After hitting 3 Targets, 1 TRU, 1 K-Mart and 4 Wal-Marts only the Target and TRU had any figures out. I got a few figures at a couple of the Targets (mostly the one that had them for $6.99). TRU had them priced at $7.99 and since they didn't have any of my short-listers I passed.
Is Wal-Mart boycotting G.I.Joe and betting all their peg space on Transformers? Or did they just decide to be nice and let Target and TRU make a ton of sales early?
Although, I did hear the saddest thing today....Some 7 or 8 year old boy saying he had never heard of G.I.Joe before.

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Suspicion is that Wal-Mart is ignoring the updated street date, and that they'll have their stuff out on (I think) the 11th. Should be a pallet mod IIRC. But yes, it does seem stupid of them to wait since their competitors have the product out.

Really? Because I found some ROC at a Wal-Mart in Montreal yesterday. Figures, Alpha and Bravo vehicles and that spy gear for the kids.

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Well, every one here has jack. Plus while I have heard of people finding RoC at Wal-Mart, it seems to be the least common place to find them so far. Not that it matters. Other than Helix, Flash, the Pit Commando, and a bunch of Hawks, I have what I want from what's out now anyway.

I think what is happening is that the Hasbro reps are merchandising the displays, and if they have multiple stores, they may not have gotten to the stores that currently have nothing out. I ran into the Hasbro rep yesterday at TRU, and then again at Wal-Mart today. She told me she was in charge of merchandising Target, TRU, Wal-Mart, and probably some others that she didn't list. It was a pretty good grab today. While I didn't spot any Paris figures, I did come away with the Pitt Commando, Stone, Destro, RA Heavy Duty, and Flash. Flash wins the prize for Joe most likely to be mistaken as a Cobra. If I was him, I'd try to hang back on the battlefield as not to get shot by accident. The Pitt Commando is an amazing piece of work. I swear you could fill a baggy with all the gear he comes with. If I find multiples, I'm going to have to buy another box just to store the extra accessories.

You hit the nail on the head. I ran into the Hasbro rep at Wal Mart, and she covers Wal Mart and Target in my town (another rep covers TRU). The Wal Mart she was at has RoC stuff out, the other Wal Mart on the opposite end of town didn't have it out when I stopped on Monday. Target and TRU paid attention to the updated street date, but Wal Mart seems to be going by what is on the case, except in cases where a Hasbro rep has been onsite to force them to put the stuff out.

The Hasbro rep for Wal-Marts in Birmingham, Al. must be on vacation this week then. I used to live on the other side of town than I live at currently, so when I went to my dentist yesterday (still on the other side of town) I checked Wal-marts and targets from there back to my side of town. Big zero on ROC stuff at any of the Wal-Marts. Which is fine in a way I guess. Helix and Flash are the only ones left on my short list of figures to get (still plenty left on the long list but I'll have to see how the budget goes before getting them) so byt the time Wal-Mart gets their ROC figures out there may not be many others still hunting down Helix and Flash.

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We at TRU merch our own stuff. The Hasbro rep will come in usually to fill. Lego on the other hand comes in and redoes their aisle every month or so. Keep you eyes peeled for the 22 of July, TRU is gonna merch their feature shop all GI Joe

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Out of 3 Wal-Marts, 2 Targets, 2 K-Marts, and 1 TRU, I finally found the only figure I was actually looking for.

I found 1 Scarlett (desert ambush / reactive armor) figure at the last Target in town I had left to check. Black Widow custom here I come!

And none of our Wal-Marts had any ROC stuff. Nada.

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My trip to Wal-mart here at the beach proved fruitful this morning. They had what I assume were the most common figure assortments stocked (no Helix wave). Also had Combat Heroes and the Wave 1 vehicles in all sizes, no PIT though. What was strange is that they were all over the toy dept. The figures were in a baby toy aisle, the vehicles on the other side in a doll aisle, the Combat Heroes hanging on a side by domestics. I'm guessing they just needed product to fill in major gaps and put this stuff out.

Ummm rumor is Black Widow is coming in Marvel Universe.

Tons of RoC here now! No Helix wave yet but tons of RA Scarlett, Cover Girl, HD, Neo-Vipers, Baroness, Destro, CC, desert Duke, RA Duke, Shipwrecks, Deep 6s, etc.

Have the Elite Viper or the Eel been released yet at all?

So, I was at work tonight and looked at a side rack and there was Cobra Commander. I flipped. I was like "What in the Hell?" So I asked my good friend Fidel what was up and he said.."I dunno, I went to fill the Joes and they were there." So I went in the back and saw a few cases...C2 Wav 2 I believe. Lo and Behold...Cobra Commander, Scarlett in her black outfit, paris Snake eyes...So I grabbed them.

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Wow, I've been scooping up stuff all week! Spent a couple of nights in Winston this week. On Tuesday, I hit TRU and found a smattering of figs and plenty of vehicles. I really had no idea how I was gonna react to this stuff, but I figured the prices would keep me from going overboard.

Ran into a fellow collector at the outset. We of course easily recognized each other as such. He broke the ice, but in the wrong way for somebody like me: "This movie is gonna suck!" were his opening words. I just told him I remain hopeful about it. Wanted to say something about withholding judgment 'til I actually, y'know, saw it, but I held back. "This is not Zartan!" he proclaimed defiantly. I explained this was just a disguise he would wear to sneak into the Pit and pointed out that was straight out of the comic. I nearly went into a spiel detailing issue numbers and how cool the story was, but again I refrained. He got the message I wasn't gonna throw in on dissing a film I hadn't seen yet and went off on his merry way.

I only grabbed HD in reactive armor, Breaker, and Accelerator Ripcord. Resisted the exclusives, vehicles and Destro and Zartan for the time being. Checked 'em out that evening and was pleased enough to decide I needed some reinforcements. My only major gripe is that HD's ammo belt will in no way stay connected if his gun is in use.

Wednesday I hit the jackpot at Target: three endcaps of stuff in addition to the aisle display. Jessie said I looked like I was in heaven! Have to admit it felt a little like 1982 that day. The 6.99 price point pretty much broke me. I bought the Armadillo and Mole Pod and most of the figures they had in stock, including Duke (ra), both Scarletts, Cover Girl, Trenchcoat SE, Zartan, CC, Ice Viper, Stone, and 2 Viper Commandos! Spent the rest of the day popping 'em open and we even shot a short animation with a few of 'em that night.

Thursday I hit TRU again and the had done a major restock. Only grabbed the Baroness figure. Then Target had restocked as well, so I scooped up the Shipwreck I'd resisted before as well as the figs that hadn't been there the previous day, including fatigue Duke, Destro, 2 Neo Vipers, plus dupes of the females and an extra Ice Viper. Both Wally's I stopped at today also had the figures, but nothing I hadn't seen elsewhere. Target has the lowest price anyway.

Kudos to the Big H! These are an improvement over most of the 25th stuff and the fun factor is there. They actually did something to get me excited about buying yet another Duke and Cobra Commander. I never woulda thunk it!

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That figures...

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