It goes both ways. People always get "collectors" confused with "scalpers." They just assume that if they can't find it, it's because of those damn scalper boogeymen, and not because of their store's awful distribution or their own limited or hap hazard hunting habits.

To those folks...I say sorry...but what is it they say about the early bird?

Scalpers do suck... and I am not condoning abhorrent behavior, but finding and actually defining one is not exactly black and white, and is full of shades of grey.

What I saw today was proof that Scalpers are a big part of the problem.

It's a mix here. There are several comic book shops that have made scalping (or at least overpricing) their specialty. I've learned to just not bothering with them, which is probably for the best because they are full of unwashed adults and kids who haven't learned about deodorant yet. And except for one shop they are selling at ridiculous amounts, and not a whole lot of it either, so at that point I assume it's mostly distribution and then a little scalping.

But we had one in particular that is not in business any longer, that was known for it, this was back in the late 90's and early 00s. You'd see the employees out while doing your own toy run (for just your stuff, maybe for a friend), and they'd have like a cart full of the figures. Same figures, one of each, I don't think it mattered. During one of the Star Wars figure releases two of them showed up and barged through with their carts, and pretty much just grabbed everything and threw it in their cart..then within minutes were trying to turn around and sell it to us..they actually got banned from the store because they hadn't even paid for it yet. I'm actually glad that store isn't around anymore.

Anyways...I digress but yeah...scalpers are scum.

Btw, I have no desire to buy Sunfire or Shatterstar, so if by the slim chance anyone who bought those doesn't want their Warlock pieces...hit me up.

Dang where in the states are you at? I'm so glad to have never encountered that when I've had to go to a TRU during opening hours...

I'm on the West Coast. Yeah man, be glad you haven't encountered it, it's really awful :(

Honestly, if I ever see those goons again and they grab a toy, I'm not going to be so nice. I'll probably either:

1. take it out of their hand and run off
2. shove through them and grab what I want, I was too nice and just hung back as they grabbed everything, since they got the aisle first. To hell with consideration though, they aren't considerate themselves.

Oh yea ?? Well i only saw one. Luckily the paint looked good to me so i immediately had to grab him. Slowly i believe the X wave is starting to turn up around me.

When the TRU Groot was new at the beginning of March and the GotG wave was starting to hit I was checking the local store and they had three Groots but with a limit of one per customer I was easily able to get one. The people ahead of me however were going on and on about what they would pick up to sell on eBay (they wanted all of the Groots) and they kept asking if there was an Angela in the back but they were told no. As soon as they left the store the employee who shut them down immediately went back and brought out an Angela when I asked, it was extremely nice of her and a solid victory against scalpers. I imagine if I weren't a regular with a shown interest in the characters and toys themselves she might have told me no too for fear of scalping.

Scalpers have no shame...you would think they would be smart and not announced to the whole store that they're "ebay sellers/scalpers" :P

Well they aren't known to be the smartest peanuts in the turd!

That's an awesome story, that employee deserves a medal.

This really sucks, X. I went on a hunt yesterday to a TRU I'd never been to, and when I came to the register the manager saw that I had a bunch of Marvel Legends/DC Multiverse figures and offered to scan my figures to see if there were more in the back. I told him I collect Marvel Legends and DC Multiverse figures, and like I do with everyone, I pulled out my phone and showed him and the young lady that rung me up(no shame in my game) my collection. He told me they deal with lot's of scalpers, and even though they want to sell figures, they got tired of dealing with fights over merchandise.

Scalpers are no good, but I am fortunate to live in an area where there are a ton of comic stores, Targets, Wal-Marts, TRU, Walgreens, and other places to find what I'm looking for. I always feel bad for those that are in smaller places. That would be horrible.

You'd think so but I guess for some of them it's business as usual. Why should they hide when it's not a crime? Obviously I'm not advocating for making the activity of selling toys on the secondary market illegal because eBay has been there for me in the past. It was also interesting for me because this was the first time I could confirm I was witnessing scalpers gathering products, most other times somebody beats to me to something the thought of scalpers crosses my mind but I have to also recognize it could just be another collector/fan.

That explains why there are always certain figures that are impossible to find. Looks like Walgreens might be out of the scalpers scope. Though I have been told that their employees like to scalp their toys around here. Walgreens in small towns tend to be the best hunting for me.

BTW, GameStop has a huge clearance on their old legends stock. Dormammu, Hulkbuster, and Juggernaut waves. I passed up on a Rogue, still feel bad about it.

I wonder if they frequent some of these boards and get an idea of what is gonna be hot or in demand.

It wouldnt suprise me.

damn....they probably do.

