Thank you, dynamicduocomics, you greedy eBay flipper!!!

[Jen]

Firstly, I said it was like stealing, and not stealing itself. I meant it's very similar to stealing. It's about the INTENT someone has when they buy something. Is the intent to buy something for oneself, or for a buddy, so he or she doesn't miss out? That's not an intent to make a profit at others expense. Buying a limited edition collectible with the specific intent to resell at a higher price is what I'm saying is like stealing. You could buy something for 20 of your buddies who wont be online to buy, and theres nothing wrong with that, because your intent is to help people. If your intent is to buy only to resell at double the price, your intent is to hurt people, at least in the wallet.
Entering a contest for something you know you don't want and are only going to sell is dishonest, but most contests have an equal chance of anyone winning, and as many people can enter as they want, so it isn't the same as buying up the few there are of a limited edition collectible and then telling people they will have to pay you what you want if they want it, and knowing that they really want it, they will pay to get it. The flipper has people at a tremendous disadvantage, because the flipper has all of the supply.
Sorry, Gondor.

People buying and then selling for a profit has been around for bloody ever. I don't see the point in arguing about it - it's never going to stop. You simply either buy or don't.
I was in NYC when they had the huge blackout (think it was 2003)....you could not find batteries or bottled water in any stores....everything was sold out. Then you would find people on the street selling them for $5 or whatever.......yes they were taking advantage of a situation, but I didn't have to fight crowds of hundreds of people to try and get the last pack of double A batteries....I bought some at a marked up value and was on my way. You get mass crowds trying to get a small number of items and you're bound to see trouble.....I'd rather avoid all that and get it elsewhere. So sometimes dealing with flippers is more convenient. I payed double - BUT it was worth me not wasting an hour + of my time waiting in lines and hoping that I'll get what I needed.

 

[Eli26]

Supply and demand sets the market value for any item. That's just how it works. Honor or no honor. I doubt you would sell me a grail for retail price.

Damn you and your sig!!!

 

[Darth Snoopy]

So sometimes dealing with flippers is more convenient. I payed double - BUT it was worth me not wasting an hour + of my time waiting in lines and hoping that I'll get what I needed.

 

[Eli26]

I don't know why you would applaud that philosophy. When paying double sometimes reaches in the triple digits, then I rather wait in line for that hour+ and take my chances. Sometimes I wonder. I don't make 100+ an hour and I don't believe 90+ percent of the forum's members do.

Heck, even if it's 50 dollars more I have to cringe... depending on the cost of the item. If it's a piece in the hundreds, then paying an extra 50 is moot, especially when it's a piece you just have to have. I mean to each their own, but especialy being a student and all, I'll lose out on getting that particular piece... so much stuff coming out that one miss will be rewarded by getting a future grail piece at a good value.

 

[Ktjn]

Price gouging is voluntary, you either buy from them or you don't. Like with gas, people stopped paying those prices, thus the prices came down.

 

[Anton Phibes]

You know, its funny. I had a recent experience on ebay with these fine dealers who put "or best offer" on an item...and then accept no best offers. In fact, when offers are made (which are better than ones they've refused) they often respond with hateful replies about how cheap I am for making such an 'insulting' offer to them. Your tale reminded me of it, so I will share if anyone is interested.

So, here's a little story:

I wanted a signed 35th anniversary edition of the novel Psycho that came out in 1994. Limited to 500 copies, and the only limited edition of Psycho done. Its signed by Robert Bloch (deceased), and Richard Matheson(who did a forward).

I made an offer to one dealer.... and it was refused. I made another dealer an offer...and it too was refused. I made a third dealer an offer and got an inflammatory email back. So...then the first dealer I made the offer to emailed me back and said they changed their mind and would take my offer. In the meanwhile, I had already made an offer on a fourth dealer who had one for sale. The fourth dealer's edition was also signed by the gentleman who wrote the afterword for the volume...Ray Bradbury.

Needless to say, the last dealer with the best volume, also signed by Ray Bradbury took my offer.... because he was a nice dude and very aware of the current economic situation facing the world right now. IE Money's tight and a bird in the hand is better than two in the bush. The offer I gave him was only slightly higher than the other offers I made...but that was because his had the extra signing.

Moral: Good things come to those who wait, and some of the dealers on ebay are deluded if they think people are always going to pay top dollar for everything. This was a limited edition of only 500 copies made...yet four different dealers had it up for sale at the same time, and someone had recently sold one for as little as $120. So, those other three guys can hold onto their volumes, and I hope they taste good at dinner time. Meanwhile the guy I bought mine from can buy groceries this week. Because you can't eat a collectible, even though they're nice to have.

 

[Eternal_D]

cool stories, i don't see anything wrong with them sharing what's happened. it's kinda like gloating when you get something cheaper than market value...

 

[Shai]

Big caca thread IMO.....

 

[nash]

I try not to buy things I don't want to keep for the rest of my life. I'm picky. If I did want to sell, I certainly wouldn't sell at a loss, but I would have no problem charging only a little more than what I paid for a grail, so long as the person buying it wasn't buying it just to resell it at a profit. So no, not retail price, but if it was just for you, and you were a friend, maybe $300-350 for an Iron Man EX comiquette, if I had one.

key words if you had one. what grails do you own?

 

[nash]

A bunch of words describing nothing that really happened..And getting all wound up over nothing.. You sound like my wife..

This thread sucks

seriously though, this is a cycle on this or any other forum. every now and then we get a few noobs who feel the need to lash out at any one selling at market value over retail as if the sellers are denying these cry babies of a life necessity.

 

[p!tu]

A bunch of words describing nothing that really happened..And getting all wound up over nothing.. You sound like my wife..

This thread sucks

Just like your posts! humm... no difference at all.

 

[the Doctor]

let's just

.......

 

[Blackthornone]

key words if you had one. what grails do you own?

I don't have any. If I had any I liked, I wouldn't sell at all. I don't care if they were worth 9 grand apiece.

 

[LOTRFan]

We need a permathread for people who want to debate the finer nuances of "flipping," and perhaps even personal superhero complexes!

 

[Shai]

Flippers rules !!

 

[pipedog]

lol thats funny, you got pretty lucky, i collect most of the lotr sideshow figures

 

[bumblebee]

Guess i'm a flippper cause I often by stocks on the market and like a fool I sell them for more then I paid ....geez what have I been thinking.....i'll just give my stuff away in the future for cost. Cause goodness knows you wont want someone to make money off what they've paid for.

 

[DarthNeil]

Wow...

Suddenly the SW section seems rational and mature...

 

[jbinny]

Wow...

Suddenly the SW section seems rational and mature...

that'll be the day!

 

[Batty]

Wow...

Suddenly the SW section seems rational and mature...

Never!

I love reading these flipper threads when they pop-up.