I don’t get it. If you can’t afford it, then live without it.

This is an expensive hobby and everyone has to decide what they can and can’t collect. I honestly feel sorry for anyone that has to steal a $20 toy. It’s pretty sad that they would resort to breaking the law for a toy. Plus, it’s not like they’re doing it to provide for their child because they’re swapping out another toy in its place. Disgusting.

 

I this is loathsome. stuff like this really is the worst. Good for you for having the patience to have a positive conversation with the local manager

 

1 SS KSI Sentry at the North Irving Target, nothing of note at the Walmart across the street. They did have 3 G1 OPs tho if you’re into that.

3 SS KSI Sentry and 1 SS VW Beetle at Frisco North Target

 

Anyone found Cyberverse Ultra Class Slipstream yet?

 

While we are on the subject of bot swaps, found this person's encounter on Seibertron and got a little chuckle out of it.

Posted by zatara1701 on February 2nd, 2019 @ 10:56am CST
Funny story to share involving this figure...

Any collector that's been collecting awhile has no doubt seen the less than ethical practice of someone buying something, then they return the package with something else in it. There people obviously take advantage of those clerks that have little to no clue what they are taking back...

I have seen build a figure parts missing with the figure still there, I have seen a totally different toy stuck in the package (my fav was some pull back racers that were $1 in some Transformers Prime packages at TRU...ahhh, memories).

Anyways, I was at Wal-Mart doing my weekly toy hunt during lunch and low and behold, NEW Cyberverse stuff. With the exception of Acid Storm (not the greatest) I have pretty much overlooked the Cyberverse line... Nothing holds a candle to Prime (show or toys to me). Well I saw Prowl's package, but my brain stopped... Had to process what I was seeing... Cyberverse Prowl package, and Prowl was in it, but it was TFA Samurai Prowl!!

While I already have him, I just stood there and stared for a minute. Finally my hand just shot out and grabbed it... $15 for a figure that goes $40-100 online? WTH not.I got it home, opened it and whoever did it even threw the instructions in it. Who does that?

To this day I am stumped... Surely, the person that wanted Cyberverse Prowl and owned TFA Samurai Prowl knew what he was?? Were they being generous? Were they a total idiot?? Who knows... The moral of the story?

Cybeverse Prowl was spotted... Kinda... in the wild lol.

 

Anyone in the SA area see Gears and Warpath?

 

That happened to me several years back. I was looking for a Big Time Spiderman, but I found Miles Morales. Who, at the time, was super rare and going loose for $40-50. I still hated paying $20, but I had skipped him the first time, so I went ahead and bought him.

Also, one time I Found a 2007 Leader Prime just laying on a shelf in Walmart in 2015. No box. Just laying there. Complete. Gun, missile, everything. Needless to say, he went home with me.

 

Some places like Target, actually do a good job of checking out the item. But like everyone else, I did see at a WalMart where someone had switched in a Cyberverse Shockwave into Seige Shockwave box.

 

I am beginning to think that Brickseek is so inaccurate

 

SS Leader Jetfire and SS LeaderMegatron spotted (and purchased) at the Medallion Target in Dallas.

They had 2 SS KSI Sentry figures, 1 SS VW Bumblebee, and a ton of SS Dropkicks.

 

Yeah. Seriously. If you can't afford a $20-30 item then clearly you don't need it and have to do some serious life prioritizing. Shit happens and we live without things all the time. Plus - if someone absolutely HAS to be this kind of dirtbag, at least return the swapped item saying its defective so that they don't put it back on the damn shelves.

The thing that irritates me the most isn't that they are screwing the store, or that they are making it harder for us collectors - it's that some kid could end up with that garbage. Their parents/grandparents/whoever would be trying to do something nice for that kid by spending a bit more than the standard $10 cheap toy and go in on little on something a touch more expensive, not know they are getting screwed. So the real victim is potentially kids, and I have no tolerance for that bullshit. The thought of child getting a swapped toy for their birthday or Christmas really pisses me off.

 

HOUSTON WE HAVE A PROBLEM.

