dgnr8
Main Eventer
Joined on: Aug 12, 2006 11:38:01 GMT -5
Posts: 3,914
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Post by dgnr8 on Feb 11, 2013 16:54:49 GMT -5
Collecting at retail is competitive by its very nature. Collecting toys is made even more so because you have both collectors and the target demographic all excited for the same products. There is a limited supply and often challenges with distribution, which makes obtaining your prize all the more difficult. Scalpers come in and take advantage of this situation by purchasing all the hottest stock from every retailer in their area and resaling it for a MUCH higher price. So if finding stuff wasn't already hard enough, now we have these scum not only making it even more difficult, but also in many cases forcing us to decide between passing on an item we REALLY wanted, or paying 2-3-4-500% markup. Its sickening.
Look, I'll admit, when I'm looking for that new Flashback I really want, I get a little upset of someone finds it before me. Hell, I NEVER found that Damn Wolfpack Nash. But if its a parent, a kid, collector, or even a customizer, its okay. They bought it to enjoy. If its a scalper, it means they bought it just to take advantage of people like us to turn a quick, slimy buck. Thats not okay. Its greedy.
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Post by mrbestintheworld25 on Feb 11, 2013 17:07:53 GMT -5
I see where you are going with this...but they're two different things.
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Von Hooten
Main Eventer
The Innovator of Innovation
Joined on: Jan 23, 2012 13:13:14 GMT -5
Posts: 1,412
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Post by Von Hooten on Feb 11, 2013 18:08:12 GMT -5
To me there are big differences between scalping and customizing.
Customizing is in a grey area. I have made many customs, and not sold a one. In fact I had one guy offer me $250 for a Venom custom I made, and another guy offer me $140 for my Red Hulk custom. I never took up their offers and that is what makes customizing different from scalping. Some customizers have intent on selling their work, but depending on the work done it could be a crap shoot. It is ultimately up to the prospective buyers as to weather or not it has value. Then there are the customizers, like me, who worked so damn hard on a figure that they can't imagine parting with what is a truely unique figure.
Which depending on how unique a custom figure can set you back a few bucks. I have literally over $50 on some customs due to figures being out of circulation. So ebay was my only option sometimes.
Scalping is a black and white issue. You either scalp, or you don't. It is as simple as that.
Which BTW, I just found out that scalpers can order whole cases from a given TRU. So imagine that. Cases bought before they can go on a shelf.
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Post by HHH316 on Feb 11, 2013 19:23:29 GMT -5
I have actually never thought of customizing as scalping. I can understand some of you're points who feel it could be, but I haven't ever, & wouldn't ever put them in ballpark. I always thought of scalping as a way to make a quick buck on something. With customizing, that figure is usually something that's never been made before (like a specific character like Owen Hart) or a person in a specific attire that's never been created. It can take Jakks or Mattel several months to produce something like that, but a customizer can make that for someone.
I don't know. It sounds better in my head that it does coming out.
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fearofdread
Superstar
Joined on: Nov 18, 2010 12:40:53 GMT -5
Posts: 560
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Post by fearofdread on Feb 11, 2013 20:19:59 GMT -5
I wouldn't use the word "screw" to describe a scalper. Anything someone can do to make a dollar, I'm all for as long as it is legal. Buying a figure to flip for a profit is no different than someone buying a property to flip for a profit or someone buying a storage unit to turn around and sell for a profit. At least when someone buys a figure for the sole purpose of flipping for a profit, that figure still exists to buy, though be it at an inflated price..... If someone buys a figure to customize it, that original figure can no longer be purchased, even at an inflated price because someone customized it. It's no longer the same figure..... Two things. First, if you buy and flip a house, you aren't scalping it, you are customizing it. To flip a house you need to invest some capital in it to increase it's appeal and then sell it for a profit shortly their after. To scalp a house would be to buy up all of the houses in one neighborhood and then sell them at 2 or 3 or more times their initial value because there are no homes left for people to live in. Second, aren't you arguing that no one should ever buy a figure because it removes it from the market, regardless of their intended use for the figure? Someone else cannot buy that John Cena figure you bought for the custom, but they also cannot buy the John Cena figure you bought for your kid who opens it and smashes it into his or her Randy Orton or Brock Lesnar.
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Post by Lorenzo Alcazar on Feb 11, 2013 20:29:26 GMT -5
Unless you are buying something at a certain price to sell to for a profit.....then you aren't scalping.
I can go to Walmart and buy every figure in the store and take them home and set them on fire if I want to and it's NOT scalping. I paid retail price and what I did didn't hurt or take advantage of anybody.
