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Then we are "painting" the problem, where others can't experience any trouble when ordering DIRECT.I joined 12 GBs and went direct 20 times for premium releases last year. No sweat at all GB or direct And I have friends who always go direct and always get what they want It’s not that hard to place an order if you want only one copy like me and my friends. Once in a while, I order 2 copies of same slip or 2 different slips for my nephew and get them no problemo
And you like the previous comments which are against to my critic about scalpers.Just like you @Chemartin_1 I hate scalpers a lot
As me. But I call that site "eBay". It's evilBay when you have to find a new premium release edition which price is near x2 retailer price. Won't find anything closer and cheaper then.n barely use evilBay.
I went, friends of mine too. Neither of us could "secure" any copy going DIRECT (for some releases), because GB already asked for tons of copy BEFORE preorder time goes live.If you don’t like GBs here, just be on time for direct pre-order
That was a fair play. The quicker and faster you post your "petition", the sooner you would be the buyer of the edition you were trying to buy. But this was the old-way to secure the premium releases (I'm afraid).and love F5ing.
If you pay the fees, and are willing to join to the root of the problem (to join to Group Buys), you can get your copy easy.If you are well-prepared, you can get your copy easy
Ok, I am not going to argue with you. You clearly have a lot of time on your hands to write essays.If going direct is a rought task even to get just one edition for ourselves,
how can scalpers get many copies to put them on sale just after the sold-out?
Don't think scalpers are going direct any more. At least, going GB is more safe to secure a copy to put it on sale right after the sold-out. That's why I don't like GB whenever you could have went DIRECT.
GB host CAN ask for as much quantities as he/she can.
How THEN are they running GB's if they can not ask the retailer the copies which people pay in advance in GB's?
Scalpers joined to GB (or host them), using others nicknames or their own privileges as a HOST, to get the access to multiple units, buying first to sell later at x2 or x3 the retailer price.
How easy is for a GB runner/host to get as many editions as he/she can? - That's how GB host can run the GB itself, itsn't?
And that is when the retailer accepts the GB, and approved it. Because for them, it's a safe and quick money for their business.
I respect the matter about how business is made by the retailer, who creates and allocate among their potential customers the product. People want their products, and they pay happily for them.
I fully agree. It's a matter of create something that someone wants to pay for. It's valuable.
But when the business to ask for double or triple the price previously asked for the retailer is run by scalpers... it's an opposite matter.
A matter about HOW to steal the spot or chances of others to get ONE edition for him/herselves.
That's not moaning, that is saying the truth (even for those who are harmed to read it). Even here there are people asking me nicely to shup up and go on, why so quiet about a problem which affects to collectors?
Everyone hates scalpers (even scalpers hate other scalpers!) but it’s a natural part of supply and demand, you even had people scalping with soap and toilet paper at the start of the Covid pandemic and I’m pretty sure they didn’t buy it via a GB. So GBs aren’t the root cause of scalping, it’s supply and demand and anything limited subject to it.Then we are "painting" the problem, where others can't experience any trouble when ordering DIRECT.
Some of my friends tried to buy the DL of Blade Runner. They failed. Sold-out in the first 15 second, when you can't either pay using you card or PayPal. How fast have you got to pay then?
Not all premium releases are instantly sold out. Just the ones which scalpers can make business after with.
And you like the previous comments which are against to my critic about scalpers.
So you don't hate scalpers that much, as you say.
As me. But I call that site "eBay". It's evilBay when you have to find a new premium release edition which price is near x2 retailer price. Won't find anything closer and cheaper then.
I went, friends of mine too. Neither of us could "secure" any copy going DIRECT (for some releases), because GB already asked for tons of copy BEFORE preorder time goes live.
That was a fair play. The quicker and faster you post your "petition", the sooner you would be the buyer of the edition you were trying to buy. But this was the old-way to secure the premium releases (I'm afraid).
GB's are a great for releases whom retailers don't ship overseas.
However, whenever you can opt to buy DIRECT, at any time, you can come by a GB host to ask him/her to join and pay the fees to "secure a copy".
Sooner or later, fees would be the cost of another Premium release, as a monopolio.
Leaving out of the game whoever opts to buy DIRECT paying for retailer price (because there is a instant sold-out for sought after editions)
If you pay the fees, and are willing to join to the root of the problem (to join to Group Buys), you can get your copy easy.
But for sure, sooner or later, DIRECT would dissapear as an option, and you wouldn't buy "direct" anymore from the retailer.
Futhermore, most of the profit will be allocate to GB host and runners (mostly, scalpers, which had taken all the sough copies before preorder goes live), which means more money to pay for the same edition.
