Sideshow squeezing business owners!!

[Cowboy]

Hey I didn't know where to put this and since it concerns all of us and all figures across the board I thought I would try here. And this is gospel, got it from my friend who owners a business. If you've ever bought from ******* you know his prices are out of this world!! I get most of my stuff from him. I live in the same town as him, I was there today to pick up my Rambo III. He told me sideshow is making all of the businesses who buy from them set a certain price, no more 15% of the retail price. If they don't they lose the license to sell there product. Good for owners, get more money, bad for us pay more money! I don't know how soon this goes into affect but man my pocket was already hurting!! What do you guys think about this. Mods feel free to move this if need be.

 

[Rook]

I think that if this is accurate, you may have just gotten your guy in hot water with Sideshow by throwing him under the bus in this thread... Next time, don't drop names, genius.

EDIT: Or, I could be wrong, and Sideshow could be okay with their dealers discussing these policies...

 

[darthviper107]

Most companies do this so it doesn't bother me at all. For instance, Apple pays the retail stores to keep their Ipods at a certain price so that there isn't the possibility of the price shooting down. But hey, 15% off is better than nothing.

 

[pjam]

Yeah, maybe edit your post in general terms before its too late...

as far as dealers, they can come up with other incentives to make their deals more appealing...

 

[Ryanfromindiana]

I don't think anyone will get into any trouble....this is a fairly standard business practice.

 

[King Darkness]

He told me sideshow is making all of the businesses who buy from them set a certain price, no more 15% of the retail price. .

Isnt this pretty much an industry standard.

I dont think its only SS, besides SS has the right to, its their stuff.

 

[Xander]

On top of that there's ebay. No one controls ebay. Except maybe the Emperor...

 

[Bannister]

MR does this, don't they.

 

[Bannister]

On top of that there's ebay. No one controls ebay. Except maybe the Emperor...

Ebay is a lawless land tailor made for us flippers.

 

[Xander]

Ebay is a lawless land tailor made for us flippers.

There is evil there that does not rest.

 

[King Darkness]

There is evil there that does not rest.

 

[Amanaman]

Sideshow's ego has ballooned quite a bit, for sure, but the secondary market is still there to deflate it. It sucks for retailers though.

 

[galactiboy]

Bummer, I liked getting the 15% discount for non-exclusive items... oh well I guess I'll have to make do with rewards points

 

[metaphorge]

I posted this in the other iteration of this thread:

Isn't that pretty much an industry standard.

I dont think its only SS, besides SS has a right to, its their stuff.

Actually, until recently such price fixing has been sumarily banned by law, and this decision may yet get overturned.

"The court said agreements on minimum prices are legal if they promote competition, meaning accusations of antitrust violations will be evaluated case by case."

My advice to any retailer is to take a company that insists on a minmum price to court, or boycott them. Even with this Supreme Court decision they might win, as a company that sets a minimum retail price that also sells the same product is stifling competition and may be actionable under anti-trust laws.

In any case, if enough retailers do not cave to this sort of tactic, the suppliers will be forced to reconsider (though it is questionable how much of Sideshow's business is direct and how much is from resellers).

I like Sideshow about as well as any corporate entity, but I do not like where this legal trend is going. It's particularly onerous in collectible card and miniature gaming.

 

[devilof76]

But anti-trust is unconstitutional.

If Sideshow says,"You can sell our figures, but only at this price" that's their prerogative. The retailers have no right to sell the figures in contradiction to Sideshow's terms.

If retailers buy the figures from someone other than Sideshow, I don't know what Sideshow can say. They can't say anything, is my best guess.

If Sideshow is crossing anti-trust lines, they have my best wishes to throttle anyone who throws a suit at them. The real law favors Sideshow.

 

[Darth Rage]

MR does this, don't they.

They sure do.

 

[metaphorge]

But anti-trust is unconstitutional.

Not according to the vast majority of court rulings, and not according to Congress. You should hit the books. :monkey

 

[devilof76]

I'll hit the books when they learn how to read the Consitution. It's not like anti-trust is the only place the screw it like it cost two-bits.

 

[Anzik]

Bad idea. This is going to mean many places will be ordering much less from SSC. After all, look how many place still have Bib at full price, hell for that matter look how many places have Bib reduced and aren't moving him. Same as the Endor troops, and countless figures from other lines.

 

[metaphorge]

I'll hit the books when they learn how to read the Consitution. It's not like anti-trust is the only place the screw it like it cost two-bits.

There are also folks who have the opinion that the Earth is flat, too. It's not like "anti-trust is unconstitutional" is a particularly mainstream legal opinion, so it's a bit disengenuous to act like it's open-and-shut.

Bad idea. This is going to mean many places will be ordering much less from SSC. After all, look how many place still have Bib at full price, hell for that matter look how many places have Bib reduced and aren't moving him. Same as the Endor troops, and countless figures from other lines.

It's not the first time that an industry has sacrificed profit for trying to keep "control" of the market.