USA Sightings

[jaydisc]

I've always enjoyed seeing pics of walls of TFs in stores, so when I saw this at TRU in Times Square, I had to snap some pics. They had virtually everything current, and while the prices were slightly inflated due to being located in the center of Manhattan, they had a grated sale on deluxes (USD 8).

http://lindalane.com/temporary/tf/DSC05083.jpghttp://lindalane.com/temporary/tf/DSC05082.jpg

[SentinelPrime]

look at all those universe unicrons!!!

awesome pics Jaydisc, do you live in melb or ny?

[Wheel-J]

Such abundance! and not to say cheaper as well..

[Trailer Park Ninja]

Nice!!! I would love to have insignias and logo on the wall there.

[jaydisc]

awesome pics Jaydisc, do you live in melb or ny?

Thanks. I was born & raised in NY (and currently visiting), but Melbourne is home.

[Golden Phoenix]

I'd be like a kid in a candy store
"I want that one, and that one, and that one....."

[Paulbot]

I see some Atomic Lugnuts (I think) but do they have Animated Wreck-Gar?

[jaydisc]

Here's another pair of pics (without flash, so brighter, but more blurry). I've circled the one Wreck-Gar visible. If memory serves, there was quite a few more, but Atomic Lugnut was definitely dominating the display. In hindsight, the one thing they did NOT seem to have any of here, and something I've had a generally difficult time finding any where, is Universe Voyagers, especially recent ones.

http://lindalane.com/temporary/tf/DSC05084.jpg
http://lindalane.com/temporary/tf/DSC05085.jpg

[i_amtrunks]

$60 Unicorns?

Damn...

[jaydisc]

That's high actually. Standard price is $49.99. You do mean Unicron right?

[i_amtrunks]

That's high actually. Standard price is $49.99. You do mean Unicron right?

them too! :D

[Paulbot]

Unicron's only $US 50 on the shelf?

Torn between "the toy is too big to fit in my luggage" and "darn that's cheap I should get some for people".

[JuzMel]

I'd be like a kid in a candy store
"I want that one, and that one, and that one....."

+1 :eek: :D Or to make it better, can we just walk right into the picture? :p You should send a copy of this photos to Kmart, Target and Big W here. heehee...

[jaydisc]

Unicron's only $US 50 on the shelf?

Torn between "the toy is too big to fit in my luggage" and "darn that's cheap I should get some for people".

During both of my recent trips it's called to me (I don't have one), but the size/value proposition never cut it. Hmmm... maybe I should get a loose one.

[Stompy]

Impressive display. If only it was stocked that well locally. No more need to hide the one or two sought after figures behind the toddler toys.

Those rows of Unicrons are making me dizzy. The prices are even more drool worthy.

[jaydisc]

OK. I caved and got a Unicron to fit into the spare space in my two boxes. Thanks for the gentle nudge Paul and Trunks. ;)

[Paulbot]

I have come at the wrong time. Like back home the stores here are emptying out of Transformers toys. I've not seen any wonderful walls full of TFs yet. Mostly I'm just seeing the same unwanted rejects (Universe Dinobot I'm looking at you) and empty racks as back home.

It really pays to have a car if you want to do your TF toy shopping in America. It seems that none of the "malls" have the stores that stock TFs (like WalMart, Target, TRU, Kmart) but instead those stores are standalone and require much deciphering of the public transport system to get to. (Oh how I wish there was a Chadstone or Highpoint equivalent!)

I came with a list of toys I can't find at home that I hope to find here and I'm not getting through the list very quickly.

In LA: I've seen four of Wreck-Gar (2 in 2 TRU stores) and bought the sole good one in the first store.

I've seen Darkwind (1 in 1 TRU store, 3 in another TRU) and Countdown (3 in one TRU)

Lots of Waspinators at the two TRU stores, but only one Samurai Prowl (at the second store).

No sign of Longarm, Skywarp, Shockwave, Sunstrom. No Universe Ratchet or Hotshot.

Now in Orlando, I visited a Walmart and Kmart today. Tried to visit Target too but after waiting 30 minutes gave up on the bus.

Kmart had four of the exclusive 12 pack Minicons (but for $3 AUD + per repainted minicon I passed). The store also had a Desert Leader Brawl from the first movie which was the first time I'd seen it instore ever!

Walmart had ROTF Robot Heroes. At least 2 x six different pairs. They also had some of the Universe Robot Heroes I was missing. They let me buy Snarl & Sharkticon and Cheetor & Tankor, but the computer said no to letting me buy the two ROTF packs I took to the counter as well :(

I've also picked up the Crossovers Green & Grey Hulks and Human Torch from Kmart. I bought the green thinking I might never find the grey one... only to find the grey one in the next store! :rolleyes: Anyone in Melbourne want the green Hulk (out of packaging but unplayed with) for $20? Let me know.

I don't think I've got any more time to do toy shopping until I hit New York and look forward to popping into that Times Square TRU. (Although my luck it will be like the last time I was there in May 2007 and just have a wall of the two Preview figures!)

[Paulbot]

Disappointed with the TF findings in New York City.

The Times Square TRU has similar stock to Jay's pictures at the start of this thread, except the Mudflaps/Infernos are gone, replaced by Countdown and Darkwind ($5 more expensive than at the LA stores). All those Universe Deluxes are gone too replaced by Animated Deluxes - mainly Oilslick, Soundwave, Jazz and Waspinator. And only one Unicron survives.

The KB toys store I got the Micromaster Aerialbots from last time is gone.

The KMart store has the 12 pack Minicons (for $6 more than the Orlando store) and the same Animated deluxes as TRU but for $15 each.

I found one comic store that has Universe Ratchet and Hot Shot but they are like $20 each. It was the first time I saw them but not at that price!

[GoktimusPrime]

Just out of interest, are you arranging any meetups with US fans while you're there? If I were around New York/Jersey I'd be trying to meet up with Ben Yee. <shrug>

Of course, last time I went to Hong Kong I emailed Remy and tried to meet up with him but it didn't work out as our schedules conflicted. :(

[Paulbot]

I dont know any one here. im not active on any international board ands its been a decade since I posted on ATT, so no one to meet.:o

today i went to the nearest Target (in Brooklyn) and they had no Transformers at all! Not even empty space where they should have been!

What's worse I then went to the TRU a few blocks away... And the whole store had been demolished! Talk about a strike out! But i've been to Brooklyn now.

[Golden Phoenix]

today i went to the nearest Target (in Brooklyn) and they had no Transformers at all! Not even empty space where they should have been!

What's worse I then went to the TRU a few blocks away... And the whole store had been demolished! Talk about a strike out! But i've been to Brooklyn now.
2 simple explanations:
1) Target had to clear their shelves for ROTF stuff, and just waiting to put it out.

2)The TRU sold some ROTF toys and Hasbro punished them....

[Paulbot]

2 simple explanations:
1) Target had to clear their shelves for ROTF stuff, and just waiting to put it out.

Yeah but strange for nothing, no unsold activators or anything, and for there to be no clear space for them.

2)The TRU sold some ROTF toys and Hasbro punished them....

LOL

Another sighting, in the NY kinokuniya store they had USA Edition Silverbolt for about $70 USD. OMG it's so white! I've seen pictures but I still didn't expect it to be so white! It looks a lot better than Hasbro's grey.

[Paulbot]

Saw a ROTF FAB today at a Manhattan Kmart (two of the same figure) for $14. Don't know if they'd sell it because I wasn't interested enough to try (and since their deluxes were $15 I think FABs could probably be bought cheaper elsewhere anyway).

[jaydisc]

Which FAB?

[Paulbot]

M*******

[Ironhide63]

ITS HEAVEN!!!!!!

[Paulbot]

No ROTF toys at Kmart Manhattan today but they do have price tags. Realgear for 10.69. Legends for $6.39. Deluxes for the same price as their ani deluxes $14.99.

And I was shocked that the Gravity Bots (those are those stand up non-Transforming things right?) were tagged at $17.49, $2.50 USD more than deluxes!? i thought they were spychanger sized?

[griffin]

Yeah, I saw someone quote a high price for those Gravity bots on another forum. If I remember correctly, they are a little smaller than Deluxe (I think about G1 Battlecharger size), but I think the high price is because they felt heavy, so maybe the diecast and more expensive shipping (like the Titaniums), makes them more expensive than deluxes. But at that US$ price, those are gonna be like AU$40 here, and I can't see that as being considered good value here, for that size (which is what consumers will see, size not weight, as a determining factor for value).

[Paulbot]

An update to Jaydisc's photos of TRU New York. Here's how it looked last week. Still mainly Animated stuff with some Universe stuff.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2434/3565556790_9689429e6a.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3569/3564738815_80f5e878a5.jpg

And above it a ROTF-inspired movie banner:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3415/3564721799_f458300ef1.jpg

The Preview toys are not out in the US because apparently (according to the US boards) the Preview toys boxes have the same embargo date as the rest of the ROTF toys :rolleyes:

[griffin]

Found in the US is the Devastator RPMs trackset, and the Deluxe wave with Jolt, Dead End, Blazemaster and Skids/Mudflap Icecream truck, so should be here soon as well.

[Sleeve]

Found in the US is the Devastator RPMs trackset, and the Deluxe wave with Jolt, Dead End, Blazemaster and Skids/Mudflap Icecream truck, so should be here soon as well.

Wave 5 Voyagers (Long Haul and Grindor) and Deluxes (Arcee, Swerve and Stalker Scorponok) have also been sighted, along with Ahsoka Tano Magnaguard Droid from the Star Wars Crossovers line.


Source: www.tfw2005.com