Secret Sightings Section idea

[KalEl]

I like this idea. For those like myself not rank 6, do your best to be a contributing part of the community and im sure it with come soon enough

[Trailer Park Ninja]

Hmm..wow this is an interesting debate, there are valid points on both sides of the fence. It's like we're having the Marvel Comics version of "Civil War" here . Shall we draft the Transformers Registration Act? Lighten up, I'm just kidding!

I honestly don't know where my stance is or if there is a better, equitable solution.

My reflex action was hell yes!!! to the idea Griffin proposed. Then on reflection on his argument and Lint's I'm a bit uneasy of the idea.

From my personal experience, I was getting frustrated with trying to find MP Thundercracker and then Optimus Prime. I became convinced there were scalpers amongst us or out there depriving me of my joy. I didn't have any Masterpieces so this was a good entry point for me. I liked the revised moulds and the price point. However, I have persisted as I really wanted these guys (and I'm so glad I have them now ).

I got these figures off my own bat, and not off anyone else's lead. However, in the past I have got a desired figure from a posting sighting (and given thanks for that sighting!)

And to pay it forward, I've posted sightings regularly as well, particularly during the work week at Kmart, Target and TRU stores for the benefit of others.

• I posted sightings of a full set of FOC Bruticus figures at Kmart, Bam! Gone next day.
• I posted a sighting of 4 MP Thundercrackers at TRU after grabbing mine, Bam! Goneskies.

Knowing how hard it was to get these guys and my opinion there were scalpers buying up (e.g. that report about someone buying 6 MP OPs etc), I still posted my findings so to help out the forumites.

Did someone here benefit from my postings? (a shout out be nice ), was it a random stranger, or a scalper? Maybe? I don't know, but I have no control over that, I just put it out there.

I'm not sure I agree 100% with a sealed sightings section albeit temporary for a high demand figure. On the flipside, I don't like it if people here have been to a store and keep the info to themselves but utilise our intelligence info and then cry foul about being restricted to the sightings section.

As much as we can say we are not being elitist, the behaviour of a sealed section, or reserving multiples for the benefit of others here is being elitist not matter how well-intentioned. Who am I to deprive someone else of one who I don't even know?

Yes, this may be the most prominent Transformers collector forum locally. But there are other local action figure collectors forums out there also posting transformers sightings. What's to say we ain't competing with these collectors?

Additionally, I know of people who collect action figures but don't belong or participate in any online forums. They are happy to collect what they want and aren't that into the whole pop culture aspect. Does it make them less worthy of having fair chance at one?

This issue seems to more prolific with the high priced adult collectors figures like Masterpiece where it seems to be a scalper issue.

However, I heard the same thing when FOC figures came out. Yeah I couldn't see them in stores but maybe this was a Hasbro or retailer issue. When the few that did appear went quickly, could this be a case of a short packed shipment? I managed to get a Shockwave figure after enough visits.

But even before they started appearing in more supply in stores I could get one for a $25 plus shipping from a reputable local ebay dealer way before retail.

I can't see why you would even bother trying to buy multiples to try and make a profit. The expense going from TRU to TRU would eat up any profit margin.

I just think the MP figures are considered high-end Collector's items in the eyes of TRU and a big shipment of these isn't worth the risk. They are not as recognisable as the movie or maybe the cartoon merchandise.

I compare the issue of hard to purchase Masterpiece Transformers like the limited Nike re-releases of Air Jordans. These are released at select Footlockers stores and unless you line up at 3am the day before, you got buckley's chance of getting one.

I find it hard to believe they can only ship out 20 pairs of shoes NATIONALLY. May be it's the same with Masterpiece figures and TRU?

[jazzcomp]

If you find a toy that is short packed, who do you want it to go to? A friend, another forum member, scalper or someone unknown to you?

Hmm, why is there a coincidence of toys getting sold out when a sighting is found? Like you, I'd acknowledge & thank the source if I got the info from them.
But it seems like it's not members who are benefiting from the info shared. But if you don't care about who gets the toy, why share the sighting at all? Unsolicited help? I actually ask for help.

It should be preference of the poster who he/she wants to share the info with. PM is there.

The info is still shared albeit a lot later.

