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TRU Wave 7 Announced!


pawcanada

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Here's how I put the TRU exclusives into perspective. Take the Hulkbuster pack for example. Indiana is a state with over 6 million residents and there are 9 Toys R Us stores in the entire state. Most stores initially get in one case from what I've seen and might get a re-stock. So, that's 18 Hulkbusters for any of the 6 million people in this state that want one. Oh, and those 9 stores are only in 6 different towns, so if you don't live in one you'll have to drive a little (or a lot). So when you factor in that somewhere someone might be scalping or even buying extras for themselves or others that means the odds of finding an exclusive in store become less and less. I know that usually these aren't the hottest toys on the market, but if the exclusives don't show up on-line these are the kind of odds that make it difficult for people to find them. At least that's the perspective I see it when I'm looking for them.

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Yeah, but realistically, how many of those 6 million are collectors of toys, or buyers of toys for children? And of that group, how many would potentially care about Minimates? Of that group, how many would, either by chance or design, be at the TRU to buy those packs within the first couple weeks of their being released, and would actually be willing to buy those specific figures for whatever reason?

Then, your "population" of potential Minimate exclusive buyers probably goes down to a very small number. Of course, the number may still be too high for you to get them, but 6 million folks banging down the doors to get the newest Minimates seems a little unrealistic to me. :D

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I really think they will. The TRU exclusives have been trending towards less rare than more rare. Granted, the Angel/Warpath thing was a snafu, but since then, the TRU sets have not been impossible to get. The W:O exclusives weren't terrible to find. The Swordsman/Surfer set got refreshed at least once, and everyone who wanted one when they came out seemed to be able to get one. The Storm/Klaw and WWHulk/Fantastic packs are readily available on TRU.com.

I doubt TRU would drastically decrease the production numbers at this point. It seems like they've struck the balance they want between whipping people into a frenzy and getting them into stores when the packs first hit, and producing enough so those who are patient can eventually get them.

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Let me say I wasn't saying there's 6,000,000 Hoosiers into Minimates, just that that's how many people are in the state and if any of them want a Hulkbuster only 18 get lucky enough to find him on the shelf at most, that's all. If you look at most stores getting one case, that means at the most two people get what they want unless there's a re-stock. That's just bad odds however you look at it.

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I don't enjoy the hunt. Is it my fault that I live 30 miles away from the nearest TRU? I have to wake up insanely early in the morning to catch the bus, then I have to take another bus to get to TRU. Then I have to wait all day for the bus to go back to Mount Vernon (for some reason it only operates in the early morning and the late afternoon). It's not cheap either, it's $2 each way. If I don't end up finding the Minimates I want, then that's time and money wasted. On average, I would be better off paying $30 to a scalper on eBay. I'd actually jump at an auction like this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/HULK-BUSTER-IRON-MAN-G...=item2eae0d5f61

I enjoy collecting Minimates because they're affordable ($7-8 for two), but if I have to spend way more than that then it's not very enjoyable. TRU has ruined it for me. I wouldn't mind paying a little more than retail though, if it's being shipped to me, and it would be nice if these and all of the other exclusives appeared on TRU.com like they did with wave 6. Unfortunately that wave doesn't interest me.

International members are hurt even more by TRU, because their stores don't even carry the exclusives.

Edited by Dio
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Dio pretty much said it perfectly for me - I enjoy collecting minimates but hate having to spend more than double the price. Sure, I've had some people help me in the past or I've been lucky enough to come across an auction for a lose version but to date I've probably spent on average three times more than I'd have liked to too get all the exclusives I want, but fear this could be my one and only chance to grab them. And now we've got three I'm really keen to get plus one I'd take or leave opportunity pending - do I wait three months and hope they'll come down in price but risk never having that luck or jump at the first $30+ action to ensure I got them, but know I've put a dent in my wallet?

I have been helped in the past, especally in recent months, but that's assuming a) they've seen my comments amoung the other international/down on their luck collectors, B) are able to ship to the UK (some eBay sellers down right refuse to, implying there may be more of a problem that I'm not aware of) and c) able to get their hands on an extra G Hulk/HB Iron Man and Betsy/Lockjaw that they can ship to me. I know there are some out there who say "you can't get all exclusives" - fair enough, but I already have my arms tied behind my back becuase my parents happened to want to return to the UK rather than staying in the US.

