I buy from Wal-mart and not online because . . .

[zombiedude]

Wal-mart sells their expansion sets for $9.99. Housemouse sells theirs for 13+ as well as S&H. I'm just too poor to spend and extra 6 or so bucks per set, but I really hate Wal-mart.

Is there an on-line equivalence?

[Eclipse]

Wal-mart sells their expansion sets for $9.99. Housemouse sells theirs for 13+ as well as S&H. I'm just too poor to spend and extra 6 or so bucks per set, but I really hate Wal-mart.

Is there an on-line equivalence?

No, because Wal-Mart actually sells things below cost in order to drag you through the other isles hoping you'll buy things that actually make a considerable profit. Online stores don't have such luxury. I'm sure if you look you'll find several threads on the topic.

[Kepler]

Target's prices are comparable to Wal-Mart.

[Cavalier]

Target's prices are comparable to Wal-Mart.He wants someplace on line.

[Sweetcurse]

I feel dirty shopping WM sometimes. But, they are cheap, and I am a teacher, with children. So, too bad, I have to buy cheap if I really want it. 'Sides, I always find super delas there like MS for 7 bucks and RTTFs for 5.

I also wish Target stocked HS as fast as WM does.

[Teamski]

I'm with you all the way, however, I ran out of patience on Wave 6 and ordered through HouseMouse. I am tired of not finding anything, and I need 5 of all commons..... I am at peace.

-Ski

p.s. I am pained at the thought of Wave 6 sitting on the shelves here eventually, and me not buying them to create the demand on the system, thus pushing Wave 7 back. Yuck.....

[Hahnarama]

Time=$$$

Driving all over town =$$$

Gaming with Wave 6 from HM the last 5 weeks PRICELESS!

[insomnimaniac]

Yeah, the added cost is a downer. On the other hand, there is product that I can't get my hands on unless I go through HMG. So, I'll be hitting HMG soon, I hope.
Plus, I've heard nothing but good things about HMG service. Makes it a tug of war.

[Stealth Dodge]

I'd never pay an extra cost for something online. I'd feel as if I am allowing someone to rip me off

[GaryLASQ]

I'm with you all the way, however, I ran out of patience on Wave 6 and ordered through HouseMouse. I am tired of not finding anything, and I need 5 of all commons..... I am at peace.
same deal for me, 5 of each common.

if it weren't for the Chicagoland game store chain Gamer's Paradise, i would be doing all my "new release" purchases through HouseMouse and HasbroToyShop. wave 6 is nowhere to be seen in my area at Walmart, Target or TRU. fortunately i did the full wave 6 grab from GP before it sold out.

btw, why is this thread in Heroscape News ?

[kenjib]

I expect that there will be an online source cheaper than what's out there now (and/or a current source will lower prices) once WotC takes over distribution some time this year, but I could be totally wrong.

[ej]

Time=$$$

Driving all over town =$$$

Gaming with Wave 6 from HM the last 5 weeks PRICELESS!

While I won't argue with point 3, points one and two are an illusion if you're at WM buying toilet paper anyway and if you don't drive all over town on a hunt. Or if your time is worthless, anyway. :)

Part of the thrill for me is to buy things at the cheapest price I can, so while I have no doubts that HMG is superb and wonderful and the bees knees, I would not feel good about myself if I spent potentially twice the price for something now when I could wait. That's why I don't buy the latest videogame systems... because if I wait a year or two I'll spend at least half the money. There's very little I MUST have now... except for Marvel Heroscape, I guess.

[Codeman]

I'd never pay an extra cost for something online. I'd feel as if I am allowing someone to rip me off

Don't feel ripped off ...... I don't know what Wal-Mart buys their HS for nor do I know what price HouseMouse get HS for.... but I think we all know Wal-Mart gets it for a better price than HouseMouse. So getting ripped off should not be an issue - HouseMouse can't sell them for the Wal-Mart price unless they what to be a nonprofit org -or- out of business business :cry: !

[markwars]

I ordered 18 packs from HMG for an awesome $225. If I had bought them at my local TRU I would have paid $253.11 after taxes. The 8.25% local sales tax here in North Texas stinks. Those 18 packs would have cost me $195 at Walmart, but the odds of me finding four complete cases and extra Zombies and Orcs would be slim to none - not to mention that I would be waiting until well into the spring just to find them. The Walmarts in my area NEVER put out more than 2 cases of anything at a time and what they do put out is snatched up almost immediately. TRU is the only real option when it comes to actually finding stuff on shelves, and even they probably wouldn't have the numbers I require.

So for me ordering from HMG does the following:

1. Saves me money.

2. Gets me the latest releases months ahead of my local brick and mortar stores.

3. Allows me to pick up as many sets as I need.

4. Gives me the chance to support a supporter of our hobby.

I see it as a win/win/win/win situation.

[Nickp]

Any box deperatment/grocery store around you will probably carry it. Fred Meyer's (for my area) carries it for the same price as Wal-Mart and they actually pay their employees decently. And walking through wal-mart makes me want to rip-out my eyes. Also don't forget about Toys 'r Us. And Kmart.

Online at Amazon or the Hasbro toyshop. ToysRUs.com, too. I was going to order a single booster or two through housemouse but after seeing the lowest amount for shipping (UPS ground) was more than the booster I decided not to. If I were ordering a large amount it'd be much more worth my while, though.

[Teamski]

For me, it's a difference of $50 or so. Due to no sales tax, I can get 15 packs for $150 vs $201 with HM. It's not prohibitively more expensive considering all of the wasted trips I have made to WM. That adds up. As Markwars says, getting 5x of each common is doable, but I have to hit 3 different WMs to do it, and none have any yet. Heck, one still have 6 sets of 1,2,4,5 on the shelf, that will hold of Wave 6 for quite a while. So all of the past shelf clearing done by your's personally in search of 5 sets came to naught in this case......

Will I try to get Wave 7 at WM, you bet, but HM is there to catch us when that doesn't pan out and $50 in the big scheme of things is nothing, really. So, I finally placed an order with HM....

-Ski

[Kahrma]

Hasbrotoyshop.com occasionally leaks promotional codes which can make ordering online cheaper than buying at WM or Target. During 2006, I took advantage of these 3 times. Once for a straight 25% off, twice for 25% off + free shipping (for orders over 75$). For those who don't want to do the math, 25% off equates to $9.74 for small expansions - even better for large expansions. Oh, and no sales tax - since Hasbro doesn't have any direct retail outlets in Missouri.

