cocacolabottle
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Joined on: Aug 29, 2011 4:45:11 GMT -5
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Post by cocacolabottle on Sept 9, 2011 17:49:12 GMT -5
Although it doesn't seem to be a problem out here in Utah where the good wrestling figures seem to be in unlimited supply and poor demand I am curious to find out how serious collectors go about dealing with scalpers and how to avoid paying more than retail for their figures.
Do you find out when the new figures are going to be stocked and wait to buy your figures straight from the cases? Do you have some sort of figure swap meet with others in your area?
More importantly how do you determine what figures are going to sell out first if you have limited funds and have to come back to complete your collection?
Since Utah seems to have a high number of Rey Mysterio fans it seems like his figures tend to sell the best around here so I think demand also has to do with who else is buying around where you live.
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Post by PJ on Sept 9, 2011 18:10:29 GMT -5
It's simple...With figures I really must have I preorder them from RSC everything else I want I'll get at retail. And if I (or friends) don't/can't find it at retail then I just don't get it.
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Post by "The Opportunist" Eric Flair on Sept 9, 2011 18:10:56 GMT -5
Shoot the scalpers!  Nice as that sounds, I've found there is really very little to be done about them. Most stores don't care who buys what or how many as long as they sell. There is one Target about 45 min from me that limits how many of any one figure you can buy . . . but really, does that ever pan out? Swap meets would be awesome! Unfortunately, I don't live in an area where a lot of collectors would participate. |
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Post by fallbrawl on Sept 9, 2011 18:37:50 GMT -5
I know all of the scalpers in my area.They all have a flea market booth and they try to make a $10 profit off the figures.
Most of the time i let them sit on the figures for awhile then i get the figure for a good price.The most profit i have ever given them is $3.00
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cocacolabottle
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Joined on: Aug 29, 2011 4:45:11 GMT -5
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Post by cocacolabottle on Sept 9, 2011 18:38:42 GMT -5
Scalpers while I can understand they do it for the money I always felt bad as a kid because my stores in Florida were always sold out of HBK and Chris Jericho my two favorites. I couldn't be a scalper just because I know what it is like to be the kid that doesn't get the figure they want most.
Fortunatly I don't have to put up with that now but I feel for those that do.
I still wish there was someone who could swap me for a Mr. Perfect from the legends line. That seems to be the only one that is sold out around here. Just because it is the one I want. However there is a new shipment comming in tomorrow and I plan on going and picking one up.
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thekevinlc
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Joined on: Jun 6, 2011 20:20:16 GMT -5
Posts: 65
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Post by thekevinlc on Sept 9, 2011 18:39:46 GMT -5
There is one Target about 45 min from me that limits how many of any one figure you can buy . . . but really, does that ever pan out? One Target near me does this while the other doesn't care. Years ago, I wanted to buy two versions of a DCUC figure (the regular and the variant) but the lady said I couldn't buy two of the same figure. I just handed one to my wife and she bought it. The cashier lady gave us some serious stink-eye about it but really couldn't do anything about it. Scalpers annoy me. We have on in our area that's into Hot Wheels and the Marvel stuff. |
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cocacolabottle
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Post by cocacolabottle on Sept 9, 2011 18:48:01 GMT -5
My Target seems to be limited on stock. they have about a fourth of an aisle dedicated to the figures but it seems to me like they don't really take their toy sale seriously since most of the store is dedicated to clothing/food/food chains like starbucks and pizza hut and appliances and bedding. However I hold out hope that something good will pop up.
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Post by mrhoss on Sept 9, 2011 18:57:07 GMT -5
Maybe I live in a scalper free zone. I just think the scalper thing is overblown, especially for wrestling. If you are persistent, you will find them.
BTW, the only scalper type I know is neither fat nor white. He is an average black man who owns or works for the sports shop in the mall. He buys Sports Picks at TRU then marks them up at his store. When TRU doesn't have a "rare" one, he cries like a whiny bitch. He's not even a good scalper, recently I bought a white/white Bradshaw (that's Terry, lmtd 600) right out from under him at FYE, about 10 doors down from his store.
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Post by juicewinslow on Sept 9, 2011 19:26:47 GMT -5
1. Don't buy from them.
2. Order figures online.
3. RKO them.
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cocacolabottle
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Joined on: Aug 29, 2011 4:45:11 GMT -5
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Post by cocacolabottle on Sept 9, 2011 19:26:58 GMT -5
*lol*
Wow. First of all good job on managing to get to a limited figure before him and secondly thank you. I hadn't thought about checking my local FYE. I will do that tomorrow when I go downtown.
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Post by Glovatrix-Brent on Sept 9, 2011 21:03:28 GMT -5
Main thing is never buy from a scalper. If they can't sell stuff they will stop.
It's sad you have to out scalp the scalper just for your own collection.
I am curious if anyone else gets help from stores in knowing when new figures get put out.
Best I get is people posting here that they found them, which works once and a while.
