[Jmacq1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LordMudd

TRU used to have a price match guarantee. It was on a sign directly above their registers. One day I walked into a Target and found Playmates DS9 figures just arrived and already on sale. I bought what I could find and took my receipt to TRU. They did not have the figures. I showed the receipt to the manager and asked if he would match the price when he did get them in. He said no. A week later I found more at Walmart. I got what I needed and went to pay. I did not have the other receipt but told the clerk about the sale at Target. She did not even question but just rang up the sale price. I took that receipt and went back to TRU. Again no figures, again I asked the manager and again he said no. I then loudly announced "So much for your falsely advertised low price guarantee." while standing under the sign and then walked out. I did not make another purchase at a TRU for well over a decade, so you see, it is possible to successfully collect toys without shopping at TRU.


CCC.

You don't understand the follow-on effects of TRU going out of business. Whether you shopped there or not is irrelevant. Look at how Mattel and Hasbro and Jakks Pacific stock (among others) is tumbling because TRU is going out of business.

I'll put it to you as simply as I can: The future iteration of that particular line you wanted might not even get made, because now if Wal-Mart doesn't want it (or doesn't have shelf-space for it), it simply won't get made at all.

Now Wal-Mart and Target have every excuse they need to trim their toy aisles down even further, or even eliminate them altogether, because TRU isn't there to offer any alternative whatsoever.

Now Wal-Mart and Target have no real need to cater to collectors at all. Collectors will have no choice but to shop there if they want anything from brick and mortar.

And before you go thinking "Amazon/Online will save us!" if Wal-Mart and Target trim their toy selections, the toymakers will reduce their output accordingly. "Online" isn't going to pick up the slack because there won't be any slack to pick up. If Wal-Mart and Target eliminate toys altogether (don't laugh...Wal-Mart in particular would LOVE to get rid of the toy aisles to make room for more electronics or even more groceries...anything with higher profit margins and/or sell-through), then there is a very real chance that Hasbro/Mattel/Et al... basically go out of business themselves, but even if they don't you can bet they won't be cranking out remotely the same amount of product, and pleasing collectors will be a lot less important to them than just staying afloat.

But sure, go ahead and keep thinking that TRU going away won't affect the toy business as a whole.