[spencer1984]

A brand new Wal-Mart opened this morning, and my wife & I stopped by for their grand opening celebration (and to check out the new stock). Not surprisingly, the Hot Wheels were already picked over with several guys carrying stacks of 20+ Hot Wheels. No problem there; if you want to buy every Mystery Car and First Edition, I'll just stop back later and get what I want.

What was surprising, and a little disheartening, was the terrible conditions left by these guys. I spent a few minutes helping a stock girl put back dozens of cars that were on the shelves, the floor, and tossed every which way. Obviously, they had ransacked the section and simply left it.

This is a brand new store, and their first half-hour of business. Obviously, this is not a case of neglegent employees, accidental damage, or anything like that. It's wanton destruction, and more than a little disgusting. Guys, please: if you drop something, pick it up. Even if it means spending a minute or two after you've looked through everything. You've already got your cars in your hand: use the other hand to do a little cleanup so that you're not making yourselves (and the rest of us who enjoy collecting) look like feces-throwing Chimps.

I know the people here aren't the ones doing the damage, but I just wanted to let off a little steam. Thanks!

 

[CTWLSMIKE]

No problem for venting. Just take comfort in knowing many of the slobs that were there today will not be back very often if at all since the opening frenzy is over. Opening day brings 'em all out.

As for the destruction, it is sad, but there are those that just don't care and think it's the store employee's job to pick up after them.

My son and I were watching a guy that walked up after us one night going through the pegs. Looked at every car on every peg. Every so often, a car would fall off the peg, land on the shelf, or bounce onto the floor. My son started to walk over and pick one up, and I said "hold on, I'm sure that he'll pick them up when he's done", loudly enough so he could hear me. Well of course when he was done he just walked away! What a loser! I can't imagine why store employees hate most collectors.

 

[MudSlinger]

Yep, seen the same thing before. Some people are just naturally rude and disrespectful, and care about no one but themselves. I occasionally will knock a few cars off a peg by accident, you can't help it sometimes. However I will always pick them up and put them back on the pegs. I never leave a mess after I am done looking, it's just the right thing to do.

 

[Analog]

My walmart sometimes puts hot wheels in a huge bin (no pegs), just heaped in there. The bin is probably 4' x 4' x 4' deep. Talk about a pain!!!! You've got to dig through like a gopher!!!

 

[CTWLSMIKE]

My walmart sometimes puts hot wheels in a huge bin (no pegs), just heaped in there. The bin is probably 4' x 4' x 4' deep. Talk about a pain!!!! You've got to dig through like a gopher!!!

I miss the gopher bins! Stores around here don't carry enough cars to fill the few pegs they have, let alone a bin. :freak:

 

[Macs_Little_Car]

I will pick them up if the pegs are stocked in a normal fashion, but if they have been overloaded by the store so that whenever I touch a row 3 fall off, I leave them, sorry.

 

[craftymore]

Even if I do not buy any, I usually put some of the fallen hws back on the pegs to leave it halfway neat for the next guy.

 

[Lpgeoteacher]

I always pick them up. the ladies in the toy dept always wave and say hi when I come in. I figure it is better to be on their good side.

 

[TheDarkCutlass]

alot of the times when I am looking through the pegs, i will actually put alot of the ones that are on the shelves back up. I can not count how many times i have found cars that i needed this way due to the fact they were buried on the shelf.

Granted i might not put them back in the correct peg location, but they are hanging and not strown around.

Even do this if not buying anything.... look at the pegs, look at the shelf and hang stuff back up and look while i'm doing it.

 

[CTWLSMIKE]

I will pick them up if the pegs are stocked in a normal fashion, but if they have been overloaded by the store so that whenever I touch a row 3 fall off, I leave them, sorry.

If they are overloaded rehanging them can be frustrating. I usually leave neat piles on the shelf. They'll sell fast enough if they are new that it won't get too messy for too long. It has been a while since I've seen such overstuffed pegs, though. :tongue:

 

[spencer1984]

Thanks, guys, glad to get confirmation that others don't care for car tossers as well. Yeah, dropsies happen - especially this time of year when you're trying to look through the rack with a coat on - but if you actually have to go for a walk to get to where somebody threw a car, that's a different story. Overloaded pegs are also a different situation, but as CTWLSMIKE said, it's been a long time since I've seen that kind of inventory.

I'll also try to pick up the stragglers if I'm not buying (heck, the only thing I got this morning was a 1/24 AC Schnitzer S3).

 

[MaryA]

I'm one of the 'cleanup' collectors. Once in a while it pays off. At one Walmart, an employee said, 'Thanks, hold on a minute' and came back with an unopenned case. I'd saved her a lot of cleanup work.

 

[vicvega]

whatever! not only are they slobs but greedy, selfish and rude! It's the same scene every Walmart and other store I go and I hit about 12 Walmarts and it's sad and disgusting. Thats the hobby for ya. Ive been at it for 10 years and it only gets worst.

 

[Dadvball]

The WM closets to my house is one of the worst when it comes to this. I'll easily spend 20 minutes of so putting stuff back on the pegs, including the other brands. You can see why the employees get ticked. I will say though it's not all just collectors. Many times I've seen a kid doing it. I don't mind cleaning up, 'cause sometimes I'll find a car I like at the bottom.

 

[1976Cordoba]

I will pick them up if the pegs are stocked in a normal fashion, but if they have been overloaded by the store so that whenever I touch a row 3 fall off, I leave them, sorry.

Ditto -- I was just thinking that.

'doba

 

[sschevyman1]

I miss the gopher bins! Stores around here don't carry enough cars to fill the few pegs they have, let alone a bin. :freak:

I feel your pain!!!!!!!!!!