If the brick and mortar types aren't stocking, you'd think HTS would put them out there.

I just need the Trooper and Camera from that set, but of course they're impossible to find.

Honestly, I'm kinda disappointed that everyone wasn't able to complete their MASS device. That defeats the whole point of the "build" concept when you CAN'T buy them all.

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Y'know, it isn't a "can't" situation, it's just that it is going to take some effort now. You can't just hop in the car and go get a cherry-chutney-squishy and the DVD set like usual, so it'll take some leg work on behalf of those who REALLY want it. I found mine for about retail, so it can be done, it's just not going to be as easy as falling into one's lap.

I sure hope everyone makes the effort to finish their MASS Device too, because it is totally worth it.

It shouldn't have taken any effort. This is their first "build-a" project and it started when fans were gushing over this line. Instead they ended up flooding the market with sets 1 and 2 leaving barely any room for 3 and 4, and then packing 5 with the previous sets.

In retrospect, that was a horrible strategy. They all should have been released at once giving everyone from the retailers to the consumers a chance to grab them if they wanted. Since most retailers are changing their isles to accommodate the summer blockbuster movie lines, they aren't going to start making room for an old DVD set. Especially when places still have sets 1 and 2 clogging their shelves. This is honestly one of the few instances where Hasbro's distribution and not the stores are to blame. This was a great idea with a great product that they dropped the ball on.

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Wow, be smugger and more superior

This isn't some store or online exclusive we're talking about, this was a mass-released piece that was completely shortpacked in relation to the other packs in the series (including a rerelease of the first two which were already warming shelves). And lest you think this is just sour grapes, I DID find the pack, and managed to complete two MASS devices, so apparently I did "REALLY want it." Or, more likely, I just got lucky and happened to go to Target right as they put out a case. But if I look at it that way, I can't maintain my "SUPER COLLECTOR" erection.

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I don't know how you got smug or superior out of that. If you did, my apologies - but obviously even you had to put forth some time pounding the bricks, whether it be online or retail, to complete two MASS devices (even though, as you said, you got lucky at Target, congrats, 90% of everyone else isn't that lucky), so I kinda think my point is valid.

But hey, what the "LASER BLAST" do I know, right?



That's the honest truth too, it was a major screw up between Hasbro's distribution and what the retailers were ordering. Somewhere, someone kept pumping out the same cases for a solid six months until the supply chain was choked with stagnant product, and the retailers jumped ship.

But my point was pretty simple, if you wan the 5th set, it's out there for around retail, it's just a pain to hunt down and it seems that smaller retailers and dealers are still getting fresh shipments from Hasbro, so it is out there.

The other solution I see is that they could have packed it with the "Best of the 80's" pack, which I see in significant quantities whenever I happen to go down the Joe isle.

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That's mostly what it is. Store distribution hasn't been great. I don't know what it is though. While the line was extremely popular, stores were ordering the line but Hasbro was slow to ship. After Hasbro got to shipping, stores stopped ordering. I don't know.

I do know I saw a lot of it going on when I was working at KB Toys. I guess it's that "no cartoon on the air and no movie to sell the toys with" thing. Maybe Resolute will help? I doubt it due to the timeframe, but I guess we'll see. If the movie happens to do decent enough, that will help get stock in. Trouble is for quite a while it'll be movie toys rather than the regular figures we're wanting and seeing now.

But yeah, like I said with one wal-Mart here, it's been 2 months since they had any stock of G.I.Joe. They got the new Marvel figures in, new Star Wars, and all that, but nothing G.I.Joe. They have a single section with 3 pegs for the figures and a single section of 3 pegs for the comic packs but nothing on them. The vehicles are the same as well. A VAMP and a SHARC. I know they are the same ones cause I put a small dot on each with a pen just to keep watch. I was curious if it was the same ones or not and that was the only way to watch them. They're still there.

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I never saw 3 and 4 at retail either snagged them on evil bay and have been hitting by local targets in vain for 5. Hopefully we are able to complete our mass devices (what is the purple cube for anyways?) I really wanted the figures in 5 too. Hopefully hasbro sells them on hts.com again.

The DVD packs, what a pain. I got lucky finding 3 and 4, I hit up a wal-mart late one night and found a couple of 3. A month later during the Christmas rush I found four or five of number 4 and I stood in line for thirty minutes to pay for the damn thing but worth the wait. Now 5...ugh there's the real pain for us all. I know it takes some time and luck to find one but that's something not everyone has right now. I recetly found one on ebay for more than I would have liked to pay but no where near recent ebay prices ($50-$60). I meantioned in another thread that I found it by looking up GI Joe dvd pack, no mention of it being number 5 or best of the 80's. The seller put it up as wave 3 dvd pack and in the description mentioned it was the best of the 80's. So when searching for it, if you do, get creative with your searches there's been stories of people finding amazing items for dirt cheap because of a typo or a miss post.

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One and two are still on the shelves in my area. I saw the Alpine one once and didn't get it and I am still kicking myself for that. And I haven't seen any others.

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I'm pretty sure this set was never supposed to be released and a few accidentally slipped through the cracks. I mean, Hasbro can't possibly be dumb enough to pack them in such a moronic way, can they? I've never seen one. I was never lucky enough to get them when they were up on BBTS or HTS. I don't have Paypal so I can't really use eBay because many sellers use only that in accordance to eBay regulations. I got 3 and 4 for Christmas. They're great toys. Saw three of 3 and one of 4 in the Target here once. They're gone now. I just wish Hasbro would get the product out there if they do indeed have it.

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I finally snagged one on BBTS. However I had to buy the whole case. The case consists of one each #2, #3, #4, & #5. Now this seems like a dumb idea to me to even put another #2 in there. Those #1 & #2 sets are clogging a lot of space at Targets here. Walmart said to heck with them & clearanced them out already.
I have never seen #5 at retail at all. Instead the stores had skipped #5 and went straight to that Greatest Battles set. Sets #3 & #4 were here but did not stick around at all.
You have to make an extraordinary effort to find #5. I had asked quite a few people on the various Joe boards to keep an eye out for me. No one ever did find one for me until BBTS put them up. Then only as a case.

So anyone still need a #3 or #4 I have them for trade.

This is unfortunately all too easy for me to buy into. Manufacture a fan-cherished item never before available, gauge the relative demand for it by releasing component parts separately, intentionally shortpack the final set to create a "collectible" that stirs up hype.

Guess I'll be doing without. I just can't justify the scalper prices. And that's one of a shrinking handful of items that was on my so-called "must buy" list.

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