Author Topic: Germany  (Read 101845 times)

Offline Tamer

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Re: Germany
« Reply #180 on: September 20, 2020, 06:37:05 AM »
Nice. I have got to get that on the front pages. I left him a comment.

Offline Darth More

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Re: Germany
« Reply #181 on: October 15, 2020, 04:14:19 AM »
Store report: Smyths Toys Super Stores


Dresden, Germany

Wed, Oct 14, 2020




STAR WARS Action Toys

Are you looking for the Dark Saber? Well, the good news is: The section for STAR WARS action toys is growing, again! Plus Season 2 of the Mandalorian is incoming at the end of the month. Smyths Toys got ALL the toys on their aisle ready for launch! I must stress this because toys were not on shelves on time over the last 5 years.





Shampoo Bottles from SOLO on sale for 6.99€!

The Mando set should be gone quickly as soon as the new season airs...


TVC


They had Cara Dune 4x. The rest of the wave was either gone or not on pegs yet.



I'm really impressed by the photo-real technology, but hope for tunghori to re-list them. I'm not going to spend $80 on these four updated repacks!


The Black Series

The first wave of the Phase IV packaging hit!




Still enough Zuckuss figures left here for 19.90€.


What 40 bucks can buy you in 2020:

Don't get me wrong, I'm extremely happy to see multipacks return to the 3.75" line! Back in the day Battle Packs with 5 (super-articulated) figures were around 40€ as well.
A decade later, sculpts have improved, BUT figures come with less articulation and accessories.
I'm also glad they stocked the best pack of all in m opinion: the Imperial Army Builder Pack. This is what we need. This was so cool if only the included figures were super-articulated. I was so happy to see the 5POA line go...for how long have we been hoping for a super-articulated TIE Pilot with non-removable hemlet, Hasbro?!




vs.





LEGO



They've massively stocked the 501st Battle Pack by now!


Jurassic World, Godzilla, King Kong & other action toys







I left the store without buying anything...
« Last Edit: October 15, 2020, 04:38:10 AM by Darth More »

Offline Tamer

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Re: Germany
« Reply #182 on: October 16, 2020, 02:55:00 AM »
Awesome seeing all the vintage stuff on the pegs.

Offline FialaFernbrugg

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Re: Germany
« Reply #183 on: November 14, 2020, 01:38:59 AM »
Pretty good assortment of vintage figures at least compared to austrian stores.
The dinosaur section looks great too.

Offline Darth More

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Re: Germany
« Reply #184 on: November 19, 2020, 07:07:00 AM »
Tamer: Thanks for coming by! Yes, I'm also very happy to see so much TVC stuff at SmythsToys here in Germany!

FialaFernbrugg: Hey, it's SO good to see you back! When was the last time you went to a toy store in Austria? How's SmythsToys in Austria doing? Thanks for your comment!
« Last Edit: November 19, 2020, 07:31:41 AM by Darth More »

Offline Darth More

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Re: Germany
« Reply #185 on: November 19, 2020, 07:26:31 AM »
Store report: Smyths Toys Super Stores


Dresden, Germany

Mon, Nov 16, 2020



It's been over a month since I checked what's on pegs at SmythsToys, so let's take a look!


STAR WARS Action Toys







The section for STAR WARS action toys is actually growing again! The latest TVC wave hit a couple weeks ago and apparently ARC Trooper Fives flew off the shelves right away! So did the previous wave with Commander Wolffe. If I hadn't pre-ordered online, I would've gone hunting earlier. Also it seems that they received a couple solid cases of TBS #94 Mandalorian.

TVC:

They got:

- 4x ROTJ Luke Skywalker (Jedi Knight)
- 3x Hondo Ohnaka
- 2x Chirrut Îmwe









And the Celebrate the SAGA 5-Pack of the SITH joined their assortment, too!


And this is what I got:

- picked-up TBS6 Mando & Cara for a friend for 24.99€ each
- TBS6 Zuckuss - 19.90€
- Pokémon Starter Deck - 15.99€










That Aerial Combat Jet dropped to just 19.99€ - 24.99€ was a great price already! I might get one of these next time...







Müller


One TVC Hondo and one TBS6 Incinerator Trooper left here. So I could've gotten two Incinerator Troopers for 26.99€ each today if I had wanted to...





