Wal Mart Model selection

Well, the problem is... not everyone shops at *your* wal-mart, so answering the way you ask is somewhat pointless.

Local wal-mart here has a good number of cars (well, at least 20 types,) the F-18 Blue Angels, the usual P-51/Hog/P-40 rotation (must change per shipment,) occasionally an F-15. Got my F-15E, new, at a different wal-mart.

Contrast it to the local Fred Meyer - there's actually a bit of variety there (for another one-shelf-rack selection) - Testors P-51, F-14A, F-14D, B-25, FW-190, P-47, SR-71 and a few others, in 1/48, 1/72, and 1/144 mixes. They also stock Gundam kits (more than Walmart, who has 2-3,) and occasionally the Yugioh "put-together-action-figures" (can't really call 'em model kits) show up.

Don't forget, for every one of us, there's someone else walking by who isn't going to know (or care) the difference between an F-84, P-51, or a stick in the mud. On top of it, they're not going to *touch* Tamiya, Hasegawa, etc. (unless they have something else coming from the same distributor, and can sell it cheap.)

Your best bet, given what I've seen at wal-mart, is going to be the F-14/F-18 and below. ($16 and cheaper.) Which means a lot of P-40s, P-51s, Hueys, maybe a Spitfire or two (the $7.99 kits.)

mine is apparently wally lite. all they can get is f-18 and p51. sometimes a p40. the system won't give them anything else.

I realize this will not help people out of my area however I was looking for a sample of what model enthusiast from across the country would like . This would give me an idea what individuals in my area may enjoy. Modelers locally other than myself would hopefully benefit when I give the manager my wish list.

Rodney

Things are different at different locations. The Wally World in town carried very few models of any kind; the Super Wally down the the rural area carries almost exclusively stock cars. Depends on taste (manager's, I guess)

-- John ___ __[xxx]__ (o - ) --------o00o--(_)--o00o-------

The history of things that didn't happen has never been written - Henry Kissinger

my wally world has a total of 2 planes and about 5 cars,been that way for years.Yet when it opened they had a better selection then the local hobby shops As for what to offer...remember that wally customers arent die-hard modelers...think well known and cheap...P-51,stealth fighter etc,and (what a coincidence,my preference!)1/72. Don't expect to find modeling nirvana at a department store

To heck with Wal Mart. Why would anyone want to support a business that pays its employees low wages, with no benefits, while driving out local family owned businesses?

In my opinion, it makes better sense to support the local hobby shop (or any other business than Wal Mart) that offers a better selection of kits and supplies. If there isn't a local hobby shop, then mail order would be another alternative.

I feel better now...

Jeff The eagle has landed

WTF is time theft? I broke my watch once.....but the police never came

Most of the "local, family owned" businesses around here died out long before wallyworld came in....

Heh. If you saw what passed for "local hobby shop" around here, it makes Wal-mart look like modeling nirvana. (One of the local shops closed, finally... with its crotchety owner and five bottles of paint he's had for years with no interest in ordering anything for anyone else.)

The one around here is reportedly going through employees at a tremendous rate. I wouldn't know as I never set foot in the place.

Bill Banaszak, MFE

Try to find armor or ship kits (other than the RMS Titanic) at either Walmart or TRU...

Cookie Sewell AMPS

Cookie,

They don't sell models....just cars. ;-)

Ed "'Twas a woman who drove me to drink, and I never had the courtesy to thank her for it." W. C. Fields (Delete text after dot com for e-mail reply.)

That's the suprising thing about Fred Meyer - they *do* have ships, at least. Some suprising ones, too (Lindberg, I think, tugboat model?! That was a suprise!)

Consider youself lucky...mine doesn't even stock ANY airplane kits, and only just a few car kits.

In my neck of the woods there's a small town chain called Fairway. It's like the old Ben Franklin chain. They actually have model sections, some of them larger than the WalMarts, at least in selection--lot of the older Monogram, Revell and Testor airplane and helo kits, some OOP. I always check them out for something old. Nice to see the kits on the shelf for the kids.

Man! I'll bet some MBA got a special award for thinking that one up!

Bill Shuey

Rattlesnakes eat vermin. What does Walmart do that has utility?

Mark Schynert

Jeeze guys! Haven't you figured it out yet? There is no way to change Wally World's habits except for someone to hack the computer systems and they probably have as good a defense system as the Pentagon...

The store cash register system talks to the server which communicates with the central computer in Bentonville, AR which spreads the information around to all the users,several of which control the inventory, which controls the purchasing schedule, which places the orders to vendors who comply with Wally World's requirements on cost, delivery, etc.

Not a human need get involved except to initial the misc paper. Tha initial probably comes from a NW Arkansas MBA who has never built a model, except for a financial model in grad school.

Not the Sam intended, but the way it works.

The sorry sucker that I really want to get my hands on is the SOB who constantly orders the revisions to the shelving in the grocery and anciallaries. I dare you to find the same thing in the same row/shelf/endcap for two weeks in a row. Shame on you if you find a new product that you like three weeks in a row. The sorry SOB has ordered it moved or won't reorder the stuff. Models HELL, I just want to find the same pasta sauce when I go back for it!

Don't tell me that Wally World is killing the existing merchants in small towns, they are doing it to themselves. I feel sorry for the people, but the rest of the world is a rat race also.The small merchant is going the way of the mom and pop hobby shop.

Vent over Rick Clark MFE

M.B.A. = More Bad Advice.