【Avengers: Infinity War -1/6th scale Doctor Strange Collectible Figure】

[Star-Crunch]

Re: 【Avengers: Infinity War -1/6th scale Doctor Strange Collectible Figure】

I’m not one to condone scalping, but the people that pay those prices are the ones to blame.

 

[Scentless Apprentice]

Re: 【Avengers: Infinity War -1/6th scale Doctor Strange Collectible Figure】

I’m not one to condone scalping, but the people that pay those prices are the ones to blame.

I think the whole point we're trying to make is that it's not scalping. This was an item that was widely available for a long time. The aftermarkets are being driven by supply and demand. The market is determining the sale price, not the seller.

 

[melkorjunior]

Re: 【Avengers: Infinity War -1/6th scale Doctor Strange Collectible Figure】

I feel like a broken record here, but those weren't scalpers. It was the only Doctor Strange on the market with no new figure announced for Infinity War. Stock was down, hype was up, the price increased. Now, with a new figure on the horizon, demand for the original is down, so the price has come down. Basic economics.

Everyone ****** off at the "scalpers" because they can't get a figure they suddenly want, but didn't purchase when it was readily available, for a price they personally find to be acceptable. Such entitlement.

The price didn't increase all by itself. You say that as if there was some sort of Hot Toys Price Guide out there that lists values for the figures that all collectors agree upon. Instead what happened was that the scalpers saw the demand and took advantage of the situation by deciding to triple the price. No one was twisting their arms. And yes, technically they might not be scalpers, but I feel justified in referring to them that way since they charged scalper's prices.

 

[Razorwing]

Re: 【Avengers: Infinity War -1/6th scale Doctor Strange Collectible Figure】

Anyone else wonder what happened to his Fingerless gloves?

 

[Motuxmen]

Re: 【Avengers: Infinity War -1/6th scale Doctor Strange Collectible Figure】

The price didn't increase all by itself. You say that as if there was some sort of Hot Toys Price Guide out there that lists values for the figures that all collectors agree upon. Instead what happened was that the scalpers saw the demand and took advantage of the situation by deciding to triple the price. No one was twisting their arms. And yes, technically they might not be scalpers, but I feel justified in referring to them that way since they charged scalper's prices.

Still not scalpers. No one twisted anyone’s arm into buying them either. Your right, the price didn’t increase all by it self..the market dictated that. Scalping has nothing to do with the price of something.

Every classic car dealer, real estate agent, art broker, and so on would be considered a scalper if all it took to be one is raise the price. The only case you could make recently for scalping any hot toys would be something like Black widow from IW. Where not everyone could buy it and it’s available only at a certain location and people buy her to resell at a large markup. But that’s only because she wasn’t available for retail with equal opportunity to buy till she sold out. And even then it’s not really scalping because you just have to wait to get her for retail.

Sellling anything for a profit, no matter how much the profit, is not scalping. Scalping has to do with preventing others from having the same opportunity to purchase at the same price with the sole purpose of driving prices up. A figure that was available for months at retail, and on the secondary market, does not fit that idea. Even if the prices had risen to 10 million dollars each.

 

[subzro]

Re: 【Avengers: Infinity War -1/6th scale Doctor Strange Collectible Figure】

The price didn't increase all by itself. You say that as if there was some sort of Hot Toys Price Guide out there that lists values for the figures that all collectors agree upon. Instead what happened was that the scalpers saw the demand and took advantage of the situation by deciding to triple the price. No one was twisting their arms. And yes, technically they might not be scalpers, but I feel justified in referring to them that way since they charged scalper's prices.

True the price did not increase all by itself. When i looked at eBay after the the movie came out there was only 3 or 4 for sale. So something that started at 99 cents was bid up and up and up until it was $500 to $700. The buyers set the price. After a few sold for that much then more people put theirs for sale at the price they were selling for. You would have to be crazy to sell one for retail a couple weeks ago.

Scapling would be if i bought 100 Dr Strange figures and then sold them for $500 each.

 

[SAB]

Re: 【Avengers: Infinity War -1/6th scale Doctor Strange Collectible Figure】

Bahahahaha

 

[yacobschlomo]

Re: 【Avengers: Infinity War -1/6th scale Doctor Strange Collectible Figure】

so if i am selling a figure and start bid at $100, but buyers bid it up to $600. am i a scalper?

on the other hand, if i set a buy it now price of $500. am i a scalper?

 

[playboy409]

Re: 【Avengers: Infinity War -1/6th scale Doctor Strange Collectible Figure】

You have a Babe Ruth baseball card you bought for a quarter as a kid or Action Comic #1 for 12 cents. Are you gonna sell them today at those prices? If not then are you consider a scalper?

 

[jedijim3002]

Re: 【Avengers: Infinity War -1/6th scale Doctor Strange Collectible Figure】

This is a hilarious conversation to have to explain basic economics to adults. Wow.

 

[playboy409]

Re: 【Avengers: Infinity War -1/6th scale Doctor Strange Collectible Figure】

Seriously.

 

[Centrocal]

Re: 【Avengers: Infinity War -1/6th scale Doctor Strange Collectible Figure】

perhaps a better term is price gouging

The point is buyers were fighting over a product because there was such a limited supply. I think collectors were slow to buy Dr Strange because 1) At the time, he was a brand new MCU character and people wern't familiar with him yet. So they decided to wait till they saw the movie or wait for blogger pics 2) they thought supply was larger than it actually was. It feels like this figure sold out a lot faster than expected. I guess maybe HT wasn't too confident in an unproven character so they didn't make as many as normal? But regardless, it caught collectors off guard and everyone panicked. So the lesson is whenever a new character is being introduced (Captain Marvel ) we should expect HT might try to play it safe and not make as many figures

 

[Motuxmen]

Re: 【Avengers: Infinity War -1/6th scale Doctor Strange Collectible Figure】

I don’t think price gouging fits either. Especially when a lot of those where sold at high prices after bidding wars where the seller has zero to do with the price it sells at. And once a few hit high auction numbers the next auctions(pistons..really autocorrect, really?) reflected the average sales prices. When you list an item for sale on eBay it tells you what the average sold price is in the months leading up(90 days I think) and shows the low and the high. eBay also recommends a sales price to stay competitive in the current market. That all has nothing to do with scalping or gouging. It’s just simple economics.

It may have sold out fast, but not so fast people couldn’t buy it if they had wanted to at the time. It was up for months.

 

[Femtech]

Re: 【Avengers: Infinity War -1/6th scale Doctor Strange Collectible Figure】

Call it what you want, but selling an item for more than it was sold initially, is taking advantage of the buyer, even if that buyer is okay with it. The reason why people cannot fathom selling a classic baseball card for 12 cents today is because people cannot fathom passing up the opportunity to indulge profitable self-interest. Even if a buyer is willing to spend 10 times as much for something as it was originally sold for, that buyer is still engaging in a transaction that is to their detriment; their materialism/desire simply compartmentalizes everything. If you're going to use economics as your bastion, then you'll always find a way out of accountability and a way to feel justified. But as collectors, I don't know how you could do that to others in our community. Sometimes the seller needs to tell the buyer that the item is not worth what she/he is willing to pay for it. But something tells me that that scenario, too, is difficult to fathom, which is too bad.

 

[ArtVandelay]

Re: 【Avengers: Infinity War -1/6th scale Doctor Strange Collectible Figure】

It's probably easier to ensure likeness from all angles with a neutral expression. I respect what they've done here and am impressed.

 

[db626]

Re: 【Avengers: Infinity War -1/6th scale Doctor Strange Collectible Figure】

I don’t have any problem making a profit from buyers. Its a free market. I myself have paid more than msrp for high quality in demand collectibles and don’t see myself as being taken advantage of. From a monetary perspective, seller may have the foresight to realize value of collectible may increase, but also may decrease, none of which is in his/her control. Profit made is earned, never a free handout.

 

[Chronos1919]

Re: 【Avengers: Infinity War -1/6th scale Doctor Strange Collectible Figure】

auctions(pistons..really autocorrect, really?)

The worst autocorrect I’ve ever experienced was “Castlevania” to “castle ****.”

That doesn’t sound like a game that I want to play.

Call it what you want, but selling an item for more than it was sold initially, is taking advantage of the buyer, even if that buyer is okay with it.

