I've committed to not pay scalpers on ebay

[jayraytee]

I don't know about anyone else, but I HATE THE SCALPERS. I will never buy the new Megos on ebay. I am committed to only buy them from Target.com, a target store or a fellow fan for retail price.
I am just curious how many other people feel the way i do? I am resigned to even go without finding a figure if I have to, but I doubt I will have to they are making plenty and the figures will eventually show up if we are patient.

I also get it when people buy up a ton of figures, but I am only buying what I want personally. I saw two franks and two gorns the other day and just bought one of each. Thats all I really wanted to find anyway and I figured let someone else have the same experience I am having finding them at last.

[thunderbolt]

I won't pay scalper prices, but I got Drac for 18 shipped so it worked out about the same as driving around looking for it. probably cheaper and less aggravating.

[Brown Bear]

If someone is dumb enuf to pay scalper prices then that’s on them. But there are no Targets in certain parts of the world and not everyone has fellow collectors watching their backs like I do. If they can get a reasonably priced figure from eBay cheaper than ordering it from Target’s website then I see no harm in that.
It’s those sellers that clean the shelves for their own profit and try to screw over the rest of you who want to find them in the wild that tick me off. As far as Mego is concerned, they are selling figures either way.

[Hedji]

I'm sort of torn on this.

Are the scalpers a necessary evil for a vibrant and thriving toy line? Like it or not they add perceived value of what's out there with their asking price. They add demand and interest by contributing to scarcity. As Brown Bear said, it's still a sale for Mego, so it helps the company. And if you make a run to target looking for the Gorn or Frankenstein, you might just crumble and buy a Samantha or Charlies Angel you might have otherwise ignored, which is again, good for Mego.

I guess the question to ask, and I don't really know the answer to this, is the secondary market's existence contributing to sales and longevity of the line in an indirect sort of way? If so, while frustrating, it might be preferable to pegs and pegs of unsold Frankenstein dolls. Again, I don't really know if that would be the case, I'm just thinking out loud.

I am not scalping or flipping Megos. I too won't buy from eBay, even though I still need a Frankenstein.

The one part that bugs me maybe more than us not finding "hot" figures is kids not seeing them at all. I think we all agree if the brand is going to live longer than us, we need new blood exposed to them. I'd like to think a girl or boy who passes the toy aisle at Target could have equal chance of having a Gorn or Dracula call out to them as we do. I sort of wish they weren't all limited to the same number of 10,000. I think scaling those amounts based on character popularity would help clear the pegs across the board. I wonder if the 10,000 number is dictated by Target, and not Mego.

[toothaction]

I weighed in on this topic a couple of days ago...

PS - There's a special place in heck for fargin bastage flipper iceholes.

[PNGwynne]

Unfortunately, I'll do ebay if I have to and it's not extortionate. Networking here is better and my preference, though.

[LonnieFisher]

I guess it depends on how much somebody wants a figure. Ebay works for the rare, error figures. Not so much for the regular releases. That's my opinion.

[darkbros]

I'm committed to helping my fellow members by offering what I can for $20 shipped ( and priority mail shipping for a carded figure at that) or by trading for something I need.

Now, somebody, and I won't mention their name, PM's me on FB and says what I'm asking for in trade is ridiculous,
because what I want is worth more than what the 2018 figures at retail cost, and even with shipping,
he'd be taking a loss, blah blah blah.

My response: "What I want is what I want. How I want it is the way I want it. You can either decide to do business or pass and move along".

This is the problem I have with our "hobby". People think that you shouldn't make ANYTHING for your effort, and that they should be the one to come out ON TOP.
I'm not asking ebay prices. Figures are $14.16 in my area ( $12.99 plus 1.17 tax). Shipping the figure in a Priority TVEK envelope, wrapped in Bubble Wrap,
which thank god, I have an endless supply of accessible thanks to the dumpster at work, costs $7.00. Thank God again the nearest Post Office is across the
street from where I work. I lose $1.16 on these figures I offer, and yet why do I do it: (1)To help the community, and (2)hopefully get items I've been looking for
on my trade list.

At the end of the day, their just toys. Can't take them with you, if they did some scalper would grave rob you. *shrugs* Keep some perspective people...

[thunderbolt]

^^ You are a great trader in my opinion

[PNGwynne]

...My response: "What I want is what I want. How I want it is the way I want it. You can either decide to do business or pass and move along".

Sounds fine to me. As if his opining without trying to have a civil conversation with you is going to motivate you to "do a deal".

[darkbros]

It’s crazy....I see what you guys were saying about the craziness on FB a few threads ago.
Luckily their are great people who make the effort wotrth it, drowns out the nutbags who
Act like that.

And Tbolt yours goes out tomorrow! I didn’t make the PO on Saturday. :embarrassed:

[jayraytee]

I agree with trading around or selling to fellow fans and also using ebay if people are selling for retail prices. But I absolutely hate the scalpers who either know people at Target or are networked and buy up all of certain characters just to gouge people on ebay. I don't think it helps the line at all, I think it hurts. I've given up on certain lines over the years because of it.

[TrekStar]

I said this in another thread, but just take a look at what the scum bags on eBay are selling the wave 3 Romulan for $$$$$
there not even out yet in the Target stores, and it just seems to me that it's warehouse people or Target stock employees
scoffing these and sell on ebay, at 4 times the price, assuming these are 12.99-14.99 in stores.

I desperately want the wave 3 Romulan, but after seeing these on ebay, it's not looking to good.

I really hope my local target which never got wave 1, but got all or most of wave 2 keeps it going
with wave 3 and the Romulan is available, I'm not greedy I just want one, so it can go with my original
and EMCE/Diamond Select and my custom Romulans.

[tllgn]

toy scalpers ,they come with the territory ,i took a vow to myself back in the nineties to never buy from a scalper ,and i am happy to say that that personal policy has never changed,patiene is the answer
to this situation .i can understand why people buy from them .it may cost more money from the old wallet ,but it does save you a lot of time looking for the figures .i enjoy the retail experience ,the hunt is
hard ,but it does keep you in shape with walking around the strip malls and in the target stores .and when you have a good day ,you say i have saved money .i like to do it from time to time on the way
to work and during errands .so the scalpers can keep their figures ,ill find my own .

[Capt_Kirk]

I don't know about anyone else, but I HATE THE SCALPERS. I will never buy the new Megos on ebay. I am committed to only buy them from Target.com, a target store or a fellow fan for retail price.
I am just curious how many other people feel the way i do? I am resigned to even go without finding a figure if I have to, but I doubt I will have to they are making plenty and the figures will eventually show up if we are patient.

I also get it when people buy up a ton of figures, but I am only buying what I want personally. I saw two franks and two gorns the other day and just bought one of each. Thats all I really wanted to find anyway and I figured let someone else have the same experience I am having finding them at last.

Agreed1 I refuse to pay the price hike. All it does is fuel their fury to rip us off. If I can't find a fig in the store or on line, then I will either do without or wait. Scalper's can bite the big one as far as I'm concerned.