Toy Aisle Trolls > Silverjolt

March 18, 2011 | Poe

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.

Today’s travesty is an oldie but goodie, in that the photo was taken two years ago by Poester RM.

Writes RM:

This one’s 2 years old, but I thought your readers would find it “interesting.”

Just sitting there all neatly sealed up, on shelf with the other Transformers at my local Big W store.

It has 2 broken parts of something, a grey claw, and a blaze orange missle. All tied to the plastic tray inside, but CLEARLY not a toy, much less the Transformer that belongs in that box (or any sort of Transformer at all).

Totally unbelieveable!

Toy Aisle Trolls > Go ahead, ruin my day

March 14, 2011 | Poe

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.

I’ve been getting a slew of TAT submissions lately–apparently trolls the world over have been emboldened by Jon Cryer’s coming-out party. Anyway, this one comes from Toyninjas:

Writes Toyninjas:

After purchasing the new Pokemon game I made my way to the action figure isle. Lo and behold I find this gem. Deadpool theft is very unfortunate.

Bleh–this is your standard, straight-up trolling, taking the desirable fig and swapping it with one no one wants.

Convince me otherwise, world.

Toy Aisle Trolls > RU[serious]2?

March 10, 2011 | Poe

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.

Today’s TAT arrives from Poester Marc:

Wow, Shaak Ti’s shorter than I expected. And more mechanical. And more cheap-piece-of-non-articulated-crap. And–

Hey wait a minute.

Shaak Ti is still in there. Her robe’s been taken off and is stuck behind R2, but she’s still in there.

What…what the hell is going on here? As Marc puts it:

Don’t know what’s going on here. Opened, R2 inserted and Shakk Tii is undressed and put back in. Who knows.

Not me. Not…not me. Was this even a troll? Or just a confused employee trying to fix a return? OR GREMLINS?! I think it was gremlins.

Toy Aisle Trolls > Mess-It’s (a)

March 9, 2011 | Poe

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.

Today’s T.A.T. comes courtesy of Poester AFOS:

Writes AFOS:

My local Toys R Us have sold out of Mezco’s Mez-Its with the exception of Perseus from Clash of the Titans. Those have been shelfwarming for awhile now. The other day I was walking by them when I finally paid attention and noticed something odd. One of the Perseus-us (Persei?) was in a Beetlejuice package. And another was in a Freddy Kreuger package. I took a closer look and it was obvious the boxes had been opened and poorly resealed. I’m not sure why someone would do this. The only reason I can imagine is possibly because the Perseus Mez-Its are cheaper than the other ones. Anything to save a few pennies I guess.

OK, so obviously this is yet another example of a troll saving a few measly bucks…but I’m having a hard time getting past the idea that AFOS’s local TRU is sold out of Mez-Itz. Are these things really that popular? My local TRU has a ton of them, along with Mighty Muggs and the other similar mass market vinyls.

I much preferred the old Mez-Its, with their smaller size (though that’s returning soon) and their unique sculpting. But apparently I’m in the minority?

Toy Aisle Trolls > Low Point

March 7, 2011 | Poe

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.

Poester K. sends in this sad commentary on some of the people in our hobby.

Writes K.:

At my local Walmart in Lockport, IL, which is rated by the company as one of its top 5 stores in the country somehow, I am constantly finding these horrible swap outs. I’ve brought them to the store’s attention and different managers many times. I am pretty sure it is the same troll that has been doing this to at least 30 figures I’ve found since the Rise of Cobra line came out.

Yesterday’s find of the just-released vhtf Low-Light was particularly horrible and I had to take a picture before I turned him over to the Toy Department Manager.

For some reason, this one just out-and-out pisses me off as an example of blatant theft. I’m not even going to make fun of the creepy shirtless dude in the helmet. I’m just going to wish the worst upon the human being who did this, no doubt created when an irradiated sperm met a gangrenous egg.

But I commend K. for actually taking some action this time–if he reads this post, perhaps he can let us know whether the manager actually took the thing off the shelf?

Toy Aisle Trolls > Beetle Blues Beyond

February 24, 2011 | Poe

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.

Poester 3B makes us all sad with this:

3B writes:

Found this one last night at the Target near my job. Looks like they swapped Batman Beyond for a Happy Meal-type Blue Beetle figurine.

The package was almost flawless, so i assume he unglued it at home. This troll definitely took his time…

I’ve got a lot of TATs coming in, which slightly depresses me, so please come up with your own punishments for this worthless scum.

Toy Aisle Trolls > The Shave and the Trolled

February 23, 2011 | Poe

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.

Poester MB must live in a troll-heavy area, because he drops not one, but two douchetrocities on us:

Writes MB:

Found both of these at the same Wal-Mart in Greenville, SC. The only Kyle that I have seen and the plastic was cut with a box cutter in the shape of the sword. What makes it even better was that they also took the box cutter as the package for that was on the shelf on the other side of the aisle. I’m sure that the Brave and Bold one just had Superman pulled out of the hole at the top, which is exactly what I thought I would see when I first saw this set.

At least the Kyle remains intact in its package–even the BAF part is there. I’m wondering if this wasn’t just a case of a careless employee slashing the package as he opened the case of figures. I missed the fact they stole his sword. Terrible.  And odd. He really wanted just the sword that bad? AND he stole the box cutter he used to do it? Wow. I assume this guy will be be moving up from torturing pets and stealing toys to the FBI’s Most Wanted in a few years.

There’s no excuse for stealing the Superman figure–much less from a toy set aimed at five-year-olds. Unless said excuse is “I’m a total douchebag”–which doesn’t excuse the theft, but at least would be honest.

Toy Aisle Trolls > WWEak

February 22, 2011 | Poe

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.

Today’s travesties come courtesy of JediCreeper.

Writes JediCreeper:

I was in k-mart today and I found multiple examples of trolling… Most likely all from the same guy… Frighteningly… I think I might know who the guy is. Anyway, he bought several of the Mattel Elite WWE figures and returned some old Jakks Pacific ones, in their place. Most interesting is the Kane figure, as he left the accessories behind, and carved the beard off some other bald wrestler…

As punishment, he should feel all the pain a wrestler feels in a week, all at once.

It occurs to me that by releasing the same wrestlers JAKKS released for years, Mattel is offering a rich source of food for toy aisle trolls. I suspect this happens fairly often nowadays.

Anyway, troll, whoever you are, know that we all think of you as Adam Sandler in this scene.

Toy Aisle Trolls > Tony’s Latest Suit Kind of Sucks

February 17, 2011 | Poe

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.

Nerdbot sends in this fine example of human behavior.

Writes Nerdbot:

I found this gem at a Toys R Us in Queens, New York. It was, as you can see, a Marvel Legends two-pack that was supposed to contain the stealth Iron Man. In its place is… well, I have no idea. Maybe a bootleg Iron Man? Or knock-off Power Ranger? For all I know it could be a cool Japanese import. (With some of the strange swaps we’ve seen lately, anything is possible.) I like that the troll inserted the mystery figure’s throwing star accessories, too. A real mensch.

I shudder to think I may have been within a few miles of this travesty this weekend. What the hell is that thing?

Note the bastard swiped the alternate Tony Stark and Sharon Carter heads, too–it seems all he was willing to leave was Sharon herself. And consider this: slime molds are better practitioners of a moral existence than this petty thief.

Toy Aisle Trolls > Arkilljoy

February 7, 2011 | Poe

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.

Mr. G submits this for your disapproval:

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