Question?

[pixletwin]

edited by Azog the Mod

Just kidding. I'm a luvuh not a fightuh.

 

[Mookeylama]

well i did this w/ a Predator Maquette just yesterady. waitlist came thru but i needed money so i offered it up down in the trade section. felt so scummy about doing it, i canceled the order hours before i needed to. just didn't feel right. oh well, what profit i was asking for wouldn't have helped much anyway heh.

 

[Protozaius]

While we're sort of on the topic I've got an Exclusive Master from the Buffy line coming that I don't want - I got it as part of an auction (the others were Exclusive Prophecy Buffy and Vampire Angel). If any Australians want it let me know what you think it a reasonable price. Shipping costs will only be domestic as I'm getting them all shipped together from the US (obviously).

Cheers!

That's funny... I bid on the same auction!!! I was looking to buy the Master and PG Buffy and offering the Vampire Angel to someone on the board.

I wasn't able to be there when the auction ended.

You got a pretty GREAT deal for all three!!!

 

[Phantom of the Paradise]

Scalping can backfire on people. I remember when all the LOTR stuff started to rise in value like crazy and Balrog's were selling for 4 grand. During this time there was an ebay seller that thought he was so smart. He acted like "a collector" opening a "brick and mortar" store in order to get a Sideshow wholesale account. He really just wanted to purchase as much Limited edition stuff as he could and sell it for the highest prices on ebay. He quit his day job, then maxed out all his credit cards ordering as much stuff as he could from Sideshow thinking he would make 10 times or more his money back. Well, the edition sizes became higher, the market dropped, and he had to sell alot of what he bought for below cost. So he spent all his time listing stuff, packing it up, and taking it to the post office and he LOST tons of money on it. He had to start selling off stuff in his house just to pay off his credit cards and be able to survive. His plan to make tons of money backfired and he wasted tons of time and energy for NOTHING. That's what greed can do to some people. The funny thing is that some of you probably bought stuff from him. I think it's funny as hell that he lost his behind...serve's him right. I told him he was a loser and he ended up becoming one...lol

Buying one or a few items here and there to hold onto and sell to fund your own collection is fine. I have been collecting for over 23 years and I have picked up tons of extra items that I knew would be worth something later (or sooner). It's always cool to trade with people to get other valuable things you may want and not have to spend the money. Smart thing to do is just keep up with what is coming out and order it at the right time...common sense for most collectors. At least you can just sit back and order online now instead of having to drive to a store and wait for them to unload a truck only to find out that the manager and store employees already found out which figures were rare and put them aside for themselve's (so they can sell them on ebay). I have so many stories I could tell you about that. Thank the Universe for companies like Sideshow..,. and it couldn't have come at a better time since gas is priced more than twice what it was. I just can't drive around to all the stores "hunting for toys" anymore.

I bought a "Patient Zero" figure when it came out, but I had no idea it would go up so high in value. I just liked the figure because I am a huge Dawn of the Dead/Zombie fan. I am going to keep it because it's a great zombie figure, not because some seller sold it on ebay for $350.

 

[DarkArtist81]

If I am stupid sob, you chuff blister, then you must be a moronic moron.

Then stop reading them! Would it kill you to skip ahead? Geez the impotent suckery of some people...

Hey jerkface.. the door is open, sleeves rolled up, and spurs a shinin'... whats keeping you?

Just kidding. I'm a luvuh not a fightuh.

 

[Agent0028]

edited by Azog the Mod

 

[pixletwin]

Yes.... Blood, blood, and entrails flying left and right. Thats what its all about..

 

[EVILFACE]

People are free to do what they like with what they own. In hand or preorder.

Doesn't bother me.

Maybe SS should sell their figures at cost, cause they are scalping us!!!!

 

[Customikey]

Maybe SS should sell their figures at cost, cause they are scalping us!!!!

That'd be fanastic! You want to tell the employees to "do it for the love of their craft" or should I?

 

[Azog]

Lets keep it civil folks......no more bashing....

 

[pixletwin]

Lets keep it civil folks......no more bashing....

Sorry Azog. It was all in jest and I think almost everyone understood that.