But people who go to the store and buy figures SPECIFICALLY to sell on the secondary market for the purpose of making a profit.....THAT is what scalping is.
It's like scalping tickets to concerts and sporting events....you buy a $50 ticket and sell it for $400 online....THAT is scalping.
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Joejitsu22
Main Eventer
Sexy Baked Potato
Joined on: Sept 15, 2011 8:12:28 GMT -5
Posts: 4,059
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Post by Joejitsu22 on Feb 11, 2013 21:31:32 GMT -5
i passed on two AJs i saw today. youre welcome.
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#SHOWOFF
Superstar
Joined on: Sept 6, 2011 17:08:42 GMT -5
Posts: 974
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Post by #SHOWOFF on Feb 11, 2013 23:00:39 GMT -5
I see what the OP means but I disagree. It's like saying that painters are scalping canvases bucks use they customized it and had no intention on keeping it. When you customize it, if you're good, you can make some money, or you could make a figure worthless. It takes skill to make money customizing. It's the people that have no idea what they're buying but know they can sell it for more that bother me.
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Post by Emerald Enthusiast on Feb 11, 2013 23:56:16 GMT -5
Scalpers rob other collectors and kids to get a figure they may want at a reasonable price in favor of turning some profit by exploiting the desire of those same people to own said figure. It's exploitation pure and simple. . Nope, that's just the nature of the collectibles market. Hot/limited items command premiums.
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Post by Scott! on Feb 12, 2013 10:40:37 GMT -5
I see what you mean, but I have to say no.
Most customisers only buy 1 figure to make their customs, not 5 or 6 or whatever.
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Post by James St. James on Feb 12, 2013 15:53:53 GMT -5
If you can't find the figure you want you need to look harder or spend more. Whether its a scalper or a customizer the figure goes to the first person willing to shell out the money for it at the store. If that's not you, try again.
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gps
Main Eventer
Scalpers S**K
Joined on: Oct 4, 2012 17:53:56 GMT -5
Posts: 1,171
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Post by gps on Feb 12, 2013 16:55:31 GMT -5
Here is the thought that has been running through my head for years now and I just feel I need to say it out loud.....Ok, so there seems to be a bit of a double-standard around here. Everyone seems to hate it when someone beats them to the store and buys up all of the hot figures first. But, yet no one says anything when someone does the same thing, only to break or re-paint the figure to make something different with it. Why is that? Why is "Scalping" so frowned apon, but we praise customizers? Personally, I have had very good success finding figures at retail for my collection. Other than a handful of figures (Alicia Fox, basic Warrior, etc) I have pretty much found every figure retail. So, neither scalpers or customizers have been a problem for me. So personally, neither of them bother me at all. But, at least in my mind, buying a figure just to customize it falls under the same category as scalping. If you are buying a figure with no intention of keeping that figure in your collection, to me, it feels no different than buying them all up to turn a profit. I mean, really....I've saw fellow board members make 10 different AJ Lee customs. That figure has been pretty tough to come by at retail for most collectors, but everyone is ok with that? Like I said, I too am ok with it because I've been able to find what I am looking for. Just curious is all why the people who are complaining about scalpers are not complaining about customizers as well. Your thoughts? I gotta agree w/ this. It may not be scalping, but people should still wait for the demand to die down just a little before they buy up a ton of a certain figure. I have found myself looking for figures that I can't find only to read about people who go to a store & buy 4 or more of a single figure just to sit on it in the hopes they may be able to trade it/sell it/customize it. Buying old figures for parts is very different from snatching up all you can find of a hot figure just because you may not see it again. It may not BE scalping, but IMO it's NO BETTER than scalping.
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Post by PJ on Feb 12, 2013 17:19:21 GMT -5
If they ( a customizer) buy 10 AJ's and make themselves 10 different versions of her I have no problem with that. First because I have zero desire to own an AJ figure. But even if it was someone I like I have no problem with it because it's almost certain it wouldn't effect me...meaning it's not like if they didn't buy it I would find it. Other than T0y W1z there's only 3 or 4 collectors that hit my stores. And none of them are customizers. So if it didn't come from my area stores I wouldn't be buying it anyway because other than preorders from RSC, TRU or spamS (for my DC figures) I don't buy online. (especially eBay) so like I said it wouldn't bother me as it's not going to effect my collecting habbits.
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Post by AmbroseBeforeHoes on Feb 12, 2013 17:22:52 GMT -5
Scalpers are the same as ticket touts!
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