The Energon Pub

vpvpvpphil wrote:

Toyotus Superion wrote:I dont know......this story sounds a bit......stretched......
What mother knows about DPCI's? And visits forums? I'm not buying it. You've had so many opportunities to end this pointless bickering.......and now you step in? And all you've done is thrown chum into the water.

Sorry I forgot, once you push a baby out of you hooha, you no longer have an IQ! How could I possibly visit a forum or figure out how a store finds out if they have an item in stock!

Mom's are quite resourceful- I have seen that first hand. Some know all the store managers in their area. I learned this when I was looking for xbox360s for some kids one holiday. They knew their skus and and knew the differences between the core and premium. They also knew the latest forum gossip

I have only sold 20 something items. I'm not a "scalper".

But your ebay feedback says that you are selling '08 bumblebee and ultimate bumblebee, as well as the starscream and jazz repaints???

Because you have just started scalping means that you aren't a scalper?

Because you have kids you aren't a scalper?

bloodyfeast wrote:

I have only sold 20 something items. I'm not a "scalper".

But your ebay feedback says that you are selling '08 bumblebee and ultimate bumblebee, as well as the starscream and jazz repaints???

Because you have just started scalping means that you aren't a scalper?

Because you have kids you aren't a scalper?

No I'm not a scalper because I don't cut off the scalps of my enemies!

i wonder why people get so mad at other people buying alot of the same items.at the end your helping out hasboro and if people want to pay high prices on ebay than let them.why do people here care how many items other collectors buy?

Okay let me get in on this... If your a collector and you know that you don't make a lot of money and want to have a complete set of all the movie toys or whatever ones are out and your also trying to fill in your old collection whether it be G1, Beast Wars, Beast MAchines, G2, etc.... and you hit it just right and you walk into a store and find the rare items and you turn around sell them for a profit and then use that money you made to pay for more TF's your collecting then where is that wrong??? I know people that do that.. They are on a budget and they want the toys so they buy others to pay for theirs is that so bad??? I buy duplicates to trade and I can't evn get the ones I want in a trade so people saying they try to help others out I think they read the post and then laugh as they sell them on ebay just to make a buck...
Let's not forget too that stores don't care.. The more they sell the more their going to order I work in retail and they break the items in depts down to how many theysell in a day and an hour...

I personally don't care about scalpers. I saw some middle aged men in kmart a while ago looking at a bumblebee unleashed trying to work out if it's the one everyone wants. It was funny. I saw a little kid at target the other day who wanted an optimus prime, he could only find the cyber stomping one. That was funny.

American moms are making a fortune fleecing kids (little and big) on ebay because a giant toy company has an excellent market stratedy (treat 'em mean, keep 'em keen). That is funny.

tommy tek wrote:i wonder why people get so mad at other people buying alot of the same items.at the end your helping out hasboro and if people want to pay high prices on ebay than let them.why do people here care how many items other collectors buy?

Because when people dump entire toy lines into their carts, buy them, and then try to sell them for triple the price claiming that the toys are hard to find because the scalpers themselves helped cause the problem, that tends to piss people off here. Now if you buy a few and leave some for others to enjoy, like say buy 4 and leave 4 behind, then people won't get so upset at scalpers.

muswp1 wrote:

tommy tek wrote:i wonder why people get so mad at other people buying alot of the same items.at the end your helping out hasboro and if people want to pay high prices on ebay than let them.why do people here care how many items other collectors buy?

Because when people dump entire toy lines into their carts, buy them, and then try to sell them for triple the price claiming that the toys are hard to find because the scalpers themselves helped cause the problem, that tends to piss people off here. Now if you buy a few and leave some for others to enjoy, like say buy 4 and leave 4 behind, then people won't get so upset at scalpers.

Thats right. I've been to every Target within 50 miles of me and none of them have hardly anything as far as actual movie toys go. They have the cheap accessories and the ones that are smaller than F.A.B.'s but thats it. There's no actual action figures. I've never once seen G1 Recolor Jazz or Starscream. I always thought it was just bad retail but the fact that it's not just me and it's happening almost everywhere leads me to believe that these "scalpers" are the cause. Stores can't restock shelves if people are going in and asking for the items that haven't reached the shelves and are buying an entire box or more of them. Them they turn around and go to ebay. "G1 Jazz Recolor Target Exclusive $50 18 in stock." that's total babyback bull$%*^. I realize that being resourceful is necessary, however when you use your resourcefulness to buy entire shipments just so you can make a profit and force other collectors to pay your price, then it's a crime and should be stopped.

I'm sure other people have this same problem and have brought this up but...
THIS is why I don't have Deluxe Bumblebee 08 yet because I can't find them on stores and people are scalping them on eBay.

Seriously people, stop being so selfish.

