Feeling Blind Bags Advantage

[GoldenYellowPup]

Yeah I just don't go for a Mystery Mini box at all unless it's a set with nearly all desirable figures or if I'm looking for the heaviest one.

[Squird]

I feel the bags for Lego Mini's so, feeling the bag for other items isn't a big deal. You look like a weirdo, but it's better than bringing a scale to the store with you, which, I feel, makes you look like a loser.

I respect your right to your feelings, but I honestly couldn't care less what some cashier or some random shoppers I'll never see again think I look like. My self-worth isn't determined by them, nor (I feel) should anyone else's be.

I can't stress enough how much I dislike this practice. When I have to explain to a family member or a friend that the 'No Scales' sticker in the window of a Hot Topic is because of Funko collectors, all I feel is shame.

Why do you feel the need to explain it?

Opening the boxes and the bags is worse than shoplifting, in my opinion. At least with shoplifting you've used your time productively, and you haven't left a whole bunch of damaged, unsellable goods in your wake.

Not that I'm advocating for opening the boxes over shoplifting (or vice versa), but economically this isn't true. If you steal a box, the store is 100% unequivocally never getting that revenue. In the case of opening a box, you can have someone like me, who saw that one box open, saw it was a figure he actually needed and went and bought it. Not saying it will happen all the time or even often, but there's that chance. Plus, stores also may be able to return these boxes to Funko and recoup some of the $. In the case of shoplifting it will simply not happen.

The shoplifting remark is sarcasm. But I do think that on the whole, just steal the boxes instead of opening them. There's a disgusting lack of maturity to think it's okay to open blind boxes in the store because how else do you 'get what you want'. Maybe, if you have to resort to sh*t head behavior to get what you want, you don't deserve to get what you want.

I have the same attitude towards the scales. Taking one to a store is the behavior of someone who thinks it's justified to 'get what they want'. Of course they don't care what others think. They don't care much about others at all.

Roll the dice. Live a little. Take a chance on love.

As for explaining why there's a no scale policy at a HT, that actually needs to be explained because it's a weirdly specific policy. No shirt, no shoes, no scales? No one's taking a scale to HT to weight t-shirts, hairbows, or attitude. That policy is because of us. And here's how that conversation usually goes.

- No scales? What does that even mean?

* Some people take scales with them to weigh the blind boxes. Different characters have different weights.

- Seriously?

* Seriously.

- For a toy.

* Pretty much.

- Some people need to get lives.

* Pretty much.

And that's not the only policy we've affected. Changes in return policies, limits per customer, cancelled promotions, etc etc. We have caused all that, but take no responsibility for it. It always the fault of the retailer that we can't behave like normal people. Normal people don't take scales with them to shop for toys. Yeah, you have to explain that.

[Squird]

Yeah I just don't go for a Mystery Mini box at all unless it's a set with nearly all desirable figures or if I'm looking for the heaviest one.

I tried the 'heaviest' approach looking for Hulks in the Thor Ragnarok boxes. Ended up with two Mieks. Which worked out okay in retrospect. Traded them out for other stuff.

[highlanderfil]

The shoplifting remark is sarcasm.

Doesn't translate well, especially when stated like you did, but OK.

But I do think that on the whole, just steal the boxes instead of opening them. There's a disgusting lack of maturity to think it's okay to open blind boxes in the store because how else do you 'get what you want'. Maybe, if you have to resort to sh*t head behavior to get what you want, you don't deserve to get what you want.

You get what you want by using the scale. Still not 100% of the time, mind, but, unlike damaging boxes/bags or stealing them outright, it's perfectly legal (under common law, anyways). Once again, though, I am advocating for neither behavior as both are despicable in their own special little way.

And if you just shoplift, what's to say you won't end up risking being arrested for a bunch of duplicates you already own and didn't want in the first place.

I have the same attitude towards the scales. Taking one to a store is the behavior of someone who thinks it's justified to 'get what they want'. Of course they don't care what others think. They don't care much about others at all.

Others are perfectly welcome to get a pair of scales and use them as well.

Roll the dice. Live a little. Take a chance on love.

There's no love about filling your collection with ten duplicates that you can't even give away. I can promise you that had I not found this site, I would have stopped buying mystery boxes outright, because I'd had enough hatted Harries and Rons from HPS2 and would have stopped at a dozen or so minis that we had managed to collect through sheer dumb luck (emphasis on "dumb"). After I armed myself with a scale, Hot Topic, Meijer and Barnes & Noble got a lot more of my money than they would have otherwise.

Moreover, shaking the boxes and hand-weighing them can also help stack the odds in your favor - are you against doing that, too?

