When I found the Destro/Shockwave & Tunnel Rat/Storm Shadow packs a few weeks back, I was rather surprised.

A bit before the holidays, let's say October, distribution seemed to stop being an issue. However, as I had become conditioned to not being able to find things in stores, I stopped trying and purchased almost everything from online vendors. But then the dry spell in stores seemed over. If Hasbro was making it, it was in the stores.

That's over. I didn't purchase a "Best of the 80's DVD set" on line, figuring that they would eventually drift into stores. But they didn't. As others have pointed out in other topics, that set is not available anywhere now. Likewise, I also missed out on the Sky Hawk and Water Moccasin. Those never showed up.

The SH and WM don't surprise me as much, but I can't understand why the shelves are still flooded with the Sharc and Hiss Tanks. The Sharcs, which were released before the SH and WM, appear to be new ones, too. One day a store will have no vehicles and then, out of nowhere, more Sharc boxes.

Is anyone else finding bad distribution to be a problem... again?

Not here, some of the stuff hit a little later than I might have thought, but I've found everything, and could probably track down anything else I wanted if I decide I need doubles. I will agree that the Best Of set is way too tough to get though. I managed to get one myself, but I never see it on shelves anywhere. Why they didn't put it in the case with the Greatest Battles set I have no idea. Wave 13 has become pretty scarce as well, but other than maybe snagging a few more Resolute Troopers I'm done with that too.

When was it good?

I found the Skyhawk by luck when I was visitng a friend. I've never seen the Water Moccasin or the Best of the 80s set. The repaint wave is apparently a Toys R Us exclusive in PA. The Viper/Iron Grenadier comic pack is a myth, right up there with Nessy and Bigfoot. Distribution has never really been good around here.

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Distribution improved around here, for about a second.
I saw a couple of Eels, Airbornes, and Pilot Scarletts, and my son got a Matt Trakker figure. Then once they were gone, nothing.

I think the Target closest to me is still sitting on some of those Scarletts, though.

One Wal-Mart has only had literally the same 4 figures for the past 3 months (1 re-pack Destro, 1 IG Destro, 1 re-pack Roadblock, and 1 re-packed Scarlett). Along with 2 Firebats, a couple of the new 5-packs that don't seem to be going anywhere, some "Revenge of Cobra" DVD packs, and a crapload of wave 1 and 2 comic packs, and that is all they have had sitting there for a good long while.

One of the other Wal-Marts has been overflowing with the Tiger Force Flint, PP Cobra Soldiers, and Wild Bill figures since they first came out. Haven't seen anything new there at all, beyond those waves.

Toys R Us has a ton of DVD pack#2, some SHARC's, and a bunch of the IG/Destro and Cobra Commander/Tripwire comic packs. Single carded-wise they have had a jetpack Duke, Arctic Snake Eyes, and HISS driver hanging around for ever. I did see a single PP CG there once. They got in some of the VvV / JvC type DVD packs, and don't seem to have sold a single one since we first saw them there, about a month and a half ago.

Poor distribution has all but killed my son's interest in GI Joe. There are figures that he wanted, but since he can never find anything in the stores, he has pretty much completely quit even looking at Joes, with me.

I won't even get in to the "80's Greatest Hits" DVD pack, that whole mess pisses me off to no end.

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Distro was never good around here, Half of the "November rush" waves never made it to the shelf (I only got what few I did cause of the comic shop which recieved about half his order too).

The distro problems have definatly killed alot of interest in this line from people I know. I can think of about 4 or 5 who have told me that if they can't find what they want why bother. Not everyone wants to take the online route so the only option is to skip it or be frustrated.

Don't know if distribution's to blame or if my local stores have been holding onto newer product until the big push for Easter, but the last time I saw a lot of Joe product was just before The Holidays and just after.

The Resolute singles flew off the shelf (in literally less than a week), so now I'm primarily seeing plenty of Roadblock v. 2, Bludds, HISS Drivers, and Python Patrol Troopers. The Resolute comic packs have been showing up in greater numbers, but there're still a lot of Destro & IG and Cobra Commander vs. Tripwire.

Haven't seen ANY new vehicles or DVD sets in person at all. The last major stuff I've found has been the new Resolute/Joe/Cobra 5-packs, not that I'm complaining. It's been nice to have a little break, but I think Marvel Universe is putting an end to that.

The best of DVD set is all I'm finding here in the Denver Metro area in Targets. And haven't seen the WM or SH since I bought them at WM when I first saw them.

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The ONLY place to get new packs in my area is TRU, my local WM doesn't even carry vehiceles anymore, nor the DVD packs, it's been a while since they even restocked the Joe singles

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Mind you, this came from someone online, but he said he talked to a toy manager and they've (Walmart) hasn't placed an order for 25th/Modern Joes in weeks.

Presumably to prep for the movie line.

pretty decent in Massachusetts with both Joes and wolverine Figures (just the Marvel figs are scarce)

Im thinking Boston Area was just a month or two behind, before only TRU carried the resolute waves, now all stores (including secondary stors like Hobby shops and comic book stores) are flooded with Joe product.

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It's pretty bad here. I only once saw the Best of the 80's pack (thankfully, I was smart enough to pick it up), and have never, ever, seen a single-card Resolute figure. Only once or twice have I seen the Resolute comic packs. And forget about variants. We have store employees around here who grab the shortpacked figures out before they put them on the pegs.

Saving a lot of money, though.

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I picked up my single pack Resolute figures the first and only time I saw them. The only physical evidence I've seen that the "Best of" pack exists is a $15 Alpine at my local comic shop. Therefore, I do not have sufficient M.A.S.S..

Now by "The best of DVD set" do you mean the "Best of the 80's" #5 of 5 MASS Device, Alpine, chrome face Cobra Commander, DVD pack?

Or that "Greatest Battles" Joe vs. Cobra homage DVD pack, with no MASS piece?

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Here in Central Iowa we are knee-deep in Pilot Scarletts, Cobra Trooper Flints, and boxed sets of everything but the Best of the '80's set. I've been seeing a lot of silver border cards on the shelves lately, apparently out local scalper was unable to unload them on eBay for a 250% profit.

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Things are pretty good now. I can tell you the few things I've never seen on shelves. Viper/IG comic pack. Tiger Fly and the Python Conquest. Best of the 80's DVD pack. I saw Blowtorch, Resolute Trooper, and Resolute Cobra Commander all once.

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