darkSpyro

Quote: ZapNorris

Quote: DutRank

Quote: ZapNorris

S2 Spyro. US.

What were you right about? That it was in Wave 4? Because you missed your "Wave 4 is coming out February 22nd" assumption.

March 1st.

Remind me when you said March 1st? Was it after you said February 28th and ended up being wrong? And before that February 27th and ended up being wrong? Etc etc.

Quote: Bazinga

Okay, So the guy with the Spyro... I messaged him on Ebay.

His response to me....... I don't think we were supposed to put them out yet, but they did. It was Kmart.

I am trying to figure out if what the street date on them are.

Also, this was put out in Nevada.

Kmart? What a surprise..

I said 22nd. I was wrong.

I said march 1st. Spyro shows up.


GM, you can begin the lyrics after you get some time to play with spyro.

Well, someone may indeed have multiple Spyro's, but for some reason, Ebay isn't lit up with more than one seller who has them, or other sellers who may have gotten there beforehand and bought up all of the Wrecking Balls (no listings), single pack Hot Dogs (no listings), single pack Shroombooms (no listings).

It gets to a point where something doesn't add up. Said scalper wants to hoard all of the Spyro singles, but not the NEWLY released singles for Hot Dog, Shroomboom, and Wrecking Ball? Okay, fine. He got there too late. Some other people wanted every figure BUT Spyro, right? I just don't see how it adds up. Everyone who is a Skylanders fan wants all characters. Those who don't, leave them, and generally the resellers or parents get to them, in which case, they might buy all new characters they see, or just one. Even if only one is bought, others would come.

However, this seller obviously has multiple Spyro's, but no Wrecking Balls, Shroombooms, or Hot Dogs? If this seller missed out, others didn't. We see these things hit Ebay before they hit kids' hands.... generally.

It's not about it being released or not. There are other explanations I want in order to make this add up, before I jump on the bandwagon of "oh, hey, better go hunting."

Nothing adds up about him having multiple Spyro's, but no other wave 4 character. I want to know why he has multiple Spyro's, but no other wave 4 figure?

Bazinga can ask him.

Quote: ZapNorris

I said 22nd. I was wrong.

I said march 1st. Spyro shows up.


GM, you can begin the lyrics after you get some time to play with spyro.

If that's what you call being right about the release then okay then lol.

Yeah, I thought it said he worked there. It appears he just happened to walk on by and see they were out. I played nice to get some answer from him, but he really angers me as it appears he is a classic scalper.


Also, I want to throw in my two cents on this it is out and not out topic.

Tashiji, I understand your frustration. However, some of us got very frustrated over the last couple of weeks (not by your doing at all) of the many many topics of "It is all going to be released Feb. 22" those things made a certain person lose credibility very fast. Because he was wrong in his first report. Now, I will give you that person did change their prediction about things. It does appear that he maybe right, after someone on here gave him a window up until March 8th. I am not trying to be mean or call this person out, but him acting very immature over the past few days/weeks has made it very hard to believe him. This person still does it today and will probably continue to do it until everything is out.

I would like to say thank you as you, Tashiji, give very valuable information on skylanders and help other people out. I try and do the same. Anyways, now that I have made a couple bitter enemies I will continue to sell the popcorn!


Edit:

For example of behavior I was talking about please see post #653. No one likes a sore loser.. just like no one likes a sort of kinda right if you get to change your answer after you make your first guess winner.

I'll take some popcorn.


But if he just "walked up and found them" then we should get our phones out.

6 gamestops.
5 targets.
4 TRUs.

It'll be a hell of a weekend.

Quote: DutRank

Quote: KaBooMer

"It's not stated, but Target.com is on a 24 hour update. Which means if a store has one of a certain item it will say in stock on the site. But if that item is purchased sometime in that day then the website wont show out of stock until the following day. This is why it is always best to call first and have them put thenitem on hold for you."

This statement is false. Target.com inventory checker is live....WHEN IT WORKS PROPERLY, and the system is far from perfect. I've personally tested this myself, and even witnessed it happen today.

