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Pony Talk => Pony Corral => Topic started by: Prince Firefly on November 03, 2018, 04:07:01 PM

Title: The Mysterious Case of 3.5 Stickers
Post by: Prince Firefly on November 03, 2018, 04:07:01 PM
 :nerdy:

Today, I found G3.5 stickers in a local CVS. I bought two sheets, my curiosity piqued. Dated 2010.
This isn't the first time we've found 3.5 stickers in the wild like this, either. My collector friends and mutuals have reported these things too. In a Hobby Lobby, a Five Below, many more "bargain stores" like these, we continue to find 3.5 era stickersheets and stickerpads.

What's weirding me out is, why is no one talking about this? There's no report on these on places I'd expect to report on these. So I'm digging into it myself, I guess.
My mom figures it was a lost shipment, now spread to bargain stores across the US because of their age.

My question for you all is, have you found G3.5 stickers in the past year? When? Where? And does anyone have any idea why they're appearing at all? The only known pattern to their appearances are in low-priced stores, all in the US as far as I've heard. When were they dated? Is this an omen that G3.5 is going to destroy the world because we called it the worst generation and we need to praise the great 3.5 gods lest we perish? (Okay, that's a joke.) Pictures would be grand- I wanna crack this "case"!

EDIT:
Here's the ones I found.
Spoiler
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Title: Re: The Mysterious Case of 3.5 Stickers
Post by: Koudoawaia on November 03, 2018, 04:09:23 PM
Haven't found 3.5 stickers in the past year but it did surprise me when I found G3 stickers at a Dollar Tree three years ago.
Title: Re: The Mysterious Case of 3.5 Stickers
Post by: TheBeatlesPkmnFan42 on November 03, 2018, 05:26:21 PM
I've seen G3.5 merch in stores like maybe two, two and a half years ago. But not in the past year, at least not in stores that don't sell secondhand items.
Title: Re: The Mysterious Case of 3.5 Stickers
Post by: banditpony on November 03, 2018, 05:54:02 PM
Eh, I'd be curious if the other stickers are just as old. The circus one looks older due to the logo.

It's not so much lost, but dead stock..

ETA: I'm totally right. That circus one is older
https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B075NY615L/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_awdb_c_JUK3BbCNZ3NFH
Title: Re: The Mysterious Case of 3.5 Stickers
Post by: tailrustedtealeaf on November 03, 2018, 06:16:26 PM
I found a bunch of coloring books at Five Below! I've found plenty of G3.5 stickers since then.
Aand I think Michaels still has the G3 ponies as stickers. I bought them a lil ways back, although they may be gone at this point.
Title: Re: The Mysterious Case of 3.5 Stickers
Post by: Ponyfan on November 03, 2018, 07:24:42 PM
When my city still had a Kmart store, they still had G3 coloring books and party supplies long after G4 had started.  :lol: They also seemed to stop getting new ponies after the set with the paper masks as they had Sunset Shimmer and Pinkie for a long time after every other store had moved on to other ways.

I've found G3.5 and G3 MLP stickers at Dollar Tree before but I haven't seen any lately. I think stock like stickers doesn't move very fast at places like Dollar Tree or CVS


Ponyfan
Title: Re: The Mysterious Case of 3.5 Stickers
Post by: achab1984 on November 03, 2018, 08:14:52 PM
I have not seen anything for a long time in my local town.
Title: Re: The Mysterious Case of 3.5 Stickers
Post by: ringwraith10 on November 03, 2018, 08:53:34 PM
G 3.5 stuff didn't sell very well at all, and a lot of stores still haven't gotten rid of their stock. I know I continuously saw G 3.5 merch, like stickers, for years after G4 had started, and if I saw them now I probably wouldn't give it a second thought. I'll bet if I went looking for them right now I could find them easily.
Title: Re: The Mysterious Case of 3.5 Stickers
Post by: Aurora on November 03, 2018, 08:59:32 PM
I remember when i was talking to a lady who was stocking the stickers- she was the card-stocking-rep at Target. I pointed out that the pony stickers she was putting up were at least two years out of date- they were G3 about a year after g4 had started- and she said they still had the same upc, so it didn't matter to her. That is the only info I have on this, but it is fun to think about!
Title: Re: The Mysterious Case of 3.5 Stickers
Post by: lovesbabysquirmy on November 04, 2018, 07:34:05 AM
I found several things last year... this year, not so much. 
Title: Re: The Mysterious Case of 3.5 Stickers
Post by: poniesthatsparkle on November 04, 2018, 08:32:10 AM
Both of the 5 Below stores near me carry G3.5 stickers as well, but they are different than the ones you found. I still see lots of coloring books and such in my area.
Title: Re: The Mysterious Case of 3.5 Stickers
Post by: tulagirl on November 04, 2018, 01:47:35 PM
Things get stuck in a box in the back of stores for a while sometimes.  Suddenly, they decide to put it out.  Or they actually purchase it on the cheap and try to sell it at a higher price. I have actually watched managers from stores out here taking advantage of sales in other stores and buying up everything and then it appears on their shelves a week or two later.
Title: Re: The Mysterious Case of 3.5 Stickers
Post by: banditpony on November 04, 2018, 01:57:36 PM
Things get stuck in a box in the back of stores for a while sometimes.  Suddenly, they decide to put it out.  Or they actually purchase it on the cheap and try to sell it at a higher price. I have actually watched managers from stores out here taking advantage of sales in other stores and buying up everything and then it appears on their shelves a week or two later.

