done it a couple times. last time i did it i got animated leaders bulkhead and megatron and couple activators.

 

Man, you're friggin' awesome. I also think that way. I have no time to wait for some sleepy headed mo'fo to do their jobby-job.

 

I actually did that last week. It's how I got Hound, Cyclonus, and the new Starscream. I also put the rest of the box on the pegs. I'm glad I opened the box myself. Two days later and the only thing left on the pegs was one of the two Cheetors that was in the box! I also got my TFA Leader Bulkhead, Leader Megatron, Voyager Bulkhead, Voyager Lugnut, and Voyager Starscream that way.

 

Yep. I haven't in a while though, since I've been buying everything from HTS.

Some times I'll ask an employee to open it for me, if I don't want to be seen as a jerk. Some employees don't care, but there have also been times employees have gotten upset at me doing so. And one time they refused to because they said it had a street date (and it wasn't movie toys, so I don't really know what they were talking about).

 

Yep. We get Deluxes there dirt-cheap which is the trade-off for a likely unclean store. Most of us have 3-4 Wal-Marts that we frequent and there's always a pretty nice one (clean, stocked, etc) and one that actually destroys all faith you might have had in humanity.

I've thought about it. I've never actually been faced with a decision to actually open anything up since there was never never a relevant box on the pallet. I'm a closet-dork, so I'm hesitant to bring the whole 'Oh hai guysch, I like Transchformersch too" to light.

Ugh, I hate that stuff. It's not my fault that they work at Wal-mart. Either make the best of it or find another job! An employee who acts like a professional retailer gets way more respect and understanding from me than someone who just acts like you're interrupting their bluetooth time.

As for street date... sounds like a line of BS to me. Why would the product even be on the floor?

 

Actually I have had a Walmart Manager tell me that it is strickly prohibited. Something about liability and you getting hurt opening boxes or some junk. It would be funny if it were not true. I've been collecting one toy or another for over 10 years. I think what really hurt collectors was Hot Wheels Treasure Hunts and Star Wars. As a matter of fact, there are signs at Target stating that employees cannot go in the back to get collectibles, not stock but COLLECTIBLES. This all started because of the mad rushes new Star Wars figures caused and those Treasure Hunts. Back in the day, you could buy a $1 hot wheel and sell it for $25-50!! Dealers went nuts, they actually started buying hot wheels by the cases and then that was prohibited. It really makes no sense for a store to limit how much you can buy at retail price???? I know I've gone off the subject but to get back to it, yes I've opened boxes.

 

Actually, I think this is true. Even though something as silly as opening up a cardboard box seems, its law that a customer shouldn't get hurt in your store or you're risking a pretty big fine. Or they will see you in court  

Maybe a bit extreme, but it's to be expected, especially in some parts of the world where it seems to have become a sport to take a company to court because the product warnings doesn't say anything about..oh I dunno, NOT putting your cat in the microwave? This is just companies making sure that's not happening to them.

 

I've never done it, partly because my walmart doesn't have a high tf turnaround. but my wife sometimes has a stockboy open the boxes when she goes.

 

Dude, you are way more dedicated than I am. Not that I haven't wound up at a Wal-Mart at midnight, but I usually don't frequent at those hours.

I can see that, but seriously, unless you're going in there with your own box cutter, other than a nasty paper cut, I can't see there being much for liability since the heaviest box is maybe those Unicron figures.

Then again, I can also understand the Hot Wheels principal too. That's scalping in the worst possible scenario.  

 

A number of years ago I use to go to Target and Toys R Us when they first opened. I knew when the trucks made deliveries and when new stock should be on the shelves. Now granted I use to work third shift so I was actually just getting off work and on my way home. I would wait in line with others who only had one thing on ours minds. Get the toys before anyone else did. I admit, it was sad but at the same time fun. I would "fast walk" past dealers and get toys I know they wanted to resell. I would sometimes get the toys I wanted and other times I would just walk around the store until they left and then returned the items. I actually gave a brand new toy that I knew was going for big money to a kid right in front o f a dealer. The look was priceless. That all came to an end one day. I was waiting in line for Target to open. They were suppose to have the 12" Han and Tauntaun. They were $50 and I know were going for over $150 on the secondary market. I wanted one really bad but decided I was going to just watch and laugh at the others. I figured they probably only had 4 or so and there were at least 20 people in front of me. The doors opened and I watched as grown men and women RAN down through the store. I actually saw an elderly man run and I know he was breathing very heavy if you know what I mean. I walked pass the manager who was smirking with another employee. I stopped and told him he would not be laughing if the man falls down and sues the crap out of the store. It was horrible. The fun part was when I finally got to the toy section, I saw three people with the toy I was hoping for. Now I know they came 2 to a box so unless an employee took one there should be another. People were bitching and griping about not getting one. I walked over to the Star Wars section and of course it was wiped out. I walked over one row to avoid the crowd and guess what was sitting on the bottom shelf on the end cap. Han looked up at me and smiled. I grabbed my new Throphy and proudly walked past all those dealers. I guess the funniest thing is, years later I got out of Star Wars and sold all my collection to focus on Transformers. I actually could not sell Han but rather I gave him to a friend. Too much bad charma if I sold him..

 

Now THAT story belongs in it's own thread. I totally could hear the Chariots of Fire music playing as people were running for the figures. Well written dude.

 

This - it's way more polite and you avoid the random idiot asking "do you work here?"

 

be careful there, i broke my car key doing that once

 

All the time. The only reason I ever go to WM is for toys, and as such I only ever go around midnight when they're wheeling pallets out. If I see a relevant case on the pallet/in the aisle, I'm disinclined to waste the trip, especially if it's out in the sticks. I'll ask, if there's someone around and they don't have a "I work at Wal-Mart; fuck the world" look about them. If not, I'll whip out the keychain Leatherman, hang up what I'm not buying on the appropriate peg, and either take the empty case with me or break it down and toss it in the obligatory shopping cart being used for such.

Very rarely, like one time in 50, I'll get grief for taking it upon myself to do their job just prior to spending a bunch of money in their fine establishment, but meh. I get the whole 'safety' issue, but I wielded a box knife for many years m'self; I got it. Odds are there'll be a different stocker the next time somebody bothers to say anything anyway.

 

I've done it a bunch of times. Too many to recall actually.

 

I'll look at pallets but have yet to find a transformer box.

 

I open what I want when I want, and the Wal-Mart workers are so used to me that they don't bat an eye at me anymore.

 

if I spot a box that has a new wave in it of any tf line, i open the hell out of it, take my toys, and proceed to the check out line.

 

I think one of the reasons the Wal-Mart employees are cool with me is after I get what I want I stock the shelf with what's left.

 

I would if the boxes were left out or were where I could reach them. I'm never around when they leave stuff out so I can't do it myself, and other boxes are stuck on the top shelf well out of reach and no ladder's around for me to use myself. Sometimes I'm tempted to go looking for a ladder that might be on sale somewhere and drag it over to the toy aisle. Plus I'm a bit obsessive-compulsive and don't like seeing toys trampled so I put stuff on the racks too.