Scalping is discouraged on this forum, and so shouldn't all pro scalping posts also b

[Blackthornone]

Well, technically, in Marco Polo's day, there was no such thing as an MSRP. There also was not much in the way of manufacturing/distribution infrastructure. Much of that came about as a result of the industrial revolution.

So, in a very real sense, the "manufacturer" and the "retailer" were one and the same in those days. In that sense, Marco Polo was a "hybrid" of a retailer and a scalper. Plus, I have no doubt that many of the goods he brought back from his travels were considered quite rare and valuable, at least at first, and therefore commanded a fairly high price.

Marco Polo was import/export.

 

[Blackthornone]

Thus creating harmony in blackthoron's universe.

Actually no. I am largely an isolationist. I think that the license to manufacture a collectible made in one country should be sold to people in another country, to avoid tariffs, and unnecessary shipping costs.

 

[FLOSI]

anybody wanna buy my battle cat for the low low price of $200?

PM sent!

 

[FLOSI]

Marco Polo was import/export.

I think Art Vandelay was too...

 

[The Craw]

PM sent!

and SOLD!!! pleasure doing business with ya.


i got another one for sale now. only $220. any takers?

 

[Something Sexy]

I think Art Vandelay was too...

Win!

 

[FLOSI]

Win!

Art Vandelay is a true legend of the import/export game....

 

[creecher]

When it comes down to it, calling someone a scalper is name calling, and that's not allowed. And so the universe continues on in abandoned chaos.

 

[Skiman]

anybody wanna buy my battle cat for the low low price of $200?

in that case I have 28 of them for yah!!!

 

[316what]

This scalping sours the collectibles hobby, because it places more emphasis upon money and profits than it does about passion and love for these pieces.

Talk about a generalization.

 

[316what]

anybody wanna buy my battle cat for the low low price of $200?

and SOLD!!! pleasure doing business with ya.


i got another one for sale now. only $220. any takers?

DAMN, I was gonna offer $199.99 for it. How about $219.95 for the other one?

 

[Blackthornone]

When it comes down to it, calling someone a scalper is name calling, and that's not allowed. And so the universe continues on in abandoned chaos.

I never called any particular person a scalper. Furthermore, is it really name calling when that is what they are? I'm a collector. I don't mind being called a collector. I am a bicycle rider. I don't mind being called one. I am an investor over the long term. I don't mind being called an investor. These are things I do. I do them knowing what they mean, and knowing how I will be perceived by others doing them. If I did not like how people perceive a certain action, I wouldn't be involved in it.

If someone deals drugs, they are a drug dealer. There is a social stigma to that, and if people don't like the social stigma that comes with being called a drug dealer, than they shouldn't deal drugs. Frankly, I don't personally really mind being called those extremely vague slang insults either, because they really say nothing about the person they are used against, and they say EVERYTHING about the person who uses them. Slang words are more often than not used by unintelligent, unintellectual people, who more often than not, don't like the person they are insulting, because it is THEY THEMSELVES who are corrupt, and were they to be forced to be very specific about why they don't like the other person, it would be revealed that they themselves are the one with the character flaw, and NOT the person that they are insulting.
Of course, all of their friends probably have the same character flaws they do, and so they don't see them as flaws, they see those less than idealistic characteristics as being "normal". These people use vague slang insults to avoid taking a long hard look at themselves. Change is difficult and uncomfortable. No one likes to do it if they can avoid it, and so that is the reason why slang swear words are so popular amongst the hoi polloi. This is especially true about the "tough" "regular" non intellectuals.
Nonintellectuals have this notable trait about never really thinking very much about anything they do, or about the deeper ramifications that these things say about themselves. Thinking people have the ability to articulate their message without using slang swear words. Maybe being able to get away with saying slang swear words seems cool when you're 9 years old, but by the time you are in your mid teens, you begin to realize that it as descriptive of another person or a thing as uttering a grunt. When someone says douche or a ...le they might as well be saying ooga booga. It's meaningless. Saying a swear word to insult people? Way to go, you Rhodes Scholar, you.

 

[FLOSI]

I'm a masturbater... ask around.

 

[SnakeDoctor]

Talk about a generalization.

And, the really stupid part is that the collectibles industry was ALWAYS about profit. That's the whole point of producing well-made knick-knacks and unnecessary (but cool) pieces of junk on which well-to-do enthusiasts can blow $50-$2000 a pop. Profit. Its the name of the game -- the bottom line -- the very purpose of the existence of all the crap we buy, and the movies/etc. that inspired the crap we buy.

There aren't too many humanitarian charitable collectible production companies out there. I'm always baffled by anti-capitalist enthusiasts of the fruits of capitalism.

SakeDoc

 

[creecher]

Why so defensive? I didn't say you called anyone a scalper, Blackthornone.

 

[Blackthornone]

Talk about a generalization.

It's true, because when a person scalps a particular piece, it is about the profit they will get from that piece, and not the love and passion for that particular piece. If it WAS about the love and passion for that particular piece, then they would buy it to keep and not to sell. EVEN if they already had one and were scalping another one, the one they are scalping is more valuable to them as profit than it is out of a passion or a love for that particular piece, which is of course, being due to large part because they already have one. Nevertheless, it is still true that scalping is more about profit than about the love for a piece.

 

[darthviper107]

I'd be a scalper, but I'm too lazy

 

[Blackthornone]

Why so defensive? I didn't say you called anyone a scalper, Blackthornone.

I'm sorry, I wasn't defending myself against you. I just went off on an intellectual tangent about what name calling is all about.

 

[creecher]

It's true, because when a person scalps a particular piece, it is about the profit they will get from that piece, and not the love and passion for that particular piece.

What about the 'scalpers' love and passion for money? Shouldn't he be allowed to be a collector of money, or funds, or assets? Why should someone be labeled because of another persons problems within themselves?

 

[Blackthornone]

And, the really stupid part is that the collectibles industry was ALWAYS about profit. That's the whole point of producing well-made knick-knacks and unnecessary (but cool) pieces of junk on which well-to-do enthusiasts can blow $50-$2000 a pop. Profit. Its the name of the game -- the bottom line -- the very purpose of the existence of all the crap we buy, and the movies/etc. that inspired the crap we buy.

There aren't too many humanitarian charitable collectible production companies out there. I'm always baffled by anti-capitalist enthusiasts of the fruits of capitalism.

SakeDoc

That is an interesting point. However, I think that these limited edition collectibles are better seen as the tools of capitalism, rather than the fruits of capitalism, unless of course you mean that the ability to buy these expensive collectibles is only the result of the wealth that capitalism allows up to be able to afford, to enrich our lives, and in so far as that is concerned, they are fruits.
Yes, I do think that making too few of something is part of the problem, however, scalping just worsens it. I mean, if there were only 300 people who wanted something, and they all really wanted it badly, and scalpers came along and bought them first, then some or all of those 300 people would have to pay more for that item, even though no more than 300 people would ever want that thing, and so demand would never actually increase relative to supply. The supply was artificially manipulated by scalpers to bleed as much money out of other people as their blood sucking cunning would allow them to achieve. Were it not for the scalpers in this scenario, all of the 300 would only have to pay the original price.