JediDefender.com Forums
Community => Watto's Junk Yard => Topic started by: JediMAC on September 17, 2003, 08:42 PM
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I've recently been marveling at just how many stores I can hit in a short amount of time on my various toy hunting routes. Here's a tally of who all I hit up when I'm on the prowl for my latest Star Wars toy fix:
Daily route from home to work and vice versa (though I don't stop at them all daily):
5 Targets
3 TRUs
3 WMs
2 KBs
1 Kmart
Different route that I take a couple times a week during my lunch breaks:
2 Targets
1 TRU
2 KBs
Monthly route down to my aunt & sister's house:
3 Targets
1 TRU
1 WM
1 Kmart
1 Star Tours shop (at Disneyland ;D)
Monthly route up to my in-laws:
4 Targets
2 TRUs
1 WM
2 KBs
3 Kmarts
Damn! That's a grand total of:
14 Targets
7 TRUs
5 WMs
6 KBs
5 Kmarts
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37 different Star Wars toy pimpin' stores in all! :o And they're all within less than an hour of me (gotta love L.A.)! 8) No wonder I'm usually fairly caught up on Hasbro's latest SW offerings... There's a number of other places that I hit as well, when I'm out and about in different areas of L.A. or SoCal that I'm not even mentioning here, since they're not on quite as regular a basis, though I've got 'em all mapped out in my head, of course. :P
So, how 'bout you guys? How many, and which, stores are you hitting?!
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I don't go on any toy runs anymore... I let my wife do it all because she has the luck in the family. 8)
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I don't go on any toy runs anymore... I let my wife do it all because she has the luck in the family. 8)
I've noticed Chris! Well done Carrie... ;)
I almost forgot about my wife's additional route too (shame on me)! Hmmm... Not sure exactly how many and which stores she hits while she's out at one of her teaching jobs in an entirely different area, but I know she hits at least an additional TRU, WM, and a couple Targets (and does very well on the hunt, I might add 8)) - so collectively that puts us over the 40 toy store mark! :P
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Not nearly so much choice here. In town, there are six Walmarts, two TRU and six Zellers (Canadian K-mart). Superstore is a grocery chain that occasionally carries toys, notably McFarlane stuff and Lego. There would be about six of those as well.
My toy runs are down dramatically. We haven't really brought in much Star Wars up here for a long time. The POK Boba wave came in a couple times, but only as single cases that sold out in about an hour or less. Basically I don't look for Star Wars unless I'm looking for something else.
I tend to hit Walmart more than anywhere else given that they have more toys or at least space for toys than anyone else. A generic toy run would be 3 Walmarts, 3 Zellers and 3 Superstores. That covers the bottom half of the city pretty well. I'll do it a couple times a week if I have the time (I do work an hour outside the city). More frequent if new McFarlane SportsPicks are around. Less if nothing new is in.
I've gone to online stuff almost exclusively (well and the stores of OCB, JediMac and chuckles) for pretty much everything. As I said before, there isn't much SW up here (and Newforce is killing me lately with cancellations). SportsPicks are good in terms of number that arrive with hockey, everything else is slim pickins with lots of competition.
Saving gas, saving the environment and spending a ton on shipping and customs fees. Ya win, ya lose. LOL.
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There's one each of Target, K-Mart, TRU, and KB here, as well as two Wally Worlds in the Waterloo/Cedar Falls, IA area.
To keep up a complete collection, I sometimes find myself heading to Cedar Rapids and Iowa City to hit the stores down there. I scored a couple of ROTK figures at Suncoast, which is down there and not here. Even if I don't find anything, I can still visit some friends and have a few vengeful libations.
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2 TRU's, 2 Zeller's, 2 Walmarts & anything else in my path! ;D
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Way to Work Run I could hit:
1 K-MArt (although I never do)
1 Wal-Mart
1 Target (this is not a Greatland or Super though so I have stopped going here)
Extended Work Run:
3 Wal-Marts
4 Targets (Inlcuding two Super Targets)
If I go on a lunch run it only to the spots missed on the morning run
After Work Run:
The Above Plus
1 TRU
See the problem with living so close to my job is that I have no real way stopping at a ton of stores without driving forever to get there, except for the
Secret Run...
8 Targets
4 Wal-Marts
2 TRU's
2 K-Marts
I can only do this on an extended lunch break when I am going to or coming back from a client we have,
I'm also guessing by just driving around the main interstate loop I could go to over 70 Targets, we are filthy with them here ;)
I find myself also going to TRU more than I ever have, which is strange considering the fact that they haven't had any new SW since the Ephant wave last X-Mas
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I don't have a set toy run and usually just decide to go to a store when I feel like it. And since I'm a member of kebco's one of every figure club, I don't do toy runs as much as I did. With that said, the stores I go to are as follows:
Regular
(2) Targets
(2) TRU
(2) KB
Semi-regular
(2) WM
(2) TRU
The above are my usual hunting grounds but can go to an additional (2) TRU, (2) Targets and various Kmarts and KBs with relative ease.
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Regular:
3 Wal-marts
3 Targets
1 KB
3 TRUs
10 stores
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My local run:
2 x WalMart's
2 x Target's
3 x KayBee's
1 x Toys R Us
2 x Comic Shops
1 x Suncoast
6 x EB/Gamestop type stores
Uggghhh! 17 stores
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You'd be going to a lot less if you just gave up the McFarlane stuff Nick :P
Prior to our EB's dropping toys last year, I would have had four more places to visit. Too bad too, they were good for sports picks.
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I don't have a set pattern of toy runs and only go once in a while but here is where I go:
Small Run:
2x Target
3x TRU
3x Walmart
3x Kb Toys
The longer toy runs that I go on I just start to drive and stop at the different places I can find on the way. I have gone a total of around 50 miles once to look for toys.
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Unfortunately, the town we live in isn't large enough for these stores...but when we go on our "shopping" trips (about 40 minutes away), here's the rundown of what I check out usually.
1 Super Wal-Mart (Not much recently though, mostly old stock of all the lines...they do have a TON of Marvel Legends figures as of late though)
1 Greatland Target (this just opened recently, has been pretty well stocked with most lines)
1 TRU (giant wall of Pilot Jangos in the SW section, but got an Unleashed Luke there)
1 K-B (this store usually has nothing, and we don't always stop there)
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Wal-Mart & Toys R Us @ the same time, as they are relatively close...
KB's in the mall and Target @ the same time, as they are relatively close...
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You'd be going to a lot less if you just gave up the McFarlane stuff Nick :P
Prior to our EB's dropping toys last year, I would have had four more places to visit. Too bad too, they were good for sports picks.
Tell me about it. They had to release MLB7 and NFL6 at the same time. Cripes!
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Hhmm.....toy run....
One Shopko and one Walmart. That's all the stores we have within 60 miles so that's my toy run. Takes me all of 10 minutes. ::)
If I go to Marquette (130+ miles round trip) I get to add a Target to the above two mentioned. :P
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My typical toy run during the week is usually a couple of Targets and a TRU during lunch or on the way home from work. The weekend toy run, depending on how much time and driving I want to invest, can look something like this:
9 - Targets
3 - Walmarts
2 - KayBees
2 - TRU
I could also add 2 Kmarts to that list if I hadn't given up on them months ago. But I think this is about all I need for a toy run. I've been able to find 99% of the stuff at retail the last 2 yrs. It would be 100% if I could just find any of those damn Clone Trooper 3-packs. >:(
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We just had a new Walmart open up near us just a couple weeks ago, which I'm quite excited about, since the TRU, Target, and other WM withing striking distance haven't yielded anything in quite some time. But I've got to say that some of you guys that live in the bigger cities are sure as hell lucky with all the places near you. That's just crazy! Most jealous I am!
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Our KB here closed. Boo hoo.
But, Osco is quickly becoming a hotbed for new Star Wars swag. They have newer figures than Target and TRU. ::)
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Dallas is so large that we usually break it up into areas and do different runs on different days, but all in all there are:
5 TRUs
9 Walmarts
11 Targets
That we regularly hit up.
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i hit up, :
3 - Targets
3 - Wal-Marts
1 - Suncoast
1 - Toy's R Us
1 - KBToy "hardly ever anymore"
1 - KMart
1 - Comic Shop "Kriers"
and out of town, i dont really go out of town for shopping on purpose. if i am in that town i will stop by a TRU or Targetm but not intentionally. I usually just order it online, if i cant find a specific item!
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There's been a few changes since I last posted mine, with the addition of another Walmart and several KB closings, so here's my tally of stores again and my regurgitated rambling as well:
Daily route from home to work and vice versa (though I don't stop at them all daily):
5 Targets
3 TRUs
3 4 WMs
2 1 KB
1 K-mart
Different route that I take a couple times a week during my lunch breaks:
2 3 Targets
1 TRU
1 WM
1 K-mart
2 0 KBs
Monthly route down to my aunt & sister's house:
4 Targets
1 TRU
2 WM
1 K-mart
1 Star Tours shop (at Disneyland ;D)
Monthly route up to my in-laws:
4 Targets
2 TRUs
1 WM
2 1 KB
3 K-marts
Damn! That's a grand total of:
16 Targets
7 TRUs
8 WMs
6 K-marts
2 KBs
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39 different Star Wars toy pimpin' stores in all! :o And they're all within less than an hour of me (gotta love L.A.)! 8) No wonder I'm usually fairly caught up on Hasbro's latest SW offerings... There's a number of other places that I hit as well, when I'm out and about in different areas of L.A. or SoCal that I'm not even mentioning here, since they're not on quite as regular a basis, though I've got 'em all mapped out in my head, of course. :P
Love me some toy huntin'! Just not so much lately since the stores around here, especially my beloved Targets, have been completely DRY for the past month and a half... :'(
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Damn! That's a grand total of:
14 Targets
7 TRUs
6 WMs
5 Kmarts
2 KBs
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34 different Star Wars toy pimpin' stores in all! :o And they're all within less than an hour of me (gotta love L.A.)! 8)
Just found out that a brand spankin' new Target store is opening up right outside of our neighborhood! I can pull into their parking lot just 100 feet before I pull into our gated community. We're talking a 10 minute walk here (not that I would actually walk it though)... Not that the Targets around here have had jack squat for SW lately, but still very, very, very cool. My very own Target. Yes, it's all mine. Please stay away from it, especially you Jared! >:(
So that makes 35 stores right near me now that will have absolutely no Star Wars stuff! ::) But at least it's better than just 34... :P
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We have always had to drive about 40-45 minutes to go shopping (since we live in a small town), and the toy run basically consists of a Greatland Target (which has been the best this year, but really dry lately) and a TRU. The KB store in the mall closed (but was worthless for Star Wars anyways), and the Wal-Mart there has had 8 Padme Pilots hanging on the pegs for 2 years...seriously. Not sure why they don't just clearance them.
However, it is looking now that we're going to be moving to the "big city". Well, big as far as we go at least. Now I should have closer access to a couple of Targets, Wal-Marts, and a TRU. Not a whole lot more stores, but at least now it will only be a few minutes away...instead of a two hour round trip just to check them out (which is why I never made "Star Wars only" trips...just checked when we happened to be there anyways).
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I'm just ordering online now. I hit the stores every so often, but 65% of the swag I've received this year has been through online venues.
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Yes, it's all mine. Please stay away from it, especially you Jared! >:(
>:( May your Target be blessed with endless cases of Aayla Secura and company if it's gonna be that way, bub.
... ;) Seriously, that side of town has been screaming for a Target for ages. Figures (haha, puntastic) it would get one after I bail from the neighborhood.
