Whats the deal with toy collecting?

[Kino]

Lately I been trying to pick up some Transformers and GI JOE. I been doing this about a year now. So far I found it strange how this goes. I go on ebay and see Masterpiece Starscream for like a $100. Meanwhile down in just about every Walmart in Baton Rouge area had tons of them for $50 bucks. I scored two. Now the part that kills me is how often I see the word "rare" and Walmart or Target. That does not go toegether.

Now how come I just picked up a set of the current 25th GI JOE figures and was thankfull to God that I went to Walmart at 10 oclock at night to get them before they sold out. I remember back when I was a kid, Walmart woul dhave had 9-12 hangars overflowing with GI joe figures. Getting one was never in question.

Am I missing something here?

[Escaflown4]

You know ever since the Walmart Masterpiece Starscream was released, I have never ever once seen it stocked at the local store here. I would even go on the day that they get their shipment and by the time I get there, they have all mysteriously disappeared before they even reach the shelves. However, they would have tons of the Transformers Movie figures which I got enough of. Those would at least last a full 24 hours on the shelves before they get emptied out the next. There's either way too many TF collectors in my area or just a few individuals who got connection with the Walmart employees that's doing a scalping ring. It's very frustrating. I ended up getting the Starscream on Ebay.

[400yrs]

I go on ebay and see Masterpiece Starscream for like a $100. Meanwhile down in just about every Walmart in Baton Rouge area had tons of them for $50 bucks. I scored two.

Am I missing something here?

About the only toys that I've attempted to collect were Simpsons toys and Star Wars. The workers at most of the stores would cherry pick the cases before putting what was left out on the floor. Some workers do that, others don't. This seems to happen all over the place.

If I could go back and do it over again, I would sell off any rares that I was able to find while the prices were high (e.g. Simpsons THOH set #1 selling for $150, now MAYBE $15-20). Now, you can find even the toys that were selling for big money very cheaply on ebay.

In general, I was able to find more rare stuff when I traveled to the smaller cities. The more rurally oriented areas don't seem to know/care about making money off stuff like this. So to me, it seems like the workers are less likely to know to cherry pick the cases.

[Heath]

I have never seen the new GI Joe figures at Walmart and I've been to half a dozen or so around here. But I see them at Target all the time.

[Kino]

I hear alot about the workers cherry picking but the last wave of GiJOE, it appears that at the two Walmarts in my area that had them, they only put only one case. I remember back in the day as a kid with no money, Walmart would have rows upon rows of GI JOE figures. It was never a matter of missing a figure as all of them were always there but a matter of whether Dad would cough up the 3 bucks to grab me one.

Funny, as a kid with no money I couldn't collect them all but now with a very nice paycheck, I still can't get the damn things and I refuse to pay the 12.99 to 15 bucks at some of these toy stored on the net. Unreal.

[superman-prime]

I got the starscream and the gi joe set both for my sets my wal mart is super slow
I even get gold coin star wars figs occasionally and a few treasure hunts

[Kino]

I got the starscream and the gi joe set both for my sets my wal mart is super slow
I even get gold coin star wars figs occasionally and a few treasure hunts

You know I too have found a bunch of gold coin star wars and even mcquarrie figures. The star wars figures tend to be better stocked than GI JOE.

[Heath]

If anybody has any extra coins from opening your Star Wars figures, my son would like to have them...

[Smashey]

Heath, pm me your addy, i got somethin your son would like