Ethics, Pony Flipping and ridiculously outrageous selling prices.... how?

[ChipsteRJ]

Yes, I do see that every story has 2 sides.

I know the mentioned seller above has affordable starting prices (usually under $6).

I have absolutely no issue with someone enjoying their ponies for a month or so any then passing them along, but I do NOT like seeing someone sell EVERYTHING they get in a lot. I can also see the need/desire for upgrades, but the ponies being sold off (specifically the perfume puff example above ) in perfect condition upgrading seems NOT to be the objective here....

Who buys a TE Bright eyes with cancer for $72?  Sure I admit I am envious of those who can afford to spend this kind of funds on toys/ their own hobbies.

I admit pony collecting is NOT cheap and I know newbies pop up all the time stiffening the competition.

[tulagirl]

Yea I was going to say that the cost of selling on ebay really is high now and the fees do take such a chunk that I rarely sell anymore.   Honestly, you have to price things a bit higher than what is fair just to account for ebay and paypal fees.  If you know how much you spent on something and you want to make a profit all of this has to be taken in account if you wish to make a profit.  I understand that is why many things are higher than value.  I agree with others that flipping isn't really wrong.  In fact its a standard practice even in the real world.  How many people go to a thrift store, clean an item and put it on ebay?  In fact our entire trade system with countries works this way..everything is bought for a lower price and resold to make a profit...everything in this world except for what is made and sold by manufacturer as their own.  I do validate thought that is extremely frustrating at times when you want a pony for your collection and just can't spend the money that some of these lots go for...only to turn around and see it up again for a lot.  It is frustrating as a buyer...but where there is one pony there will be another just like it to watch for.  I can clearly see both sides and I don't think there is anything wrong at all with discussing the frustration with the system...even if its and "okay" thing..it doesn't make it any less frustrating.  Yes that price is very suspicious...and odd....wonder what was up with that?

[kittybethy]

I am sure this thread is going to give you lots of mixed emotions on the subject.

I understand you are discouraged by ebay.  But the seller you are speaking of has done nothing wrong to anyone. Nor has any other seller you are speaking of.  She oviously has a following and there is nothing wrong with that.  It shows me that she must have great customer service and people are happy.

Do I buy and resell? Yes, but I also collect although I do not see any harm in someone who doesn't.  It's business and it is what makes the world go round.  My inlaws owned a store for 25 years and if they sold milk and eggs everyday at cost because they felt bad about charging someone to make a profit, well they wouldn't have been in business very long.

It takes time, money and patience to sell on ebay.  And I might also add taxes at the end of the year.  I work 13-14 hour days plus weekends sometimes because there is no open or closed sign on my door.  I deal with people 24 hours a day.   So although I sell , I can assure you I am not getting rich and I am sure all the other ebay sellers out there are not either.  It pays a few of my bills and adds more ponies that I want to my collection.

Again I am sorry you are discouraged by ebay and the arena.  But do not let the green eyed monster get the best of you. 
 


 

Well said!

[saply]

Is this user overpricing her ponies, or is the seller of the original lot just underpricing them? It sounds to me like whoever listed those Perfume Puffs as one lot was more concerned with making a quick, effortless sale than actually getting what they're worth. I know I've sold huge lots of things in the past and implicitly stated that the buyer is free to resell everything on eBay individually for profit, just because I'm too lazy to do it.

[Maniah]

I have absolutely no issue with someone enjoying their ponies for a month or so any then passing them along, but I do NOT like seeing someone sell EVERYTHING they get in a lot. I can also see the need/desire for upgrades, but the ponies being sold off (specifically the perfume puff example above ) in perfect condition upgrading seems NOT to be the objective here....

Man.. I'm actually laughing a little bit over here.

So let me get this straight.. According to you, if I see a lot of ponies at a bargain price, I should refrain from buying them unless I actually plan to collect them? If I buy that lot, invest some time in cleaning them up, then resell them, then I am somehow in the wrong?

Sorry, but no. If you, or anyone else, wants to win a lot at a cheap bargain price, then you or however should have bid higher on the lot.

Too often people watch auctions and wait till the last second, wanting to catch that great bargain. Afterall, it only has one or two bids on it, right? Well, that high bidder has a high bid saved with ebay, and your tiny bid at the end winds up losing. Losing because of frugality. Because someone else wanted it more.

