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View Poll Results: Do big city collectors have the advantage when it comes to retail??? | |||
Yes | 32 | 60.38% | |
No | 21 | 39.62% | |
Voters: 53. You may not vote on this poll |
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03-24-2009, 01:56 PM | #1 |
Cobra Viper
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Central Georgia
Posts: 175
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Who has the Advantage? Collectors who live in big cities or collectors who live in small cities? This is something I often wonder about.
Take me for example, I have within my reasonable reach 4 Wal-Marts,2 K-Marts,2 Targets, and 1 Toys R Us. But they all have the same thing(minus exclusives) and the shelves are almost bare except once a month or so. It seems to me that everytime I buy something rare i buy it from someone in a big city or around a big city. It could easily be said that big city collectors have more access to items at retail. Simply because in big cities and the surrounding areas you guys probly have a whole lot more Targets,TRU, Wal-Mart etc. However, you guys also have more people so maybe it evens out. What's your situation like in your towns?
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03-24-2009, 02:20 PM | #2 |
So much drama 'n the LBCs
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Charlotte, NC
Posts: 4,844
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There's a big difference between perceived "big" cities and actual "big" cities.
Some cities can be big, while still being fairly rural, and others are solid "downtown" cities chock full of skyscrapers and devoid of stores like Target and Wal-Mart. Raleigh, NC and Charlotte, NC, for example, could be considered big cities compared to the surrounding areas, but still have quite a selection of Wal-Marts and Targets. They're more sprawling. San Francisco and San Jose, CA, for example, are much bigger scale cities. San Jose itself is more sprawling, and has more Targets and Wal-Marts within it's boundaries. San Francisco is a small city being only 7 miles by 7 miles, but there's only one Target (I believe) within it's city borders, if that. A lot of the city is "downtown" though, without room for stores like Targets, etc. There are a bunch out outlying cities and towns, which are more rural and that's where the stores are located. I'd say it's varied. Small towns with only one store within 20-30 miles... yeah you're probably not going to get anything. Something closer to a bigger city will have better options, but I think as long as there's a big rural population, then that's the best chance of finding something. Equally away from skyscrapers, but also away from middle-of-nowhere farms. |
03-24-2009, 02:27 PM | #3 |
So much drama 'n the LBCs
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Charlotte, NC
Posts: 4,844
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By the way, I grew up in NC near Charlotte, and went to college and lived the last 7 years in Raleigh, and did a lot of driving in-between, so I'd stop into the middle-of-nowhere stores and the city stores alike, which is why I referenced NC.
Last year, I moved to CA and found that there are very few Wal-Marts in the San Francisco area, but the farther north you go towards Oakland, that's where the Wallies are. In the "South Bay" where I live, there's one Wal-Mart nearby, and a ton of Targets, and at least 4-5 TRUs within 30 miles. It's just as hard to find them here as it was back in Raleigh, NC where I had 5-10 Targets/Wal-Marts within a 20-mile radius, and at least 2 TRUs. Both areas have a lot of people, but I think CA wins on population. If it wasn't Silicon Valley, I don't think that there would as much of a chunk of the population competing for plastic in the toy aisles... Unfortunately, it's Silicon Valley, which is chock full of nerds, and therefore a lot more people buying as collectors, if you ask me. There's also a lot more expendable income, too. I honestly think I had a better chance of finding items in NC, but maybe it's the grass-is-greener mentality. I know when I was home during Christmas though, I found WAY more current stuff than we'd gotten out here. Maybe it's distribution? Who knows. My take, anyway. |
03-24-2009, 02:36 PM | #4 |
has been warned
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Richmond, VA
Posts: 2,039
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I say yes. Even though there are more collectors in bigger cities just based on population you still have more stores to shop from.
When I drove around like a madman I would hit 5 wal marts, 6 or 7 targets and two Toys r Us. They are building another wal mart near me and they just completed a new target this month. So.. out of all those stores some of them are bound to be carrying what I am looking for. I have found everything I have looked for, except DVD pack #5. Some of the stores havent ordered anything for a while, and some get a steady stream of stuff. So if you lived in a small town and had 1 wal mart and 1 target to go shopping at and those stores decide to not stock GI Joes in any real quantities than you dont have a lot of choices. I say the more stores that carry joes the better.
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03-24-2009, 02:47 PM | #5 |
Banned
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Long Beach, CA
Posts: 874
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the collector with the biggest wallet has the advantage.
in this day and age you can buy everything without leaving your house. |
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03-24-2009, 02:49 PM | #6 |
Snuff the punk
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Topside VA/D.C. metro
Posts: 1,362
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I'd say the advantage goes to people in the suburbs of big cities such is my case (subs outside of DC). I'm about 35 min from the city and have seen everything in retail...I'm within a half hour from 7 Walmarts, 10 Targets, 6 TRU, 3 Kmarts...this is actually a really good/easy area to hunt...the only reason I've ever bought online is because of impatience.
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03-24-2009, 02:50 PM | #7 |
So much drama 'n the LBCs
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Charlotte, NC
Posts: 4,844
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Quote:
Unless you do a weekly Joe swap-meet, you're not doing that in person, no matter how big or small the city is. |
03-24-2009, 02:53 PM | #8 |
Serpentor Imposter
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Madison, WI
Posts: 3,910
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If you live in a big city, you are probably more likely to find 90% of the stuff you need than if you live in a small city.
BUT, if you're traveling through an area, you are more likely to see something in a small city that you haven't seen in your big city, especially when it comes to older stuff. |
03-24-2009, 02:57 PM | #9 |
Father of a little Viper
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Columbia Missouri
Posts: 12,942
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To me it doesn't matter where you live. I have found great stuff in small towns and cities. I have never looked in bigger cities. Bigger cities have more stores, but more collectors. Smaller cities have fewer stores and from i have seen in my area, fewer collectors. But in all honesty, buying online is almost easier and has made hunting obscelete...
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03-24-2009, 04:13 PM | #10 |
Banned
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Richmond, Virginia
Posts: 2,691
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Quote:
I say yes. Even though there are more collectors in bigger cities just based on population you still have more stores to shop from.
When I drove around like a madman I would hit 5 wal marts, 6 or 7 targets and two Toys r Us. They are building another wal mart near me and they just completed a new target this month. So.. out of all those stores some of them are bound to be carrying what I am looking for. I have found everything I have looked for, except DVD pack #5. Some of the stores havent ordered anything for a while, and some get a steady stream of stuff. So if you lived in a small town and had 1 wal mart and 1 target to go shopping at and those stores decide to not stock GI Joes in any real quantities than you dont have a lot of choices. I say the more stores that carry joes the better. I'd take Greater Richmond over NoVA/DC (used to live there) any day for hunting Joes, because, unlike the guys up in the big city, I have zero traffic to deal with between my 5 Targets, 4 Walmarts, Kmart and TRU. Big cities might get a little more turn over, if the stores are on the ball, but they also have more competition. Walmarts tend to shy away from the city as well, so that might limit the options. |
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