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A writer by passion and profession, I've been writing since I was old enough to know how, so establishing a weblog
seemed a natural progression. By adding a blog to my site, I can speak about my passions and life, share my writing, art
and photos, and comment on current events.
Sunday, April 03, 2005
You Underestimate the Power of the Collectible Toys Fairfax, VA - We were there well before midnight and saw tell-tale signs of others hanging out and patienting waiting at the nearby Starbucks and in cars parked outside the now closed stores of the plaza. Folks were clearly around earlier, but the line up at the Fair Lakes Toys R Us for the Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith Midnight Madness sale didn't really begin until about 10:30 PM on Friday, April 1st.
Inside, store employees worked with a sense of urgency assembling displays, splitting open pallets of boxes and following a precisely dictated merchandising plan with the midnight deadline fast approaching. In the cool, drizzly weather of Fairfax, Virginia, two became four and four became six. But, it wasn't until 11:00 PM - when the store manager unlocked the store atrium to let toy stalkers in out of the rain - that a genuine line began to form and surge with excitement as giddy collectors chatted amongst themselves with noses pressed against glass doors and the special store display took shape.
By midnight, there were probably 50 or more collectors and fans, many with checklists in hand, waiting in nervous anticipation for the 12:01 AM opening. Although there are always a few in every crowd who exhibit selfishness or otherwise display rudeness, once the doors opened most toy stalkers were polite, well behaved and pleased with toy selections, employees and the the store's overall handling of MIDNIGHT MADNESS.
Employees set-up displays and stock shelves and pegs
Full shelves and pegs build excitement in the crowd just yards away
Once inside toy stalkers rush past a menacing Vader cut-out
The saga of fanatical toy shoppers continues with action figure pegs the first destination of many, if not all
Crowds search for items missing from their checklists
Just a few more minutes past midnight, empty pegs are at last revealed to the Jedi junkies
With pegs depleted, employees wielding boxcutters busted out reserves from pallets wheeled to the side and kindly searched for and with fans for the more elusive figures
Having hit Toys R Us at midnight, as well as Wal-Mart at 6:00 AM and Target at 8:00 AM for early bird exclusives, the Dennison Episode III collection is off to a rousing start...
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