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Not a representative day, but it occurred nonetheless.
I was desperately looking for a figure this week. In a 4 1/2 hour run I hit:
106th Walmart
106th Target
Redwood FM
Redwood Target
Redwood Walmart
Woods Cross Kmart
Centerville Target
Layton Walmart
Layton Target
Layton TRU
Clinton Walmart
Harrisville Walmart
Riverdale Walmart
Riverdale Target
Riverdale TRU
Bountiful FM
Park City Walmart
3300S FM
FU Walmart
FU Target
State Street TRU
That's about 120 miles round trip.
I didn't find the figure that day, but I did the next. At a TRU. Less than a mile from my house!
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I have a good solid 5, 1 TRU, 1 Target and 3 Wal Marts
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Kind of related to this topic, I was wondering....how often do you go on toy runs? Do you visit one store in particular more often, do you make daily runs, do you go weekly, or any other schedule? I used to manage to go maybe once a week, on a Saturday, when we lived in a smaller town. I had decent luck, but I'm sure that is why I missed a lot of stuff as well at some times. Now we live in a city, with a Target, TRU, and Wal-Mart within at least 10 minutes of us (less for TRU and Wal-Mart). I don't really know the "schedule" for when new stuff is put out (particularly for Star Wars, and also Marvel Legends/Spidey), so right now I have pretty much continued to go on the weekends, although I've made a few weekday stops as well now. How often do you stop and shop...or do you know the stores' schedule for putting new stuff out?
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34 different Star Wars toy pimpin' stores in all! :o And they're all within less than an hour of me (gotta love L.A.)!
I get to add one more WM as of about a month ago, but I've temporarily lost one of my Targets, as they refurbish for 6 months, so it's a wash.
But for Midnight Madness, Jared introduced me to a whole new spot out near where I live, with an additional 4 WMs, 1 TRU, 2 Targets, 1 KM, and 1 KB.
So that puts me up to 43 stores within an hour of me. Wow. That's kind of a lot, eh? :o
As for Brian's question above, the frequency of my hunting is dependent upon how many figures I'm missing at any given time. If I'm a whole wave behind, I'll probably hunt every other day or so. Just one or two figures, maybe a couple times a week. But for the past couple months, during the lull leading up to 4/2, I rarely ever went out. I suppose that would be different for some of the other folks who collect other toylines though, since there'd always be something new out there. But I'm just SW, so when I'm caught up, or things have dried up, I usually lay low for a while...
And Target is most definitely my store of choice. I probably do 80%+ of my SW buying there. Heck, I'll even return stuff to the other stores occasionally if I find it at Target later on, since it's usually cheaper there, and since I prefer to support them instead of the other junkhole stores that usually don't have crap around here.
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1 Target
2 TRUs
1 Wal-Mart
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A normal everyday run would consist of 2 WM, a Target, a TRU, and a K-Mart.
But if taking a longer trip to search I'd add 4 WM, 2 Targets, 2 TRUs, and another K-Mart.
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I usually hit up 2-3 stores on my light days and if I'm feeling particularly toy hungry then I hit 10-15 stores on those days. I've cut down on some of the other toy lines I collect, but you just can't beat the thrill of the hunt.
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I don't have a set pattern of toy runs and only go once in a while but here is where I go:
Small Run:
2x Target
3x TRU
3x Walmart
3x Kb Toys
The longer toy runs that I go on I just start to drive and stop at the different places I can find on the way. I have gone a total of around 50 miles once to look for toys.
Since I moved this is what I have been hunting around:
1x Target
1x Tru
2x Walmart
I usually only stay with these store since gas prices are kind of high and I drive an SUV.
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One Shopko
I miss Shopko. And Fred Meyer's. They always had hard to find figures. Shopko is where I missed out on the Unleashed Removable Helmet Vader but got the Unleashed Leia at the same time.
In a 20 mile radius I have a slew of Walmarts,Targets and TRU but they hardly have anything so I save on gas money.
