[Kernel]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ninjinister

Copying a bit of a side-rant that went Marvel-related that I made at another board, dealing with frustration on distribution and why I pre-order all of my waves for this series now.

[I]Fred Meyer (might be Kroger or something else in your area) used to be THE place to get Marvel Universe figures. They would have a different wave - not even a new wave, they were bringing back some classics sometimes - every other week. You had to get in there and get what you wanted or else you were left out in the cold. I lost out on a solid Vision, because the first time I saw the figures there I picked up two others and figured I'd be back the next week after getting paid to get him. Nope. Giggity giggity gone. I had no idea he was rare - or he might not even have been at the time - but I digress. Anyway, as the later waves came out, they stopped stocking the classics every other week, just stocked two cases of the wave before the newest (they stopped having the current line, like at any point - they were always one behind every other store toward the end). The chase and well-liked figures flew off the shelves instantly, and the shelfwarmers just sat and sat and sat - two whole cases at a time of them, because nobody wanted them - until eventually they would disappear (I never did see them go on clearance).

Fast forward to the Marvel Infinite line. Fred Meyer actually got them before anybody else that I saw! And Wasp - the most wanted of the line at the time -was MIA. I had pre-ordered a set from Big Bad Toy Store so I only picked up the Hulk that I wouldn't be getting in the set - and what do you know, they sold out and refreshed two more times after that. By that point, Wasp was no longer as hard to come by and the second wave was out... so they briefly clearanced them for like a buck and a half less - and I am wholly convinced that I am the only one that picked up anything out of that deal - a second Wasp and Grim Reaper for customs. Every single Hyperion, Captain America, Hulk, Wasp, Grim Reaper, and Iron Man is still there, to this day, except for those two I took, literally collecting dust, about a year later. And now they're 4 bucks more than the Ultimate figures were. Meanwhile, every other store in the area has progressed to at least 2-3 waves since (I've decided to go without the hassle and just pre-order them but I still keep tabs). Even the two K-Marts I'd been to in the span of a week last month

Yeah distro is awful in our area. I'm on the east coast right now and it's refreshing to see some other figures other than Hyperion and I'm a little worried he will kill the upcoming 2 packs. I think in summer 2012 I drove around some Fred Meyers buy 1 get 1 half off and for like $7.50 each I got Jim lee cyclops, Ultron, single carded doom, x-23, Union jack, falcon and maybe some others and was stoked. I don't even bother checking there on a regular basis anymore, and when I do I see someone has switched out the legends figures. It's a shame.