True, they don't coincide with new releases, but the promo codes make for a good time to stock up.

[D'Hoffryn]

Due to work, board exams & lack of people I haven't been able to play since September... Getting wave 6 fast isn't a need for me. I won't go out of my way to hunt for it, but will stop at WM/Target on my way when I'm out on errands. No dice yet, but eventually they'll turn up. Maybe TRU will have a bogo sale or Hasbro a special promo code. I'll wait.

HMG is just too expensive for my budget. I admit paying more for something bugs me when I know if I'm patient I'll get it cheaper (and can get more). I'd rather wait & get more for the same price than pay extra to have them sooner. Sad to say they'd just sit in a box for now... Maybe someday I'll find more heroscape players in Tucson.

[ej]

Is anyone expecting there to be a consensus on which option is best? Like almost all answers in the universe... IT DEPENDS.

[Nooblar]

Not to start another Wal-Mart flame war... but here's how I avoid feeling dirty when I shop at Wally's:

1. Never make a special trip. When I'm in Mankato, it's ok to stop by if I need something. Otherwise, don't go.

2. Only buy the stuff that I can't get for a similar price in my own town. Keep business local, but don't be a dolt when you can buy Wal-Mart stuff for less than that company paid for it.

3. Continually investigate other sources for a product. If I can get almost-Wally's prices somewhere else, then I take that business to that store.

Just remember that while you can buy everything but a shower at Wal-Mart, doesn't mean you have to. Take advantage of the really cheap stuff that doesn't make them a profit, and bring other business elsewhere.

[Nickp]

From tv specials I've seen on Wal-mart (Frontline, various Disscovery/Times Channel and History Channel specials) and what I've read, (various magazine articles, a few bits in books) Wal-Mart make a profit on almost everything. Even their warehouse store (Sam's Club) due to the HUGE volume they buy in, their advanced ordering system (no wasted product), and their bullying tactics when it comes to negotiating prices with new product vendors.

[zombie prime]

i shop walmart because i dont need enough product to warrant free shipping.

[Codeman]

i shop walmart because i dont need enough product to warrant free shipping.

I tag my order in with a friend who is putting in the big order. I think he buys for at least 4 or more of us when he puts in an order. Shipping is very fast. I still enjoy hunting for them in stores as well ( need to get multiplies of the commons I like :D ,as well as look for bargans ( don't find them often... I mainly just read about them on this site ).

[ninthdoc]

For me, it's a matter of not always wanting to have to shell out $150+ all at once. I've ordered from Sandra plenty of times and I'm certain I will again. The additional convenience for me is not having to cope with the massive expenditure in those exact terms.

[Havokscry]

I enjoy the hunt. I like going into the store and seeing something new sitting on the shelf. I also don't play that often, so I don't need them right when they are released. Heck, I haven't played since wave 5 came out. So for me, it makes sense to wait. For a die hard gamer, I totally understand ordering online.

[GromBloodboy]

Why would you hate wal-mart. Just yesterday I went to one and they had the Marvelscape tag out for 25 bucks.

[ninthdoc]

There are many reasons to hate Walmart. Grungebob could run a forum site and blog about this exclusively. I refer to GB only b/c he's better versed on all their evils than I.

[Clarissimus]

The main reason people hate Wal-Mart is because they're the biggest. None of the other deparment stores treats their employees any better (on average), but Wal-Mart gets the most flak because they have so many stores and so many employees.

[Havokscry]

I find it strange though that when it comes to Heroscape, people don't criticize Target for undercutting the price of expansions. There's a bit of hypocracy there.

[Josef]

Well, what happens with walmart. They make a contract with you, and they sell your product. Then they become the major portion of your profits (their so big and theirs so many) Then that say "make your product cheaper or we wont sell it" you basicly, if they don't sell your item, have to or forfit all the profits. So then the makers end up shipping everything off to china, even though they didn't want to, because they have to compensate for the lower prices they are giving their stuff to walmart for. Then again this might not be as big a problem for a big company like Hasbro, and with Target (I don't know if target or other stores do this aswell) getting more attention, they might not be so powerfull anymore.

Thats what I heard

[Nickp]

The main reason people hate Wal-Mart is because they're the biggest. None of the other deparment stores treats their employees any better (on average), but Wal-Mart gets the most flak because they have so many stores and so many employees.

Actually, Wal-Mart is targeted for the high volume of people it screws over with aggressive anti-unioning, non-promotions, and keeping their wages low. And doing things like slashing hours, making ridiculous attendence policy rules to keep turnaround high (this means fewer raises and more of an ability to not give out a regular standard schedule), and the aforementioned dealmaking with product distros.

Take a shot at a workplace like Target and you'll find far-less screwing over. As with any huge company there are going to be screwed over workers but most if not all large retailers pale in comparison to Wal-Mart's tactics. Basically, Wal-mart knows their game.

[Havokscry]

The main reason people hate Wal-Mart is because they're the biggest. None of the other deparment stores treats their employees any better (on average), but Wal-Mart gets the most flak because they have so many stores and so many employees.

Actually, Wal-Mart is targeted for the high volume of people it screws over with aggressive anti-unioning, non-promotions, and keeping their wages low. And doing things like slashing hours, making ridiculous attendence policy rules to keep turnaround high (this means fewer raises and more of an ability to not give out a regular standard schedule), and the aforementioned dealmaking with product distros.

Take a shot at a workplace like Target and you'll find far-less screwing over. As with any huge company there are going to be screwed over workers but most if not all large retailers pale in comparison to Wal-Mart's tactics. Basically, Wal-mart knows their game.

Why should people who've never worked at Wal-mart be concerned with this? A lot of people hate their jobs. I'm not going to stop shopping at Wal-mart because they make their workers do a morning cheer.

[Josef]

Man did you miss my post. Thats not the only reason poeple don't like them.

[Clarissimus]

I worked for several years in a respectable regional deparment store (which has since been bought out by Macy's). Keep in mind that this was a lot classier than Wal-Mart. I was required to wear a shirt & tie, dress shoes, etc. Tasteful artwork was on the walls, the store was kept cleaner than pretty much every Wal-Mart I've entered, etc. Nevertheless we'd usually get scheduled 36-38 hours a week at low wages with no health benefits or union, (Are you kidding me? A union for unskilled labor?) and yes, we were required to attend a morning rally and give a big cheer.

