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.
Submitted by: DC
The Problem: The Lizard has been replaced with, of all things, Wave Rider Nemo; Mary Batson has been replaced with a DC Direct Deadshot.
What It’s Supposed to Look Like: This and this
DC writes:
I found these at my local Wal-Mart, here in Arlington Texas, across the street from where they had the Superbowl. There were two more I didn’t take pictures of. Oh, One of the DCUC, Hourman I think, had a Marvel Legends Nick Fury in it.
I turned them over to the toy dept. manager and asked to speak to customer service and someone in returns and tried to explain the scam, how someone was taking the BAF parts, and most likely selling the full BAF figure on ebay, not too mention the loose figure alone would recoup their cost, not to mention making money back on the return. I explained how to easily check on figures what the actual figure is (I mean deadshot in a Mary Batson? C’mon. I didn’t even get into how it was not even a DCUC Deadshot)
Anyway I was treated to a LECTURE about how I was wrong because collectors do not open figures, so no one would open a figure to take out a BAF piece. I got this from the Toy Dept. manager, and the Returns Department Manager.
I’m a 45 year old Recruiter and Trainer and I was stunned at how they treated me like an idiot, in the face of proof. I mean, they literally treated me like I was wasting their time, and I was HANDING them proof of theft, and explaining a pervasive scam.
Amazing.
P.S. After it was all said and done, I bought the DCUC with the Nick Fury, because, hey, Marvel Legends Nick Fury…
Evan Jones
I live near that Wal*Mart and it's got to be the worst one I've ever visited. I'm totally not surprised that this happened. The place is just awful…
clark
That Walmart sucks! I used to live in North Arlington, but would drive to what was technically Ft. Worth to avoid going to that location. I was in my infancy in collecting, but knew that nothing good would ever come from visiting that location.
Of course, now I've got one in Lewisville that has transformers swapped all the time. It's got to be the same guy because it's always transformers, and it's been going on for a couple of years.
Colin
If you ever needed proof that toy managers know less than you…
BumblebeeZ3
That is horrible. Given the response, I wonder if it was an inside job or if they are really that ignorant.
Newt
So this troll improved the sales for this Walmart?
FakeEyes22
I love the new Toy Aisle Trolls logo with the classic GL middle finger!
I'd say the store needs some punishment this time, with every product in the entire Walmart being swapped out and including a tiny bit of paper with the same middle finger illustration.
I guess it was non-collectors who were swapping these DCUC with older figures that were also collector oriented. Lots of kids and parents have that Nemo from like 10 years ago laying around the house.
Zach S.
And DC, you really should go above their heads for treating you like that. Find their regional manager or something…that's ridiculous. I wonder if they weren't just trying to save face..their "argument" sounds ridiculously asinine.
Zach S.
Totally…this would be a score. I'd buy both of those over the crap they replaced…
Mecha-Shiva
Wow,A deadshot is better than Mary Batson,lol.