personagamer
Main Eventer
Joined on: Jan 10, 2021 17:56:49 GMT -5
Posts: 1,592
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Post by personagamer on Sept 17, 2022 11:36:01 GMT -5
For me I jumped back into collecting during the pandemic, my first that I was really excited for was Fiend, to start I collect both AEW & WWE.
There were two figures always at the top of my want list since I restarted my collection being the Ultimate Edition Hogan and any Darby Allin, for Hogan I never found him in stores so was always hunting online, about June or July I found him for 45 shipped on Mercari which was the best deal I've seen for it, most at that price were missing accessories but that was in box so I immediately bought it.
For Darby my work got in series 3 last year but I didn't have the money then, this was the only time I saw Darby in stores last year as every set he was gone, Walmart did restock Unmatched Series 1 back in May and I was expecting the same the full set except Darby but he was there, it was definitely my most excited figure to pick up from my work because of how long it took.
Someone else who I was excited for on Hogan levels was Cm Punk who always was and always will be in my top 3, for a kid growing up not with my parents due to drug and alcohol issues, I did see him as a hero for being straight edge and found his talent outmatched.
I was really excited for a figure once he signed with AEW because I was forced out of collecting in 2011 by my family who thought it was childish, the last I remember coming out truly wanting was the Nexus Punk.
I am very excited to have a updated Punk in my collection after 10+ years, I did want him but found his elites before 2021 expensive and out of my 40 dollar range, I did order him from Ringside which was a little more but better especially since I haven't seen anything new since the Dark Order set.
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Post by screech on Sept 17, 2022 16:52:07 GMT -5
As I continue my exclusive quest to find a Hollywood Hulk Hogan in the wild I had an unfortunate experience. I was at a near by Target when I saw one of their workers putting out merchandise in the toy dept. I took a chance and asked the guy if the Mattel boxes on his cart had any Ultimate Hollywood Hogan figures. The guy turned around and said " look, I'm tired of hearing about this Hollywood Hogan toy, if it's not on the shelf we don't have it". I was stunned at his rude response but having worked retail myself in the past just chalked it up to him having a bad day. Anywho, any of you guys had similar experiences asking retail employees about their stock?
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Post by Mongo Bears on Sept 17, 2022 19:23:16 GMT -5
This op is all one sentence?!?
I don’t like it
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zen411
Main Eventer
Joined on: Apr 18, 2019 21:20:38 GMT -5
Posts: 2,608
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Post by zen411 on Sept 17, 2022 19:56:41 GMT -5
This op is all one sentence?!? I don’t like it Same. I see one giant run on sentence and my brain refuses to read it. |
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personagamer
Main Eventer
Joined on: Jan 10, 2021 17:56:49 GMT -5
Posts: 1,592
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Post by personagamer on Sept 17, 2022 20:35:17 GMT -5
This op is all one sentence?!? I don’t like it fixed |
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Post by kgchampion on Sept 17, 2022 22:20:41 GMT -5
I used to live in Seattle. I found so many great finds when I lived there because it seemed not a lot of people were hardcore collecting in 2012. That’s when I jumped into it. I would go anywhere within an hour’s drive of the city to just explore and figure hunt. At the Sears up in Lynnwood I picked up The Rock, Big Bossman, and Undertaker from the same series. At the Fred Meyer in Lake City I picked up Flashback Christian and Chris Jericho in the WM 28 gear. There was a Sears on Aurora I picked up some other older figures, but I can’t remember what. I picked up all the exclusive playsets from K-Mart.
At some point in maybe 2014 or 2015 I started hating hunting. I still do. I think it was months of driving all over to Toys R Us, Walmart, wherever and seeing nothing on the shelves. I think knowing that scalpers got their first also killed it for me. The hunt was never the fun part for me. Having the thing I was searching for was the fun part. It’s like dating. I hate dating, but I love being in a longterm relationship. I like coming home and knowing that the crow Sting is on my shelf and I can play with it whenever I want.
