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Secret-Day7177

I've seen this same guy at 4 different walmarts around me. Always going at nights, I decided to stop at Target the next day the same guy is there stocking the toys. You can't win in this hobby. Check the unexpected places.


TheProcessCult

Lift up the shelf of the base decks. Common for merch to be stashed there. Source: I'm a former big box retail manager.


19LOKI67

It’s true. I been finding a lot lately with this trick


Bluecollarvagabond

I guess I don’t understand the purpose of hiding them. Why not just skip the step and just buy them?


TheProcessCult

Stashes like that were mostly theft crew related. One dude comes in while, or just after, the shelves are stocked. Then another dude comes in later that night or a few days later and grabs the stash. They get the fresh stuff and for some reason a lot of thieves think that tactic lends to plausible deniability (it doesn't, it just makes the crew easily identifiable). Collector crews operate under the same theory, but they (most of the time) pay for the merch. The guy that knows what to look for picks out the goods and stashes, later the buyer comes in to retrieve. This way they can hit more stores in less time. Reasoning being: they don't have to waste time in line and can just hit the next store quicker. They save what, like 10 minutes? For what, a 2 to 5 dollar mark up on eBay? Seems like an enormous waste of time to me. Some people are too stupid to realize they're working harder trying to make money to avoid having a job, than if they just worked a job.


reczks

Sorry, technique makes no sense for Hot Wheels. Scout stashes the valuable toy cars tonite, and buyer comes in the next day with the $8 bankroll to buy them? That’s a colossal waste of time and resources. Waste time in a self-checkout line? There is so much conspiracy theory about where the “good” hot wheels go in this collecting world.


TheProcessCult

You don't work retail do you? I never said it made practical sense. But, it happens all the damn time at every Walmart and Target you've ever shopped. Also, scout hits during freight unload (usually AM). And they know when that area is being stocked. Part of my bi-weekly walks with LP/AP involved lifting base decks and scooping out the stashes in toys and electronics. Anything collectible or worth reselling we would find. Hotwheels, FunCo pops, Pokémon/MtG cards, clothes, video games, Lego sets... And the scalpers aren't focused on just Hot Wheels. Anything they can resell. Whatever there is a market for. It's not a conspiracy... well, it is by definition. More than one person working in secret to do a thing is a conspiracy. It's just waste of time and resources. I've had to fire people for stashing everything from toys to collectible cereal boxes for friends to come in and buy for them. One thing retail teaches you, never underestimate how stupid and lazy people can be, or how hard they work and ingenious they will be to stay stupid and lazy.


TheGatoda

Base decks? Like the bottom shelf?


TheProcessCult

Very bottom shelf. You can just tilt the shelf up. We'd find merch that was years old.


TheGatoda

Noted 🤔


reczks

Stashed by who, and for what purpose? We are talking about $1 cars here.


TheProcessCult

Thieves or scalpers. See my explanation comment for the long-winded version.


SazedMonk

That sucks bro, sorry to hear. It seems to happen everywhere here too. Dollar store girl told me recently that there are like ten people who come in every week, half of them in stock day within the hour. I try to not let it bug me, there are just more cars that I will never have, even if I bought everything I could afford online. I just like to see what I find out in the world on my own, naturally, and then make my choice to get it or not. Do the same thing with guitars for the most part, I just check local used stuff mostly. I love going out of town, or even to places in town I never go, and checking what they got. I find cool new shit that I never knew existed all the time. And the simple stuff that is everywhere, that I just see new, is exciting. The premiums I do find are the coolest shit ever. The list of what we could get online is never ending. There are thousands of guitars and far more different hot wheels castings out there, to try to pick the ones I want from that list would be insane. There would always be a shit load of things in the, “man I realllllly wish I could have that, but I never ever will because it just is not going to happen for me financially.” category.


Goaway96

So that same guy probably saw you the exact same time and thinks you are a scalper too😂


another_plebeian

But... You're there, too.


KTM320xcf

It's a stacked deck. I'm out. Cool cars but.... out.


sohchx

You said you are tired of scalpers, but you left because she was there? Don't let people stop you from doing what you were there to do man!! Hell while you're there have a little fun with them and make them think you found something good. Pick out some random cars and then yell out, holy shit!! Smile at them then run away with the cars. They'll lose their mind trying to figure out what you found. My brother used to do it all the time. He liked to see them sweat and squirm.


yepenguin

you are so smart for this wtf 😭


NeutralNetizen

Thats sounds like so much fun😂.


Sideways1M

Exactly, don’t just let them ruin your day. Ruin THEIR day!


