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

[RooJay]

Oh, and more on the topic: I'm one of those weirdos that collects figures for the sheer joy of it, and could care less about the package since I'm only gonna tear it open anyway. That being the case, I usually only buy one of each figure (I do try to build reasonably sized armies later on when I can find appropriate figures more easily.) so after I leave the figure aisle there is always more left for other kids and collectors; providing there was more than one when I get there. However, there is this one guy that lives in the area who makes the rounds to all the stores (I've seen him at just about every store that carries action figures in the surrounding five cities!). I have seen him on several occasions purchasing carts full of newer figures, and finding when I get to the figure aisle, that he has completely cleared the pegs! He also shows up on the local convention circuit with plenty of all of the figures that nobody in the area can find at retail, and is more than willing to sell them to us at 20 dollars+ a piece. My girlfriend used to work at Toy 'R Us and says he used to come in all the time. She believes that he knew, or was paying someone to hoard figures for him (against company policy, I know, but you'd be deluded to think it doesn't still happen!). This man is evil. I once saw him at a local convention with a McFarlane Angela figure on display at his booth at the time when that figure was the Holy Grail to collectors. He only appeared to have one at first which was displayed loose, and in fact he proceeded to say so to everyone who inquired about it. Lots of people made him offers, but he seemed to attatched to the thing, and none of the offers was apparently high enough. Then this one poor kid, who just HAD to have her, starts haggling with him. He finally agreed at 90 bucks! The kid walked away happy and much poorer after having paid about eight times the price for the figure mint in package. Soon as the kid was gone this jerk starts pulling out CASES full of nothing but Angela figures (I KNOW they didn't ship from the manufacturer that way!) and proceeds to sell them left and right at much less than 90 dollars, but much more than the $7.99 the figure retailed for at the time! Apparently, he opened the figure to check her out close up, then figured he'd sell it for as much as he could possibly get. Whenever I see that guy at the store I RUN to the figure aisle and try to hide anything I can from him! He will most likely burn in Hell. The poor kid, however, will have a special place reserved in Heaven for him just for being such a simp!

[Sebulba524]

Originally posted by RooJay
Oh, and more on the topic: I'm one of those weirdos that collects figures for the shear joy of it, and could care less about the package since I'm only gonna tear it open anyway. That being the case, I usually only buy one of each figure (I do try to build reasonably sized armies later on when I can find appropriate figures more easily.) so after I leave the figure aisle there is always more left for other kids and collectors; providing there was more than one when I get there.

My views exactly. I can't say anything else, cause this sums it up for me.

[Tycho]

Hi everyone. And welcome new members.

At the same time I want to tell you I'm glad you are here, I need to explain why 3 posts had to be taken down by SirSteve, in case a few people's responses to them don't seem to make as much sense now.

We try to maintain a "PG" type of environment here, as while our message board users often assume that those registered amongst us forum users are typically 14 to 40 years of age, there are those who are much younger logging on here.

They will undoubtedly become educated about a larger world, but not with information about an 'adult one' that they found out here, and you know what I'm talking about.

I appologize to those 3 people, new members I believe, who may have had one post deleted each. You are new and don't know "the rules," but I tried to explain to you the reasons for them, not just "don't post profanity or direct and blatant references to adult acts."

I will try to private message each of you and make sure you are feeling OK about that and that you understand why we do things that way around here.

Thanks for your cooperation and I'm glad to see you all have been enjoying the collector etiquette polls.

[underdog25]

I use to be one of the ones out early in the mornings to grab what I could before the dealers got all the new/hard to find figures. It would take days, weeks months to find a figure. It got to a point that I was spending more time, gas, food, effort, etc. in finding that $6-$7 figure than it was worth so I just bought it from the dealer and paid my $20 for it. How times have changed for me. I now work on the inside and can get any figure that I want to and as many as I want. It might sound like a blessing for the Army builders but it isn't. It has taken the "thrill" of the hunt out of the game. I use to only buy one of each figure and put the rest out for whoever comes in. I will tell you that it is funny to watch everyone come into the store and run over themselves to get the new figure or ship It is kind of sad to me in a way to see how I was in the past. I have even gone so far as not buying any of the POTJ figures or Ep2 stuff. I still don't know what Midnight holds for me, my collection and my store on April 23rd. Are we opening at midnight or at normal time in the morning, will I buy stuff or not? I will tell you this much, everything that we have that is Ep2 will be out on the sales floor that night/morning for everyone to grab and enjoy. I use to be an Army builder but now I am lucky to have one soldier to stand guard over the collection.