Replace Target.com with Walmart.com to make it a true statement.

I'm assuming you work for Target and have experience using the in-store and online system right?

Straight from a Target item page "We constantly strive to provide you with accurate item availability information, but because item quantities are constantly changing, the inventory information provided here is only an approximate indication of an item's in-stock status and an item's availability cannot be guaranteed."

The online inventory checker is not "live". It updates once a day.

Like I said, I've personally tested this myself numerous times, and even witnessed it happen today, in which several Target stores status for Jade Flashwing changed from 'In Stock' to 'Limited Availability' to 'Out of Stock' within just a few hours after the sightings were reported here. Of course, if seeing is believing, then test it yourself.

And, Zap, don't get cocky with me, dude.

I'm sorry, but your overzealous take on this wave has sent people into a frenzy. You keep changing your stance on when these are being released. First you say the 22nd. BZZT! Then you say these sources stated March 1st-8th. Okay, now one shows up and makes little sense why the seller has no other characters, but multiple Spyro's. However, now you're saying you said March 1st, instead of your previous March 1st-8th and are getting cocky with everyone to the point others are getting annoyed by your actions as of late (I won't name names).

You of all people, need to simmer down. It is getting rather annoying to see someone getting so anxious about the info they say is accurate, but has changed their tune - NOW - three times over.

Again, I think about things logically before going all gung-ho, ohmygod, ohmygod, they're out, they're out, about things. There is nothing about one scalping *** dork on Ebay having multiple Spyro's, but no other characters, that shows - to me and in my opinion - that he is out in mass.

I've seen this movie before. Scalpers try to hoard ANYTHING that's new. Hot Dog and Shroom in singles are new. Wrecking Ball is new. Yet, peeps are gonna tell me one dude only has his eyes set on Spyro? I don't think so when it comes to making money. I doubt others got there and looked at Spyro before this geeky scalper on Ebay did, and said, "Oh, look, Spyro. PASS! Oh, here's Wrecking Ball. Let's take all of them and all of these single pack Hot Dogs and sit on them."

Logic. If anyone can come up with a reasonable idea why this clown on Ebay has multiple Spyro's but passed on everything else in wave 4, I'm all ears.

Here's what I think. I think he got them early, from either a store he works at, that is saving them for some kind of event, or he has a hookup inside of a store that did that. Then again, here's what doesn't add up... again. Why did he only take Spyro, if he had access to entire cases before anyone else?

Nothing about this dude's listing makes any sort of sense about wave 4 being on shelves here in the US. Maybe they're sitting in a back room, but none of it still makes sense. Others are welcome to try, but all outcomes won't make sense, and I'll show anyone why if they make any sort of logical retort.

Quote: KaBooMer

Quote: DutRank

Quote: KaBooMer

"It's not stated, but Target.com is on a 24 hour update. Which means if a store has one of a certain item it will say in stock on the site. But if that item is purchased sometime in that day then the website wont show out of stock until the following day. This is why it is always best to call first and have them put thenitem on hold for you."

This statement is false. Target.com inventory checker is live....WHEN IT WORKS PROPERLY, and the system is far from perfect. I've personally tested this myself, and even witnessed it happen today.

Replace Target.com with Walmart.com to make it a true statement.

I'm assuming you work for Target and have experience using the in-store and online system right?

Straight from a Target item page "We constantly strive to provide you with accurate item availability information, but because item quantities are constantly changing, the inventory information provided here is only an approximate indication of an item's in-stock status and an item's availability cannot be guaranteed."

The online inventory checker is not "live". It updates once a day.

Like I said, I've personally tested this myself numerous times, and even witnessed it happen today, in which several Target stores status for Jade Flashwing changed from 'In Stock' to 'Limited Availability' to 'Out of Stock' within just a few hours after the sightings were reported here. Of course, if seeing is believing, then test it yourself.

Kaboomer... Do you know how accurate the online ordering system is for Target? I want to know if my order is going to be cancelled or not!