:mad:

I went to the TRU nearest me on Wednesday and as I was leaving I saw a couple of slobs walking towards the action figures like they owned the place. One really tall guy lifted up a hinged Skylanders sign at the very top of a shelf revealing a little hidden cubby hole. He quickly pulled out a couple of figures he had obviously stashed there before. I didn't quite see what specific toys they were, but they weren't Marvel Legends or DC Multiverse like I was hunting for. I don't know if they were scalpers or if they were just stashing toys until they had money, but it's B.S. either way. I'm going to start checking those little hiding spots so I can raid their stash if there's something I'm looking for.

Damn I'm seriously sorry man at least you were able to get Cyclops. Are you sure you don't live in my town? Because I have had the same thing happen to me dozens of times. They have gone as far to Snatch it out of my hands before. They did that with a Kylo Ren From Force Friday. If you know Black Series he is probably the easiest to find from the entire wave. Lol

Man, that is probably the most extreme case of hiding I've ever heard of. Maybe I should start poking around more...

Every day that goes by, the more fitting I find it that we all call it "the hunt". It's grueling enough to earn the description.

Oh. my. god. If one of them did that to me I would tackle them. That is wrong on so many levels!!

The wave is out...I have hit most of the Walgreens in my area, and I have seen most of the wave. The only figures that I have not seen in the wild on the hunt is Colossus and Psyclops...I grabbed Sunfire yesterday, and tomorrow I think I will get Shatterstar and Old Man Logan...I'm just glad they are starting to hit my area...Happy hunting, folks!

Some assbag tried that once when i had a fig in my hands. I broke his wrist. Im sorry if its in my hands its mine unless i place back on the peg.

Quote:
Originally Posted by OGTrilogy View Post
I went to the TRU nearest me on Wednesday and as I was leaving I saw a couple of slobs walking towards the action figures like they owned the place. One really tall guy lifted up a hinged Skylanders sign at the very top of a shelf revealing a little hidden cubby hole. He quickly pulled out a couple of figures he had obviously stashed there before. I didn't quite see what specific toys they were, but they weren't Marvel Legends or DC Multiverse like I was hunting for. I don't know if they were scalpers or if they were just stashing toys until they had money, but it's B.S. either way. I'm going to start checking those little hiding spots so I can raid their stash if there's something I'm looking for.
Man, that is probably the most extreme case of hiding I've ever heard of. Maybe I should start poking around more...

Every day that goes by, the more fitting I find it that we all call it "the hunt". It's grueling enough to earn the description. :Quote

Well I am pretty sure I am the customer he saw. I don't care for being labeled a slob ( I was in tshirt and shorts). I stashed a Skylander figure in the "Overstock Bin" above the section. Those are Overstock areas that TRU uses to hold what they cant fit on shelves. I check them myself all the time at almost every TRU I go to. ( I was told Skylanders were going on 3$ sale the week before by a employee). I have even taken newer stock down from those overhead bins and placed them on pegs and put old stock up there so fellow collectors can get new stuff because employees would just leave old stock on the main display. I never scalp toys. I help out a few fellow collectors, but never buy something just for the purpose of reselling or making a profit.

P.S. I have been going to that TRU for almost 15 years. I am one of the most loyal customers that store has.

I've met one of those sketchy scalpers. The guy looked like the type that would have someone chopped up in his meth lab. He came up to me while I was looking at Transformers in Walmart and started talking to me about the different characters, how much some of the older figures were worth, and whether any of the new figures were worth any money online. I grabbed my Grimlock and headed for the end of the aisle. Fortunately the guy didn't follow me over to the grocery section.

My worst experience at Toys R Us was with an employee. I was looking for the Dark Knight Movie Masters Batman and Joker. I asked an employee his response was "Pfft, check eBay." He walked off and didn't even ask me if I needed anything else.

However my best experience at Toys R Us was when I was around 10 years old. I was looking for Star Wars figures (POTF2) and the lady stocking the shelves went to the back and and returned with another employee. They had pulled out 3 or 4 cases of new figures for me to look through. After we left (with new figures!), my mom told me that the the two employees had said they wouldn't have done that for an adult because they would have assumed that the lone adult was a scalper. They were more than happy to help a little kid get toys.

i agree, if someone has the cajones to do that to someone. including myself there will be problems.....

what's on the shelves in all reality is fair game, however it's definitely not cool to see all the goodies get taken by someone to go and sell on ebay. i know a few comic shops whom i believe send out people to go and buy things to sell at their shops too.

This is obviously a problem everywhere. we as collectors can't do anything to stop it though.

as the saying goes the early bird catches the worm, im also sure that works with someone who's in the know of when things are restocked too.