Question?

[figuremaster_les]

I sold, at great frustration I might add, my Monty Python Knight of Ni. I posted him at a high price, because I wouldn't let him go for cheap. That was about a year ago. I put a $300 by it now on him, with a fairly close, but lower, opening bid, and put him up for a full week. He sold in 20 minutes with Buy it now.

I don't resell my SS figs unless I have to, he was a need to make money now sale. And, I knew he was in demand. I can understand anyone selling what they need to. No real opinions about it if someone buys with intent to sell. I just order what I want from SS so that issue doesn't come up in my mind all that often.

 

[oxbeard]

I think people tend to be more accepting when the scalper or flipper or whatever you want to call them is a board member because they're not out there doing this all the time, whereas someone on ebay could not give two cents about collecting other than it is a good way to make money. I guess its something of a honor among thieves mentality.

There's probably a lot of truth in this statement, but I think that using this mode of thinking is flawed. Sure, most of us on this board know each other pretty well and know what motivates us to buy or sell. The flaw is that just because some other ebayer that we don't know is selling something doesn't necessarily mean they don't have the same motivations and reasons that we do. Sure there are several who always have presales and many times for multiple quantities of supposeding limited 1 per person exclusives, but we can't blanketly judge everyone by the same standards.

I really like LordAzrael's summation. Those that make it a habit to buy up as much of a product as they can get and turn immediately around to sell at a premium are the one's I have a problem with. Of course, just because I have a problem with it doesn't mean a hill of beans, they have just as much of a right to purchase an item and do whatever with it (until they start circumventing imposed limits on pieces).

I personally have tried to always cancel a preorder if it turned out I wasn't going to be able to afford it or decided it wasn't going to fit in my collection and give the next waitlister a chance (yes Dave even with the chance that they very well may end up scalping the item, I just try not to think about it ) Then in the instance that I've decided to take my collection in another direction and get rid of some items I through them on eBay and put the funds back into the collection. Even here though I try to start my auctions at reasonable amounts, usually at an amount that I will break even then if I get more so much the better. The only exception I can think of was when I sold my Padme maquette with a BIN of $450 and that was because if it didn't sell I would still proudly display it because I really liked it, but if someone else like it that much more power to them


But again just my opinion. Everyone's entitled to one as long as we don't fight about it. :chew

 

[Agent0028]

Er, sorry, I somehow forgot to put a very important word in my post. Perception. I didn't mean that people on the board don't do that and people on ebay do. What I meant to say was that I think its the way people perceive it.

 

[occulum]

I think anybody should be able to sell an item for whatever price they can get for it. the majority of us have an expensive hobby to finance .... oh yeah, and lights to keep on.

.. that said, I also never purchase anything that i dont have full intensions of keeping for myself..... ex: I passed on the grey hulk. there were 10 left when I found the page and I closed it.

mmm .. beer

 

[carbo-fation]

ex: I passed on the grey hulk. there were 10 left when I found the page and I closed it.

mmm .. beer

You are a good man!!

 

[Jesseawilson]

Why is it that members of this board are so quick to jump all over eBay scalpers who sell pieces before they are even shipped, but when it is a board member, everyone is so quick to understand about "funding the collection" or "bills to pay"???


Fact: at least 1/3, if not more, of the board members who pre-ordered the Grey Hulk, have already sold, traded or offered to sell/trade theirs.


Go ahead Dave... I fully expect this thread to get deleted...

Most of the "jumping" happens (that I have noticed anyway) when Ebay sellers list items that are in violation of Ebays policies. Months and months ahead of time. The Gray hulk is shipping in a few weeks and is not against Ebays policy therefore not the usuall jumping.

Some people (me personally) ordered the Gray Hulk cause it looks cool and of course had the allure of being in the 1 of 50 club. Would the value have been double or maybe even tripple I would have kept it, but you start getting close to being able to trade it for a CM Alien or Exclusive Predator or all 5 other SW PF pieces then people especially me start to revaluate their position.

Frankly I really dont care what people who dont know me think about me. The people who actually know me know that I collect and how much I spend on my collection. If it is scalping to sell off something out of your collection before or after you recieve it then that's what it is. It's just a word, and doesn't bother me in the least. My tastes evolve and there is always bigger and better things being released by collectible companies. If I kept everything I would not only be broke but I would have about 50sq ft left to live in.




Jesse

 

[lcummins]

Ok, let me try to clarify this thread. I am not complaining about anyone selling or trading anything in their collection; that is up to them. The intent of the question, was about the seeming double-standard of calling eBay'ers scalpers while many do the same here. True, the Grey Hulk is what I used as an example, and yes, it will be shipping within 30 days, but the majority that have been flipped, were done a while back.

I understand the concept of selling something for its market value; I don't have a problem with that. I do think the individual should probably have it in his hands first, but hey, whatever. What I don't understand is how some of these same people then complain about someone on eBay making a huge profit at the expense of "collectors". That is where I take offense. Some complain about having to pay huge prices on eBay for some collectible they want such as the Black Hole Stormtrooper, but then will make the same kind of profit with a hot item they just ordered or got. I just don't understand their thinking...

I'm not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but I guess I was just brought up differently...

 

[DarkArtist81]

True, I understand what your intentions were.... It doesn't make sense to me if someone has yet to own the product but is already selling it for a load of cash. That is kinda wrong, but again... that's the system.

I know I've stated before, as said above, that I did not agree with a BIN Zero that was put up for auction... But that was just an opinion formed during the moment and wasn't really thought out that much. Looking at it now, I can say that I was really a bit wrong for saying it wasn't cool.... I also contradicted the Hell out of myself by posting my very own BIN auction for Zero at $250. So yeah, I was wrong. Very wrong.