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ufcwwefanatic
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Joined on: Feb 21, 2011 12:22:23 GMT -5
Posts: 155
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Post by ufcwwefanatic on Sept 9, 2011 21:05:05 GMT -5
It's simple...With figures I really must have I preorder them from RSC everything else I want I'll get at retail. And if I (or friends) don't/can't find it at retail then I just don't get it. Well Said,I Couldn't Of Said It Better. |
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Post by LA Times on Sept 9, 2011 21:11:19 GMT -5
Scalpers usually raid stores during weekday mornings or afternoons, so it is rare for most collectors to actually encounter one in action. All you can do is not support them and hope value of figures goes down.
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cocacolabottle
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Joined on: Aug 29, 2011 4:45:11 GMT -5
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Post by cocacolabottle on Sept 9, 2011 21:38:38 GMT -5
Main thing is never buy from a scalper. If they can't sell stuff they will stop. It's sad you have to out scalp the scalper just for your own collection. I am curious if anyone else gets help from stores in knowing when new figures get put out. Best I get is people posting here that they found them, which works once and a while. If I can avoid it I generally try not to buy from online stores or places like ebay unless the figure is sold out in my area or retired. Also because I am ultra compulsive about my packaging being in mint condition and I don't like paying an extra $8.00 or so in shipping per figure. I find that the best way to talk to an employee is to either find one that you know doesn't care just so long as things get sold or to take my little brother or sister with me and ask because they assume I am buying them for my siblings which is actually partially the case this time around. I am going to take an inventory of what I find and post it on the findings section but I am hesitant to do so considering that it makes it just as easy for a scalper to see that post as it is for your average collector. Of course the only difference is that the scalper probably knows when the shipments come in anyway while the casual collector doesn't. |
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Post by comintogetcha on Sept 9, 2011 21:49:39 GMT -5
I can't even fathom there being a large scalper market for WWE figures, they simply do not sell for a premium in secondary markets. They may sell for a large sum when they first come out online, but prices quickly drop down to retail prices or less by the time most retail stores get them in stock. If you are trying to scalp WWE figures, you aren't going to make much profit doing it.
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Post by gelatinoustapeworm on Sept 9, 2011 21:57:14 GMT -5
Maybe I live in a scalper free zone. I just think the scalper thing is overblown, especially for wrestling. If you are persistent, you will find them. I agree. The only Mattel figure I've never seen at retail is series 9 Natalya and I live in a rinky dink town in southern Ohio. |
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cocacolabottle
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Post by cocacolabottle on Sept 9, 2011 22:02:24 GMT -5
Really? There is a scalper market for everything that is collectable it seems. Be it Care Bears, Squinkies, TY Beanie Babies ect. WWE is no different from what I have seen. I remember around Christmas when I was about ten years old. My mom sent me into Wal-Mart to go and get the Chris Jericho with the pony tail that I had been talking about for weeks because I had gotten to go to a house show but he wasn't on the card and my Mom wanted to get me a figure to make up for him not being there. There were two guys there. Both tattooed with scruffy facial hair. The case of figures was sitting in a cart and they had box cutters and were going through the boxes. They took out every single Chris Jericho and put them into their cart along with a bunch of other toys and left. I couldn't do anything. I was too short to even reach the cart at the time. I was devastated. I remember walking back out to the car and crying. I know it sounds stupid now but I still remember just how much that hurt. I couldn't imagine doing that to any one.
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Post by Next Man’s Knowing Rock on Sept 9, 2011 22:06:24 GMT -5
I can't even fathom there being a large scalper market for WWE figures, they simply do not sell for a premium in secondary markets. They may sell for a large sum when they first come out online, but prices quickly drop down to retail prices or less by the time most retail stores get them in stock. If you are trying to scalp WWE figures, you aren't going to make much profit doing it. I don't know how true that is. There's a member on here who makes quite a lot of money scalping figures. He's just been selling tons of WrestleMania 27 elites for over $30, and WrestleMania 27 basics for over $20. He was selling Ringside Battle playsets for double the price, too, and idiots were buying them. |
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Post by LA Times on Sept 9, 2011 22:12:28 GMT -5
I can't even fathom there being a large scalper market for WWE figures, they simply do not sell for a premium in secondary markets. They may sell for a large sum when they first come out online, but prices quickly drop down to retail prices or less by the time most retail stores get them in stock. If you are trying to scalp WWE figures, you aren't going to make much profit doing it. Mattel WWE is a favorite line for scalpers, but it costs about $9.00 to ship a MOC figure and they would have to charge $30.00 shipped for a Basic figure just to make $3 profit after ebay and Paypal fees. They wont pay too many bills like that. |
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cocacolabottle
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Post by cocacolabottle on Sept 9, 2011 22:26:10 GMT -5
I just had two CS figures shipped for $7.65. While shipping varies there are ways to get a decent deal. They wouldn't be doing it if they weren't making a profit somehow.
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