TJ Maxx Finally Comes Through - Offer Expires While You Wait

There have been a number of hunting reports over the past year which would indicate that Ross stores have started to serve as the dumping ground for mostly-unreleased Hasbro goods. Waves of figures in both G.I. Joe and now Transformers have been finding discount release on that retailer's shelves, weeks if not months after being written off as another product that got left on the cutting room floor. Seeing as the closest Ross store is about 100 miles away from my house, that was a tad frustrating from a hunting angle...until now! No, a new Ross didn't spring up overnight from the twisted remains of a Woolworth's or anything. Rather - for the current round of Transformers surprise clearance items, it seems that all of the 'discount' retailers are getting to share in the love. Reports indicate that Ross, Marshals as well as the venerable TJ Maxx are at last all getting a taste of the goods, which finally opens up the possibility that I might see one or two of these!

I'd been checking my TJ Maxx off and on for two weeks, with no success, but the carrot that keeps the hunt alive usually turns up eventually, and today was that day! I was most excited to see a Hasbro-laden flatcart in the midst of the admittedly scaled down non-holiday toy area, and noticed right away that a case of Voyager Reveal the Shield figures was sliced open yet not unpacked. My enthusiasm was quickly quashed when I pulled out a Battle Blades Optimus Prime instead of a Grapple or Lugnut. Silently cursing the ability of my local store to even screw that up, and finding no further Transformers related cases on the cart, I did a double-take as I saw the fabled Wreck-Gar on the shelf, next to a pair of Nitro Bumblebees and a Perceptor. Now - given that I tend to treat toy aisles the way rainman counts cards in Vegas, all these things puzzled me. Only 4 deluxe figures - someone was here first, but why would anyone leave a Wreck-Gar, and was there another case of the 'rare' Voyagers that was purchased wholesale by another collector after he sliced them all open to check the contents, leaving not a trace? I stood and stared and pondered for what I'm sure was a long enough time to draw the attention of any bored staff watching the in-store security cameras, but hopefully made all right with them when I bought my single deluxe Wreck-Gar, and put it on my TJ Maxx card.

Here, then, is Wreck-Gar! He talks some TV! Find him if you can! Rather, you need to find two! That means I'm one short! Come on TJ Maxx get it together!


You check in, but you don't check out.

Posted by charlie on June 21st 2011, 02:59 AM
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