The Scalpers Are At It Again (This Time With The 25th Ann.)

[lldjslim]

Have you looked on e-bay lately.

 

Have you notice all the insane prices sellers are charging for the 25th ann. figures 3 - 6 times the cost than what the brick-and-mortar stores charge.

 

I also have noticed all the 25th ann. figures in the brick-and-mortar stores have been dissapearing all of a sudden.

 

Not just because of the holidays either, I thinks its the work of the scalpers tyring to make some quick christmas cash.

 

Who buys from these fools anyways? Most us who post in the TNI G.I. Joe forums are probably smart enough to know that they can get the 25th ann. figures way cheaper than what the e-bay sellers sell them for. Plus we already have what most of them are selling anyways.

 

Well this is my breakdown on who the scaplers e-bay customers personalities are:

 

Internationals - 70%

People who live in small towns - 20%

People who don't do their homework (The Suckers) - 10%

 

So thanks alot for tuning in all of ya'll

 

And remeber KNOW YOUR JOE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[rherk]

Have you looked on e-bay lately.

 

Have you notice all the insane prices sellers are charging for the 25th ann. figures 3 - 6 times the cost than what the brick-and-mortar stores charge.

 

I also have noticed all the 25th ann. figures in the brick-and-mortar stores have been dissapearing all of a sudden.

 

Not just because of the holidays either, I thinks its the work of the scalpers tyring to make some quick christmas cash.

 

Who buys from these fools anyways? Most us who post in the TNI G.I. Joe forums are probably smart enough to know that they can get the 25th ann. figures way cheaper than what the e-bay sellers sell them for. Plus we already have what most of them are selling anyways.

 

Well this is my breakdown on who the scaplers e-bay customers personalities are:

 

Internationals - 70%

People who live in small towns - 20%

People who don't do their homework (The Suckers) - 10%

 

So thanks alot for tuning in all of ya'll

 

And remeber KNOW YOUR JOE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Supply & demand. This has been the case for any succesful toy line: Star Wars, Marvel Legends, Transformers, Etc. What bothers me is that fellow Joe fans who buy up doubles and aren't willing to help out another collector buy selling or trading their doubles at a reasonable price. They should know better. I have an extra comic 2 pack of Scarlet & Hawk and would gladely do a fair trade for any of the series 5 figures (accept Snow Job) I already payed one of the scalpers on Ebay for him. I also have other doubles I'd be willing to trade one for one including Flint, Cobra Officer, Lady Jaye & Stalker. So if interested PM me.

[Admiral Hunter]

This thread should be locked before we go off on this topic again...

 

-Kevin

[paintfury]

What about a category for people who are aware they are paying 2x the normal price but don't want to waste money on fuel or time running around.

That's me I will happily pay someone for their time. The hunt has lost appeal to me. Last week I went into Toys R Us while I was out shopping and they did have the new Comic Packs so that was nice. They only have waves 2 and 3 anywhere local anyways. So please make a Lazy Category and to get it right put a poll on here too so we can categorize ourselves.

[Glue]

I feel.. as strongly on this topic as anyone. We all do. But this is also something we're all aware of already, and until the situation changes or some very new solution is found, bringing up the topic isn't really productive.

[Hydrashok]

Why don't we just have a sticky called "Complain about Scalpers here" ???

 

Scalping sucks. Everyone hates it. It's not going to stop as long as something in short supply can be bought and resold for a profit.

 

Here's the options:

 

1) buy your toys online

2) get help from some buddies on the various Joe forums

3) get to the toy aisle before the scalpers do.

4) hunt more often at more stores and earlier.

5) accept the fact that you can't have everything you want, whenever you want it, at the price you want it for.

[KamenDreda]

I just wish someone would start complaining about the people that pay the scalpers. It is not the scalpers fault. Let them make their money if they can. More power to them. It's not their fault that people pay their stupid prices. blame the buyer. If no one bought them, then it wouldn't be worth the scalpers trouble to list them.

[Admiral Hunter]

I just wish someone would start complaining about the people that pay the scalpers. It is not the scalpers fault. Let them make their money if they can. More power to them. It's not their fault that people pay their stupid prices. blame the buyer. If no one bought them, then it wouldn't be worth the scalpers trouble to list them.