While I DO agree with your point about GB's (I've said it here myself before-Yes, GB's make it too easy to obtain copies of highly sought items. Even multiple times via multiple different GB hosts to resell on for profit.) I think it's time to let it rest now.Then we are "painting" the problem, where others can't experience any trouble when ordering DIRECT.
Some of my friends tried to buy the DL of Blade Runner. They failed. Sold-out in the first 15 second, when you can't either pay using you card or PayPal. How fast have you got to pay then?
Not all premium releases are instantly sold out. Just the ones which scalpers can make business after with.
And you like the previous comments which are against to my critic about scalpers.
So you don't hate scalpers that much, as you say.
As me. But I call that site "eBay". It's evilBay when you have to find a new premium release edition which price is near x2 retailer price. Won't find anything closer and cheaper then.
I went, friends of mine too. Neither of us could "secure" any copy going DIRECT (for some releases), because GB already asked for tons of copy BEFORE preorder time goes live.
That was a fair play. The quicker and faster you post your "petition", the sooner you would be the buyer of the edition you were trying to buy. But this was the old-way to secure the premium releases (I'm afraid).
GB's are a great for releases whom retailers don't ship overseas.
However, whenever you can opt to buy DIRECT, at any time, you can come by a GB host to ask him/her to join and pay the fees to "secure a copy".
Sooner or later, fees would be the cost of another Premium release, as a monopolio.
Leaving out of the game whoever opts to buy DIRECT paying for retailer price (because there is a instant sold-out for sought after editions)
If you pay the fees, and are willing to join to the root of the problem (to join to Group Buys), you can get your copy easy.
But for sure, sooner or later, DIRECT would dissapear as an option, and you wouldn't buy "direct" anymore from the retailer.
Futhermore, most of the profit will be allocate to GB host and runners (mostly, scalpers, which had taken all the sough copies before preorder goes live), which means more money to pay for the same edition.
And what do you mean you can’t pay by card or PayPal?
Not, because it's not fair to other either.Ok, I am not going to argue with you. You clearly have a lot of time on your hands to write essays.
You can create a company in a socialist country and then assign people a ration card to secure editions as collectors.
I disagree. Natural would be delegate the assignation to the retailer, who is the "creator" of the supply.Everyone hates scalpers (even scalpers hate other scalpers!) but it’s a natural part of supply and demand,
Indeed, it was. But they were keeping their toilet paper and soap for themselves (as opposite acts from "scalpers").you even had people scalping with soap and toilet paper at the start of the Covid pandemic
Supply is limited.and I’m pretty sure they didn’t buy it via a GB. So GBs aren’t the root cause of scalping, it’s supply and demand and anything limited subject to it.
That's what people implicated IN the scalping practices and business want.Just accept it and move on…
Even without GBs people would scalp. The mere fact premium steelbooks are limited in number means someone is always going to miss out and be willing to pay over the odds to get hold a release they really want. Therefore someone else is always going to see an opportunity to make money by selling said release at an elevated price. Again it's just supply and demand and realistically if you want to stop scalping you need to stop people being willing to pay scalper prices.Not, because it's not fair to other either.
You can carry on with your own business (GB's), and accepts others critics.
I disagree. Natural would be delegate the assignation to the retailer, who is the "creator" of the supply.
If a GB takes MOSTLY all the supply, they are taking up all chances of others, with no implication of these "others" (whoever were going DIRECT).
And THAT is not natural.
It is a manipulation of the market (not supply and demand as you said).
Indeed, it was. But they were keeping their toilet paper and soap for themselves (as opposite acts from "scalpers").
And prices didn't go up from retailers, neither there was reselling about that products you have talked.
So it is not a fair comparison.
Supply is limited.
GB host knows, and everybody knows too (scalpers, specially)
Demand is high, because Premium releases are valuable products (numbered and limited) to spend the money on:
Low supply + high demand = high prices (retailer prices)
In case of scalping:
they take all the availability of the supply (which is low), and they are entitled to sell, covering the high demand:
0 supply (at original price retailer) + same high demand = higher prices
Manipulating the market, leaving down to 0 the supply at original prices, they put on sale their supply ACQUIRED BEFORE (on GB, for example):
Low Supply (which was high demanded before) + high demand = scalper prices and practices
That's what people implicated IN the scalping practices and business want.
Scalpers don't want how they do all the process, taking in advance most of the very limited supply, to make it up as "sought after" to put them on sale later.
Because if so, neither join to GB, or eBay prices, would be considered as options:
- Buying from GB, which takes all the limited supply out of the market, may feed the scalper attitudes of "taking the supply from the GB (or being the GB host) to sell later".
- Buying on eBay, which prices are x2 or x3 retailer prices, feed the scalper behaviour to carry on doing the same.
(Under my opinion, of course. Yours can be different).