And then people who lose out whine and complain because they didn't get the deal. They whine about snipers, when all along, they should have put a high bid in up front all along.

But I get off subject here.

Shaming someone who runs a business that you do not approve of, even in a very detached and vague way like this is just wrong. No one is obligated to ignore cheap lots. No one is obligated to price ponies at their going rate.

Guess what? If I thought I could get $1,000 for a G4 Pinkie Pie, common as dirt, I sure as heck would price it that high and attempt to sell it. So what if it's a higher than normal price? It's business and this is how business works.

Welcome to capitalism.

[Yurusumaji]

There's some seriously angry people in here. Remember the old saying, "You catch more flies with honey." Badgering someone because their opinion is different than yours is unfair and unkind. It would be nice if everyone could be civil and polite about their disagreements.

Anyway, I'm coming back to that Perfume Puff thing, since that seems to be the big issue here. Here's the thing, I agree with Maniah that collectors should have put in higher bids if they wanted to win that lot. They didn't, so that's no one's fault but their own. The fact that a reseller won it is due to lack of competition. We knew about it, so if someone on here wanted it for the price it was going for, they should have bid. They didn't, so whoever bid highest won it. That's just the way it goes.

I don't buy from eBay anymore, but when I did, it was all about my Max Bid. I didn't wait to snipe. Ever (lost 2 auctions that way a couple years back). I would put in the absolute maximum amount I was willing to pay for what's available. And I mean, my numbers were up there! So if someone outbid me, I didn't get upset about it, because ultimately they wanted it more than me and were willing to pay more. I wasn't, so I let it go and waited for something else to come along.

You need to accept your role here. If you didn't win it, then you either didn't bid or you didn't bid higher. If a door is opened for me, you can bet I'll walk through it. That's what these resellers are doing. They're utilizing opportunities. We all do it, including you, in some capacity. So you can't really fault for them for finding a way to make extra money in this economy.

[saply]

I don't buy from eBay anymore, but when I did, it was all about my Max Bid. I didn't wait to snipe. Ever (lost 2 auctions that way a couple years back). I would put in the absolute maximum amount I was willing to pay for what's available. And I mean, my numbers were up there! So if someone outbid me, I didn't get upset about it, because ultimately they wanted it more than me and were willing to pay more. I wasn't, so I let it go and waited for something else to come along.

This is a good policy! Haha, I set my highest bid and then go play kickball or something

[RockinPrettyBeats]

I try to get PCs for them and sell them for their going rate however, as even though I do want to make money on them, I also don't want to rip off any buyers.

I'm not trying to be rude by saying this, I'm really not, but people that think you can "rip off" a buyer is either:

A. Under the age of 18

or

B. Seriously ignorant on business practices.

Here is the definition of "ripped off":

A. Someone sells you a mint Mimic for $80 and it ends up being bait when you get it in the mail.
B. Someone sells you a Rolex on the street and it's not a Rolex.

Those are a couple examples. It is literally impossible to put a product up for sale on Ebay, put a price on it, describe it accurately, send the item when it sells but at the same time rip someone off. Lol, that is NOT ripping someone off.

I'm sorry but the first few posts remind me of a witch hunt type of scenario. It's like "Oh lets look at feedback and see if we can find the resellers. Then shame them cause they aren't collectors".

It's silly and juvenile. I know it might sound like I'm being harsh but I don't know how else to describe it because it's just all so silly.

I was going to quote what Maniah quoted but since she already did it there is no point. I'm sorry but if things like that bother you then collecting is just going to cause you stress. Part of the fun of collecting is that some items in your collection are valuable. And some items missing are valuable and so you have to hunt for them or scout out deals or save money. That's why collections are fun because they are a challenge.

Also, here is something to think about when it comes to "newbie" collectors and resellers. Once the word is out that ponies are fun to collect and some are worth money, less ponies will be thrown out in the trash. More will be saved from thrift stores and garage sales. More will be cleaned up and put for sale and enjoyed for future generations. Less will be filling up landfills.

Now what in the world is selfish about that? Nothing, that's what. It's good for everyone.

[ponylady]

"You catch more flies with honey."

QFT

But I am going to drop a reminder now (as temper's are starting to flare a bit here and there) to remember to be civil towards one another.

I think this is a touchy subject to begin with, as there are alot of members here who resell.  And things get taken personally. 

If it further progress's into more hostility,  I will lock it without further ado.

