Secret Sightings Section idea

[GoktimusPrime]

I think it's highly unfair to say that this suggestion is no different to scalping. Scalping is an insidious form of profiteering. What I'm suggesting here is purely not for profit where toys would ONLY be sold for the same price that TRUs charges for these MPs.

If you don't agree with this suggestion, that's fine... but I really don't think it's fair to say that it's the the same as scalping. That just sounds like people trying to demonise this suggestion just because you don't like it.

Don't agree with a lot of what you said Gok. I don't think we should promote any form of hoarding to prevent others from a fair chance at picking one up in store.

It sucks for the people who actually make the effort to visit their local retailers and not find anything bc one person got in first and put the whole lot on hold. That's no better than scalping - because not only do collectors suffer but also regular joes as well as the children.

I'm only making this suggestion for high end collectible toylines like Masterpiece. As I said before, this suggestion does NOT apply to regular mainstream TF lines like TF Prime, Bot Shots, Movieverse etc. - the stuff that regular Joes and children would buy. I'm talking about lines that are geared more toward collectors. The Masterpiece line was intentionally made by TakaraTOMY as a high end line (that's actually what they call it) that's intended for collectors (in Japan the age range is "15 and up").

So let me make this very clear - I'm NOT talking about the regular TF lines that Mundaners and kids would be likely to buy. I'm only talking about collector-centric high end lines like Masterpiece.

You could argue the positives as much as you like; but you need to see the other side of the coin as well.

I have. That's why I've opened this topic for discussion/debate here rather than just going ahead and doing it! I honestly don't know if my idea is a good one or not, so I thought it'd be good to present it for a healthy and constructive discussion.

I do see the pros and cons of what I'm suggesting. Here's how I see it...

Cooperative Buying
PROS:
Collectors would help other collectors without financial gain. Collectors who would otherwise risk missing out on these hard to find toys (especially those who may not live near a TRU) and may be coerced into paying inflated scalper prices online. Also prevents toys from falling in the hands of scalpers (REAL scalpers) who would hoard these toys and sell them later at inflated prices.
CONS:
People not involved in the cooperative stand to miss out. Does it make us elitist?

No Cooperative Buying
PROS:
Everyone (who is able to get to a TRU) has the chance to get the toy, regardless of being a collector or child (or scalper).
CONS:
High end toys may end up in the hands of an unappreciative child (today I saw a kid holding BH Optimus Prime and he was bending the sword into a circle! ) or scalper. Collectors who do not live near a TRU are more likely to miss out without assistance from those of us who are fortunate to have access to TRUs.

Agree.
If someone goes to a TRU checkout with 5 MP Soundwaves and 5 MP Acidstorms then its scalping.....end of story.

So people who organise group orders are scalpers too? Cos aren't they doing the same thing, but only from an online store? The definition of scalping is:
to resell (tickets, merchandise, etc.) at a higher than the official rates.
to buy and sell so as to make...profits
You've never bought a toy for someone else or had someone buy a toy for you? Cos that's basically what I'm suggesting here, only on a more coordinated/larger level. I'm talking about ONLY selling the toys at the same price that they are purchased at, and not one cent above it. i.e. the buyer is merely recompensing the seller for the cost of the toy. It's EXACTLY what they would have paid themselves if they'd gone and found it at TRU themselves. Only that the seller has saved them the time and effort of hunting for one buy getting the toy for them.

Also, I only live 5 minutes from a TRU and if I go there to find they are all sold because a friendly member has bought them all for forum members, more than likely I will have to travel further than my 5 minutes to get it from someone's house.

Fair point. Then what you could do is hop on the thread and see if anyone in Perth is offering one. IF all those toys were taken by a friendly member, then that person should be offering them on the thread. You would then quickly reply and call dibs.

Having said that, I do see your point though. It would be pretty annoying if someone else went to your nearest TRU and cleared it of the MP you wanted, then offered it on the thread, but other people were all faster than you in hopping on the thread and grabbing them all before you could. Admittedly that would be pretty aggravating. Although on the flip side you could hope that someone else in Perth would get one from another TRU and you would jump on it fast enough.

Basically you either need to zip over to a TRU fast enough to grab one, or hop online fast enough to grab one. For most people who don't finish work until 5~6pm, they might have a better chance of hopping on the thread. I do see your point though. I sometimes feel that many of the MPs tend to sell first to people who are fortunate to have more flexible work hours.

A lot of people can't afford/risk buying a lot of these in one go either (like me).

Then you obviously wouldn't be one of the ones buying. The idea would be for people who see the toy and if they happen to be able to afford to get a spare, do so - then offer it on the board to a fellow collector at cost. If you can't afford it, then just get one for yourself and stick to the old fashioned way of posting a sighting.

At least promote that type of buying behaviour through private messaging on the forum, not through wide open threads.

Yes moderator.

It was only a suggestion. If most people don't like it, then just forget about it.