Bazinga, let me try and ease your worrying. Target automatically set the max amount to 3 for anyone who tried to order more. Those orders should go through, as they have been instock most of the day.

I have never had a case where Targets store finder has been wrong for me. Anytime something has been instock, they do indeed have them. Likewise for out of stock items.

I don't think you will have anything to worry about. If you ordered her, you should get her.

Honestly, there are tons of possible explanations for why he has multiple Spyros. A virtually infinite amount of reasons. I'll supply just one possible scenario that's just as plausible as yours, and if you want to doubt it, fine, but there won't be any way to doubt that at least it is possible.

Okay, first, there's the fact that Kmart is not exactly a known Skylanders retailer. That would give legitimate customers the heads up on scalpers, who concentrate their efforts on retailers that are known to stock decently and get new figures fast, such as Walmart, TRU, Target, Best Buy and GameStop. No matter how you slice it, Kmart is 6th on any scalper's list of destinations, which could very feasibly protect a shipment of new figures for a while, leaving them for families and kids to actually plausibly get them first.

Second, the figure is Spyro, AKA the figure that everybody who bought the first game already has. Even though we like collecting S2 figures on this forum, this does make him objectively less desirable than Wrecking Ball, who hasn't been released in any form since Boomer, Hot Dog, who is still a new/rare/desirable character for families but not so much for scalpers, and Shroomboom, who is still in high demand if the relative scarcity of his LightCore even two months later is any indication. Spyro simply wouldn't be the average consumer's first choice for a figure with Wrecking Ball, Hot Dog and Shroomboom sitting there, because everyone who played the first game owns Spyro, and a very large amount of them don't see any need for a second copy when they already have not only the original, but potentially Dark and Legendary models as well. You and I might want him, but really, there is literally no more owned figure than Spyro, who has been released in the first game's starter pack and has two more variants.

So yes, I do consider a scenario where families bought the other three figures and left Spyro to be plausible.

I also find it entirely plausible that only Wrecking Ball was gone, and the scalper recognized that Shroomboom can't sell for too much with an objectively superior LightCore currently falling in price, and a Molten version of Hot Dog, who has already been bought in tons of Scorpion Strikers by the people who HAD to have him right away, currently flowing like water on eBay. With Wrecking Ball already gone and the other two unlikely to score huge returns, I would've bought the Spyros and left the rest too, if I were looking to make a profit.

There really are other reasons. Nothing I've said here is less plausible in nature than your stance.

Good. I actually ordered a total of 6. I ordered three twice. I am not scalping just helping a fellow forum member out.

Also to your previous post to Zap. If you couldn't tell by my previous posts that I am one who is getting very very very very annoyed by his behavior. It is not only when comes down to his prediction, but also in other topics. I have tried to play nice with him, and even the first time when I was a little mean, I apologized to him. However, it has gone to far and has gone on long enough that it needs to stop.

I'm not a fan of rubbing it in and sensationalizing either. Believe me, this inconveniences me as well, because I'm sitting here advocating for people to go looking for the ones that are provably out, and everyone is denying even solid evidence because of all the wolf-crying that's also going on.

I can see both sides of the case here. I am a person by nature who prepares for the worst and hope for the best. It sometimes takes a little more proof for me to believe that something is out. That is just me. I think in the end maybe both sides are right. They are being shipped out now and actually have a street date for them. I could be wrong. You could be wrong. We both could be wrong. Anyways carry on!

Despite not having Kmarts here in OKC, Tash, I do have a electronics worker friend I have staticed missions with in Final Fantasy XI since 2004, who works at Kmart in Lousiana, who keeps tabs on things Kmart wise. He says they haven't even seen a single Eye Brawl or Thumpback yet.

Heck, they do things so bad, that when they list stuff on their site, it's always gaurenteed to be the wrong item when shipped. Case in point, Transformers Human Alliance Mudflap. All of us TF fans were wanting him, but he barely showed up at stores. When Kmart.com listed him, all of us TF fans jumped at the chance to finally add him to our collections.

