Toy Aisle Trolls is a feature highlighting acts of vandalism to in-store toy items. If you find a ruined package, a stolen figure, a swapped-out figure, or any other such acts, take a photo (cell phone photos are fine if they’re not blurry) and email them to poe AT poeghostal.com.
Unfortunately, the holiday season seems to bring the worst out in the world’s Toy Aisle Trolls, as I’m being inundated with TAT entries (I need to start putting together some sort of award for these, like Marvel’s No-Prizes). President Juggernaut sends in this latest, which he found right in my own backyard (figuratively speaking).
Writes PJ:
Here’s one from the Framingham, MA WalMart. Someone swapped out two of the new superarticulated Vintage Collection Sandtroopers with a couple of POTF2 Sandtroopers. The packages were obviously tampered with, but this could easily fool a young kid, or a parent in a rush.
Two words: Douche. Bag. Give me a break–just pay for the damned toys like a responsible member of society. Otherwise, you’re a thief. A common, scum-of-the-earth thief who likes to make children cry (and not just by the sight of your ugly face).
Mose
@PrfktTear: Wow, just wow. You have to be a real piece of crap to do something like that.
Thomas B
wow that just makes me sick
PrfktTear
Theres a form of life out there even lower on the food chain than a Toy Aisle Troll… some miscreants stole from Toys For Tots. A storage bin in Burlington, Ma was raided stealing fifteen grand worth of toys. Luckily local citizens and businesses have come out in droves to replace the toys.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/ar…
PresidentJuggernaut
Awesome, thanks for using mine. This one is close enough that I almost didn't notice it flipping through the pegs, and I'm an adult collector… I believe these are gone now, lets hope it was some helpful employee, and not that someone is going to have a mediocre Christmas gift.
FakeEyes22
Funny that a 15 year old figure is worthless enough to swap out.
It's dumb because Target has plenty of the new Sandtrooper for just $1 more than the original retail of this thing.
Arch
I remember one time when I was a kid and I got a Transformer that was broken in the package. So as I was putting it back in the box to return it to the store, I thought about keeping the gun so when I did get a replacement, my guy would have two guns. My dad told me that some stores just put out returns without checking to see if they are broken and some other kid could spend his money on it or get that toy as a gift. He then told me something that I have never forgotten. He said something like "how would you feel if your toy didn't have any weapons?" I know I wouldn't want to make a kid upset that his toy was broken or incomplete.
I mean come on, these are toys. Stealing is wrong all together, but you really have to be a scumbag to try and pull a fast one over on a kid.
Thomas
There is NOTHING on God's green earth that would EVER make me do ANYTHING like this. When I see these things, and I've seen them myself in stores, I'm surprised EVERY time, because I just cannot believe that someone actually does this.
Seriously? What is wrong with these people?
ero
Yeah, this one's douche-ier than the rest because it could fool parents/kids. And those old Sandtroopers suck. Also, dude, troll, KEEP THE CARDS! I'm an opener, but I think the cards in this series are worth half the price tag, especially this one, because we never saw it in vintage style before. It's my favorite card of the entire B&W line.
@Barbecue17:
It doesn't. Still a beauty though.
Barbecue17
Heck, many of these Sandtroopers are sitting on shelves for 6.00 at Target and 6.76 at Walmart.
This is somewhat off topic, but does anyone know if the Vintage Collection Sandtrooper has a removable helmet?
Zach
That's the worst thing about these idiots…that somehow they think this isn't stealing. It's morally wrong and flat out ILLEGAL.
Albeit, they have no character to begin with…but why compromise your integrity over an $8 toy?? And if you're tired of buying $8 Sandtroopers — STOP ARMY BUILDING. Give me a freaking break.
googum
Leftover pogs?! You go too far, good sir!
The trolls seem to be escalating, and I wonder what the aisles will be like after Christmas.
Barbecue17
I wish we had pictures of these trolls. Maybe we could hire some troll bounty hunters who would sneak into their homes and replace their action figure collections with ceramic figurines, plastic farm animals, and tubes of leftover Pogs.
Thomas B
i like nik's idea. troll of the year lol
ugh… i have seen a few trolls this year already.
the worst things is when you specifically tell the store to take the toy off the shelves and show them why only to see the toy back up on the shelf the next day.
Nik
You could have a marathon posting of TATs. And a vote for the most trolliest of all.
Barbecue17
Ridiculous. This must be the work of the Sith….