toy showdown Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Matt's smart and honest. It's a winning combination. Sears Holding has a cash flow of negative $1 billion dollars. Real estate is its only major strength, giving it the ability to close stores cheaply (http://www.cnbc.com/id/102237069). Cheaply = little advance notice that the store is closing. I don't see how you can have financial support from a retailer that has not seen a dollar of profit. And with retailers responsible for promoting and distributing their own exclusives, DST can't force Kmart to stock anything even if they have it. I'm allowed to have a bit of Kmart hate in my blood, too. 20+ years of stories from my father being a manager. He worked hard and tried his best until the day my parents' house sold, and the next day he quit without ever feeling like he owed them anything. So yeah, I'm happy for TMNT Minimates, but I'd put Kmart exclusive minimates on the same level of enthusiasm as a root canal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSTZach Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Well, it sounds like you have issues with Kmart that are unrelated to Minimates. I like to think I'm smart and honest, and I have no idea what the future holds for Kmart. They pay for what they buy, they put it out on shelves, and people are buying it and enjoying it. Seems like everything is working the way it should. If some people are having trouble getting to a Kmart or finding one that stocks them, it seems like it's the exception, not the rule. Minimates have been distributed through various channels, and in various formats, for 13 years. When they first came out, there were exclusives and packaging variations up the wazoo. There have been retailer exclusives almost every year since then -- a lot at TRU, but also at smaller online retailers. Blind bags may be new for Minimates, but I've been buying blind boxed figures since Minimates first started, and they have stuck around and seemingly gotten MORE popular, because people enjoy them. If they weren't being bought, retailers would not continue to carry them. We MAY actually be the first to combine retailer exclusives with blind bags, but I think the positives outweigh the negatives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hellpop Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 I think it's rather silly to make blanket statements about the quality of employee at any one chain. All chains have good and bad employees. The last time I was at KMart, I had an employee helping me that spent about half an hour opening boxes and looking through his stockroom for these. He never found them, but it certainly wasn't through lack of trying. Minimates are a niche of a niche of a niche. And, great as they are, they have little in the way of public name recognition. Expecting every employee in the chain to know every minute aspect of their inventory is unrealistic. All you can really hope is that whomever you talk to tries their best to help you. I'm not saying that K-Mart employees are imbeciles, I'm saying that the average comic shop has 2-4 employees total, and they typically know almost everything they have in the store because it's a smaller location and fewer people handling the product. And I only brought it up because the difficulty of finding 'mates at a K-Mart location and at a comic shop are very different, even though I think the comparison doesn't address the actual problem. Valo, I wasn't singling you out, just responding to the general sentiment in this thread over the last few pages. I know it read that way because my post was right under yours, though. I find comic stores to be really hit and miss as far as product info goes. Some are great, some are terrible, and because there's no standards it's hard to know what's a good store and what's a bad one. I'm sometimes amazed at how many stores are poorly run, have no sense of inventory, have no understanding of how to order from Diamond, ect. How many times have we heard people reporting back that their LCBS told them they couldn't order a Minimate box set, when we know that's not the case? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buttheadsmate Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Based on ebay listings Kraang & Mutagen Michelangelo can be instantly considered 'rare' Minimates IMHO . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valo487 Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 I think it's rather silly to make blanket statements about the quality of employee at any one chain. All chains have good and bad employees. The last time I was at KMart, I had an employee helping me that spent about half an hour opening boxes and looking through his stockroom for these. He never found them, but it certainly wasn't through lack of trying. Minimates are a niche of a niche of a niche. And, great as they are, they have little in the way of public name recognition. Expecting every employee in the chain to know every minute aspect of their inventory is unrealistic. All you can really hope is that whomever you talk to tries their best to help you. I'm not saying that K-Mart employees are imbeciles, I'm saying that the average comic shop has 2-4 employees total, and they typically know almost everything they have in the store because it's a smaller location and fewer people handling the product. And I only brought it up because the difficulty of finding 'mates at a K-Mart location and at a comic shop are very different, even though I think the comparison doesn't address the actual problem.Valo, I wasn't singling you out, just responding to the general sentiment in this thread over the last few pages. I know it read that way because my post was right under yours, though.I find comic stores to be really hit and miss as far as product info goes. Some are great, some are terrible, and because there's no standards it's hard to know what's a good store and what's a bad one. I'm sometimes amazed at how many stores are poorly run, have no sense of inventory, have no understanding of how to order from Diamond, ect. How many times have we heard people reporting back that their LCBS told them they couldn't order a Minimate box set, when we know that's not the case? I guess I've just been lucky, the two shops I've visited have a very friendly/knowledgeable staff. They actually seem like they want people to come back and spend more. Which you would think would be pretty common, but I guess not always. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shanester Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 I went to two Kmarts over the weekend. One of which, I had already taken the entire strip of TMNT Minimates. There was a restock and all but two packs were gone. At the other Kmart, a similar situation. A strip with only three packs left. I would say they are selling well for Kmart. The thing Kmart could do better is make them easier to find. They were not with the TMNT action figures in both stores (they were the first time I found them). I had to hunt them down and they are not easy to find. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onyx_6 Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Weird. Of the 3 Kmarts I have been fortunate to visit, all have been found with the rest of the very small TNMT section - usually a stand alone section (or 2) on an island near toys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buttheadsmate Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Based on ebay listings Kraang & Mutagen Michelangelo can be instantly considered 'rare' Minimates IMHO . If you guys out there are still finding these then please buy them for your fellow boardies ........