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Post by RealMattHopkins on Mar 28, 2024 17:04:39 GMT -5
It is Wrestlemania season and, usually, we have some happy surprises in Canadian retail stores, such as Wal-Mart and Toys R' Us. This year, it is worse than ever before. You know what we have on the shelves? Tons of Mae Young figures from 2021. Tons of Nia Jax with the Tag Team Belt, also from 2021. But nothing much else. It seems that, on the odd occasion, I will get a happy surprise and find something in the stores. Getting the legends, which is all I really collect, is even harder. I was extremely excited to find a Jerry Lawler from his RAW announcer days--a figure that came out in 2023. That was a happy surprise, I suppose.
I just want to know what the problem is with Mattel distribution in Canada? The AEW figures, by comparison, are plentiful, current, and well stocked. They also seem to move well. WWE stuff, though, is in very short supply. It almost feels like stores are giving up on them. What gives?
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Post by HandsomeHollywood on Mar 28, 2024 17:15:22 GMT -5
You should check your stores. Shippers are being sent out with E106 and E107, Ruthless Aggression 3, WrestleMania elites, both the 2023 and 2024 Survivor Series elite sets. The Hogan 3 pack is also being sent to TRUs and some have spotted the newest Top Picks set at Walmarts (Cody and Logan Paul).
In the summer and fall we were given Greatest Hits series 2 and SummerSlam elites.
It was a long time before this that we got anything though. The stretches between new stuff are long (sometimes a full calendar year or more).
Stores across Nova Scotia are clogged with the Bucks, Dark Order, Mae Young and Kama for 2 years. But this recent boom has been good
I never had a problem collecting wrestling figures in Canada until Mattel took over. I once heard having to print a new set of packaging to include French on the box to comply with Canadian retail standards is a big reason, but that's pure speculation.
What we're getting now is at least better than when the line started. Mattel only did 2 figures a series for Canada for Elite 1-6, and then didn't send any more elites for years until series 32. Since then I'll take the short bursts of product over nothing at all.
Canada not having a Target or second chain to compete with Walmart is probably another big reason.
I used to ask my store's manager if we'd be getting anything new in and he would tell me new stuff was coming on Monday. Every time without looking anything up. Customer service at its finest.
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nomorexclusives
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Post by nomorexclusives on Mar 28, 2024 18:55:06 GMT -5
Because walmart
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peterjp2
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Post by peterjp2 on Mar 28, 2024 19:17:35 GMT -5
You should check your stores. Shippers are being sent out with E106 and E107, Ruthless Aggression 3, WrestleMania elites, both the 2023 and 2024 Survivor Series elite sets. The Hogan 3 pack is also being sent to TRUs and some have spotted the newest Top Picks set at Walmarts (Cody and Logan Paul). In the summer and fall we were given Greatest Hits series 2 and SummerSlam elites. So far in Alberta I've only found UE 20, elite 107, Ruthless Aggression 3 Nash and Shelton, WM elites, and bits and pieces of the SS 2023 and 2024. Hopefully everyone got the Hogan 3 pack at TRU on sale as they will not sell at over $100. So glad to be finding anything new though. |
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Biff Slamkovich™
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Post by Biff Slamkovich™ on Mar 28, 2024 23:45:35 GMT -5
In Vancouver and can confirm that not a single shipper is in any of the 3 TRU's near me nor in 4 of the Walmarts I've visited. Absolutely inexcusable considering I'm in a major city.
Countless elite Colonel Mustafa litter shelves at multiple TRU's, and the latest elite wave at any TRU is 98. Walmarts here don't even have elites in stock either. All I see are old Basics or 2-packs everywhere.
