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Can You Say... Scalper?


JoeRhyno

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I can't beleive this guy...not you Jeff... Why is he such a scalper? I was just wondering Jeff, why do you let him advertise on your site? Do you get cash from him or a discount? I personally cant stand the guy, I talked to him(or at least a guy named Brian at his booth) and he's a rip off. Anyway... what I'm talking about is the way he has the "set" broken down...

http://yojoe.com/magazine/04/1012sponsornews.shtml

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Dude, Brian pays his bill, you don't have to buy off him, I know he's expensive, you know he's expensive, so who cares? Let Brian's toys pay sites we love for advertising. I think Brian's main customer is "Newbie" toy collectors who buy things in a rush and let nostalgia cloud their judgment. All seasoned collectors know to avoid high prices, don't we?

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I think Brian's main customer is "Newbie" toy collectors who buy things in a rush and let nostalgia cloud their judgment. All seasoned collectors know to avoid high prices, don't we?

I dont know about that..............i have a buddy who is a big time......AND I MEAN BIG TIME STAR WARS JUNKIE---------Ill put it this way.........

he has EVERY 12 INCH-fig---BOXED AND UNBOXED--------EVERY OLD FIGURE AND VECHILE----SOME BOXED SOME NOT-----

 

AND AS FAR AS THE NEWER LINES GO---------EVERYTHING-----2 EACH

ONE TO OPEN ONE TO STORE...........THE REAL ACRYLIC LIGHT SABERS

THE 400.00 ONES -----ALL OF THEM

 

A 7 1/2 FOOT BOBBA FETT STATUE----hes calls his 1500.00 paper weight

 

its complete maddness............he has about 250 storm troopers

150 snow troopers-----about 500 clone troopers------100 jawas

75 tusken raiders------INSANE

 

 

AND HE SWEARS BY BRIANS TOYS--------THE ONLY ONLINE PLACE HE'LL BUY FROM

 

And by the way............MY PICTURE OP-------OF HIS SET UP----

 

WAS FOILED------HE WONT LET ME TAKE PICS

 

IVE TRIED NUMEROUS TIMES------

 

HIS FIANCE IS GOING TO BE HAVING A BABY SOON -------

THEY HAVE A THREE BEDROOM APARTMENT-----------

SHE WANTED TO MAKE ONE ROOM A BABY ROOM-----HAHHA

HE----(I THINK JOKINGLY ) SETTHE BABY ROOM UP IN THE BASEMENT!!!!!!

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I ordered from Brian's Toys once. They actually had decent prices for some of the early Joes (1982-83), and since they were being adveretised on Yojoe.com, I asumed it was a good store. Then I got my figures;

 

The 1982 Cobra Officer I got had a broken thumb and missing logo (The logo I don't mind too much, since they come off easily)

 

The 1983 Gung-Ho had a broken crotch

 

The 1982 Zap I ordered had 2 broken thumbs

 

The 1982 Steeler I ordered had an accessory pack visor and uzi (I still haven't found a Steller Uzi for him, and this is almost a year later.)

 

It ticked me off, because all it said on the site in the various figure descriptions was that the figure was in C-and then a number condition (for example, C-6). My Zap was in C-6 condition. All other figures I ordered were above it, I'm pretty sure anyway. I do know that I bough no figure below C-6.

 

I have since found a better site, but it still irritates me that he didn't say that things were broken/accessories were switched. Oh well, at least I paid $15 or less for each of them (If I remember correctly, Gung-Ho was $8, Zap was $10, Officer and Steeler were $15, although I may be wrong.), and the majority were nice, except for the 4 I mentioned.

 

And in the end, the broken thumbs on the Officer and Zap actually turned out nice, since I can just use a clear rubber band to have them hold their weapons in cool poses that I wouldn't have been able to do if they still had their thumb(s). (I found that out the hard way, when I tried to put Steeler's Uzi in his hand and his thumb broke off. Luckily I was able to super-glue it back on and with the break-line hardly visible.)

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im a 20+ year joe collector, and i buy from brians toys often. its the only place i get my figure stands from. 100 for $20, and i know ill have them in 2-3 days. i buy bulk lots on ebay from him, but never bidding more than im willing to pay, and if youre on his joe mailing list, you get incentive deals. in july it was $2 funskool figures. needless to say i picked up a ton for cheap, and in august it was $5 chinese figures, i scored a ton as well. brent, the guy who runs the joe section oh the store was willing to sell me a case of bats at the wholesale cost from last years sale, which was VERY cool.

 

some of their prices are VERY inflated, but i just buy the stuff that is fairly priced to my budget, but i definetely think theyre one of the better joe dealers online today.

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Back in the late 1990's they were actually one of the most reasonable net dealers around. They sold me a Darth Vader with removable mask for $10 when everyone else wanted $40+ for it. I don't know what happened, and what made them change. Now, you see them at cons with every friend and cousin they have lining up to hoard up the exclusives sot hey can gouge the crap out of everyone.

 

I also blame Brian's Toys for the split between Toys R Us and Amazon. TRU is mad at Amazon for allowing other stores to sell through the TRU site, and if you check, there's only one such dealer there doing that, and it's not hard to guess who that is. So the scalper has dealt a blow that has led to a million-$$ breach of contract lawsuit between the two, which lets you know just how much power scalpers have now.

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Back in the late 1990's they were actually one of the most reasonable net dealers around. They sold me a Darth Vader with removable mask for $10 when everyone else wanted $40+ for it. I don't know what happened, and what made them change. Now, you see them at cons with every friend and cousin they have lining up to hoard up the exclusives sot hey can gouge the crap out of everyone.