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The only feasible way I can see to increase the number of exclusives is to get rid of one. I mean three unique 2-packs per case with even ratio instead of the “newly” implemented four per case with uneven ratio.

Currently, one is a consumer friendly exclusive (WWH, Surfer, Hulkbuster) and the other is a collector friendly exclusive (Molecule Man, Old Men, Lockjaw). Depending on a case by case basis, have one repack and two exclusives or two repacks and one exclusive. This’ll probably kill the collector friendly exclusive but I’m okay with it. The number of repacks out there isn’t affected and there are more exclusives on shelves. I don’t think the consumer friendly exclusive is saturating the market since there are rarely any left over but the collector friendly exclusive somewhat is since a decent number of stores have them pegwarming for a while.

My other idea was instead of four 2-packs, make two box sets but in the end, I wouldn’t be too thrilled about it if I had to buy three repacks just for one exclusive.

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wow! that kind of reasoning makes me feel crazy lucky for finding any exclusives at retail let alone all of them to date

Banners, I've noticed in some of your previous posts that you and I live in approx the same area, and we sometimes shop at the same Toys R Us stores, and have even mentioned the same comic book stores a few times.

That said, as someone who never found Moonstone & Bullseye, Union Jack & Wonder Man or Warpath & Angel at retail, and had to pay through the nose for most of them on ebay, allow me to say: I hate you. lol...

(Just kidding man, just kidding.)

(But seriously, when you find these things, you've gotta hide a pair of the shortpacks behind the Barbie Dolls or something, then shoot me a PM so I can go find them. You always seem to beat me to the punch when the new waves hit, lol.)

PS.

This is kindof what I was talking about in my last post. It isn't always scalpers that are picking stores clean, sometimes it's just another collector beating you to the punch. Based on the shopping locations he's mentioned in the past, I'd bet serious money that me and Banners have checked the same stores on the same days at LEAST once in the past, and probably scooped something out of one another's hands. [He probably usually beats me though, since I'm lazy, and refuse to get up at the crack of dawn most of the time, lol.]

There's obviously no way of knowing for sure, but like I said, if I had some cosmic way of proving it, I'd bet money it's happened.

Edited by Gillbob316
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I work a split shift so it gives me a chance to check stores in the middle of the day a crappy way to make a living but it gives me a small edge in the collecting department, I also check these boards like its a cult when a new wave is going to hit and as soon as I see those posts come up I hit stores hard till I get what I am after, so it's not like that stuff just falls into my lap I do work hard to get it in the context of this being a hobby. I also rarely get duplicates for myself the one time I found extras they went to board members at cost.

Gilbob i'll try and keep you in the loop when I see extras ;)

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Guest lilGambit
International members are hurt even more by TRU, because their stores don't even carry the exclusives.

TRU doesn't exist in Holland. Neither does good product selection, all I can buy in the stores is overpriced plastic poo. I know that target audiences differ from place to place, but it still saddens me.

I too, rely on the help of board members, whether it be Minimates, Marvel Legends or Transformers. Couldn't have done it without them! Maybe if I was a rich girl... Uh, If I was rich, period

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International members are hurt even more by TRU, because their stores don't even carry the exclusives.

Some international TRU's don't carry MiniMates at all, let alone the exclusives :(

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Do I think the Toys R Us employees might have been bending the truth when you talked to them? Possibly. However, all the same, I'm betting when you walk in Monday morning, you'll still find a wealth of Series 7. Maybe not the complete contents of every case, but more than enough of them.

I totally understand your point, and to be totally fair, i was/am planning on getting quite a few extras for some people on the boards(at cost). I dont think the issue for me was if the employees/manager kept some for themselves or even got extras of their own. As you said that is a perk of the job. It was more so that i had been told, not 10 min earlier that they are there and in stock, and made a very excited trip to go get them. And the frustration of knowing that had i not said anything/been there and made a scene...the exclusives (in their entirety) would have never hit the floor/rack. Otherwise, when i asked where they were, it would have been very easy for the manager to simply bring out one case( i heard they had 4, its a big TRU and stocks minimates like mad, usually 3-4 full racks) and let me dig through it, grab what i want, and walk away pleased, while still retaining many others for himself. As opposed to telling a bit of a fib and hoping i dont get back there in time on monday.