It's the same way all across the country. Wal-Mart has become the biggest retailer for two reasons: they buy everything in enormous bulk quantities, and they have a very "flat" management scheme. Wal-Mart doesn't have so many regional managers and vice-presidents and whatnot whose salaries would edge into their profits. It's that simple.

[Menchy]

I was recently in a walmart in selinsgrove pennsylvania, droppping my sister off at college, and not only did they have No heroscape, (except orms return) but it was filled with the type of ppl who's family trees have no branches, if you knwo what i mean. Overall i was just not impressed with the whole thing. OH, and a midget ran over my toes with his cart. Not a fun experience. I don't know if all walmarts are like this, but i will not be going back soon.

-Menchy

[Nickp]

Why should people who've never worked at Wal-mart be concerned with this? A lot of people hate their jobs. I'm not going to stop shopping at Wal-mart because they make their workers do a morning cheer.

While I've never worked at Wal-Mart I have worked a lot of other retail positions (heck, most of my resume is filled with corporate jobs) but I have known many that have worked there. That combined with what I've read/seen/watched has made me not-so-delighted with them. It's not about a morning cheer or dress attire. I think you're completely missing the point here.

I may go to Wal-Mart four times a year, if that. It's always with someone else who is going (my mom when I'm home, or my girlfriend's friend who loves the place)/ I'd rather shop at Target/Fred Meyer/Safeway anyday. The quality of the generic products is much higher at these three (safeway having the best generic products IMO) and the savings are similar. Wal-Mart takes forever to navigate too (and the only wal-mart being close is a Super Wal-mart). I'd rather get my excercise walking a downtown street than playing maze in a wal-mart where the lights hurt my eyes.

[ninthdoc]

I may go to Wal-Mart four times a year, if that. It's always with someone else who is going (my mom when I'm home, or my girlfriend's friend who loves the place)/ I'd rather shop at Target/Fred Meyer/Safeway anyday.

Fortunately for you and unfortunately for many (including me) not everyone has access to as many stores such as this. I live in the Dallas area, which you would think would have better competition, but this is not so. Walmart is dominating the grocery and discount department. Target is trying to keep up, but in the end, $ outrank quality. Plus there are not that many Super Targets around that offer groceries. Safeway has been gone for decades here. I think they own part of Tom Thumb, but they are exclusively groceries, way too high on prices these days, don't offer the service they used to, and fighting dying off all at the same time. We haven't had a decent competitor to Target and Walmart in decades. M.E. Moses and TG&Y have all long been gone and there are no Jewel Osco stores (they are in with Albertsons, which is all about groceries, and still way too high compared to Walmart). K-Mart left us about 5 years ago, but no one would go into one of those anyway as they sucked. I'd love to see Walmart get some real competition. I'll take Target over Walmart any day of the week.

[Grungebob]

The main reason people hate Wal-Mart is because they're the biggest. None of the other deparment stores treats their employees any better (on average), but Wal-Mart gets the most flak because they have so many stores and so many employees.

Actually, Wal-Mart is targeted for the high volume of people it screws over with aggressive anti-unioning, non-promotions, and keeping their wages low. And doing things like slashing hours, making ridiculous attendence policy rules to keep turnaround high (this means fewer raises and more of an ability to not give out a regular standard schedule), and the aforementioned dealmaking with product distros.

Take a shot at a workplace like Target and you'll find far-less screwing over. As with any huge company there are going to be screwed over workers but most if not all large retailers pale in comparison to Wal-Mart's tactics. Basically, Wal-mart knows their game.

Why should people who've never worked at Wal-mart be concerned with this? A lot of people hate their jobs. I'm not going to stop shopping at Wal-mart because they make their workers do a morning cheer.There are MANY MANY reasons why concerned Americans should not shop at Walmart. I am not going to list them here. Read about it a Walmart Watch:

http://walmartwatch.com/

[Havokscry]

I understand the points that everyone is making. I won't buy any clothing at Wal-mart (because of the quality) and I prefer Target hands down for total shopping experience. It won't prevent me from saving money by buying stuff like Heroscape, laundry detergent, cat food/litter, shampoo, etc. from Walmart, because it's a heckuva lot cheaper than the alternative (grocery stores or higher priced retail stores). Walmarts are convenient and are relatively easy to get to. I have to travel twenty or so miles to get to a Target. I also don't specifically go to Walmart to look for Heroscape. I go to Walmart to buy groceries and other necessities. If they have Heroscape great. If they don't, it wasn't a wasted trip.

I think people have high expectations of Walmart. They expect Heroscape to be fully stocked every time they go in there and people get pissed when its not. People are already getting bent out of shape because they put Marvelscape tags up and now reportedly have taken them down.

Maybe its not Walmarts fault that they are not currently stocked with wave 6. Maybe you should start blaming the gamers with the insatiable need to own five or six sets, who go to Walmart everyday looking to buy more and more. People were upset when they couldn't find wave 5. They're everywhere now.

For those who are patient, under a tight budget, and don't need wave 6 now, Walmart is great and convenient. For everyone else, online stores are probably the way to go.

[ej]

I think people have high expectations of Walmart. They expect Heroscape to be fully stocked every time they go in there and people get pissed when its not. People are already getting bent out of shape because they put Marvelscape tags up and now reportedly have taken them down.




Bent out of shape? I'm a fricking PRETZEL about it.

Makes driving difficult.

[Grungebob]

Of course they have lower prices, but we all pay for it in the long run. In fact there is much information out there that shows how much Walmart is costing us in the long run. I hear so many people defend Walmart by stating the obvious lower prices. Do you think me and many other folks DON'T like low prices? I would rather shop somewhere else and pay more knowing that I am not eroding our American way of life.

[netherspirit]

Of course they have lower prices, but we all pay for it in the long run. In fact there is much information out there that shows how much Walmart is costing us in the long run. I hear so many people defend Walmart by stating the obvious lower prices. Do you think me and many other folks DON'T like low prices? I would rather shop somewhere else and pay more knowing that I am not eroding our American way of life.

Interesting, do you have some examples or some links about how Wal-Mart is eroding our American way of life? I would be interested in reading about that.

There is no sarcasm intended in that...I am genuinely interested.

[kenjib]

Of course they have lower prices, but we all pay for it in the long run. In fact there is much information out there that shows how much Walmart is costing us in the long run. I hear so many people defend Walmart by stating the obvious lower prices. Do you think me and many other folks DON'T like low prices? I would rather shop somewhere else and pay more knowing that I am not eroding our American way of life.

Interesting, do you have some examples or some links about how Wal-Mart is eroding our American way of life? I would be interested in reading about that.

There is no sarcasm intended in that...I am genuinely interested.

There are MANY MANY reasons why concerned Americans should not shop at Walmart. I am not going to list them here. Read about it a Walmart Watch:

http://walmartwatch.com/

[Havokscry]

Well, if more people would protest Walmart, then there will be more Heroscape for those of us that don't mind shopping there. :D

With some people, price is no object. How do you explain some of the crazy prices on ebay? It turns into an addiction. People want it and need it so bad, that they don't mind paying four or five bucks extra per booster online (or more on ebay) to have it right away. If I was able to play quite a bit, I may be one of those people. I don't play that often, so it is worth the wait for me.

[Grungebob]

Of course they have lower prices, but we all pay for it in the long run. In fact there is much information out there that shows how much Walmart is costing us in the long run. I hear so many people defend Walmart by stating the obvious lower prices. Do you think me and many other folks DON'T like low prices? I would rather shop somewhere else and pay more knowing that I am not eroding our American way of life.

Interesting, do you have some examples or some links about how Wal-Mart is eroding our American way of life? I would be interested in reading about that.

There is no sarcasm intended in that...I am genuinely interested.I'll give a quick example. Walmart lobbies for imminent domain changes to reflect wording that allows a local government to use imminent domain laws to allow a walmart to forcibly move citizens to make room for one of their new stores. They only need to prove that their store would pay higher tax than the original residences. Once built the property values for a five mile radius drop (as always happens when a Walmart moves in). This in effect lowers the tax revenue and devalues the homes of the surrounding citizens. Ever wonder why folks protest when Walmart moves in and not when other stores do?

[Havokscry]

Of course they have lower prices, but we all pay for it in the long run. In fact there is much information out there that shows how much Walmart is costing us in the long run. I hear so many people defend Walmart by stating the obvious lower prices. Do you think me and many other folks DON'T like low prices? I would rather shop somewhere else and pay more knowing that I am not eroding our American way of life.

Interesting, do you have some examples or some links about how Wal-Mart is eroding our American way of life? I would be interested in reading about that.

There is no sarcasm intended in that...I am genuinely interested.I'll give a quick example. Walmart lobbies for imminent domain changes to reflect wording that allows a local government to use imminent domain laws to allow a walmart to forcibly move citizens to make room for one of their new stores. They only need to prove that their store would pay higher tax than the original residences. Once built the property values for a five mile radius drop (as always happens when a Walmart moves in). This in effect lowers the tax revenue and devalues the homes of the surrounding citizens. Ever wonder why folks protest when Walmart moves in and not when other stores do?

Isn't that the fault of a corrupt local government who the people elect?

[Grungebob]

Of course they have lower prices, but we all pay for it in the long run. In fact there is much information out there that shows how much Walmart is costing us in the long run. I hear so many people defend Walmart by stating the obvious lower prices. Do you think me and many other folks DON'T like low prices? I would rather shop somewhere else and pay more knowing that I am not eroding our American way of life.

Interesting, do you have some examples or some links about how Wal-Mart is eroding our American way of life? I would be interested in reading about that.

There is no sarcasm intended in that...I am genuinely interested.I'll give a quick example. Walmart lobbies for imminent domain changes to reflect wording that allows a local government to use imminent domain laws to allow a walmart to forcibly move citizens to make room for one of their new stores. They only need to prove that their store would pay higher tax than the original residences. Once built the property values for a five mile radius drop (as always happens when a Walmart moves in). This in effect lowers the tax revenue and devalues the homes of the surrounding citizens. Ever wonder why folks protest when Walmart moves in and not when other stores do?

Isn't that the fault of a corrupt local government who the people elect?It is the actual financial power of walmart that can force a local politician. Heck the guy might owe their whole political career to Walmart financial backing... Plus it doesn't remove the guilt from Walmart. They are more powerful than most countries.

[Menchy]

My Aunt's brother(she married into the family so im not talking about my other uncle) works for ocean spray, and he said that when they wanted to sell to walmart, they came in and reviewed how they manufactured their product, how much product they made, where they made it, and how much money everything cost. Then they would give advice on how to improve their buisness, and would set criteria for them to be able to sell to walmart. THey resisted for as long as possible, but eventually they needed the money so they had to cut wages, manufacture cheaper products, and move to some new locations. That is what really ticks me off about them. The second and third richest people in the USA are the walmart creators. I just odnt think the way they do their buisness is right. And a walmart near me had some problems where they locked the cleaning crew in the store at night. I dont know what was up with that, but something wierd was going on. Just my 2 cents.

[Nickp]

I think people have high expectations of Walmart. They expect Heroscape to be fully stocked every time they go in there and people get pissed when its not. People are already getting bent out of shape because they put Marvelscape tags up and now reportedly have taken them down.

Maybe its not Walmarts fault that they are not currently stocked with wave 6. Maybe you should start blaming the gamers with the insatiable need to own five or six sets, who go to Walmart everyday looking to buy more and more. People were upset when they couldn't find wave 5. They're everywhere now.


Well for a company with one of the largest and fairly state-of-the-art computer ordering systems you'd think that the shelves wouldn't be naked for long.

And as for Wal-mart's impact on "the american way of life", check this:

http://www.fastcompany.com/online/77/walmart.html

"Of course, U.S. companies have been moving jobs offshore for decades, long before Wal-Mart was a retailing power. But there is no question that the chain is helping accelerate the loss of American jobs to low-wage countries such as China. Wal-Mart, which in the late 1980s and early 1990s trumpeted its claim to "Buy American," has doubled its imports from China in the past five years alone, buying some $12 billion in merchandise in 2002. That's nearly 10% of all Chinese exports to the United States."

""People ask, 'How can it be bad for things to come into the U.S. cheaply? How can it be bad to have a bargain at Wal-Mart?' Sure, it's held inflation down, and it's great to have bargains," says Dobbins. "But you can't buy anything if you're not employed. We are shopping ourselves out of jobs.""

[Clarissimus]

We are all "eroding the American way of life" by buying plastic figures made in China :p

The second and third richest people in the USA are the walmart creators.

Sam Walton died in 1992 so I don't know who you're talking about. But since when is being rich automatically mean somebody is evil? It is impossible to acquire wealth in the world through legitimate means?

[InfinityMax]

Clariss has a point - the creator of WalMart has been dead for a while. Why do you think they're not the paragon of 'Buy American' any more? Sam Walton spins in his grave every time WalMart forces another hundred jobs overseas. Sam's company, which was once the shining star of patriotism and American merchandising, has become the leading retail force that drives jobs out of this country.

OK, I'll stop. Every time I start talking about WalMart and their underhanded, unAmerican business practices, someone calls me either a communist, a fascist or a socialist, so I'm staying out of this. I could argue this all day, but it never makes me any friends.

[Grungebob]

Walmart employs the largest percentage of welfare receiving employees of any other company in the US. This means several things:

1- Walmart's employees cannot make enough money to get off welfare

2- Walmart is exploiting our welfare system as an alternative to actually providing benefits for its employees.

3- We the taxpayers are picking up the bill. Our tax dollars!!

Nobody factors these hidden costs into the equation when looking at WM's low prices. The fact is, we cannot afford Walmart's low prices.

[CupidsArt]

I ordered 18 packs from HMG for an awesome $225. If I had bought them at my local TRU I would have paid $253.11 after taxes. The 8.25% local sales tax here in North Texas stinks. Those 18 packs would have cost me $195 at Walmart, but the odds of me finding four complete cases and extra Zombies and Orcs would be slim to none - not to mention that I would be waiting until well into the spring just to find them. The Walmarts in my area NEVER put out more than 2 cases of anything at a time and what they do put out is snatched up almost immediately. TRU is the only real option when it comes to actually finding stuff on shelves, and even they probably wouldn't have the numbers I require.

So for me ordering from HMG does the following:

1. Saves me money.

2. Gets me the latest releases months ahead of my local brick and mortar stores.

3. Allows me to pick up as many sets as I need.

4. Gives me the chance to support a supporter of our hobby.

I see it as a win/win/win/win situation.


What he said, :D



Honestly I don't think I'll ever buy my HS from Wal*Mart ever again. Hell the only things I buy from WM as it sets is Video Games or Movies, and I don't buy that many video games or movies, :?

Honestly WM is just another company, you can't get P!$$ED at them without getting P!$$ED at every other BIG company out there. They all just want the $$ and they know that by cutting costs where they do, they can bring in the little guy.

They want middle-class, middle-america shopping at there stores. They don't care about the folks with $$, they want to take every penny from the folks that have nothing, :(

[Grungebob]

Honestly WM is just another company, you can't get P!$$ED at them without getting P!$$ED at every other BIG company out there. They all just want the $$ and they know that by cutting costs where they do, they can bring in the little guyNot quite. Walmart is different in many ways. It is no accident that Walmart is put upon by so many anti-Walmart boycotters. The sad thing is that some other companies do feel as though they need to use Walmart tactics to compete with Walmart.

[johnny139]

OK, I'll stop. Every time I start talking about WalMart and their underhanded, unAmerican business practices, someone calls me either a communist, a fascist or a socialist, so I'm staying out of this. I could argue this all day, but it never makes me any friends.

"When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a Communist."

~ Dom Helder Camara

[markwars]

I could argue this all day, but it never makes me any friends.

Actually I am proof that it does make you friends. I remember this same topic on HQ and reading your posts made me realize that you were someone worth knowing. 8)

[InfinityMax]

Thanks, Markwars. I guess I will go ahead and chime in here.

1) Of course you don't hate rich people for being rich. If WalMart was composed entirely of poverty-stricken executives, I would still take issue with the way they do business. Of course, that's not even remotely the case - the executives at WalMart are making enormous incomes, especially compared to the welfare-to-work checkers and stockers.

2) Sam Walton created WalMart and was one of the leading advocates of the 'Buy American' movement in the late 80s and 90s. After he died, his company now more or less forces manufacturers to send jobs to China. The company has done more to harm the American job force than any other retailer.

3) When I was a senior designer for a manufacturer, we sold products to both WalMart and Target. Due to my position, I was unfortunate enough to know the kinds of bargaining both companies did with us to get lower prices. In many cases, WalMart wants exclusives - which means additional packaging and design costs - and then still will not accept products at anything close to what Target will pay. This use of their buying muscle meant that, at least while I was there, I could buy our products cheaper at WalMart than I could from the company, even counting my employee discount.

While I was employed at this company, we lost two manufacturing plants and a distribution facility because we were forced to send the work to China. Hundreds of people lost their jobs, and one small town in Central Texas was almost completely bankrupted. When a company takes deliberate action that causes American jobs to be lost to a foreign power - especially a foreign power as corrupt as China - I consider that downright unAmerican. It really ripens my cheese when I actually know the people that lose their houses because the only large employer in their town closes its doors and ships all the jobs to China.

4) WalMart does a horrible job of taking care of its employees. Whereas most grocery stores use union employees to both guarantee quality and offer benefits, WalMart fires anyone they suspect of organizing. WalMart forces employees to work for far less than a living wage, and then regularly requires them to work off the clock. They treat their people poorly, and pay them poorly - and the result is that their employees suck. The few times I have shopped at WalMart (years ago - I won't go there now), I have left furious. Complaining to management is useless, because they can't hire anyone to replace their rotten employees, because any replacements will be just as bad. If they were quality employees, they could work somewhere else.

5) One thing that always amazes me is when very conservative people support WalMart. People who would be willing to take up arms and patrol the border with the other Minute Men are willing to forgive WalMart for hiring hundreds of illegal immigrants. WalMart thumbs its collective nose at any laws it finds inconvenient, and when it gets caught, just pays the fines and keeps at it.

6) Maybe this is different for other people, but I have never been in a clean WalMart. I have been in five or six different stores, and they are uniformly crowded, disorganized, dirty and unkempt. If the only reason I had to avoid WalMart was the horrid state of their stores, that would be more than enough. Their prices are low because they are evidently saving on cleaning crews.

So I would pay triple to buy off eBay before I bought my Heroscape at WalMart. But then, I trade dice towers for all my Heroscape stuff, so that might not be completely relevant.

[Grungebob]

Everything Imax said above plus:

Walmart has a special relationship with department of immigration whereby Walmart gets 48 hrs advanced notice of any impending immigration inspections. At the same time Walmart is lobbying for tougher immigration laws and stiffer fines. Walmart employs more illegal immigrants than anybody. They do this to drive off competition. Small businesses don't always have the infrastructure to do proper checks on all employees. Getting caught with one illegal immigrant could destroy a small business. Meanwhile Walmart gets an advanced warning and has the means to pay the fines. Typical tactics Walmart uses to compete unfairly.

Minimum wage! Walmart is lobbying to raise the minimum wage.... Why!!?? Walmart pays above minimum wage, but also knows that some small private businesses depend on being able to use minimum wage employees. Walmart wants to hurt the little guy, and is not concerned with altruism.

Whenever a Walmart tries to unionize, They hire on massive amounts of barely legal immigrants so that the union cannot achieve the required 50% to get approval.

Walmart forces manufacturers to create separate inferior versions of their products to keep costs low but does not tell the consumer. The water content of a bottle of Hunts Catsup, is higher when purchased at Walmart for example. You assume you are getting the same thing for a reduced price but you are not.

[Uprising]

Walmart forces manufacturers to create separate inferior versions of their products to keep costs low but does not tell the consumer. The water content of a bottle of Hunts Catsup, is higher when purchased at Walmart for example. You assume you are getting the same thing for a reduced price but you are not.

That's just plain f***ed!

[CupidsArt]

Honestly WM is just another company, you can't get P!$$ED at them without getting P!$$ED at every other BIG company out there. They all just want the $$ and they know that by cutting costs where they do, they can bring in the little guyNot quite. Walmart is different in many ways. It is no accident that Walmart is put upon by so many anti-Walmart boycotters. The sad thing is that some other companies do feel as though they need to use Walmart tactics to compete with Walmart.

That post didn't come across the way I wanted it to, :D I don't want anyone thinking that I advocate the way Wal*Mart runs it's company by throwing other large companies in there.

I feel the same as you, Imax, MW and so many others on the entire WM situation. I just don't have the posting skills to put those thoughts across, like you guys do.

If I could I'd just quote either you, Imax or Markwars everytime I had a thought and be done with it, but that's just too lazy, :D

[Grungebob]

Walmart forces manufacturers to create separate inferior versions of their products to keep costs low but does not tell the consumer. The water content of a bottle of Hunts Catsup, is higher when purchased at Walmart for example. You assume you are getting the same thing for a reduced price but you are not.

That's just plain f***ed!The thing is that they allow you to make the assumption. You see the name brand and assume it is the same stuff. There is no obligation to mention on the label that the product is inferior. Imagine what this means when you purchase electronics from them. Sure some things are not subject to this, but those usually have a fixed price. An Xbox will cost just as much at Walmart as it will anywhere else so you can assume it is of comparable quality etc..

[Cavalier]

Walmart forces manufacturers to create separate inferior versions of their products to keep costs low but does not tell the consumer. The water content of a bottle of Hunts Catsup, is higher when purchased at Walmart for example. You assume you are getting the same thing for a reduced price but you are not.

That's just plain f***ed!The thing is that they allow you to make the assumption. You see the name brand and assume it is the same stuff. There is no obligation to mention on the label that the product is inferior. Imagine what this means when you purchase electronics from them. Sure some things are not subject to this, but those usually have a fixed price. An Xbox will cost just as much at Walmart as it will anywhere else so you can assume it is of comparable quality etc..So are HS products at WM inferior? :wink:

[Grungebob]

Walmart forces manufacturers to create separate inferior versions of their products to keep costs low but does not tell the consumer. The water content of a bottle of Hunts Catsup, is higher when purchased at Walmart for example. You assume you are getting the same thing for a reduced price but you are not.

That's just plain f***ed!The thing is that they allow you to make the assumption. You see the name brand and assume it is the same stuff. There is no obligation to mention on the label that the product is inferior. Imagine what this means when you purchase electronics from them. Sure some things are not subject to this, but those usually have a fixed price. An Xbox will cost just as much at Walmart as it will anywhere else so you can assume it is of comparable quality etc..So are HS products at WM inferior? :wink:I don't know... I don't shop there.

[Havokscry]

I'm assuming that all the anti-Walmart guys and gals don't own the Elite Onyx Vipers?

[Cavalier]

I'm assuming that all the anti-Walmart guys and gals don't own the Elite Onyx Vipers?
They do, but they didn't buy them form Wal-Mart, so it's ok :wink:

[Onacara]

WalMart does not make manufacturers make inferior products for their stores...

In fact many companies repackage their regular product and sell them exclusively to chain stores like WalMart...for example..

Spaulding used to make Top Flight golf balls which sold for about $17.99 a dozen everywhere, but they also made SuperFlight golf balls which sold for about $12.99 but were only available in places like KMart, WMart and now defunct chains like Caldors and Herman's Sporting Goods....people thought the SuperFlights were inferior when in fact they were the same exact ball.

[Grungebob]

I'm assuming that all the anti-Walmart guys and gals don't own the Elite Onyx Vipers?
They do, but they didn't buy them form Wal-Mart, so it's ok :wink:I do have the EOV. ninthdoc gave them to me. He is a friend.. He can do that.

WalMart does not make manufacturers make inferior products for their stores... True that Walmart doesn't make them do it, but if it is the only way to create product and still be able to keep the employees needed to manufacture the items shipped to other retailers, then I don't see where they really had a choice.

[Cavalier]

I'm assuming that all the anti-Walmart guys and gals don't own the Elite Onyx Vipers?
They do, but they didn't buy them form Wal-Mart, so it's ok :wink:I do have the EOV. ninthdoc gave them to me. He is a friend.. He can do that.You know I'm just razzing you Gbob!


Having formerly worked for the evil empire, I have no love for them. Living in a rural area, I have no choice but to shop there...there's no other choice in the area...300 miles to Phoenix Metro or 170 to Tucson for other options.

[InfinityMax]

I'm assuming that all the anti-Walmart guys and gals don't own the Elite Onyx Vipers?

Excellent point, Havokscry! When the EOVs first came out, I was dismayed that there was a HS product that I would not own. Because not only will I not shop at WalMart, but I wouldn't even buy one on eBay or trade for it, because I know full well that the product was originally purchased at WalMart, and that I would still be indirectly endorsing them.

However, I do own them now. Ninthdoc bought a ludicrous number of EOV sets when they went on sale, and gave me a set of just the snakey guys. So I have one squad of EOVs.

And Onacara, I am sorry, but WalMart most definitely does make manufacturers sell them inferior products. The manufacturing company I mentioned before, the one I worked for, often had to make two versions of the same product, because WalMart wanted the budget version. So I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the practice of making manufacturers make inferior products just so that WalMart can have a cheaper exclusive is absolutely taking place.

One more note here - I absolutely, unequivocally do not hold it against anyone if they shop at WalMart. That's up to you, and my ethical stance against WalMart is my decision, not yours. I don't want anyone to think I have a lower opinion of them because they shop at WalMart, because I most certainly do not. I know more than one vegetarian, and I am just happy they don't dislike me because I eat meat. This works the same way.

[Grungebob]

What Imax said.. But I really wish more folks would shop elsewhere.

[Codeman]

I do know these large retail companies do make demands of manufactures if you want to do business with them. This was before Wal-Mart is what it is today… but in this case it was K-Mart. In the late 70’s the company I worked for made a deal with K-Mart to sell space heaters. This was great other than we had to redesign our existing aluminum casting and make it out of plastic! K-Mart got to see our bill of materials and the price each part cost. They only agreed to the deal if we would redesign a few of the expensive parts that they pointed out so we/they could lower the cost. Begrudgingly the Engineering Dept did this ( just for the K-mart models ) , and without proper testing they were sent to K-Mart…. In about 3 or 4 months we basically got thousands of them all back.. pretty Aqua colored space heaters filled our warehouse…. I left the company just weeks before it went under. I’m not saying the K-Mart deal did us in… it certainly didn’t help the bottom line…and it was our fault for agreeing to this deal anyway.

My point is the outside may look the same but the guts may be different.

[Onacara]

Unfortunately when you have 4 kids it is a necessary evil sometimes....although I do shop at BJs and Costco and not Sams Club..so I only partially support the evil empire...

[InfinityMax]

Costco is excellent. They were recently in the news for treating their employees far better than anyone would have expected. Big thumbs-up for shopping at Costco.

[Grungebob]

Costco is excellent. They were recently in the news for treating their employees far better than anyone would have expected. Big thumbs-up for shopping at Costco.Great thing about them is that they are making an earnest attempt to show how to do what Walmart does (low prices) but do it in an ethical way that is not detrimental to our way of life.

[insomnimaniac]

My Father's full time job is working at a TV manufacturing company. They sell exclusively to Walmart. 2 or 3 years ago Walmart walked in and said "We want X amount of TV's and this is how much we are going to pay for them!" Needless to say, that company ran the TV's to keep their workers employed (which is a good company) but in turn, only made $1.00 profit on their TV's.

Walmart has told the TV company that they want X amount of TV's, the company made them, then Walmart denied the shipment, saying "We don't have a need for them anymore." The shipment was received 9 days earlier then Walmarts deadline.

Sad to say, my Father's company constructed a plant in Mexico and they are basically taking my Dad's job away. The Company is laying off 300 jobs (not people, possibly thousands of people). Fortunately for my Dad, he is higher up and avoided the cut. He doesn't think the plant will be open past July of this year.

On a side note, I work for my Father's company. He started a business to have something to fall on when the company he works for locks its doors. I can't afford to shop anywhere other then Walmart for groceries. So, it puts me in a catch 22.

[kenjib]

We ran Walmart out of our town. They tried to put one in and we pressured our local reps to deny their permit. Woo! Another thing Walmart does (though other large stores do too) is to drive small businesses under when they move in. Entrepreneurs providing high quality services and niche products are replaced by McJobs and generic stuff that could have already been purchased 10 minutes further away. Furthermore, when a local business owner gets your money they spend it locally and it keeps the local economy healthy and growing. When the money goes into the Walton family bank accounts it leaves the community and the entire local economy can suffer as a result. A Walmart moving in can completely gut a town.

[Menchy]

After i posted the thing about the walmart creators, i realized my mistake. Though i am fairly sure(i am too lazy to check) that the 2nd and thrid richest people in the country are affiliated w/ walmart in some way. Oh, and don't feel like i hate rich people, my family is fairly well off, so i have no problem with rich ppl in general (im surrounded by them) but more with people taht become rich through slimey buisness practices. Oh, and earlier when i said that i went to walmart w/ my sister, well we bought a TV. We got it, and opened it. There was no screen. Seriously you could see inside. It was hilarious. I'm still laughing.

[ej]

Do you guys realize that most of the arguments against Wal-Mart can equally be applied to American Idol?

[Nickp]

We ran Walmart out of our town. They tried to put one in and we pressured our local reps to deny their permit. Woo! Another thing Walmart does (though other large stores do too) is to drive small businesses under when they move in. Entrepreneurs providing high quality services and niche products are replaced by McJobs and generic stuff that could have already been purchased 10 minutes further away. Furthermore, when a local business owner gets your money they spend it locally and it keeps the local economy healthy and growing. When the money goes into the Walton family bank accounts it leaves the community and the entire local economy can suffer as a result. A Walmart moving in can completely gut a town.

I think they shot down one here in Olympia, too. Our whole downtown besides a Starbucks, hotels, and banks are local or near-local. When the Quiznos moved in they even were against that and just avoided it like the plague so it had to shutdown. I like Quiznos so this does suck but I understand wanting to keep the downtown localized. It's thriving well, too.

A bit off downtown towards the capital there's a subway and across the street a MConneys (local east coast-style sandwhich shop) and the subway is always dead and the mconneys is thriving. Always.

This makes me happy simply because Mconneys is local, decently priced, and a hell of a lot better tasting.

[InfinityMax]

Do you guys realize that most of the arguments against Wal-Mart can equally be applied to American Idol?

The show? Where bad singers compete to be the best bad singer? I am afraid I completely don't follow you. Please explain before I have a p sychotic episode trying to figure out if you mean that American Idol is forcing singers to go to China, or if the show is just always dirty and run by welfare workers or illegal aliens.

