L.A. area Just Found

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Originally Posted by Tycho

I thought about it today because the one Hot Wheel guy brought a retail bag over to the Star Wars guy's car before they approached the door for "the waiting." They glanced my direction (could have been at the door - but you know me and my paranoias), and though I suppose it wasn't my business, I asked what was in the bag when they approached. They wouldn't tell me and joked that it was "crack." I didn't get upset (visibly) but I just instinctively thought to myself, "clandestine toy deal."

Any ideas what's up?

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I think you hit the nail in the head: They were making a deal. They probably agree to help each other find stuff. I think Hot Wheels collectors probably do that a lot.

Some of the HOt Wheels guys are pretty paranoid. There's this one guy who always rushes to the little cars aisle even when I'm the only collector there. At this point he has to realize I don't give a crap about his little cars. I feel like saying, "Relax grandpa, I'm walking to the Star Wars section!"

Then when he gets there, I can hear him knocking all those little Hot Wheels off the pegs. And some of them will step out of the aisle and look toward the front of the store, I think to see if any "rivals" are coming. It's like a race against time with these guys.

Unfortunately, I'm starting to realize that if I'm one of the only Star Wars collectors there at opening, chances are nothing's on the pegs. I think some collectors and scalpers call before the store opens.

Tycho, if you came to the stores that us LA folk shop at, you'd probably see us meeting up and exchanging retail bags just like those two guys. i've met quite a few people in this thread by doing that. and if you were to ask me what's in the bag, i might be just as inclined to answer "crack" :p

Figrin, Luuuuuke, I trade with my friends the same way. They cover different stores however, so we don't usually meet up until the weekends and often well after store-opening shopping runs. But if someone asked me what was in the bag, or what was found, I'd answer them if I knew they weren't a scalper. These guys KNOW that I am not a scalper.

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Originally Posted by Turbowars

You don't work and have the $ to buy SW, Cool. Sounds like you are doing pretty good medically and financially.

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Like everyone should do, my parents worked and saved for their retirement and invested in real estate as well, buying some extra houses and renting them. They never lived to retire however. I'm an only child, thus - you get the picture. I also inherited my father's kidney disease (it's strongly hereditary and is currently killing me - I have about 2 years left or a transplant will buy me at least 10 more, then at some point in my 40's or close to my 50's, I'll need another transplant.) And I'll likely die in my 60's. That would be consistant with my family's medical history.

Now high blood pressure and stress, insomnia, etc. go with the condition. I can make myself feel worse and be in an office all day - or worse, work retail, (and I usually throw up at least 3 meals per week - it's not really predictable - and my stomach is usually uncomfortable) or I can enjoy the fact that I inherited property people signed rental agreements on, not to mention the trusts, IRA benefits, etc. that were left to me. When I was working before my aneurysm in '05, I went into financial services because I knew that money management worked from personal experience and enjoyed helping other people learn about the possibilies they had for taking care of themselves and their families. But in the worst case is I only have around 2 years for myself. The better case, I can sell some of my inheritance when the market is good for that and wind up with the large home I dream of (to display my collection in) and not exactly have stressed over the work to get it. Who knows how long I'll have to enjoy it?

As I noted, if someone else here was in my shoes, I think they'd make the same choices. It's not my fault one way or the other. You live with the hand life dealt you. I got a few good cards and some pretty darn bad ones too. But if you (or these Hot Wheels guys I see every morning) hate their jobs or whatever, I can see why they'd want to project their anger towards me. It's not fair - that's very true. But I'll just accept that and enjoy the fact that I have this tiny little space on the internet to vent about it.

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Originally Posted by Tycho

I can't find them either Turbo. They were all gone that day I got the Sith Infiltrator (that I know you want so badly ;) )

Anyway, I get the feeling one of the Hot Wheels guys and the other regular Star Wars collector at my Target don't like me.

I've never done anything to them, but I may be (at least for the past 18 months or so) the new face at "their" Target since I've moved away from my old "lucky" Target.

Now I say "hello" and talk to some of them, some of the time, but I think they resent me for 2 reasons:

1) I'm new on their turf - which might have been "their turf" since at least 2004 or earlier, and I arrived late 2005. (not that I touch the Hot Wheels at all anyway)

2) Because I don't work. Those guys are off to their jobs after they hit the stores, but from talking to me, they know I go home and get back into bed. They know as well as some of you might, that I kind of have to. I know I'm lucky to be in my financial situation, but I don't need to suffer more stress and blood pressure issues (which nearly killed me in the first place) so that I can have solidarity with the rest of the world that works. If you were in my shoes, you'd be making the same choices that I do in that regard.

But anyway, since I don't butt into their conversations much or anything of the sort, I'm not even annoying by my behavior or conversational additions. I mean I know I like being a pariah at times when I'm trying to be, but when I feel like I'm being relegated that role without any reason for it, that can irk me.

I thought about it today because the one Hot Wheel guy brought a retail bag over to the Star Wars guy's car before they approached the door for "the waiting." They glanced my direction (could have been at the door - but you know me and my paranoias), and though I suppose it wasn't my business, I asked what was in the bag when they approached. They wouldn't tell me and joked that it was "crack." I didn't get upset (visibly) but I just instinctively thought to myself, "clandestine toy deal."

Any ideas what's up?

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I think you shouldn't care what people think or speculate about yourself. Oh, and you shouldn't give out too much information about yourself. Your life is no one's business.

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Originally Posted by figrin bran

Tycho, if you came to the stores that us LA folk shop at, you'd probably see us meeting up and exchanging retail bags just like those two guys. i've met quite a few people in this thread by doing that. and if you were to ask me what's in the bag, i might be just as inclined to answer "crack" :p

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Yeah, thanks to Figrin and Snags, I never miss out on a WalMart exclusive (and I kind of like the covert parking lot exchanges). One time, Snags drove up and just rolled down his window- I handed him a bag and some cash, and he handed me a bag- it was our lunch hour, and raining, so we didn't hang out to chat. Here's how I usually explain it to the wife: "Honey, I've got to go to Target at 10am.", "Why?", "Gotta meet a guy- won't take long..." Then I return over an hour later because when we collector's get to talking, time really flies.

Was actually lucky today on my day off and scored a Concept Boba Fett and Death Star Trooper at TRU.

I'm just starting to appreciate how hardcore those booger-picker wrestling figure collectors/scalpers are. I was able to stop by KayBee this morning and sure enough, once again, scalpers were inside the store before it opened. This time it was wrestling figure scalpers. A woman. She had like 10 large bags of stuff and was on a cell phone; she walked around behind the counter like she owned the place. And from the look of it, she's a regular customer, and there's some kind of agreement she has to get stuff early. Another guy showed up too, and the employee said, "I got your stuff." Unbelievable.

There was no TAC at all.

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Originally Posted by Luuuuuuke

I'm just starting to appreciate how hardcore those booger-picker wrestling figure collectors/scalpers are. I was able to stop by KayBee this morning and sure enough, once again, scalpers were inside the store before it opened. This time it was wrestling figure scalpers. A woman. She had like 10 large bags of stuff and was on a cell phone; she walked around behind the counter like she owned the place. And from the look of it, she's a regular customer, and there's some kind of agreement she has to get stuff early. Another guy showed up too, and the employee said, "I got your stuff." Unbelievable.

There was no TAC at all.

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That sucks. The closer you are to Frank & Scalpers, the worse the scalping (with Burbank being a possible exception, being the home of some of the most high-profile lowlifes in the SoCal area).

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Originally Posted by BlueSnags

That sucks. The closer you are to Frank & Scalpers, the worse the scalping (with Burbank being a possible exception, being the home of some of the most high-profile lowlifes in the SoCal area).

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Yeah, that's true. Burbank sounds to me like what it should be like here where it's closer to Frank & Sons. There's plenty of scalpers around here though. They just don't seem as colorful as the ones you guys have.

I'm starting to also realize that if there aren't any scalpers around when I'm at a store during openings, I'm pretty much screwed. I won't find anything. The presence of scalpers seems to go hand in hand with the presence of stuff I want. I really think they call the toy departments before the stores open. When it's just me and the same Hot Wheels guy at the Rosemead Target, I pretty much know I'm walking out with nothing.

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Originally Posted by Commtech

I think you shouldn't care what people think or speculate about yourself. Oh, and you shouldn't give out too much information about yourself. Your life is no one's business.

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Well, if these are the first people you see every morning, it's nice for it to be pleasant. I don't have the hardcore environment you guys in LA sound like you have.

As to giving out info about myself, what do think could be the danger? I'm not going to open my pockets for these guys if they think they can get something from me. I have my own worries that are very real concerning my health. However, I don't like to be assumed to be a scalper low-life because I am not running to a job or feeling I should dress professionally to go to Target.

Meanwhile, because of my kidney affliction, I have become very self-conscious about my "pregnant stomach." That being said, I don't want others to think I'm a lazy slob who won't work-out. I'd been an athlete and do not like the life changes I'm going through right now. So I'd rather people be aware of me and what my advantages / disadvantages are, than to make assumptions about me - all of which I could see being worse than the reality of the situation.

But maybe you're thinking of something that could go wrong with my philosophy that I'm not seeing. Please tell me what you were thinking.