[Tycho]

CAESAR:

This poll applies to both regular days on the hunt, and MidNight Madness.

It is my experience that how a collector behaves around others on a typical release day for a new wave, is only further exemplified by their behavior during MidNight Madness, or 6 am at Toys R Us - as please note, some stores are doing that instead.

You should all ask about your store's opening time on April 23, well in advance.

Also please note: if you are going to Wal*Mart for 7 am, on the 23rd you might want to arrive a whole HOUR early.

The unwritten but often enforced rule amongst collectors is that the first ones there are the first ones through the door. Some managers actually cater to that as well, but so do some knock down fights when someone gets smart and arrives a few minutes before the store opens and tries to head off those that have been waiting longer.

The actual waiting times I've observed for MidNight Madness, were people getting there at like 8 or 9 o'clock and sticking it out. And once when I helped my friend's girlfriend collect her BeanieBabies, those people camped out at 4 am for a 9 am store opening. We went by 5:15 am, and we were No. 99, 100, 101 in line. (I got a free 12" Electronic Fett for helping them).

But yeah, normally I'd say these are just toys and there will be plenty to go around. Going to these sales are FUN for the comradery, the chance to create local collecting organizations, and just the chance to laugh at all the real madness you KNOW will be going down.


ELI-WAN KENOBI:

Most of us who do buy armies ARE building dioramas to recreate the movies, and we grab the multiples whenever we can so that we don't have to go back to the stores. I do have better things to do with my mornings, like get some more sleep before I work. So the sooner I finish my count of Geonosians I want for my army, the better I'll rest.

Like I said, I'll share with who's there.


SITH MAGIC, welcome to the forums.

A couple of things I noted from your story which I've seen myself:

sometimes the kids who's parents ARE scalpers run down the toy isles and grab things for their Old Man. Then he buys them one or so to play with, or Pokemon or whatever the kid is interested in as their reward. It's terrible, but some scalpers pimp their own children.

The other thing is yes, I've seen Target put up signs saying they won't look in the back, or people are limited to 5 figures each. I think that since 1999 they have forgotten about that as it pertains to Star Wars. It is also easier for them to stock overnight or before the store opens, so they're doing that again (by me anyway) too. So depending upon how things go with the Episode 2 story, they may or may not be collector friendly to their StarWars fans.

[Tycho]

TONYSMO:

I wouldn't bring a lightsaber from home with you to MidNight Madness - or at least not into the store once they begin. They may try to charge you again for it. Regardless of whether the product is still shipping (such as the Darth Maul lightsaber most likely Will Not Be). Just wouldn't take chances if I were you, that's all. Put it in the car before they bring you into the store, but make sure you don't lose your place in line!

BIG BARADA: Is it worth it to add that next little piece of plastic to my collection?

Yeah - I'd say it is. It's more than my collection: I'm setting up a diorama I create with my artwork, my woodwork, my electrical work - a lot goes into these (or will go into those I make for Episode 2), so it is important that I get all the figures I want to put in my displays and that none are missing. It simplifies one step in a setup that requires many more complicated things to do at Home Depot than it does at Wal*Mart. (well actually you can get cheaper hardware and craft supplies at Wal*Mart if you remember to leave the toy isle once in a while - paint especially). But you know what I mean. Collecting is only the easiest step sometimes!

[Tycho]

SEBULBA,

I'm sorry things are tough for you, being the age that you are.

When I'm in the store, I'm not going to leave behind anything I need for my armies. I'd like to get 20 Geonosians maybe, and find all of them as fast as possible. Then I won't need to be in the stores, taking them away from anyone.