[Cat]

What's suggested does NOT inhibit members of the public being able to buy these toys. All it means is that (for rare figures like MPs) we're not HELPING them by providing exact dates and times. They can still ring, visit, and have just as much of a chance. That's important.

I DO, however, have a HUGE problem with someone here seeing them and reserving them all, and members can then pick them up. That could take toys off the shelf for a day or more, with no guarantee of them all being bought. That's not fair on the public, and it makes us no different to scalpers , to them. That actively inhibits them from buying. Again, to me an important distinction.

I would have huge ethical issues with that suggestion.

[griffin]

So lets run through a little example scenario to see if I understand the process correctly:

1. Low-rank (or any) member excitedly posts up sighting of an MP-10 on the public sightings thread.
2. Moderator moves (or deletes) this post to the secret thread regarding MP-10
3. Low-rank member wonders where their sighting went. Is either told or informed that they are not permitted to post their sighting
4. Low-rank member goes wtf because their contribution to the community has been absconded for the elite.
5. Am I, as a Deluxe member, then obligated to only post sightings of MP-10 in the private sightings thread until otherwise instructed? Sounds very controlling.

That would be the idea, if this ever happened. The single item (not everything) would still be news, still be tweeted, still be on the header, still have a toy review topic, still be talked about on the global fansites, and even still be reported by members in the regular sightings section (it wouldn't be prohibited)... we would just have a rarely used subsection that would have the bulk of the locations by the more active members (Rank 5 and above) and any reservations or hidden items in the store, who are doing all the leg-work going around to all these stores, noting the details (prices and quantities) and taking the time to log in here and dictate it for the rest of us.

Which means, people can still post in the regular section all they want, especially for the newer or junior members who need the info or want to post sightings... but if a portion of the sightings (big or small) are hidden from those who don't contribute here, it improves the chances of those who do contribute. It also gives the people who keep sightings to themselves, an additional option, to post it where scalpers can't see it.

I really got back into transformers because I was gifted a high quality TF on my 21st as well as retail releases of Masterpieces. You could be depriving potential fans of these opportunities.

This may have indeed happened, at least in your case (which is great), but how many of those regular people who bought those items never became fans? Are we willing to let established fans (who are more likely to keep and cherish these items) miss out on dozens of rare figures, on the off-chance that we might convert one or two of the non-fan buyers into a fandom that isn't exactly a beneficial obsession (yes, I'm the first to admit that).
It doesn't sound nice, but when it comes to limited seats on the life-boats, tough choices have to be made as to who gets preference to survive the sinking ship... or else there's chaos, and women and children are left behind... figuratively speaking.
As noted above, the regular sightings section would not be "cleansed" of specific sightings. The smaller number of those sightings will still help out guests and newbies... along with "the news posts, the tweets, the header, the toy review topics, and the global fansites". It's not like this would cut off anyone from knowing where and when... it just improves our odds.

I'm a serious collector as well and i'm not rank 6, if this comes into effect, i wouldnt know when MP's hit shelfs and where to look.

Rank 5 and above...

Yeah... (if it comes into effect) I would have to try extra hard to try to gain a Rank 6... and I absolutely love collecting exclusives and limited editions.

Rank 5 and above...

I like this idea. For those like myself not rank 6, do your best to be a contributing part of the community and im sure it with come soon enough

Rank 5 and above...

(I periodically go through the member listings and upgrade people every few months, so don't feel left out if you think you should have it... I may not have had a chance to do it for a while)

[SuspectimusPrime]

Is it possible to integrate a simple system of hiding content until the person choosing to view that content clicks an affirmation (either 'Like' or 'Thank You') that publicly reveals their name on that post. This way any forumite can make a sighting rare or otherwise, and choose to have it global or hidden.

If there were later reports of a highly sought after item being lapped up by one person, it would be more easy to deduce the culprit - from a finite pool of forumites who may have made an affirmation. Even if its an MP10 posting, I'm assuming that only a very few people would have had time to respond, and some may re-post existing stock numbers of the said secret fishing spot.

