Crimson Dynamo wrote:The same goes for those idiots buying stolen toys and prototypes from eBay. They're paying hundreds of dollars for first-run toys and poor-quality test shots that are rarely worth anything afterwards. Especially as they come loose, without boxes.
I'm one of those idiots you're talking about.
Most of the time, test shots and prototype sell at normal or a lower than original price. But the thing is, people don't buy them to use as toys, they are a collector.
I collect the prototypes as well because it will show you how a product evolved and sometimes has features that are not found on the final product.
Oftentimes, you'll find a toy that is so unique, i can't see where your "rarely worth anything afterwards" statement comes from. I mean, a Yellow Alternators Tracks, who has it? Is it worth more or less than an Alternators Swerve to a collector?
You are confusing with selling test shots as real toys, but don't underestimate the value to a collector which you pretend to be.
People who buy stolen prototypes/oneshots and then sell them online are still thieves. And the people who buy from them are feeding the demand for stolen goods. You can talk about how rich they are 'til the cows come home, but they're still greedy, thieving sons of bitches.
That seems to be a void argument. The prototypes i see (and get) came in the channel through Hasbro/Takara employees. They are featured in a news item here and there on review sites (even here on Seibertron) and then sell on for a mediocre price at best. hell. Alternators prototypes go for about 10 Bucks!
And you're vastly overestimating the impact of Hasbro/Takara released prototypes on the market. You are talking about less than a dozen samples, heck sometimes even one or two. Which has NO IMPACT WHATSOEVER on sales later on. Remember, I'm a collector, I like it MISB on the shelve as well.
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