Darth Cruel
12-01-2005, 04:55 PM
I just wanted to post a few thoughts on this matter.
For clarification, I derived my definition of scalping from Mirriam Webster's on-line dictionary. That definition as it applies here is simple: the reselling of an item at a greatly increased price. What constitutes a reasonable increase will draw much and heated debate, so I will leave that to the individual. I don't even care to see it discussed on this thread as it is common sense that it will be different between most people and greatly different between some people.
Now, everyone knows that scalping is one of the chief enemies of collectors. Many collectors want desperately to not have to buy from them, but a number of us have at one time or another. I myself am ashamed to admit that I bought a Theater Edition Jedi Luke for 75.00 at a comic shop that was selling it on consignment for someone. I also bought 3 Burger King Lord of the Rings Uruk-Hai on Ebay. I paid 168.00 for a pair that I never received and 65.00 for a loose one that I just broke the head off of last week. That equals over 240.00 (with shipping) for nothing to show. I have made purchases at Frank-n-Scalpers Collectible Show here in Southern California, and I have made purchases on the internet from places like Entertainment Earth, Brian's Toys, Star Wars Shop, and Sideshow that I consider to be scalped items but may not be considered as such by some others. I bought them simply because they are not avaiable anywhere else. At least not at a lower price. And I went so far as to actually have what equated to a Star Wars figure pusher. He made a few hundred dollars off of me that I wouldn't have spent if I just had a little patience and a little forsight.
Now to the meat of the subject. How do we thwart scalping? Simple. Cut down on the necessity to buy from scalpers. Hopefully at least one person will be able to use this info to cut down on how much they pay scalpers.
I say cut down, and not stop completely, because I know that there are people who are too self-centered to accept that someone else may get a collectible that they want. I am glad to not be one of them any more. I was one of them at one time.
And it is not that difficult to do. I'll tell you all my own story:
It used to be that when I went out hunting, I would go in to a jealous panic if I saw another person looking at the figures I wanted. I did not even talk to other collectors (except on these boards). Then one day I just got tired of that feeling. I ran into a fellow collector and struck up a conversation with him. And that was the smartest move I ever made as far as collecting goes. That situation has developed into a strong team effort of collecting that has greatly decreased my need to go through scalpers. Now, for both of us, if one of us is hunting, it is as good as the other one being out as well. We are able to cover twice as much store time without going out twice as much. I know that niether of our collections are 100% complete, but I bet neither of us is missing more than 2 or 3 figures including production variations, exclusives, and short-run figures. The only pieces that I can think of that I am missing right now are a FF Weequay, FF Sandtrooper, and this new "brown leg stripe" Commander Bly (and I don't even know if that one is real yet).
(I actually had to give him a hard time a few weeks ago because he broke down in a panic an bought an Utapau Shadow Trooper from a scalper for 30.00 and a week later I was able to get them at shelf price for both of us.)
And there are other ways to avoid buying scalped items as well. I have learned through experience even the people who scalp items get forced to sell their product cheaper if it sits long enough. There are tons of figures at Frank-n-Scalpers going for 4 or 5 dollars right now that they were getiing 8 to 12 for when they were new releases. I still buy from F-n-S and from Ebay, but now I wait until I can get what I want at a reasonable price, even if it is still slightly inflated. Remember when the half-circle-hand Boba Fetts were 50+ dollars? Well, they don't draw 10.00 on Ebay any more. Long Saber figures? Less than shelf price before shipping. Ketwol? I saw him at F-n-S for 5.00 about 5 months ago. And he wasn't selling.
Now, if everybody on this board was to adopt the attitude that they would help out others on this board who are having a hard time finding a piece. We could go a long way toward cutting out the scalpers. And I am not talking about only sending a piece to someone who sends you something. If they don't have a figure you want, and nobody else is offering a trade, send it to someone who can't find it. Then they'll be watching for something you need in the future.
And I do practice what I preach. There are a few people on the different boards that I have sent items to. No trades, I don't make them pay, but I do ask and expect that they return the favor if they see me posting that I am having trouble with a piece that I can't find.
So far, I have sent out a Desert Skiff, A B-Wing, An OOM-9, a Shock Trooper, a McQuarrie Concept Stormtrooper, a Ketwol, one of the 12" Speeder Bike and Scout Troopers (and I sent that overseas), a Sio Bibble, a POTF2 Chewbacca, and a couple other things that I don't remember offhand. And I know that all of the people who got those things are willing to help me if I end up needing something. And I am hesitant to ask any of these guys to help me with the few things I need because I am that confident that I or my buddy will eventually find them on the shelf or much cheaper on Ebay than it is going for now.
The moral of the story is: Have some patience. And help out the collectors who are truely having problems getting the figures like our overseas fellow collectors. They are the ones who are forced to sit back and have the patience that I am talking about. And maybe, if we all do a little, we can at least make a dent in the scalping market.
