Frank's Blog

So the other week I decided to include the deluxe figure line into my Star Wars Revenge of the Sith collection. The deluxe figures are those that are packaged in a larger bubble and card than those the regular figures occupy. Upon viewing the photo of the Jet Pack Clone, you'll notice the larger size of the card it's on.

I came across the Clone w/Jet Pack at a Target store while out of town looking at a hardtop for my Miata. I left in the wee early hours of the morning. I left so early because I wanted to leave myself with plenty of time to hunt for SW before I transacted with the person selling the hardtop. I found the Jet Pack Clone under kickplates, in the Star Wars isle, at the second Target I visited. When I scanned the figure to get a price the the reader displayed 0.00. At the checkstand the cashier had to call her supervisor for a price. Once it was determined what the price should be, I wound up paying a whole $2.48! In all I visited 3 Wal*Marts, 4 Targets, and 1 Toys R Us store!

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

This morning on my way in to work I checked in at Target and found a new wave of Titanium vehicles. Left to right is the Clone Wars Republic Gunship, Imperial Shuttle, AT AT Walker, Vader's Tie Interceptor. I was very surprised as none of the web sites I use as a resource had reported these vehicles being released.

Taking advantage of the 75% off sale at the local Target store, I purchased some 15 boxes of collector cases (each with 5 sets of cases inside) for my ROTS figure collection. When the display within the closet in my extra room is finished, I now don't need to worry about people handling the figures and risking damage to them. Click on the links for a photo update.
http://www.frankgemignani.com/images/collectorcases.jpg
http://www.frankgemignani.com/images/shelf.jpg
http://www.frankgemignani.com/images/swcloset.jpg

The Hoth Wave just hit the The Central Coast and South Bay Area, CA. How do I know??? I dropped into a Central Coast Wally 10 minutes before they closed Friday night, and minutes later at the 24Hr Wally in the South Bay while the employees were putting them on the pegs. I completed my Hoth wave. Included in this wave was Darth Vader, who has a variant. Apparently there are two different packagings for Vader, one is in a Egyptian-like walking pose, and the other is facing forward. I managed to get both, and believe that the variant is the walking pose, though others believe it to be the other.

With the Hoth wave now out I should probably be saving my money so I can afford to buy the new figures.

Today I picked up the following goodies from Target on clearance:

• M&M Empire figures (6) $1.74 each
• Obi-Wan Lava Reflection in collector case (1) $1.64
• Yoda Story Tellor figure (1) $6.24

• Tie Fighter w/figure Target Exclusive (4) $9.98

• Star Wars Trivial Pursuit (1) $11.17
• Liea Collector Cup and Figure (1) $3.24
• Star Wars Collector cases 5-pack (2) $2.24
• Star Wars Wookie Puzzle (1) .98¢
• Boba Fett Christmas Ornament (1) .60¢
• a Diet Sprite for the thirsty guy busy grabbing clearance SW items (PRICELESS)

Yesterday at an out of town Target my friend and me found two figures from an old line, 2003. R1-G4 Tatooine Transaction and R2-D2 Jabba's Sail Barge. Very minor blemises on the back of the card from being under the kickplates for 3 years - a couple spots! When we scanned the price the scanner said that the item couldn't be located. When the staff returned after checking the number on the barcode the price for each figure was .36¢ each!!!! Not bad for near mint cards!

At another Walmart I found Grievous' Wheel Bike discounted to $13.00. Then, back in town, my friends put a Republic Gunship on hold for me at the local TRU. I returned one of two Star Wars Pez collectors sets that were identicle Christmas gifts, which made the total out of pocket cost only $10.80. Not bad at all. Now here is where the story gets strange...

After picking up the Gunship I went directly to work. Having left work for the night I dropped on over my friends house, the ones that put the Republic Gunship on hold for me. Upon opening it we were all shocked, as the contents were of a returned POTF 1998 X-Wing fighter. The ship was disassembled and parts taped within the innards of the Gunship cardboard box. This was very strange. Even more so was that the ship still worked after 7+ years, and was only missing one wing gun.

