Missed opportunities?

flayrah · Post by **flayrah** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 10:30 am

In searching the stores the past few days, I started to think "if I ever find - 'xxx' - I'm going to buy it on the spot and get multiples if possible." I remembered the XD clearance I passed up at TrU years ago because I already had 'all I needed'

; the only Spitfire I ever saw at Wally, on a business trip, I passed on because I didn't want the hassle of carrying it on the flight back; and even seeing pegs of bbi infantry at TrU before Christmas, thinking I'd go back later, and then they were sold out. So what is your biggest XD/ 1:18 missed opportunity??

digger · Post by **digger** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 11:23 am

Since you asked...
I took a free Ikea bus out of the city because the same shopping center had a TRU. It was green tag sale and although it had only hit 75% off at that point (eventually went to 90%

) the deals were still awesome and applied to almost all the Elite Force and most of the XD. I had a shopping cart full of playsets, LAVs, M1A1s, Buggys, Bikes, M1025s, NSTVs, BoB Jeeps and CCs, but realized there was NO WAY I could bring it all back without a car.

So, I put back a ton and was even forced to RETURN some moments after I bought it because I simply couldn't carry anymore (I was like a D-day para, trust me I was loaded down).

Looking back I should have ditched packaging in the parking lot and I could have carried much more. I guess I also should have focused on Farmhouses & Haylofts but at the time I was in a frenzy and could not think straight

It was like I was a kid again in terms of selection but this time money was no object.

Another time I was on recon with a fellow board member and had a $3 LAV in my hand but didn't want to wait on line.

I'm an idiot.

The hits keep coming: I saw $29 F-18s at TRU when they first came out but I was on lunch at a new job and could not return with 3 HUGE Jets. Looking back that one hurts....obviously they were gone when I went back later.

Lastly I saw $17 SP P-38s at the same TRU but the boxes were beat up so I thought twice.....gone later that day.

kevrut · Post by **kevrut** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 12:14 pm

A couple years ago after X-Mas, WM had about 6 or 7 P-47's on clearance for $7 each. I only bought the one I didn't have. At that time I didn't see why I would want multiples of the same one. The next day they were all gone. I hadn't traded on-line yet. Bummer.

Razor17019 · Post by **Razor17019** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 3:37 pm

digger wrote:Since you asked...
I took a free Ikea bus out of the city because the same shopping center had a TRU. It was green tag sale and although it had only hit 75% off at that point (eventually went to 90% ) the deals were still awesome and applied to almost all the Elite Force and most of the XD. I had a shopping cart full of playsets, LAVs, M1A1s, Buggys, Bikes, M1025s, NSTVs, BoB Jeeps and CCs, but realized there was NO WAY I could bring it all back without a car. So, I put back a ton and was even forced to RETURN some moments after I bought it because I simply couldn't carry anymore (I was like a D-day para, trust me I was loaded down).

Looking back I should have ditched packaging in the parking lot and I could have carried much more. I guess I also should have focused on Farmhouses & Haylofts but at the time I was in a frenzy and could not think straight It was like I was a kid again in terms of selection but this time money was no object.

Another time I was on recon with a fellow board member and had a $3 LAV in my hand but didn't want to wait on line. I'm an idiot.

The hits keep coming: I saw $29 F-18s at TRU when they first came out but I was on lunch at a new job and could not return with 3 HUGE Jets. Looking back that one hurts....obviously they were gone when I went back later.

Lastly I saw $17 SP P-38s at the same TRU but the boxes were beat up so I thought twice.....gone later that day.

Digger! I am just sobbing with you on these....

