Scalping is part of any collectible hobbying!!!
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You know, I was going to post something about this earlier in the week, as I was trying to compare the two genres I collect and fan bases I belong to, Disney and Transformers. Weird combination, I know, but that is what I am, LOL. I thought against that, but after everything that has happened in the last 48 hours or so, I thought I would revisit this train of thought. Before D23 started, I was going to comment that Disney does not have the same issues that other genres do, but I see that is not correct.
There has been ongoing discussion for years in the Transformers realm about the "art of Scalping", which is buying a rare item from a convention, store shelves, internet, etc, and in turn; marking it up a substantial amount and re-selling it. Unfortunately, manufacturers like Hasbro, Mattel, and even Disney do not help the situation by making exclusive items for retailers, limited edition runs of figures or pins, shortpacking items, or even preventing access to some by having to pay for the privilege of buying the item, i.e. D23 or fan clubs (GI Joe or TF Collector's Clubs) for different action figures. An example that is very recent in the Transformers world is the release of an exclusive item at Toys R Us that varied in price from $60-$70 a piece (Times Square and a few others were the $70). There was also a coupon available for 20% off, so the final price would have $50-$58 roughly, but there were people selling them on E-Bay and on Transformers fan sites for $100!!! That is scalping at its finest (or worst, LOL) as each TRU only got 1 case of 4 to start with so they sold out instantly and prevented others who wanted it for THEMSELVES from getting one. As the weeks went by, more became available, and the scalping stopped. Doesn't always work that way though. There was an exclusive for $50 sold at the San Diego Comic-Con that sold out at the show, sold out within minutes on the website the next day, and now markets for $150+; and even though it was 1 per customer, the same people are selling multiples
Now I just spent a whole paragraph talking about Transformers, time to apply that to the Disney side of my collecting. As with the Action Figures, there are times the situation will get rectified, such as more product becomes available, or I am able to trade/purchase from a fellow collector the pin I want at a reasonable trade/price (thanks CaliGurl for the POMHs) and that helps to bypass the scalping. However, there was a pin recently I wanted from a convention that was a WDI pin that was an LE200 for $9.95. Someone here was selling them for around $30 a piece, but you know, I wanted it that badly, I negotiated a slight decreased, but still paid over 150% what that pin cost!! That is the pitfall of any collectible hobby. Someone can not be everywhere and at every show, so you sometimes have to resort to paying what others are asking depending on how bad you want it. Now, I have walked away from some pins because I feel that the price was too high/want too low and waited, and most times I have gotten what I wanted at a more reasonable price/trade.
Some people say that they do this to help pay off bills, pay off the trip to the convention (D23 in this case), etc; and you know that is their right. Scalping is Capitalism (Supply/Demand) at it's finest. If you do not like that, then do not buy it. Unfortunately, odds are the rarer the item, or the shorter the supply, a seller will usually find a buyer, so then you really do have to make a choice. A buyer can either pay the price, negotiate for a lower price, or in turn not buy it and the seller will either find a seller, lower the price, or not sell it.
In closing, threads complaining about different auctions selling pins for 100% mark up, complaining about people selling them here for a substantial mark up, how someone can have 30+ of the same pin that is 2 per customer, etc, might help relieve stress, but helps to inflame a community on a sensitive issue and then you get threads about people leaving the community because some person on the net who they may never see in real life "hurt their feelings" about a comment made. (and yes, it happens on the other boards I belong to as well). If you really are concerned with it to where a comment must be made, confront the seller privately, or contact the manufacturer.
In my own opinion, I respect everyone's opinion here, and would be willing to deal with anyone here until they show ME they are unreliable, etc. Not because scuttlebutt says they are rude, obnoxious, etc, and I hope others feel the same about me. It would be a shame if someone did not want to deal with another board member who had a trade that might benefit both because a third member said that someone was immature, etc. This is a community based on the liking of the same items, and formed partially to help others get what they want in turn for what you want, as well as to talk respectfully about those items.
Just my $.02
Bill
There has been ongoing discussion for years in the Transformers realm about the "art of Scalping", which is buying a rare item from a convention, store shelves, internet, etc, and in turn; marking it up a substantial amount and re-selling it. Unfortunately, manufacturers like Hasbro, Mattel, and even Disney do not help the situation by making exclusive items for retailers, limited edition runs of figures or pins, shortpacking items, or even preventing access to some by having to pay for the privilege of buying the item, i.e. D23 or fan clubs (GI Joe or TF Collector's Clubs) for different action figures. An example that is very recent in the Transformers world is the release of an exclusive item at Toys R Us that varied in price from $60-$70 a piece (Times Square and a few others were the $70). There was also a coupon available for 20% off, so the final price would have $50-$58 roughly, but there were people selling them on E-Bay and on Transformers fan sites for $100!!! That is scalping at its finest (or worst, LOL) as each TRU only got 1 case of 4 to start with so they sold out instantly and prevented others who wanted it for THEMSELVES from getting one. As the weeks went by, more became available, and the scalping stopped. Doesn't always work that way though. There was an exclusive for $50 sold at the San Diego Comic-Con that sold out at the show, sold out within minutes on the website the next day, and now markets for $150+; and even though it was 1 per customer, the same people are selling multiples
Now I just spent a whole paragraph talking about Transformers, time to apply that to the Disney side of my collecting. As with the Action Figures, there are times the situation will get rectified, such as more product becomes available, or I am able to trade/purchase from a fellow collector the pin I want at a reasonable trade/price (thanks CaliGurl for the POMHs) and that helps to bypass the scalping. However, there was a pin recently I wanted from a convention that was a WDI pin that was an LE200 for $9.95. Someone here was selling them for around $30 a piece, but you know, I wanted it that badly, I negotiated a slight decreased, but still paid over 150% what that pin cost!! That is the pitfall of any collectible hobby. Someone can not be everywhere and at every show, so you sometimes have to resort to paying what others are asking depending on how bad you want it. Now, I have walked away from some pins because I feel that the price was too high/want too low and waited, and most times I have gotten what I wanted at a more reasonable price/trade.
Some people say that they do this to help pay off bills, pay off the trip to the convention (D23 in this case), etc; and you know that is their right. Scalping is Capitalism (Supply/Demand) at it's finest. If you do not like that, then do not buy it. Unfortunately, odds are the rarer the item, or the shorter the supply, a seller will usually find a buyer, so then you really do have to make a choice. A buyer can either pay the price, negotiate for a lower price, or in turn not buy it and the seller will either find a seller, lower the price, or not sell it.
In closing, threads complaining about different auctions selling pins for 100% mark up, complaining about people selling them here for a substantial mark up, how someone can have 30+ of the same pin that is 2 per customer, etc, might help relieve stress, but helps to inflame a community on a sensitive issue and then you get threads about people leaving the community because some person on the net who they may never see in real life "hurt their feelings" about a comment made. (and yes, it happens on the other boards I belong to as well). If you really are concerned with it to where a comment must be made, confront the seller privately, or contact the manufacturer.
In my own opinion, I respect everyone's opinion here, and would be willing to deal with anyone here until they show ME they are unreliable, etc. Not because scuttlebutt says they are rude, obnoxious, etc, and I hope others feel the same about me. It would be a shame if someone did not want to deal with another board member who had a trade that might benefit both because a third member said that someone was immature, etc. This is a community based on the liking of the same items, and formed partially to help others get what they want in turn for what you want, as well as to talk respectfully about those items.
Just my $.02
Bill
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