EVERYONE who ordered him received Human Alliance Barricade instead. Their excuse? These are all from an assortment. We can't gaurentee what we're sending. That, sir, is a lack of true professionalism when it comes to handling the products you list and sell.

My friend states Kmart is in such dire straights, sometimes it takes months for them to get newer products. I can somewhat vouch for this. In July 2007, I went to Branson, with my ex and our son. We went to a Kmart. The place looked like how a thrift store runs things. Everything was just scattered about. They carried knockoff Transformers and other toys. They didn't have a single figure from the recently released TF movie line. Just stuff from the last cartoon around that time, Cybertron.

Kmart is *** when it comes to getting new Skylanders first. I forget the place even exists at times, despite the fact my friend tries to help me, but I get stuff months before he even sees 1.

As for your theories about people wanting Spyro, because it's Spyro and whatnot, then we can fallback to the monetary aspect of it. He's a scalper, as he is selling multiples. Scalpers know this business more than we fans do, except for those who may scalp and be fans. Wrecking Ball is still money. Shroomboom is still money, because people may have waited to pick him up outside of a Battle Pack. Hot Dog is still money, because people may have waited to pick him up outside of a Battle Pack.

In my city, even Cynder singles sell, despite the fact she was included in a Starter Pack. I thought she would surely warm the pegs here, but she sells just as fast as every other wave 3 figure.

Thing is, people would buy singles just to have a single of him. I could have a stone Zook right now, but I refuse to buy him in a triple pack, because having him in a single looks more consistent. That's probably why this latest stone zook listing on Ebay seems to be going unnoticed. I know lots of people here who are waiting for Hot Dog and Shroom single packs. Even if parents didn't wait, there are people out there who want them in singles, so this seller would have gotten them for selling purposes only. Yet, he only has Spyro.

There's also the issue of Fright Rider. He hasn't been seen since wave 1. This scalper would truly take notice of him, buy up all of the Fright Riders, in order to sell them on the swift, since he hasn't been seen since wave 1.

Either he is the dumbest scalper I have ever glanced upon, or he got these by some other means... in my opinion. No scalper leaves anything new on the shelves. They snatch and grab with the intent to make money off of new products. I mean, even I rebought all of the LC figures just to match my LC Shroomboom packaging. Why? Because 1: It was new 2: It matched LC Shroomboom. Others will do the same for Hot Dog and Shroomboom, while also filling their collections up with Wrecking Ball, which he chose not to pick up? Just seems odd if you ask me.

It's possible, but Kmart having the toys means to me that they probably aren't street-dated. That luxury would've gone to TRU, GameStop, Target... really, literally anywhere else. I can't stress loudly enough that if Kmart has the figures, they can likely be anywhere, in anyone's neck of the woods, right now, and on any shelf. There's a very off chance that they are indeed street-dated, but I'm pretty confident that there will be a ton more listings tomorrow and the day after, with the floodgates well and truly flying open on Monday.

EDIT: And not every scalper piles up hundreds of toys to add up a bunch of small profits. The guy selling Spyro on has 40 feedback, so I actually think it's VERY safe to say he's not the type who buys dozens of figures in order to turn tons of small profits. Big fish or nothing for this guy, trust me; his feedback backs up only one side here, and it's mine.

And Tash, I am so convinced they're not out, I resorted to contacting my contacts in viturally every store after seeing that Ebay listing of Spyro. All said the same thing. Nothing new. They checked the backroom and floor.

None had memoes of getting figures anytime soon.

All I did, was waste my time calling, based on one dude having multiple Spyro's, while Wrecking Ball is totally absent from Ebay, minus ones people probably picked up when he last released in wave 5 last April, or stragglers warming shelves at Walgreens.

But who said they were found at Kmart, Tash? My friend would jump at the chance to help me, but like I said above, most of the time, they're late to the party, and he hasn't told me they came in.

Speaking of Fright Rider...