I’m not calling it what I want, I’m calling it what it is: basic economics. For every saleable item, it’s not limited to Hot Toys or this hobby even. These are luxury items. The sense of entitlement that one should always be able to find an item they desire for the original price that it retailed at is ridiculous. If items no longer gain value or are limited in release, say goodbye to collectibles in general. Aside from that, as has been pointed out ad nauseam, the sellers on eBay often set the price at the original retail or below in an auction format. Buyers then drive up the price beyond the original retail. You’re somehow going to shift the fault of that price increase to the seller and claim that the buyer is somehow being taken advantage of? That’s quite the perversion of facts.

Edit: I was unaware that an alternative word for sphincter was a forbidden word on these forums.

 

[NoHeadStark]

Re: 【Avengers: Infinity War -1/6th scale Doctor Strange Collectible Figure】

Call it what you want, but selling an item for more than it was sold initially, is taking advantage of the buyer, even if that buyer is okay with it. The reason why people cannot fathom selling a classic baseball card for 12 cents today is because people cannot fathom passing up the opportunity to indulge profitable self-interest. Even if a buyer is willing to spend 10 times as much for something as it was originally sold for, that buyer is still engaging in a transaction that is to their detriment; their materialism/desire simply compartmentalizes everything. If you're going to use economics as your bastion, then you'll always find a way out of accountability and a way to feel justified. But as collectors, I don't know how you could do that to others in our community. Sometimes the seller needs to tell the buyer that the item is not worth what she/he is willing to pay for it. But something tells me that that scenario, too, is difficult to fathom, which is too bad.

There's a flaw with this logic. If a buyer should never pay more than an item's retail price, then they should never pay less either because the seller would be getting ripped off even if the seller wants to sell it at that price. See the problem? You think an items value is determined by the seller but it's actually the buyer who sets the market price.

Just as an item increases in value due to rarity or low supply/high demand, an item's value can also decrease due to oversaturation or becoming obsolete.

 

[subzro]

Re: 【Avengers: Infinity War -1/6th scale Doctor Strange Collectible Figure】

Call it what you want, but selling an item for more than it was sold initially, is taking advantage of the buyer, even if that buyer is okay with it. The reason why people cannot fathom selling a classic baseball card for 12 cents today is because people cannot fathom passing up the opportunity to indulge profitable self-interest. Even if a buyer is willing to spend 10 times as much for something as it was originally sold for, that buyer is still engaging in a transaction that is to their detriment; their materialism/desire simply compartmentalizes everything. If you're going to use economics as your bastion, then you'll always find a way out of accountability and a way to feel justified. But as collectors, I don't know how you could do that to others in our community. Sometimes the seller needs to tell the buyer that the item is not worth what she/he is willing to pay for it. But something tells me that that scenario, too, is difficult to fathom, which is too bad.

I would agree if it is medicine, healthcare, housing, water, food but anything else you don't need. Maybe housing is a bad example as people will outbid others for a house even if it is not worth that much.

Would you sell a classic baseball card for 12 cents if you knew it was worth 1 million dollars? Honestly.

 

[jedijim3002]

Re: 【Avengers: Infinity War -1/6th scale Doctor Strange Collectible Figure】

If I have a pen and you have a dollar and a need to write a letter, if we make an exchange we are both better off aren’t we? There’s no detriment done to anyone. But if you need your dollar more than my pen or I need my pen more than your dollar then we have both lost nothing. It serves us both to have the freedom to choose what we use our dollars for based on our need and our perceived worth of the things we buy.

It’s called the free market and it’s better than any system we’ve come up with in history. If there are a bunch of people with a bunch of pens then I can choose who to give my dollar too and dictate the terms of the exchange. Who can give me the best deal on a pen? But if there is only one pen and lots of people want a pen that pen becomes more valuable based on the need. Therefore the seller dictates the terms of the exchange.

It has nothing to do with feelings or morals or right and wrong. It’s simply mathematics and supply and demand.

The great thing about this whole situation is that Hot Toys saw the need for more Doctor Strange figures from the market collectors set for their collectibles and reacted. Now driving the price down for the original and giving more collector the choice of who to give their money to. Proving our point perfectly.