is "picking" the same as Scalping?

[Magnimus]

Originally Posted by Robimus

I can see why it could be viewed as a fine line. Its essentially about someone with knowledge lowballing someone without knowledge to make a massive profit.

I guess there's a moral debate about whether it's ethical to low-ball someone, but pickers differ from scalpers in that pickers don't back other people into a corner.

A picker isn't in a market situation where he or she can force the hand of the seller. The seller can take or leave the offer quite freely. There's not a lot of pressure put on the seller. Therefore, if the picker is low-balling the seller, the seller has a lot of freedom to reject the offer and seek better ones.

A scalper, however, puts the buyer in a pressured situation. Because scalpers create an artificial rarity, or artificially inflate an existing rarity, they don't leave the buyer many options. The buyer can accept the high-ball selling price or face the most likely alternatives: A.) not getting what they want and being unable to find it elsewhere or B.) buying it for a somewhat lesser yet still inflated price from someone else.

It's the ability for the scalper to manipulate the market that separates them from pickers

[Rodimus1982]

Nothing much to say except that I agree with everyone!!!! Scalping is emptying the shelve and Picking is hunting for it at yardsale/ flea market etc etc...

I have to admit that I myself is a Canadian pickers of Vintage toys!!! I usually go twice a month to every flea market in my area and also at any Value village, SSVP and stuff like that!!! And a lot of U wouldn't believe all stuff that can be found.... I could do one full page of all the stuff I found since january!!! Also unlike the scalpers I resale the overstock to rebuy toys... So I reinvest every penny I make unless I have money problem!!! LOL

[Sun Swipe Prime]

Originally Posted by jourdo

Agreed. Scalpers create an artificial shortage on new/retail items. Pickers are digging through junk to find a pot of gold. Totally different in my books.

This.

BTW... personaly I don't like the pickers on that show. There's something about them that rubs me wrong. In contrast, I like the canadian version, Canadian Pickers. The two guys in that show seem more... honest and honerable.

[Goaliebot]

Originally Posted by jourdo

Agreed. Scalpers create an artificial shortage on new/retail items. Pickers are digging through junk to find a pot of gold. Totally different in my books.

This. Scalpers interfere with the normal retail availability. Pickers provide genuine value and a service.

[Echotransformer]

Agreed, not scalpers....BUT...There is a bit of vibe happening where the 'picker' takes advantage of the person that owns the older item and doesn't know the value. Intentionally lowballing them to make a huge profit is kinda dodgey...I can see why they do it, but it's not my particular cup of tea.

Some of people being 'picked from' are poor, or perhaps lost a loved one, or are simply elderly. I just don't think it's cool to prey on these people.

I'd be more for a win-win...not full market value, but a fair price on a 'bulk buy' from someone that doesn't realize they're sitting on a pile of gold.

[Aernaroth]

How is a person picking up something for the express purpose of selling it for as much profit as possible NOT scalping? I think where I differ from most is in the lesser degree of vitriol I reserve for scalpers.

[Team Jetfire]

I agree with Cheers and Jourdo, but feel like a Picker can also be a Scalper. There is a guy who sells G1 figures at the local flea market for WAY more than they are worth. As always, buyer beware, but there is something stinky about it.

Also, Al, from Toy Story 2 was everything I hate about the collecting industry and by definition just a picker...

[Nullray]

I have never dealt with someone that would do a full retail shelf purchase. To me that is insane. Wouldn't you want wholesale prices?? I don't get it.
The margin from wholesale to retail isn't huge once you factor shipping costs these days. Especially over seas international exclusive items.

As for flea market and yard sale hunters I say it is all fare game. One persons junk is anothers treasure. It's always gonna be that way. If you barter a sale for what ever it is then it is all good. That sellor doesn't have to part with any of there belongings if they choose not to. What I find nasty is the pawnshops taking advantage of people in times of need and desperation. That kinda lowballing I find to be offensive because the owner is trapped and is forced into a sale from necessity.

[Sun Swipe Prime]

Originally Posted by Aernaroth

How is a person picking up something for the express purpose of selling it for as much profit as possible NOT scalping? I think where I differ from most is in the lesser degree of vitriol I reserve for scalpers.

I think the difference lies in this definition I found on dictionary.com

- to resell (tickets, merchandise, etc.) at higher than the official rates.

To me, the implication is the resale at greatly inflated prices relative to retail price. In the canadian version of the show, the pickers always mention retail price and how they have to buy below that inorder to make a profit. They mention this pretty much to everyone they deal with.

Also,the pickers don't create an artificial scarcity like some ticket and toy scalpers do. For the most part when they're up front with the sellers, they're just doing what all business do, buy at a lower price sell at a higher price. Most of the time they double their money, but sometimes less and sometimes more. Of course this dollar amount doesn't take into account they have to spend time traveling from place to place and money to transport purchase back home.

[joshimus]

Scalpers whom buy newer items for profit are well...scalpers. For examples i'll see an ebay auction for a toy not yet released but classifed as "rare" for re-selling up to 4 times the value. To me that is a scalper.
Or when Toys Toys Toys had all the TRU Exclusive Scourges for 99.00. I get it that their prices are always going to be more than retail as any small business, but in that particular case they were scalping as they technically
A:should not be allowed to sell exclusives that are not their own.
B: If they buy them out to sell, do it at a reasonable price.
Things like that are what I consider scalping. Vintage items you just CANT get anywhere, it's not on the same scale as some of the b.s. people pull these days.