So this morning, upon hearing the new wave is hitting WalMarts, I visited the one near me, even though this place usually has empty pegs where Joes should be. Lo and behold, as I get there and find empty pegs yet again I happen to see 2 young ladies wearing Hasbro uniforms rearranging some Hasbro product. One of them was even wearing an ROC logo shirt! What follows is a quite accurate recreation of my conversation with them:

Me: Excuse me, I'm looking for GI Joe figures, and this store never seems to have any.
Rep 1 and/or Rep 2: Well, they don't have any in the stock room either.
Me: Is there a reason this store doesn't stock them?
Rep 1 and/or Rep 2: Oh, I don't know.
Me: You know, its not just this store, so often in this area Joes don't show up in stores, yet I see online they are available in other parts of the country. We're a huge market, is Hasbro aware of this?
Rep 1 and/or Rep 2: We haven't seen GI Joe toys in a while.
Me: Oh... ok, do you guys know when the new wave of figures is supposed to be shipping to this area?
Rep 1 and/or Rep 2: Oh, I don't know.
Me: I wish it would be easier to buy them in stores. The last few waves never showed up in our city.
Rep 1 and/or Rep 2: Look, they have the big ones! (Pointing to a 12 inch fig)
Me: Yeah, that's not what I'm looking for. I'm looking for the little 4 inch figures.
Rep 1 and/or Rep 2: Oh, I don't know.
Me: Ok, well thanks anyway. Have a good day!
Rep 1 and/or Rep 2: *blanks stares*

I wanted to press the issue a little more, but I probably would have sounded like a jerk, and it wouldn't have helped anything anyway. Make of it what you will, but I suspect this is part of the reason distribution is so sketchy and mismanaged.

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What I see are two people who were brought in to spruce up the existing product. They wouldn't know anything about distribution, because they don't get paid to know anything about that.

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This may be comparing apples to pornography, but when I worked at Target, I used to love when the Nintendo and Xbox reps came in because the always knew cool stuff, and the Xbox guy gave me codes for stuff that I never got around to downloading.

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The reps usually are local people that are employed by Hasbro only to follow instructions given to them. Generally they do not know the product unless they take a personal interest. I found that out the hard way. I see the local rep here all the time and she has know idea what to tell you about any product line. At one time I was in Target and saw her when the HISS exclusive wave was suppose to be out. I asked her if she knew if Target would be getting them. After explaining what I was looking for and she still didn't know, I gave up. On my way out I saw a full end cap display at the register with them.

Yeah I was a dick and brought them back to the toy aisle where she still was. I pointed out and said "these are the products I was looking for". Her reply was, "oh, I just got those set up a while ago." I said, well a lot of people are looking for these. She just had a blank stare. I asked her a few more questions and mentioned the "collector" word. She then tells me her husband is a huge Hot Wheels fan, haha. Yeah I just walk off from there.

I still see her in store, so I guess Hasbro is fine with her work. I'm not when I can't find the products and know this clueless employee is some of the blame. But I don't approach her any more. She always has 2 or 3 assistants who are even less informed than her.

Over all it's just a job to them. Like I said, unless they take a personal interest, they're not concerned. Apparently it's just like being a toy department manager. You really don't have to know the products, just adequately do your job.

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How does a person get to be a local rep for Hasbro?

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....I've just decided there is literally no amount of money in the world that would make me take that job.

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I think I would like that job ... can you do it part time?

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I would. Just so I could say things like "We're getting a new batch of Duke in tonight at midnight! "

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As far as I understand they do not work for Hasbro directly. They could work for Mosaic, market source...etc. they are outside reps and. Merchandisers. They are marketing firms. For instance, I make 14 bucks an hour traveling for intregrated marketing. We have several clients. I make my own hours and do store visits. When I worked at TRU when the GI Joe movie came out. The Rep new all about the toys because that was their focus. This new wave is nothing to the reps because they are concerned for transformers and new star wars. In March they will get their info on GI Joe and marvel because of the movies coming out. They only get as much info as Hasbro gives them

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"What!? No Destros?"

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"Yeah, the arctic one all the kids are after!"

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"This one is in white. Is he a winter ninja?"

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Call 1-800-WALMART and make sure you know the name of the store or the # of the store....COMPLAIN about it them... GO ABOVE THE STORE MGRS heads... Or go to walmart.com and send them a email and complain... IT WORKS!!!!!!! Instead of complaining here where it don't help... COMPLAIN TO THE SOURCE...WALMART.com or 1-800-WALMART is the only way it'll happen... Or get the District Mgrs # which the store has and HAS to give if asked if you call the store or ask while in there..

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I think eventually all of my responses would end up being some form of, "I wish I could replace your blood with bees."

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new batch of duke ...

sounds like sputnik @ 8am ...

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