The Last Poster Wins [v29]

[Chakramaster]

Ohhhh trust me. After my experience riding into NYC years ago? I could never drive there myself. I'd go into a panic attack (yeah I'm not great at driving and I'm still very timid behind the wheel. Especially in new places I haven't driven before).

Yeah NYC used to have this great appeal especially in movies. Made me really have that feel of wanting to go. Then especially so when the Pokémon Center opened there. I got to go sometime after it shut down and Nintendo World opened instead. It wasn't as great. I did however enjoy the Top of the Rock and got to see all the Christmas decorations around the town. I loved it! Sadly yeah I've been hearing about all the subway incidents and crime. It's enough that if I were ever up there. I'd be wanting to stay off the streets around dusk.

Gonna try to keep it very non-political here, but yeah. Defunding the police becasue of what's been happening is the last thing that should happen. Law enforcement have been doing everything they can to help prevent this from getting worse. Sad to say though COVID helped to make everything worse too. It's driven everyone a little more insane and to depend on things like drugs or something more....illegal. Making everyone that much more crazy.

Another sad thong to say. I feel if I did move north a lot of people would target me cause I'm a bit more small, from the south (where a lot of people see "confederate" things or reference to that), which also references to racism. I'm not racist, but sometimes you get targeted just on who you are, where you're from, and the color of your skin....and that's sad. We're seeing that a lot with Asians lately being targeted. It's sad to see happen to anyone really.

[Neo Emolga]

Yeah, that’s a good point, usually I try to steer away from politics...

It’s sad you didn’t get to check out the NYC Pokémon Center. Nintendo World is nothing compared to it and all the times I went there, I came out empty-handed because 95% of the stuff that’s there is stuff you can buy just about anywhere anyway. Most of the floor is reserved just for gaming stations, which is dang disappointing. There were a lot of things I saw at the NYC Pokémon Center that I wish I bought, but I’m happy I did come home with quite a few things anyway and I still have them, too.

Really, they’d do much better to change it back. I still see kids are very much into Pokémon and you’ve still got plenty of us folks in the older generations still into it. If they changed it back, heck, I’d consider going back again. It’s Nintendo’s top franchise, why did they change it?

These days, I just get the stuff from the Pokémon Center website and from Mercari. Mercari is… ugh, man, it’s a hard struggle to avoid succumbing to temptation there. Still on the lookout for a great Jirachi plush that’s under $50. XD

[Chakramaster]

Yeah I first remember seeing it advertised way back in Nintendo Power. I desperately wanted to go. My parents were totally against it no matter what though. They never wanted us going to NYC. My dad's things was always "I haven't been to New York and I haven't ever lost anything in New York, I don't want to go to New York." Sadly he was the only one that would even be able to take me if I were being a kid not mucc over 10 at the time.

I remember seeing the contest in Nintendo Power where the winner would be flown to New York to visit the Pokémon Center and get to see the Pokémon Movie 4Ever in a theater there early. Along with $1000 in money for shopping anywhere the winner wanted. I remember so desperately wanting to win that as it was my only hope of going since my parents didn't want to. Sad to say yeah I never made it. Not until 2011 when it was long gone. I remember seeing all these pictures of the Pokémon Center and hoped the Nintendo World was just as great.....sadly it wasn't. All that time and effort making it there and I went home empty handed aside from the memories.

Seriously they would. Imagine not only Pokémon Centers all over the US, but themed depending on location along with Pokémon Cafes themed to the location. It would give reason to travel and a variety of different merch in food, plushies, figures, apparel and so much more! It's like adding billions on top of the already billion dollar company.

Same here sadly. Sometimes I use PokeVault cause it's exclusive Japanese merch. I'm still on the lookout for a nice Jirachi plush for sure. That's not insanely priced....

[Neo Emolga]

Yeah, I remember seeing the details in Nintendo Power. That’s originally what sparked my interest and I seized the opportunity the next time we were in Rockefeller Center. I think I went three times and the first time, I didn’t come out with much simply because I didn’t have the money at the time. If my present self could wire transfer money to my past self… yeah, I would have come home loaded. But I did get lots of good stuff the following two times… and then it became Nintendo World and I usually came out of there with nothing and then just stopped bothering altogether.

I like what PokeVault has but dang those prices are tough to swallow. But if they have stuff I just gotta have, bang, I’ll do it.

And yeah, I’m happy I managed to get a hold of a Takara Tomy Talking Emolga plush because that was HARD to hunt down and wasn’t cheap. Although I’ll admit I haven’t actually loaded it up with batteries and turned it on to see it and hear it in action…

…until now. Heh heh, it’s hilarious! Sounds just like it does in those crazy anime episodes! XD Totally worth every penny. :3

[Chakramaster]

Yeah if I had gotten the chance to go way back. I don't think I ever would've suffered a period where I nearly quit playing Pokémon. So lucky you even got to go! I went up to NY expecting to come out with a lot and came home empty handed.

Yeah PokeVaults prices are pretty high. Has to make money somehow though. Shipping is crazy enough as it is right now. Even Toreba takes forever too. I literally just got the Eevee pillow and Piplup plush I won months ago now yesterday.

I kinda need the Talking Tomy Pikachuninfeel like xD. It's expensive too though. Glad to hear the Emolga was worth it!

[Neo Emolga]

Yeah if I had gotten the chance to go way back. I don't think I ever would've suffered a period where I nearly quit playing Pokémon. So lucky you even got to go! I went up to NY expecting to come out with a lot and came home empty handed.

Yeah PokeVaults prices are pretty high. Has to make money somehow though. Shipping is crazy enough as it is right now. Even Toreba takes forever too. I literally just got the Eevee pillow and Piplup plush I won months ago now yesterday.

I kinda need the Talking Tomy Pikachuninfeel like xD. It's expensive too though. Glad to hear the Emolga was worth it!

I had a short period where I quit Pokémon and had gotten salty about it. It was around the time Pokemon Yellow came out and it made me unhinged how Pokémon was getting into everything to the point where I felt it was a nuisance and just wanted to go back to the times where Nintendo focused on a wider variety of games instead of dropping Pikachu on my face over and over. So far about a year, I wanted nothing to do with it and it made me irate every time I saw it. And then Gold/Silver came along and I was too enthralled with Ho-oh and Lugia on the box art and I was like "ok, ok, I'm back in, those two are really cool, I take back all the nasty things I said." Haven't left it since, so yeah, it was only just that one time for a short while.

Yeah, Toreba takes two months now from the time I send the request to ship to the time it arrives in the mail. I only just got that Christmas Pikachu a few days ago, which now sits on my printer because I have no where else to go with it. XD This is getting funny but crazy, I have a whole other giant bag of Pokemon plushies sitting in the attic, most of which I got from the Pokémon Center in NYC. Really though, if I win another plushie from Toreba, I have absolutely no clue where I'd put it. I might have to squish a few around.

And yeah, the Emolga is great! But I had to turn him off because he'd suddenly shout "EMOOOO!!!" completely out of the blue and it's a bit of a jump-scare like that. XD

[Chakramaster]

I had a short period where I quit Pokémon and had gotten salty about it. It was around the time Pokemon Yellow came out and it made me unhinged how Pokémon was getting into everything to the point where I felt it was a nuisance and just wanted to go back to the times where Nintendo focused on a wider variety of games instead of dropping Pikachu on my face over and over. So far about a year, I wanted nothing to do with it and it made me irate every time I saw it. And then Gold/Silver came along and I was too enthralled with Ho-oh and Lugia on the box art and I was like "ok, ok, I'm back in, those two are really cool, I take back all the nasty things I said." Haven't left it since, so yeah, it was only just that one time for a short while.

Yeah, Toreba takes two months now from the time I send the request to ship to the time it arrives in the mail. I only just got that Christmas Pikachu a few days ago, which now sits on my printer because I have no where else to go with it. XD This is getting funny but crazy, I have a whole other giant bag of Pokemon plushies sitting in the attic, most of which I got from the Pokémon Center in NYC. Really though, if I win another plushie from Toreba, I have absolutely no clue where I'd put it. I might have to squish a few around.

And yeah, the Emolga is great! But I had to turn him off because he'd suddenly shout "EMOOOO!!!" completely out of the blue and it's a bit of a jump-scare like that. XD

I think I've said my story about when I almost got out of Pokemon. Still pretty crazy how not long after I started getting back because of PMD.

Yeah anywhere from 2-3 months really. It's like it gets held in retention wherever the package goes for 2 weeks. Like COVID rules still apply to it. It's pretty bad. The packaging is poly bags now too instead of the boxes they used to use. Yeah I'm running out of space too. Many of the later ones are in the packaging still in my closet.

PFFFFT xD. Oh come on, she just wants your attention! It's like one Emolga talking to another!

[Neo Emolga]

I think I've said my story about when I almost got out of Pokemon. Still pretty crazy how not long after I started getting back because of PMD.

Yeah anywhere from 2-3 months really. It's like it gets held in retention wherever the package goes for 2 weeks. Like COVID rules still apply to it. It's pretty bad. The packaging is poly bags now too instead of the boxes they used to use. Yeah I'm running out of space too. Many of the later ones are in the packaging still in my closet.

PFFFFT xD. Oh come on, she just wants your attention! It's like one Emolga talking to another!

Yeah, I've never gotten boxes, it's always been in those gray bags. They still come in perfect condition, though, so I can't complain.

It's funny, the Emolga is voice-activated, but if makes me wonder if the "My Friend Eevee" I have which also makes Eevee sounds when you press its belly would actually trigger the Emolga's voice-activated sensor. If it works, it would be like the two are talking to each other! XD

[Chakramaster]

Yeah, I've never gotten boxes, it's always been in those gray bags. They still come in perfect condition, though, so I can't complain.

It's funny, the Emolga is voice-activated, but if makes me wonder if the "My Friend Eevee" I have which also makes Eevee sounds when you press its belly would actually trigger the Emolga's voice-activated sensor. If it works, it would be like the two are talking to each other! XD

They do if I remember correctly! I've seen someone make a video on that. It's kinda funny to watch xD.

Yeah I used to win back when they sent boxes. It said "Toreba Crane Game" on them and they always had to be hand delivered. Which was odd cause it was someone in their own personal car from the post office. Which....was really really odd xD. I was like "who is this" half the time. Then they're like "are you Eric?" I'd confirm cause I saw the box. They'd pass it over and be on their way. Was really odd. But yeah it was better than these poly bags.

[Neo Emolga]

Today I got 5... and I'm just confused. Tried to go for a Yamper plush just for variation's sake but eh, no dice. Tried a variety of things and it just didn't budge enough.

But yeah, now I'm wondering how many tickets I'll get tomorrow. If it goes back to 1, maybe I'll try dropping $10 just to see what happens, but if that changes nothing, well... eh, that would suck, but at least we'd know that wasn't the reason.