 

[Agent0028]

*hangs head in shame* I've never had a post edited by a mod before...it feels a little like that time I was scolded in 1st grade for talking in class...can we be friends again pixletwin?

 

[Azog]

No worries folks, its a touchy subject these days on all collectibles boards/forums, and I am sure a quick comment here or there can be read differently or mean something differently in the heat of the moment.

Agent and Pix...understood, just did not want someone outside the conversation to look in and see the negative comments....

Carry on, nothing to see.....

 

[pixletwin]

It's all good.

 

[hairlesswookiee]

not sure if i've ever posted my opinion on the subject, but here's a shot. while it does kind of suck for someone that actually wants the specific piece, everyone needs to realize thats the way things go. when you are collecting a "limited" edition its irrational to expect prices to stay the same. thats what makes collecting these fun to me and makes it that much more exciting when i finally do get that one item that is rare or i've been saving up the money to buy.
~~now i really hate when people start buying and selling just to make some money. lately since i've been on these boards i've noticed how often it happens before something is even released. thats what i think is crap!!! its not fair to the people that are on a tight budget and are collecting just for collecting.
~~when it comes to something that is a couple years old.... well thats a different story. like when i started collecting sideshow...i began late in the game and i knew what the prices were going to be. thats the way the game is played, and everyone should expect stuff to be harder to find with a higher price tag. there are many things that i've been wanting for a very long time, but due to the rarity and ridiculous price tag its out of the question.

***sorry for the long post, but this is my opinion and my little rant and rave post.

 

[EVILFACE]

The world isn't fair.

 

[Phantom of the Paradise]

The world isn't fair.

That should be the name of the next James Bond film

 

[daelith]

The world isn't fair.

This couldn't be anymore true. The world isn't going to be fair, so rather than telling others not to scalp I'm gonna suggest that folks who can't afford to be in this hobby figure out a way to make the $$$ to get in the game.

It's funny, because it wouldn't surprise me that some of those folks are the same ones you're bashing as scalpers. Heck, when I started collecting comics--in the 4th grade--I used to purchase comics at my lcs and re-sell them or send them to American Comics (the folks who originated the Tick character) to get more comics. My family was poor; no allowance = find a means to fund your hobby, short of anything illegal.

So given this scenario: a person on a "tight" budget and a person who really can't afford the hobby and needs to scalp, who deserves the item more? Should the person who's more needy, but intends to scalp, give up the item so the "true collector" can have it? And what if the person who intends to scalp isn't really needy, but just wants to scalp to afford that Cave Troll he's been eying for the past year or so?

I realize I proffer alot unlikely scenarios, but if you're going to stand by a certain viewport, I think it's important to look at it through a broad range of perspectives to truly understand if it's a viewport you're comfortable with.

 

[lcummins]

This thread seems to have turned to a pro/con on scalping! Again, let me reiterate, I wasn't bashing scalpers or anyone on this board. It is their right to sell their collectibles if they want. The point of the thread and discussion, was the double-standard of bashing eBay scalpers but not board members who do the same. I just wanted people to maybe step back and think before just jumping on every eBay sale that appears to be a scalper. Maybe these sellers are in the same boat; trying to fund something else, can't afford it anymore, etc. Granted, there are known scalpers who do it repeatedly, for just the money; jump on them all you like, but lets try to curb the double-standard just a bit and be a little more tolerant. Please...

 

[Josette]

Honestly, I don't dwell too much on the scalper situation. I can understand the annoyance of someone pre-ordering an item just to flip it for an expensive price on ebay, but IMHO, it's all up to the buyers in the end. They can pay high dollar or they can choose not to. They might not get the item, but they don't have to cave into that price. It's their choice. No seller can force a buyer to purchase the item at an outragous price. There are always going to be "scalpers" out there.

If I pass on something when it's first released, I'm always aware that I might have to pay more for it later if I want it. If I want it badly enough, then I will pay the price I have to, if I can afford it. If I can't afford it, I simply do without. I try very hard to get what I want when it comes to collectibles, and I succeed more often than not. But there's always that occasional time when I don't get it, and then I just deal.

I sold off a large portion of my collection a while back, and I'm down to only the things I absolutely love and want to keep. If I sell anything now, I'm doing it because I really need the extra money, so of course I'll try and get the most I can out of the item.