I found an original P51 and ME109 in box at a Goodwill store when they had a 50% off toys sale - I would have had them for 10.00 each!
But this was before I was collecting and thought the wife would be asking why I had bought these "toys".
I still get the same question today, but just shrug it off...

tmanthegreat · Post by **tmanthegreat** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 7:05 pm

I have had numerous "missed opportunities" regarding XD over the years, but many have been rectified with re-releases or the occasional e-bay or trader forum purchase. Some examples for that concern the OD green US Halftrack, COED Sherman, and gray German Hanomag, as well as the S1 Jeep and Kubelwagon. What I wished I'd purchased was an S1 Panther Tank that was on clearance at a TRU for $30. (I have since gottne the winter-cammo one, but a non-winter Panther would be nice.) At the time, I thought it was too much to pay, considering the box was trashed

I also wish I'd picked up a few more Viet Nam figures, including the NVA soldiers, when they were out. Thats pretty much it. Most of my anxiety concerning XD items comes from trying to track down the latest Wal Mart release or waiting for some new plane or tank to be released.

Morian Miner · Post by **Morian Miner** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 7:05 pm

I'm crying for Digger too.

Luckily, when ever I've come across any of the "deals", I've bought plenty. But, when XD first started I was new to buying "military" toys (GI Joe doesn't count) and was hesitant to buy too many of the Germans, VC, and NVA. The Germans haven't bothered me too much because I've made up for it, but all the times I wanted to pick up more NVA and VC and didn't, I could just kick myself.

STUKA · Post by **STUKA** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 7:38 pm

I passed on all the TRU deals even willys jeep for 3.99 cause I was into GIJoe cobra figures - stupid - stupid - plus the size of everything and where to put it -
I started with the germans when they first came out but never picked of the tiger , panther - i almost bought the kubelwagen a couple of times.

by the time the vietnam series came out I was so frustrated that I hadnt found the german officer that i didnt buy one vietnam figure - and they sat around for a long time.

Black_Dragon_One · Post by **Black_Dragon_One** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 9:42 pm

when the patton tank came out it was $50 a pop. and the gi was around 6 to 7 each. i bought the patton and said to myself you do not need the gi your tank look better with out people. boy was i wrong. 6 month went by and the gi did not move. and when i went back on the 9 month everything was gone.

here comes the kicker. two years after that i went to another TRU and found a a complete set of soldier and three extrea. i bought the set and left the three estra behind. god. at the time the message board was screaming out for lack of vietname american soldier and i left three of them be hind. when i came back two days later they were gone.

the farmhouse too. i thought at $21 they cost tooo much. i only bought one. they had the barn for 15 and the same for the french building. now that i finally got a look at one god they were great. for $100 i could have built my own town. so if i see anything these day that i buy. i always buy two.

the best deal i had ever was when FA-Shewart(spell) went out of business

they had the P38 going for $20 each i already have on that i bought for 40 and i knew these were a great deal i bought 6 of them.....

off topic a week before the p38 deal i had a fight with one of the TRU manger for not selling the patton p38. the manger gave me some bs about it was worth $400. and it is his. haha. i got him good on that i got 6 p38....lol

ww2collecter · Post by **ww2collecter** » Sun Jan 22, 2006 4:05 pm

Well, I missed most of the S1 put out by 21st. When TRU was still by themself. I remember going in, and seeing the 109, p-51 and p-38 all hanging from the ceiling, and a WHOLE aisle of XD

. My "wife-to-be" was like why don't you get some. My dumb-ass respond,.." Maybe later" There was no later

I overlooked them for a year or so

. The silver-lining to this is, after we got married and on vaction, I stopped at a TRU out of state and got the Stuka. Well, after we saw how detailed they were, that Christmas my wife got me the S1 Tiger, US halftrack, P-38 Payton, and German halftrack. She drove all over town to make sure she got whatever S1 was left.

Now to this day, if we're out at WM or TRU and we see a new 1/18, she says, " You remeber what happened last time? you better get it" Lucky me

flayrah · Post by **flayrah** » Sun Jan 22, 2006 4:44 pm

ww2collecter wrote: Lucky me

True words my friend, true words.

mikeg · Post by **mikeg** » Sun Jan 22, 2006 7:30 pm

stopping by at tru around 2000 on a whim, seeing the 1st 1/18 109s and p-51s and what else I forget, just buying the 109 at the time. months down the road, seeing and getting the 1st corsair, green stuka, buying the RAF one for the heck of it, not getting any of the snake stukas!!!! there were plenty for quite a while. Not getting more of the 1/32 green us armor, grey german armor, the vc and nam figures. There were again plenty of green m48 and m60 tanks- I, of course, just got one of each. I was content with only 1 of each of the fallschirmjagers,too..Lest we forget I thought the fountains, farmhouses, etc were too expensive to get at that time, too. You think you get what you wanted along the way, but wouldnt you like to have bought some more...