Whereas you can opt for DIRECT (even when GB's don't let customers went through), scalpers are more limited to take more of the limited supply because...
why do you think Collectong says there is a purchase Limited to 2 copies per order?
Going DIRECT makes things HARDER for scalpers, who have to reassemble up to do the same than they can do currently with GB's.
Even without GBs people would scalp. The mere fact premium steelbooks are limited in number means someone is always going to miss out and be willing to pay over the odds to get hold a release they really want. Therefore someone else is always going to see an opportunity to make money by selling said release at an elevated price. Again it's just supply and demand and realistically if you want to stop scalping you need to stop people being willing to pay scalper prices.
People were scalping soap and toilet paper - you couldn't buy it in the supermarkets but you could get it from Amazon (via sellers) and eBay for ten times it's normal price. People buying it to sell at elevated prices, because demand far outweighed supply, same as with premium steelbooks.
On a side note - yes the likes of Collectong say there is a purchase limit of 2 copies per order...but there are easy ways around that. Such as creating multiple accounts, getting your mates to buy them, using bots (which happens extensively with things like games consoles). There is no "fair way" of everyone getting anything limited, that's the very nature of it being limited...not everyone can have one and therefore it's a desirable product (which will always go for more on the open market).
Edit
I'm not going to reply to this thread anymore as I feel this nonsense has gone on long enough. Just agree to disagree and move on, letting this get back on topic and giving everyone a break from this never ending barrage of crap (and I appreciate I'm as bad for replying when it's basically totally pointless).
I am nobody to tell anybody what they have to do with their money.Even without GBs people would scalp. The mere fact premium steelbooks are limited in number means someone is always going to miss out and be willing to pay over the odds to get hold a release they really want. Therefore someone else is always going to see an opportunity to make money by selling said release at an elevated price. Again it's just supply and demand and realistically if you want to stop scalping you need to stop people being willing to pay scalper prices.
- How scalpers succeed with their practicesOn a side note - yes the likes of Collectong say there is a purchase limit of 2 copies per order...but there are easy ways around that. Such as creating multiple accounts, getting your mates to buy them, using bots (which happens extensively with things like games consoles).
Limited when we see right after the sold-out TONS of editions, at x2 or x3 price?There is no "fair way" of everyone getting anything limited, that's the very nature of it being limited...
It's NOT a open market when scalpers (and GB host) can get as many copies as they want. BEFORE anybody.not everyone can have one and therefore it's a desirable product (which will always go for more on the open market).
Has sense, but people here are pretending not to (ways to manipulate a message).Edit
I'm not going to reply to this thread anymore as I feel this nonsense has gone on long enough. Just agree to disagree and move on, letting this get back on topic and giving everyone a break from this never ending barrage of crap (and I appreciate I'm as bad for replying when it's basically totally pointless).
However, I will not go on about this topic in this thread. Enought information about GB, scalpers, reasoning and memes for today.
Not true cuz I was right on the dot when the pre-order began and it took me exactly 50 seconds to finish my payment thru paypal n get back to Collectong. At that moment, only DL was sold out. I am not a GB host. I was just well-preparedSold-out in the first 15 second
Jesus, dude! I just agree with their opinions and like their sense of humor. Does it make me a softy scalper lover and against you? Give me a f**kin break n go see Spider-Man: No Way Home It’ll make you feel good. Seen it already? Then go see it again. It’ll make you feel better.And you like the previous comments which are against to my critic about scalpers.
So you don't hate scalpers that much, as you say.
Recently, I've joined a forum dedicated to watches because I needed a few Swatch models I missed when I was (way) younger and I've browsed around other sections too. Guess what? Group buys.
Even Ferrari doesn't let you buy direct: you've got to be on a list (Rolex too).
What I'm trying to say is that "niche" markets will always be as such.
Blade Runner has tons of copies available on standard amaray but if you want to exclusive double lenticular from Manta Lab you have to be prepared to fight a huge competition. I missed the GB and was unable to buy direct (too slow from mobile). Whose fault is this if not mine? I had 2 options: pay secondary market price (~150 euros) or get a single lenticular for retail price (which I did).
We're into WEA steelbooks so we are concerned about our hobby but rest assured every other hobby is as such. Try to find a Your Name. Nendoroid...
Oh and btw scalpers wouldn't scalp if people weren't buying at those prices.
You probably get a call from Ferrari? I mean, that's not the point, I was just trying to say that GB's are most commonly found that one might think (of course Ferrari doesn't run group buys ).Don't wanna start a fight or anything, but not everything you write about Ferrari is true. Sorry. Ferrari case is very ... kind of it's own. Can't compare it to anything.
You probably get a call from Ferrari? I mean, that's not the point, I was just trying to say that GB's are most commonly found that one might think (of course Ferrari doesn't run group buys ).