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personagamer
Main Eventer
Joined on: Jan 10, 2021 17:56:49 GMT -5
Posts: 1,592
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Post by personagamer on Sept 18, 2022 0:05:58 GMT -5
I used to live in Seattle. I found so many great finds when I lived there because it seemed not a lot of people were hardcore collecting in 2012. That’s when I jumped into it. I would go anywhere within an hour’s drive of the city to just explore and figure hunt. At the Sears up in Lynnwood I picked up The Rock, Big Bossman, and Undertaker from the same series. At the Fred Meyer in Lake City I picked up Flashback Christian and Chris Jericho in the WM 28 gear. There was a Sears on Aurora I picked up some other older figures, but I can’t remember what. I picked up all the exclusive playsets from K-Mart. At some point in maybe 2014 or 2015 I started hating hunting. I still do. I think it was months of driving all over to Toys R Us, Walmart, wherever and seeing nothing on the shelves. I think knowing that scalpers got their first also killed it for me. The hunt was never the fun part for me. Having the thing I was searching for was the fun part. It’s like dating. I hate dating, but I love being in a longterm relationship. I like coming home and knowing that the crow Sting is on my shelf and I can play with it whenever I want. I still remember when K-Mart closed back in 2016 here and I was looking in the figure section and they had a random Justin Gabriel and Darren Young 2 pack |
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Post by Flair Forever on Sept 18, 2022 1:36:39 GMT -5
I mean the "hunt" has changed so much over the years! I remember there used to be these "KB Toy Works" outlets, they were like big toy clearance stores.... I remember they would just have giant bins filled with JAKKS Classic figures. I would take forever to go through the bins looking for treasures - I always found something super cool! The regular KB Toy Stores would have long aisles filled with wrestling figures.... I remember going down the row, looking behind every figure. Someone from work saw me and came up & started talking to me.... they asked why I was going through them so meticulously.... I was a little embarrassed & made up some story about looking for something for a relative. These days I wouldn't give a crap & just 'fess up that I collect these damn things. Toys Я Us was a different animal.... sometimes they'd have a LOT of stuff..... but as I recall, near the end, the stock would sit for weeks/months at a time..... and the wrestling toys were not as plentiful at TRU in the later years..... K Mart was horrible. They'd let product sit on the shelves for YEARS.... and never clearance it.... never rotate it.... searching for K Mart exclusives was aggravating.... Walmart used to be plentiful on the wrestling figs, but about 5 years ago, they started to only stock wrestling toys about once every 3 months.... for some reason they are content to let the shelves sit empty for 1-2 months at a time, then get just ONE CASE of something, and that's it for another month or two..... the average Walmart only puts new wrestling toys out 10-12 days out of the year. I'm not kidding. Shelves sit empty about 70-80% of the year. It's not really fun like it used to be. Target has gotten so much better over the last year.... the combination of actually stocking their exclusives, and now the excitement comes from their aggressive clearance practices.... you never know what you'll walk out of Target with these days! I wish they'd occasionally stock older stuff, as you'll now ONLY ever find the current Legends on the shelves. NO ONE is stocking the regular Elite lines anymore. Target gets a case or two in - but not every Wave, and it's pretty random. GameStop also will have the regular Elites from time to time..... Walmart almost never has the regular Elites. I'd love to understand why these stores aren't stocking EVERY wave of Elites, as I think a new one comes out every 2 months. I'm quite sure there are Elite waves that never hit American retail shelves. Where are they going? Similar for Basics.... you don't see them on shelves like you used to... Hunting is not nearly as fun as it used to be.... quite honestly, it mostly feels like work - and far too often I come home empty-handed..... but, that rare occasion when I actually find a treasure on the shelves..... I guess makes it worthwhile! As for an actual story? Here goes:As part of my job as a hotshot "wrestling photographer", I often am asked to pick up semi-famous wrestlers at the airport..... a few months ago, I was supposed to pick up Karrion Kross. Without getting too detailed..... he wasn't too thrilled about his pickup time.... so I offered to push it back a few hours. Since I now had some time to kill, I decided to Google the nearest Walmart & "figure-hunt"...... I found 2 of the AEW Sting figures on-the-shelf. First & only time. So, I can thank Karrion Kross as the reason I found Sting figures on the shelf at retail price!  |
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Post by GreyHaze:Big Bad Booty Daddy on Sept 18, 2022 12:28:00 GMT -5
Hmm... The one I remember the most was when the Jakks PPV white facepaint w/blue Jeff Hardy came out. I always struck out when it came to Jeff. I used to go to the Times Square Toysrus all the time. I think I had asked one of the employees if they were getting any cases in anytime soon because I was really looking for that figure. We had a small convo about wrestling and he told me to check in tomorrow morning if anything. If he did find it, to go ask for him the next day. I show up the next day at 10am, I asked for said employee and low and behold... He had saved the figure for me. It was really cool of him to do that. I think I was about 16 at the time? So, this was more than a decade ago.
