The Energon Pub

This guy has quite a few of these. Any of you come across this variant? How do you suppose this guy got his hands on 10 or 12 of these?

http://search-completed.ebay.com/search ... p=1&fsoo=1

That would be the Canadian packaging, they did most of the figs with Decepticon cards. This is what our Canadian Hasbro treats our Transformers movie figures as.

Wow, I wonder if that will devalue the toy?

HoosierDaddy wrote:Wow, I wonder if that will devalue the toy?

some collectors actually find these variants/ errors as collector's items and seek them out because usually there were only a few that actually left the factory.

and as a theoretical answer to your question on how did he get so many:

by taking a look at the WHOPPING price point set by the seller and the number of figures he has... through scalping, perhaps?

tom brokaw wrote:

HoosierDaddy wrote:Wow, I wonder if that will devalue the toy?

some collectors actually find these variants/ errors as collector's items and seek them out because usually there were only a few that actually left the factory.

Good point.

zemper wrote:and as a theoretical answer to your question on how did he get so many:

by taking a look at the WHOPPING price point set by the seller and the number of figures he has... through scalping, perhaps?

Yeah, but Bumblebee seems to be pretty hard to find and in order for him to find that many he would have to have cherry picked, what, 15 cases? LOL

It asks me to register.

Can someone post a pic?

HoosierDaddy wrote:This guy has quite a few of these. Any of you come across this variant? How do you suppose this guy got his hands on 10 or 12 of these?

http://search-completed.ebay.com/search ... p=1&fsoo=1

Obvious scalper. Driving from store to store basically buying them all up.

HoosierDaddy wrote:

zemper wrote:and as a theoretical answer to your question on how did he get so many:

by taking a look at the WHOPPING price point set by the seller and the number of figures he has... through scalping, perhaps?

Yeah, but Bumblebee seems to be pretty hard to find and in order for him to find that many he would have to have cherry picked, what, 15 cases? LOL

with the things scalpers would do to get as many in-demand figures as they can get their hands on today, quite possible.

another theory: maybe it was an inside job; the he knew someone who works at his local toy store and arranged for him to notify him ASAP of any new shipments before they can put it into display...

...man, the things i think of. LOL, i'm soooo feeling conspiracy theorist right now!!!

zemper wrote:

HoosierDaddy wrote:

zemper wrote:and as a theoretical answer to your question on how did he get so many:

by taking a look at the WHOPPING price point set by the seller and the number of figures he has... through scalping, perhaps?

Yeah, but Bumblebee seems to be pretty hard to find and in order for him to find that many he would have to have cherry picked, what, 15 cases? LOL

with the things scalpers would do to get as many in-demand figures as they can get their hands on today, quite possible.

another theory: maybe it was an inside job; the he knew someone who works at his local toy store and arranged for him to notify him ASAP of any new shipments before they can put it into display...

...man, the things i think of. LOL, i'm soooo feeling conspiracy theorist right now!!!

And the thing is, it's true.

There are numerous scalpers that live around me. They pretty much have no jobs. They get up in the morning. Go to Timmy's to get a coffee and then wait in their cars for the stores to open. Then they rush in and grab whatever high ticket items they can find. Then they go to next to store. They do the same thing in the afternoon and the evening. Everyday! If there's a pericularly valuable item they're looking for, they'll run in and push each other out of the way to get to it first.

To make matters worse, the employees help them. Numerous times I've noticed scalpers talking to employees for a long time. Trying to get the edge on their competition, or just to get them to save certain things for them, no doubt. But when I try to ask them for help, they practically run away from me! I'm a collector. I buys just as much as them. Only difference is I'll buy a whole case assortment, while they'll buy a certain one from each case. If anything they should help me more, since I'm not stealing all their hot ticket items. Where as the scalpers are the reason they have 50 Brimstones on the shelf and can't restock!