Well. For a lot of stores that carry AG product, AG owns them-- this wouldn't apply. They rent the space from the store to sell their product -- and the store gets a percentage of the sales. (At least in the main stores.) I always forgot if that applied to things other than cards, but Aurora's comment makes me think that.

I think that they might sell their old stock to other places.. but if this is at grocery stores / drug stores / target / and walmart... then pretty sure that isn't the case.
Title: Re: The Mysterious Case of 3.5 Stickers
Post by: Prince Firefly on November 04, 2018, 05:16:23 PM
Eh, I'd be curious if the other stickers are just as old. The circus one looks older due to the logo.

It's not so much lost, but dead stock..

ETA: I'm totally right. That circus one is older
https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B075NY615L/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_awdb_c_JUK3BbCNZ3NFH

Well. For a lot of stores that carry AG product, AG owns them-- this wouldn't apply. They rent the space from the store to sell their product -- and the store gets a percentage of the sales. (At least in the main stores.) I always forgot if that applied to things other than cards, but Aurora's comment makes me think that.

I think that they might sell their old stock to other places.. but if this is at grocery stores / drug stores / target / and walmart... then pretty sure that isn't the case.

I wonder if this is happening to multiple old sticker packs then, not just the 3.5s we've been finding recently. I wonder if this is AG grabbing at their old stock to get rid of it- it seems plausible.
Usually people have been finding them at bargain shops. It can be that AG is selling old stock elsewhere, even at Targets and Walmarts. I guess they'll sell it to whoever's taking it, as long as they're making a profit selling old merch, then AG would be fine with it, right?
I should try to email them to see if that's the case, if I get a response at all.
Title: Re: The Mysterious Case of 3.5 Stickers
Post by: banditpony on November 04, 2018, 06:01:04 PM
I wonder if this is happening to multiple old sticker packs then, not just the 3.5s we've been finding recently. I wonder if this is AG grabbing at their old stock to get rid of it- it seems plausible.
Usually people have been finding them at bargain shops. It can be that AG is selling old stock elsewhere, even at Targets and Walmarts. I guess they'll sell it to whoever's taking it, as long as they're making a profit selling old merch, then AG would be fine with it, right?
I should try to email them to see if that's the case, if I get a response at all.

Yeah, it isn't just the g3.5s..

And I don't think it's they sell it to "just anyone", they sell it to the companies that they do business with.

Also just a random thought... It could be some stuff that is popping up at more bargain places is stuff from TRU? I could be wrong. But I assume that stuff had to go somewhere?
Title: Re: The Mysterious Case of 3.5 Stickers
Post by: Sky_Rocket_Sammie on November 04, 2018, 10:56:32 PM
Wonder if my Rite Aide that did a store remodel two/three years ago still has those Holly Hobby stickers. From when the reboot was going on, I know they had G3/3.5 stickers as well still on the shelf. Hmm, I'll go take a look tomorrow because I'm curious.

At the same store, when I first moved here I found a G3 Party Cake! She lingered around till the remodel, went to check and she was gone. Should have bought her when I had the chance, it's a time warp I tell you. Stories like this are fascinating.
Title: Re: The Mysterious Case of 3.5 Stickers
Post by: Carrehz on November 05, 2018, 08:06:39 AM
Back in 2012 I found two G3s at a TK Maxx, maybe a week apart. Old stock can show up whenever and wherever.
Title: Re: The Mysterious Case of 3.5 Stickers
Post by: Taffeta on November 05, 2018, 12:44:26 PM
I can't say I've seen G3 stickers, but we do have a lot of old G4 stock in general from several years ago that magically pops up on shelves from time to time. So I wouldn't be remotely surprised if I did suddenly find G3 stickers in a store here. Because nothing is ever too old to sell, right...?

It reminds me of the fact Birmingham TRU still had the 1994 Bed and Crib set on sale in their stores in 2001 when I was at university...

And that my parents bought Baby Applejack (1984 release) for me in 1995...

I really feel like stock changes hands lots of times sometimes but ultimately it's about making money, so why not..?

Congrats on your find xD
Title: Re: The Mysterious Case of 3.5 Stickers
Post by: Mermaid on November 06, 2018, 06:38:29 AM
My hobby lobby has 3.5 AND g3 stickers still.
Title: Re: The Mysterious Case of 3.5 Stickers
Post by: Sky_Rocket_Sammie on November 06, 2018, 11:58:54 AM
My Walgreens seems very slow to turn over G4 MLP stock, so who knows what might crop up. Still need to check on those stickers, because science.
Title: Re: The Mysterious Case of 3.5 Stickers
Post by: Goanna on November 06, 2018, 03:34:28 PM
Now that I think about it, I feel like I've seen more G3 stuff in the wild than 3.5 haha!
I see G3 stickers here and there, and even G3 books and a board game once (last year)
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