I'll share with whoever is there. If I leave any I need, especially in multiples, I don't know that they won't be scalped. At least I know they will be opened and appreciated in my dioramas if I need them and I take them.

Now here's a story I'd like to share with you that may help though: through helping a young guy like yourself collect his figures, I became a Big Brother about 7 years ago.

My "little brother" was 12 then, and he's 19 and a friend for life now.

I met him at a Dealer's when he was spending his hard-earned money from his paper-route to pay for figures at like $18 each. He was with his mom and I introduced myself and we talked, quickly all becoming friends. I agreed to help him make his scarce money go a little further, and I started picking up the toys for him too (when he was 12). I would take them over and drop some of my cache off and then I met the rest of his family. His father is a Highway Patrol officer and a good man. When they got to know me, they allowed me to take my 'new brother' out collecting in the mornings, and I taught him how to surf and started him and his family in an interest in jet skiing - another of my hobbies. Basically, I taught him there was more to life than Star Wars.

I've helped him with his homework through high school, and encouraged him to get started in college. When he was 16 and got his license, we split up and he covered a different Wal*Mart than I did, and a different Target - that way we got more figures than just what 1 store stocked.

He's since "grown up" more than I have, and his SUV, payments on a Jet Ski that he bought to race with mine, and a rather expensive video gaming hobbie, (as well as a high-maintainance girlfriend) have kept him out of the hobby - he quit with Episode One. But he's still interested in seeing what I buy, and I bet he caves in and picks up the TIE Bomber to add to his old collection anyway. (He likes my ship and doesn't shut-up about it...)

So the moral of the story, SEBULBA, is: maybe you can meet somebody that will help you collect. But make sure your parents meet them and they help you do the transactions and come with you every time you meet with them until you are a bit older.

For my part, I was happy to help a kid get a half-circle Boba Fett back in the day, just for the heck of it - but I ended up with a little brother (who's bigger than me now and on his way to becoming a cop) - and I got a friend for life!

[Tycho]

Dr. Evazan:

I was at Aurora, Colorado's Toys R Us for MidNight Madness, the Sunday of the last night of Celebration One. I know there were a few Toys R Us' in the Denver area, but perhaps I saw you!

I was with SirSteve and Thrawn, but we mainly just wanted to watch everyone go crazy, versus actually shop. It's hard to check-in and carry-on too much stuff, especially when I had to leave the next day on a plane to California.

I also went for the Lightsabers right away. I had to have Darth Maul's. I have trained for many years in the martial arts in a black belt program and of course I learned my weapons. But (if you promise not to tell my Master), when I practice at home for the bow staff or broad sword, all my weapons make curious lightsaber hums and clashes...(he-he-heh-he).

I've knocked a fair share of my ceiling down with my sabers too, but it's better that I practice outdoors with my real weapons - for more space - and also so that I don't have to clean and polish them as much for when my Master inspects them. Explaining all the white chalk stuff from my ceiling would be a little embarassing (to him as well as my landlord...)

Anyway, I also bought the 3 Deluxe Figures so that me and my friends I was flying with could have our action figures "duel" on the plane while we were waiting to get back to San Diego. That was fun for a little while as well. A very little while. But hey - they're toys and they are supposed to be fun to PLAY with, right?

Anyway, Maul's double-bladed saber, the Deluxe figures, Anakin's Podracer (I just HAD to shove into my suitcase somehow... ) and a few assorted figures I picked up and out from under the feet of those who trampled on them (Padme, JarJar, Senator Palpatine...that's it I think..) was all I got. True enough, I got all the rest over the next 2 days. No big deal.

But the comraderie, making new collecting connections, and just watching the real Madness was a lot of fun. So I'd go anyway! (if I were you)

[OC47150]

At Midnight Madness three years ago, my friend and I tossed figures into a cart, went to an off aisle and went through what we wanted and didn't want. We got the basic figures at the time but no army builders.

I don't know if I'm going to Midnight Madness this year. I might just wait and stop at Wal Mart or Target on the way into work. Saving my money for SW Celebration 2.

[wampa ems]

This has actually happened to me before. I have met at least 4 different people that collect Star Wars toys. We just share with whatever they have there.