Currently Shows In Stock at Gamestop.com

http://www.gamestop.com/toys/s...ter-pack/105989

I messaged the guy on Ebay. He stated that he found them in a Kmart in Nevada. He could be lying, but I have no way to prove that.

I'm equally certain that they are out. This is the same song and dance we just went through with Molten, Jade, Ninjini, and L.LC Chill, and I see no plausible reason to deny this one either. I'll even bet you support on the LightCores when they pop up that Spyro and the gang are out. How's this? If it turns out you're right and the figures aren't released, I'll support you when the LightCores show up in just one sale and there won't be another debate about whether they're out. If I'm right, and they're all over by the middle of next week, then you spare me the song and dance when I say the LightCores are out, and there won't be another debate. Either way, this is the last time we do this. Fair?

Okay, so if this dude got them from a Kmart in Nevada, I guess I will call every Kmart in Nevada to find out.

I think what's important to remember in this little "debate" I'm reading here .... I'm 95% sure that, in general, Skylanders figures do not have an actual hard "release date" like we usually see for console video games and DVD movies, etc. The limited-quantity Ninjini sale that we saw (and participated in!) on Wednesday morning was the exception, rather than the rule.

For almost all of these figures/characters, it seems pretty obvious that new "releases" are not timed/orchestrated events where everyone suddenly has availability nationwide on the same exact date.

So ... perhaps the frustration that causes some people to squirm when another person says "it's out in stores!!" stems from straight-up jealousy. I think ya'll need to accept that, in general, a new character is going to show up in SOME cities/regions first, while it remains completely unavailable for a few more days (or even weeks) in another part of the country. That's just a fact; deal with it. Right?

A character does NOT have to be available in large quantities in YOUR city/town of residence for it to be "out" elsewhere. If you're truly obsessed with Skylander releases, you probably need to move to California or Florida, and then you can join in on the euphoria of being among the "first" to post your pics, etc. Otherwise, if you're not willing to move to those places, just sit back, take it in, stop arguing about semantics, and go actually play Skylanders or do something else fun!

Quote: BahamutBreaker

I think what's important to remember in this little "debate" I'm reading here .... I'm 95% sure that, in general, Skylanders figures do not have an actual hard "release date" like we usually see for console video games and DVD movies, etc. The limited-quantity Ninjini sale that we saw (and participated in!) on Wednesday morning was the exception, rather than the rule.

For almost all of these figures/characters, it seems pretty obvious that new "releases" are not timed/orchestrated events where everyone suddenly has availability nationwide on the same exact date.

So ... perhaps the frustration that causes some people to squirm when another person says "it's out in stores!!" stems from straight-up jealousy. I think ya'll need to accept that, in general, a new character is going to show up in SOME cities/regions first, while it remains completely unavailable for a few more days (or even weeks) in another part of the country. That's just a fact; deal with it. Right?

A character does NOT have to be available in large quantities in YOUR city/town of residence for it to be "out" elsewhere. If you're truly obsessed with Skylander releases, you probably need to move to California or Florida, and then you can join in on the euphoria of being among the "first" to post your pics, etc. Otherwise, if you're not willing to move to those places, just sit back, take it in, stop arguing about semantics, and go actually play Skylanders or do something else fun!

I am not jealous that say CA gets them first, they can keep their high taxes and everything else that comes with moving to CA. The problem that I mainly have in this whole situation is not the is it out or is it not out, but more of the first few pages of this topic and other topics that state everything is out, everything is out and how when some proof shows up that he maybe right it gets thrown in to peoples faces that questioned him on his first guess that everything was going to be out on Feb. 22.

Quote: GameMaster78

Okay, so if this dude got them from a Kmart in Nevada, I guess I will call every Kmart in Nevada to find out.

Really?

Actually, forgot there is a Kmart 38 miles outside of my city, in Shawnee Oklahoma. Called them. All they have is wave 1 stuff.

Bahamut, it's not about jealousy at all. If that were the case, a lot of us would be miffed about Polar Whirlwind, Legendary Chill, and Molten Hot Dog when it came out in Cali first.

It's the principal of people coming up with fabricated dates, changing their tune numerous times, and whatnot. Then some joe-blow-nobody appears on Ebay with multiple of a new character, but not all new characters, and yes, I am going to be skeptical, until all logical solutions are found.

The only thing in life I don't ask for a logical explanation on, is God's existence. I will believe in him no matter if I have proof of him. However, some dude on Ebay with multiple Spyro's that could have come from anywhere (even some PAL regions have NA style pegging *cough*australia*cough*), isn't enough to get me in my car and wasting gas.

Now, in my Skylanders experience, once multiple listings show up on Ebay for ALL characters from the latest wave (even people tried to scalp single pack Cynders which goes back to what I was talking to Tash about) then that's the cue for me to start calling and looking, as you can tell people are finding these on shelves.

Can somebody message the Polar Whirlwind guy?

Wouldn't really help us find out what store she will be at here in the US, Matteo. One store's exclusive there, is another's here, as we have seen with these ingame variants.

Heck, we got Gnarly here on the Wii, while the PAL regions got it for PS3.

^ I just want an idea where she may be.

Aye, maybe I went too far by throwing the word "jealousy" into the mix. My main point there, really, was that I think we all need to adjust our paradigm about how we (perhaps subconsciously?) "expect" new characters to appear on shelves at our own local stores.

This website/forum has absolutely proven recently (at least to my standards) that when REAL availability is imminent, we WILL communicate to each other rapidly. So, if we accept that, there really is no reason to speculate at all. With *very* few exceptions, I've seen nothing but very honest and forthright posters to this forum. Granted, skepticism is always healthy, to a degree. I guess I'd just love to see the crew here doing more celebrating how awesome we are, and less bickering about trivial stuff that we can not control.

Just my two zinc coins coated with copper.

^ Agreed. With Skylanders, we only know to expect the unexpected. Case in point, was anyone expecting Ninjini to be the first Wave 4 standard figure with barely over 12 hours notice? Or for Jade Flashwing to beat L. LC Chill to the shelves? Or for Molten Hot Dog to be the first W4 figure out of the gates? Or for a single of Hot Dog and Shroomboom to exist at all? Crazy stuff happens on a routine basis with Skylanders releases. The way this wave has gone so far should serve as objective proof that all bets are off with these things.

Quote: Matteomax

Can somebody message the Polar Whirlwind guy?

I sent the guy from Norway a message asking where he got it and if it was a store exclusive. I'm sure I won't get a response.

The main reason us folks here in California usually find the figures in the store first is due to the fact Activision's distribution center is here. It's actually just a few miles away from where I live. What drives me insane is I still haven't found Ninjini in the stores near me and there are probably thousands of them in the building I drive by every day waiting to ship out.

So... I got another message from the person on ebay who has the Spyro.... Here it is copied and pasted from my Ebay inbox:

I don't know about other places but in the box was only 1 spyro ,gill grunt,2 fright rider, trigger happy,,chill, wrecking ball ,hex lighting rod, drobot, and couldn't remember the rest, but spyro is going to be hard to get if all boxes are the same because their was only 1

Well, we already know Hot Dog and Shroomboom are in this wave, so he is lying.

I could see Trigg being in the wave, along with Fright Rider (actually been predicting for a month now FR would be in this wave), but Drobot doesn't help things either.

Of course, you don't see a single Series 2 Drobot on Ebay, either. This dude is lying through his teeth, and I am now even more convinced he got them early by a means other than a store. I always love to be proven wrong when it comes to Skylanders, but when a seller can't even say where he got them from truthfully, I seriously doubt he found them at a store.

Yeah I thought it was odd that he said Drobot was in the box.


Here is another message he sent me.... *facepalm*

Dear bazinga50138,

if I recall correctly I believe he was in their. I 'll know more on Monday and let you now for sure what was in the box. please don't ask how I well find out but I can find out. I do know Ninjini was only 2 in the box 2 thumpback 1 eye brawler and I think granite crusher.