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Post by shanieomaniac on Sept 19, 2022 6:18:55 GMT -5
I think the only interesting figure hunt story I have is that, after spending two months complaining to my ex boyfriend that our walmart never even sniffs a single exclusive ever, despite me being there at least three times a week, he got fed up and dragged me to Walmart at 3 am to go fig hunting
And I walked into the aisle and promptly found Gorilla Monsoon sitting front and center.
I didn't know it was possible to get that angry over finding an exclusive but the guy spent the next week rubbing it in my face.
I didn't even want Gorilla, but it was an insta-buy.
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Deleted
Joined on: Nov 26, 2024 9:48:58 GMT -5
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Sept 19, 2022 6:20:53 GMT -5
I think the only interesting figure hunt story I have is that, after spending two months complaining to my ex boyfriend that our walmart never even sniffs a single exclusive ever, despite me being there at least three times a week, he got fed up and dragged me to Walmart at 3 am to go fig hunting And I walked into the aisle and promptly found Gorilla Monsoon sitting front and center. I didn't know it was possible to get that angry over finding an exclusive but the guy spent the next week rubbing it in my face. I didn't even want Gorilla, but it was an insta-buy. Your LJN Warrior story was better, can we hear it again? |
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Post by shanieomaniac on Sept 19, 2022 6:38:11 GMT -5
I think the only interesting figure hunt story I have is that, after spending two months complaining to my ex boyfriend that our walmart never even sniffs a single exclusive ever, despite me being there at least three times a week, he got fed up and dragged me to Walmart at 3 am to go fig hunting And I walked into the aisle and promptly found Gorilla Monsoon sitting front and center. I didn't know it was possible to get that angry over finding an exclusive but the guy spent the next week rubbing it in my face. I didn't even want Gorilla, but it was an insta-buy. Your LJN Warrior story was better, can we hear it again? My ex-boyfriend is gonna die and be in the ground before yinz let this story be. Interesting note: He has the internet now. On his phone only. His government phone. He uses it to watch tiktok. |
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wrestling4life
Mid-Carder
Joined on: Nov 27, 2019 15:11:31 GMT -5
Posts: 131
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Post by wrestling4life on Sept 19, 2022 18:03:12 GMT -5
This was 5 years ago.I remember going to Walmart. Of course I would go to the toy aisle just to take a look. I thought Christmas and my birthday arrived early on the same day. I snatched up Earthquake and Typhoon. That's not even it. I saw Brian Pillman, Ken Shamrock, and Lord Steven Regal. Of course I had to grab those as well. As I was walking out of the aisle. I just happened to look on my right and see Scott Hall. Grabbed him as well of course. So 6 figures. Never came that close when I'm actually shopping retail.
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thekev12
Mid-Carder
Joined on: Jul 26, 2020 10:04:19 GMT -5
Posts: 296
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Post by thekev12 on Sept 20, 2022 11:11:55 GMT -5
Luckiest break was DM Sting for $12 when KMart went out of business.
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Post by stc13 on Sept 20, 2022 16:19:17 GMT -5
A lot of fig hunt stories stick out to me as much, if not more, than the figures themselves. I have so many memories, from my very first Hasbro figure as a little kid, to my dad taking me around hunting for BCAs on Saturday mornings, to my finds as an adult collector.
For the Mattel line, my favorite was right when I started collecting. KMart was closing and Target had a ton of HOF and E36 backed up on the pegs. Within maybe my first two weeks collecting I was able to get DM Hogan, Sting, and Razor all for under $15 each, and then Target had $10 sales. I ended up getting nearly all of HOF1-3, E36 DDP, and some others for $10 or less. It was pretty much an instant collection.
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vandamin8or
Superstar
Joined on: Mar 22, 2016 11:14:18 GMT -5
Posts: 683 
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Post by vandamin8or on Sept 22, 2022 14:30:17 GMT -5
I still remember getting my 1st ever wrestling figure. It must have been 1990. I was in a local toy shop in my town, when those were actually a thing, with my mum and my little brother.
They had Hasbro Series 1 on a carousel. My mum must have been in a good mood that day because she let us each get one. I picked the Hulk Hogan and my brother picked Jake "The Snake" Roberts.
It's probably still my fondest figure finding memory and it was over 30 years ago.
I also remember picking up the Macho King Hasbro in a joke shop in a small seaside village a little while later. What a find! These days it's just, see it online, order it, and it comes to your house.
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Post by Back to the Codyverse on Sept 22, 2022 14:37:54 GMT -5
Seeing like 50 Macho Ultimates at a bargain store while he’s still on preorder at Target is pretty wild
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Post by Crane on Sept 22, 2022 14:51:22 GMT -5
I remember buying all of E69 at my local toy shop then finding everyone at Walmart shortly after for like $6-$7 each because they messed up the price.
Always nice finding the last figure for a set after you've been hunting for awhile. Just dod this with U8 Jericho.
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kanepilk
Superstar
Joined on: Oct 7, 2021 19:38:25 GMT -5
Posts: 505
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Post by kanepilk on Sept 22, 2022 17:56:27 GMT -5
When I was a kid I used to be practically friends with the owner of a toy shop in my town (one of two small toy shops, the only one which seemed to carry WWF stuff). I didn't really fully grasp the concept of different series' of figures at the time and thought that the figures on the back of the boxes were just random, but he used to keep stuff aside for me if I asked and it actually came in.
About 15-18ish years ago, when I was officially an adult, used to go to our local 'big toy shop' (Smyths) every week or so out of nosiness to just see what they had. Seemed like the same fella was working the WWE /boys toy aisle all the time, and we made small talk a few times. He got used to seeing me, so he used to leave a full case of classic superstars or such on top of the shelves (where they often kept excess stock) and when he'd see me, he'd go get it so I could have a pick of whoever I wanted in that series, before he put them out on the shelves. Was a really nice guy. He had absolutely no interest in WWE or toys, so I've no idea why he bothered to help me out, but it was genuinely nice of him to do it.
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warrior2017
Mid-Carder
Joined on: Dec 13, 2017 18:18:16 GMT -5
Posts: 133
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Post by warrior2017 on Sept 23, 2022 19:48:19 GMT -5
I am very reluctant to ask workers to check for figures in the back, but there was a Target worker I would often see in the Toy section who would actually ask me if there was anyone I was looking for. He wasn't a collector himself, just a friendly guy who must have been used to people asking him about figures in the back. I was talking to him one day when he casually mentioned a Sting AEW Chase figure had come in and asked me if I wanted it...I'm not an AEW collector, but I am a legends guy and was glad to pick up a rare Sting figure!
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