Look at the size of that thing!

There's no question the Razor Crest could be sold at retail as well when you take a look at this huge LOL surprise set for 199€...it almost stands 3 1/2 feet high & 2 1/2 feet wide (approx. 100 cm x 70 cm)! This box is just huuuge!





Revell advent calendar with 1/16 scale model-kits:


playmobil will always remain my favorite toy barnd:





Does anyone remember these guys from back in the 80s & 90s?



- Philipp
« Last Edit: November 19, 2020, 07:56:38 AM by Darth More »

Offline Tamer

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Re: Germany
« Reply #186 on: November 20, 2020, 03:56:58 AM »
Wow, you shelves are chock full of stuff!

Offline Darth More

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Re: Germany
« Reply #187 on: March 19, 2021, 12:49:27 AM »
Store report: Smyths Toys Super Stores


Dresden, Germany

Friday, March 12, 2021


Stores were allowed to open again on Monday, March 8, 2021. So the second lockdown is over for now. The only question is for how long. In store shopping is possible again here in Germany if you make an appointment with a 1 hour time frame. I recognized stores were open again last Wednesday. So I made an appointment at SmythsToys for Friday - also to celebrate the end of my second and last week of exams. There were about 6 other customers in store with me - if that's not VIP shopping guys I don't know what else is. 8) They call it click & meet and you have to sell your soul (your data) to make it happen.


STAR WARS Action Toys









Hiding behind Darth Maul was Din Djarin with the Child that survived on the peg during the second lockdown here in Germany.This card goes for about 50€ on ebay already. Here it still is 24,99€, which is also a lot of money compared to other toys you can get for that money.








Well, the small vehicles of this line already dropped by a third! to 9,99€ - except for Mando of course. Smyths try to reduce the overstock they received of this line. Looks like yet another failure by Hasbro. Just focus on TVC and TBS folks!

The mid-sized vehicles even dropped by 50% and are 14,99€ now:




Some of these multipacks have actually been sold - especially the Imperial one is a troop-builder fans were desperately waiting for, right?

The Corps Military Action Toys & Bruder 1/12 vehicles




Please, let me know if you want me to feature Bruder in more detail.


playmobil


What else can you get at a 20€ price point? (Because TVC is almost there...)






Love the new T1 Bus and the classic bug playmobil released with Volkswagen.


I remember playing with these bricks in kindergarten. Didn't even know the name of them. It was a nice surprise to see they still exist. Seems to be from the UK - nice!



And this is what I got:

They had 3 Cara Dunes there, so I took one for Clint, one for me and left one for the next collector.

« Last Edit: March 23, 2021, 03:36:50 AM by Darth More »

Offline Tamer

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Re: Germany
« Reply #188 on: March 19, 2021, 02:40:15 AM »
You have a much better selection than me. Love seeing all that vintage goodness.

Offline Darth More

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Re: Germany
« Reply #189 on: March 19, 2021, 06:54:13 AM »
Thanks, Tamer. I hope the selection (and prices) will get back to the good ole days eventually...
I actually just headed to my next raid just before you commented. Now I returned from my trip and this is what I found at the next 2 SmythsToys Superstores:

Offline Darth More

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Re: Germany
« Reply #190 on: March 19, 2021, 08:17:57 AM »
Store report: Smyths Toys Super Stores


Mönchengladbach, Germany

Friday, March 19, 2021






Right at the entrance some The Black Series Figures on the CLEARANCE caught my eye:


SALE



They had 11 Zuckuss figures left for 10€ each. And I bit at 19,99€ already!


Some cars, Fortnite and more cars on SALE...even LEGO & playmobil:



Fortnite figures 80% off and a 1/24 scale DIE CAST model car for 9€ - how much STAR WARS can you buy for 2-9 bucks anymore?!



STAR WARS Action Toys

SW section overview





TVC








TBS





FUNKO & WWE







Military Toys: The Corps & Super Heroes





Again, I shake my head on disbelieve when I see a multipack of 10 articulated action figures with lots of accessories for 24,99€ when a single Black Series figure is 26,99€. If you can find TVC Mando with the Child, you'll pay the same amount of money FOR A SINGLE TVC CARD! Needless to say that this 1/18 scale aircraft comes with a pilot figure, lights & sounds...I got serious questions, Hasbro. Inflation & licensing cannot be an excuse here.



