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Post by mrhoss on Sept 4, 2012 16:28:52 GMT -5
It happens with every hobby. Eventually the guys with dollars signs in their eyes will see diminishing returns and they will leave. The bad part is that on the way they are causing some collectors who collect because they, you know, actually like the hobby (a novel concept, for some) to also drop out.
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Post by PJ on Sept 4, 2012 16:41:36 GMT -5
"Helping" a fellow collector isn't scalping. I do it all the time for cost + shipping for those who have asked me to help them. I have never once ever gone to a store and picked up a figure for trade or resell at a profit. I only buy figures I want for my collection and customs unless someone had asked me to help them out. Nor have I ever had them pay more than I paid for it. People love to give the excuse of "my time and gas" but what extra time and gas did I waste if I was going to the store and aisle for myself? I never understood that logic. I have to deal with the people from T0y W1z cleaning off the shelves on a daily basis, but I still manage to get what I need without having to pay the scalpers
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Post by Chewdeezy on Sept 4, 2012 16:44:21 GMT -5
Hey BIGMAC, it's been a while, how's everything and are you ready for some football? GO RAIDERS!
Back to the topic I help out fellow board members that returns the favor. It's great that we have a forum to help out fellow collectors.
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Post by Ben - #6 Munchie on Sept 4, 2012 16:44:48 GMT -5
So if I put say a MOC Elite 16 Nash on eBay starting at $0.99 and it goes up to $60, does that make me a scalper? I don't think so, but to each their own. *Just a hypothetical, never owned or saw an E16 Nash *
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Post by PJ on Sept 4, 2012 16:48:11 GMT -5
Well yeah. Why do you have to buy it if all you are going to do is sell it? You could just leave it at the store for someone who actually did want one.
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Post by Glovatrix-Brent on Sept 4, 2012 16:57:07 GMT -5
Scalpers don't collect themselves, they just know certain stuff is re-sellable.
Maybe they know so little that they usually just buy everything off the shelve and sell it all.
That's a scalper. Someone who just buys to sell for more ONLY. Like stocks sadly.
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Post by jfinnomore on Sept 4, 2012 17:17:50 GMT -5
i'd rather deal with the scalpers on ebay than the kids in the classifieds here, at least on ebay they shoot me straight.
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Post by PJ on Sept 4, 2012 17:26:24 GMT -5
I don't deal with ebay or the classifieds...There's about 5 members here and a bunch of people on another site where we help each other out for cost & shipping.
And as far as wrestling figures go if it's something I can't wait for to hit locally I'll preorder it from RSC. At least with them I fell like I'm paying extra to get it at least a month or two before it hits my area.
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Post by jfinnomore on Sept 4, 2012 17:35:15 GMT -5
I don't deal with ebay or the classifieds...There's about 5 members here and a bunch of people on another site where we help each other out for cost & shipping. And as far as wrestling figures go if it's something I can't wait for to hit locally I'll preorder it from RSC. At least with them I fell like I'm paying extra to get it at least a month or two before it hits my area. i can't argue that. i've been having terrible luck at retail as of late, so RSC saves me a lot of hassle.
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Post by comintogetcha on Sept 4, 2012 17:43:51 GMT -5
If you're using an entire tank of gas looking for action figures, you're doing it wrong. It really serves no good purpose to drive 40 miles and stop at five Wal-Marts, four Targets, two K-Marts, and three Toy-R-Us', because 95% of the time they're all going to have the same stock, the same inventory, and the same lousy selection of Cena and Rey Mysterio figures.
Back in the Jakks days, it was different, the local Wal-Mart here sucked, but the one three towns over always had what I wanted, and if I was patient enough, I always eventually found what I wanted without having to travel far or pay a lot of money. With Mattel it's different, if one Wal-Mart puts out a case of Elite 15, it seems as though every Wal-Mart in the area did the same thing. Sometimes they'll be a day or two behind, but that's it. I've never had it happen with Mattel where I am looking for a new series and find no trace of it at say Three Target stores, then all of a sudden happen to find it at the Fourth.
As for scalping, it's a tough market out there. You need to sell quick and sell early. A month ago, Elite Diesel was selling for $50-$55, and now he can be had for about $30. Given the fact that the figure itself in stores will run you about $20 or more after taxes, there's no money to be made selling it for only $30, so therefore it's not worth scalping. Yeah, every once in a while there will be the odd figure like Elite 11 Punk or Elite 9 Ryder which starts out expensive, and the price continues to rise, but it's rare. Sometimes the value will increase, but not always, so it's a real gamble.
I have a lot more luck reselling Basics than I do Elites, since they're cheaper. Guys that are in high demand like CM Punk or Sin Cara can sell for between $25 and $30 on Amazon, and Divas can go for even more. Considering Basics can be had for $10, sometimes even less at retail, there's a lot more profit to be made there than there is selling Elites, which you'll be lucky to break even on most times.
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Post by christhegreat on Sept 4, 2012 17:54:09 GMT -5
"Helping" a fellow collector isn't scalping. I do it all the time for cost + shipping for those who have asked me to help them. I have never once ever gone to a store and picked up a figure for trade or resell at a profit. I only buy figures I want for my collection and customs unless someone had asked me to help them out. Nor have I ever had them pay more than I paid for it. People love to give the excuse of "my time and gas" but what extra time and gas did I waste if I was going to the store and aisle for myself? I never understood that logic. I have to deal with the people from T0y W1z cleaning off the shelves on a daily basis, but I still manage to get what I need without having to pay the scalpers I like Toy Whiz. If it was not for them, RSC, and Amazon I would never have any figures at all. Once in a blue moon ill find something at retail like most recently McGillicutty/ Otunga 2 pack, and we had elite 15 just come in, or i'll pick up play sets at stores since there always cheaper but the figures themselves I have no problem paying $30-$40 to ensure I'm getting him, and earlier than they would come at retail. I always hear ppl giving Toy Whiz a lot of crap but there prices are no different than RSC's or most ppl on Amazon, and they ship very fast, and always get there figures around same time as RSC does. I chose RSC firstly, but sometimes if you miss there first shipment, TW gets there first shipment before RSC's backorders come in.
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tampatoys813
Superstar
Joined on: Apr 30, 2012 9:03:00 GMT -5
Posts: 909
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Post by tampatoys813 on Sept 4, 2012 18:30:04 GMT -5
Nice feedback guys. Let me say, many of you are right, this is America. Everything in this country sells to a profit. I started this thread because I am soo tired of seeing members get on others about having multiples when hey post pica. I saw plenty of posts where somebody would post multiples of an item, only to have members call him out him out for calling smh... tomorrow I'm gonna start a post about couch potato collectors.
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Post by PJ on Sept 4, 2012 18:33:43 GMT -5
The difference is while T0y W1z does have accounts with the toy companies they send people to all the stores in a good 50 mile radius and clean them out of anything that is "hot" or "popular" at the moment. They then about every other month they take all the pegwamers that they get in their shipments and dump them at the 2 closest area Targets.
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Post by metallica90 on Sept 4, 2012 18:47:48 GMT -5
The difference is while T0y W1z does have accounts with the toy companies they send people to all the stores in a good 50 mile radius and clean them out of anything that is "hot" or "popular" at the moment. They then about every other month they take all the pegwamers that they get in their shipments and dump them at the 2 closest area Targets. really wow
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Post by jfinnomore on Sept 4, 2012 18:51:30 GMT -5
The difference is while T0y W1z does have accounts with the toy companies they send people to all the stores in a good 50 mile radius and clean them out of anything that is "hot" or "popular" at the moment. They then about every other month they take all the pegwamers that they get in their shipments and dump them at the 2 closest area Targets. this makes me glad i've never given them my money. such a scummy thing to do.
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Post by qdogg on Sept 4, 2012 19:00:24 GMT -5
Theres very few figures I would buy as a "investment" quite honestly. And I only look at older elites of guys that wont have another elite (or one for awhile) like Goldust, Batista, Regal, Matt Hardy, Tyson Kidd, Jericho etc. Those are the ones Ive gone after. If I saw another elite 12 Kane I would get that too but i dont buy (and wouldnt) duplicates at all. The only mattel I have 2 of is Legends 3 Rock and thats only because I paid 6.50 a piece for them, far cheaper than the price of one elite.
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Post by The Champ is Here! on Sept 4, 2012 19:22:44 GMT -5
So it's apparently wrong that I bought a couple figs a while ago with the intention of reselling them, and the money that I got from them went to but more figures for my collection?
I have a job, but I have real bills to pay, so if I can make a little income on the side to invest back in this hobby, why shouldn't I?
Now, I've never made a special trip to buy the figures, but, if I come across something that sells for a profit on eBay, I may pick it up
That being said, if I know someone here is looking for something and I see it, I'll grab it for them and ask for retail plus shipping.
If that makes me a scalper, so be it, but I'm not going to apologize for it
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Mizzah
Mid-Carder
Joined on: Dec 14, 2010 15:49:04 GMT -5
Posts: 357
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Post by Mizzah on Sept 4, 2012 19:52:41 GMT -5
"Helping" a fellow collector isn't scalping. I do it all the time for cost + shipping for those who have asked me to help them. I've done that aswell for a few fellow friends from here.. but for a member here to buy 4+ of the same figure for 'friends' is outrageous. Regardless how this forum sees it, scalpers have every right to a case of figures as a collector does.
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Deleted
Joined on: Sept 28, 2024 3:29:42 GMT -5
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Sept 4, 2012 20:04:47 GMT -5
Some people attempt to rationalize ANY sort of scumbag behavior.
The most I've ever bought of a figure is two and even now I've eased up on that and simply buy one. The Elites are easy since you only have to purchase one since the packaging is easy to open without damaging. The Basics of course you HAVE to buy 2 unless you have the patience to cut the bottoms out neatly.
Scalpers are bottom of the barrel. If you do it for the sole purpose of making money then you've got collecting wrong. I will finish by saying this. After watching Collection Intervention and Toy Hunter...current collectors are TERRIBLE at overpaying. I saw a Kevin Nash sell for 90 dollars. That Nash WAS NOT worth that price but there's a fool born every minute. Or do you guys remember BAF Bret Hart? Its shelf warming on a regular here.
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BIGMAC2570
Main Eventer
Joined on: May 23, 2008 10:36:34 GMT -5
Posts: 1,791
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Post by BIGMAC2570 on Sept 4, 2012 20:07:34 GMT -5
I understand the frustration of checking on a daily basis and finding nothing, but when I do find something, I'm not holding it ransom, I kindly pm the guys I have a good trading repore with and see they need it, if no, then it goes on the classifieds.
Many boardies here understand the frustration and offer up help, and those are guys I am greatful to, cuz my sons collection has grown leaps and bounds from you guys.
Why I can not justify is charging someone for a figure while I am out hunting for my son.
Would it be right for me to charge someone for the sdcc rumbles that were FREE, cuz it cost me airfare,admission to get into sdcc?
No, it would not be fair, which is why the Rey rumbler was sent out free to the guys I traded with who needed it, or was sold for SHIPPING only.
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