[Peteparker]

This may be more of a general figure collecting topic, but since I'm specifically interested in how the Marvel Universe figure distribution works, and I don't know if it works the same for all types, and I'll be citing the MU waves as examples, I figured it'd be best to start it here. Feel free to move it if I'm wrong.

I'm trying to better understand the distribution system for the Marvel Universe figures, to better time my hunts and hopefully have a more fruitful result.

I went to a Target yesterday and found that they had restocked. They had a handful of Series 2 Waves 5 and 6 (Multiple Man, Mystique, Iron Man 2020, Winter Soldier), a handful of Series 3 Waves 1, 2, and 3 (Spider-Man 2099, Spider-Woman, Apocalypse, Cyclops, Gladiator, Falcon, Scarlet Spider, Dr. Doom, and 2 Dr. Stranges). As far as I remember, none of these figures were really there before, safe a Gladiator or two and maybe a Spider-Woman.

So how does the distribution system work if they get figures from 5 or 6 different waves in the same packages?

I've seen the order forms in Diamond's Previews, where you get a case of one wave for ~$100, and I've seen the orders of waves on hasbrotoyshop.com, where it's like a case of three waves in one for around the same price. How do big stores like Target and Walmart replenish their stock? Do they ever ship stock from one store to another?

Given that I've seen some figures in clearance at one Walmart and regularly priced at another in the same town, I'm figuring that they don't replenish stock of these low-cost items with stock from other stores, and that they must purely order direct from Hasbro, who gives them a case of crap-shoot figures.

Does anyone have any experience working in or talking with people who work in these stores? I think it would be extremely beneficial to know if they're ever going to be able to get a Juggernaut (Series 2, Wave 3) for me again, or any of the first series or wave, for that matter.