Raving Toy Maniac

TERRIFIC TOY TRACKING TACTICS

It has become harder and harder to find certain toys lately, what with the sudden surge the toy collecting hobby has seen in the last year. Not to mention all the devious practices that secondary market resellers, scalpers and even retail store employees seem to have mastered today. So, as with any intelligent animal, collecters are forced to reevaluate their hunting and gathering and skills and strategies. Also they must think of creative new ways to outwit other predators while in the pursuit of prey. Listed below is a compilation of interesting tactics collectors have resorted to in making sure they get their fair share of the action.

On the Job: 1. Working a day job can most certainly interfere with your collecting habits and limit it to only the weekends. But if you are lucky enough to have a toy store near where you work, stop off during your lunch hour or on the way to your job. Most stores usually expect at least one shipment to come in during the week, so your chances of finding what you want are much higher. 2. While at work, sometimes just a phone call to your favorite store is the way to go. If they have the item you seek, they will usually hold it for the day and you can pick it up on your way home.

Those Out-Of-The-Way Places: 1. If you happen to have a relative who lives in a rual area (where collectors are few and far between) and understands your addiction to plastic pleasure, give them a call. They may be inclined to look around their neck of the woods for you. Tell them you want a "special" toy for Christmas, birthday or even a graduation gift. Even though they may think you're ready for the "funny farm", they just might surprise you! 2. If you happen to be in the market for older toys (mainly meaning loose and/or in fair to very good condition), thrift stores and yard sales are fantastic sources for such items. And the best part is that they can be found at ridiculously low prices! They are also invaluable for finding parts for older vehicles and playsets. You may not see what you want on your first visit, or even your second, but keep trying. Eventually, something that peaks your interest will pass through one of these sources.

Search and Seizure: 1. The standard stocking procedure in most stores is to keep all of the merchandise to the forefront of the shelves, thus giving the illusion of being fully stocked and easily accessible. So while you're prancing through the toy aisles, it would worth your while to stop and look behind the boxes of other toys on the shelves. A common practice for those who's eyes are bigger than their wallets is to try hiding the items they can't readily pay for behind other toys on the shelves so they can return later to purchase them. If you're tall enough, look between the tops of the boxes and the bottom of the shelf above. Your best vantage point to see what's on each of the shelves in the entire aisle is usually from either end-cap. 2. Some stores have bin-type areas between the pegs and top shelves. Keep an eye out for these storage compartments, because stores will try to disguise them as only areas to place advertising or mark the sections of the isle. In reality, usually the fronts of these so called "markers" can be lifted like a door to reveal a vast collection of stashed items or overstock. 3. At times, employees have been known to place items they personally want behind that which is stocked on the top (or highest) shelves. Since most shelves these days have a hole-pattern punched on them in some sort of way, it is occasionally easy to see what is stocked on these shelves from the floor. You might think of carrying a pocket-sized flashlight to aid you when searching the dark undersides of these shelves. Once you've spotted an "in-store stow away", ask an employee to fetch it for you! 4. But wait, there's more! We've only begun to scratch the surface. To find out more tricks of the trade, hop on over to The Raving Toy Maniac page and be sure to check out Eric's Tips For Toy Hunters and How To Find Almost Any Toy for a great deal more information about collecting in general.

Direct Sources: 1. A subscription to any number of toy magazines is HIGHLY recommend and a great source for information on new toy lines. Check out these periodicals for all your action figure needs: - COLLECTIBLE TOYS & VALUES   - TOMART'S ACTION FIGURE DIGEST: -- Click HERE for their web site.   - WHITE'S GUIDE TO COLLECTING FIGURES   - TOY FARE: THE GUIDE TO COLLECTIBLE TOYS   - LEE'S ACTION FIGURE NEWS & TOY REVIEW   - TOY SHOP 2. Use the internet. A plethora of toy related subjects can be found via your modem. Here are just a few: Usenet Newsgroups: The Internet Toy Resources page from the Raving Toy Maniac is a great place to start!   Search Engines: Just click on the "Net Search" button of your web browser.   Web Sites & Pages: Check out The Internet Off-White Toy Pages, brought to you by the Raving Toy Maniac!

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