Are scalpers real?

[MikePrime]

The fact that I had to buy Marvel Legends Deadpool and Vision on ebay is proof that scalpers exist.

[majin tahu]

I think we kinda overuse the term.

I mutter "damn scalpers..." whenever I can't find a certain toy on the shelves, or when i see a loose megazord with missing parts on ebay going for $100.

 

but, I've actually delt with scalpers. I had the misfortune of working for Target last year when the wii released. I actually had people in line tell me they were just gonna sell it on ebay for $500. I wanted to beat the guy within an inch of his life. so I told him we didn't have any more wii's. he walked away without much fuss ( he also confessed to hitting every retail store in the area and buying wii consoles.), and I sold the wii to the grinning child after him in the line.

now, I work for a store called vintage stock, and as well as movies, music, and games, we also buy and sell toys and other collectibles.

I have people come in and try to sell TF movie figures all the time. they get really pissed when I tell them we'll buy them for $4 a piece.

 

 

I really hate the guys that buy up stock for the sole purpose of reselling at a much higher value almost immediatly after buying it. they just suck.

[Ultra-Mattus]

I was at WalMart before Christmas looking through TF's when I found several 2008 Bumblebees. About that same time, I noticed a dude hanging out a few feet down from me, acting like he was looking at something else although it was totally easy to tell he was waiting for me to leave and seeing if I was going to take the Bumblebee's with me or put them back. As I already have my 2, I put them back and went to another dept to check on some other things I needed. After I was done I went back to the toys out of curiousity, and sure enough, all the Bumblebees were gone, while all the other racks were undisturbed. I assumed he was a scapler and thought to myself, "I should have grabbed those so he didn't get them." But if I had bought them, what would I do with them? I didn't need them, I would've just held on to them for a while and then ended up selling them myself. I still think he's a douchebag, though.

 

Seriously, if you buy a Bumblebee (as an example) to put on Ebay, what are you looking at? It's close $11 with tax. If the toy sells for $20, as most that I saw were, you're looking at maybe $2-3 in fees, plus more fees if you accept Paypal. So the most you're looking to recoup is like $5-6, not even including you're time looking for it, plus trips to the post office. It just seems like a very convoluted way to make $5. Same with WalScream. If you buy it for $50, and sell it for $65, after all the fees are assessed, is it really worth the time? To me, it just isn't.

 

Like others here, I saw no WalScreams in my local store. But I also didn't even see a shelf tag for it or anything, so maybe my store didn't get any. And I had a real problem with people who were listing 6 different WalScreams at the same time, who had unopened cases, etc. Those people suck. They're not doing anything illegal, of course, but they still suck.

 

Unfortunately, the world doesn't revolve around TransFans. :tfsad

[majin tahu]

I was at WalMart before Christmas looking through TF's when I found several 2008 Bumblebees. About that same time, I noticed a dude hanging out a few feet down from me, acting like he was looking at something else although it was totally easy to tell he was waiting for me to leave and seeing if I was going to take the Bumblebee's with me or put them back. As I already have my 2, I put them back and went to another dept to check on some other things I needed. After I was done I went back to the toys out of curiousity, and sure enough, all the Bumblebees were gone, while all the other racks were undisturbed. I assumed he was a scapler and thought to myself, "I should have grabbed those so he didn't get them." But if I had bought them, what would I do with them? I didn't need them, I would've just held on to them for a while and then ended up selling them myself. I still think he's a douchebag, though.

 

Seriously, if you buy a Bumblebee (as an example) to put on Ebay, what are you looking at? It's close $11 with tax. If the toy sells for $20, as most that I saw were, you're looking at maybe $2-3 in fees, plus more fees if you accept Paypal. So the most you're looking to recoup is like $5-6, not even including you're time looking for it, plus trips to the post office. It just seems like a very convoluted way to make $5. Same with WalScream. If you buy it for $50, and sell it for $65, after all the fees are assessed, is it really worth the time? To me, it just isn't.

 

Like others here, I saw no WalScreams in my local store. But I also didn't even see a shelf tag for it or anything, so maybe my store didn't get any. And I had a real problem with people who were listing 6 different WalScreams at the same time, who had unopened cases, etc. Those people suck. They're not doing anything illegal, of course, but they still suck.

 

Unfortunately, the world doesn't revolve around TransFans. :tfsad

 

we're not saying it does.

what we are saying is that a guy at walmart with a shopping cart full of every TF on the shelf is a bastard.

even worse is the guy, and I think we've all seen or heard about one, that will take a toy out of another persons shopping cart. bastards all of them.

[siburke939]

Next time anyone sees a scalper, take a photo or video of them doing it. Then kick them in the nuts.

I crunch nerds.

[siburke939]

Now that you say that, if it hadn't been for one of those possible douche-bags (since I don't know the guy personally) I wouldn't have been able to get a Walscream, so...hmmmm.

 

Of course, if it hadn't been for even more of those douch-bags, I may have been able to find one in the store in the first place, so...double hmmmm.

We don't get much in the UK so I must admit my views are slightly biased.

 

Yeah, some service is being provided in your case, at least. Looking at the number of high-demand toys that are always plentiful on eBay/Amazon and nowhere in people's local stores that originally received them though, it's clearly about trying to create artificial scarcity (although some vendors out there really aren't any better :tflaugh).

I don't see how "artificial scarcity" is relevant here? They're not scarce in the UK, they're non-existent!

[Soundwinder]

Scalpers don't exist. Hasbro made up the idea so that we'd be frightened into buying every toy we see at a store.

 

My cat works at Hasbro and told me this. It's inside information, man.

[MetroBub]

Call me a scalper call me a person who helps people who cant find the TF they want/need :D

I call myself a helper, also a person who looks to break even with what i buy and the extras i get to pay for my addiction :D

 

 

And to those name callers :roll

 

Lets turn it old school >>> Sticks and stones will break my bones but names will never hurt me :wave

 

LOL

[Lord Madhammer]

I stand by my name-calling :tfgrin

 

By removing a toy from a store shelf, you remove it from the kid market altogether, since it's the fans who scour eBay, not kids. I believe in first-come, first-served, but I also believe in taking ONE ONLY. Nobody needs more than one; I don't care about whatever MISB rationale someone might have.

[Soundwinder]

Army-building?