This recent article from OAFE is worth reading:

Geek Speak: the Toys "R" Us "Bump Up Program"
http://www.oafe.net/blog/2011/05/how-to ... toys-r-us/

Something just desperate and lame about the "Bump Up" program. Buggers.

I'm surprised this is legal. Amazon was caught doing the same thing but they were doing it based on prior purchases and stuff like that so maybe that's the difference.

Why wouldn't it be legal?

There is nothing that prevents a store from marking up prices as they see fit. As it states in the article, TRU is trying to decipher the "breaking point" on consumer shopping habits. If we show them that we are still willing to buy at a higher price point, than more power to them in this great consumer-centric society we have built for ourselves.

Its not like this isn't precedented in other high end retail outlets or even at your local Gasoline merchant.

Its happened in the past with food "staples" such as bread, milk, and eggs and occurs all the time with fresh produce.

as the saying goes, "whatever the market will bear..."

My nearest TRU is a bump-up store. I don't want to go there anymore, I hate it. There is another TRU which is just a little bit farther away, but they will be getting any and all of my TRU business in the future. And I used to really love that store, but crummy distribution and greed have driven me away.

Why should I want to go to the most expensive toy store in town? I don't.

TRU is mad over priced. Too bad they actually have stuff unlike my Target and Wal-mart

I used to call TRU the Toy Museum. You went to look, not to buy. They must be upset that they have lost this status and are trying to get it back.

CCC.

I'm a little surprised that every TRU doesn't do this when I think about it. Their stores are usually few and far between so it's not easy to just go compare the prices to another TRU.

It used to bother me when they would ask for my zip code, not information I felt they really needed, so I ask why. I was told they use that information to determine where they need new stores. I said they should work on improving the stores they have now first. That was years ago.

Where would you rather shop, quality or quantity?

CCC.

When it comes to finding new stuff, quantity haha. The TRU I go to is actually very nice but it's the only one in a pretty wide area

I feel TRU should focus on quality. Walmart is for quantity. Target feels more like a quality store too. I just don't see the variety there.

CCC.

Because higher prices for action figures mean they're less likely to be bought by other people, and thus you will have a better chance of finding what you're looking for.

Some of my best MU finds (including a classic costume Havok variant) have come from grocery stores that sell them for $10 each. And some of my best G.I. Joe finds have come from drug stores at the same price.

You can either make one trip to a place that sells the figures for more, and likely find what you want, OR, you can spend a few hours driving around to various Wal-Marts and Targets and burn $20 worth of gasoline because you want your figures for a few dollars cheaper.

I never know what I'm going to get at my TRU.

For some things (like Legos, for example), they always have them first.

For others, they're usually middle of the pack (I saw GLC wave 1 at TRU first, but got most of GLC wave 2 at Walmart).

And for still others, they're usually last (the Star Wars and MU lines always seem to be a wave or two behind Walmart and Target).