Reading this makes me think of ebay seller playdia(?). A uber scalper. They'll purchase Transformer items through bidding and then put them in their ebay store for outrageous prices.

 

Ya know, I own a comic shop. I Buy low and Sell high. It's how I make my living. It's how I put food on my table and gas in my truck. It's also how I pay for my collection of TF's these days. I dislike alot of the throwing around of the word Scalper because of the broad way everyone defines the word.

Now I say this because alot of people here know me and have bought stuff from me at shows like Botcon over the past 12 years. And by the opinions of some of you here, that makes me a Scalper. Not that it's a big suprise, just about every show I've done I've had at least one person call me a Scalper because I dare sell toys for a profit. Usually they are rude for a few minutes after I tell them I won't sell them an Alt Swerve for $20.00 because they didn't get one when they were released. (or insert rare toy instead of Swerve) How dare I make a living.

The assuption is that like all these toy Pirate guys being vilified here, I have a stockboy in every toy store in town that has me drive up behind the store and takes my money for all the rare figs he pulled from the cases. Here's a little different take on reality. I don't have the buying power of Wal-Mart. Therefore I HAVE to charge a higher retail price to sell my toys so I can eat, drive and collect. Just about every shop owner has to. When we find a rare toy that we can make a good profit on, hell yes I'll buy it to resale. Why? Cause it helps to offset the figures in a case that don't sell because the discount stores sell them cheaper. And... because I have a number of cutomers aroud the world who expect me to find these figures for them.

Also, because of true scalpers, I can't just walk into a toy section to buy a TF without being looked upon as a Scalper. Even if I'm buying the toy for myself. Why? Because I'm a 30 somthing white guy buying toys, I fit the scumbag profile. I've had mothers' bitch me out in stores before and some store people too. Is that fair? I guess so after reading this thread. Hell, I usually buy my stock from the big stores when they clearence out old stock. You know... after everyone has had a chance to buy it. And I still get told by Target that I can only buy 1 of each toy. (of a cleareced item that they couldn't sell at regular price mind you.)

Here's another "dirty little secret", the toy stores are even more guilty of crap then the Scalpers are. I once had a job at a Target working in the toy section. I got the job to get first crack at some of the hard to find toys cause sometimes the scalper IS the Stockboy. This was back in the '90's when SW figures were first coming back out. All those rare hard to find toys that the scalpers couldn't get enough of and the kids and fans could never find... were sitting in the back in 40 cases. That's right, Target would only let me put out 1 case a day to keep the demand up for the figures. When I said that sucked and put two cases out (which were sold in 2 minutes) I was wrote up for it. So I told them to stick it and quit.

So sorry if I come here to a message board and read about how fans are getting screwed by Scalpers out there for a $20.00 toy they couldn't find every 6 months or so and wonder if basic economics are no longer being taught in school.

That said, let me leave those of you who feel you are falling victim to an Evil Scalper with a little advice, don't get mad... get even with them. Buy out all the rare toys yourself, build those connections and then sell them on E-bay. Hoard them in your parent's basements and let the sales pay for YOUR collection. Sure you won't get every rare toy that's out there, but those you can't find can be bought and paid for from the profits of the ones you scalped. Show these guys what it's like to not find a toy like they did to you. And don't worry about the kids, when sales increase, Hasbro will just make more the next time when they repaint the toy for another line.

 

Scalpers do piss me off at times. Last week I spotted one HML She-Hulk at KB and asked the cashier did they have anymore, I was told that someone came in and bought the entire box except that one she-hulk. I doubt he bought them just for his collection plus I personally can't afford to buy several of the same figure.

 

Well what really pisses me off is that pretty much the entire market of eBay Swerves is owned by the same guy, playidia.

And since he essentially owns the market on eBay Swerves(since he typically buys up every one that pops up by another seller) he then charges whatever he feels like charging(which happens to be $179.99-199.99 plus shipping).

That pisses me off.

 

Yes they do annoy me, and for all the talk of people being able to "charge what they want" and "people don't have to buy" that tends to crop up in these discussion, some customers are very limited in where they can shop.

I don't have access to many things I'd like to buy for various reasons I won't go into here, and if the choice is to pay extortionate prices or go without, I'm going without. My hard luck I know, but I can still be annoyed about it.

 

The only time I have trouble with scalpers is when it's an exclusive, therefore, I HATE EXCLUSIVES!!!! No exclusive, = no scalpers = no problem.

Same goes for limited editions. I HATE LIMITED EDITONS!

 

The one scalping thing that really pisses me off is when ebay members will buy every single auction of a certain rare-ish toy no matter the cost, then stick it up on their ebay store at even higher prices. That is very lame and annoying.

 

If I'm going to miss out on a toy in store, I'd rather it go to the 30 year old basement dweller looking to sell it on ebay than the sticky little 8 year old who'll smash it within a week.

Preserve pop-art.

 

Okay, fair enough. The word is thrown around a little bit too loosely at times. And I understand that you do what you do to feed your family, etc. But that doesn't make it not scalping.

