JediDefender.com Forums
Community => Watto's Junk Yard => Topic started by: jedi_master_sal on June 28, 2008, 04:18 PM
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Mark your calendars if you already haven't for midnight July 26 (Friday going into Saturday) for this!
Okay first before everyone gets too excited, this will NOT be at every location. Check your local stores for details.
As some know, I've been pursuing my local store's participation in this. I finally got confirmation last night that they indeed plan on doing this and that other stores around the country will as well.
I've volunteered to be in Jedi costume and will be asking for local members of the 501st for their help as well. We are not getting anything for this mind you. In fact doing this does NOT guarantee that we will be ale to secure our toy wants early. However I will have my fiancee with me, who will be armed with a list and shopping cart that night to scarf up as much as she can that pertains to my list.
Anyway, no further details were given to me regarding anything special for that night, however the store manager DID elude to something special for that first night. Now this could just mean the "First Day of Issue" stickers on the cards. I did ask him about that and he said he couldn't say anything about that...yet. So, I'm inclined to believe this IS that special something, but perhaps there will be more. Since we know that TRU Germany has bigger plans including some other promotional items, it's likely, but not a given that U.S. stores will follow suit.
Folks, I can't say enough how much we NEED to support TRU. We need to have them around to keep Target and Wal*Mart "honest." Yes, I realize that TRU is a little more expensive, but not much more. And they're a toy store for gosh sakes. This will in all likelyhood be the last big hurrah for we SW collectors (live action TV show notwithstanding). I implore you that if you have a TRU close to you (I'm aware of gas prices and hence the need to shop somewhere else closer to save on gas) and that that TRU location is participating in Midnight madness (MM) that you take your business there.
Target NEVER does a MM (that I know of). WM does by default of their hours, but beyond the A-wing IIRC they have no other exclusive due out that day. TRU will have the Holo Greivous at least and possibly more.
Most respectfully posted,
-Sal
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That'll be interesting see as how some of us will be at comic-con. I wonder how those TRU's will look that night night. :P
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That might be ugly. Yikes...
Good thing I'm not going there! ;D I'll be sure to check my local TRUs and make my midnight plans. Does the 'dress up and get a free Holo Grievous' offer apply in the U.S. as well or is that just Europe?
Anyways, this is cool stuff. I'm looking forward to it. :)
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That'll be interesting see as how some of us will be at comic-con. I wonder how those TRU's will look that night night. :P
I think people are overestimating the impact of SDCC on sales like this. I can say in my area, the regular group of SW collectors here aren't going to SDCC, so there is NO impact.
This may hurt the Sand Diego/LA area TRUs, but definitely not nationwide.
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Hopefully, TRU distribution took comic-con into a account and gives those stores extra loot. Having been a former employee, I'll say "naaaah". ;D
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then you guys are are only hope so buy extras and post them please...
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Found this:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/01/business/media/01adco.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
So guys, how many hours are you going in advance to wait in line?
What are you grabbing first?
(link wasn't working so I put the NYTimes article in for you JOT)
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I don't know if I'm going to do MM here. TRU's are a pain in the rear to get to for me, and while hanging with my buds would be cool, there isn't a lot at TRU I'm sure I want. I know I want the A-Wing at WM... That's the only exclusive so far I'm positive on.
I'm not positive who all has what so I should look into that beforehand, but ultimately if they don't have an exclusive (or some kind of deal) to entice me, it's a pretty easy pass. A holographic Grievous is dull, especially an animated one, so yeah... TRU's not high on my list. Monroeville's probably the busiest TRU in our area and it's one I can get to pretty easily (as easily as any of them), so maybe if something's on in that area I'll go, but only if a lot of the local gang is showing up I suppose.
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I might go just for the experience as I've never been to one of these things before and this might be my last chance, but I've got sheets of Target coupons that need to be used up. Plus this is most likely my last hoo-rah with a Star Wars line before calling it quits so I want to make sure every thing is minty fresh and obviously that won't happen with hundreds of people hoarding the store.
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I am just wondering if Canadian TRU will be following suit with a MM. If so I might try and hit it up. But then again I have a card that gets me 15% of at Zellers so I might just hit Zellers first thing in the morning to save me a bundle.
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TRU.com updated with a list of stores (http://toysrusblog.typepad.com/storeList.html) taking part in the Midnight Madness festivities.
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I really wish this wasnt during SDCC. They should have done it the week before or after :-\
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I really wish this wasnt during SDCC. They should have done it the week before or after :-\
I'd love to find out the thinking behind the date. "You know that huge convention that a lot of the really hardcore and/or local collectors are going to be at and will be spending hundreds if not thousands of dollars to get to and enjoy? Let's launch a brand new line with exclusive that weekend, so there's no possible chance they can get to them! What a splendid idea!" They kinda did the same thing with Celebration I in 1999-- I believe the night I came back from Denver was the night of Midnight Madness.
As far as Midnight Madness goes... I gotta say I'm against brick & mortar street dates in general. There's no reason to have them-- a midnight one in particular-- other than to have some sort of power trip over stores and/or consumers. "Wake up, fanboy! You want these figures? Then DANCE!" We've been collecting for decades. This sort of thing is tired and played out, and I hope this one is the last of them.
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I am just wondering if Canadian TRU will be following suit with a MM. If so I might try and hit it up. But then again I have a card that gets me 15% of at Zellers so I might just hit Zellers first thing in the morning to save me a bundle.
I don't really recall Canadian TRUs ever participating, but I might just be forgetting. And hopefully for your sake it's different in Eastern Canada, but Zellers carrying toys in July? Not something I'd gamble on. They're so hit and miss I wouldn't really want to be relying upon them. At the risk of being overly negative, I'll actually be pleased if the street date is even actually met in Canada. On the optimistic side, I'd bet we'll see more early leaks of stuff than the US will.
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I am just wondering if Canadian TRU will be following suit with a MM. If so I might try and hit it up. But then again I have a card that gets me 15% of at Zellers so I might just hit Zellers first thing in the morning to save me a bundle.
I don't really recall Canadian TRUs ever participating, but I might just be forgetting. And hopefully for your sake it's different in Eastern Canada, but Zellers carrying toys in July? Not something I'd gamble on. They're so hit and miss I wouldn't really want to be relying upon them. At the risk of being overly negative, I'll actually be pleased if the street date is even actually met in Canada. On the optimistic side, I'd bet we'll see more early leaks of stuff than the US will.
Well I have no doubt that the street date will be met. I mean the TRUs in my area have the stuff in stock but will not put it out till the date (I have called in to check) and for ROTS my buddy said that on the day of the release everything was already out on the shelfs for the morning, but I dont think there was a MM. I know what you mean about Zellers though, heck according to them the Indy release date was 2 days after the states. But considering my card only lasts till August 1st I am still hoping on something coming out to Zellers. Just to make sure its not a lost cause I will probably call the day before to confirm.
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I've never had to participate in a MM, so this one will be no different. My area is not exactly a hotbed of collector activity, so I expect everything to be there in the morning too.
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AWESOME! The nearest TRU participating is an hour away! I think I'll just hit up Wal-Mart that night.
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Not sure if I'm going. I may have to work that night. And it might be a good thing anyway since there were some real meatheads at the last midnight madness I went to. There's no need to act like a goon when you're buying toys.
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And it might be a good thing anyway since there were some real meatheads at the last midnight madness I went to. There's no need to act like a goon when you're buying toys.
I'm with you on that. When I went to the ROTS Midnight Madness, there were 30-year olds literally engaging in slap fights over a Senate Guard figure. ::)
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I donno. I'm supposed to be in San Diego. I hesitate to even attempt to go to that store to shop, just too observe.
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the 501st will be at San Diego in mission bay, one of two LFL official locations. with giveaways and clonetrooper costume contest it should be fun but i wish there was another store that was open other than the one in Escondido, 45 minutes away. there will be a lot of people there. too many...
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I've never gone to a "Midnight Madness" at TRU, although I did hit Wal-Mart when the ROTS stuff hit. I don't know if I'll go or not. I see that our local store is participating, so we'll see. I'm considering heading out to see if I can grab something (maybe one of the big vehicles), but I really have no idea how busy it would be here. There was probably a dozen people at WM when I went for ROTS, but it was sort of a mess. It seems like everyone is able to find pretty much everything the next day anymore, so I may just wait.
