![](\"http:\/\/www.oafe.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/motuwm.jpg\" "\\"Walmasters")
<\/p>\nThis image was posted yesterday on Mattel's message board:<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The poster had this to say:<\/p>\n
The Wal Mart price is cheaper than [day of sale] customers and Subscribers pay direct from Matty Collector with no \"middle man\". What gives?<\/p>\n
I am also wondering why the Robotos are all first issue (no original burst) but my 3 first release subscription Robotos all came with the damn original burst?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Now, the poster is from Australia, but the image was originally shared on Facebook and said to be the store in Moreno Valley (presumably California). Either way, he still raises good questions. How can Mattel sell to retailers at a price low enough that those stores can then undercut Mattel's own price, when every time fans complain about being overcharged Mattel's official line is that they're barely making any money? And why are these all first-run figures, if those always sell out on the first day they're available?<\/p>\n
Now, the lack of sticker could be explained easily enough: it's possible that these really are<\/b> second-run figures, but just didn't have the sticker applied at the factory. (Re-releases are given a starburst sticker on the packaging that exclaims \"The Original\" so that they can be told apart from the originals. Yes, it's confusing, but that's Mattel for you.) Maybe they were even held back as \"defective\" because that step was missed, we don't know. But that still doesn't explain how Walmart can afford to sell them for less than Matty does, unless Mattel has been lying to us about the cost for years.<\/p>\n
But hey, it can't hurt to check out Walmart and see what you find.<\/p>\n