darkSpyro

I was not into Skylanders during the previous launches for Spyro or Giants. Were rare variants included in the initial launch shipments with the previous games? If not, when did the first rare variants start appearing?

What is everyone's guess on the first rare variant for Swap Force?

The first variants didn't appear until Wave 2 appeared.

For the first Wave on Giants; Rock Zook and Whirlwind appeared.

I do wonder what is in store this time around. So far we got snow "flocked" colored, violet colored, rock colored. Maybe some fiery red, orange fire or something?

Translucent Lemon Drop
Charcoal Grey
Sand Storm

I've wondered why we have yet to see any Swap Force variants on eBay....for Giants they were up days before release so we knew to keep an eye open for Rock variants. When looking at hundreds of figures across multiple stores, a bit easier to know what to look for (or tell other family members).

All these people who are posting the schedule for where they're going are a bit....optimistic? When it comes to chase variants the chances of one sitting on the shelf very long are slim, especially as there will be a huge rush when stores open. On any other given shipment when people aren't anticipating it, chances are a bit higher of a variant warming the shelf for some time.

Quote: Sivadreamer

All these people who are posting the schedule for where they're going are a bit....optimistic? When it comes to chase variants the chances of one sitting on the shelf very long are slim, especially as there will be a huge rush when stores open. On any other given shipment when people aren't anticipating it, chances are a bit higher of a variant warming the shelf for some time.

I disagree. For the launch, there's going to be generally more stock sitting out and available than there will be most any other time of the year (save maybe Black Friday). That being said, if you're lining up to get into your retailer of choice right at launch/opening, if there are any chase variants in that store, you're much more likely to at least see one even if you can't get your hands on it due to the overall rush of customers doing the same sort of thing. If you play the long game like you're suggesting, your chances of getting one might be overall better, but the chances of you randomly walking into a retailer and a chase variant being there drop to nearly nothing. I feel extraordinarily lucky in that I've seen one at retail, and that's after making several trips a week to various retailers and scanning their shelves during the SSA area (and then learning that it doesn't pan out by the time Giants came around).

-Doug

I figured some rare variants would have popped up by now with some employee at a store opening the boxes early to see what can be found. In the past those first couple of sales go for several hundred bucks so there is a pretty big reward for doing this.

I'm sure Activision will be doing some sort of chase variants, it is just a matter of time.

Quote: darkchylde28

Quote: Sivadreamer

All these people who are posting the schedule for where they're going are a bit....optimistic? When it comes to chase variants the chances of one sitting on the shelf very long are slim, especially as there will be a huge rush when stores open. On any other given shipment when people aren't anticipating it, chances are a bit higher of a variant warming the shelf for some time.

I disagree. For the launch, there's going to be generally more stock sitting out and available than there will be most any other time of the year (save maybe Black Friday). That being said, if you're lining up to get into your retailer of choice right at launch/opening, if there are any chase variants in that store, you're much more likely to at least see one even if you can't get your hands on it due to the overall rush of customers doing the same sort of thing. If you play the long game like you're suggesting, your chances of getting one might be overall better, but the chances of you randomly walking into a retailer and a chase variant being there drop to nearly nothing. I feel extraordinarily lucky in that I've seen one at retail, and that's after making several trips a week to various retailers and scanning their shelves during the SSA area (and then learning that it doesn't pan out by the time Giants came around).

-Doug

I think I was misunderstood, I'll try to clarify. When the doors open at any given store on release day, people will be waiting (in theory). Then you move onto the next store, and things will have been picked over. I think the best chances of finding a variant is at a large store where they get the most in a shipment. If a person thinks they will bounce from store to store, and a variant will be left sitting there after the mad opening rushes...that's unrealistic. Even people who don't know about variants last year picked up rock variants and were like "weird, this guy looks different I'll buy him for my kid"

Quote: Sivadreamer

I think I was misunderstood, I'll try to clarify. When the doors open at any given store on release day, people will be waiting (in theory). Then you move onto the next store, and things will have been picked over. I think the best chances of finding a variant is at a large store where they get the most in a shipment. If a person thinks they will bounce from store to store, and a variant will be left sitting there after the mad opening rushes...that's unrealistic. Even people who don't know about variants last year picked up rock variants and were like "weird, this guy looks different I'll buy him for my kid"

Gotcha. I agree 100%. Your one shot for variants will be at the store you're at, and the larger the store and more stock out at launch the better your chances. I wouldn't say your chances drop to absolute 0 for every additional store you visit, but I'd hate to drive a car off of the dip on that chart, lol.

-Doug

Fortunately, for me all the stores I need to go to are all on the same street and some are across from each other. I think I will be able to grab everything I want especially with my wife going to Target while I am at TRU. I think it just depends on where you live honestly. I will agree the best bet is to find a store that normally carries this stuff in abundance and even then you may not be guaranteed to get anything really rare. Good Luck to all of you guys that are going hunting on release day. It's going to be pandaemonium!

I'd love to find a unique figure, but I'd rather not get steamrolled by people in the process. Makes me glad I'm getting 90% of my stuff (*hopes, prays*) at the local WalMart and then driving into the city for the rest (Dark Starter, Nitro Magna Charge, Legendary Free Ranger). I do wish all here good luck, though.

