Hey Chuck - just so you know I didn't want this thread to become a flame war. I do appreciate the help that Target-insiders such as yourself provide.

In response to your question about what kind of customer service I expect...

I guess what I was getting at was that when I go into TRU or the WalMart around the corner from my house or even the lower-volume Target that I also shop at, the people who work there recognize me, they are friendly, they know why I'm there, they've taken time to get to know me (and vice-versa), they know I'm not a scalper, etc...

The Target I'm referring to as a problem is the exact opposite. If you are a collector, you are the scum of the earth. You are mocked and you are refused service.

This is really no way to be treated.

I understand the wages must stink. I understand that customers must be rude at times. But if I'm polite and utilize the tools that the Target Corporation has placed in the stores to assist my shopping experience, then yes, I do expect some degree of customer service from the employees at this store. Since these same employees are the ones who see me regularly making purchases in the store, it would be nice if they would treat me better as a store "regular" as opposed to a "toy collecting scumbag".

Does that make more sense?

If you were to go ask the managers at this store if I was a "problem" customer - they would tell you that I am.

I have been told point-blank by the manager of this store that even though the pegs are empty and they have more product in the back, that does not mean that they have to bring more product out. I told him that Target customer service told me that I should ask for more items to be brought out of the place where they are displayed is empty. He screamed back at me that I couldn't possibly know Target policies better than him.

I have been told by the lady who manages the area that includes toys that X date is when they will reset the aisle to include an exclusive, only to return before X date, find the exclusive on the shelf (this happened with the Order 66 2-packs) and then when I ask her if she could bring out some more so I could get the rest of the set of six different pieces, be told that I couldn't even buy the ones I found on the shelf even though some of that very same product sold earlier in the day.

I have been told by this same person that even though there was only one figure on the eight pegs dedicated to SW figs, I needed to buy that figure in order to clear the pegs and have them bring more product out, only to wait for 30 minutes for them to finally bring out three figures that all looked like they had been stepped on and be told that that was all they had left in stock, only to have a friend check the price scanner two hours later and have the scanner report that more was still in stock.

Needless to say, all three times when I called the Target customer service toll free number, the operator I spoke with responded by telling me that none of these situations should have taken place. I have given them names of these managers and yet they are still working there.

It was after these events that the a.p.b.'s started going out. I have friends who are also collectors in the local area who have run into the same kinds of problems at this store but have no problems at any of the other locations where they shop.

Last point on this: I would be perfectly happy with a consistent Target policy that was adhered to at all times. But since we all know that is impossible, all I ask is for help when I go into the store.

Darth Chuck - I see your point, but now please hear me out:

1. I have a Target in my area that "profiles" the collectors, puts out alerts that "no new Star Wars should be brought out for the next 30 minutes" when we enter the store and outright REFUSES to stock EMPTY figure pegs even though they have more in the back.

2. I have spoken with Target Corporate Customer Service, and everytime I do they confirm to me that the price scanners with the key-pads are to assist customers in looking-up items that are not out on the shelves/pegs.

3. The same Target that I mention in item #1 will allow an 18 year old kid walk in with DPCI numbers, ask customer service for those items, get them for him and let him walk back out again. I know this for a fact - I've gone to the store with my step-son, I go in and I get denied. He'll go in after me and then call me into the store to meet him at the register to pay. WTF?

4. Items ALWAYS leak out early, all you have to do is hit the store when the dictator who manages the area that includes Toys is not working.

5. They never set limits in my area. EVER.

6. Why is it that Target seems hell-bent on lumping scalpers in with collectors? I should be able to get my two of everything w/o any hassle. Clearly I'm not buying in quantities to resell like the Granny you describe below when I'm only getting two.

7. If Target finds these exclusives such a "hassle" - I'll be perfectly happy not having to worry about even stepping foot into a Target if you guys stop getting them from Hasbro.

and last but not least...

8. I dropped over $500.00 on a single day picking up all of the exclusives and UBPs. I shop at the store for toys all year 'round. Where's the customer loyalty for someone like me? You make it sound like you'd rather let the moms who shops for toys once, perhaps twice a year get something before the toy department "regular" customers.

Let me just end with, I am not the type of person to "abuse" or yell at the Target employees if they won't help me, and I always only ask for stuff if the spot for it is empty (or close to empty).

I wish the ROTJ set had included a TAC Stormtrooper or DS Trooper instead of Vader.  Still, I'll get one if I can score it for cheap.

I think they could have done a better job not including ANY of the characters that had previously been in one of these tin sets.

EP2 should NOT have included Mace Windu (he was in the regular edition EP3 tin)
EP3 should NOT have included Anakin (this same figure was in the regular edition EP3 tin)
EP6 should NOT have included Vader (a different Vader was in the regular edition EP6 tin)
EP6 should NOT have included a Biker Scout (the flip-up visor version was in the regular edtion EP6 tin)

EP2 should have included a Clone Pilot based off of the Evolutions figure
EP3 should have included an Obi-Wan instead of an Anakin
EP6 should have included the Emperor from the Evolutions set and a Royal Guard (just a repack of the ROTS red robed guard)

This would have made the sets at least DISPLAY better with a better variety of characters across all 9 sets.

Picked up R2, ewoks, A-Wing Pilot & Spirit Anakin from Wave 7 x2 of each.

Did not get any McSolos yet. 

Friend of mine snagged one for me though, still need two of those and one each of the others.

Like an idiot, I'm filling two albums this year - one with all silver coins and one exactly the same only the 13 gold coins are in that one. I know, I know - I'm nuts. I think Hasbro did this to me on purpose. If they had put out an album with slots for 100 coins instead of 80, there would have been enough space for everything and then some. Since there isn't enough room for all exclusive, UGH and Saga Legends coins in the 20 spare spaces, that is why I got the second album. Of course, I only have my own OCD to blame for feeling compelled to fill the rest of the empty slots. 

Well holy crap!  Looks who's decided to grace us with his presence again after disappearing for a year and a half!    Welcome back, Pete!

Thanks Matt! It's good to be back and actively posting here again.

 

I have scaled way back this year as far as army building goes.

I'm now down to two of each trooper open. I started the year at six of each trooper, by about June, I was saying I would do four of each and now I'm down to two. For stuff like the Legends Sandtrooper variants, I don't think I'll ever need more than six or so of these guys anyways, so I'm just enhancing my already plentiful ranks of these guys with one of each.

I originally thought I might go nuts on the SA 501st figures when they started shipping. I might get two of those to open, but that would be it. The rest of the 501st troopers I have can be the AT-TE gunner version I have an over-load of.

The one thing that this year and what I've see so far of the next has taught me is to over do it on troop building is completely pointless - just get one or two, the figure will be re-done at some point and you can get one or two more then. Case in point - Commander Gree from ROTS and the TSC Kashyyyk Elite Corps Troopers - I got two Grees and like eight of those Kashyyyk troopers. At the time of each figure's release, even though everyone was pointing out that they were inaccurate figures, it never occurred to me that Hasbro would EVER be bothered with making a corrected version either, let alone, make a corrected version each so soon!

I think Hasbro needs to stop listening to the army builders who want to gobble up each and every paint variation they can come up with for Clone/stormtroopers and actually visit some stores and take note of whats hanging on the pegs.

If I go into a store today, I can easily get: Airborne Troopers; Galactic Marines; AOTC White, Blue, Red, Yellow & Green Clones; ROTS White Clones; a variety of different Sandtroopers; and Stormtroopers w/o any problem. Not to mention the fact that I don't feel that finding the Shocktrooper or the VTAC Snowtrooper were particularly difficult either this year. The overall popularity of troopers is WAY down. Good job on letting the Wave 5 Saga Legends line be 80% clones!

I missed the pre-order window on this one due to a meeting at work on the Friday it went up for sale. Just found out today that my wait-list request for the Sideshow Exclusive edition came through! woohoo!

I was getting nervous on this one! Hopefully I'll get lucky with that Imperial Officer too - same thing happened to me on that one.

I guess for me, if I find what I need plus I find the wave at least four more times after that I consider the wave "plentiful"...

Sorry, I wasn't trying to brag or anything.