I'm done with toy collecting.

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Shockwave
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Re: I'm done with toy collecting.

Post by Shockwave »

Dominic wrote: Thu Aug 19, 2021 9:18 am The pricing is supply and demand. I am not going to fault dealers for making money. I fault Mattel for engineering a system where the only way to buy product is through dealers.

Mattel makes no money from the after market. If anything, they could probably make more by selling to collectors, rather than dealers. (The dealer buys what they can sell. But, more people might buy product at retail than from a dealer.)

Mattel seems to be stringing collectors along, to ensure we can never make a complete set. (I am just glad that I only wanted He-Man, which was common.)
Well I am when they're scalpers and artificially inflating demand by hording the supply. But that's not what I'm talking about. Tri Klops wasn't sold at $30.00 from third party sellers, it was Amazon Prime's retail pricing that was twice actual in store retail. And, Walmart was arguably worse because they sold him in store for $15 but $30 on their website (again, not third parties, this is through Walmart directly). I absolutely am not going to reward retail outlets for starting their prices at the same level as scalpers.

You're right, or they saw what Hasbro was doing as far back as Thundergate and again with Ratchet, Prowl, Ironhide, Dirge and Ramjet all being Amazon exclusives and thought, "Hey, we could do that too!" Which, now that I think about it, I'm done with this bullshittery in TF as well. From here on out, I'm just collecting Legends/Core scale Transformers (or smaller) and I'm not hunting for them. If I happen to be at Target and they happen to have them, fine, but otherwise, I'm not expending any more effort than that. I'm not buying online, I'm not buying exclusives, I'm absolutely done with ever setting foot in a Walmart ever again.
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Ursus mellifera
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Re: I'm done with toy collecting.

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Shockwave wrote: Thu Aug 19, 2021 12:22 pm I'm not buying exclusives, I'm absolutely done with ever setting foot in a Walmart ever again.
This is pretty much where I am, right here. I'll still buy online because I have a finite list that I want to complete, but I'm tired of toy hunting, and trying to get exclusives.
Check it out, a honey bear! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinkajou
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Dominic
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Re: I'm done with toy collecting.

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Wait, what? Retailers are scalping? Hell of a way to eliminate the middle-man.

Actually, no. That is fine. Toys and comics should be a free market. And, part of free markets is buyers opting out. This is going to help some of us save money.

I am close to done anyway. I need to save money. And, space is getting to be an issue again. Focusing on plugging gaps in my collection, and paring it down to what I really care about. Creative pricing is going to make that easier.
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Ursus mellifera
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Re: I'm done with toy collecting.

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Dominic wrote: Fri Aug 20, 2021 9:40 am Wait, what? Retailers are scalping? Hell of a way to eliminate the middle-man.

Actually, no. That is fine. Toys and comics should be a free market. And, part of free markets is buyers opting out. This is going to help some of us save money.

It's definitely helping me save money. Toys aren't a necessity (like healthcare, for example). I know what toys are worth to me, and when they cost more than that I won't buy them.

Thanks, Hasbro! My bank account looks better than ever!!
Check it out, a honey bear! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinkajou
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Shockwave
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Re: I'm done with toy collecting.

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Dominic wrote: Fri Aug 20, 2021 9:40 am Wait, what? Retailers are scalping? Hell of a way to eliminate the middle-man.

Actually, no. That is fine. Toys and comics should be a free market. And, part of free markets is buyers opting out. This is going to help some of us save money.
More like hell of a way to BE the middle man. And no, they're retailers, they're supposed to be charging MSRP, not ebay scalper prices. And this is less buyers opting out as it is buyers being pushed out. Not wanting something is one thing. Wanting something and not being able to afford it when you should be able to (at whatever retail price is set by the manufacturer) is another thing completely. And I am never going to defend it.
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Dominic
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Re: I'm done with toy collecting.

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Not being able to afford something is still a function of free markets.

As Honey Bear pointed out, toys ain't a necessity. And, even with my limited hobby-budget, I have control.

I *could* sink more money and such in to specific action figures. I could effectively "trade" 4~5 regular TF purchases for 1 Masterpiece figure. Alternatively, could give up comics (my most consumptive hobby) in favor of action figures. (If I gave up comics for a year, I could easily afford a Titan class TF.)

Right now, I have to budget my money, more than usual. So, I am scaling back on toys, focusing more on getting ride of stuff than getting stuff. (Buying your Jetfire is one of my last purchases for a looooong time.) But, I am keeping comics (though cutting back). But, there is nothing stopping me from dropping comics entirely, and buying more action figures (or buying in for some other vice).
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Shockwave
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Re: I'm done with toy collecting.

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I get all of that, BUT, Walmart charging twice as much for something online than they do at the store is bullshit. Amazon charging twice as much for one figure than another figure in the same line is bullshit. And there's no defending that behavior. It's rampant greed and it's a giant middle finger to their customers. And to circle back to your point, me deciding not to support such behavior is also a function of a free market.
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Dominic
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Re: I'm done with toy collecting.

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Opting out is one of the least appreciated options.

I agree that Wal-Mart is over-charging. But, I suspect it has more to do with charging a convenience fee than with scalping. How do prices on non-toy items compare? With $5 for comics becoming more common (and higher not being unheard of), I am going to be getting pickier.

I am wondering how much longer the toy industry can keep going. How many 5-point-of-articulation figures will people buy, especially for $15+ dollars?
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Ursus mellifera
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Re: I'm done with toy collecting.

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Dominic wrote: Mon Aug 23, 2021 7:41 am I am wondering how much longer the toy industry can keep going. How many 5-point-of-articulation figures will people buy, especially for $15+ dollars?
I know I'm almost done. That list of figures I want is dwindling super fast.
Check it out, a honey bear! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinkajou
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Shockwave
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Re: I'm done with toy collecting.

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Dominic wrote: Mon Aug 23, 2021 7:41 amI agree that Wal-Mart is over-charging. But, I suspect it has more to do with charging a convenience fee than with scalping. How do prices on non-toy items compare? With $5 for comics becoming more common (and higher not being unheard of), I am going to be getting pickier.
Beast Man and Man At Arms were both listed at $14.99 leach (retail price) while Trap Jaw and Orko were both listed at $30+. Through Walmart directly, not 3rd party sellers. That is scalping. There's no defending this practice. Amazon is guilty of this too.
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