"12-15 guys lined up at 7:45 a.m"

[green firefly]

There must not be any 25th collectors where I live, because it is not difficult for me to find these figures. I haven't seen any of the newest ones yet, but I just saw a Firefly, a few Beachheads, a few sticker Zartans, a cobra soldier and much more at my closest Target last Friday.

[Soundwave Viper]

Stores should limit the amount people can buy.If others never find the figures they might lost interest in collecting.Hasbro needs to hire different people

No there shouldn't be a limit.... If there was then people couldn't army build...

First come First Serve.

[Lody]

Went to a different Target today a little out-of-the-way from where I live just to try a different store for a change. When I got to the Joe isle, same ole' story...a crap load of Wave 3 figures! As I was in the isle a guy who works in this dept walked down towards me & asked if I needed help. When I asked him when their expecting more he said, "We never know. We usually get about 12-15 guys lined up at 7:45 a.m. at our front door just looking for these particular figures. A bunch of them told me that they buy them just to sell 'em for more money on Ebay".

Well, with my work schedule I'm unable to compete with these guys so I guess they can just have 'em! Just too bad that guys like me & you are looking for them to actually hold onto & collect & these guys that are buying up all the Flints, Snake's, CO's, CG's & CAT's just to make a few bucks profit on Ebay! Hope this isn't alot of you guys on here...

Which Target did you go to?

[BigD350Z]

It's all about supply and demand. The more these guys buy to wipe out the shelves, the more (that should but haven't up to this point) get ordered to fill the shelves. I have to say it is extremely frustrating to check every day to find the same old junk. The same three Lady Jayes have been at my Wal-Mart for over a month. However, I did stumble upon the Destro/Breaker and Torch/Ripper comic packs today at Wal-Mart so I'm happy.

Ebay is a blessing and a curse. It just depends on what you're looking for. I just wish I could be standing in line at Target's doors when they open on a weekday. 6:30 am - 5:30 pm stinks.

[Lody]

Stores should limit the amount people can buy.If others never find the figures they might lost interest in collecting.Hasbro needs to hire different people

What? How is that fair? I had a store try and do that and I laughed at them-If I want every figure they sell-I'm buying them

No harm-no foul

[goodguyswearblack9]

I think that frustration over this has to do with even though eBay sellrs aren't doing anything illegal, they're taking away the fun of the hunt for those of us who have lives and can't shop for toys every morning.

[Crimson Guard Jayhawk]

It's all about supply and demand. The more these guys buy to wipe out the shelves, the more (that should but haven't up to this point) get ordered to fill the shelves. I have to say it is extremely frustrating to check every day to find the same old junk. The same three Lady Jayes have been at my Wal-Mart for over a month. However, I did stumble upon the Destro/Breaker and Torch/Ripper comic packs today at Wal-Mart so I'm happy.

Ebay is a blessing and a curse. It just depends on what you're looking for. I just wish I could be standing in line at Target's doors when they open on a weekday. 6:30 am - 5:30 pm stinks.

Just to add to the point, the reason many "collectors" get upset with ebay sellers is that they create an artificial market for "rare" items. The only reason many items are rare is because ebay sellers swope in and buy up newly released items to sell on ebay. If they were left on the shelves for, what I will call, first party purchasers (people who intend to purchase for own use and enjoyment), there would be little to no inflated after market. For instance, if 10 IG Destros (Destri ?) were at a Target and an ebay seller purchases them, there is an artificial price increase in that they have effected the market intentionally buy removing a substantial amount of the supply in the area. This forces 1st party purchasers to look to resellers with inflated prices (if they want the figure now) because they have no other option (except to wait for more supply to reach the retail market). Is this unethical? No. But that does not mean it doesn't upset the general collecting/toy buying public.

[ghettoraider]

Without Ebay the 25th line doesn't exist. Without Ebay the older Joes would not have been as easy to obtain today. Without Ebay the adult who grew up with the ARAH line that now has disposable income to build a collection would not have a place to do so. Without Ebay boards like this don't exist.


Ebay made the Gi Joe collecting community as big as it is today.

[Dakemesh]

You will be hard-pressed to find sympathy on ANY toy forum for scalpers. Let's not beat around the bush - you buy everything you can get your hands on to turn around and sell at a ridiculous mark-up - you are SCALPING. You are not a retailer. You are not an entrepeneur. You're a scalper.

Unfortunately it's been going on long before now, and it won't quit as long as people are willing to pony up the money to pay these thieves and their prices. I like to dream of just one month when no one buys a single scalped figure off of ebay (it's easy to tell, it's the seller with hundreds of items up for sale and they're all the same thing) and let the guy try and pay rent.

On the flip side, scalpers buying everything they can find artificially inflate figures that may green-light more items. But of course, eventually whatever is being scalped falls out of favor and we wind up with a glut of something causing stores to then skip multiple waves of items b/c the pegs aren't emptying. Please see Star Wars figures over the last 14'ish years.

*edited to add:

There's a huge difference between people selling items that are no longer available through retailers, i.e. classic Joes, and people who go store to store clearing pegs and taking the toys out kid's hands. Hasbro has said time and time again that we collector's still make up only a small percentage of the toy purchasing public. How many kids and their parents go to Ebay to buy new toys? Very few I'd wager. It's kids that keep toy lines going.

[ghettoraider]

The fact that Star Wars figures have been around that long seems to shoot down your argument. If they don't sell then line wouldn't have lasted 14+ years.

You will be hard-pressed to find sympathy on ANY toy forum for scalpers. Let's not beat around the bush - you buy everything you can get your hands on to turn around and sell at a ridiculous mark-up - you are SCALPING. You are not a retailer. You are not an entrepeneur. You're a scalper.

Unfortunately it's been going on long before now, and it won't quit as long as people are willing to pony up the money to pay these thieves and their prices. I like to dream of just one month when no one buys a single scalped figure off of ebay (it's easy to tell, it's the seller with hundreds of items up for sale and they're all the same thing) and let the guy try and pay rent.

On the flip side, scalpers buying everything they can find artificially inflate figures that may green-light more items. But of course, eventually whatever is being scalped falls out of favor and we wind up with a glut of something causing stores to then skip multiple waves of items b/c the pegs aren't emptying. Please see Star Wars figures over the last 14'ish years.

*edited to add:

There's a huge difference between people selling items that are no longer available through retailers, i.e. classic Joes, and people who go store to store clearing pegs and taking the toys out kid's hands. Hasbro has said time and time again that we collector's still make up only a small percentage of the toy purchasing public. How many kids and their parents go to Ebay to buy new toys? Very few I'd wager. It's kids that keep toy lines going.