Frank's Blog

Now Target stores, that's another story. With action figures anyhow.

Tonight I went to the local Wal-Mart Super Center expecting SW figures. I was thinking that this store just had a grand opening earlier in the week, and now they have nothiing new and the weekend is the next day so they gotta have stuff. I know this is a narrow perspective, and SW toys aren't the only product to push for a busy weekend, and not everyone is specifically looking for SW toys.

Wednesday, the day of the grand opening, my friend and I managed to acquire all 7 of the new figures #57-#63, but only one of each. Thursday night I found doubles of #57, #59 and #63 at another store(see Blog entry "Fitting that September ends with Wal-Mart!). Tonight I arrived at this Super Center W-M hoping to get the other 4 figures so me and my friend could have a complete set. Then if there were more, I have a couple other friends who'd want a set.

At 9:15pm the pallets were distributed to the different product sections in the store and by 10:30pm the Employees arrived to stock the products. I kid you not, there were 3 pallets full of SW action figures. When they were done restocking, they had another 30 or so action figure boxes still unopened that would need to be taken back. Maybe there were more, but I counted about 14 boxes on the floor in the SW isle, and another dozen or more boxes still on the 3 pallets. I managed to purchase 3 #58, the Wookie Commando, and doubles of #57, #59 and #63. Figures #60-#62 haven't shown up in force yet, but I assume they will soon enough!

Ok, well maybe not a day for the archives that'll be remembered long before I am gone, but nonetheless a very productive day for finding Star Wars shit!

Knowing that the new Wal-Mart Super Center restocks their merchandise after 9pm, I went there in hope of getting the new wave of figures right as they were being stocked from the pallet to the pegs. For the second night, Wednesday and now Thursday, the pallet didn't have any SW figures. Disappointed I drove to the older Wal-Mart just down the highway, and got their 15 minutes before they close at 11pm. To my surprise I saw figure no.46, Ask Aak. This is the second figure in the Tarkin wave of three, which has been most impossible to find. I grabbed him, as a friend of mine needs him for his collection. While looking around, I ran into another collector bud and we both acknowledged that we were hoping to get figures before the store closed so we wouldn't have to show up at 7am to fight (figuratively speaking) with the scalpers. As we were talking the announcement came over the loudspeakers that the store was closing in 10 minutes. Just then we saw the pallet with toy stock heading our way. I quickly noted a SW figure box on the top left of the array of stacked boxes. Andy then spotted another 5 boxes! We asked the young man who had brought the pallet if we could buy some figures before the store closed, because we never stand a chance against the scalpers in morning. We then proceeded to open each one of the six boxes and take the new figures we wanted. Myself, collecting for two others, grabbed enough for everyone. On the downside, the boxes only contained 3 of the 7 new figures. However, it contained both clone commanders, Bly and Gree, the figures most wanted. I bought 4 of each. One pair for me to open, as I already have a set of them I got earlier in the week (Read Blog entry titled "Execute Order No.66"), and the other three for my collecting buds who each need one, or a second one to open - and I guess play with - lol!
Click this link to see a pic of one of the more strage looking SW figures!
http://www.frankgemignani.com/images/askaak.jpg

The big news this last week in September was that people began to report in several web forums of finding the latest/newest 7 Revenge of the Sith figures. Just so happens that a Wal-Mart Super Center was having its grand opening Wednesday this same week. With a little planning and luck, a fellow Star Wars collector/friend and me made the grand opening and beat the other Bay Area collectors to the new figures! As we picked through the figures, we realized there was only one full set of the 7. Afterwards we divided up the figures between us.

How the everything unfolded...
As luck or planning would have it, the two of us were the first Guests in the store. We arrived early and realized that there was another door near the store nursery, and when we inquired the staff said that it opens at the same time. So, knowing from experience that information from store Employees can be inaccurate, my friend waited at this door while I waited at the main entrance to the store. We were a little uncertain as who was officially first, because we entered from entirely different points. I still contest that I was the first Guest in the store due to the Employee at the nursery entrance having to wait to be given the ok by radio from an Employee at the main entrance. Another point. I asked to use the restroom 15 minutes before the grand opening ceremonies began, and while in the store I asked for directions to the toy department. Funny enough, the directions weren't the most accurate, and we were led a little off course for a few moments. Regardless, we sourced the figures release from on-line forums, planned for the grand opening, and got the goods! The link at the end of the article is of the new figures.

Having the day off from work, after this find I stopped by the local Target and found the 3 Revenge of the Sith collectors cups with figures that were made exclusively for this movie! I obviously purchased them right away. I continued to check other local Wal-Marts, Toys R Us, and Targets stores but turned up nothing that my collection needed.

