Question?

[TOE]

i would pick 2) Handpick someone to buy it at cost (plus shipping). Maybe not at cost but a reasonable price tag. There are just other collectors out there more deserving than others.

 

[lcummins]

I knew what he meant. We've seen these types of thread degenerate into name-calling, which isn't allowed.


But let me ask a hypothetical question.

If someone had a gray hulk on order but decided they didn't want it and was morally opposed to flipping, what should they do?

1) Cancel and let the first waitlister get it (who could be a flipper).

2) Handpick someone to buy it at cost (plus shipping).

3) Have a contest for someone to win the opportunity to buy it at cost.

Well, in the case of the Grey Hulk, which has a storied past already, I think the person should find a way to offer it to another collector. Either a collector friend he personally knows, or some kind of contest to choose someone if he doesn't have a friend to pass it on to. Canceling it would be alright also if he just didn't want to deal with everyone PM'ing him; there would still be a fair chance a collector off the wait list would get it.

And thanks for understanding about my comment Dave; I really didn't mean for it to sound quite as aggressive as it did.

 

[DannieDarKo]

I agree. Choice 1 and 3 could be someone like me, a flipper/scum/ratbastard...whatever floats your boat baby! :zzwhip
I SAY # 2!

 

[sanpedromanrique]

C'mon guy don't dramatize about this issue. I never sold one of my almost- two-hundred 12" figures, but I think that everyone should be free to do it if they decide to do so, if they find someone who's willing to pay for it...
There have been a few figures that I did not get because I found them to be too expensive on the secondary market, and that's OKAY, because they are just toys and it is a free market and a free economy. No one is forced to buy anything they don't want to.

 

[lcummins]

...I think people tend to be more accepting when the scalper or flipper or whatever you want to call them is a board member because they're not out there doing this all the time, whereas someone on ebay could not give two cents about collecting other than it is a good way to make money. I guess its something of a honor among thieves mentality...

Ah! But that was exactly the point of my question! We don't really know the circumstances behind many of the "so called" eBay scalpers. They may be no different than most of us. True, there are some we all know who do it constantly, but there are many more who don't.

 

[DannieDarKo]

Are you thinking maybe we need rankings to better show the members true colors?

1-10?

"That guy is a Scalper level 9! WATCH OUT!"

"Oh wait, he's a level 3."

 

[lcummins]

C'mon guy don't dramatize about this issue. I never sold one of my almost- two-hundred 12" figures, but I think that everyone should be free to do it if they decide to do so, if they find someone who's willing to pay for it...
There have been a few figures that I did not get because I found them to be too expensive on the secondary market, and that's OKAY, because they are just toys and it is a free market and a free economy. No one is forced to buy anything they don't want to.

I don't think I have dramatized anything! Go back and read some of the threads relating to the Grey Hulk when it came out, and then go read many of the threads complaining of eBay scalpers, and let me know if you don't discover a few double-standards around here!

 

[lcummins]

Are you thinking maybe we need rankings to better show the members true colors?

1-10?

"That guy is a Scalper level 9! WATCH OUT!"

"Oh wait, he's a level 3."

C'mon Danny... you seem like a very nice guy. Why not act like one!

 

[DannieDarKo]

Deal!

 

[lcummins]

Deal!

Thank you. I still look forward to having a beer with you at SDCC!

 

[DannieDarKo]

Me too but 1 beer x 9.

I guess the Gray Hulk topic brings out the Hulk in us.

 

[Bonehead15]

Personally I see the distinction between good and bad as - if you buy it and turn around and sell it the next day - you're ONLY motivation was to make money on it - BAD because it deprived someone who actually wanted it a chance to own it at the manufacturers price. If you decide after a while that you'd rather have something else so you sell it to finance your new acquisition that's fine. To me it really depends on why you sell - and the time period you hold the piece for gives a good indication of what that intention was.

Patient Zero isn't a new figure - so if you can get $350 for it now good on you. If you see someone flogging items from pre-order that haven't even been shipped yet for the same sort of dollars - that's the sort of thing that pisses me off.

Great post!!

Lord Azrael summed up my opinion on the subject almost perfectly.

...when the scalper or flipper or whatever you want to call them is a board member ....they're not out there doing this all the time...

I'm going to have to disagree with you on this Agent. There are board members here who are scalpers.

There are several board members here who I have seen had up to 5 different ebay auctions for the same SS exclusive item. That tells me that those board members have several different SS accounts so they can buy more SS exclusives than the 1 per person limit. That IMO is scalping.