Part of the problem is too, that some do leave behind a few here or there but they don't leave enough behind. If a store has 12 Voyager Optimus Primes, buy 6, and leave the rest for others because another will come along and buy at least two or more and it shows that you're at least trying to not hurt the collecting community. Yes there is a very high demand for the movie toys, they're extremely popular. However the demand wouldn't be as high if it weren't for people buying entire shelving units at a time and screwing everyone else over.

What an arrogant scalper.

http://cgi.ebay.com/TRANSFORMERS-MOVIE- ... dZViewItem

Quote from his site:

THESE FIGURES HAVE NEVER TOUCHED A SHELF!!!

Disgusting. I wish there was a way to report people like that and really crack down on scalping.

bloodyfeast wrote:

I have only sold 20 something items. I'm not a "scalper".

But your ebay feedback says that you are selling '08 bumblebee and ultimate bumblebee, as well as the starscream and jazz repaints???

Because you have just started scalping means that you aren't a scalper?

Because you have kids you aren't a scalper?

Sniff sniff.....I smell a liar......

I love the thrill of the hunt. that feeling you get when you head to the toy aisle and there it is: the toy you've been searching for.

But there's nothing on the pegs now. Why? Because Super Mom over there and her scalper Ilk buy everything they find. I dont care who you are or what you're motives are. Scalping is Scalping. Selfish.......grumble...grumble......

Take what you need, leave the rest.

soaring wrote:What an arrogant scalper.

http://cgi.ebay.com/TRANSFORMERS-MOVIE- ... dZViewItem

Quote from his site:

THESE FIGURES HAVE NEVER TOUCHED A SHELF!!!

Theres no way to get those from hasbro except through a Target. Thats the whole point of an exclusive. So this guy is a liar too. Damn Scalper. And who needs that many G1 Jazz's?

vpvpvpphil wrote:

Toyotus Superion wrote:I dont know......this story sounds a bit......stretched......
What mother knows about DPCI's? And visits forums? I'm not buying it. You've had so many opportunities to end this pointless bickering.......and now you step in? And all you've done is thrown chum into the water.

Sorry I forgot, once you push a baby out of you hooha, you no longer have an IQ! How could I possibly visit a forum or figure out how a store finds out if they have an item in stock!

Granted, he should've worded it better, ubt he's only confused, upset, and angry like the rest of us.

That whole "hooha" comment wasn't necessary, and is a slap in the face to other women who take themselves seriously.

hmmm... this is interesting...

http://cgi.ebay.com/Transformers-2008-C ... dZViewItem

starting bid: $18.50

buy it now: $32.00

i guess something doesn't fit in this story somewhere, i just can't put a finger on it...

you guys decide. mother or not, i still make my stand.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0144804635

check out how many ULTIMATE BUMBLEBEEs are in the pic. and from what i see the seller is making a TIDY profit off these sales. check the feedback profile and the final sales prices of the items. profits galore.

zemper wrote:http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160144804635

check out how many ULTIMATE BUMBLEBEEs are in the pic. and from what i see the seller is making a TIDY profit off these sales. check the feedback profile and the final sales prices of the items. profits galore.

Oh yeah....that story about her trying to beat the scalper at his own game.....sure. Next you're gonna tell us that those Bumblebees were given to you as a gift. Right.

It's time for diplomacy.

Diplomacy is the art of convincing other people that you are right and they are wrong. Although this makes it similar to debate, diplomacy is much more awesome because it typically involves explosives and the lives of many hapless innocents.

Diplomacy has been used since ancient times as a means of unilaterally crushing an opponent by force of words alone. Words, and possibly heavy rocks. Using one's superior intellect and bargaining position to gain an advantage over the weaklings who would oppose you is the fundamental concept behind diplomacy. One does not even need actual superior intelligence, just a strong conviction that one is indeed smarter than one's opponents.

vpvpvpphil wrote:
As I was paying for them a comic book store owner was there and bought the rest and bragged that he was going to sell them for 50 bucks a pop. This personally pissed me off, so I went to several different target and did the same thing, so I could give collecters or parents a chance to get them.

hmmm, having a BUY IT NOW price of $32.00 is your idea of getting back at the scalper, eh?

vpvpvpphil wrote:If you look at my ebay rating you will notice that since 2002 I have only sold 20 something items. I'm not a "scalper".

the oldest feedback you got was in 2004. the total number of feedbacks you received was 32. what happened to that 20+, 2002 sold number of items?

vpvpvpphil wrote:If the bidding goes higher which it hasn't gotten that high, I might make a couple of bucks off of it.

hmm... reading your feedback again...

