.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2014 13:07:30 GMT -5
tampatoys813 Honestly I just did this with Elite 29, ordered the set of 6 with the coupon code it took about ten bucks off so I end up paying about 19 bucks per figure which is a great deal. However more often than not I'm buying 1-3 elites per set, then there's the BOPPV's that are only sold in TRU's or highly marked up online, and when a store has a nice sale on figures I'd like to take advantage off. Most stores are pretty close to me or on the way to my house so it's frustrating when I stop in, only to be disappointed. There's also the whole not having to wait and paying for shipping that comes with buying in store. I'm sure many will say that the hunt is one of the best parts of collecting and very rewarding when you find something in store, but even then I've become conditioned to just buy certain figures online that I know I won't ever see in stores (New Age Outlaws, Torito) So I definitely see the advantage of buying online.
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Post by junel1216 on Aug 6, 2014 13:20:40 GMT -5
Plain and simple, get up early and beat them to the punch. That's what I started to do 2 years ago when I got sick and tired of scalpers buying everything and selling it for more than what it cost.
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dakis
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Post by dakis on Aug 6, 2014 13:24:26 GMT -5
Dude face it we live in a high scalper area. I stopped even looking at retail and just order from RSC. I used to be active on the nj finding board but stopped because a certain toy store/site just skims through them. In Totowa TRU I think truck days are Thursday and Saturday. Good luck but we live in a crappy area for that stuff.
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thelostweekend
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Post by thelostweekend on Aug 6, 2014 13:35:35 GMT -5
I probably wouldn't even bother looking more than once in a while if I lived in a big city for the reason PJ outlined above. There are simply too many folks looking to pick clean the pegs of anything remotely decent in these high-density areas. Wrestling figures aren't as bad as other lines. Even around here, you can pretty much forget getting any of the decent figures from say, a ML series, unless you're there within a few hours of them going on the shelves. It's not as bad with wrestling figures, at least not here.
I'm definitely tempted at times to pick up quite a few things for the secondary market, but it feels kind of gross knowing that you're keeping the figures out of the hands of others so you can potentially make (literally) a few bucks on the average figure. I love the thrill of the hunt, but I'm not gonna walk out with arm loads of stuff I don't really want just because I might be able to scrape together a few bucks.
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killerkapowski
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Post by killerkapowski on Aug 6, 2014 14:25:45 GMT -5
I used to be a 'Retail only' guy, but lately is has gotten bad. I no longer actively hunt for figures at retail anymore. Rather, I'll stop by the toy department if I'm shopping at Target and hope to find something good. If there's something I want, RSC is where its at. Pre-orders!
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JoeRocco420
Main Eventer
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Post by JoeRocco420 on Aug 6, 2014 14:32:37 GMT -5
The only way to buy elites, especially if u want the whole set, is pre order through RSC
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Post by PJ on Aug 6, 2014 15:01:25 GMT -5
With everything I collect (Batman & DC comics, WWE, SW, etc) I preorder everything that are must have figures for me and if I find them locally before my preorders ship I'll either cancel my preorders (if I find 2) If not I will pick up my doubles at retail when they hit. But I have made friends with employee at various stores who will help me out. And if I haven't made friends with them I just always talk to the same employees and treat them with respect and they are always willing to help me. A couple employees at TRU will hold items for me if I had asked them for help with them in the past. It's how I got my E15 Yoko and the final two DCUC 2-Packs, the whole Mattel Adam West Batman line as well as the E16 Nash from KMart. Even today with the XMen Legends I was told about them as I walked into the store by a story that they received them today.
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Post by marino13 on Aug 6, 2014 15:09:09 GMT -5
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June
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High Fives All Around!!!
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Post by June on Aug 6, 2014 15:10:15 GMT -5
I encountered a scalping target manager today, but it was not wwe related. For a year now I have been searching retail doll sections for Elsa dolls from the movie Frozen, to no avail.
Today they were putting items on the shelves, the stockers were putting the frozen dolls on the shelves and I got pumped when I saw a few Elsa's on their cart and as if on que some manager chick comes up to them and tells them they are not to put any of "those" on the shelves, I simply grabbed the toddler Elsa and the Barbie sized Elsa and put them in my cart, the manager said those are not for the flirt and they are only selling these "Ana" and Olaf.
When I went to check out they would lot allow the transaction. Total BS!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2014 15:46:49 GMT -5
Targets get trucks every night, I unloaded them for two years so I would know. If the stock on the sales floor is very low and they dont have anything in the back, check everyday because thats when they usually put in the orders for more.
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Post by junel1216 on Aug 6, 2014 16:40:47 GMT -5
I encountered a scalping target manager today, but it was not wwe related. For a year now I have been searching retail doll sections for Elsa dolls from the movie Frozen, to no avail. Today they were putting items on the shelves, the stockers were putting the frozen dolls on the shelves and I got pumped when I saw a few Elsa's on their cart and as if on que some manager chick comes up to them and tells them they are not to put any of "those" on the shelves, I simply grabbed the toddler Elsa and the Barbie sized Elsa and put them in my cart, the manager said those are not for the flirt and they are only selling these "Ana" and Olaf. When I went to check out they would lot allow the transaction. Total BS! Damn you should fight that. That is some bs and I was lucky enough to find a Elsa barbie doll on amazon for $14.99 a few months back cause I couldn't find them in stores for my niece.
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Post by Ultimate Figure Collector on Aug 6, 2014 16:54:10 GMT -5
The best way to beat them and save yourself a lot of time and gas is to order online. That's really the only way unless you have the time to beat them at their own game.
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threehgame
Main Eventer
Beyond Bored By You and Your Wrestling
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Post by threehgame on Aug 6, 2014 17:07:37 GMT -5
On how to know when to be at TRU: Depends on how honest or if they TRU employee really knows anything. I work for TRU and I always find out when the next truck is, and if the manifest has hit I will pull it up and see if anything the customer wants is on the truck. The only issue I encounter with customers is sometimes the truck gets opened the day before it is to be worked by over zealous managers or board backroom associates.
On how to get what you want: This is the tricky one. If the item was stocked when it was supposed to be either being there when the store opens or calling in as soon as it opens to have the item placed on hold is the best way. This also depends on how hard working the associate is. We have had people come in at opening to find us pulling an item to hold for a guest on the phone.....it was not pleasant.
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dakis
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Post by dakis on Aug 6, 2014 17:12:32 GMT -5
I find another perk if pre ordering is saving time and gas. If you spent a month looking for Zeb Colter think about how much time and gas money you would have saved if you ordered from RSC for $18. It's just too much if a hassle to go the retail route. As much as I like the hunt I am getting lazy.
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Post by wrestlingdelorean on Aug 6, 2014 17:48:20 GMT -5
I find another perk if pre ordering is saving time and gas. If you spent a month looking for Zeb Colter think about how much time and gas money you would have saved if you ordered from RSC for $18. It's just too much if a hassle to go the retail route. As much as I like the hunt I am getting lazy. I don't think it's lazy. I thought I enjoyed the hunt, but it's a lot of time and gas money.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2014 18:31:07 GMT -5
If you see a repacker there make sure to power bomb him through the checkout desk too
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kingpin005
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Post by kingpin005 on Aug 6, 2014 21:54:03 GMT -5
the bigger cities get the stuff first....and are stocked more frequently. I've found the best way to beat the scalpers is to stick to the net. Usually Amazon and TRU eventually put the figures up. You just need to check them 2-3 times a day. Faster and easier than traveling to the stores. Another good place to go, if you are going in person or on the net is KMART. Kmart sometimes will have some super old elites. I passed on a John Morrison at Kmart when I started collecting last year thinking I would never want him. One of my local Kmarts has several older Randy Ortons warming the shelves like they never want to leave.
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