I don't complain often about auctions, as I just don't focus in on them very much. Market value is what it is, and we as collectors will only make that worse as time goes on if we continue to shell out these prices for our most wanted items....

Either way, I'm glad this discussion was posted... We all (obviously) have our own stories to tell on the subject and have all made mistakes from time to time in the past with this very same issue. It's good to let all of that out and to let it breathe.....

I think it's better that way.

 

[lcummins]

True, I understand what your intentions were.... It doesn't make sense to me if someone has yet to own the product but is already selling it for a load of cash. That is kinda wrong, but again... that's the system.

I know I've stated before, as said above, that I did not agree with a BIN Zero that was put up for auction... But that was just an opinion formed during the moment and wasn't really thought out that much. Looking at it now, I can say that I was really a bit wrong for saying it wasn't cool.... I also contradicted the Hell out of myself by posting my very own BIN auction for Zero at $250. So yeah, I was wrong. Very wrong.

I don't complain often about auctions, as I just don't focus in on them very much. Market value is what it is, and we as collectors will only make that worse as time goes on if we continue to shell out these prices for our most wanted items....

Either way, I'm glad this discussion was posted... We all (obviously) have our own stories to tell on the subject and have all made mistakes from time to time in the past with this very same issue. It's good to let all of that out and to let it breathe.....

I think it's better that way.

Well said!

I hope most of you realize I wasn't trying to pick on anyone in particular, I just have been seeing a trend recently I wasn't happy with, and just wanted to try and bring some discussion to it and hopefully open some eyes. I applaud DA for seeing what I was seeing and just hope we can all be a little less quick to judge...

 

[DannieDarKo]

WWMKD

"What would Medieval Kurgan do?"​

 

[DarkArtist81]

Well said!

I hope most of you realize I wasn't trying to pick on anyone in particular, I just have been seeing a trend recently I wasn't happy with, and just wanted to try and bring some discussion to it and hopefully open some eyes. I applaud DA for seeing what I was seeing and just hope we can all be a little less quick to judge...

Thanks LC.... Again, it's great discussion and stuff that needs to be talked about within our community. We are all friends here and I don't see any negative intent on anyone's part, it's just good to discuss this and find out where we stand as a whole.

And yes, as Dannie put it... we must all ask ourselves... What Would Medieval Kurgan do?...

 

[lcummins]

WWMKD​

"What would Medieval Kurgan do?"​

Probably chop off my head!!!

 

[DannieDarKo]

Well......
I went over this thread again. Lonnie I owe you an apology. I went too far with my comments and I apologize.

 

[lcummins]

Well......
I went over this thread again. Lonnie I owe you an apology. I went too far with my comments and I apologize.

No problem Danny. I probably started out a little too antagonistic, but I knew you didn't really mean anything by it.

 

[creecher]

As Agent0028 said, it is a matter of perception.

I perceived, when I joined this board, that is was a friendly place with collectors looking after each other. Over time, things change and it is more a place where you learn where the bargains are, if you have the cash, you can scalp with relative certainty. I guess Kurgan goes for the whole head rather than the scalp.

Anyone advertising something cheap on this board is doing themselves a disservice. It isn't as close a community as it once was. There are too many financially motivated guests and members, now it is a more popular board to visit. Better to ebay your item and get your just reward yourselves. Most collectors here have a multitude of fancies. That some rise sharply in price is not the norm, for me, it offsets those that don't.

Those with specific scalp/flip intentions can go to town. If I had the cash I could grab a deal on a Hulk or a Zero, or grab a quick steal from Oluf. Why be so obvious? There are plenty of lesser items getting better prices too, scalp under the radar, or just stay secretive on personal dealings. Buy two or three of everything. Open a store and get stuff at wholesale. Business is business. You buy what you want, and you pay what you think you can afford.

It isn't fair, isn't an argument. Life isn't fair. That there are so many collectibles available these days says something about prosperity. In hard times, the first things to dive in value will be collectibles. Finding a bargain is a matter of perception, and what is relativity? It all has to do with the price of fish in China.

 

[King Darkness]

Personally I see the distinction between good and bad as - if you buy it and turn around and sell it the next day - you're ONLY motivation was to make money on it - BAD because it deprived someone who actually wanted it a chance to own it at the manufacturers price. If you decide after a while that you'd rather have something else so you sell it to finance your new acquisition that's fine. To me it really depends on why you sell - and the time period you hold the piece for gives a good indication of what that intention was.

Patient Zero isn't a new figure - so if you can get $350 for it now good on you. If you see someone flogging items from pre-order that haven't even been shipped yet for the same sort of dollars - that's the sort of thing that pisses me off.

I agree 100% with Azrael on this.....but you do have to ask yourself WWMKD??

 

[LordAzrael]

While we're sort of on the topic I've got an Exclusive Master from the Buffy line coming that I don't want - I got it as part of an auction (the others were Exclusive Prophecy Buffy and Vampire Angel). If any Australians want it let me know what you think it a reasonable price. Shipping costs will only be domestic as I'm getting them all shipped together from the US (obviously).

Cheers!

 

[pixletwin]

I must say that this thread sucked. I wanted people calling eachother names and threats to "take it outside" and such. But all we have here is an actual (GASP!)... discussion.





and finally:

 

[Agent0028]

Edited....by azog the mod

 

[Batty]

Oh, yeah? I think both you guys stink! Blah, blah, blah all the time. Bad Jar Jar impersoniations. I've had enough of it. Let's take it outside. Sheeeesh!