 

You people are still missing the point...

 

Paintfury got it right... Laziness is what's helping these sell at higher prices. I've lost the love of the hunt myself, but I still want the product. To solve this problem, I'm ordering my Joes online now. Oddly enough, that allows me to get my figures for cheaper than I would have since I would probably waste an entire tank of gas (about $30 or so for a tank here in CA now) just to find part of a wave.

 

-Kevin

[Leroy]

Im in the International group, with the lack of a success of Joes in Australia they won't be sold here so I have no other choice but to use eBay. I do use BBTS on occasion but because I don't have a credit card I cant pre-order them and have to be lucky enough to get them as they come in. with that said I don't endorse scalpers at all but sometimes they are a necessary evil, some of the prices the Joes have been Going for particularly wave 5 are ridiculous and while im sorry if you miss out you have to realize that for some of us scalpers are our only option. Again I don't like it but that's the way it is.

[paintfury]

I just wish someone would start complaining about the people that pay the scalpers. It is not the scalpers fault. Let them make their money if they can. More power to them. It's not their fault that people pay their stupid prices. blame the buyer. If no one bought them, then it wouldn't be worth the scalpers trouble to list them.

 

I had a Pre-Order in at BBTS for Wave 5 ($34.99 set) and some extra Crimson Guards ($9.99 each) I paid the same prices on Ebay and I have been playing with them posting all kinds of Pretty Pictures and if I was still waiting for my BBTS order Well......... I would still be waiting. So even BBTS has Scalper prices but take forever to deliver. It's all about convenience. So with the price I was going to be paying BBTS I just paid someone else the same for their time and fuel. I agree that it's outrageous but I enjoy the convenience Factor. @hmmm@ I love how you can add "Factor" onto other words.

[lldjslim]

About the time and fuel thing yes I agree it is a waste a gas if your driving a 1989 5.0 Ford Mustang like me.

 

But hunting for them is the fun part.

 

Thats why I drive my 1992 Chevy S-10 pick-up w/ a 4 cyclinder enginge that gets good gas mile when I'm serching for the 25th ann.

[paintfury]

About the time and fuel thing yes I agree it is a waste a gas if your driving a 1989 5.0 Ford Mustang like me.

 

But hunting for them is the fun part.

 

Thats why I drive my 1992 Chevy S-10 pick-up w/ a 4 cyclinder enginge that gets good gas mile when I'm serching for the 25th ann.

 

I used to love the Hunt. I would on a good weekend go to 2 Targets, 5 Walmarts, 3 Bennys, 2 Toy Shops at Malls, 2 Toys R Us, Newbury Comics, Stop N Shop (Great for Justice League, DCSH, and Star Wars), 2 Kohls and KayBee Toys. I'm in the middle of nowhere(We have a WalMart and Bennys) between 2 nice locations a 1/2 hour each way so it's not that far but all the stop and go and barely ever finding anything plus driving my wife crazy because I enjoyed shopping more than anyone she knows. I still check when we go out but no entire days devoted to the hunt.

[bamboo]

Most of the 25th Joe auctions are store prices, maybe less. There are pages and pages of them on Ebay, so scalpers can't really demand more than 7 dollars a figure, and the guys that want 30+ dollars for figure lots never get bidders. I've watched many of them out of curiousity, but they end without bids. In fact, most 25th Joe auctions end without bids. I've used Ebay to buy all of my 25th Joes. It's fun to stumble on a figure at the store, but I'd rather pay 2 more bucks, Paypal it and wait for the mail than drive to every Target and Walmart around here.

 

Just give it a few months. You'll be able to buy ANY 25th figure for less than 3 dollars eventually. People that buy them as investements are foolish.

[blndweasel]

Most of the 25th Joe auctions are store prices, maybe less. There are pages and pages of them on Ebay, so scalpers can't really demand more than 7 dollars a figure, and the guys that want 30+ dollars for figure lots never get bidders. I've watched many of them out of curiousity, but they end without bids. In fact, most 25th Joe auctions end without bids. I've used Ebay to buy all of my 25th Joes. It's fun to stumble on a figure at the store, but I'd rather pay 2 more bucks, Paypal it and wait for the mail than drive to every Target and Walmart around here.