TARGET Transformers Movie white G1 JAZZ Solstice INHAND (#160148084093) US $22.00

TARGET Transformers Movie white G1 JAZZ Solstice INHAND (#160148080714) US $26.99

TARGET Transformers Movie white G1 JAZZ Solstice INHAND (#160148438359) US $32.00 - BUY IT NOW PRICE

TARGET Transformers Movie white G1 JAZZ Solstice INHAND (#160147254016) US $44.50 - HIGH SELLER!

TARGET Transformers Movie white G1 JAZZ Solstice INHAND (#160147542459) US $25.50

not that high enough for you, it seems huh?
well, it seems that for ALL your sold items, you DID make more than a couple of bucks off them.

and that's only for the jazzes. i haven't started getting into the 08 deluxes yet.

and for the ultimate BBs, more than a tidy sum, considering their retail price.

care to refute these facts milady?

quoted for truth!

I stopped reading at about page 17, so forgive me if I missed where the thread might have changed from being somewhat condescending on one side and hateful from the other.

So the question on the main page headline was:
"Scalpers or Just Resourceful Toy Hunters?"
I'm not sure how one is somehow supposed to be exclusive from the other. A scalper USUALLY is a "Resourceful Toy Hunter" although an RTH is not always a scalper. Just by seeking and buying something up with the intention of reselling it to the "suckers" at a profit makes the scalper. They don't have to sell it at a ridiculous price, just intend to do so. When given the chance they will also buy EVERYTHING in stock, leaving nothing for the next guy.
Now someone who happens to go looking for a toy and discovers a gem that they may know is selling well may choose to buy up what stock they see and resell it with the hope of a profit. Some might yell "SCALPER!", but this I would call an "opportunist". They didn't go with the intention of hoarding stock to resell. They didn't go to multiple stores within their hunting area to purposely clear the shelves. Seibs, don't take this as an insult, but this is the term I would use for you. Sure you guys each bought cases with the intent to resell, but you did not "clear the shelves". You did leave something for the next guy to find. Your intent and ultimate action is what differentiates you from the unsavory type.
I don't hate anyone who buys up stock to resell whether they are an opportunist or scalper. IMHO it is not "evil" for someone to buy up stock for resell. It might be a bit underhanded in the case of a scalper, but we all have to do SOMETHING to make a buck. The only real problem I have with some people who do this is the underlying intent. You can sometimes read it in their auctions. Sometimes it's blatant, other times it is a bit more subtle, but it usually goes along the lines of "BUY THIS UBER RARE EXCLUSIVE NEVER TO BE SEEN IN STORES BECAUSE EVENTHOUGH IT REALLY WOULD BE COMMON I BOUGHT THEM ALL, MWUHAHAHAH!" Someone who posts anything bragging or outright lying gets a passover from me. Then again, I have yet to buy anything from ebay that turned out to be more than retail. Many of my TFs have been bought on ebay, and they have ALL been purchased at retail or less, shipping included. One just has to be patient when doing toy hunting. That's why it is called "toy hunting" and not "toy combat", although I would probably call what I do "Toy Fishing". I cast out into the water, sit back, enjoy a few cold ones and wait until something bites. Sometimes the wrong thing bites and I have to throw it back, but occasionally you pull a beauty that you can be proud of.

The claim is "use the sighting section to find toys first".

How can that be because SOMEONE ELSE FOUND IT PRIOR SO THEY FOUND IT FIRST.. It can be used as a loose guide, that is it.

I have used the old Action figure times area reports for YEARS to get the heads up on new items hitting the market.
And even then I still never ALWAYS found things first (I did find them quickly though).

There is no analysis or rhyme or reason to how the distribution of toys works. Through my 20++ years of toy hunting I have observed these kinds of situations
toys hit Houston on a Monday and show up here on a Friday
toys hit Houston on a Monday and not hit here for a month.
toys hit Baton Rouge but hit here 3 months later
toys hit the east coast one week and not show up anywhere else for a month.
etc.. etc..
You get the picture.

There is no magical formula for toy hunting period. sightings lists can be used as a "heads up" and that is it.
The real success is going from store to store as early as possible, making a "collectors group" that informs each other of local toy finds (HIGHLY SUCESSFUL, I do this as well), or making friends with store employees to get their heads up when things are scheduled to arrive (which I also do).

he got the case from target.

when i went monday to my target, i gave them the dcpi number for starscream and jazz, he went and back and got me 1 each. i told him i needed 5 each. he than came back with the case boxes for each.

so all this guy did was go there and asked for an unopened case of jazz s. i believe there were 8 in the box i saw, so theres really not that many in that box.

We should sell unwanted TFs, pool the money, send somebody to buy a shitload of G1 Jazz (say, 50?) and sell them on Ebay for half price just to piss off the retards.

I went out to my Dad's truck this morning, and learned something AWFUL!












MY DAD'S A SCALPER!!!! :sad: :sad: :sad: :sad: :sad: :sad: :sad: