If more than 1 Collector shows up at your store at the same time, what do YOU do?

[c_richards]

You know....these past few questions have been a bit difficult for me. In a perfect world, we would all get equal amounts, and be happy about it.

I'll stick to my vote which is to disburse the products equally. In my view, it's not worth getting upset, or worse off, getting into a fight (Seen it happen too) over a figure. I'd rather wait a while and get the figure versus going in guns blazing and coming out looking like a jerk.

I am not saying that the people that chose hoarde then share are jerks, far from it. Many STAR WARS collectors are rather nice and generous. It's the few people out there that make it hard on all of us.

I am looking forward to getting a lot of the new toys on the 23rd. I know that when Episode I stuff came out in 1999, it only took me about 36 - 48 hours to have all the initial wave of merchandise. The toys will be there, it will be up to us as collectors to make sure that we get what we want and need. As the saying goes, "if you make it...they will come." I know it was if you BUILD it....but come on....allow me a little room to play here.

If any of you have Episode II figures already, CONGRATULATIONS! to everyone else.....keep the words of Red Leader in mind..."Stay on target!!!!"

April 23, 2002 will be a great day in STAR WARS history. I hope everyone here is able to get what they want, and what they can afford!

MTFBWY...
Take care everyone!

[bigbarada]

I think the one question that everyone needs to ask themselves in reference to Star Wars collecting is, "Why am I doing this?"

Is it to impress your friends? How can you do that when you've already alienated and run off all of your friends in your single minded-quest to "collect them all?"

Is it to impress people on message boards such as this one? I for one have never been impressed with people constantly flaunting their collection, which is supposedly 1.2 million times better than mine since they have that one elusive, super-rare, variant of a minor background character. **ahem-vinyl caped Jawa**

Is it to impress a future wife/husband? Hah! I know, but I just had to throw that in there.

Is it an investment for your future? It's highly unlikely that any figure released from 1995 on up will ever gain a significant market value. All the Mint in package collectors hoping to pay for an early retirement by holding onto all their figures in the vain hope that they will be worth money will be thwarted by all the Mint in package collectors hoping to pay for an early retirement by holding onto all their figures in the vain hope that they will be worth money.

So ask yourself that one question, and then ask yourself if it is really worth shoving your way past kids and parents and fellow collectors just to add that one little chunk of molded/painted plastic to your collection?

[Sebulba524]

If you have enough time and money to build armies, then good luck. However, when you're 14 and can only get out when it's convenient, then you can't get out at midnight. I'm stuck at home, lucky if my parents pick me up something during lunch at work. I save my money for one of each fig, so I want them there at 6:00 pm on the 23rd. Luckily, there aren't that many collectors in my area. I had no problem last time. And my TRU isn't opening at midnight, so I should be fine. But there's one thing you should never do. If there are only a few of a certain fig left, leave one for someone else. It's the best thing a collector can do.

[c_richards]

Originally posted by sithmagic21
I was at Target one morning around 9:30 with my friend Chris, looking for that treasured Boba Fett when all of the sudden, I found him. There he was, in all his glory, Boba Fett! Only one left...I kneeled down to pick up the figure from the low lying peg, when "it" showed up. A grown man came up, TOOK the figure from out of my hand, said "I've been looking all day for this" and took off...me and chris stood there stunned. He TOOK an item from my hand....didn't ask,.....I don't think he even took a breath the whole 8 seconds he was there. Suffice to say, I wanted to know who this guy was and what was going through his mind when he TOOK and item from my hand...an item I was going to purchase! The guy walked like there was a fire somewhere..we followed him out..he was completely oblivious of our presence. He got into his mothers beat up toyota and took off...yes, it was his mothers..we found out. The stockboy we talked to later said his name is John and that he comes into the store every morning at opening and pesters the stockers about star wars...we thought only the hot wheels guys came in that early(no offense hot wheels collectors...got no problem with you)! He was about 35, overweight, unshaven, badly dressed and rude as hell...typical.
Anyway, the stockboy said he had some more Boba's in the back so me and my friend were still able to purchase one.

SithMagic 21 - I know all too well what you described. I had a very simular incident happen to me when the JAWA wave came out in 95. I was at Target waiting for it to open, both my mom and dad were with me, but we were separate and crowded out by these rude older men that wanted these toys.

One of the guys kept pushing my dad out of the way, and my dad looked at him and told him that if he pushed him again, my dad would knock him on is @$$! Suffice it to say, he moved away from my father, and came up towards me. He tried to push me out of the way, and I told him to back off. He kept pushing and pushing, so when the doors opened, I did something that got a great laugh out of the crowd.... I TRIPPED THE S.O.B. The guy landed on his face, and I looked at him, and said, "If you wouldn't have pushed...you might not have fallen!" I then took off and got my toys.

While getting the toys, I had a guy put his hands on my Jawa set and acted like he was going to take it. I told him that if he thought about taking it, I would break his freaking fingers! That seemed to have worked. But I can't tell you the number of men grabbing toys out of other peoples carts, ripping them out of kids hands, and doing it all without a single ounce of guilt!

These people are insane! So I "1-uped" them all. Being that I was a Target employee at the time, I had a mother tell me that she could never get her kids any Star Wars toys, and wanted to know why it was like that. About that time I guy, "toy pirate" walks out with a stack of figures from his mid chest to his chin in his arms. As I saw him, I pointed him out, and said people like him....TOY PIRATES.... are the reason why people like you can't get the toys...since they get here and RAID the store of everything!

Anyways...I digress....I hope you are able to get what you are looking for, and no one takes toys out of your hands again!

Take care, and MTFBWY!!!

[Tonysmo]

As I read through some of the posts and see how each one of you feels about collecting its nice to see that feelings are pretty much the same across the board when it comes to grabbing from others stash.. its not a good thing..
I do have two comments to add though.
1st, when you say older men, what does that mean? does it mean that I as an older man cannot collect the things I am a fan of? ( yes, moderation is the key.. ) I guess my response is, and I know you guys are only jaded by a few.. but dont give the older guys who have their own kids to much trouble if they are abiding by the collectors set of golden rules.. ( I let my child enjoy opening most of the 99 collection )

my 2nd response, spoken as a shareholder in HASBRO, and a quote from Jack Buck from the '82 Cardinals World Series...
" GO CRAZY FOLKS GO CRAZY!! "

[c_richards]

Tonysmo-

Not at all. There are a few older men out there that are just plain rude. Being that I have never met you, I'm sure you are a very curtious and polite individual. My problem lies in the fact that many of these fools are sooo pushy and edgey, that they make it hard on the entire collecting community as a whole!

I am glad to see that people are letting the figures be used for what they were meant for. As for me I usually put them in boxes, and then put them under my bed.

[dr_evazan22]

I voted for hoard then share. I collect 2 of each and I don't think that's a lot. It's not too often that I see another person looking at SW fig's while I'm there, but when I do see someone I'll start a conversation w/ them. If I have a double, I'll share if there's not another of the same.

Going to MM is a lot of fun just to meet other people. In Denver I went to TRU w/ a couple other C1'ers. We got all our fig's and ships and stuff. We went back to the hotel and opened them all up; we opened our lightsabers and went down to the parking garage and "dueled" w/ each other. It was a blast!

I'll be going agagin just to be part of the community. The only thing I REALLY want to get my hands on is the TIE Bomber. I'll also get the book and soundtrack on the 23rd.

I still ahven't completed my E1 collection of 3-3/4" and 12", and part of the reason is the pushing that was going on. At the time I figured that there would be plenty later on. Nope.

I'm looking forward to getting an electronic "Obi" saber, I missed out on it w/ E1.

I saw a list on TFN of TRU's that are doing MM and my local Christiana store is, but I noticed there were no PA or MD listings. Are any of the SE PA or NE MD posters/forumites coming to Christiana?

Good Luck to you all!

[Tonysmo]

A L -

Thanks for the comforting response, now I wont have a complex as I stand and wait...

and fear not, I still have a few hidden away in boxes so that my kid doesnt open ALL of them. I figure, hey, I played with them when I was a kid, he should get to play with them as well..

Having a collection you can touch is half the fun...


smo

[Dryanta]

I am truely sorry to hear of so many really bad experiences.
I'd like to invite all of you up here.I'll take you shopping and that'll never happen .
Seriously,Star Wars is a bit of a closet thing for me.Not because being ashamed to be associated with you folks but because of who I am.
I am a truck Driving Biker.And that is the truth.You wanna see some strange looks,come with me to Wal mart and watch everybody just stare at me going through the toys .Star wars is my "secret" indulgence.I give up amost of my unpleasent vices along time ago.
So can I say it's happened to me? No I can't and I really wish you all could say the same.Please don't give up on all of us because of a very small number of folks.
I am a grown man and don't run anywhere.I certainly would never never deprive a mother or child a toy because I thought I needed it.And no else would in my presence either.Believe me the vast majority of the people you'll meet here will be able to truthfully say the same things that I've said.

[Wolfwood319]

Let me give a "Hey All" to all the new guys. I hope you like it here.

Its great to see so many collectors here are nice enough to "share and share alike." But there will always be people like in Sithmagic's story. I think that thos MM99 stories give us hope though. Sure there were scalpers out there during 99, but hopefully most realized soon into it that they couldn't make 2 cents off of early E1 toys. Hopefully, most scalpers this time around will realize this, and for the most part stay away. I also hope that Hasbro keeps suppy up too, I hear its even more then E1 at this point, but lets hope it continues throughout the year so everyone can get what they want.