As for explaining why there's a no scale policy at a HT, that actually needs to be explained because it's a weirdly specific policy. No shirt, no shoes, no scales? No one's taking a scale to HT to weight t-shirts, hairbows, or attitude. That policy is because of us. And here's how that conversation usually goes.

- No scales? What does that even mean?

* Some people take scales with them to weigh the blind boxes. Different characters have different weights.

- Seriously?

* Seriously.

- For a toy.

* Pretty much.

- Some people need to get lives.

* Pretty much.

So, just ignoring the sign or saying "no idea" isn't an option?

Yeah, you have to explain that.

Except, no, you really don't.

[highlanderfil]

I've been to plenty of Walmarts and TRUs where blind bags are just ripped open and left so I've totally done this on more than 1 occassion. I'd at least give them the sale because its something I want and don't have to figure out and they don't have to send it back for credit.

I mean, it's not every day you will see something you actually want in a bag that someone else broke the law with and I do have a bit of an ethical qualm with profiteering from someone else's crime, but at least the store gets the revenue from me on that occasion. Had the perp merely stolen the box, discovered it was something (s)he didn't want and tossed it, TRU is out seven bucks and I'm out Bellatrix.

If I was going around to each store and wiping out every single exclusive to make a profit on then it would be a different story.

My sentiments exactly. I will not advocate for scalpers (although it's nigh impossible to make policy that would allow true collectors to use scales while eliminating the possibility of scalpers doing the same), but I do look for dupes of exclusives because that's the only way that I can hope to complete my one out-of-print (HPS1) collection. If I find another Buckbeak, even at half-price at which I've committed to selling it to a member of this site, it still gets me pretty much within earshot of Yule Ball Hermione. Other than that I have very little interest in making actual money from hunting for exclusives.

The only entity with the power to make the hunt more fun and random AND curb at least some of the scal(p)ers is Funko - not the retailers. Two very real ways of doing so is to make every mini even odds (this can be done while still maintaining exclusives so as not to p*** off B&N/HT/whatever) and also to make all the figures the same weight within a couple grams (eminently doable with material densities even when you consider different sizes - if Hermione can be 67 grams while similarly-sized Draco is 41, there's no reason weights can't be normalized).

[Greymom]

I don't think it's unethical to feel up the bags. Unless, of course, in the process you accidentally break open the bag. Then I think, you're obligated to buy the bag. I believe that's only fair.

[jagpop]

Bottom line, blind bags were not meant to be felt up. Blind bags were not meant to be weighed. They were meant for blind fun. It was meant all about luck. IMO, if you do either, you're a cheater.

#CWYL

[dcooperfl]

Wondering peoples thoughts on this. Is feeling up blind bags unethical? I personally do not do this, I like the mystery of what I'll get. But to the people that do, they are in most cases feeling the bag for the harder ratio figures and leaving the rest of us commons. Granted, someone that doesn't feel the bags can also take the "chase" figure and that still leaves us with the commons but at least they did it without an advantage.

This ends up being tricky. If you are feeling up blind bags at all locations to snatch up the exclusives and chases for resale then I say that’s sketchy. If you are feeling up the bling bags at a single GameStop location to get that one last NBC PSH for your wife after going through two full cases, then I’m ok with it. I know, a very specific example.

[lastmidnight]

I don’t think the method is unethical. Like others have said, if you can figure it out without damaging the product, more power to you.

Do I agree with people who snatch up all the exclusives just to flip them? No. But it’s the same as someone who waits in line at store open to purchase all the chase variants to sell them. It has nothing to do with how they get the product and more what they do with it. I feel PSH bags, and I definitely still get duplicates, but I feel them to collect what I love and not purchase something I don’t. Even scales I don’t have a problem with. I would never use one, but if somebody wants to, go ahead. It’s no more awkward then me reorganizing an entire wall of Pops in a store to find the one I want. If it doesn’t hurt the product, it’s fair game.

At the end of the day, it’s less about the method and more about intention. If someone walks into a TRU to feel up all the PSH bags to get the exclusives to complete their set, cool. If someone walks into a TRU to feel up all the PSH bags to get the exclusives to sell them for 5 times the price on eBay with no intention of ever collecting, not cool. Simple as that.

[Gothamite]

This ends up being tricky. If you are feeling up blind bags at all locations to snatch up the exclusives and chases for resale then I say that’s sketchy. If you are feeling up the bling bags at a single GameStop location to get that one last NBC PSH for your wife after going through two full cases, then I’m ok with it. I know, a very specific example.

And there's no way for a retailer to know if you're a scalper who's been to every store within a 20-mile radius or someone trying to complete a set.

Feeling bags is okay...when the store isn't busy, and you aren't preventing others from buying the blind bags.

Someone advocated "playing dumb" with regards to store policies, and I'm sorry, but ignorance is not a defense. I totally agree with the sentiment that scales should be Banned.

[dcooperfl]

This ends up being tricky. If you are feeling up blind bags at all locations to snatch up the exclusives and chases for resale then I say that’s sketchy. If you are feeling up the bling bags at a single GameStop location to get that one last NBC PSH for your wife after going through two full cases, then I’m ok with it. I know, a very specific example.

And there's no way for a retailer to know if you're a scalper who's been to every store within a 20-mile radius or someone trying to complete a set.

Feeling bags is okay...when the store isn't busy, and you aren't preventing others from buying the blind bags.

Someone advocated "playing dumb" with regards to store policies, and I'm sorry, but ignorance is not a defense. I totally agree with the sentiment that scales should be Banned.

From my experience retailers just want to sell them. I don’t think they are that worried if I’m going to all of them. Personally, I would never have the time or interest to run around to all stores. If I were told it was against company policy to feel up the PSH bling bags, I would stop and just head to eBay if I were only missing one. Like in this case. The one time I sat there in the GameStop feeling for one guy from their NBC box both employees and the manager were helping me out. They know me and i don’t go in to buy up a bunch of stuff to sell. I’m just a good customer that buys too much stuff from them.

[Purplemz24]

I get straight to the point; no dinner, no movie, 100% feels...while playing rnb music in the background.

BEST RESPONSE EVER!

[Purplemz24]

I'm actually one that feels all the blind bags to see what I'm getting. 5/10 times I'm correct. It's not always for the exclusive or the chase. The times I'm wrong I usually give them away to someone else who needs that particular piece so it's a win for everyone. My personal opinion.... It's better then carrying around a scale. Now that's an unfair advantage but to each is own

[Jenster521]

Hate to admit it but I feel the bags only because I try not to get doubles (unless I'm building an army). However I'm not aggressive like some people where they leave some bags way too violated. LOL! I usually will look at the picture on the back and feel for hats, hair, masks, etc...depending on what I need.

[TriFeckTa]

I get straight to the point; no dinner, no movie, 100% feels...while playing rnb music in the background.

BEST RESPONSE EVER!

Thanks

[GetLostYouPsycho]

Hate to admit it but I feel the bags only because I try not to get doubles (unless I'm building an army). However I'm not aggressive like some people where they leave some bags way too violated. LOL! I usually will look at the picture on the back and feel for hats, hair, masks, etc...depending on what I need.

That's how I do it. I feel for obvious features, and I don't mess up the bag while I do it.

[cailinbecher83]

I will squeeze if I have already bought some from the series. But it's also nice to have a little surprise

[margarethk]

I've stood at TRU feeling up blind bags, wondering if security was watching but I don't think I'm very good at figuring out which is what... eventually it all starts to feel the same.

[Jla313]

In my opinion, I don’t think it’s unethical. I rather feel the bags so I don’t end up with multiples and trying to complete whichever set I’m going for.

[Popfanatics]

I feel them up but once I've got my full set, I leave the rest for others or buy them for friends who cant get to the mall. I don't think its unethical unless you are flipping them for a profit.

[BerserkerBlack]

When I set comes out, I like to just buy a case and go from there. When I start pulling doubles, I just go seek out what I'm looking for from other collectors.
Weighing them seems like a far stretch to go but if you're not damaging the packaging, that leaves it for someone else to get. I've come across boxes with holes in them and that's the most irritating sight to see.

[JorEl15]

I think feeling the bag kind of ruins the point of it being a mystery. Plus if you weren’t first to find the box you’d never get the rare chase pieces

[Jenster521]

I've stood at TRU feeling up blind bags, wondering if security was watching but I don't think I'm very good at figuring out which is what... eventually it all starts to feel the same.

Same! I’ve sat on the floor in Walmart and Target, as well as stood in TRU. I would think they’re used to seeing us crazies do that by now. LOL!!

[Jellica]

Hey man it is what it is. People can choose to do what they want with their money if you want to have the mystery effect to them go all for it. I see your points but I don’t see anything wrong with people feeling the bags. If anything Funko can make it allot harder to avoid that by adding extra things to the bag to avoid that from happening.