 

Just give it a few months. You'll be able to buy ANY 25th figure for less than 3 dollars eventually. People that buy them as investements are foolish.

 

It's true, most of the high-priced auctions go without bids.

 

A vacation to Washington (I'm from Southern Ca) has reassured me that the supply and demand issue is at the heart of the perceived problem. There are relatively few auctions showing up on ebay from Oregon and Washington, compared with SoCal, AZ, and FLA... and there are just as few joes on the shelves up here. I've checked stores in southern WA, and northern OR at this point, and only seen a few second release wave 3 leftovers, and the remnants of two wave 4 cases.

 

The thing you gotta remember, when you're drooling over Crimson Guards on ebay is... the case says wave 1 08... so wait until 08 when their supply picks up, and all the christmas shoppers are out of the demand equation. I have faith that as long as I can hold off until 08, I'll get my chance at the good stuff. Remember, also, that except for a few variants, most of the figures have been available in more than one wave.

 

Lastly, look at some of the figures they "fixed" in later releases... try to get one of the daiper crotch FF/BH's to sit down... doesn't work too well. I, for one, wish I would have just waited for the fixed versions.

 

Hasbro will continue releasing stuff until it starts sitting on the shelves longer, it just wouldn't be good business otherwise. Or at least I'll keep telling myself that.

 

the blonde weasel

[bamboo]

Fortunately, I got all mine on Ebay early enough to ship before Christmas. I just buy busts and statues, but have a friend who has been thinking about getting back into Joe. He hasn't bought a figure since the old TRU sets in the late 90's, so I'm sure he'll be excited to have the "old school" packaging. Now, if we could just get them to continue the busts for ME!

[Jcast]

People who live in small towns - 20%

 

I don't know about the smal town thing. I had a lot easier time finding stuff in Carlisle and Shippensburg, PA than in Newark, NJ and the surrounding areas.

[hamsterboy]

The brick and mortar store thing doesn't work either. Who says it's scalpers cleaning everything out? You mean they're the ones grabbing the peg-warmers too? That I write off as wives/girlfriends looking for these to give to the men in their lives as gifts,Christmas or otherwise.

[Cobra Command]

Doesn`t bother me too much since I have been able to find everything I wanted pretty easily lately. I can`t wait for the stores to restock after the Christmas spree. That should slow down some of the shortages. Can`t wait to get some of those comic pack figures though.

[paintfury]

I almost did it. @twisted@ Iwant the dreadnoks and Breaker. If they were $20 each I would have done it. @smilepunch@

 

 

 

Breaker

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/GI-JOE-25TH-ANNIVERSAR...1QQcmdZViewItem

 

 

Noks

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/GI-JOE-25TH-ANNIVERSAR...1QQcmdZViewItem

[Stygian]

Those who haunt toy aisles early in the morning, during normal work hours, or late at night (anticipating shipments or talking to store insiders who they obtain their information from, one would assume) so that they can purchase bulk quantities of sought after figures, create artificial scarcity, drive up prices, and re-sell said figures for a marked profit- bad. Those who purchase multiples (in some cases multiple cases) of figures for their personal collections or for friends- not so bad, moreso tolerated. However, both of these types of collector represent situations outside the 'norm', where there are less figures available for all of those who are trying in vain (albeit honestly and with intent to only purchase one perhaps two copies of each figure) to chase down figures in the afternoon after work, wasting gas, and getting pissed when they can't find their favorite figures.

 

"Scalpers" generally get a bad name, but do provide a valuable service to those who don't mind paying a mark up. As long as they are saved the time and hassle of tracking figures down 'manually'. Me, I'm ambivalent towards them, because I realize that no amount of impotent foot stomping and name calling is going to change what they do or how they do it. As I'm fond of saying; the best message you can send to any "scalper" (man, I dispise that term) is not to purchase their product- simple and direct. If you don't like 'em do one of two things, A) stop purchasing toys from them, lobby to create some kind of law that prevents them from doing what they do. Otherwise, I agree, this Thread and topic should be closed.