Boardie Question - At what point are you a scalper?

[ngnaw]

Originally Posted by RNSrobot

I argue that you should not have to be put in that position. You should have a fair chance to buy a toy. If down the road you want it and it's only available for a premium, that's separate from scalpers deliberately buying up new toys --- particularly limited ones --- solely to then extort other collectors.

Your choice should not be "get stupid lucky, buy it for a shitty cost, or go without."

That's not how the world works. You're not entitled to get anything you want even for a toy. Look at Bandai and the GX71 Voltron. They had a set number to distribute and not everyone was able to get one. So there we all go paying crazy inflated prices. Are you going to blame the seller or Bandai's distribution? THe way I see it, if it's limited distribution then you need to make an effort to get it, but don't go blaming the seller for the crazy prices... It's supply and demand 101. Most are putting distribution problems on a scalper issue it's not the same thing.

[ngnaw]

Originally Posted by joshimus

That's really not a good example. You're talking about a sold out item that was available and auction listings dictating price, not someone buying several Judge sets, not sold in stores yet, and marking it up 3 times the price. Totally different scenario.

We are talking about people that deliberately buy out stock for profit when they dont actually care about the product themselves. It's just money to them. There is a reason a lot of places, even online, have a limit of 2 per person, and some sites have "bot" checkers to prevent this issue. Ebay auctions can go either way. Sell with 1 bid at starting price or a whole bunch of people inflate the price, but that's on the buyers, not you.(unless you bought it at 23.00 and listed it at 100, then, scalping)

Either way, I just wont support them and they have every right to be assholes about it, I accept that, but that doesn't mean I like it.

My point was some of you guys don't like it and complain about it but others ARE WILLING to pay the premium. My shopkins example is basically showing whether I put it at auction or buy it now, that's the market value of the product, it doesn't fall under scalping. If I buy 5 items knowing that in 5 years from now the item will double in price and I sell the 5 items at double the price later on would you consider that scalping??? I technically fall under scalper definition whether I sell right away or wait 5 years but I think it's viewed in 2 different ways which is technically incorrect. I doubt this would have been brought up if the Pit of Judgement toy wasn't put back on sale at higher prices and they held on to it longer... Everyone would be like oh it was limited item so of course the higher price is justified.

[joshimus]

Originally Posted by ngnaw

That's not how the world works. You're not entitled to get anything you want even for a toy.

It honestly helps me that my interest in collecting has decreased significantly over the years. I bought a few Siege and Prime Earthrise and Arcee is Earthrise I think, just got her. Also Marvel Legends and the likeliness of actually completing a BAF turned me off ML's completely. Warm the shelves with the same f***ing figures in that wave but gotta go to a jackass who has 5 of the hard to find figure at inflated prices. I'd rather just not support the line. Same with SW Black. Hard to find anything so...screw it. I'm done.
I'm at the point where if there is a figure I want, I order it from EB Games or online that isn't Amacancellzon. I'm getting too old for these games and the hunt is just...I mean it's not worth it anymore.

[ngnaw]

Originally Posted by joshimus

It honestly helps me that my interest in collecting has decreased significantly over the years. I bought a few Siege and Prime Earthrise and Arcee is Earthrise I think, just got her. Also Marvel Legends and the likeliness of actually completing a BAF turned me off ML's completely. Warm the shelves with the same f***ing figures in that wave but gotta go to a jackass who has 5 of the hard to find figure at inflated prices. I'd rather just not support the line. Same with SW Black. Hard to find anything so...screw it. I'm done.
I'm at the point where if there is a figure I want, I order it from EB Games or online that isn't Amacancellzon. I'm getting too old for these games and the hunt is just...I mean it's not worth it anymore.

I have to agree with this. One can also feel like Hasbro is making their lines more difficult to obtain and thus to justify the f'ing price hikes??? ANyone feel that way!? Are Kingdom figures increased in prices? Deluxes will be $32.99 now? Looks like figures went up $3 on each size class.

[joshimus]

Originally Posted by ngnaw

My point was some of you guys don't like it and complain about it but others ARE WILLING to pay the premium. My shopkins example is basically showing whether I put it at auction or buy it now, that's the market value of the product, it doesn't fall under scalping. If I buy 5 items knowing that in 5 years from now the item will double in price and I sell the 5 items at double the price later on would you consider that scalping??? I technically fall under scalper definition whether I sell right away or wait 5 years but I think it's viewed in 2 different ways which is technically incorrect.

It's still not the right kind of example. No one is talking about "later on". Hot Toys sell well even out of the box, worth more if you have the brown shipper for some stupid ass reason. If I buy a Hot Toys Ironman for 400.00 and in a couple years I can sell it for 800.00, even if been on display, it's not the same as buying out an exclusive no one else can just get and selling it at a 300% markup.
Hot Toys take a year or more from preorder to release which gives people PLENTY of time to buy them on Preorder. Now say an exclusive like "Toy Fair" Ironman goes on PO and sells out in 20min with a 5 month window of release and someone sells it at an inflated price, that's scalping. That's deliberately buying something you dont want for yourself to sell to someone who did want one but didn't get to a computer fast enough to actually nab one. I'm talking about those kinds of scalpers. The ones who never intended to do anything other than capitalize and profit off of those who actually want the figure.

