At which point is reselling acceptable?

[Goaliebot]

Here's how I define it:

1) Artificially limiting normal retail availability: aka wiping the store out of MP whoever, clearing shelves, cleaning out your town.

And

2) Adding no value for the buyer to the transaction. Someone who buys where they *are* available and sells to countries that aren't getting the toy adds value to the transaction (provided they aren't violating rule 1). Selling toys whose retail time has passed adds value.
But wiping TRU out of all 10 MP Grimlocks to resell immediately adds no value to the transaction for the buyer, and rather removes value for the buyer at increased cost.

In fact, the scalper cycle relies on removing buyer value first (buy all of the figure) to artificially restrict supply, then replacing some of the value (availability) at an absurd markup.

Normal reselling doesn't do this. Availability was already removed by either locale or retail timeframe ending. The reseller provides a counter to this for a price - they add value.

[brr-icy]

clearing out every piece in a store for personal gain, being a general shitstain of a person and taking from carts, kids, assaulting people for them. That's the general consensus of what makes a scalper wrong

[pside9]

I'm with all of you on being angry about artificial scarcity.

Buying 2 or 3 for yourself and some friends is fine. I would have liked if my friends were into this hobby.

But I'm irritated by those who deliberately buy out the entire local supply of a desired toy with the intent to sell off most of them at margins higher than even Apple Inc.

All I can say is I hope they get stung repeatedly with misjudging demand for certain items and end up being stuck with overstock. Like some people on kijiji trying to sell off their supply of YOTH Optimus for $200-$220.

[steamwhistle]

Originally Posted by Goaliebot

Here's how I define it:

1) Artificially limiting normal retail availability: ....

And

2) Adding no value for the buyer to the transaction.....

In fact, the scalper cycle relies on removing buyer value first (buy all of the figure) to artificially restrict supply, then replacing some of the value (availability) at an absurd markup.

Normal reselling doesn't do this. Availability was already removed by either locale or retail timeframe ending. The reseller provides a counter to this for a price - they add value.

Interestingly enough, this really isn't unlike the actual scenario of Toys R Us acquiring the exclusivity of being able to sell specific toys such as MP-3 Grimlock.

It is also similar to a certain specific onLine retailer acquiring first "rights" to a certain specific 3rd party TransFormer.

In all scenarios, normal retail availability is limited, with no value being added to the product.

However, at the very least, it is good that Toys R Us made MP-3 Grimlock somewhat plentifully available onLine in a pre-Order. I think this type of established process will reduce scalper activity for the toys.

Toys R Us just needs to work on figuring out which ones will be popular and in-demand, so that a sufficient supply will be ordered.

Seeing stockpiles of Snake Magnus, Snake Prime, YOTH Starscream, and the GrimTicus set at my local TRU shows that they don't have a grasp of the market.

However, seeing that a 2nd wave of YOTH Prime is apparently on the horizon (with pre-Ordering currently available) is a good sign that they may follow with a similar process for other popular items.

It looks like they might be learning...

[Robimus]

I know the scalping boogy men do exist, but I think sometimes we overstate the case a little.

I've run into situations where I hear about a release, pop into that store later that day, and find them cleaned out. Scalpers right?

Then I log onto our local collectors group on facebook and find out that a half dozen folks swung by the store before I did and got theirs, leaving none for me. Sure the odd person bought more than one to help another collector out, but all and all it wasn't scalping that cleared out the store. It was the high demand for the newly released product.

So sometimes I think its all legit and gets attributed to scalping - other times it most certainly is scalping. I just doubt that everytime a toy your looking for isn't on the shelf that it is automatically due to scalping - it could be the case, but it might not be too.

[CanBot]

Thw way I look at it, if the stores aren't stocking enough product then scalping will reign over the MP line.

I'm getting the feeling that MP Grimlock might not see the light of day at TRU, and I'm ok with that as I didn't really have him in my sights. But if I saw him in retail? Sure I would pull the trigger

How come there wasn't any shortage for Generations Multiplex last Christmas? Ok, Costco had him, but I also saw him at Sears so there were options. I kinda wish Costco would get interested in holiday lines of MP figures!

My point is that the stores should get a fair amount of stock. I don't mind if MPs are shelf warming; they'll eventually move. But not even seeing them, and having the online option unavailable? Then we get what we deserve.

Scalping on ebay isn't worth the trouble to me...what with the paypal fees, deadbeat buyers, the fact you can get ripped off soooo easily on ebay (as everything now is 'protect the buyer' oriented)...I'd rather just resell here, to be honest.

[Badgertron]

Originally Posted by CanBot

How come there wasn't any shortage for Generations Multiplex last Christmas?

...Multiplex? That's some scalper talk right there :P jk

I don't mind what anyone does as long as it doesn't hinder peoples ability to find the toys at retail. Which, admittedly, happens with most in demand/short stocked figures. TRU really needs to keep doing the preorder process, it helps to mitigate this kind of thing.

-BT

[The 12th Prime]

I saw 3 MP Grimlocks at TRU Whitby on Monday at the front desk along with a lone large YOTH Starscream, hmm protect one while hundreds warm the shelves? Maybe more like bating joe public to ask where more of those super large toys are

As has been mentioned earlier this horse has been beaten before and it will be beaten again. Because hey beating horses is fun, right? I have heard the "horror" stories from store employees first hand of dudes coming in and buying the store clean and filling two shopping carts like when Zellers was still around with all those Bruticai but hey those bad boys sat around for months and I played the game of waiting for a sale.

I agree with some of the points made here like hey predatory scalpers suck like the example above, to me I have no love for that. Buying a couple extra for you, friends or a little scratch, meh. Doesn't bother me there.

I did mention this in the MP appreciation thread though that be patient there will be a reissue at "some" point and here we are with MP Grimlock. Luckily I got to buy one last time around at Christmas of 2010 and it came out in August so hey it took 4 months to get one but waiting paid off at that point in time because hey $60 dollars in gift card and a $20 off sale made it a very value added experience, $3.25 out of pocket for an MP Grimlock was great.

Sure 3 and a half years is a bit of a wait for some of you but it's out again. My point is be patient as a community and the scalpers will lose, impatience is why they exist.

[CanBot]

I'm pretty sure at this point that Hasbro is totally missing the boat when it comes to stocking enough product of the MP line. It looks like Grimlock MP is done...whether or not they re-release is besides the point. Why would they 'not' produce enough to meet demand, even in the short term? It's a question that everybody has a smart answer for, and I've read enough of them over the last year to know.

Laffy said it best: buy it when you see it, don't wait, don't hesitate, just friggin BUY IT and answer any questions later. Ok, he didn't say it in so many words but it's the best advice I've read so far. I blame Hasbro for not stocking enough MP product, but I can't blame em' for making great toys

At least there was *some opporunity to pick him up online, which many of you did. He would have been a more impulse buy anyway, but I sure hope Generations Jetfire doesn't follow the same path. Either way, I see it, I'll buy it and ask questions later!

[Sun Swipe Prime]

Originally Posted by CanBot

I'm pretty sure at this point that Hasbro is totally missing the boat when it comes to stocking enough product of the MP line.

Ummm.... you do know Hasbro doesn't determine what goes on the TRU shelves right? They just make the toys. They're not distributors. That's what TRU and other retailers are for.

It's up to TRU to order enough MPs to put on the shelves.

Look at this thread. http://www.cybertron.ca/boards/showt...ighlight=Photo

It shows photos of piles and piles of MPs in stores outside of Canada.

I really don't get why people auto-blame Hasbro for things that aren't under their control.