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I really wish this wasnt during SDCC. They should have done it the week before or after :-\
I'd love to find out the thinking behind the date. "You know that huge convention that a lot of the really hardcore and/or local collectors are going to be at and will be spending hundreds if not thousands of dollars to get to and enjoy? Let's launch a brand new line with exclusive that weekend, so there's no possible chance they can get to them! What a splendid idea!" They kinda did the same thing with Celebration I in 1999-- I believe the night I came back from Denver was the night of Midnight Madness.
As far as Midnight Madness goes... I gotta say I'm against brick & mortar street dates in general. There's no reason to have them-- a midnight one in particular-- other than to have some sort of power trip over stores and/or consumers. "Wake up, fanboy! You want these figures? Then DANCE!" We've been collecting for decades. This sort of thing is tired and played out, and I hope this one is the last of them.
Don't you think that's just a little bit of a callous attitude. I don't at all think SDCC being the same time is going to impact this much. Here's why:
Unless those people going to SDCC have the extra few hundred or thousands as eluded to for toys, having it a week before or after isn't going to matter. Their money is already being portioned for SDCC, they won't be able to afford BOTH. For those FEW collectors that would have the money for both SDCC and midnight madness, there's no doubt that with the plethora of product available EVERYWHERE that they'll be able to find all they want at retail anyway, with "possible" exception to some of the exclusives. So you don't get to enjoy both events. Not every SW collector gets to enjoy SDCC if they wanted to go. You are NOT entitled. It's your choice which event you participate in.
Not all SDCC goers are SW fans, and not all of those SW fans are collectors. So how much impact is MM being on the same date going to make? Relatively NONE.
I think it's those few vocal people who want to be part of both that are poo-pooing about this.
Honestly, I'm GLAD it's the same weekend. While there isn't many (if any) local guys form my area going to SDCC, the more the better. Just means I should be able to find things a smidge easier. Same for anyone else anywhere else in the country.
I think the date set though is more in tune with the movie release than it is with thinking about SDCC. Three weeks before movie release is within the standards of movie toys to be released to stores. Though of course with SW we've usually enjoyed more time than this, sometimes up to 7 weeks before. Which should mean we should have that stuff in stores NOW. But that's not the point.
To SDCC goers, enjoy the con. You'll be having a much better time than the rest of us who can't afford to go. In the meantime, we'll get the toys we want and sit back and enjoy the SDCC coverage that many sites will have.
I'm not so much a con goer, so I don't "get it" as much.
But this all is just my opinion. No worries.
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Don't you think that's just a little bit of a callous attitude. I don't at all think SDCC being the same time is going to impact this much. Here's why:
<snip>
Not all SDCC goers are SW fans, and not all of those SW fans are collectors. So how much impact is MM being on the same date going to make? Relatively NONE.
Heck, if everybody on this forum stopped buying the line, it wouldn't matter to the big picture. That's not the point-- the point is that we're seeing a launch that prevents the most loyal customers from being able to get the latest and greatest, even if they're willing to travel, jump through hoops, stay up until the wee hours, and so forth. And while none of it matters-- if I don't get my figures, if I don't go to the little sales frenzy, and so forth-- these things are just a pain to deal with. It's just fluff, which I could stand to see less of in my collecting rounds. I just want to see the stuff made available to anyone willing to open their wallets, preferably without the song-and-dance of the 12:01 "embargo."
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Don't you think that's just a little bit of a callous attitude. I don't at all think SDCC being the same time is going to impact this much. Here's why:
<snip>
Not all SDCC goers are SW fans, and not all of those SW fans are collectors. So how much impact is MM being on the same date going to make? Relatively NONE.
Heck, if everybody on this forum stopped buying the line, it wouldn't matter to the big picture. That's not the point-- the point is that we're seeing a launch that prevents the most loyal customers from being able to get the latest and greatest, even if they're willing to travel, jump through hoops, stay up until the wee hours, and so forth. And while none of it matters-- if I don't get my figures, if I don't go to the little sales frenzy, and so forth-- these things are just a pain to deal with. It's just fluff, which I could stand to see less of in my collecting rounds. I just want to see the stuff made available to anyone willing to open their wallets, preferably without the song-and-dance of the 12:01 "embargo."
Again, I'll reiterate, this stuff will be EVERYWHERE. With only the possible exception to the exclusives being a little hard to track down, none of it is going to be hard to find. Every major retailor is going to carry this.
Heck if we're going to match points, then I'd say why doesn't comicon travel to a different city from year to year, thereby making it easier for the "hardcore" fans to get to?
I think it's that you want it NOW and don't want to have to wait a couple of extra days when you get home from SDCC to get your stuff. That's kind of greedy don't you think? Again, really how many fans/collectors do you really think this is going to affect and especially that they are not going to get the very same stuff in just a couple of days after venturing out to SDCC? Unless you're so bent on getting"first day issue" cards, this whole point is moot. Even then, if some ridiculous money grab of a sticker is your sticking point about getting these on the first day, then you might need to rethink your priorities.
I just don't get the uproar by SDCC goers. You're getting to enjoy a much more better experience than those of us who can't afford to go or just plain don't want to go to SDCC. Be happy about that. The toys will be there when you get back. If you're so concerned about the exclsuives, well, I'd have to ask why you'd spend hundreds if not thousands on a trip to a con, then complain that you might need to work at getting the toys a little bit more.
The complaining about this is really ridiculous.
I applaud LFL for including specifically TRU in this toy release. Lord knows TRU needs this shot in the arm to stay competitive. There will be scores of collectors, fans maybe even some kids on July 26 who will be waiting to get these toys (and yes even some dreaded scalpers). SDCC goers will just be a second wave of consumers in this case, albeit a smaller wave. If anything, it will appear that sales are steady for the week of toy release instead of the big rush on the first day.
I will apologize for sounding argumentative. (I'm having a rough day at work, so this is my only refuge at the moment and I need to vent off some of the frustration.)
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Whatever trips your trigger I guess.
I can wait for regular store hours.
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Who worries about the non-exclusives? :) And stickers, of all things? I feel for those who do want them, but really, first day of issue? I didn't care for those when they did them with the Star Wars Galaxy Trading Cards, either.
For me, this is entirely, 100% about the exclusives. Which I open. As is the way of my people.
Based on 2005's launches, if you don't get Lava Vader/Target Clone/Holo Emperor/Holo Yoda on the first day early in the morning, you don't see them at retail, ever. (Or so were my experiences in Phoenix and Los Angeles.) Were they widely available in your market? Just curious-- I didn't really hear a lot of people chatting about them last time around.
They can do their midnight launches-- heck, it's a sensible thing for them to do. But a) I don't have to like it, and b) I'd rather they take place on different weekends. So you're fine with it going on during Comic-Con-- OK, that's great. I don't like it. :)
Of course the complaining is ridiculous. Have you seen the things we as a group complain about? :) "Not enough articulation, I won't buy anything that doesn't have 14 points or more!" "I can't believe Hasbro isn't making more $10 Vintage figures! I want to pay $10 for a toy that would be $7 in the basic assortment!" "I want more mail-in figures even though we have to pay $7 for shipping and handling, thus making it the same as any basic figure!" We're an eccentric bunch. I just want to buy my figures at the store, preferably during my normal toy runs. Which, in my experience, you can't do when they do these launches.
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Well now it's definitely a moot point:
http://toysrusblog.typepad.com/
a report at the above link states that TRU will have a website open at 12:01am on July 26 ( http://www.toysrus.com/StarWars ) to buy stuff if you're unable to be present at one of the stores.
So it looks like they've taken reasonable measures to assure that everyone who wants the product can get it.
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"Not enough articulation, I won't buy anything that doesn't have 14 points or more!"
Really, that's eccentricity?
Isn't it more a consumer saying, "I want better?", rather than eccentricity?
I know if it's not something that's important to you, it obviously isn't a big deal and you could scratch your head, but to label it as something that just doesn't make sense though? That, to me, in and of itself, doesn't make sense.
I'm with you on the point about paying $10 when you can pay $7 (but if people like the way they're packaged... eh, that changes things somewhat), and I'm with you on getting stuff at the store. I can speak for Sal's area in that things you listed varied as to how "easily" you could find them. I know Lava Vader was sold out immediately at every Target here... Holo Emperor, not so much. It varied... I'm with you on those points.
