Before the days of the 24 hour Walmarts I used to swing by the stores right when they opened. I had limited success scoring the chase figures, got maybe two over the years - but it was always a funny experience.
A couple local Flea Market dealers would run to the toy department, I mean legitimately run, to try and beat each other there.
I found it amusing more than frustrating
Not the best pick but here is the collection my father and I have going from a couple years back: