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

[BadMoon]

I'm not making a judgement, but lets not pretend a collector scalping to another collector is the same as a retailer.

Sure it is! If I buy something at cost and want to sell it why would I sell it for what I paid? If I am selling I have every intention on making a profit. If it is something that decreased in value then I will accept that loss as well. Just like in retail.

 

[Something Sexy]

Well...in all fairness are you a store? Do you pay taxes on the income you make like a store does? Are you able to buy at wholesale prices like a store does?

Stores help increase the reach off the manufacturer. A scalper doesn't.

Then you have all the goodwill (business sense) aspects of how people view a retailer vs a scalper.

I'm not passing judgement, but lets not pretend a collector scalping to another collector is the same as a retailer.

Taking the taxes thing out of it because that is the flipper/scalpers problem if they want to declare that or not. Other online retailers do this exact same thing. I have seen some online retailers who personally buy one or multiple exclusive items from Sideshow to put them up on their site for very high prices to make a profit. Is that wrong?

To me that is the exact same thing.

 

[LOTRFan]

Jesus, the Golden Rule and scalping; holy ____ how is this thread not full of cat pictures and in the Sandbox?!

I DON'T FLIP!​

 

[FLOSI]

Dammit I missed this thread. You need to copy over all my posts from the original thread.

Pro flipper here.

SS has flipped items to me at his cost giving him a new gain of zero. I felt really used.

 

[Something Sexy]

SS has flipped items to me at his cost giving him a new gain of zero. I felt really used.

That is cause you are my boy!!!!!

 

[FLOSI]

Jesus, the Golden Rule and scalping; holy ____ how is this thread not full of cat pictures and in the Sandbox?!

I DON'T FLIP!​

 

[FLOSI]

That is cause you are my boy!!!!!

Word!

 

[occulum]

I hate how the world has been flipping Gold for years.
,...... I mean its a "free" element of earth.

 

[ProgMatinee]

Sure it is! If I buy something at cost and want to sell it why would I sell it for what I paid? If I am selling I have every intention on making a profit. If it is something that decreased in value then I will accept that loss as well. Just like in retail.

I'm not arguing the "right" to sell it or whether it is right or wrong.

I am arguing that retail outlets in the grand scheme of the industry offers a totally different benefit than scalpers do. Different benefits to collectors. Different benefits to the manufacturers, etc.

For instance, a company like AlterEgo is able to purchase several figures direct from SSC at a reduced wholesale price. Are you?

AlterEgo can sell newly released figures at 10% below MSRP and still profit for themselves. Are you?

AlterEgo's customer base helps increase the number of products SSC makes because they offer these deals? Are you?

These services that retailers offer expands the hobby for collectors and manufacturers. Do scalpers?

 

[BadMoon]

These services that retailers offer expands the hobby for collectors and manufacturers. Do scalpers?

Sure they do. It allows the consumer a place to go when they decide they were foolish and should have made a better attempt to purchase or pre-purchase whatever it is they wanted in the first place.

 

[karamazov80]

Ok, this "debate" has remained mostly civil so far, but some of you guys are determined to derail it. Please stick to the topic and remain civil and the thread will remain open...

Wait, there is someone beyond the initial poster that actually thinks this ridiculous thread should remain open?

 

[ProgMatinee]

Sure they do. It allows the consumer a place to go when they decide they were foolish and should have made a better attempt to purchase or pre-purchase whatever it is they wanted in the first place.

. So you offer an educational service? Maybe you would be tax exempt.

Seriously, you see what I mean. In a legal sense and even an ethical sense scalpers have a "right" to act as retailers....but they aren't "exactly the same" in the context of how collectors should feel about them and scalpers shouldn't have some expectation of being liked and appreciated as if they were a retailer.

By definition a scalper prevents 1 collect from getting the item in order to provide that item to a different collector. Net zero.

In fact a retailer helps to inflate the number of items.

 

[BadMoon]

. So you offer an educational service? Maybe you would be tax exempt.

How to score a collectible pre-order in ten easy steps.

 

[LOTRFan]

It's all Sideshow's fault for not having a more exciting Toy Fair lineup.

 

[Something Sexy]

I'm not arguing the "right" to sell it or whether it is right or wrong.

I am arguing that retail outlets in the grand scheme of the industry offers a totally different benefit than scalpers do. Different benefits to collectors. Different benefits to the manufacturers, etc.

For instance, a company like AlterEgo is able to purchase several figures direct from SSC at a reduced wholesale price. Are you?

AlterEgo can sell newly released figures at 10% below MSRP and still profit for themselves. Are you?

AlterEgo's customer base helps increase the number of products SSC makes because they offer these deals? Are you?

These services that retailers offer expands the hobby for collectors and manufacturers. Do scalpers?

So my previously point, talking about exclusives, companies like AlterEgo will buy exclusives from SSC like we do and put them on their sites and JACK up the price big time, is that wrong?

 

[ProgMatinee]

So my previously point, talking about exclusives, companies like AlterEgo will buy exclusives from SSC like we do and put them on their sites and JACK up the price big time, is that wrong?

i'm not here to judge "right" or "wrong". I was only arguing whether retailers and scalpers are "equal".

I will concur that in that circumstance the actions are the same.

That said, the community reaction could be quite different. The fallout for a retailer being viewed as a "scalper" could be very problematic for their goodwill value. I've never seen AlterEgo for example put up a "scalped" SSC exclusive item for presale on their site. But I can't say I'm looking for them.

 

[Something Sexy]

i'm not here to judge "right" or "wrong". I was only arguing whether retailers and scalpers are "equal".

I will concur that in that circumstance they are the same.

Ah yea. I wouldn't say they are exact equal but I mean, you gotta start somewhere right?

That is how commerce originally started. People would go from one nation, buy a bunch of stuff (probably for retail price, although bargaining back then was a little different) come to a different nation where whatever they bought was rare and jack up the price. Flippers are doing the same thing but on a small scale, just the foundation of commerce. Just on different scales.

 

[Something Sexy]

That said, the community reaction could be quite different. The fallout for a retailer being viewed as a "scalper" could be very problematic for their goodwill value. I've never seen AlterEgo for example put up a "scalped" SSC exclusive item for presale on their site. But I can't say I'm looking for them.

I won't name names but I haven't seen AlterEgo do it before but I have seen others.

 

[karamazov80]

BBTS has bought in-store exclusives (presumably as many as they could find) from surrounding areas and listed them on their site for massive (attempted) profit. They did it with Masterpiece Starscream awhile back. They claimed to be providing a "service" for those who couldn't find it in the stores themselves.

They also increased Hot Toys MJ to $500 on their site after he died and people were buying him up en masse.

I'm not judging. Just saying.

 

[BadMoon]

I won't name names but I haven't seen AlterEgo do it before but I have seen others.

Here is a whole listing of exclusive items sold from an online retailer at increased prices.

https://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/menu.aspx?menu=466&page=2