 

I also blame Brian's Toys for the split between Toys R Us and Amazon. TRU is mad at Amazon for allowing other stores to sell through the TRU site, and if you check, there's only one such dealer there doing that, and it's not hard to guess who that is. So the scalper has dealt a blow that has led to a million-$$ breach of contract lawsuit between the two, which lets you know just how much power scalpers have now.

I forgot Brians toys did that, I remember they charged an outrageous price for a Crankcase throught he TRU website.

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I also blame Brian's Toys for the split between Toys R Us and Amazon. TRU is mad at Amazon for allowing other stores to sell through the TRU site, and if you check, there's only one such dealer there doing that, and it's not hard to guess who that is. So the scalper has dealt a blow that has led to a million-$$ breach of contract lawsuit between the two, which lets you know just how much power scalpers have now.

I really don't think you can blame Brians Toys for the TRU Amazon lawsuit. The only products that brians toys has on Amazon are older action figures. These items are no longer available at retail, So there is no breach of contract on Amazon's part. Here is a quote from Amazon about the exclusive rights of TRU.

 

The lawsuit also dismisses Toys "R" Us' exclusivity argument, stating that the pair's governing agreement, signed in 2000, allows for exceptions. Amazon asserts that the agreement makes toys and games and baby products non-exclusive categories.

 

The complaint also states that Amazon and its third-party affiliates have the absolute right to sell any toys and games or baby products online so long as sales do not constitute 3.5% of Toys "R" Us' annual revenue from the sale of selected exclusive products. The complaint states that no affiliated vendors even approach this percentage.

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Why would TRU sign a contract that says that toys are a non-exclusive area? That doesn't make any sense. I know Amazon claims that in their counter-suit, but TRU must have legal ground too if their suit ios still holding.

 

 

Brian's Toys is a catalyst that did set that suit into motion too, because on their main site they still do sell new stuff that TRU also sells, even if they don't list it directly on TRU's site.

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I used to use Brian's Toys as a last resort for figures I couldn't find at retail, trade for, or win on ebay. (Stuff like Kenner's 1998 Star Wars EU Leia)

 

They were very reasonable when they started selling old Joes and MOTU, but now everything interesting on the site is either sold out or astronomically expensive.

 

He gets his new stuff directly from the manufacturer, so it's not like he buys the stuff at retail, though from his prices, you'd think otherwise.

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I used to use Brian's Toys as a last resort for figures I couldn't find at retail, trade for, or win on ebay. (Stuff like Kenner's 1998 Star Wars EU Leia)

 

They were very reasonable when they started selling old Joes and MOTU, but now everything interesting on the site is either sold out or astronomically expensive.

 

He gets his new stuff directly from the manufacturer, so it's not like he buys the stuff at retail, though from his prices, you'd think otherwise.

It isn't entirely that they are sold out, they just don't update the site. I picked up the Stun and Python Stun off Brian's Toys. Cheapest I found anywhere (at the time). Both were listed as sold out, but I asked and they were available.

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Well just a couple of things to consider. First YoJoe is part of the Action Online network of sites an I believe Action Online handles the adverstising end of things for the most part for them not YoJoe. Second as someone pointed out the sponsors are the ones that basically pay the bills, they are advertisers, just like you see here. I dont know about them but im not going to turn a sponsor away cause they have high prices. Its up to you the consumer to determine were you are going or not going to buy something, but just cause you see a sponsor advertise on a partcular site doesnt mean the webmasters of that site are specifically endorsing that site. Sure when you use the sites that are our sponsors, it benefits us, just as im sure it does them but at least for me I expect that you are going to go to the place you feel you can get the product you want, at the best price that is exceptable to you with the sevice that makes you happy regardless of whether or not they advertise on a particular site or not. The benefit to a sponsor to advertise is basically the consumer has easier access to that site that they normally would not.

 

Basically like in the case of TNI its my job to create a site that is going to attract alot of traffic with things like content ect ect and to create a site that will give the sponsors exposure to that traffic. Its up to the sponsors once we get them in the door to provide the product you want at the price and with the serivce you expect to buy things from them and to come back. So basically the sponsors you see on our sites are no different really then when you flip thru a mag and see advertisements or see commercials on TV, and I imagine it the same over there to. We are online media just like TV, radio and print and we need the advertising revenue to survuve and thrive just like those other medias do. Hopefully though like if you watch our sponsor news section

 

http://toynewsi.com/index.php?catid=105

 

which you also see the headlines for to the right you will be able to catch some good deals at times that really do benefit you. (That was a plug ;) )

 

As for Brians Toys just to make one clarification, I dont think its fair to call them Scalpers. A scalper is someone who hits up places like the local TRU and clears them out of the good stuff to turn around and sell that same stuff at a higher price. Im pretty sure they get their stuff directly from the manufactures or distributors, and maybe some sources overseas, but their not in your local retailers clearing your shelves out. You may not like them for their prices but I dont think you can fairly call them scalpers.

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good explanation Jayc... and thanks :)

I wasn't sure how exactly Yojoe chose it's sponsers, so that's why I asked, if he got cash, not "under the table cash" but like you said, "the sponsers are the ones that pays the bills" type of cash ;)

As far as Brian's being a scalper... I guess we'll have to come up with a different name for them, cause if a scalper is someone who buys at retail... then marks it up, what do you call someone that buys at cost, then marks it up?? Maybe we should call him a... SUPER SCALPER :P

Either way, I wont do buisness with him/them, even if they do sometimes have reasonable prices like some people said... you said it best:

"Its up to you the consumer to determine were you are going or not going to buy something"

 

Thanks again, and thanks everyone for their $.02 worth :)

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