Anybody noticing any toy shortages? 2 2

[Robot Man]

We have been doing some Christmas shopping for our kids and grandkids in the past week. Have noticed a notable reduction in product on the shelves. Hot Wheels have been non existent. Lego shelves are bare. Even the pink shelves of Barbie are looking sparce.

I know a lot of product is stuck on the many cargo ships sitting off the coast. I don’t think much of it will make it to the stores in time for the big day.

How are the shelves in your area. Any shortages? 

Edited December 20, 2021 by Robot Man

[BigLeagueCHEW]

On 12/20/2021 at 8:19 AM, Robot Man said:

We have been doing some Christmas shopping for our kids and grandkids in the past week. Have noticed a notable reduction in product on the shelves. Hot Wheels have been non existent. Lego shelves are bare. Even the pink shelves of Barbie are looking sparce.

I know a lot of product is stuck on the many cargo ships sitting off the coast. I don’t think much of it will make it to the stores in time for the big day.

How are the shelves in your area. Any shortages? 

I can't figure out why. Is it pandemic buying, or no shipments with the containers stuck at the ports 

[LudaToke]

I have noticed this as a general trend in almost all retail over the last few years.  Stores don't have inventory on the shelves but they do have it available online.  My guess is this is a combination of the Pandemic and a easier way to sell in general to a wider customer base.

[Robot Man]

No, this is different. Definitely a lack of product. A month ago, there were full shelves. Now they look like this in most Target, Walmart, Costco and many department stores. And ferget about video games and electronics…

Was down at the beach yesterday and lost count at 40 cargo ships floating in the ocean waiting to unload. 

[Robot Man]

Did spot this on sale for 99 cents…

[dupont2005]

On 12/20/2021 at 9:33 AM, BigLeagueCHEW said:

I can't figure out why. Is it pandemic buying, or no shipments with the containers stuck at the ports 

A little bit of both plus increased holiday demand and probably internet cooperation getting toys off fully stocked shelves into the hands of those who love where shelves are bare.

[universal soldier]

On 12/20/2021 at 2:59 PM, Robot Man said:

No, this is different. Definitely a lack of product. A month ago, there were full shelves. Now they look like this in most Target, Walmart, Costco and many department stores. And ferget about video games and electronics…

Was down at the beach yesterday and lost count at 40 cargo ships floating in the ocean waiting to unload. 

This is what the shelves at Target looked like for me over the weekend. I'm at that in between stage with a 23 year old and no grandkids yet so I have no need to buy toys. I did need a toy plane to go along with my "theme" gift but it took a lot of googling and a few trips to different stores to get what I needed. No inventory is dead on, if you haven't gotten the toy you wanted by now you are likely SOL.

[Lazyboy]

I've noticed shortages of specific products for months, but not toys at any point.

[snitzer]

The week of Christmas is usually pretty light in general when it comes to toy aisles. Our Target had one aisle picked clean (looked to be sale / LEGO items?) but decent of stock in the rest of them. Honestly, Target is pretty sucky in general anymore though  

[JollyComics]

My mother told me there were plenty toys back in late September and early October until the supples last.  No restock at all or very little.  Most people have ordered supplies online back in October.

It was very noticeable while I work at UPS.  There were heavy loads everyday from middle October to first week of December.  The volume starts to decline since the first week of December.  My work load is getting light and less.

The supplies are about out by Xmas.  Those supplies inside containers will be good for next year's Xmas.

Edited December 21, 2021 by JollyComics

[sevans1979]

Our target was about half empty about two weeks ago. Not sure now, it’s 40 mins away. I avoid going shopping this time of year unless absolutely necessary. I’ll just watch football, read and drink whisky until the crowds die down 

[unclezebo]

It might be a combination of things, my neighbor bought some toy at one of the big box stores for one of his kids online and when he went tp pick it up he said the toy aisles were thing and there was none of what he ordered but when he got to the service desk they had his and he saw at least 3 of the same toy waiting to be picked up. Makes me wonder with the supply chain issues and the increased amounts of internet sales if some of the toys this time of year go straight to check out counter and not the shelves due to the shortage.

[MGsimba77]

Toy stores being light the week of Christmas every year and increased internet sales due to pandemic will = empty shelves 

It cant be cargo ship problems if the shelves were full a month ago when that problem was worse than it is now. 

[William-James88]

On 12/20/2021 at 11:19 AM, Robot Man said:

We have been doing some Christmas shopping for our kids and grandkids in the past week. Have noticed a notable reduction in product on the shelves. Hot Wheels have been non existent. Lego shelves are bare. Even the pink shelves of Barbie are looking sparce.

I know a lot of product is stuck on the many cargo ships sitting off the coast. I don’t think much of it will make it to the stores in time for the big day.

How are the shelves in your area. Any shortages? 

Not in Canada. I am in Quebec and I went to visit family in ontario recently. Toy stores are my jam (as much as comics are) and I can say that everything looked packed. Lots of legos/transformers/barbies/hotwheels.