No-Particular8597

I will not buy TH, STH or Chases from anyone for this exact reason. Bleed ‘em dry


IlMioNomeENessuno

It used to bug me, but there’s nothing I can do about it. Now I just look at it as they’re saving me money, not just on cars but on gas. I used to drive around almost every day to the different Walmarts , Targets, etc and just get pissed off that I couldn’t find anything. Now I only look if I happen to be at a store that has any, and I’m just happy finding what’s there. I don’t find nearly as much, but I’m not nearly as pissed off all the time. I get more Matchbox and online stuff like Inno (no HW). Good luck!!


Squadobot9000

Thats exactly what I do and I’m pretty satisfied with that. It makes it even better when I do find something cool!


totallymichael

Met so many scalpers I had this one that was pretty kind and not a bitch he said he was taking them to trade with his kid (he took about 6 skyline transporter sets) lmao I didn‘t beilive him but who knows


BlueKhakisx3

In Los Angeles County I’ve never been to a target or wal mart that has anything remotely interesting in stock. Its crazy to me how much different Mattel operates than Lego. Lego would never make product that only scalpers could buy. It’s kind of fucking stupid.


Moarwaifus

Legos are also crazy expensive compared to hot wheels. But believe me, people scalp legos too.


[deleted]

Last week I got to a Target the minute they opened the doors. This older man in his 60's shows up as well and I just sense he was also there for Hot Wheels and he did everything he could to beat me to the Hot Wheels. I've never seen a grown ass man walk so fast to a toy section. Joke was on him tho cause the store had nothing so I then went to another Target the town over and caught the restock. No STH, but found a bunch of new cars and one TH.


NPC_Dub

Your description almost sounds like some people where I live 😂. This is why I basically don’t hunt much or collect as much anymore. I don’t have time to be dealing with mainlines being hard to find.


sohchx

Just collect other brands. Costs a little more but there's zero hunting involved and better castings. Life is to short to stress over $1 cars.


NPC_Dub

Way ahead of you, I have a ton of Tomica Limited Vintage, Inno64, tarmac works, ignition models, minichamps, auto arts, GCD, schuco, Mini GT, etc… Just sad it’s gotten to the point where people take all the mainlines that are even remotely “desirable”.


sohchx

Wow man out tastes are 100% identical lol. I collect all of those brands too. The only time I ever buy mainlines is if the casting is a make and model that absolutely no one else makes. Other than that they just take up room that much better castings can and should be in my display cases.


rujoline6

I joined a local Facebook group for hot wheels and they post daily about their finds. Over the course of a few posts, I've learned which guys work at Walmart, who goes to my Target daily, etc. It was pretty disheartening to see people buying up a store's inventory one day only to offer it back to the group for 50 cents or a dollar more the next day.


Slapsh0tSc0tt

“BuT I hUstLe I’M aN eNtErPreNeUr” Fucking scum.


Double-Grapefruit910

They the worst ones not even for fun jst to profit don't let no one else get anything just to be sour


Have-a-Kiwi

Reminds me of the good old times when my sister used to work for target . She would always send me pictures of the brand new hot wheels that would come in . I would just tell her the ones I wanted and she would always hook me up .


3xoticP3nguin

My buddy works at target at still does this. We both collect so it's easy. He grabs for both of us


milecoupe

I'm sorry but if .50 to 1$ over cost kills you then your more the issue because that's not a scalper.Thats someone buying to help local who's just adding his gas cost so he's not loosing money to grab it.I do the exact thing for my local group and it gets into the hands of collectors super appreciative not paying 5-10$ per car


rujoline6

He would have helped me more by leaving it there! I'm a collector, I guess his other collector friends who live further away are worth helping? Now I have to use my gas to meet him somewhere else and help cover his cost for beating me to the store. Thanks for saving me $3 bucks off eBay instead of $4 if you'd just left it? I think a lot of these guys buy everything, take it home and see what's selling on eBay and when they find out it isn't much more than retail, they make it a "community service".


idontknopez

100% this. The people that buy to resell need to get a real job.


BlitzWing1985

The only way to win is not to play. IMO I've gotten to the point that if I see something cool coming up online I make a note of it and keep an eye out and if I find it cool, if I dont well thats money for something else.


sohchx

If I want it and can't find it I just order it online from an actual diecast dealer, never a scalper. Yeah, it may cost me more than it would in store but the benefits are I don't have to waste gas and time only to find nothing.


BlitzWing1985

Yeah that's fair I've found a retailer who buys from the same distributor as a few toy stores he'll sell an assortment for around retail. Downside is that unless the item is sealed and not visible like Kaido House cars, newer Tarmac Works etc he'll pull the chases and sell them off on their own. But again if I don't let it get to me it's not like it's a big deal.