Jurassic Park






The new Camp Cretaceous Spinosaurus was on shelves with an immediate price drop from 37,99€ to 29,99€. The old Spinosaurus, which is also exclusive to SmythsToys here in Germany, was sold out at this store. I had to get this one...

Schleich






playmobil








LEGO















And here's what went with me today:


« Last Edit: March 19, 2021, 04:21:37 PM by Darth More »

Offline Darth More

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Re: Germany
« Reply #191 on: March 19, 2021, 12:12:45 PM »
Store report: Smyths Toys Super Stores


Neuss, Germany

Friday, March 19, 2021







STAR WARS Action Toys

SW section overview



Mind the gap! - Fortnite: An extention of the section to come or is the hype over now? When I got home I asked an expert on this topic: My brother says the hype is over after 3 years.






TVC







TBS







Mission Fleet






FUNKO & WWE






Military Toys: The Corps & Super Heroes




Imagine how awesome an all-new, true 1/18 scale Republic Gunship from Hasbro would be - even if it cost $200..oh wait:






Other Action Toys: TRANSFORMERS & Jurassic Park



In this store both versions of the Spinosaurus were available:



For the record: Most Godzilla's have been sold at a solid price of 69,99€.

HotWheels







Carrera slot cars were removed to prevent theft:



LEGO




LEGO's latest version of Grievous' Starfighter is so overpriced, it's not even funny anymore. Fans shake their heads that Commander Cody is still not included, this would've been the perfect chance. Maybe the next AT-TE will be based on its appearance on Utapau and will finally come with Cody...







Guess who's back? Back again, at the checkout:




Today I gathered a trunk full of toys:




I learned a lot on my latest hunt just by listening to the other parents & their kids at the store:

- Many parents around me kept asking their children if they had made a choice already. I would've liked to ask the parents if they had looked at the aisles already! I mean the shelves look even taller for children and the selection of products is breathtaking! Of course children usually have their focus on specific interests, but I know these interests can change within days. But instead of expecting my child to make a choice while being surrounded by hundreds of options, I would rather help my child and take a closer look at the items. This also helps children to learn which aspects lead to a good decision. What do you think? Please, let me know in the comments below.


« Last Edit: March 21, 2021, 01:19:55 AM by Darth More »

Offline Tamer

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Re: Germany
« Reply #192 on: March 20, 2021, 06:35:54 AM »
I think this is the most thorough store reporting I have ever seen. Your images are fantastic. I am envious of what you have on the pegs. I haven't seen half of those Star Wars Vintage Figures.

Time to take this to the front pages.

Offline Darth More

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Re: Germany
« Reply #193 on: March 21, 2021, 12:52:52 AM »
I hope that's good, Tamer. Sorry for the sheer amount of images. My old cell phone broke the other night. I probably overcharged the battery, which was already a matter of time for it to go out of service because apple want their customers to buy a new iphone every other year. Mine was just 6 years old.

So I replaced my iphone with my dad's old Samsung from 2015. So that thing is even older, but I think the quality of pictures is even better. Unfortunately my computer formats the images once I copy them so they become less sharp to a degree, which really makes me mad. But you can still zoom into the pictures to read prices and stuff. The good thing is that I can now copy all my pictures directly instead of having to send them to myself by mail just to get them on my laptop.

Thanks for the frontpages by the way! I went to two stores on Friday. You shared the link of the second hunt which I took less pictures on. Maybe you can replace the link with this one here.
I'm also going to add more comments. Cheers.

I really hope distribution gets better in the U.S. again - hard to believe retail has reached this state of nothingness within a couple years...has demand for Star Wars toys shrunk so much? I remember Di$ney messed up the Sequels quite a bit so that might've been the turning point...
« Last Edit: March 21, 2021, 12:58:03 AM by Darth More »

Offline Tamer

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Re: Germany
« Reply #194 on: March 21, 2021, 06:01:24 AM »
I am hoping with Hasbor Pulse opening in the UK it will only be a matter of time till it hits Germany and other European Countries.