Because I do have a fairly solid grasp of basic economics, and what you do could be described as scalping, which some e-dictionary defines as:

1. To engage in the reselling of something, such as tickets, at a price higher than the established value.

If I buy a vintage or Japanese Transformer from you, I expect to pay a markup. That markup is the cost of the effort it took you to obtain that toy from Ebay, garage sales, private collectors, etc. The markup is worth it to me to save me the time. That's a reasonable exchange--I pay a certain cost, a portion of which is for the actual toy, another portion of which is for the time I save and the rarity I now possess.

But when you drive around to a bunch of retail stores, purchase new toys that are still available at retail and therefore have an established value, and then resell them at a higher price, that's scalping. You're not providing me with a service by finding the toy, because in effect, you artifically created the need for that service by making it more difficult for me to find the toy. And the rarity inherent in the toys is also artifical to an extent, because you adjusted the demand upwards when you decreased the supply. I could have bought the toy from Wal-Mart or TRU or Target or wherever, but now there's an addtional layer of commerce between me and the manufacturer, which creates additional cost (gotta feed your family) without any additional service.

I know it's not just you by yourself. For any kind of scalping to have an effect in a market as large as ours, it's obviously stemming from either multiple sources or a few large sources--just ask the folks in the Michigan sightings thread. And I understand that big stores do it also and that they have more buying power as well, but that doesn't make scalping by the little guy into not-scalping.

As far as doing it at a convention, I don't see how that could be considered scalping, since you're bringing toys to people that apparently couldn't find them. And a room full of competition helps keep prices reasonable. But I admit I have a hard time believing you find all the newer toys you resell in clearance bins--using Alts as an example (just 'cause it's what I'm familiar with), I never heard of anyone finding Swerve or Camshaft clearanced. And don't even get the fandom started on the HTS.com Alt NP debacle, right?

I also understand that's not exclusively your business model and that you undoubtedly provide valuable other services at your store, but I doubt any of these faceless scalpers out there operate operate solely like that. Most are probably a lot like you--they generally do business in a traditional fashion, and supplement it with Swerves and rare Star Wars figures. And hey, this is America and part of what makes it great is that's your (and their) right. I'm certainly not disputing that. If it works, then great. If it works really well, even better--eat out more and buy premium gas for your truck. Seriously--in case that sounds sarcastic, it's not, I absolutely mean it. I'm a pretty devout free-market capitalist

I just think it'd be fair to acknowledge scalping is an element of what you do.

 

Perhaps not for you, however people like him are providing one for people like me who either live in areas where the toys aren't available, or simply don't have the time or inclination to take a trip to the store ourselves.

 

Hey, I'm a BBTS customer for just about all my purchases. I do live in a major metropolitan area, but I don't have the time to hunt for toys, and their markup is worth the convenience for me. And I absolutely agree that some people benefit from a service like that, and that's not scalping, because the markup is in exchange for a service

I'm talking about people who live in the same area as these specialty stores, and would prefer to hunt toys at retail, but have no luck and find themselves having to purchase those toys at a markup from other sources as a result.

And again, it's not a criticism. It doesn't make me mad. I'm just calling it like I see it.

 

Yeah the irk me a bit too. But I also laugh at some of the semi local ones. They are idiots half the time.

There are a couple Hot Wheels guys I bump into at places like Target, TRU and Wal-Mart. Well back when Wave 1 of the new Marvel Legends came out one of the guys, Ed, saw two Iron Man's. One with face maks on, the other with it off. He thought it was a variant. I tried to tell the guy it was not a variant. He got it anyway and Ebay was already flooded with them.

There is a place in Owensboro, KY called the Coolectors Mall. Basically this is the Mos Eisly Canteena of scalpers because you will not find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy in the area. These guys go to all the local Wal-Marts and find all the new toys. They buy them and horde them at the flea market. Yet shortly there after the toys become plentiful and easy to find, yet they still have the common figures marked up. Maybe you might want to just put that away in a clset for a year or two THEN bring it out for sale.

 

I too detest scalpers. I would love to kick them all in the nuts and empty their carts before they hit check out. The thing that irks me more than the scalper is the store that allows this to happen. The web-site of that retailer limits the number of a single item I can purchase if it's a limited release, so why doesn't the store? And the store employee who informs the sniper when stock arrives needs two kicks to the nuts, a wedgie, and a swirlie.

Never saw a single Soundwave re-issue and have yet to see the new Alts. Actually only ever saw about half the TRU re-issues on the shelf.

 

Now What you do is not scalping. You may buy some new toy stock and mark it up a bit. That is not scalping. That is merely retail. Buying old figures, toys, or comics and marking them up is not scalping. To me you are a scalper if you run to all the stores in the area, buy up all the new or hard to find toys and then jack up the price.

 

In all honesty, with the exception of Alternators and Soundwave TF's haven't seen many traditional "scalpers" and just how cut throat they can be. Back in my Target and TRU days it was common to be offered bribes (I knew a guy who would pay $10 for every Hot Wheel Treasure Hunt that was stashed for him, and would pay even better for Marvel and McFarlane varriants...hard to turn down when you're making just over minimum wage..) and in one case when a scalper saw me at a toy show EXTORTION! He was threatening to do everything he could to get me FIRED if I didn't pull every hot toy for him now that he knew I was a collector. I was there empty handed and buying a Shogun Warrior...or cases lite at TRU in Dublin, CA where the STORE DIRECTOR is the scalper! Every case of Legends goes to his office before it goes to the floor, and the EP3 "sneak preview" figures...he bought every case...ALL OF 'EM! We have it MUCH easier in our hobby than any number of other lines...I used to be constantly breaking up fist fights between grown men over "who was running in the store" and "who grabbed the hot wheel first" both TRUs and all 3 Targets I was at had anywhere between 6 and 20 guys every morning that were there every mornign and some would hit us multiple times a day just in case we put something out mid-day. It wasn't enough to buy up enough to sell...they had to keep buying to keep the item scarce so they could sell it at their desired price.

In all honesty the only time it REALLY pisses me off is when it is a line targetted at kids...my son doesn't care if he doesn't have a "Treasure Hunt"...just that it's a cool car...and McFarlane toys are just statues...mostly a collector line anyway...and in reality Legends are just to fragile, kids break them in a heartbeat. But lines that are 'for the kids'...Cars, Elmo, or in the older days Power Rangers THOSE are the ones I think are absolute SLIME!

 

First of all you dont know jack about me, I am NOT a scalper. You sent me a nasty email then proceeded to make a nasty accusatory thread with the assumption that I am a scalper. Yes, most everything pictured was for re-sale. What I do isnt any different than what bbts, tfsource, or for that matter target, tru, walmart or any other retailer does. My particular local wal marts got in very generous shipments of alts rav/rumbles I did buy a few sets but dozens were left, even to this day. I knew there would be ample demand if sold to some online friends/clients who couldnt find them, I barely made any profit. It wasnt even worth my time. The mp-05's were bought by the case and paid the same wholesale bulk price as any other mass retailer online. You dont seem to *get* how capitalism works. No one is "preying" on anyone as you stated. So dont get steemed, its a free market. If someone wants to buy something at a price in which I offer it for, then we have agreement and a transaction is completed. Its what makes the world turn.

I am sorry for my rant/rebuttal, but the assertion I scalp is utterly ludicrous. Besides, it was a jealousy thread, not one to get people mad-- especially by a tfw newbie like me.

 

I don't care what the rationale is, buying up multiple (like 4+ copies) of the same dude is just greedy and mean.

 

I do not like scalpers either. I live in NY where there is a huge demand for Transformers and therefore a large number of scalpers. Unfortunately, it many areas, the toy stores will not get shipments of items in at all. I never saw the first release of 20th anniversary prime. I only saw once Classics Soundwave and many many other figures. I typically go to a few different stores a week, so I get a general feel of the stock in the area. And these stores are typically horrible with stocking transformers.

I have to partially blame Hasbro's stocking policy. If they released figures like they do in Japan, people would know that EVERY store released a figure on a specific day. I would have no problem finding an item. The fact that some stores get in some items, other stores do not AND the times the stores get them in can be months apart!

Scalpers live off of this fear. If they knew every store released an item at the same time, demand will be low and resale scalp value would be low as well.

I understand that they have to feed their families, so I would like to make a deal  

I would have LESS of a problem if scalpers scalped 75% and under of the stock in the store. If there was 10 alt Swerve's they shouldn't take all 10, but 7 max. This way, you are helping yourself out, people who buy from you, and (most importantly) the local transformer fans who now have SOMETHING to buy instead of nothing.

What do people think of this suggestion?

 

A scalper with a conscience? Nah.  

The biggest thing I'm going to miss about leaving the Bay Area is the network of friends I've made here to counter scalping.

It works.

Granted a few times we still get beat. But honestly, who wants to be parked outside of a Wal*Mart/Target/TRU at 5AM waiting for the store to open?

We have a network of friends here and we've established a way to cover a huge number of stores in the Bay Area and we all look out for what what everyone in our group needs.

That way it's not me versus the scalpers, but more like 20 of us versus scalpers. Those odds are MUCH better.

 

I agree, I mean if you can make 3 grand of a game system thats going to be plentiful later down the line thats just good business sense, however I went to one of the stores in a nearby town thats like a hobby toy specialty store and they had the minibot keychains and had like 10 of them for sale and had bumblebee marked for $10, now thats scalping because those things were very hard to find and they were trying to jack up the price, now for people like that I have no love for, guess it bothers me when its harder to find stuff that isnt in large quantities and won't be plentiful down the line.


And while its not actually scalping, I hate when stores buy things like Marvel Legends and even have the most common shelfwarmers marked up that no one save for some dumbass is ever going to buy.