[Yurusumaji]

I was going to quote what Maniah quoted but since she already did it there is no point. I'm sorry but if things like that bother you then collecting is just going to cause you stress. Part of the fun of collecting is that some items in your collection are valuable. And some items missing are valuable and so you have to hunt for them or scout out deals or save money. That's why collections are fun because they are a challenge.

While this may be true for you, it is not necessarily how everyone views the "Joy of Collecting". So it might help to keep that in mind.

I know that I personally won't collect things that are a PITA to collect. For example, when I collected Pokémon, I started a Mudkip collection. I eventually stopped because the competition was way too stiff for my wallet to handle. I kept what I had, but I ultimately didn't collect this particular character anymore because the demand for him was over-saturated and prices for his merch were consistently getting higher.

I personally think a large draw for pony collectors is availability. It's still in stores and we see quite a few people find ponies at flea markets, bootsales, garage sales, second-hand toy shops and thrift stores for a great bargain, when all they need is a quick trip to Pony Spa to get them back into amazing condition. So it's understandable that newer/poorer collectors will get a bit flustered when they can't seem to find better deals on ponies and then they see resellers catching good deals and profiting from it. I'm not saying they're right, I'm saying I understand their feelings.

[RockinPrettyBeats]

"You catch more flies with honey."

QFT

But I am going to drop a reminder now (as temper's are starting to flare a bit here and there) to remember to be civil towards one another.

I think this is a touchy subject to begin with, as there are alot of members here who resell.  And things get taken personally. 

If it further progress's into more hostility,  I will lock it without further ado.

Sorry, I think my posts are coming off as more energetic because I found the first few posts to be a little scary in their way of thinking. I really think that if the right people get together and start getting heated about the idea of reselling that it can lead to people outing others for not being "real" collectors.

Or a newbie undeserving of a certain lot or rare pony.

Yurusumaji - I'm going to be frank and say that one annoying thing someone can do is just randomly quote some part of a post and say "This is your opinion" or "not everyone feels this way". It doesn't really add anything. I could literally go to any post and just quote a section and say, "Not everyone thinks this way, just remember that" and watch the conversation screech to a halt. 

Anyways, getting back on topic. The whole idea of resellers annoying other collectors (aren't most collectors resellers?) is something that is only a problem in someones mind. It's not really an opinion since you can't be evil or selfish by selling items that you describe accurately.

As I've stated, if this petals lady is only a reseller she is helping the community and I think it's lame to ask the rest of the community if she is a "real" collector (as though that makes her more legit or something).

It's really a non-issue and something that you can learn to not care so much about. Just bid the price you want and move on. Adding little "do's and don't's" to pony buying and selling is just going to give you a headache...and an ulcer.

[babylicketysplit]

i sometimes buy cheap fixer upper lots and restore and re sell or trade the ponies i didnt need from the lot and keep the ones i needed or upgrade for my collection    i actually have a lot of fun doing this just as lovebeam has said <3   i dont mind flipping as long as the seller is descriptive and respectable.   

[saply]

Wow, nothing like a topic about pony reselling to really stirrup the controversy!

[Yurusumaji]

Yurusumaji - I'm going to be frank and say that one annoying thing someone can do is just randomly quote some part of a post and say "This is your opinion" or "not everyone feels this way". It doesn't really add anything. I could literally go to any post and just quote a section and say, "Not everyone thinks this way, just remember that" and watch the conversation screech to a halt. 

It's because you're speaking in too general of terms. It comes off as, "This is how it is and that's the only way it is." You're losing perspective by narrowing it down to only one way of considering it. I was simply offering up a new perspective so maybe you could see it from other POVs. You don't have to agree with it, but it might help if you "get" it.

When you say:

That's why collections are fun because they are a challenge.

You're only offering up ONE of MANY versions of collecting. Not everyone collects for this reason, so this being your only ground for your argument would leave it very unsteady indeed. You're blatantly refusing to accept or listen to anything that varies from your way of thinking, which is causing you to become very hostile with people who don't necessarily agree with you. So maybe to you I offer up nothing in return, but I think perspective is just about everything in this particular debate, considering sellers/resellers seem to be one one side, while people who don't really sell as much seem to be on the other side. It's all about your perspective.

[Skeen]

That's dot100dogs.  She's been flipping FOREVER.  Her auctions always go high, possibly because she has pretty loyal group of regulars who buy from her.

Personally, I've been disappointed every time I've bought from her.