I don't see how a RiD Prime would make any difference to a kid over any other figure, say, like a Universe Silverbolt.

 

Depends on which Universe Silverbolt. Big jet, Micromaster or purple bird dog?

 

Actually it would really suck to be a kid with no means to get RID Prime, see the box/instructions, and realize that the toy is basically incomplete without Ultra Magnus.

 

I meant big jet.

But what I'm thinking is, simply go talk to the manager of the store where the TFT bin is at, say "hi, I'm a toy collector and I happened to notice something in that bin. I'll buy two or three toys right now to donate if I can take that one, is that alright?" Or you could even offer a dollar amount, $50 worth of stuff or something to donate.

I see no problem in asking, and you're clearly giving more in return. So why not?

 

I don't see a problem with that, really. If you're giving more than was in there before, it works out for everybody.

 

I dunno, it seems like asking the Salvation army guy if he can break a hundred out of his bucket. Only way geekier.

 

Good point.

 

If you replace with a toy that is the same amount + another toy I think it's alright.

I do my internship for school at a shelter housing women and their children. And they are just happy to get toys; boys open up baby dolls, they don't really care what the toy is, they actually have more fun with the balloons then any of the toys. :/

 

I get the point, but at the end of the day it's still only toys.

If I got such a box I think I'd consider two options.
1) Give it to the kids "as is".
2) Knowing there's some valuable collector stuff, I could sell it to collectors for the traditional "collector prices". Then use the money I got for the sold toys and go buy some brand new typical popular toys for the children, and double the amount of toys. I don't think a kid would be happer with a RID TF toy than some brand new popular Ben 10 figure.
However my conscience would the tell to ask the donator first if that would be ok!.

However I admit if I saw like a MIB O.Prime in there I might snatch it myself and give out a $100 for a replacement toy.

 

my 2 cents: Dont take it out, leave it for a kid... I figure us grown folks have the ability to buy that online at any given moment... There is a little kid out there that loves transformers, but is poor and has no internet, thus no way of knowing whats coming out, what came out years ago, and whats currently on shelves.

(Come people, before we were internet-savvy adults with our own jobs and money, we were clueless kids, that wandered over to the toy section while mom/dad actually made the trip to the store for something else... As we wandered over, we hoped that we'd see the toy of our favorite character on the shelf... And was sad when it wasnt.)

So, let a kid get that for Christmas so he can say "Wow, this is the most awesome-est Tf ever! Ive never even seen this before! And years from now, he/she may join the online community and recount the joy of discovering/receiving this toy and how excited they were knowing that at that time... They were just a kid... a fan... with a hope of getting something they knew was unattainable.

 

Dude, It makes a difference if your a kid that loves Optimus Prime.

Thats like your friend buying YOU a Bakugan (which arent bad little toys) and sayin oh well, I dont see the difference between this and a transformer, they both transform.

And in the end... Who ever donated that RID Prime intended it for a kid who would otherwise, not get this figure. Not a collector that bardered for it in exchange for something possibly readily available on store shelves.

 

The store already got their money out of that toy by someone else buying it and putting it in the bin as a gift for a child. It doesn't belong to the store anymore, IT BELONGS TO TOYS FOR TOTS. Taking it out, even if you intend to replace it with another figure, is theft plain and simple. You're taking something that belongs to someone else, as surely as if you'd taken it out of someone's basket on their way to the parking lot, regardless of any promises you might make. And taking anything out of a donation bin is pretty crappy behavior.

I'd be PISSED AS HELL if someone did that with a toy I put in that bin - in fact when I did put an Animated Jazz in one of those bins at Walmart I went over to the nearest employee and asked about the security of the box because I didn't want a collector coming along and trying to pull this. Fortunately they were ready for people who try to take things from the box, and had it right where an employee could watch it all day long.

--Moony

 

Yep, I couldn't agree more. The really sad part for me is I'll never be able to view this friend the same ever again. That will always be at the back of my mind about him... pretty much putting him on the "associate" list, instead of the "friend" list.