[netherspirit]

American Idol?

The show? Where bad singers compete to be the best bad singer?

Holy frack, thats the funniest thing I have ever heard!

[ej]

Do you guys realize that most of the arguments against Wal-Mart can equally be applied to American Idol?

The show? Where bad singers compete to be the best bad singer? I am afraid I completely don't follow you. Please explain before I have a p sychotic episode trying to figure out if you mean that American Idol is forcing singers to go to China, or if the show is just always dirty and run by welfare workers or illegal aliens.

The show is cheap to produce and shoulders out other, higher quality television. It's freakin' everywhere you turn and your wife drags you there against your will. It shoots puppies and eats babies and kicks you in the crotch while the blood dribbles down its chin.

[Joah]

American Idol?

The show? Where bad singers compete to be the best bad singer?

Holy frack, thats the funniest thing I have ever heard!

That whole post was the funniest thing I've ever read. :lol:

[zombie prime]

even though i do buy from walmart, mostly because i have a job inside a kiosk of one of the few non-supercenters left,(closes in march for a new supercenter which kicks me out of my job there), i would like to sare some of my experiences with walmart product.

*rant*
first off i will say that i work for one of the largest cell phone companies in the business. we are responsible for any mistakes that agents make, in other words they mess it up, i fix it.

even though i have only worked here for less that 1 year i can tell you this walmart and other agents sell inferior products than the corporate store but they sell it soo cheap that if we do not price match we dont get the sale!!!

the best example i can think of is the Moto Razr. we see returns from agents 10 to 1 on these phones, many of them are just after the 30 day warranty which means that the person will not get a new phone back, but a refirbished one, which in return makes my company look bad because an agent sold them an inferior phone.

lastly, the agents pass stuff off instead of fixing it. only yesterday i opened the gate to a customer who was told to go to warranty because the talker could not be heard. when i looked at the phone i saw the error, the in call volume was set to 0. if the agent would have just looked at the phone and troubleshooted for 1 minute they should have saw the problem!!!

*end rant*

sorry for the long post

[skyknight]

I am a supporter of Wal-Mart.
With five kids it just makes my life very easy. You older guys know my thoughts on this subject but I am choosin to step back from this one this time. As Imax said i have way to many memories of where this subject can lead. The last time this came up it was not overly wonderful :P

[InfinityMax]

Yeah, this one does bring back memories, Skyknight. Good times, huh?

[Sweetcurse]

Whenever a Walmart tries to unionize, They hire on massive amounts of barely legal immigrants so that the union cannot achieve the required 50% to get approval.

What's a barely legal immigrant?

[Grungebob]

Whenever a Walmart tries to unionize, They hire on massive amounts of barely legal immigrants so that the union cannot achieve the required 50% to get approval.

What's a barely legal immigrant?Walmart brings Mexicans across the border and funds their 6mos visas. When they expire Walmart continues to employ them. This is why we cannot keep the flood of immigrants from coming. I call this barely legal, because it is really a system put in place that undermines the immigration system.

[markwars]

That's amazing GB. I hadn't heard of that. Sad and amazing. :cry:

[skyknight]

Yeah, this one does bring back memories, Skyknight. Good times, huh?
I kinda sit back and laugh about that one every now and then. The loss of that particular thread was probably the best thing about the fall of HQ :lol:

[Sweetcurse]

Whenever a Walmart tries to unionize, They hire on massive amounts of barely legal immigrants so that the union cannot achieve the required 50% to get approval.

What's a barely legal immigrant?Walmart brings Mexicans across the border and funds their 6mos visas. When they expire Walmart continues to employ them. This is why we cannot keep the flood of immigrants from coming. I call this barely legal, because it is really a system put in place that undermines the immigration system.

If the US immigration laws weren't retarded, and WM wasn't evil, perhaps that wouldn't happen. I know first hand, because I'm a product of those laws. They are sluggish, moronic and economically biased. There is no excuse for braking the law for sure, but I know plenty of individuals who have no choice to the matter. Perhaps WM should, if they were a good company, help those people who want to stay legally get their papers straight. But as you have eloquently said in the WM discussion, that will never happen. WM will obviously rather keep them employed, and in constant fear (fearful amployees are easy to manipulate) of deportation, than using their unlimited funds to sponsor them for resident status.

[Grungebob]

That's amazing GB. I hadn't heard of that. Sad and amazing. :cry:The sick part is the strangle hold Walmart lobbyists have on the immigration system and the illusion of reform that is an absolute charade. All elements of reform are set up to give Walmart an advantage, meanwhile the average citizen actually think that something is being done, but it is just the opposite.

[Sweetcurse]

One thing that always amazes me is when very conservative people support WalMart. People who would be willing to take up arms and patrol the border with the other Minute Men are willing to forgive WalMart for hiring hundreds of illegal immigrants. WalMart thumbs its collective nose at any laws it finds inconvenient, and when it gets caught, just pays the fines and keeps at it.


The minute men are nothing more than cowardly law-breaking, bigoted vigilantes under the guise of "patriots." They "patrol" the border of the "dangerous" criminals. If they are so hot, they should sign up for a tour of duty in Irak, North Korea or Somalia, or patrol crime infested communities in the US and prove their mettle. It's easy to shoot at poor schlobs swimming across the river. I would like to see them go and explain their actions to the mothers of the children they and the border patrol have shot with impunity in recent months. I would like to see the mothers of 15 to 25 year old boys killed on the border understand that their children were criminals worth shooting.

Other than the 4th Mass. I hope never to hear from those "Minute Men" idiots ever again in this forum. Alas, that will not come true I'm sure. [/quote]

[Sweetcurse]

That's amazing GB. I hadn't heard of that. Sad and amazing. :cry:The sick part is the strangle hold Walmart lobbyists have on the immigration system and the illusion of reform that is an absolute charade. All elements of reform are set up to give Walmart an advantage, meanwhile the average citizen actually think that something is being done, but it is just the opposite.

Excellently put GB.

[InfinityMax]

Yeah, this one does bring back memories, Skyknight. Good times, huh?
I kinda sit back and laugh about that one every now and then. The loss of that particular thread was probably the best thing about the fall of HQ :lol:

Amen to that, brother!