I've been intrigued by Magic: The Gathering for many years, but always hesitant to try it. With no idea how to approach the game as a complete beginner, I was just afraid to jump in. Because seriously - who wants to purchase cards, then walk up to strangers and risk feeling foolish for not knowing how to play?
Well guys, I'm here to tell you, it isn't like that at all. I had a short learning session at Comic Con in New Orleans back in January and took home a few promo decks, but I still wasn't quite ready. My fellow blogger and good friend Jackalope has been playing a lot lately, though, and encouraging me to try. After his last post, I decided to go for it. Oh, not at our ToyWiz retail location in NY, but down in Albany, LA at a shop called Chuck's Field of Dreams. Yes, a nice anonymous place to go embarass myself, I thought.
Just so you know, I'm a friendly, but cutthroat player in any game I pursue. Maybe I'll post another day about my history with MMORPGs, for example, but suffice it to say that I probably blow away any stereotypes you might have about female gamers! So jumping into something new is a big deal for me - There's no way I'm playing anything without making a serious effort to master it and to be a fierce competitor.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Friday, April 8, 2011
You can go home again.
Jackalope here with a brief trip down memory lane for today’s post. I loved Magic: The Gathering, I played it casually for many years and have few regrets. I got my start with a starter of Beta or Unlimited (I can’t remember other than one of my rare cards was Personal Incarnation) and a pack of Arabian Nights.
[caption id="attachment_770" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Ah, sweet memories."]
[/caption]
I didn’t really get into Magic until Revised when the rest of the geek world caught on that this game was something amazing. I played at the local game shop’s tournaments for about a year and soon began working there; any competitive aspirations were quickly dashed as I always had to work during our tournaments. Time passed and I played less and less, until finally my last constructed deck was a fun little Sneak Attack Deck built at the end of the Urza block.
[caption id="attachment_770" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Ah, sweet memories."]
[/caption]I didn’t really get into Magic until Revised when the rest of the geek world caught on that this game was something amazing. I played at the local game shop’s tournaments for about a year and soon began working there; any competitive aspirations were quickly dashed as I always had to work during our tournaments. Time passed and I played less and less, until finally my last constructed deck was a fun little Sneak Attack Deck built at the end of the Urza block.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
All About Pre-Orders!
I get a lot of questions from people about how our pre-orders work, so here's the lowdown:
Why pre-order?
Preference, that's why. When a hot new item arrives, we start with the pre-orders first. On release day, demand can be outrageously high for some items, and we do everything we can to get all orders packed and shipped before the last delivery truck runs. But pre-ordered merchandise is processed first, so the sooner your order is placed, the more likely it is to be shipped on day 1.
This preferential treatment can also be the difference when supply is very limited or demand so high that we run out of an item. You'll see that a lot of things we sell are limited edition, but even things that aren't can be in limited supply at release. Although in most situations, we'll be getting more product when the manufacturer can complete our shipment, we do not have control over their production limits. The only fair thing to do is to fill orders as they were received, pre-orders first, and ship the rest as soon as our supplier can manufacture, package and send the rest to us. We hate when this happens, and we know you do too. That's why we offer the option of getting your order in ahead of the last-minute rush.
Why do pre-order dates change or go by without a shipment or announcement?
I promise, it isn't because we're holding back merchandise or failing to deliver! The dates we publish are given by the companies that make the things we sell - these are their own projected delivery schedules. Some of them make their deadlines on almost every product release, and we're always happy when things run like clockwork. But there can be glitches and delays before an item ever hits the shelf. Whether a supply-line problem arises in manufacturing, licensing, packaging or even shipping, sometimes merchandise just doesn't get to us when the makers thought it would. To make it even more complicated, they're often too busy scrambling to fix those issues to let us know that something has been delayed, or why it happened. We stay on top of the game, though, and try to ensure that our pre-order release dates are accurate based on the information available to us. When there's an update, we get those posted quickly to ensure that our pre-order customers know when to expect delivery.
And there's one last reason: Locking in prices. We sometimes see price increases after release, but if you've pre-ordered, you can save yourself from this possibility.
When are pre-orders charged to my card?
We don't bill your credit card until your order is shipped.
Why can't I have pre-orders and regular merchandise on the same order with PayPal?
You can, but we can't ship them separately, so your regular merchandise will be on hold until everything is available. This is due to PayPal's policies for merchants, so we have to ask that you divide the order if you want the available items sooner.
Why pre-order?
Preference, that's why. When a hot new item arrives, we start with the pre-orders first. On release day, demand can be outrageously high for some items, and we do everything we can to get all orders packed and shipped before the last delivery truck runs. But pre-ordered merchandise is processed first, so the sooner your order is placed, the more likely it is to be shipped on day 1.
This preferential treatment can also be the difference when supply is very limited or demand so high that we run out of an item. You'll see that a lot of things we sell are limited edition, but even things that aren't can be in limited supply at release. Although in most situations, we'll be getting more product when the manufacturer can complete our shipment, we do not have control over their production limits. The only fair thing to do is to fill orders as they were received, pre-orders first, and ship the rest as soon as our supplier can manufacture, package and send the rest to us. We hate when this happens, and we know you do too. That's why we offer the option of getting your order in ahead of the last-minute rush.
Why do pre-order dates change or go by without a shipment or announcement?
I promise, it isn't because we're holding back merchandise or failing to deliver! The dates we publish are given by the companies that make the things we sell - these are their own projected delivery schedules. Some of them make their deadlines on almost every product release, and we're always happy when things run like clockwork. But there can be glitches and delays before an item ever hits the shelf. Whether a supply-line problem arises in manufacturing, licensing, packaging or even shipping, sometimes merchandise just doesn't get to us when the makers thought it would. To make it even more complicated, they're often too busy scrambling to fix those issues to let us know that something has been delayed, or why it happened. We stay on top of the game, though, and try to ensure that our pre-order release dates are accurate based on the information available to us. When there's an update, we get those posted quickly to ensure that our pre-order customers know when to expect delivery.
And there's one last reason: Locking in prices. We sometimes see price increases after release, but if you've pre-ordered, you can save yourself from this possibility.
When are pre-orders charged to my card?
We don't bill your credit card until your order is shipped.
Why can't I have pre-orders and regular merchandise on the same order with PayPal?
You can, but we can't ship them separately, so your regular merchandise will be on hold until everything is available. This is due to PayPal's policies for merchants, so we have to ask that you divide the order if you want the available items sooner.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
YuGiOh 5D's 2011 Duelist Tin
Jackalope here with…Ohhhh New Duelist Tin!
[caption id="attachment_732" align="alignleft" width="120" caption="Just sitting here on my desk, asking to be opened…"]
[/caption]
I’ve always been a fan of the duelist tin product from both a retailer’s and a consumer’s point of view. Why you ask? Value, this product has solid value to it and what means is you as the consumer get great value for your dollar. Let’s take a look at one of the tins (along with pictures of the tin I’m opening for this post).
As you can see you get several things in the tin:
[caption id="attachment_732" align="alignleft" width="120" caption="Just sitting here on my desk, asking to be opened…"]
[/caption]I’ve always been a fan of the duelist tin product from both a retailer’s and a consumer’s point of view. Why you ask? Value, this product has solid value to it and what means is you as the consumer get great value for your dollar. Let’s take a look at one of the tins (along with pictures of the tin I’m opening for this post).
As you can see you get several things in the tin:
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Special Thanks
Have you noticed this phrase on our Beyblades listings?
If you love Beyblades like we do, I hope you're already familiar with these guys, because this is an amazing source for detailed information and discussions. Events, customization tips, feedback...the depth of knowledge on BeyWiki and the World Beyblade Organization forums is astounding. We really appreciate the time and effort it takes to compile, manage and organize such a massive site for fans and hobbyists.
We would like to thank World Beyblade Organization and BeyWiki for the detailed information featured in this item. Please head to wiki.worldbeyblade.org for more information.
If you love Beyblades like we do, I hope you're already familiar with these guys, because this is an amazing source for detailed information and discussions. Events, customization tips, feedback...the depth of knowledge on BeyWiki and the World Beyblade Organization forums is astounding. We really appreciate the time and effort it takes to compile, manage and organize such a massive site for fans and hobbyists.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
In brightest day, in blackest night...
Wow! The newly released footage from the Green Lantern movie looks amazing!
Friday, April 1, 2011
"You can’t process me with a normal brain."
Debut! You might have noticed that our blog hasn't been updated since 2009, but that's about to change. So let me start with an introduction: I'm Bebs, aka Anissa. I'll be blogging here a few times weekly with information, insider news, how-to guides and fun links, and I think it will be a kick to share some of what goes on at ToyWiz.com with the world. I'm a bit of a gaming geek at heart with a love of toys and the people who collect them, but I'll spare you too many personal details: just subscribe to our RSS feed and get to know me!
[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="139" caption="Charlie Sheen Talking Bobble Head"]
[/caption]
With that out of the way, I can't tell you how much I giggled when I realized that I'd be making my blogging debut alongside the announcement of one of the funniest new products I've seen in awhile. Yes, it is a Charlie Sheen Bobble Head, and it talks.
Our friends over at Funko! are crazy with this thing! I mean seriously, could they be more timely? At least until they make a Bebs Bobble Head, but I might need to actually get a subscriber here before they oblige.
And even if I don't get my own Bobble Head, stick with me. You'll find me alongside Charlie Sheen on Twitter and Facebook, or you can email me directly at anissa@toywiz.com. I'd love to hear your questions and ideas, so please (I beg you) comment, respond, chat me up! Just don't call the office looking for me...I'm probably hiding out somewhere playing with the LEGOs. *Note: I promise not to pre-play with your LEGOs if you're placing an order. Those are my LEGOs. My "work LEGOs". It's research. Don't judge.
[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="139" caption="Charlie Sheen Talking Bobble Head"]
[/caption]With that out of the way, I can't tell you how much I giggled when I realized that I'd be making my blogging debut alongside the announcement of one of the funniest new products I've seen in awhile. Yes, it is a Charlie Sheen Bobble Head, and it talks.
Our friends over at Funko! are crazy with this thing! I mean seriously, could they be more timely? At least until they make a Bebs Bobble Head, but I might need to actually get a subscriber here before they oblige.
And even if I don't get my own Bobble Head, stick with me. You'll find me alongside Charlie Sheen on Twitter and Facebook, or you can email me directly at anissa@toywiz.com. I'd love to hear your questions and ideas, so please (I beg you) comment, respond, chat me up! Just don't call the office looking for me...I'm probably hiding out somewhere playing with the LEGOs. *Note: I promise not to pre-play with your LEGOs if you're placing an order. Those are my LEGOs. My "work LEGOs". It's research. Don't judge.
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