The articulation thing though, can't say I'm on that page... I think that's more letting a personal "beef" in against the people who are vocal on that point, rather than actual "eccentricity". Especially since it seems the majority are happier with more articulation. Some want more of a statue-like figure, but they seem to not make up a majority by any means. Perhaps it's because articulation is important to a large segment of collectors as well as an important thing to kids (even when I was one of them). It doesn't strike me as something that is "odd" to be demanded though. It's like demanding more detail... Not really an oddity of a request.
Demanding to pay $10 for a $7 figure though, I get... Demanding to find your crap at the store, I'm all about that too. And short of liking getting stuff in the mail, I'm even on board with the other point. Though I do dig getting a white mailer box, almost to the point I don't care what's in it even. That is eccentric I think.
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Adam and Sal, thanks for having that conversation. I've been wondering about the whole SDCC ting myself. I'll be curious to see what is actually the case. I have to admit though, I was leaning toward Adam's camp, but Sal made some good enough points to talk me off the ledge.
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Whew crisis averted and another life saved! Yeah me! heh heh. j/k
I do think TRU's MM website should help allay those fears by SDCC goers of not getting at least TRU's exclusives. Now WM and Target exclusives, well that's another thing.
I've planned to have my fiancee at the WM up the street from my TRU to get the exclusives for me. Though she will actually be getting everything on my list as well, then we'll coordinate what I have vs what she has. I'll buy my stuff first then anything duplicate she has will get put back on the shelf. This helps to ensure I get what I want from not only the regular release but the exclusives as well.
It's not something I want to do mind you as she has been with me for the previous 3 MMs. But for the exclusives, she'd be with me at TRU too. Though, we have contemplated both of us being at TRU and just taking a chance on the WM exclusive stuff. If that's the case, then she'll watch my cart and pull some things off pegs, while I scramble to get all I want. (Never hurts to have another person.) Heck I brought 3 with me for the ROTS release. (Her, her sister and her sister's fiancee) It was fun and they actually liked helping me find the stuff I wanted. For my appreciation, I took them all out to an early morning breakfast.
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TRU Midnight Madness CONFIRMED!!!
(http://img505.imageshack.us/img505/1231/strokeit01ob8dv7.gif)
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Thought I'd bump this in anticipation of 07/26.
Stopped by a local TRU on the way home just for the hell of it. No new toys, but they had the display up. I kinda dug the FU game release dual countdown clocks. I haven't been keeping track, but it looks like we have seven more weeks to go.
Nice touch. :)
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I'm hitting Walmart tonight.
Then in the morning, Target, Kmart and then TRU when they open at 10am.
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Despite my initial plans of not going to MM, I might hit up TRU tonight.
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I'm going to one of my two participating local TRUs tonight! I'm really looking forward to it. ;D
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Just got back from Midnight Madness at my local TRU. It was certainly an experience, to say the least. I get there about ten minutes til, and they had a Biker Scout and Vader from Garrison Tyranus handing out checklists. Crowd seems to be in a pretty good mood. Quite a lot more kids than I was expecting, although there were the fat inbred hoarder set too. It hits a minute after twelve, and the pandemonium ensues.
As expected, the fat inbred hoarders run/waddle to the basic figures and start shoveling them into carts, many of them Legacy wave one. I make my way in and manage to snatch a undiscovered Legacy SCUBA Clone off the pegs, to the dismay of a hoarder. I also grab a Rebel Pilots II evolutions set, and by that time, the basic figure pegs are completely bare. A TRU employee mentions that what was on the pegs is all they have, and imposes a 12-figure-per-person limit. The fat inbred hoarders, as expected, shriek in agony. They give off most of their CW basic figures, but keep most of the Legacy figures. At this point, I'm frantically searching for anything from wave one of Legacy, but sadly, my search goes unrequited. I pick up a CW R2-D2 off the pegs, so that I have over $30 for a Holo Grievous. I manage to get in line before most of the scalpers, and check out with a Holo Grievous in tow. All in all, quite an interesting night, and I managed to make off with the following...
-Rebel Pilots Evolutions II
-Legacy Clone SCUBA Trooper x1
-Clone Wars R2-D2 x1
-Exclusive Holographic General Grievous x1
Sadly, I never did see any of the first Legacy wave, so I might hit up Target tomorrow morning before work.
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Didn't do the MM madness but went today to TRU to pick up some stuff was nice that there was no crowd, only problem was they didn't have the GG out until tommorrow since that store wasn't a MM store.