I saw a huge amount of stock tonight and didn't see any variants, although that doesn't mean they aren't out there.

Quote: Friendzie

I saw a huge amount of stock tonight and didn't see any variants, although that doesn't mean they aren't out there.

Ditto for me as well, although a couple of folks actually rummaged through every unopened skylanders box--nothing found.

Had a guy there that is really nice, and said if he found one he would let me know. They had none.

Quote: defpally

Had a guy there that is really nice, and said if he found one he would let me know. They had none.

Guy in the ball cap? Those two guys weren't at their first shipment. They looked VERY efficient.

I was like 7th in line at my store but got over to the area before ppl pulled stuff off, looked for anything "chase" wise, saw nothing so, so far nadda on them. Prob check ebay come the AM if there anything chase in wave 1 should appear on there.

I cant be bothered to read others comment so if you pointed this put already, SORRY !
If they have ' chase variants ' for the swap force characters, the people who dont open the chase variants boxes wont be able to SWAP WITH THEM !!!

Sounds like no chase variants in this first shipment. A bit surprised but I guess that lets Activision save some ammo for future waves.

Quote: GhostRoaster

Quote: defpally

Had a guy there that is really nice, and said if he found one he would let me know. They had none.

Guy in the ball cap? Those two guys weren't at their first shipment. They looked VERY efficient.

No, the employee with the glasses. Obviously he didn't scan all the boxes since we had to help them out by opening up what we were looking for. But, at this point I think we can safely say there is no rare variant in at least the initial shipments of Wave 1. One would have popped up by now. I guess they figure the mass amount of stock shipping out and many people in the stores it was the potential for arguments/situations should one be found.

I'm glad we were able to pull that Lightcore case and grab the ones we were after. Sounds like they didn't have many of them, all the Lightcores minus a few Warnado and one Flashwing (and Legendary Grim Creepers) were gone yesterday when I went by after getting my Dark Starter. They obviously anticipated lower demand for them, everything else was full stock. I think Lightcores are going to be the hard to find ones at least for the immediate future, particularly Smolderdash.

Quote: defpally

Quote: GhostRoaster

Quote: defpally

Had a guy there that is really nice, and said if he found one he would let me know. They had none.

Guy in the ball cap? Those two guys weren't at their first shipment. They looked VERY efficient.

No, the employee with the glasses. Obviously he didn't scan all the boxes since we had to help them out by opening up what we were looking for. But, at this point I think we can safely say there is no rare variant in at least the initial shipments of Wave 1. One would have popped up by now. I guess they figure the mass amount of stock shipping out and many people in the stores it was the potential for arguments/situations should one be found.

I'm glad we were able to pull that Lightcore case and grab the ones we were after. Sounds like they didn't have many of them, all the Lightcores minus a few Warnado and one Flashwing (and Legendary Grim Creepers) were gone yesterday when I went by after getting my Dark Starter. They obviously anticipated lower demand for them, everything else was full stock. I think Lightcores are going to be the hard to find ones at least for the immediate future, particularly Smolderdash.

I stopped by Best Buy and nothing was really there except for the Swappers and a few reposes. If future shipments are indicative of what I've seen, they are overstocking on Swappers (and to a lesser extent the new core guys) and minimizing everything else.

None of my local display areas look neat, or like Activision is putting much thought or effort into it. This stands in dark contrast to last year. There was a play area and everything. It's also a bit early, so we'll see come Black Friday. But I would say a weak launch in general in MY area.

My Target was set up really well when I went in at 8am for Nitro. Lots of everything, pegs stocked to full with the full variety. They still had a palette full of boxes nearby when they opened, but it was because they had run out of the already ample space. Compare that with Giants when they just had a shopping cart rolled out with the stuff in it and nothing on the pegs. They were ready.

Walmart near our TRU was a mess, even the next day - they had a display and had stocked some pegs the next day, still no Lightcores or Enchanted. I found Enchanted at my second Walmart Saturday night, and they had Lightcores and reposes, but no Swappers out. Walmarts in general everywhere were a mess. The employees had NO idea about what they needed to do, although they did try for a long time to find Enchanted.

TRU looked great yesterday, everything on the pegs and boxes cleared out. Very few Lightcores, and Legendary Free Ranger/Grim Creeper were in good supply, but they were actually hidden by other things stacked over them. A long cry from the mess the night before. Their problem is they were understaffed for a quick turn around midnight event. The few people did the best they could, in my opinion. The midnight opening was probably dropped on management at the last minute.

I didn't even go to Best Buy, because while I like Best Buy, they stink for Skylanders. It just isn't their kind of thing.

I (and my family, who decided last minute to accompany me) was the first one in at my TRU at midnight and can say that I didn't see any chase variants. On that note, though, one thing that I was very excited to see is the fact that Swap Force actually recognizes all variants as different ones! "Well, duh," you might say. But, on Giants, I tried to log my regular Eye Brawl, Purple Eye Brawl and then my Pumpkin Eye Brawl...but only the first two would log. In Swap Force? All three are hanging out. I've got Eye Brawl, Eye Brawl (Special) and Eye Brawl (Rare). It's a shame they didn't do the same bit of extra coding on the Platinum Treasure Chest from Battlegrounds, but what can you do?

-Doug