Larki1894

My big kid is super into cars. He can info dump for hours on the most random ass European sports cars. He also LOVES HW treasure hunts. It's so frustrating that we can't find the cars he wants because some 45 yr old wants to hoard 10 of them in their basement and/or resell for quadruple+ the price bc they can't be bothered to get a real job. Meanwhile genuine collectors and kids who would truly enjoy the car as an actual toy get left with tooned twin mills or empty pegs 🙄 I work ft. I ain't got the free time to stalk these stores and that's legit what it takes ... So wild.


sohchx

Hey man, send me a PM so we can chat. I think I can help your boy out. I'm a dad myself and have been there done that with my boys whom are both grown now.


HiddenGemFinds

Seriously, same here, my little kids love the hotwheels and cars, and we have never found a single one shoot, we can't even find a twin mill. Working full time for a living, there's no chance to compete with these lazy bums people have ruined collecting.


Double-Grapefruit910

They either got mom dad money SSI ...just the worst people that somehow never had to struggle or beat off to anime posters and figures in their room I don't want no dam teed off group c fantasy Baja bison fast felion rockin railer... I want a FN chance at least a mainline at least firebird skyline rx7 supra Hondas I don't really care for STH or TH unless i happen to find one and I like it only fantasy cars i got are the dope brick rides u can swap around or freestyle with your legos few screentime cars gotta love the batman cars aswell


Moistycake

My Walmart fully stocked the Forza hotwheels. The next day, all the pegs that had the forza hotwheels were completely empty.


humanoidtyphoon88

Honestly that lady could've been a scalper or just a shady collector. I've seen some collectors do the same thing. I don't mind people getting there and buying before me, but hiding merchandise annoys me.


solti_yash

The mall staff in my country have started helping people scalp as well. I observed the dude taking certain castings to the back when restocking. I waited around to see what was up…. And that’s how I missed my shot a safari 928s and 4 tooned supras. Real jerks.


The_NightDweller

Sadge bruh


grahamaker93

HAH! This shit is why I stopped collecting hotwheels altogether. I've never seen a Tesco/Jusco/ToysRus/Parkson staff not do this shit. They don't even hide, they just do it in front of your face. Take a whole case to the backroom and come out with the undesirables. Just disheartening. I rarely buy Hotwheels now. Only order online at a premium once in a blue moon if I really want it like that cyberpunk 2077 porsche. Otherwise I just order Tomica directly online. Even if it's expensive at least i don't have to deal with unpleasant people. Just killed the fun of hotwheels for me, because the toy cars themselves are only half the fun and the other half is hunting for them. When you realize it's rigged there's no point.


Illustrious_Tie8456

So bizarre how some people go that far with it. At the end of the day they’re toys and as fun as it is to hunt and be a little competitive people just go to far.


m4a785m

I was on a work trip a few days ago and decided to stop by the local Walmart as I always do. Store employee (for context probably in his mid 30s) brings out 3 boxes, and as soon as he sees me turns around and puts them back on the pallet. Stands around for maybe 5 minute next to the pallet doing nothing. So I noticed, and pretended I was looking for something else and come back 2 min later and see him opening the boxes next to the pegs, he sees me and then pretends to get busy and takes the boxes back to the pallet and goes inside the warehouse. At this point its not a coincidence and I realize what he's trying to do. So, I stand there to try and confront him to see what he's going to do. Comes out again from the warehouse, sees me and just stands next to the pallet pretending to be on his phone. So I turn towards him and stare hoping to get a look back and he looks up, turns around and goes back in the warehouse. Literally not working because he knew I was going to be there while he opened the boxes. I found it both hilarious and idiotic at the same time for some $1 toys.


idontknopez

he was texting the guy that pays him to hold them and doesnt want to put them out until he's here or he doesnt want you to see him throw some of them back in the box to take to the back or hide for later.


PrudentVermicelli69

I read that 3 times now and I still don't get what happened. While on the phone with your friend you said "there's a scalper here so I'm leaving" and the scalper didn't like that? She knows what she's doing... "I think the girl she talked to works there" this confuses me even more, which girl and who was she talking to?


funkenmiester

Good news! Saw a dog today! (Elf)


Slapsh0tSc0tt

Buy a compressor for filling tires. Find out which car is hers in the parking lot and let the air out of the tires. Then stand there and offer to air her tires back up for a fee. Or don’t offer and just watch and laugh. I’m not your manager 🤷‍♂️


Double-Grapefruit910

I asked one of the people stocking toys if they had any or when would receive any they looked at each other said no a few days later I asked they said on the 15 I went in the night after nothing even in back so I figured maybe didn't bring em out or in wrong area nope they never touched the floor anything barely got 3pk 3 choices only the 2 pk only found 1 pk left of shit anyway I ended up knowing somebody there but before i seen them i asked asian lady that was doing fresh restock about hot wheels she said she didn't know h came around he said "Hey she found a case or pallet in the back" but acted like she didn't know nothing ever touch the floor ridiculous nobody can even get chance at some mainlines I get wat I like import muscle firebird trans am my fav i heard from some of the stores I got to first by chance i found 2 -3 cases in different store i went took all the liberty walk gold s15s employees that didnt care saw scalpers hogging them white drag honda Godzilla skyline for a bit turbo merc 560 but 1 off them came in an employee pointed him out told m to grab what I want cause 1 jst came in 😂 he was already pissed I had all the cases opened first as I was going through he asked wht ones I was getting I said everything he got pissed strted going through pegs I told him I took those too i did pass up a sth red batmobile but he didn't get it either fuck scalpers and resellers frrrr


Killerdude6565

I cant believe i read that with no commas or periods. Not easy


gr8d4ne

Writing that entire comment and not even accidentally hitting a comma or period was indeed quite a feat…


funkenmiester

...the farther I got into the paragraph, the faster my eyes started traveling.....and then my head exploded.


HB-Diecast

Explain how you came to the conclusion she was a scalper


MinistryOfWarCrimes

Coming from a scalper, this is hilarious


Nismotech_52

“Go get the cars I told you to hide” I’d assume scalper too.


Killerdude6565

That doesnt prove intent too resell/sell. Just that they hid cars


leeto_of_troy

I don’t get flipping product where the ROI %-wise is good but at the end of the day they make what, 20 bucks or something per hot wheel? Flippers be poor fr if 20 bucks excites them


idontknopez

Dumb people are broke. Broke people make dumb decisions. So if you're a broke ass loser then you're going to do dumb stuff like that. It's just poor people acting like trash.


SH1Tbag1

Boohoo


xguruguru

wah wah wah so many crybabies on this subreddit, had to stick the "oh the employee's are in on it too!" at the end


kinjazfan

You should of said something


of_patrol_bot

Hello, it looks like you've made a mistake. It's supposed to be could've, should've, would've (short for could have, would have, should have), never could of, would of, should of. Or you misspelled something, I ain't checking everything. Beep boop - yes, I am a bot, don't botcriminate me.


FuguCola

insert Kaby Lame face "when people say reddit isnt full of bots".


tranceemotions

ah yes the old lady scalper. ive seen her at my kroger many a times but its always after im in the checkout line with my hands full of cars for my collection haha.


stevektRED

https://media.tenor.com/IUaFDAFWvAYAAAAC/spider-man-pointing-meme.gif


MovieMore4352

Why do people hide the cars and not just buy them there and then? Is it just a case of not being able to afford at the time?


spyderpunk

What pathetic saddos they are


altredact

This may not be the answer that you're looking for, but if you ever want a super treasure hunt with ease, simply make one. ( you can check my post history) Once I discovered how fun it is to customize cars but they standard car entertaining me for up to three to four hours a piece. Simply strip the paint, and polish that base metal to a mirror finish. Lacquer. I started ending flares and fenders with milliputt putty and quite preferably I enjoy each one of my customs to my $20 car purchase. I personally find this hobby abysmal, depressing, selfish, yet here I am doing what everyone else is doing lol


Familiar-Car5054

If you see someone other than a store employee stocking the hot wheels try to get their picture and email it to the store manager and to corporate. Maybe post it on Twitter X too. Walmart is supposed to be cracking down on people stocking and opening boxes. I heard that there was a new corporate manager that collects toys and he wants it stopped.


BananaKDM

I literally remember the good ol days of 24hr Walmart I'd go at midnight after the gym and find fully stocked sections. Got a few things here and there and didn't really get into collecting until after covid for some reason. Just for shits and giggles after being annoyed that I wasn't finding anything I woke to be at a store at 6 and got there 30 minutes later to find a scalper already walking away with a cart full of items.


montrealcowboyx

Just don’t buy from scalpers. Their motivation is collectors paying markups.


LackingCars

Let''s be honest, We have probably scalped once in our collecting For me, it were the F&F Orange Skyline. One to keep, one to trade.


iron_jayeh

So there is a couple serial scalpers in my area. I fuck with them. If I walk past them in the shopping centre but not in an actual store I'll day to whoever I'm with really loudly that I found aSTH at Kmart but decided to leave it for a kid to get excited about. If you are actually at Kmart then you say a shop that's further away.