Simply good put, how good have we been at waiting for sales or otherwise good deals, and how good have we been at getting more than one toy from the same seller, but without falling victim to lots of stuff that we mostly don't care about?

For example, all of the Yugioh cards & supplies that I've bought online over the years came in larger waves, and I was also lucky to find Dr. Prime selling a few of the transformers I wanted instead of just one. In those cases, I was able to save money, as it'd have cost me a good amount more in the long run to buy from 5 different people.

Then when it comes to sales, I've generally been pretty good with clothes & even figures because of how slow everything moves in my area, but sometimes I've had to break down & buy something at full price or even a minor markdown because I knew that it'd cost me even more to find later on (such as RTS Jazz).


... so yeah, how good (or lucky) have we been at abiding by the spirit of our 141st Rule of Acquisition, and how well does this rule even apply to our particular crack habit?

 

in the past year, i abide to this rule like a brown man should. i got almost everything i bought on sale. if i actually sell my doubles i'd make a good profit out of it too.

RTS jazz got five of em' here at half price.

 

  With how hard to find some stuff is and how expensive things go for on the secondary market, you're lucky if you pay retail.

 

Yeah, usually its "extras" that I wind up finding on sale. All the choice Generations offerings and the like disappear so fast that it's too much of a gamble to "wait for a sale" or whatever.

Did grab DotM Shockwave and Skyhammer on sale, though, and those two are somewhat more scarce.

 

I'm glad I could help  

Like anything else, it is sometimes a gamble. There are figures that you know will be in good supply.....I always bide my time with those and wait for a sale. Then there are those figures that you know will be difficult to find or in minimal supply.....I am happy to pay retail for those. There is no loss or gain for anyone.

Then there are those which you just don't know....what to do....what to do? It may be different for those in other areas and other countries, but I have found that in most cases, patience wins out. Many figures will eventually reach retail and at a reasonable cost, and if you have to pay a slight markup for it, remember those that you got on sale   and it all works out in the end.

 

meh, i buy mostly everything at retail price, some stuff i get for pennies on the dollar worth, so it evens out to saving money in the end

 

canadian pricing of course and most first time buying it.

- two human alliance jazz at 15$ (lucky then made my own luck)
- rotf megatron 30$ tax included sale plus pricing error (waited until i got lucky with price error)
- HA mudflap 10$ tax included pricing error at TRU (very lucky never saw it again)
- HA barricade 25$ (lucky never saw it again)
- BIS 19.99$ (pegwarmers)
- RTS grapple 19.99$ (lucky)
- DOTM ultimate prime 25% (waited)
- DOTM LC sentinel prime 25% (waited)
- 10 out of 14 RTS wreck-gars 9.99$ or 25% off (lucky then started making my own luck)
- 4X generation blurrs free or 9.99$ first one was 9.99$ even when it was rare (very luck but that day i got my first speeding ticket. crap.)
- 5X RTS Jazz 5$ or 9.99$ (waited and one of em' was a price error)
- 4 drifts 9.99$ (peg warmers)
- 3X RTS tracks 9.99$ (waited)
- classics prime 10$ (a double) (lucky plus haggling)
- classics onslaught 10$ (a double) (lucky plus haggling)
- classics powerglide 10$ (a double) (lucky plus haggling)
- classics seaspray 19.99$ (waited)

dunno dude i can go on...

whenever i give my wife a lift to work, there's a WM, Zellers, Winners and a TRU nearby. i give my wife a lift on a daily basis maybe check out everyone of them twice a week.
whenever i go to work there's a WM, sears, winners, a specialty toystore on my way.
the WM near my work place is known for price errors as well. dunno how many times i've seen it there.

 

If I want something at retail I pay retail for it. I usually buy TFs one at a time, so it's not logical for me to buy online very often since shipping sort of negates a lot of deals I find. If I want older figs there's an antique shop in town. Although sometimes I find a GREAT deal online and snap it up  

 

....paid $5.00 for a boxed ROTF Superion at goodwill...$13 each for Leader prime and jetfire after x-mas at walley world...you all know about the prices at tjx and marshalls....I'm just a cheap SOB...

 

Rule of Acquisitions #142: The majority needs to pay retail price so that the minority can benefit from sales and clearances. This is why exclusives are such a pain.

But since we are listing:
8x RTS Wreck-gar <$10 each, 2x original for $12
2x RTS Prime - $8 each
2x RTS Jazz - $8 each
2x RTS Wheeljack - $8 each
2x RTS Bumblebee - $8 each
4x RTS Grapple - $10 each at Ross, 2x original from HTS for $25
3x RTS Windcharger - $5 each, original from BBTS @ $60 for 6 scouts
4x Leader Starscream - $20 at Ross, original for $30 from TRU
9x PCC Wave 1-3 - $2.48 each, 12x original Wave 1-4 from various at $8-$10
2x MP Hot Rod - $50, 2x originally at $60 but got the price adjustment
2x ROTF Bruticus - $7.50, originally 2x at $30

Fansproject, all Classics & Classics 2.0, and TFCC exclusives - retail. Woot!
Botcon Virulent Clone - $10, let's make a deal
Botcon Ratchet - $50, trade
2x Botcon SG Prime - $60, retail
Botcon SG Hot Rod - $60, retail

 

isn't that what kids' parents do? the target market.  

 

Well to be honest, I think this brings up a really good point regarding what something's actual value is, and how its MSRP isn't always best indication for things, especially ones that aren't readily available in stores. For that (which I learned pretty quick through Yugioh among other things), something's true value is really what people are willing to pay, and what you're able to sell it for.


Also to the good doctor, it really is a gamble, and patience really does win out most of the time (especially now with the 2ndary market). I just thought it was a somewhat interesting subject to bring up, what with the fact that learning to beat the system is something many of us aim to do as much as possible.



... and yeah, that 142nd rule is pretty close to the real one, what with the fact that the Ferengi have it as "there's no such thing as an unfair advantage".

 

but there is a downside when not paying retail price and waiting for sale or clerance

hasbro masterpiece skywarp failed for a reason folks

you just got to know how to play the game, i've been guilty of paying higher price to have the figure while it was suppose to be at retail, my warpath alone cost $30, two months later a case randomly showed up at my wal-mart which hadn't actually carried generations outside wave 1 and then no new stock until that wave that was shipped with DOTM preview prime and then nothing else until all these new generations figures

you win some you lose some

 

Buying 16 Beast Wars figures off Dr. Prime at the same time

Paying $10 for ROTF Scavenger at Walmart felt nice too

 

Um, no. "Only fools pay scalper prices."

My rule is "if I find it and I want it, I buy it." I'm not going to risk not finding it again in hopes of some sale that may not happen. Toy is in hand, I have money = bought. Retail price is fine by me.

I wait for sales for figures I didn't want that badly, like Leader Starscream which I just picked up for $20 at Ross.

 

considering the fact that i lack the means to go toy-hunting, and my nearby targets are pretty bare, i'm typically more than happy to pay retail price for toys. that's not to say, however, that i don't look for sale prices. I check out the junkion exchange whenever prospects aren't looking to great, and am more than happy to get some loose toys so long as they're in good condition.

 

The Ferengi Rules of Acquisition apply to everything.  

 

Uhhh... I usually can't find the stuff I want in stores, let alone on sale.