Who would’ve thunk that the most organized way to shop for CARS is at Kmart on a folding table at an appointed hour.

FuzzyLloyd asks and sums up the situation nicely:

“I went to my Walmart two nights ago and the woman stocking told me that they are getting a bunch of Cars on Tuesday and that they should be out on Wednesday. The other thing that she said is that she does not think they are new, but that they are getting a “bunch” (meaning alot). Is this the new pallet? Or just extra boxes from the warehouse?”

The wisea** answer is yes.

Because it is yes.

Or better yet, it’s yes and not no.

Everything you presume and know and don’t know is true or not true because EVERY Walmart is different.

You would think WM would be pretty straightforward but it’s not.

When it comes to stocking CARS, does it matter if it’s a 24-hour SuperCenter or a regular WM?

No.

So, it’s just as likely for a regular Walmart to have more toys than a 24-hour Super WM?

Yes.

Because if some stores are near a Target or TRU, they might get fewer toy items?

Yes.

Because some have inattentive toy managers?

Yes.

Is it true that now many Walmarts are going to the redesign to make the store look nicer so pallets/cubes are no longer going there?

Yes.

But not all WM’s are getting the redesign?

Yes.

So, some will still get the cube/pallets?

Yes.

But the ones not getting the pallet could still get the same amount of CARS – just not the pallets.

Yes.

So, you’re saying there’s no discernable pattern?

Yes.

Is the answer different for a 24-hour SuperCenter, a regular SuperCenter and a regular WM?

No.

Well, that doesn’t really help me any, does it?

No.

So, I have no way of telling what’s what until I’ve actually parked and go inside to the CARS section.

Yes.

Does the amount of wildbird seed the store carries affect its stock of CARS.

Based on my observation, yes.

So, the back room is really a steel cage death match of the wild birdseed manager and the toy manager? Birdseed guy wins, we lose?

Based on my observation, yes.

So, I have all the UPC’s but WM lumps all singles together, all oversized together and all haulers together?

Yes.

But it rings up on the register as separate thing, you would think a company that insists on manufacturers putting RFID tags in shipments so they can track that it’s on Highway 14 outside of Cleveland going 62 MPH … cannot discern between Sally with Cone and Al Oft the Lightyear Blimp in their own freakin’ store?

Yes, you would think.

So, when I call and they say they have 200 singles and there are clearly not 200 on the shelves? Is it in the backroom?

In theory.

Can they bring it out?

In theory.

So, in summary, all things are possible?

Yes.

Because on one end of the spectrum you have SuperCenter 24-hours WM’s who do great business in a high income area with no Targets or TRU close by, wide aisles and a great toy manager to the other end of the spectrum – a small store redesigned store in a less sales area next to Target or TRU and a sleepy toy manager so no CARS for you?

Yes, that’s the summary.

But two WM’s 4-miles apart might as well be night and day?

Yes.

But then the other store could get a new manager and a redesign so no more pallets and then it all changes?

Yes.

Are you trying to drive me crazy?

Not on purpose. I’m just the only robot left.

Why, oh why is this so hard?

Frontier living is hard.

I don’t live in the frontier.

Oh, then I have no explantion.

I’m more confused than ever.

It’s all very simple. Just stop by on a consistent & constant basis between now and December 7- you may find singles, oversized, launchers, collector guides and banshees on our shelves. If you do not see any there, we have not put any out, it’s on a pallet, it’s in our backroom, it’s in our warehouse, it’s in a container, it’s in our gardening section, our employees have bought them or we have sold them all. Much like life, all things are true and all things are false.

I other words, Some try to tell me – Thoughts they cannot defend, Just what you want to be – You will be in the end …

I could tell you more but then it would be less.