So after seeing the velocitron set I am completely sold on it. However I am concerned about availability. I have never dealt with a TRU exclusive item before, is there a trick to making sure you get one?
If you're lucky enough to live in a town with a toys are us, can always pop in once in a while or call. Website is normally behind in my experience, so wouldnt recommend that. Also, check the boards on here to see when it should be available. Otherwise, despite being a try exclusive, some online site might still carry it. Hope that helps.
Well theres always brick and mortar, then theres their website. It's possible another collector-based website may be able to buy some stock of it. I'm hoping for that but it's not something to bet on. Personally I think I'm either going to have to pop in every other week or buy one off ebay.
For online, get a network of friends in your local area, and text like a madman when they go live (I have a couple FB chats as well as a decent list of local friends and I'd like to think that I have returned the favor enough times, but probably not). Just know that the texts may be coming at 2am. I have never missed a TRU Masterpiece figure when it went live. In store, learn your TRU's stock day(s) each week (my local one usually gets a truck once a week when it is not holiday season), most of the time the employees will gladly volunteer that information if you are nice. Once you have that, either call the night before the truck arrives or go in (I liked to go in to get, and it was on the way to my gym) with the stock number for the item (name of the item may not come up in the computer as it may be abbreviated randomly) and ask if it is on the manifest for the truck coming in that night. Although I don't think these will be too difficult to obtain, if they are and you want them, be there 5 minutes before opening the next day waiting for them to open the doors. Again, it is a pain, but I have never missed anything that I have wanted. A smile also goes a long way, though TF fans are (according to most TRU employees) some of the nicer toy fans, they deal with some real man children on a daily basis.
Check the "Toys R Us New/Restocked/Shipped/Preorder Items Thread" regularly to find out a) if there's an in-store sighting b) if it's listed on TRU's official website.
Website may have a pre-order pop up around the timing of SDCC, but that can be hit-or-miss depending on what time of day they go live. if you're close to a US store, you can check inventory about a week after SDCC. (takes roughly a week for the initial DC delivery to be distributed to stores) If near a store outside the US, I'm sorry. I don't know what the usual turn-around time is.
Yeah, I wouldn't worry either. This is expensive and will sit for at least a few months (if not longer). it will be on their website too. Nothing to worry about.