Here are some pics. The first 5 are from the same store to show the variety and then it's different stores each pic showing their Transformers section

 

[MetalPSI]

On 12/20/2021 at 12:59 PM, Robot Man said:

No, this is different. Definitely a lack of product. A month ago, there were full shelves. Now they look like this in most Target, Walmart, Costco and many department stores. And ferget about video games and electronics…

Was down at the beach yesterday and lost count at 40 cargo ships floating in the ocean waiting to unload. 

Im curious about this. Seems the ships on the Canadian west coast are being unloaded steadily. 

Is there a union issue on the States side?

Being a dock worker here is extremely lucrative right now, I know several people who have been hired on in the past year

[snitzer]

IBTL the political warning shots 

[troydivision1]

Those Canadian aisles (especially the SW / Marvel) would not last more than a few days here.
NO way a Boba Fett lasts on the shelf even one day after being placed there.

1. LCS / Collectible stores buying them all
2. Locals that flip on eBay
3. People wanting them for Christmas

Toy aisles / online options have been dwindling / non-existent since the beginning of November.
I know because the day we received the Target toy catalog (mid-November), I asked my little guy to identify his top 3 items.
(two were Target exclusives, one was mass produced)
All three were sold out at Target (locally and online) already - twenty minutes after opening the catalog and him saying which ones he wanted from Santa.

I just so happen to visit Target twice a week to charge my car (no home charger) and grocery shop.
Was able to get 2 of his three items during those random visits and the third was purchased via eBay.
(once had to ask them to hold one so I can come back later since he was with me)

Have not seen the Target exclusive Harry Potter Lego chess set in person.

The empty Hot Wheels was a surprise.  Luckily he isn't in to them anymore.

We happened to be there when they were stocking No Way Home Titan figures last month
He was able to get the new Spider-Man costume (the black one with gauntlet) he didn't already have.
I can't imagine being a parent this week and trying to get the toys from the #1 movie with bare shelves.

Edited December 21, 2021 by Troy Division

[Robot Man]

On 12/20/2021 at 9:29 PM, The Meta said:

Im curious about this. Seems the ships on the Canadian west coast are being unloaded steadily. 

Is there a union issue on the States side?

Being a dock worker here is extremely lucrative right now, I know several people who have been hired on in the past year

I live in LA. The two biggest ports on the west coast are here. Much of the goods from Asia go through here.

The problems I am hearing is 1.) Lack of qualified truck drivers.  2.) The fact that many of the empty containers are not being removed. So bad that they are even being dumped in residential neighborhoods. 3.) Resistance to hiring and training enough workers.

Two of my neighbors are older dock workers. They are working 10 or maybe more hours a day. They are making so much money they just can’t turn it down. 

[Robot Man]

On 12/21/2021 at 4:38 AM, Troy Division said:

Those Canadian aisles (especially the SW / Marvel) would not last more than a few days here.
NO way a Boba Fett lasts on the shelf even one day after being placed there.

1. LCS / Collectible stores buying them all
2. Locals that flip on eBay
3. People wanting them for Christmas

Toy aisles / online options have been dwindling / non-existent since the beginning of November.
I know because the day we received the Target toy catalog (mid-November), I asked my little guy to identify his top 3 items.
(two were Target exclusives, one was mass produced)
All three were sold out at Target (locally and online) already - twenty minutes after opening the catalog and him saying which ones he wanted from Santa.

I just so happen to visit Target twice a week to charge my car (no home charger) and grocery shop.
Was able to get 2 of his three items during those random visits and the third was purchased via eBay.
(once had to ask them to hold one so I can come back later since he was with me)

Have not seen the Target exclusive Harry Potter Lego chess set in person.

The empty Hot Wheels was a surprise.  Luckily he isn't in to them anymore.

We happened to be there when they were stocking No Way Home Titan figures last month
He was able to get the new Spider-Man costume (the black one with gauntlet) he didn't already have.
I can't imagine being a parent this week and trying to get the toys from the #1 movie with bare shelves.

Being a parent now is no different than when my kids were young. There is always that popular toy every kid wants. If you wait, your are TSOL.

My daughters wanted Cabbage Kid dolls, Mutant Turtles and video games. Always a scramble this time of year. You just couldn’t go online and have them delivered to your door. I remember the feeding frenzy by desperate parents when these toys hit the stores. 

[Robot Man]

Went to the grocery store this morning at 7:00 am. The guy was just finishing putting up the Hot Wheels.

My younger 35 year old daughter and her husband are into vintage muscle cars and own 3 of them. She collects Hot Wheels so I always look.

They only had one case when they usually have 4 and I was the first one there. I was picking the rack when annother adult showed up. Like finding comics at the flea market. Turned into a bit of a grab fest. Caught the guy trying to swipe one out of my pile. He got the “treatment”… Apparently, it was a scarce short run car. When I got done, annother guy showed up and was disapointed. Crazy!