I agree with Lint and I'm a glass-is-90%-empty sort of person (you eventually become one in my field, ahhah), but I don't honestly believe that there are that many scalpers around. Principally because financially scalping does not appear to be as worthwhile here as opposed to overseas - they have way cheaper prices at much higher returns and a larger/more ready market. Rare items on eBay Australia usually finish at much lower prices because we've got smaller demand (i.e. Sky Shadow's recent Botcon sales on eBay), and Americans don't seem to buy things priced outside of their dollar often (CBB? Too hard to convert from USD to AUD? Or simply not knowing where Australia is? ). Restrictions may do more to hurt existing non-Rank 5 forumites (Kazza/Megatron-SG1), and honest collecting non-forumites (Do we have hundreds? Thousands?). Whilst our goals may not be elitism, that does seem like an indirect end result and may be one of the first thoughts that come to the mind of a non-forumite pondering whether they should join/contribute.

Also, a child that knows very little about MP10 and receives it may end up offering the toy more attention than an adult collector with hundreds of toys (my mini-grails are still in packaging because I don't have the time to enjoy them, and MP10/MP TC are wrapped up and stored under my bed because I'm not sure about opening it or maybe trading it) -- eventually becoming adult collectors themselves for years to come.

(I periodically go through the member listings and upgrade people every few months, so don't feel left out if you think you should have it... I may not have had a chance to do it for a while)

Ahh that explains why Bidoofdude and I Poke-evolved at the same time

EDIT: The best way of protecting a highly sought after item for other forumites is really to buy it up on the spot - you can always refund Of course this calls for another level of altruism.. But hey, if supply gets lapped up quick enough, then its a good sign for any corporate buyer/analyst to see success in those numbers right? Which would eventually mean more exclusives making their way down to Oz at possibly cheaper prices (read: fat chance).

[Lint]

Which means, people can still post in the regular section all they want, especially for the newer or junior members who need the info or want to post sightings... but if a portion of the sightings (big or small) are hidden from those who don't contribute here, it improves the chances of those who do contribute. It also gives the people who keep sightings to themselves, an additional option, to post it where scalpers can't see it....
....the regular sightings section would not be "cleansed" of specific sightings. The smaller number of those sightings will still help out guests and newbies... along with "the news posts, the tweets, the header, the toy review topics, and the global fansites". It's not like this would cut off anyone from knowing where and when... it just improves our odds.

Well I'm far more satisfied with this proposal if the postings in the regular section are not be affected . However I would presume that this would impact the efficacy of keeping sightings 'private'.

This may have indeed happened, at least in your case (which is great), but how many of those regular people who bought those items never became fans? Are we willing to let established fans (who are more likely to keep and cherish these items) miss out on dozens of rare figures, on the off-chance that we might convert one or two of the non-fan buyers into a fandom that isn't exactly a beneficial obsession (yes, I'm the first to admit that).
It doesn't sound nice, but when it comes to limited seats on the life-boats, tough choices have to be made as to who gets preference to survive the sinking ship... or else there's chaos, and women and children are left behind... figuratively speaking.

To me thats punishing people who haven't committed a crime yet. I still don't think a secret sightings section is justified however if the regular sightings are not affected I don't see any dramatic change in policy. It simply means existing unposted sightings and syndicated acquisition arrangements that were previously contained in SMS's and PM's now have an official home on the forums.

[jazzcomp]

Posts about children is probably not appropriate in this discussion as I doubt children are finding out when MP is hitting the store shelves or watching and waiting like us and skipping school just to buy toys when the shops open at 9am.

Much like the doubt that there are many scalpers around.

[KalEl]

Rank 5 and above...

(I periodically go through the member listings and upgrade people every few months, so don't feel left out if you think you should have it... I may not have had a chance to do it for a while)

No problem dude, im just happy to be part of a cool community. I was just letting others know that if they are a good part of that community it will come

[drahsrebu]

Interesting topic and read, there are obvious pros and cons to both sides of the argument here.
I for one am excited when I spot something new at retail (whether it be common or super rare), if I can share that sighting and have someone use that info to make a purchase and share that excitement, than who cares who they are?? We are all here because we love transformers, why starve others of the joy we have in collecting?
That is why I post sightings (although I live in Bundaberg and maybe no from here uses it)
But in saying that I can also understand the reasoning as to why some would like this implemented.