Is it still worth it driving from store to store rather than buying from toy dealers

[msv]

Is it still worth it driving from store to store rather than buying from toy dealers ?

[skinny]

Only one Toys R Us here...not much of a drive.
Some like the thrill of the hunt.
I would rather shop online. You know for sure if you can get something then. Unlike the uncertainty of whether or not a store got in a new shipment.

[MARSagent]

Its all about time for me. I just dont have to the time to spend driving around hunting. eBay and other websites get the bulk of my money and time.

[Alchemist]

I haven't done any toy shopping locally in a year. I've been very wrapped up in being a caregiver, so I don't have the time. I've been doing all of my collecting online as of late. I really don't think it's as fun as hunting for stuff in stores. I really miss that. Not only did I find it to be more fun, but it was a lot cheaper in terms of the toys themselves and I didn't have to pay shipping fees. The other thing was that I liked being able to compare things like paint applications in person. Quality control has been all over the place in terms of paint applications whether it's Hasbro or Mattel.

Shopping online isn't without it's problems. I've received partial orders, I've paid via debit card and not have things shipped to me until over a week later, I've gotten my fair share of figures with lousy paint applications, and so on.

So, speaking for myself, I'd have to say shopping in stores was generally worth it. Is it still worth it? I don't know since I'm really not sure what the situation at retail has been like for the past year.

I, also, would like to say that some of my online retailer experiences were good this year. Smalljoes.com was great to deal with, as usual. I've been picking up things here and there from them since 2007. Also, dealing with Hasbro Toy Shop for Transformers was really pleasant. And, Classic Toy Soldiers has been great as always for purchasing toy soldiers. I've been dealing with them for probably around twenty years now. The folks over at Toy Soldiers of San Diego have been great, as well.

[FireFox91]

GIJoe is nearly dead at retail. So if it is specially about Joes, clearly it's not worth it. For other toy lines like Star Wars or Transformers, you can find stuff but personally I prefer online. It's usually more expensive, but not having to deal with hassle of constantly looking is worth a few extra buck to me. I have been pre-ordering Transformers from BBTS and since they didn't charge sales tax, it was nearly the same as retail. Now that is changing soon. Starting 1 JAN they are charging sales tax for my state. Likely more to come, just like Amazon. Pretty soon there will no be sales tax free options. Even so, I still prefer online.

[eclusion]

The one thing retail has over online is that you know the quality you are buying with retail. If the package is bent, leave it on the shelf. I have had mixed results from online some like BBTS have been consistently great, others mixed. I use mixed approach since the hunt is still satisfying.

[Stalker7actual]

I hit the local wally world (walmart), probably once a week. I will walk through the toy section to see what they have for "Corps" stuff that I can customize for Joes. TRU I'm there practically daily (I work there). So I'm always keeping an eye on the Joe stuff there and the Sentinel 1 stuff because that makes some good customs for me too. Target is rarely, though with them carrying the Elite lines along with Big Lots, I might have to check those two out periodically. That's when the current budget allows any toy looking.