Now, let's say Hasbro announced the Judge set has a Q2 2021 retail release...then people buying at inflated are just nuts, but as far as we know, sold out means not making anymore of this exclusive set.

If you buy toys as a means of "investment", that's still not scalping. People had their chance back then and didn't act, or couldn't, and that's not your problem. The issue I personally have with scalpers are the ones specifically targeting things you can't easily get, like in the case of Marvel Legends BAF parts. Buying out all the single hard to find figure so people HAVE to go to them to complete the BAF is a dick move. Buying as many exclusive Judge sets JUST to resell to those unlucky to get one, that's a dick move.

[ngnaw]

I checked out the set on Hasbro pulse and it was 1 per customer... I just find it a waste of energy to talk about these people. I just won't buy from them. And thinking about whether it is or isn't scalping again waste of energy. Don't like the price I move on. I don't like when others judge others, they wanna do it so be it who am I to say they can't or shouldn't and why let it bother me. I just don't buy the item from them or I negotiate.

[imfallenangel]

I read this thread, and see an add on the side of the page that shows someone selling Dollar Tree (and other dollar stores) ultra cheap figures for over 15$ plus another 15+ for shipping...

Now that's some classy scalping right there Lou....


But more to the point...

You are a scalper if:

• you're buying only with the purpose to resell at as high as inflated price, time factor is irrelevant
• you hunt and buy every figure of a specific character to create a void so to resell at higher price
• you hunt and clear out every store you can when there's a sale/liquidation so to resell at high price
• you use illicit approaches to buy large numbers and prevent individuals of doing single purchases

Some might say that it's a way of life, with some people reporting seeing owner of hobby stores doing this very sort of thing, but it's just a nasty way to just profit.

And I consider anyone that tries to justify any of it as being defensive as they know that they are doing it and trying to justify their own actions... no one wants to think or admit to be the "bad person", but well... the actions speak for themselves.

No one wants to loose out either and I understand that, and of course, if you decide to sell something and the selling price has increased, that's understandable, but to seek out to do it on purpose, to try and artificially increase the prices, that's the bad thing.

But when I see a liquidation or sale on an item and I see that guy pushing a cart with EVERY SINGLE figure of that sale... not one of each character... and no one else can get even a single one...well, I just end up hoping that person wraps his car around a cement post and that those figures end up with a massive overstock that's even cheaper and that they lose their freaking houses over being stuck with worthless stock.

[Jove]

Originally Posted by Pascal

And at the other end of the spectrum, you have customers who knowingly try to screw stores by asking them to price-match toys they know aren't part of a sale and what not.

Originally Posted by UsernamePrime

That's not really the same spectrum, one is fraud by successfully duping a company and the other is capitalism that preys on a product's demand/limited supply.

I'd argue that both are examples of douchebaggery that I would not accept. If you use the word "prey" or "predatory" to describe someone's business practices, then that person is on the wrong side.
My opinion, obv.

[steamwhistle]

Here are a couple of scenarios which happened to me a number of times:

• I sold something close to cost, believing I was “helping” a fellow collector, only to see, rather suspiciously, what I sold being resold at an inflated price.
  
  A viewer (of a different item I listed) complained that the item I was selling was once on sale for 50% off at regular Local retail and expected my price should be close to that. Basically called me a scalper. It didn’t matter that I actually acquired the item at about double the cost of local retail, because I bought the item from overseas and had to pay significant taxes/import/duties. My listed price was, in fact, less than what I paid.

It is sad, but really, when it comes to collecting toys, Buying event tickets, and other such non-necessities, I’ll have to agree with the “don’t like the price, don’t buy it” point of view.

$10 for a fast food burger combo? I’ll skip it. $10 can buy ground beef, buns, and potatoes at a grocery store and I can make 6 burgers and 6 sides of fries.

I have greater concerns regarding the cost of mobile phone service, cable TV, home Internet service, electric & gas utilities, medications, etc... Items used on a daily basis...

Many valid points here... Buyers dictate the cost. Buying with the specific purpose of re-selling at a higher price is scalping.

If buying and re-selling is one’s career (/main source of income)...?? hmm. Perhaps that is an issue. For true collectors, anyway.

Another issue: When a store employee intercepts stock before it hits the shelf.

Really... As far as Transformers go, I think scalping is a problem when it impacts the supply and manufacturing end of things... Like, when re-sellers return unsold stock to retail making stores thinking they should reduce future orders of TFs, or making Hasbro think interest in a product/line is reduced... Thus leading to limited future offerings/supply...

[Soundwaves]

I like to buy 2 or 3 of the same item.

Generally with 1 to open and display and one to have misb or trade down the line if it magically appreciates.

If I really like the figure, I'll get 3 so that I can mess around with one and let me nephew's play with it knowing if something breaks or goes missing (you swallowed what?) I have a replacement.

I hate overpaying for a figure but will do so on occasion while holding my nose.

I also hate selling transformers. I love trades because in a good trade, everybody wins.

What really gets me is guys who act like they're not scalpers but are.

You see someone act like they have some integrity on here but you know they're scalping on cl or whatever.

If you're going to be the douchebag capitalist wannabe, at least wear it on your sleeve.