Blind Bag Collectors ...

[mysweetabbie]

I have only bought a few blind bags.  The first few, I just picked them up.  When I brought them home, I figured out how to look for the codes.  The next few, I looked for certain codes.  I felt very strange in the TRU looking through the box and felt like the employees were eyeing me.  It embarrasses me to be doing that.  Should I just get over it?  I already feel like my local TRU employees think I'm strange for coming in the store so much and leaving empty-handed.  I get 3-4 of them asking me right away what they can help me with.  It makes me anxious.

[MilkyTaroMochi]

I use the codes, because there's usually only a small amount of the ponies I'd really want from each blind bag wave.
I'm not sure what I am going to do with the cards I have, though. Haven't decided yet.

[Diamond]

I have only bought a few blind bags.  The first few, I just picked them up.  When I brought them home, I figured out how to look for the codes.  The next few, I looked for certain codes.  I felt very strange in the TRU looking through the box and felt like the employees were eyeing me.  It embarrasses me to be doing that.  Should I just get over it?  I already feel like my local TRU employees think I'm strange for coming in the store so much and leaving empty-handed.  I get 3-4 of them asking me right away what they can help me with.  It makes me anxious.

Ah do not feel strange, we are supposed to ask you.  We get rated on it so if we do not greet and offer to assist we hear it from our managers. 

As to looking at the codes, I actually had my hubby helping me and I had a print out with who we had and who we needed and I did not care if anyone even noticed.

[angel_rose]

I was lucky enough to get a full box of wave 1 and 3 at Walmart.
I wasn't so lucky with wave 4. Found half a box at my nearest store. Didn't know how the codes worked so went to the next store planning to buy another box and return some. There I found more than a box. Came home and figured out the codes but someone had taken out all the metallic ones. So I went to two more stores the next day to find those. Yes, I stood there and looked at each pack and didn't care what anyone thought. Some lovely person opened up about 3 or 4 of them.
I kept all the boxes and packages. I'm keeping the cards in a binder with my trading cards.

[foalpatrol]

I keep a list of the codes I do and don't have - but I don't list the pony next to the code.  So I know I'm not getting a double, but I don't know which pony it will be.  Did that make sense?  I keep the cards and the bags.

[MercuryStar]

I try and use the codes when I can... not that I find Blind Bags often.   The last time I found a box with some in it (Wave 3), I didn't have the codes with me, so I grabbed everything there.   Turned out the same thing happened to me that happened to angel_rose, the person who got there before had cherry-picked out all the more popular ones, namely the boys and Lyra, plus two others.   I haven't found them since.

As for the cards, I keep them.   Right now they are in a pile in a Wave 1 box (I got frustrated one day coming across nothing but empty boxes, so when I found one that had a few left, I took the box too, so the next person wouldn't feel the same way I did finding an empty one), waiting for me to get a binder or something to put them in.       

[mysweetabbie]

Thanks Diamond.  DD only needs 6 more ponies from wave 1 and they are only sold at TRU.  I'll just get over my little insecurities and keep going.

[dxgirly]

I have only bought a few blind bags.  The first few, I just picked them up.  When I brought them home, I figured out how to look for the codes.  The next few, I looked for certain codes.  I felt very strange in the TRU looking through the box and felt like the employees were eyeing me.  It embarrasses me to be doing that.  Should I just get over it?  I already feel like my local TRU employees think I'm strange for coming in the store so much and leaving empty-handed.  I get 3-4 of them asking me right away what they can help me with.  It makes me anxious.

They do this to me at my store too.

[Diamond]

Thanks Diamond.  DD only needs 6 more ponies from wave 1 and they are only sold at TRU.  I'll just get over my little insecurities and keep going.

Who are you looking for?

I have only bought a few blind bags.  The first few, I just picked them up.  When I brought them home, I figured out how to look for the codes.  The next few, I looked for certain codes.  I felt very strange in the TRU looking through the box and felt like the employees were eyeing me.  It embarrasses me to be doing that.  Should I just get over it?  I already feel like my local TRU employees think I'm strange for coming in the store so much and leaving empty-handed.  I get 3-4 of them asking me right away what they can help me with.  It makes me anxious.

They do this to me at my store too.

*points up*  We are supposed to, we get rated on our greet and assists.

[sailorstitch]

It's rare that I even FIND the blind bags. My Wal-Mart just starting stocking them (Wave 4). Knowing my Wal-Mart, once they sell out they won't restock them.

I use the codes when I can. I even taught my mom how to look for them. My mom and I made a trip to Wal-Mart today. I hadn't made a list of the W4 ponies I was missing yet so we just picked bags at random. We each bought 10 bags. Now I'm only missing 4 so I'll have to use the codes. That is if Wal-Mart doesn't sell out first.

I keep the cards (need to find a binder for them), the bags and a box if I ever get one.

sailorstitch

[APPLBL00M]

I do both. I collect them all, so when a new wave comes out I buy as many as I can afford, which is usually four or five at a time. I just grab random bags. I like to guess which ones I got and open them to see if I was right. Last time I wanted a metalic pony and Trixie and, surprisingly, I actually got them. If I can, I'll buy from the same box until I have the entire set but if they run out I wait until they restock and then I use the codes to complete the set.

I save the cards. I keep them in a binder with my MLP trading cards. I like to collect them but it also helps me keep track of their names and which ones I have.

[medleysong]

I just buy the whole box of each through toywiz or somewhere like that. I have done that with every wave so far and have always received every pony. I remember when my oldest sons were in their yu-gi-oh and pokemon phase. Gah...blind packs just stress me out! I much prefer to know I am getting them all in one fell swoop without wasted money.

My daughter LOVES the cards so we keep them. She is only 3 yo so she likes to play the match game by mixing the cards up, putting the ponies in a pile and matching card to pony. We also buy the sets that come out at TRU and the 3 packs. So far we have every one and that is a lot!

[Diamond]

I love you guys who have managed to buy the whole wave, wish I had done that with wave 4, we only need two now. Sadly I had my hand on one of them today but she was mismarked on our sheet and left her behind.

[popyduggan]

I use codes to do avoid wasting $ on doubles, unless they're from another series with a different card. The cards are a big part of my collecting in an over the top, unnecessary, ocd way,

The BBs at my work sell out in less than a week usually. People usually pick 2-4 bags the first day then by the third day they're all vanished. Right now there's just an empty W4 pdq until we feel like reordering, hopefully wave 3 this time.

I would buy the whole set from the Walmart I work at because it's cheapest, but their BB orders are as inconsistent as a lactose intolerant's #2. I usually end up paying $3 a piece at Target/TRU, which is about a $1.50 mark up from cost.

I'm keeping all of the bags, boxes, cards, and figures in a shopping bag until I create a display.

[JazzMatazz]

codes, I only want some of them