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Post by HandsomeHollywood on Mar 28, 2024 23:50:52 GMT -5
In Vancouver and can confirm that not a single shipper is in any of the 3 TRU's near me nor in 4 of the Walmarts I've visited. Absolutely inexcusable considering I'm in a major city. Countless elite Colonel Mustafa litter shelves at multiple TRU's, and the latest elite wave at any TRU is 98. Walmarts here don't even have elites in stock either. All I see are old Basics or 2-packs everywhere. It really is a crapshoot. My local Walmart hasn't gotten any of the new shippers in but 2/5 Walmarts in the city an hour away have them, while the TRU didn't even have a WWE section just a few weeks ago. |
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Post by RealMattHopkins on Mar 29, 2024 2:43:18 GMT -5
In Vancouver and can confirm that not a single shipper is in any of the 3 TRU's near me nor in 4 of the Walmarts I've visited. Absolutely inexcusable considering I'm in a major city. Countless elite Colonel Mustafa litter shelves at multiple TRU's, and the latest elite wave at any TRU is 98. Walmarts here don't even have elites in stock either. All I see are old Basics or 2-packs everywhere. I do not understand why they thought Colonel Mustafa required that many buys. That said, they seem to have sold at the end of the day. I just think it's a sad state of affairs because I am in Calgary, Alberta--one of the most active cities for wrestling in Canadian history. They have independent wrestling here almost weekly, are hosting a huge AEW event in July, and consistently host WWE. I think the newest Elite wave I have seen evidence of is 99 because there are many Queen Zelina figures available at WalMart. I don't think I ever saw the other figures in the wave, though I may have? I definitely do not recall having ever seen Boogey Man. The absolute newest one I have seen for the first time this week is Jerry Lawler from the Survivor Series set with the Build-A-Figure of 1999 era Davey Boy Smith. |
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Biff Slamkovich™
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Post by Biff Slamkovich™ on Mar 29, 2024 12:16:28 GMT -5
In Vancouver and can confirm that not a single shipper is in any of the 3 TRU's near me nor in 4 of the Walmarts I've visited. Absolutely inexcusable considering I'm in a major city. Countless elite Colonel Mustafa litter shelves at multiple TRU's, and the latest elite wave at any TRU is 98. Walmarts here don't even have elites in stock either. All I see are old Basics or 2-packs everywhere. I do not understand why they thought Colonel Mustafa required that many buys. That said, they seem to have sold at the end of the day. I just think it's a sad state of affairs because I am in Calgary, Alberta--one of the most active cities for wrestling in Canadian history. They have independent wrestling here almost weekly, are hosting a huge AEW event in July, and consistently host WWE. I think the newest Elite wave I have seen evidence of is 99 because there are many Queen Zelina figures available at WalMart. I don't think I ever saw the other figures in the wave, though I may have? I definitely do not recall having ever seen Boogey Man. The absolute newest one I have seen for the first time this week is Jerry Lawler from the Survivor Series set with the Build-A-Figure of 1999 era Davey Boy Smith. Meanwhile down south, Legends figures, the Hogan 3-pack, elites and UE's all go on sale at Target and Walmart mere weeks after the items hit shelves. Here in Canada, we have dozens of Mae Young's rotting shelves at Walmarts across the country and Colonel Mustafa rotting shelves at TRU's. Mae's are still full price I might add. How long has it been since she was released? 2 years? |
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Post by RealMattHopkins on Mar 29, 2024 12:33:36 GMT -5
I do not understand why they thought Colonel Mustafa required that many buys. That said, they seem to have sold at the end of the day. I just think it's a sad state of affairs because I am in Calgary, Alberta--one of the most active cities for wrestling in Canadian history. They have independent wrestling here almost weekly, are hosting a huge AEW event in July, and consistently host WWE. I think the newest Elite wave I have seen evidence of is 99 because there are many Queen Zelina figures available at WalMart. I don't think I ever saw the other figures in the wave, though I may have? I definitely do not recall having ever seen Boogey Man. The absolute newest one I have seen for the first time this week is Jerry Lawler from the Survivor Series set with the Build-A-Figure of 1999 era Davey Boy Smith. Meanwhile down south, Legends figures, the Hogan 3-pack, elites and UE's all go on sale at Target and Walmart mere weeks after the items hot shelves. Here in Canada, we have dozens of Mae Young's rotting shelves at Walmarts across the country and Colonel Mustafa rotting shelves at TRU's. Mae's are still full price I might add. How long has it been since she was released? 2 years? And let's remember, too, that Target went out of business in Canada. All these Target exclusives are basically lost to us. They sometimes show up in Canadian Toys R Us stores but often we are stuck with scalper prices. Target's website won't even sell to Canadians so we have no meaningful and reasonable way to buy them at proper prices. It's unfair. They tend to be the ones I actually want most because I only collect "Legends". Really, my interest in collecting ends with the 1998/1997 years of figures. |
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Post by Flair Forever on Apr 1, 2024 8:23:51 GMT -5
I do not understand why they thought Colonel Mustafa required that many buys. That said, they seem to have sold at the end of the day. I just think it's a sad state of affairs because I am in Calgary, Alberta--one of the most active cities for wrestling in Canadian history. They have independent wrestling here almost weekly, are hosting a huge AEW event in July, and consistently host WWE. I think the newest Elite wave I have seen evidence of is 99 because there are many Queen Zelina figures available at WalMart. I don't think I ever saw the other figures in the wave, though I may have? I definitely do not recall having ever seen Boogey Man. The absolute newest one I have seen for the first time this week is Jerry Lawler from the Survivor Series set with the Build-A-Figure of 1999 era Davey Boy Smith. Meanwhile down south, Legends figures, the Hogan 3-pack, elites and UE's all go on sale at Target and Walmart mere weeks after the items hit shelves. Here in Canada, we have dozens of Mae Young's rotting shelves at Walmarts across the country and Colonel Mustafa rotting shelves at TRU's. Mae's are still full price I might add. How long has it been since she was released? 2 years? And strangely, I've never ever seen a Mae Young figure in the the U.S. (I frequent a few Walmarts in Delaware, PA, and Maryland). I probably would have bought one if I'd ever come across it. |
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Biff Slamkovich™
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Post by Biff Slamkovich™ on Apr 1, 2024 13:38:09 GMT -5
Meanwhile down south, Legends figures, the Hogan 3-pack, elites and UE's all go on sale at Target and Walmart mere weeks after the items hit shelves. Here in Canada, we have dozens of Mae Young's rotting shelves at Walmarts across the country and Colonel Mustafa rotting shelves at TRU's. Mae's are still full price I might add. How long has it been since she was released? 2 years? And strangely, I've never ever seen a Mae Young figure in the the U.S. (I frequent a few Walmarts in Delaware, PA, and Maryland). I probably would have bought one if I'd ever come across it. I'm in Vancouver but if I'm not mistaken Mae's are still spotted en masse across the country at Walmart. If you ever need a Colonel Mustafa then TRU is your place to go lol. |
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Post by HandsomeHollywood on Apr 1, 2024 13:48:28 GMT -5
Meanwhile down south, Legends figures, the Hogan 3-pack, elites and UE's all go on sale at Target and Walmart mere weeks after the items hit shelves. Here in Canada, we have dozens of Mae Young's rotting shelves at Walmarts across the country and Colonel Mustafa rotting shelves at TRU's. Mae's are still full price I might add. How long has it been since she was released? 2 years? And strangely, I've never ever seen a Mae Young figure in the the U.S. (I frequent a few Walmarts in Delaware, PA, and Maryland). I probably would have bought one if I'd ever come across it. We seemingly got entire cases that were Mae Young x6 and other ones that were Kama x6. It's been 2 years now at least of going to look for figures only to be greeted by upwards of 10 Mae Youngs rotting on the shelves. |
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bish
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Post by bish on Apr 1, 2024 19:04:58 GMT -5
Shippers are all over the Walmarts in Ottawa right now.
To your point this was the first restock of elites at my local Walmart in, no joke, 3 years.
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Post by pavwrestlingifs on Apr 3, 2024 16:42:02 GMT -5
It’s been pretty solid for me here in the Toronto suburbs lately.
I’ve seen UE Taker, Roman and Asuka at like 4/5 different Walmarts. I’ve seen WM series with Trish, Rock etc at Wally as well along with Survivor Series full sets, RA Era wave with Nash and Shelton. TRU even stocked up recently with the newer elite sets.
It was rough 2022ish
But past year or been pretty solid. I’ve been able to pick up Elite Gunther, Summerslam 05 HBK, Rumble Rey Mysterio, Elite Sami with the mouse trap. And so much more. Honestly I can’t complain but it’s probably just the area I live in. There’s like 50 Walmarts near me lmao
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