[GetLostYouPsycho]

When I set comes out, I like to just buy a case and go from there. When I start pulling doubles, I just go seek out what I'm looking for from other collectors.
Weighing them seems like a far stretch to go but if you're not damaging the packaging, that leaves it for someone else to get. I've come across boxes with holes in them and that's the most irritating sight to see.

yeah, I found two ripped-open Rick and Morty blind boxes the other day. One, the mini was completely missing. The other was just a common so they left it. I hate seeing that crap.

[GetLostYouPsycho]

I've stood at TRU feeling up blind bags, wondering if security was watching but I don't think I'm very good at figuring out which is what... eventually it all starts to feel the same.

Same! I’ve sat on the floor in Walmart and Target, as well as stood in TRU. I would think they’re used to seeing us crazies do that by now. LOL!!

Last time I was at BN shaking some mini boxes, one of the employees came over and asked me if I knew that I could figure out which one was which by the weight. She said she's not a collector but she's seen enough people shaking/weighing/squeezing boxes by now to realize that most of us have some sort of trick to figure out which is which.

[Heli88]

The only entity with the power to make the hunt more fun and random AND curb at least some of the scal(p)ers is Funko - not the retailers. Two very real ways of doing so is to make every mini even odds (this can be done while still maintaining exclusives so as not to p*** off B&N/HT/whatever) and also to make all the figures the same weight within a couple grams (eminently doable with material densities even when you consider different sizes - if Hermione can be 67 grams while similarly-sized Draco is 41, there's no reason weights can't be normalized).

And there you go. Funko (and by extension, the actual stores (except Hot Topic, for whatever reason)) don't care what you do to determine what's in the mystery package, as long as you don't damage the product in some way, and I tend to agree. Weigh it, shake it, squeeze the bag, balance it on your head, smell it, whatever.

Besides, it's not like any "cheating" method is 100% effective anyway. Ask anybody who tried to collect the Stranger Things MMs; I guarantee they have a bunch of Nancys. Actually, now that I consider it, I'm starting to wonder if Funko is experimenting in that area. The Disney Afternoon line has several exclusives that re-use molds, and are thus all the same weight. I wonder how much of that is an attempt to even out weights (vs. just cost saving).

If you want a mystery every time, the only way to guarantee it is to buy only sealed boxes/bags online, so that you don't accidentally feel the shape through a bag or notice a weight difference. Does anybody do that? If so, I admire your dedication to fairness and I'd love to see your giant mountain of dupes sometime.

[Valde]

I actually buy a lot of minis through Amazon, they’re cheaper and it’s a true mystery, I live on the edge. I also have several hundred minis and PSH but not a lot of dupes after trading and gifting.

I don’t really care what methods people use to get the minis they want, but opening packages is wrong. Scales and layouts are the reason I stay away if I see a case with 2 missing I just don’t pull from there.

[supertoygiant]

A lot of time you can get the common minis for less than retail on secondary market. But its more fun getting them yourself!

[Heli88]

I actually buy a lot of minis through Amazon, they’re cheaper and it’s a true mystery, I live on the edge. I also have several hundred minis and PSH but not a lot of dupes after trading and gifting.

I don’t really care what methods people use to get the minis they want, but opening packages is wrong. Scales and layouts are the reason I stay away if I see a case with 2 missing I just don’t pull from there.

Nice! I'm glad to meet a gamblin' man. I really do appreciate your commitment to the mystery.

Sadly, I lack that commitment. Honestly, while I appreciate the thrill of finding the figure I want, I sometimes wish Funko would just make Mystery Minis-style figures in normal packages so I could just buy what I want. "Easily Identified Minis" doesn't roll off the tongue quite as well, though.

[Gothamite]

I sometimes wish Funko would just make Mystery Minis-style figures in normal packages so I could just buy what I want.

They do: viewtopic.php?f=98&t=85703

[Valde]

Honestly, while I appreciate the thrill of finding the figure I want, I sometimes wish Funko would just make Mystery Minis-style figures in normal packages so I could just buy what I want.

They do.

viewtopic.php?f=98&t=85703

I didn’t think I said that, I checked a few times I want mystery shirts now.

[Gothamite]

I didn’t think I said that, I checked a few times I want mystery shirts now.

Sorry, I messed up. I meant to quote the other person.

[KryptonianRed]

I feel the blind bags. I can't afford to keep getting the same ones over and over. I definitely do it on the Lego Minifigures too!

My thoughts exactly.

[Heli88]

I sometimes wish Funko would just make Mystery Minis-style figures in normal packages so I could just buy what I want.

They do: viewtopic.php?f=98&t=85703

They cost a little more, but include a free t-shirt, huh?

Oh, and for the record, I am a top-flight Lego minifig bag groper. And Playmobil. My kids are generally only after one or two figures from a set, so grabbing them blind is almost never worth it.