After work today I returned the X-Wing and Gunship box, and then explained everything to a manger. I did sense some doubt of my story in his tone, in which he felt I may be trying to rip off the store, but I was very pointed and made my point that they need to refund my money as I was not paying for their mistake. If they had examined the returned merchandise when it was returned the first time, they would have prevented this. I did get my refund, and am now more suspicious of that Toys R Us operation than I had been before, after having found tons of toys hidden under the kickplates a month or so before. I just hope that the joker who put the wrong item in the box hasn't ruined my relationship with the store and staff. But then again, there are more important things to be concerned of.

Ok, after more research apparently there are 7 new Titanium ships that have been released in this current wave. Today a friend an me were shopping a couple out of town stores and he came across the Death Star, Vulture Droid, and Jango Fett's Slave titanium ships. Overall this might have been the best looking titanium ship wave to date.

In other titanium news, Hasbro is planning to release a first series of titanium figures this year, staring with Darth Vader and Boba Fett.

http://www.frankgemignani.com/images/tslavejango.jpg
http://www.frankgemignani.com/images/tturbotank.jpg
http://www.frankgemignani.com/images/trepubliccruiser.jpg
http://www.frankgemignani.com/images/tdeath.jpg
http://www.frankgemignani.com/images/tvulture.jpg
http://www.frankgemignani.com/images/tspeeder.jpg

When I first learned of store employees and guests hiding items in various places within stores I had a difficult time understanding why. I first thought they were simply hiding it for their friends to come in and pick up. Thinking that the items would be purchased soon. Though after having found items dating back 2-3 years under kickplates in different stores I've reached the conclusion that a large number of merchandise hiding is done in the interest of returning to buy it after it has been clearanced priced. You see, today I found a ROTS action figure with food, dust and other stuff on it, sitting on the clearance shelf at the local Target. It was obvious that this figure had been under the kickplates, and I was considering it at a clearance price. Along with the few clearance-priced figures were larger Battle Packs, which originally costs $20 each. I believe that these more expensive items were hidden with the intent to return and puchase them at the $6 clearance price.

To summarize... Collectible items are hidden within the store for immediate purchase and long-term clearance purchase.

Immediate purchase hidden items are usually placed hehind different items within the same isle. Maybe they are placed behind items in different isles. But are not usually concealed under kickplates.

Long-term clearance purchase items are those in which one puts forward greater effort in hidding it, in hope of returning at a much later date after it has been marked down to a clearance price. This involves a longer waiting period, and in order to ensure that the item remains hidden, collectors/scalpers/store employees, go to greater lengths to hide the item. Guests are limited to hiding within the area they are allowed access within the store. Store employees can hide items long-term in areas guests don't have access to, such as in their stockroom, or other areas outside the main store layout. I have heard from store managers of boxes of items being found tucked away up on rafters in stockrooms and such.

How does this information help the average collector?

1. Be aware that after the holidays stores reset their displays, items get marked down, and often times merchandise that you haven't seen for some time is rediscovered during the reset.
2. If you can't find the item your looking for, don't hesitate to look behind other items in near proximity as it may be hidden for immediate purchase by another.
3. If the item you seek is slightly pricy $9.99 and above, know that someone has probably stashed it under a kickplace, or elsewhere for a long-term clearance purchase.

I don't recommend long-term hiding of items, because what you're really doing is stealing $ from the store who can make a sale at a higher price during the time the product is hidden. If anything else, this is bad Karma. Many items that are hidden long-term miss the holiday shopping season, a time when most shoppers are scrapping to find just about anything Star Wars. Maybe one way around this is to place the item(s) on layaway, if the store offers this.

Today I found the White Tie Fighter of the latest series of Star Wars Titanium Vehicles at the local Target. I asked one of the managers about them, who told me to get her a product number so she can check her stock, who in turn brought out an assortment box. There was only the one white Tie Fighter. The day after Christmas I had been able to find the other 3 ships in this series, but no the white Tie Fighter.

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