 

[lcummins]

Me too but 1 beer x 9.

I guess the Gray Hulk topic brings out the Hulk in us.

You're on! But let me warn you, I am a big guy and can drink a lot of beer when the need arises!!!

 

[DarkArtist81]

Yeah....the only time I have ever felt really bad about selling something at an inflated cost would be Zero.... I had a lot of offers, even when I wasn't selling... And I did offer it to a few friends of mine for the cost I originally paid, but when the wedding came around and I needed that ring....

Zero was the only one who could bring that baby home.

It made me feel kinda despicable to put it up on Ebay, especially with a $200 pricetag.... And you can bet that I will regret doing that at one point, but knowing that my future wife is happy and with a ring on her finger makes it worth all the trouble.

But you can bet that I will never do it again. From now on I am good and generous with my deals, and I hope that I never have another high dollar money ticket standing on my shelf.... The urge to make a good buck off of the fan fever and use that for whatever ends can be too strong.

And even I, with my higher moral values, can't handle that kind of pressure again.

 

[DannieDarKo]

Do I hear a bet coming on Lonnie?
I already have a few with Jesse and Azog. Hope you do better than Adam.

 

[lcummins]

Yeah....lcummins... the only time I have ever felt really bad about selling something at an inflated cost would be Zero.... I had a lot of offers, even when I wasn't selling... And I did offer it to a few friends of mine for the cost I originally paid, but when the wedding came around and I needed that ring....

Zero was the only one who could bring that baby home.

It made me feel kinda despicable to put it up on Ebay, especially with a $200 pricetag.... And you can bet that I will regret doing that at one point, but knowing that my future wife is happy and with a ring on her finger makes it worth all the trouble.

But you can bet that I will never do it again. From now on I am good and generous with my deals, and I hope that I never have another high dollar money ticket standing on my shelf.... The urge to make a good buck off of the fan fever and use that for whatever ends can be too strong.

And even I, with my higher moral values, can't handle that kind of pressure again.

And I apologize for making you feel even worse! I did not intent to pick on any one, but your original post caught me the wrong way. I know that Zero is different that the Grey Hulk or other pre-orders, and I have always stated that once an item is in someones hands, it is theirs to do with as they please. This thread is about pre-orders, so your situation really was not a good analogy. You had ever right to sell him if you so desired.

Sorry about that.

 

[lcummins]

Do I hear a bet coming on Lonnie?
I already have a few with Jesse and Azog. Hope you do better than Adam.

I don't know about a bet... I try not to let myself get out of control!

 

[dr2red]

I have felt the same urge to make some cash off a few figures , Krycek
and Exclusive Luke 12 inch. I restrained my self and remembered that
I am collector. If I get something in pre order and decide it is not for me
I now cancel so someone who I hope truly wants it gets it. Unfortunately
I won't know if they are flippers or not but I feel I did the right thing.
If I do get rid of Luke it will be in a trade for a Zero or another figure
of equal market value.

That is my 2 and a half cents

 

[DarkArtist81]

And I apologize for making you feel even worse! I did not intent to pick on any one, but your original post caught me the wrong way. I know that Zero is different that the Grey Hulk or other pre-orders, and I have always stated that once an item is in someones hands, it is theirs to do with as they please. This thread is about pre-orders, so your situation really was not a good analogy. You had ever right to sell him if you so desired.

Sorry about that.

No problem dude... I totally understand. This hobby of ours can be pretty nerve-wracking, especially when it comes to items that are so sought after and important to those who want it..... I still feel bad, but I can't really change it. I look at most of the people I know here as my friends and I had a chance to help my friends and didn't. And friends take better care of each other than that...

Again, not a problem and I take no offense.. Just wanted everyone to know the full story...

 

[Customikey]

When I sell, I just put the opening bid as the cost and let the market value determine the rest. Scalpers don't really bother me since there is plenty of product out there, and it's not too difficult to get what you want if you stay informed.

Have I flipped a figure? Yes.

Have I sold for more than the manufacturer. Oh my, yes.

Does it really matter that I wanted it when I bought it, or that I offer it to someone else first? The fact is the market value, or what someone is willing to pay, has nothing to do with the small community of people who buy to sell. The number of guys doing this is much smaller that the amount of product available. They don't determine the market value ( there aren't enough of them to do that), and they don't jack up the price. Demand does that. The scalpers didn't make Patient Zero valuable. We did.

I get the newsletter, I mark what I want. And if i want something later, I'll have to bite the bullet and get it at the market value. it's that simple.