immeww2 · Post by **immeww2** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 2:32 pm

I passed up getting the tan Bradleys for $15 clearance at WM, but at the time I wasn't into the modern stuff. Thinking back though, I should have got them since they would now make nice additions to the new humvees that are out which I did get.

spect_spidey · Post by **spect_spidey** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 8:36 pm

Just last week I missed out on a BBi 1:18 Abrams on Ebay. Buy it now was $18 with only like $9 shipping. Since it was loose and the description didn't mention the figure or any accessories, I send a question to the seller. Didn't get his reply until about 8 hours later. By that time someone had already bought it. Doh!

MG-42 · Post by **MG-42** » Sat Jan 28, 2006 2:54 am

Went to one of my AO W-M's recently and spotted a "skirtless" 1:18 Panzer MkIV-H,..NoN R/C,... all by itself,...thought I'd just pick it up on my way out after browsing other isles,....on my way back to get it,....I saw this dude walking off with it,....I said,... "Hey" wait a minute,...He said,..$15.00 "Bucks" "What a Deal" and "I'm taking this home to my little brother". .....I was left standing there beside myself. ....I said to my self,..S.O.a B. ! "a clearance item".....I already had one though,..I paid on line for,..for,..4 times as much. ....Whaaaaaa !

tmanthegreat · Post by **tmanthegreat** » Sat Jan 28, 2006 12:21 pm

MG-42 wrote:Went to one of my AO W-M's recently and spotted a "skirtless" 1:18 Panzer MkIV-H,..NoN R/C,... all by itself,...thought I'd just pick it up on my way out after browsing other isles,....on my way back to get it,....I saw this dude walking off with it,....I said,... "Hey" wait a minute,...He said,..$15.00 "Bucks" "What a Deal" and "I'm taking this home to my little brother". .....I was left standing there beside myself. ....I said to my self,..S.O.a B. ! "a clearance item".....I already had one though,..I paid on line for,..for,..4 times as much. ....Whaaaaaa !

Should have asked if he was a board member! Knowing about that type of tank being a deal takes some knowledge about 1:18th scale products. The "I'm taking this home to my little brother" line is often an excuse I use if confronted when walking out of a store with a bunch of military toys - never mind the fact that my younger borther is 22 and long-since gave me the few military toys had he had!

ARMY GROUP 1 · Post by **ARMY GROUP 1** » Sat Jan 28, 2006 6:15 pm

most depressing & missed was last year ordering & losing $208 on a 15 figure ss schutzstaffel set thru the belly up small blue planet.

STUKA · Post by **STUKA** » Sat Jan 28, 2006 8:01 pm

Well thanks to this thread - I end up A) walking through walmart with four 21st century boxes - looking for working scanners.

B) have about four items on Layaway at this moment -

And I just paid $39.99 for a S1 PZ IV

MG-42 · Post by **MG-42** » Sat Jan 28, 2006 8:40 pm

"There ya' go" !

spect_spidey · Post by **spect_spidey** » Sat Jan 28, 2006 11:24 pm

Reading this thread made me want to make sure I didn't miss another opportunity. www.bigbadtoystore is having a 25% off sale til 7 P.M. Central time Monday January 30th so I just had to check their prices on BBi items. And what do I see but a BBi 1:18 Sherman for $23.25 sure it had been opened to photo for their catalog, but I open all my stuff any way. I check the shipping and UPS shipping is only $9. I contemplate it for a whole day and then reread this thread and decide to not miss out this time. So I ordered one, not bad to get a BBi Sherman for $32. They also have the BBi Corsair and Mustangs for $31.50 plus shipping. I have ordered from them before. They have great service. Check them out!

Small Scale Military Headquarters

Missed opportunities?

Missed opportunities?

well..

xd

Re: well..