Posts from the BigW mid-year sale have been moved here in the discussion section... but it doesn't mean future replies can be disrespectful or hostile to others, as the board rules still apply in this section. These posts were only moved because they were off-topic to the Sale Catalogue topic.
Yes... and I'm sorry for being the catalyst for the news topic going off-topic.Originally Posted by BigTransformerTrev
It just made me so mad that I'm putting in all this time and effort to help members here get this toy, with postings, tweets and phone calls to BigW, and then this person comes along and rubs it in the faces of all those fans still struggling to find it, that he has snapped up 8 of them and is trying to get almost double the price for them off anyone who doesn't know that more are coming.
If he'd only posted up one at a time, we'd have never known about it, and wouldn't have cared... but seeing 8 flaunted like that without it being for the benefit of anyone else but himself contradicts what we do here (organising or offering toys & help to other members/fans for what it cost us to get them because friends help friends)... so it annoyed me to think that he might have used this site (news or sightings posts) to help him prevent members here from getting one in the first round.
It might seem a bit precious to expect to get a "mere" toy early or at all, but when you have your friends all enjoying the feature toy of the year at the same time, it spoils your fun a little if you have to wait a couple weeks or a month to get one... and if this site only exists because we are finding fun in toys and Transformers, then this is an element of who we are. We are a little selfish to ourselves in getting a toy first for ourselves and fellow members (over kids, or parents buying random toys for others), but I'm proud to know that we here on this site are not selfish to clear out stores to prevent both kids and collectors from obtaining the toy at regular retail.
(which is why I'd be unimpressed if this person was a member here, or used our news and info resources to do what he did)
It might not be illegal, but it isn't ethical at this time to be boasting about having 8 of them when they could have been discreet, and they'd have never been known as more than just a person trying to sell a single Devastator for $320. It comes down to timing (this week was the worst to be found with 8 of them), and the target audience of the listing (particularly if they have ever claimed to be a fan themselves but have intentionally prevented fans in that area of Sydney from enjoying the toy at the same time as other fans).
Yes... but fansites for toys, TV shows, movies, race cars, music, etc exist because we are "fanatic" over something that is not exactly rational behaviour to other people who aren't fans.
We need an outlet like these communities and fansites to make the drudgery of life worth living... as long as it isn't at the sadistic or selfish expense of others.
Scalping does exist, and I wouldn't have had a problem with this if he was just selling one toy on ebay for $320 (like the person that Burn noted on Seibertron)... as it would likely end up being bought by an American fan who can't wait until their August release in that country (being the first with high-profile toys is a big deal over there), and doesn't impact on local fans as much as clearing out 8 from one cluster of suburbs that a particular BigW was catering to.
It's why some of us take toys to BotCon to trade, that aren't easily obtained over there, to take advantage of the more desperate fans who will pay a little extra on a toy... but we (you and I) don't clear out the stores here before local fans have had enough time to get one at the cheapest price possible. (I took four JP Stinger toys with me this year, which had been sitting at TRU near me for over a month, and I still left four behind... so that I wasn't being greedy.)
Capitalism works in many ways, and excessive scalping like this guy is what members here have an issue with, not the reselling of one or two items at a mark-up... which isn't scalping.
Scalping is the removal of all available stock to prevent people in an area from being able to buy it for Retail pricing, even temporarily like Devastator who should be seeing a second wave at BigW... but no one knows when that will happen.
Toys shouldn't be seen as an investment by non-fans who don't even own the product to enjoy it, otherwise we will have a second group of people constantly competing with us to get to certain high-demand toys, which we will at least own and respect... before we ever end up selling it (if at all).
I think they are only selling one? Which isn't like cleaning out a store, or boasting about them having 8 when there are probably 7 other fans in their area of Sydney still desperately looking for one thanks to their actions.
A single toy listing isn't something I would be that fussed about, or consider it "scalping", as most stores are getting 8-12 units, and it aimed at someone overseas who is silly enough to spend that much on a toy they could wait a couple months to get it in their own area. The $300-320 sale pricing these people are asking are not likely to be bought by an Australian who knows that they are out here for under $200.
Our site though does have an anti-scalping rule... but it hasn't been put to the test yet, because I think our close-knit community of members would never do that to their friends, and newer members would probably be too afraid to risk it...
19 - Toy Scalping on this forum is prohibited
If you are found to be buying up hard-to-find toys and reselling them at a huge markup on this forum, your sale postings will be deleted, and you may be removed as well if that is the only reason you are a member here. If it is proven that a member is locating certain figures from our sightings section, to sell elsewhere, they will also be removed. We discourage toy scalping in general, as this community has prospered from fans helping fellow fans find items without having to pay a scalper extra for it.
As the "new guy", please refrain from launching into opinions and comments about the existing members here until you have gotten to know them first, either by lurking or limiting your postings to news comments, sightings and positive opinions on discussion topics.I have to laugh at being the new guy and having members dislike me and possibly gang up on me, and I have drank a few beers and know myself well enough to not entertain your smartass comment.
Anyway I will learn from situations like this when dealing with cocky people on line in the comfort of their reality which is anyone's guess to what type.
When you have had a bit more experience here, or on any site, then commentary can be more subjective or personal if people know you better or are seen to be tolerant of those kinds of opinions.
This goes for anyone new to this site, not just you... this site is often commented on as being the most friendly and welcoming fansite (and sometimes internet site in general), and that's because members aren't made to feel like they need to be top of a pecking order, or "shout" to be heard, or prove yourself in any way. Most of the active members here are quite close to each other, because we have people looking out for toys for others and share sightings on things that we can't personally help out with.
Enjoy your time here, as it is ultimately just a community site for toys... kids toys... so enjoy them and your time here as if you are a kid, but just don't behave like a kid.
If this is the same person, it is best that members here are not to confront him if you are in a group of other members from here, as a mob mentality can end up occurring (group courage)... and it is likely to come back to this site as being an advocate of harassment or bullying.
Approach him as an individual to express your personal feelings if you really want, but just not as a group, as it will defeat the point of what you want to say to him, and will give us a bad name.
Don't worry about it, as none of this was your fault.
If anyone is to blame, it is me for stirring up the issue.