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I don't have a set Toy Run, nor a schedule. I just go wherever.
The nearby stores I hit most frequently:
2x Target (1 near house, 1 en route to school)
2x TRU (1 near house, 1 about 15 minutes from school)
Others I hit less often:
3x Target
1x TRU
4x Wal-Mart
2x K-Mart
There used to be a KB Toys in the local mall that I spent many a $$$ in, but they closed a couple years ago. :(
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5. The order of run:
Target
TRU
Mall
Walmart
Target
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I usually hit up 1 close Target every day or every other day. Sometimes I head down the street to another Target and make a circuit of it. I usually find everything at these 2 Targets, but I also eat lunch at the mall that is near the Target, so I go to the KB and Suncoast as well.
Then, if I'm feeling saucy I'll go to a different Target and hit up the TRU that's right next to it. ;)
...Then there's the 2 Targets that are next to my former office.... Damn, I love Target :P
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Holy Macarole Matt!
Within an hour of me, I can hit maybe 5 Targets... That's total. I'd have to go 5 different directions to hit each. Not that shopping is bad around here, it's just spaced out. No wonder you guys find this stuff first. ;)
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unfortunately with all the stores available to him there's also a ****load of competition from other collectors, kids and scalpers(weather they're personal 'e-bayers' or work for F&S and Big Lou's)...There's only millions of people in the LA area- Ha! I've gone to some of his stores a couple times and mostly the pegs are completely empty not even more than a handful of pegwarming basic figs!!
Fortunately for me I'm isolated from that area on the other side of a mountain range so I feed off the get stuff early in US release in my area-however we don't have a major scalping issue- we have a few but ..they don't run rabid ;)
Where I live rare figs elsewhere are pegwarmers here more often .. LOL some of those SCers would **** if they sall all the #41s, #6's, ATRT drivers,#56's, and bacaras all pegwarming here for the last week and a half strong. LOL where else could you luck out and walk in at 6PM at Wal MArt and pick up 8 shocktroopers that were stocked that morning?
My stops are varied but include this total
X4 Wal Marts
X2 Targets
X2 Kmart
X1 TRU
X1 Kohls
X2 Kaybee
X1 Suncoast
If I go up to Matties' home turf(40miles) I include
X1 Target
X2 Walmart
X1 TRU
X1 Kmart
did I miss any up there Matt? those are all I scored goods in(oops) I mean err ..ahh..visited. ;)
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If I go up to Matties' home turf(40miles) I include
X1 Target
X2 Walmart
X1 TRU
X1 Kmart
did I miss any up there Matt? those are all I scored goods in(oops) I mean err ..ahh..visited. ;)
Nope, you got 'em all there. Hopefully that rumored Target and Walmart out closer to me will be coming to fruition soon as well...
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When I go on toy runs, I either go North or South. North of me, I stop by a Target and a Wal-Mart. South of me is a Wal-Mart, Target, and TRU. I rarely hit South though, too much traffic for my liking.
So in total:
2x Target
2x Wal-Mart
1x TRU
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Durring the week day, if I go out in the morning or evening, it can vary, but I hit a max of 2 Targets 1 Walmart and 1 TRU.
On the weekend I have two different runs depending on what's going on that day, minimum is 2 Walmarts, 2 Targets and 1 TRU. Max is 3 Walmarts, 3 Targets and 2 TRU's.
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When I was actually looking for stuff, there were three Walmarts and 1 Target. I gave up on TRU do to the slow restocking and the horror stories I've heard of employees.
Now, I'll only check for figures if I'm in the store for something else. I've gotten a bit burned out on figures and am focusing more on getting a house.
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Whenever my mom goes on errands I ussaully go on toy runs considering i'm only 13, and I hit:
3 Targets
1 TRU
1 WM
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1 Target
1 TRU
2 Wal-Marts
1 Kohl's
So in an area of about 80-100,000 people, stuff goes quick.