& I don't mean me Although ........? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onyx_6 Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Sure..! If anyone wants the turtles with key chains for $5.38 each. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delta chameleon Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 I know i am a bit late to the game here, but I was able to come across some turtles. The Toys R Us by me sold out of them very quickly. The TRU I frequent (Aurora, IL near the Westfield Mall) seems to be a very busy store, and usually sells out very quickly if the toy has some excitement around it. We don't have any K-Marts right in my area, but I went to visit my wife in Virginia, and came across three K-Marts. So I stopped in, thinking what they heck? This far after their release, I didn't think that there would actually be any left. But between the three stores, I was able to find a few packs. I was able to find one of each turtle, a mutagen Michelangelo and a Shredder. These mates are incredible! Easily my favorite minimates since the Gator Guard promo figure a couple years ago. Of course I am partial to any mates of animal-human warriors, but these are especially well done. The paint apps on my are all solid. I feel like there is a great blend between the minimate minimalistic style and the additional sculpted parts. The non-sculpted head never bothered me. I got to see these in hand last year at C2E2, and I knew already that I liked the design. (I am hoping that future mutants have sculpted heads, such as Dog Pound, Newtralizer, etc....) The accessories are really nice as well. The real, miniature chain on Mikey's nunchuks is a really nice touch. Looking through Series 2, I am very excited to see Splinter. He looks really nice, and the sculpt on the head is close to perfection. I do wish there were one or two more new mutants in series 2, but that is a small complaint. I am just happy to see that these have been successful enough to warrant further waves. So many toy lines that I get excited about get cancelled really quickly and easily, so I am hoping these have some staying power. And I am already having some ideas about getting the series 2 turtles at doing a touch of sculpting then painting them into original black and white comic versions of the turtles. I know this is coming late and most people have probably traded or sold away all of their extras, but does anyone have an extra TRU exclusive Mutagen Leonardo? Like I said, the TRU by me sold very very quickly and never got a restock. All I have been able to find are some of the mates in Kmarts. If someone does have an extra, let me know! Thank you so much guys! I haven't been too incredibly active collecting any new toylines in stores since I started my Master's last spring, but these turtle mates have be extremely excited for the line and new figures in general. I can't wait to see what else we get down the line. Crossing my fingers for a Newtralizer at some point, and if we don't get him, I may have to take a Punisher figure and some bits and make my own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TENIME_art Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 The first time I went looking for these, I only ended up getting a Star Wars figure, and the cashier told me "all the stores will be closing in 2015". Granted it was only a cashier, but it holds more water than toy collectors on a message board... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arnim zola Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Not really, cashiers are bitter people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterPL Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Well... Maybe she meant all her stores? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSTZach Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Was she smart and honest? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterPL Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Was she sober? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mnemosis Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Was she a Kmart employee? I Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trekker 42 Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Was she yet another product of your deranged imagination? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TENIME_art Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 MY IMAGINATION IS NOT- Okay, you got me there. I can't defend against that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zak Katz Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 Why would she work there then? Get a new job, or at least start looking. Well I hope they stay open long enough to sell through their stock of series two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hellpop Posted January 24, 2015 Share Posted January 24, 2015 Based on ebay listings Kraang & Mutagen Michelangelo can be instantly considered 'rare' Minimates IMHO . If you guys out there are still finding these then please buy them for your fellow boardies ........& I don't mean me Although ........? I still need Kraang, now that you mention it.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valo487 Posted January 24, 2015 Share Posted January 24, 2015 I think about 95% of the people who have bought Ninja Turtles 'mates still need him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterMiracle Posted January 24, 2015 Share Posted January 24, 2015 That number seems a little high. I'm gonna say it's more around 45%. 4.5 out of every 10 members here still need a Kraaang. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlushyFrog Posted January 24, 2015 Share Posted January 24, 2015 I resorted to getting the Kmart exclusives on eBay a long time ago. Paying the premium was simply the optimal way to get them. No wasting time and gas and paying for duplicates just to find the exclusives. Frankly, I don't think anyone likes that Kmart has exclusives. Some tolerate it and I'm sure many (including myself) hate it. A more collector friendly way to distribute these is to allow Kmart to get them first, but without the exclusives. People with Kmarts near them will rush to get them and completists won't have to worry about whether they can find a Kmart or not. I mean seriously, Kraang is an important character in TMNT. Of course people are going to be pissed when it's a blind bag AND exclusive AND at Kmart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSTZach Posted January 24, 2015 Share Posted January 24, 2015 There will always be an exclusive character at Kmart. Hopefully the next one is easier to acquire or less important. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valo487 Posted January 24, 2015 Share Posted January 24, 2015 (edited) That number seems a little high. I'm gonna say it's more around 45%. 4.5 out of every 10 members here still need a Kraaang.I was referring to everyone who has bought them period, be it from Amazon, Luke, comic shops, eBay, what have you.And I just checked eBay, there's no Mutagen Michelangelo and only two Kraangs. Not exactly a ringing endorsement for their availability. Edited January 24, 2015 by Valo487 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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