I'm asking for help from the local '05 community, to try and stop this trend of people swapping figures and returning them for a full refund. please, if you see something say something, please.

this morning I was absolutely disgusted (again) by whoever did all the swaps at Walmart location in Sugar Land, Hwy 6 & Hwy 90.. siege shockwave for cyberverse shockwave, g1 prime for jada metal's prime truck, siege cog for PVC soundwave, siege skytread for PVC shockwave, etc. absolutely disgusting. my good friend Kat runs that toy dept, and she was there tdy, so we had about a 15-20 min meeting with the other toy dept staff to educate them as to what the thieves are doing, and what to look out for. and in conjunction will be having a separate team meeting with returns desk staff. fyi, return desk employees are absolutely trained to inspect all returns. problem is employees aren't checking. but the more fuss we make about it, the more likely something will happen eventually, and it will be put a stop to it..

to reiterate on this ongoing theft issue. based on what I've seen in the last week, has become a very concerning issue for me. I'm basically to a point at which I'd rather not post sightings any more based on the amount of theft I'm seeing in West, Southwest, South sides of Houston. giving leads for thieves is not something I'm interested in. this mrng alone I must've encountered damn near a dozen of them between various stores. on the south side, Missouri City to be exact.

whoever you are out there, in my area, I'm on to each and every one you. keep it up, cuz I'm seeing to it that you thieves dont get away with it or caught. and I've had, and will have a talk with every damn toy dept & return desk manager I come across. letting them know what's taking place and what to look out for. actually taking the time to physically show them the swaps. so if you partake in the act, and you read this, keep in mind if you're caught Walmart will prosecute you to the fullest extent. theft is theft period, punishable by law.

the other thing to address is the thinking behind this scheme. the idea that I person that I may consider to be like myself, as far as collecting, would do such a thing. it literally turns my stomach to think they're are "collectors" oit there doing this. if a hobby drives a person to break the law then that person is in it for all the wrong reasons. stems from constantly being bombarded with marketing material, and greed, people think they deserve to have everything they want from transformers. even if they have to lie cheat & steal to get it. makes me sick. if you cant afford it, you cant afford it. and if you f*d up and wasted your money on a bullshit figure, then thats on you. deal with it. dont rob the next person of that opportunity to purchase the actual figure. but there will always be sorry ass people in our society. time us good guys & gals stand up for what's right. sick of transformer thieves. absolutely sick of it.

another talking point is the cost from theft and how its essentially just passed down to the actual consumer, so in the end we pay extra money for a figure so some piece of shit swap-out mf'er can have whatever the f*** he/she wants.. f*** that, I cant stand for that. no way.

I cant stress it enough..
if you see something, say something...

 

Ya I've seen a lot of this too in the Katy and Richmond area. Mostly at the Walmarts and I think I've seen it done at a few Targets. I remember one time I was looking for the Power Ranger figures and I was coming down the aisle and saw the Green and Yellow Rangers packages and BAM they were both taken out of the packages. I was so upset. The last thing I saw was at the new Walmart in Richmond someone had swapped the head of a Marvel Legends Infinity War Thor figure but other then that I have not see anything else. I hope this stops some day soon. My only recommendation would be to have the stores put the collectible stuff like Marvel Legends, Transformers, and Power Rangers toys in locked up cases like they do with the electronics with iPads and such.

 

Yes, its a problem....yes, it upsets me.....but I hate to say it. I think you should save your time cause Walmart doesn't care if a customer gets the correct item or not, all they care about is if some sap will pay them the money for it. They may humor you and pretend to care, but people at Walmart's customer service don't care. Spend your time talking to some customer service reps at Target that do care.

 

I totally agree. thats the general feeling I get, that in the end none of those employees are really that concerned about it. they're just the scapegoat. the real problem is the people that do the swaps. I'm just getting so tired of seeing it I guess that in my mind i feel like it's the right thing to do. I'm definitely not gonna waste much more time with it though. I've said all I've got to say at each of the stores I shop at. and I know what happens after that is not in my control. just have to accept it for what it is, and stay 2 steps ahead of the thieves. beat 'em to it.

 

San antonio peeps. I picked up studio series sideswipe and barricade last nite at walmart off rigsby and 410. There was still a couple of each in the wave

 

The Walmart off Spring Cypress/249 has 1 Siege Voyager Optimus Prime, 1 Siege Deluxe Sideswipe, and 2 each Siege Deluxe Cog, Hound, and Skytread.

 

Target on Precint Line has 1 SS leader Jetfire.

Target in N. Irving has 1 SS Sideswipe, 2 WW2 Bees, 1 SS Barricade and 1 SS Crankcase left.

Also, 2 each of the Siege Voyagers.

 

damn, you guys in North Texas are getting the stuff early.

 

It is definitely not always the case. I feel like Houston gets a fair share of firsts in the states.