Collectors vs. Scalpers

[lolaandbean]

I had an interesting conversation with a friend about who was worse. Scalpers or Collectors. She says collectors. Her argument is that scalpers are probably just selling them to make money so they can buy their kids Christmas presents. Collectors can always get them after the holidays.

I think there might be a few scalpers out there that need the money. I think the majority is in it to make a dollar (or a couple of hundred.) I'd rather see them in the hands of a collector instead of a scalper.

I'm pretty sure 99% of the people here think scalpers are worse, but what do you think of her argument?

[SwordPony]

I say scalpers. What gives them the right to take every doll off the shelf. Parents wouldn't have to buy from a scalper then. At least as collectors we don't take every doll off the shelf and keep them for ourselves. We don't need 5-6 of the same doll. But a scalper buys all the new dolls and puts them on ebay and other places.

I understand wanting to make a little extra money but these people get 4 to 5 times what the item is worth sometimes. It kinda gives me a little sick feeling when I hear stories about people like that.

[Icecrystalline]

Scalpers. No doubt. I collect, but there's a difference, and it's what SP said.

[octocorn]

Scalpers, because they don't leave any. And sometimes collectors, because if you buy all the dolls just to have some to trade on here or whatever, you still bought *all* the dolls, whether or not you're just getting sticker price for them.  If its the last one, fair game, but I'd never buy every single doll on the shelf for any reason.

[ShortyBoo]

I don't believe for one minute they're doing it to make money to buy their kids presents. Because if that were the case, then there wouldn't be scalpers any other time of the year. Scalpers are doing it because they're greedy and trying to make an easy buck. Plus, collectors don't take multiples of the same doll so no one else can get one where scalpers take all the dolls on the shelf and will even steal them out of your cart if you're not watching carefully enough. So scalpers are most definitely worse.

[popyduggan]

Scalpers take advantage of others, collectors genuinely like what they collect imo.

I think the worst ones are the shortpacking toy companies, but they're just in doing so.

[hannaliten]

I get that scalpers are hated here, but why? Is it the fact that they get tons of money for the dolls or that they take every single doll on the shelf? If it's the latter I don't see a difference between them and some of us here, buying tons of dolls for each other. Or the collectors that buy several of each doll, one to keep MIB, one to keep loose.Sure, we don't buy shopping carts full, but I've seen huge hauls of dolls here.
If it's the former, it might not be their fault. Yes, a lot of them have outrageous BINs on the dolls. You have the option of buying from them or not. When I sell dolls I start them at cost. If people choose to bid ridiculous amounts, that's not my fault.

Also, when the dolls are in store they are for anyone to buy. It might be bad timing, lack of money, or some other reason making it impossible for you to buy them. It doesn't change the fact that they WERE in the store, you could have bought them.

[NoDivision]

I don't believe for one minute they're doing it to make money to buy their kids presents. Because if that were the case, then there wouldn't be scalpers any other time of the year. Scalpers are doing it because they're greedy and trying to make an easy buck.

What's to say they don't need money other times of the year, too? For some people re-selling is the way they make their living. Some scalpers may operate out of pure greed, but some operate out of necessity. You do not know people's situations, so it's unfair to judge all "scalpers" the same way.

[saply]

How is this even an arguement? Where a collector takes maybe one doll per character for their own personal enjoyment, a scalper clears the shelves and commands a monopoly over the dolls for everyone.

What the stores don't seem to realize is that scalping may, indeed, hurt their profit margins. Customers only have a limited amount of income; whether someone clears out their inventory to resell or not, popular hot-ticket items are going to sell out regardless. But if someone buys a doll for $70 from a scalper, that's an extra $40 or so they AREN'T using to purchase other things from the store (other toys, candy, stocking stuffers, etc).

So, in the end, Little Suzey only gets one Toralei for Christmas, instead of her AND a Lalaloopsy AND a Hershey bar AND a Monopoly board game. :T

[ShortyBoo]

I just don't like the fact that they buy everything in the store, leaving others in the area to either pay the huge costs to buy from a scalper, or to not get the doll. I wish stores would limit sales to only two or so per doll. Ideally, I'd love to be able to buy all my dolls for retail price from the store, but they're always sold out. And while I can usually find someone here to pick up the dolls I'm looking for for retail, I'm still having to pay shipping, which still adds up and cuts into my budget. Or I can sometimes go to the Walmart that's farther away and kind of in the middle of nowhere to get stuff, but it costs more in gas and still hurts my budget. It seems to happen with MLP in my area as well, so I'm getting kind of fed up with it. So, yeah, that's my biggest problem with scalpers.

[Icecrystalline]

I just don't like the fact that they buy everything in the store, leaving others in the area to either pay the huge costs to buy from a scalper, or to not get the doll. I wish stores would limit sales to only two or so per doll. Ideally, I'd love to be able to buy all my dolls for retail price from the store, but they're always sold out. And while I can usually find someone here to pick up the dolls I'm looking for for retail, I'm still having to pay shipping, which still adds up and cuts into my budget. Or I can sometimes go to the Walmart that's farther away and kind of in the middle of nowhere to get stuff, but it costs more in gas and still hurts my budget. It seems to happen with MLP in my area as well, so I'm getting kind of fed up with it. So, yeah, that's my biggest problem with scalpers.

This!

[NoDivision]

Also remebmer that it is both parents and collectors who make it profitable for people to resell these dolls - if no one bid on them or paid the high prices, there would be so reason for the kind of people who fill shopping carts full to do what they do. I think way more factors go into this than people bother to take the time to think about. It's all torches and pitchforks and BURN THE WITCH when it comes to "scalpers", but this is just an example of a free economy at work. Supply and demand, economic need, blah blah blah.

I've never paid over market value for a doll and still manage to have every doll I want in my collection. It takes time and patience sometimes, but the "scalpers" haven't made it impossible for me to collect the dolls I want.

[Salli]

You guys are all making really good arguments I really don't know what I think now. All I know is that I want all the dolls I want and I think little Susie should get all the dollies she wants. Sometimes I buy all the dolls the store has because sometimes they only have one Maybe our real complaint is that Mattel should just release MORE dolls? FLood the market a bit to keep costs down? I think NoD is right, things are worth what people will pay for them. If we stopped buying Gil for more than $25, they'd stop selling him for more than $25.

[ShortyBoo]

Yeah, I don't pay more than retail for my dolls, either. Of course, it helps that I don't have an eBay account and stay off the site, so there's no temptation to buy from scalpers. I've seen a few people sell on here for scalper-ish prices, but I won't even think about buying them. I just see the price and move on. I've had pretty good luck finding most of the dolls I'm looking for. I'm mostly just waiting for PD and Scaris dolls to show up at Walmart because then I can put them on my mom's credit card and pay her monthly until they're paid off and spread out the payments.

[HollowZero]

All I know is, I don't buy current dolls from ebay. I just wait. I understand parents needing to buy from ebay though, which really sucks, and is why I personally think scalpers are the "worse" of the two. Especially since collectors are so finicky and buy "the perfect one" instead of a cart full of Scaris dolls.