This is Always Disappointing - Cracking Retail Without Paying for it at Wally World

[RGM81]

So I went to Wal-Mart tonight to get non-hockey stuff but of course I visited the area to see if there's any lingering Certified deals or anything like that.

I did see a pair of Contenders retail boxes, though, but check this out.

Open Box.JPG

Yep, someone opened up box of the boxes and took out the autographs. It's lame enough seeing this sort of thing on the boards and all that, but to know that one of my fellow K-town collectors would do this really grinds my gears. I hope that the individual's next hobby break consists of no hits except for a Mike Komisarek autograph and a Justin Pogge jersey.

Jerk.

[MW Connection]

pretty sad but that is why we stay away from retail and buy sealed hobby boxes.

[MacDuff77]

Noticed the same thing at my local Walmart yesterday. Someone had ripped open all of the Topps baseball hanger boxes too. Very lame and disappointing.

Still no Certified back in stock... still looking though. :-)

[AndrewZachary]

You can't open up a bag of chips and start munching away in the store, so how do people get away with this? Where are the staff?

[Cunnuc]

I don't buy retail often, when I do it's an impulse buy and I never expect anything. I have not seen boxes torn open, but I am 100% sure I've picked from boxes that had pack searches pick through them before me.

It's sad indeed, one more reason why you should stay away from retail or loose packs from non-reputable sources.

Even at my one and only LCS I will not open any packs from an open box on the 1 of 2 days that the owner is not there and the other guy is there. 10 of 18 packs all common in a box where 6-8 packs have hits is not a co-incidence lol

The people who suffer here are the kids who, like me at that age, did this for great fun and later turned it into a hobby.

I can only hope karma will serve those who live life ripping people off. I would even go out of my way to avoid people like that if I ever ran into them. I would take matters into my own hands but it seems the Karma Scales are outweighed a bit at this point in my life. The scales will balance themselves out at some point and that's all I need.

[Gibby]

You can't open up a bag of chips and start munching away in the store, so how do people get away with this? Where are the staff?

Walmart is the most understaff store I have ever been in. It is easier to find what you are looking for than to find someone ask to where it is.

[AndrewZachary]

Walmart is the most understaff store I have ever been in. It is easier to find what you are looking for than to find someone ask to where it is.

Tell me about it, the lines at my local Wal-Mart are crazy, with one or two cashiers serving dozens of people. But like I said, people ripping wax in the middle of the store is the same thing as me opening up a bottle of pop, taking a sip and putting it back on the shelves LOL I'm amazed people do it without anyone noticing.

[subban7677]

So I went to Wal-Mart tonight to get non-hockey stuff but of course I visited the area to see if there's any lingering Certified deals or anything like that.

I did see a pair of Contenders retail boxes, though, but check this out.

Open Box.JPG

Yep, someone opened up box of the boxes and took out the autographs. It's lame enough seeing this sort of thing on the boards and all that, but to know that one of my fellow K-town collectors would do this really grinds my gears. I hope that the individual's next hobby break consists of no hits except for a Mike Komisarek autograph and a Justin Pogge jersey.

Jerk.

Whoa whoa whoa, let's slow down a little here. You shouldn't wish something so heinous on someone. I know you're angry with this person, but wishing Leafs rejects upon him...ouch!

Of course, I jest :)

[piper1]

Whoa whoa whoa, let's slow down a little here. You shouldn't wish something so heinous on someone. I know you're angry with this person, but wishing Leafs rejects upon him...ouch!

Of course, I jest :)

That would be almost as bad as hitting the current roster Leafs players.

[mw83krk]

Tell me about it, the lines at my local Wal-Mart are crazy, with one or two cashiers serving dozens of people. But like I said, people ripping wax in the middle of the store is the same thing as me opening up a bottle of pop, taking a sip and putting it back on the shelves LOL I'm amazed people do it without anyone noticing.

I worked at Wal-Mart for 5 years when I was going to University... Thurs/Fri/Sat/Sun shifts -- at times on the weekend I had 5 different customers waiting in my department for help. I don't think I ever worked as hard for so little as I did then. I worked in housewares and small appliances and people ripping open boxes was a regular occurance. We would spend an hour after closing reassembling and taping up boxes that people ripped apart (even though there was a display right above). Typically you would stumble upon a customer ripping a box of cookware or dishes apart and the second they saw you they would demand a "fresh piece" from the riser... no shame, nothing... I learned so much about people that I wouldn't off believed hadn't I worked there and witness it myself.

Additionally, staff receive minimal training. By that I mean basically no training on the products in their department. I felt so useless when people asked about items that I took it upon myself at home to research on the internet the stuff I was selling, as it was embarrassing to me. But I was the only one in my department with that kind of initiative (which wasn't at all rewarded or encouraged) -- even the department manager couldn't tell you more than what was written on the box. Toys (where cards typically are) would be the same -- staff likely has little clue as to what cards are and that there are randomly inserted valuable cards in there... For them it's just another item being ripped open by customers.