For clarification, I derived my definition of scalping from Mirriam Webster's on-line dictionary. That definition as it applies here is simple: the reselling of an item at a greatly increased price. What constitutes a reasonable increase will draw much and heated debate, so I will leave that to the individual. I don't even care to see it discussed on this thread as it is common sense that it will be different between most people and greatly different between some people.
Now, everyone knows that scalping is one of the chief enemies of collectors. Many collectors want desperately to not have to buy from them, but a number of us have at one time or another. I myself am ashamed to admit that I bought a Theater Edition Jedi Luke for 75.00 at a comic shop that was selling it on consignment for someone. I also bought 3 Burger King Lord of the Rings Uruk-Hai on Ebay. I paid 168.00 for a pair that I never received and 65.00 for a loose one that I just broke the head off of last week. That equals over 240.00 (with shipping) for nothing to show. I have made purchases at Frank-n-Scalpers Collectible Show here in Southern California, and I have made purchases on the internet from places like Entertainment Earth, Brian's Toys, Star Wars Shop, and Sideshow that I consider to be scalped items but may not be considered as such by some others. I bought them simply because they are not avaiable anywhere else. At least not at a lower price. And I went so far as to actually have what equated to a Star Wars figure pusher. He made a few hundred dollars off of me that I wouldn't have spent if I just had a little patience and a little forsight.
Now to the meat of the subject. How do we thwart scalping? Simple. Cut down on the necessity to buy from scalpers. Hopefully at least one person will be able to use this info to cut down on how much they pay scalpers.
I say cut down, and not stop completely, because I know that there are people who are too self-centered to accept that someone else may get a collectible that they want. I am glad to not be one of them any more. I was one of them at one time.
And it is not that difficult to do. I'll tell you all my own story:
It used to be that when I went out hunting, I would go in to a jealous panic if I saw another person looking at the figures I wanted. I did not even talk to other collectors (except on these boards). Then one day I just got tired of that feeling. I ran into a fellow collector and struck up a conversation with him. And that was the smartest move I ever made as far as collecting goes. That situation has developed into a strong team effort of collecting that has greatly decreased my need to go through scalpers. Now, for both of us, if one of us is hunting, it is as good as the other one being out as well. We are able to cover twice as much store time without going out twice as much. I know that niether of our collections are 100% complete, but I bet neither of us is missing more than 2 or 3 figures including production variations, exclusives, and short-run figures. The only pieces that I can think of that I am missing right now are a FF Weequay, FF Sandtrooper, and this new "brown leg stripe" Commander Bly (and I don't even know if that one is real yet).
(I actually had to give him a hard time a few weeks ago because he broke down in a panic an bought an Utapau Shadow Trooper from a scalper for 30.00 and a week later I was able to get them at shelf price for both of us.)
And there are other ways to avoid buying scalped items as well. I have learned through experience even the people who scalp items get forced to sell their product cheaper if it sits long enough. There are tons of figures at Frank-n-Scalpers going for 4 or 5 dollars right now that they were getiing 8 to 12 for when they were new releases. I still buy from F-n-S and from Ebay, but now I wait until I can get what I want at a reasonable price, even if it is still slightly inflated. Remember when the half-circle-hand Boba Fetts were 50+ dollars? Well, they don't draw 10.00 on Ebay any more. Long Saber figures? Less than shelf price before shipping. Ketwol? I saw him at F-n-S for 5.00 about 5 months ago. And he wasn't selling.
Now, if everybody on this board was to adopt the attitude that they would help out others on this board who are having a hard time finding a piece. We could go a long way toward cutting out the scalpers. And I am not talking about only sending a piece to someone who sends you something. If they don't have a figure you want, and nobody else is offering a trade, send it to someone who can't find it. Then they'll be watching for something you need in the future.
And I do practice what I preach. There are a few people on the different boards that I have sent items to. No trades, I don't make them pay, but I do ask and expect that they return the favor if they see me posting that I am having trouble with a piece that I can't find.
So far, I have sent out a Desert Skiff, A B-Wing, An OOM-9, a Shock Trooper, a McQuarrie Concept Stormtrooper, a Ketwol, one of the 12" Speeder Bike and Scout Troopers (and I sent that overseas), a Sio Bibble, a POTF2 Chewbacca, and a couple other things that I don't remember offhand. And I know that all of the people who got those things are willing to help me if I end up needing something. And I am hesitant to ask any of these guys to help me with the few things I need because I am that confident that I or my buddy will eventually find them on the shelf or much cheaper on Ebay than it is going for now.
The moral of the story is: Have some patience. And help out the collectors who are truely having problems getting the figures like our overseas fellow collectors. They are the ones who are forced to sit back and have the patience that I am talking about. And maybe, if we all do a little, we can at least make a dent in the scalping market.