To put it in perspective:

If the manager is a fellow collector- than he would be more than happy to get one case out for me, relating to the relief of being through with the hunt. Fabricated(imo) release date or none. He would get one case,and just one case out especially combined with the fatc that someone had already told me they were there.

If the manager is a scalper/out for personal gain only- Than he would do exactly what he did, and figure out anyway to get me out of the store empty handed/ make me put the extra effort into it in hopes that i dont follow through. ...which I totally will. haha.

Fellow collector=fair game, through and through.

Manager who is a scalper=not what TRU intended at all. unfair advantage and insider info and control for personal gain

(Sound familiar....insider trading...lol..Martha Stewart anyone)

All very good points though, and its true, when it comes to collecting etc, the employee/worker cant win and its often not fair to them. When working at KB toys, was there ever a situation that arose like this though? Where a customer asked about a new release...came in to get it...and was told to come back later? Im guessing not, and that's the huge difference between you (a fellow collector) and this manager(an entrepreneur of sorts)

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well I decided to be an adult and wait it out but to no avail. No new Minimates plenty Ghostbuster, BSG, Wolverine:O, Marvel Wave 6, and Iron Man 2 though.

Wolverine: Origins? Really? My local TRU sold off the last of those seven or eight months ago. :blink:

I have long since held the belief that I am the only person in my area buying the Marvel Minimates with any sort of regularity so when the Wolverine mates came out I bought the whole case and they replaced it with 3 more case so what's left are the ones that I could sell to other members on the board. Same with the Marvel Wave 6, Ghostbuster, BSG, and Iron Man 2 Minimates. I have a sinking feeling that before too much longer they will stop carrying them.

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Maybe if I was a rich girl...

Now you've gone too far, cuz you know it don't matter anyway.

hoosier here..and still none at my TRU . :(

After what GH was saying, I wouldn't waste my time. You can't compete with numbers like that. Better to take up another hobby like crocheting.

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Maybe if I was a rich girl...

Now you've gone too far, cuz you know it don't matter anyway.

hoosier here..and still none at my TRU . :(

After what GH was saying, I wouldn't waste my time. You can't compete with numbers like that. Better to take up another hobby like crocheting.

My wife crochets. She seems to like it.

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International members are hurt even more by TRU, because their stores don't even carry the exclusives.

Some international TRU's don't carry MiniMates at all, let alone the exclusives :(

It ain't just Aussies who get stuffed here either... by my count there are about at least 5 Philippines-based Multiversers here, and in the entire Metro Manila area only a handful of comic book stores (no TRUs at all) sells Minimates... and of that handful only one is reliable enough to stock the new waves regularly, except that lately they have only taken to stocking the Marvel waves, meaning people like me who are crazy enough to go after stuff like Ghostbusters, Terminator and BSG are out of luck.

Add to that the recent crazy upsurge we've had lately of people who've just decided to start dabbling in Minimates, and you've got one powder keg of a collector-on-collector rivalry here.

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no Minimates in UK TRUs either... and the one LCS I have is lucky to get the occasional wave 2months after release.

everything I buy comes straight from Luke... so far I've had to get all the exclusives through ebay... not cheap

if anyone finds spares... you know what to do... PLEASE... PPPLLLLEEEEEEAAAAAAASSSSSSEEE

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International members are hurt even more by TRU, because their stores don't even carry the exclusives.
Some international TRU's don't carry MiniMates at all, let alone the exclusives :(
It ain't just Aussies who get stuffed here either... by my count there are about at least 5 Philippines-based Multiversers here, and in the entire Metro Manila area only a handful of comic book stores (no TRUs at all) sells Minimates... and of that handful only one is reliable enough to stock the new waves regularly, except that lately they have only taken to stocking the Marvel waves, meaning people like me who are crazy enough to go after stuff like Ghostbusters, Terminator and BSG are out of luck.

Wow - i feel your pain man. i'm in a small town myself and Minimates are a very infrequent find. However, my LCS does have extras of all the non-variants from waves 32, 33 & 34. Give me a yell if you need help with any of them :)

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