Figures at KM are $6.99 (been that way since they broke the 4/2 date and put stuff out before other retailers).  The figures came to $7 for 2 which isn't a bad deal, especially since a LOT (and I mean like 90% from what I understand) of the KM's around PA were seemingly stocking up with the latest Collection 2 figures.

My nearest which is the only store besides grocery stores within about 15 square miles, had Neimoidians, Gree...  They were definitely stocked with new stuff at one point or another. T he one near my girlfriend's place I did score Collection 2 figures so there were deals to be found.  I mean, a Tact. Ops for less than retail suits me just fine since I couldn't find one for full retail and I'm sure next weekend at the Toy Show I'll find out WHY I can't find one for full retail. 

Every time that show rolls around I get to look at all the dip****'s tables with $25 - $30 modern figures.  I'm sure I'll see where all the Evolutions, Shocktroopers, "Final Five", and stuff are at.

I need to still find my extras, but the KM sale was pretty good I thought.  It was the only reason I really got my ass outta bed today actually.  I was surprised TRU, WM, and Target didn't at least try to do something similar...  WM really needs to do some pegwarmer clearing though.  If they had a sale any excess army builders would easily fly off the shelves, and crap like Vader may actually disappear.  Right now though nobody's getting much of anything in it seems because they're all just backed up with pegwarmers.  TRU is about the only store with any sort of diversity in its figure selection but they don't have anything new/interesting.

Being on the other side of the city from Darth Nirvana, I think I had a little better luck surprisingly with the K-Mart BOGO thing...

I went around 9, and there's 2 KM's within 15 minutes of my house, so I hit the closest one first and it was a disaster area.  The pegs looked like a tornadoe had hit because figures were lying all about.  They had remnants that implied new **** was there, such as Neimoidian Commanders I shoulda stocked up on for army building but I digress.  There was a Gree too I think, but I left this store with nothing and thinking I wasn't going to find much today.

I went to K-Mart down near my Girlfriend's place and low and behold I saw an R4 out in front, and this gave me hope.  Upon inspection this toy aisle was a little better but not much and again SW figures were everywhere so I wasn't the first to rifle these pegs.  Right away though I spot him, a lone 501st Trooper...  Then Holo Aylya and 2 holo Plo Koons.  They had Wookiee Commando's and bly's, and green Commanders as well.  I got my gf's son a bly and green Commander.  I got myself one of each of them as well to bolster the ranks some.  I got the 3PO and an extra R4, and of course I got the Tact. Ops Trooper and Holo figures because THAT got me caught up on toys, yay!

I hit a Wal-Mart and Target then as well that are about 25 minutes away or so but found nada...  Wal-Mart was the same old wall of Vader.  He's definitely overtaken Neimoidians as the pegwarmer of the year IMO because I really don't see much more than 10 Neimoidians anywhere I go but I literally see dozens (as in 36+) of Vader at most every Wal-Mart.  Pathetic.

Target was a mess, the worst store to visit today.  Packed with people, and the SW aisle had some woman who'd blocked off the SW figures with her cart, I think intentionally, while she looked through everything.  When I tried to move in to look she literally pushed the cart forward looking at me like "uh uh".  I guess incase there was stuff she wanted she wasn't going to let me get it?  I dunno.  I laughed at her because I could tell just by eyeballing the pegs they were picked clean of anything and I wandered off to find a X-Mas light tester while I was there. 

I'm a lil bummed I didn't find the Wookiee HEavy Gunner in good supply because I want to army build him.  I'd have liked a 2nd Tact. Ops Trooper but 1 suits me fine.  I'm glad I'm caught up.

Now I only need a Lava Anakin and army build grey Evolutions Clone sets.

http://www.brianstoys.com/bvc2004/search.aspx?Keyword=Holiday+Special

Check out Brian's Toys because they've got the Evolutions sets listed under their "Holiday Special" and the price is under retail actually. 

There's some good prices on other stuff too including the obscenely priced EE Clones.  A set of 16 comes to about $5 per figure before shipping...  And the fact they're listed on sale further reinforces to me that these weren't the "hot" item they were touted as around the net because they were so overpriced.   

Anyway, not bad prices there on those Evo's including the 2nd Clone set.  I may need to put an order in even.

I agree John...  If anything I view them as a highly negative entity due to the effects they've had on "perceived value" in the vintage market...  AFA's supposedly expert opinions have totally thrown the normal balance of supply & demand out of whack IMO.

It's in a weird way similar to the way scalpers impact the modern hobby by throwing supply/demand off by interfering with the natural flow of things.  Not in the exact manner, but it's similar interference that, I as a collector, could certainly live without.

I was browsing through some 12-back auctions the other night just for ***** and giggles (god knows I can't afford to at the moment buy anything) and I was just disgusted what the AFA rated figures were doing...  I am less active in vintage since really the prequals started but I keep my eyes on it since I do polish off or upgrade my loosies still and just know I'll be back in vintage at some point like I was pre-1999.  I'm sorta disappointed looking at it though and hope the bottom falls out on all these people in it that I think aren't in it for the long haul. [/end side rant]

Anyway...  I look at AFA as a crutch for a lot of people.  I'd be disappointed in myself as a collector if I relied on AFA's word over my own educated judgment.     Harsh opinion perhaps, but I just wonder when it was that this hobby got filled with people unwilling to learn about it themselves.  AFA's probably saved some people the aggrevation of buying a fraudulent piece, but I think it's done much more harm than good.

Well, my suggestion is Wal-Mart.com man.  It's a haven.

Welcome aboard Bill...  How's the service treating ya?

Glad you stopped by JD, we're happy to have you on and I'm sure you'll find lots of your local brethren to hook up with here.  There's tons of great things going on all over so feel free to browse around and check things out.

And if you have any questions just ask...  The staff are all over the place here.

Enjoy and nice to see you man,

JJ

Holo-Rebel Fleet Trooper Still Sucks.

As important as anything I read at GH or here...  I still visit all 3 since I've always visited all 3.  Conversation's universal and doesn't stop because of Philip disliking the staff here without cause.  Nobody likes Scum's policies, their "community" is a joke, but when funny things happen there they become comical conversation here, it's inevitable.  Not that your being de-modded is comical to me LJ, but it isn't a job I think you were cut out for...  I don't know WHO is cut out for that job over there other than maybe GNT, and that's because he's the "ideal" forumite over there...  He's like the Rebelscum Mascot.  

Hell if he "sold a thing here and there on Ebay just to fund his collecting habit" I'd think he would be named mascot openly since I do have to admit that Matt was pretty spot-on about the whole scalping thing...  I mean, it's not like that'd fly over here if it was public and I was really sorta disturbed when I read that over there too.  Yikes!  It totally debunked the whole "collect-to-collect" theory in my eyes and it was (as I said) just something comical to bring up...  Kind of like the hypocritical links in sigs BS that was being dumped on people there when the staff were violating the same rule.

The whole thing about the picture...  That's no huge deal, and I agree that it's got more made out of it because of the fact you want nothing to be known.  That's your right though so who cares really but it's what fuels the fire ultimately.  No harm no foul though I figure, it's not like it's any skin off your ass or anyone else's right?  So no big deal...

I think most people here probably think you were de-modded for something comical in and of itself though, nothing you really did, but just more of the same old same old asinine stuff that goes on over there behind the scenes...  It was porn, and not even quality stuff at that, but man for a site hard-up for mods I'd think they wouldn't be quick to act against LJ or any of their other mods.  That place is barely under control as it is, so that seems counteractive to me but what do I know right?