- robotman1313

Lol and 1 Granite Crusher.

I think regular crusher is in the box, so he could just be a little bit confused.

Anyways... he just sent me this....

Dear bazinga50138,

Sorry about the goose chase I'm not trying to give you one but it was a state around Nv. and a store around Kmart , and like I said I don't think they were suppose to be out yet. and I don't think they're out yet but Monday I will let you now for sur e maybe I photo of them. maybe.. I will contact you Monday.

- robotman1313

Wouldn't that be some ****, if like the Whirlwind and Drill Sergeant on the first game, the ingame variants for this game were timed exclusives? That would be funny.

Not that I think they will be, because the logos for Walmart and Target are embedded into the packaging of MHD, JF, and GC.

This dude is a big liarpants. He didn't find them at a store, and I am dead set on that now, thanks to his pathetic attempt at lying.

I am still calling my prediction on wave 4 singles as -

2 Hot Dog
2 Shroomboom
1 Fright Rider
1 Sprocket
1 Spyro
1 Wrecking Ball
1 Slam Bam
1 Trigger Happy
1 Flameslinger
1 Hex

This dude not having WB, HD, and SB just goes to show this dude got these Spyro's some other way. I don't know how, but I doubt he just found them on the shelves.
1 Hex

I wonder if he don't work at one of the acti warehouse and someone got one of these sneaked out. You are right something just don't seem right.

Quote: Tashiji

^ Agreed. With Skylanders, we only know to expect the unexpected. Case in point, was anyone expecting Ninjini to be the first Wave 4 standard figure with barely over 12 hours notice? Or for Jade Flashwing to beat L. LC Chill to the shelves? Or for Molten Hot Dog to be the first W4 figure out of the gates? Or for a single of Hot Dog and Shroomboom to exist at all? Crazy stuff happens on a routine basis with Skylanders releases. The way this wave has gone so far should serve as objective proof that all bets are off with these things.

I was expecting a couple of those things.

I really do find it kind of absurd that this argument keeps coming up. I have to ask, everyone does realize that "out" and "available" aren't synonymous, right? The figures are out as soon as they've been shipped from the manufacturer to stores - any stores. But since we don't have transporters yet to instantaneously make those shipments appear everywhere at the same time, the actual appearances are always going to be random, sporadic, and isolated at first. They aren't going to be widely available for some time, after the shipments work their way through various distribution systems. Despite that, the simple fact that they start to show up anywhere means that they have shipped, and are therefore out.

I also don't get why everyone continues to cling to this street date idea. It really doesn't exist for toys. The only true exception is the first wave for each game. Games actually do have set release dates, so the first wave is timed to be available simultaneously. Beyond that, have we ever seen any "street dated" figures that weren't either a case of TRU getting them first or a special promotion like the GameStop sidekicks? Any time TRU gets a hot item first, they hold it so they can get everybody into their stores with a Hot Toy Alert. That's not due to an Activision-set release date. That's just a TRU marketing tactic. Similarly, the GameStop sidekicks were available in a set date range to meet GameStop's marketing needs, not to meet an Activision requirement. For a better example of how toy distribution really works, look at the Scorpion Striker pack. GS set a placeholder release date, which came and went. Then they put out a release date, which came and went. Then they said a new release date. Then the packs just started showing up in random stores at random times. Similarly, see the wave 3 giants, which never even went to the trouble of having a supposed release date. And when the retailer isn't trying to rush everybody into their store at certain times, even exclusives follow the general sporadic release frame. See MHD and Jade Flashwing for examples too recent for anyone to have forgotten yet.

It just seems to me that many people are looking at the exceptions and believing those are the rule. As much as Zap may be exacerbating the situation by getting overly excited over each news tidbit, everyone on the other side doesn't seem to get that they're being equally annoying by going far beyond healthy skepticism into pure wet blanket territory. The truth is in between. When these figures start popping up, it means they've been produced, shipped, and are available for sale. Further, it means that they could be available to purchase at your local store pretty much any time. On the flip side, there is absolutely no guarantee that they will be available to purchase at your local store any time soon, and it could still be a matter of weeks before you see them. It's foolish to get worked up into a frenzy, and it's obstinate to refuse to accept the truth.

On that note, thank you Tashiji for being by far the loudest voice of reason whenever these topics have popped up.

Edit: Just to be clear, everything about the Spyro seller obviously lying came up while I was typing. That's really irrelevant to what I'm saying. We know from the fact that they've been randomly available in Europe that they're produced and shipped. We know from the auction that the US packaged variants are produced and sitting around somewhere. All the new evidence does is push back the likelihood that they'll be available locally. It's more evidence that there's no point in getting too worked up about it, but doesn't change the fact that they'll obviously be available pretty soon.

Quote: ZapNorris

Well guess who was RIGHT.


I'd like to thank my TV for playing the first ad I saw- JK.

I'll update the first post with

Not you. Not only are you wrong, but I am fairly sure you have been wrong more than anyone else on this entire site. Now a mod deleted your post insulting me that caused me to make this, and my quote of it, but let me replay some of Zap's greatest hits. This is what you said about Ninijini in the Ninjini topic -

Quote: ZapNorris

She will be out in the us at TRU on the 22nd of febuary.

I must have missed her on the 22nd there, Zap. And where is the rest of wave 4? You said S2 Drobot and S2 Spyro, and S2 Wrecking Ball and all the other figures would be out on the 22nd.

Quote: ZapNorris

It has been confirmed that W4 will be in the US on the 22nd.

I'll be the one laughing my *** off on the 21st

Must be some new definition of out, because I didn't see them. Looks like we're the ones laughing at you.

Finally -

Quote: ZapNorris

WHY THE HELL CAN I NOT FIND A SINGLE DAMN NINJINI

Karma

I may have been a little to skeptical at first about these figures being released. I get that. However, I think this guy with the Spyro came about him some way that might not be legal or could get someone in trouble. So, I don't plan on these showing up until atleast next Wednesday.

Just checked my wishlist on Gamestop.com and found both Spyro amd Wreckingball in stock

http://www.gamestop.com/toys/s...ter-pack/106034

http://www.gamestop.com/toys/s...ter-pack/106036

LOL my 1 Walgreens here has better stock than my 2 Kmarts with regards to skylanders theres no way its Kmart. good grief i hope all this figures all just comes out now just to end all of this debate and drama.

They will show as not in stock unless you put them on your wishlist. I got mine.

Guy clearly means LightCore Drobot and plain Crusher. Don't let the fact that a scalper doesn't know as much about Skylanders as the devoted fans on this forum convince you that he's lying about where he bought the figures. Heck, he even listed Wrecking Ball as a figure he left on the shelves. Doesn't that prove to you he doesn't know his Skylanders by now? To assume the whole thing is made up because he couldn't tell which Crusher was which, or noticed a LightCore Drobot, is so preposterously illogical that I can't even begin to describe. Anyway, offer still stands to anyone who wants to take it. If they're not all over the country by Wednesday, I will not say a single word about new releases again. If they're out like I'm 100% certain they are, then it's time to keep mouths shut when the LightCores show up. I am sick to death of hearing all this baseless skepticism about new releases. Apparently being wrong four times already isn't enough. Got a lot of gluttons for punishment in these parts.

People, start calling your stores. Don't listen to anybody who's already been wrong multiple times about the availability of new releases. I've accurately called the availability of everything I've said was released to this point, history is on my side, and by Wednesday of next week, I GUARANTEE you I'll be right for the fifth time this wave. Spyro, Wrecking Ball, Hot Dog and Shroomboom are out. Bank on it.

EDIT: Oh, and I just bought the stupid things from GameStop.com Anyone still skeptical? Yeah, didn't think so. Thank you, ItsJustMe.