Another interesting point to make here relates to the restocking of items. As far as finding Star Wars toys goes, this day was very lucrative, but finding out when the 24-hour Wal-Mart restocks their items so I can beat the other collectors and scalpers to the new stuff is priceless! This 24-hour Wal-Mart restocks at 9pm daily.

http://www.frankgemignani.com/images/63niemoidiancommander.jpg
http://www.frankgemignani.com/images/62catmiin.jpg
http://www.frankgemignani.com/images/61passel.jpg
http://www.frankgemignani.com/images/60greivousbguard.jpg
http://www.frankgemignani.com/images/59commandergree.jpg
http://www.frankgemignani.com/images/58wookieecommando.jpg
http://www.frankgemignani.com/images/57commanderbly.jpg

As strange as this may sound, I had breakfast at the local Carl's Jr. and was given order no.66. I actually took the tag by accident. This morning I found both Commander Bly and Commander Gree at the local Wal-Mart. In the Star Wars movie Revenge of the Sith, these were two clone commanders that received order no.66 from the Emperor to begin hunting down the Jedi Knights. These figures were not available in this area until this morning when I found them.
Strange, but fortunate.
Emperor: "Commander Gree, execute Order No.66!"
The link below is of the figures and the famous Carl's Jr. order, no.66!
http://www.frankgemignani.com/images/blyandgree.jpg

Visiting Wal-Mart this morning I came accross a large collection of the series 3 Titanium Star Wars vehicles. At only $4.97 each I grabbed one of each and have since decided to track down the two series before.
http://www.frankgemignani.com/images/titanium.jpg

You'll notice that some of the links on my Blog page aren't related to my favorite movies, professional sports teams or the music I choose to listen to, rather they are links to great sources for Star Wars collectors.

When I first began collecting I'd randomly drive from store to store looking for figures. I called this my first phase. Aimlessly wondering, looking. Then I began to network with fellow collectors and found out when the stores would get shipments and began to arrive early to better my chances. So far so good? Networking was phase 2. However, just because a store is receiving a truck doesn't mean that what your looking for is on it. And chances are that if you don't have access to the packing list from the shipment, you're not going to know, etc. Realizing this I turned to a handful of on-line resources. A few web sites allow visitors post their daily findings, and if you live on the West Coast such as I do, you can read the morning posts and sometimes a sighting will be reported on the East Coast. Normally this should be seen as a clue. I call this Phase 3, or the third lesson I learned as a collector. Check the East Coast reportings on-line before spending the day driving around from Wal-Mart, to Target, to Toy's R Us...well you get the picture. So, check out the links if this collecting interests you!

When leaving the local Target this morning I noticed that they had put out a small number of lightsabers. It had been a while since they had lightsabers, and I wanted to check for any elusive ones. I was surprised to find two Mace Windu purple blade lightsabers! I have never seen this one before! I quickly snatched one up for my collection and put one on hold for a friend at the Guest Service desk. This saber is of the variety that is packaged with the picture of the jedi Mace Windu on the box.

http://www.frankgemignani.com/images/saberwindu.jpg

This lightsaber will be added to my ROTS collection.

Sorry for the lack of a picture - still trying to figure out why my browser crashes when I try to load it.

I forgot to mention that Burger King had a promotion at the time of the movie release in which they would release 5 figures each of the first 6 weeks the movie was in the theater. The promotion worked this way... You could buy two figures for $2 each or you could get one free with the purchase of a Kids Meal. I didn't begin until week no.4 so I had my work cut out for me. Though lucky for me one of the local Burger Kings had a good amount of each toy remaining after the promotion, allowing me to buy the complete collection of 31.
These figures will be added to my ROTS colletion.

Unfortunately I'm experiencing problems posting pictures in my Blog. Specifically, my browser crashes. Follow this link to see a couple Burger King toys.
http://www.frankgemignani.com/images/lukeandhan.jpg

Since July I've been looking for the Tarkin wave of ROTS (Revenge of the Sith) carded figures. This is figure no.45, no.46 and no.47. This wave has been very difficult to find in local stores. Earlier this month on a Sunday morning, this wave of three figure appeared at my local Target. Only one of each three figures was on the pegs. I had actually found figure no.46 Ask Aak two weeks before at the local Toys R Us. I left Ask Aak on hold for a friend, and have since recently found figure no.47 at Wal-Mart in the next county. Still I have a list of two friends that need Governor Tarkin for their collection. Recently I met with a collector who offered to sell me no.45 Tarkin for $10. I turned it down, as my friends who I network with don't feel they should have to pay a mark up.
http://www.frankgemignani.com/images/tarkin.jpg