Acquisitions Etiquette?

[GoktimusPrime]

My desire for Special Edition (heh, Special Ed has a different connotation ) Drag Strip made me gravitate toward TRU, then their $40 price tag made me gravitate away!

[DigDug]

Ahhh don't be so pessimistic D*R*J Like Lcz said:

With regards to cost and the issue of buying more of one thing prevents others from getting it, I raise the question:
Do you want a helping hand from a friend? Or not?

Unlike Ebay, retail or online stores, the excess purchases here are more likely to benefit you and far less likely to be scalped off elsewhere to mystery buyers. Sure you will need to trade or make offers that won't always work out; but that, and the resulting toys can be more fun than fighting crowds.

If you refer to Scalping, the ugliest side of mass-purchasing, I can only suggest you keep up with the Australian toy release schedule and be very nice to your local toy department managers (while asking them to keep you informed) around the time they are expected. Also be realistic about the price you expect to pay for the product. I have missed far too many opportunities by waiting for sales that come after the stock I want is long gone

[Doubledealer]

But it is kind of like buying bulk from online shops to save on shipping. You save something in both cases. Both time and money is saved. The only difference is that having someone buy it in store for you is generally more spontaneous.
And I am fine with that. I don't have much time as it is and my income is limited. Anything that saves me time and money is welcome
And what is wrong with that?

*screen blurs and time fades back to Robot High School*
Mixmaster: Hey Scrapper, how come there are no more Energon shakes left at the canteen? It's not even recess and they've sold out already. :/
Scrapper: Oh, yeah. That a***hole, Megatron bought them all so he can sell them to his friends at lunch time."
Mixmaster: Well yank out my all spark shard and send me to the scrap heap..."
*fades back to reality*

[d*r*j*]

Ahhh don't be so pessimistic D*R*J Like Lcz said:



Unlike Ebay, retail or online stores, the excess purchases here are more likely to benefit you and far less likely to be scalped off elsewhere to mystery buyers. Sure you will need to trade or make offers that won't always work out; but that, and the resulting toys can be more fun than fighting crowds.

If you refer to Scalping, the ugliest side of mass-purchasing, I can only suggest you keep up with the Australian toy release schedule and be very nice to your local toy department managers (while asking them to keep you informed) around the time they are expected. Also be realistic about the price you expect to pay for the product. I have missed far too many opportunities by waiting for sales that come after the stock I want is long gone

Not sure if this was meant to be addressed to me... but here goes. I know the excess spending or toy buying 'syndicate' is just saving people time and money... have nothing against it, like seeing the pictures. I choose not to participate because a) I'm anti-social b) I like purchasing my own transformers c) I like torturing my girlfriend with endless hunts...
I just feel for the kids who live near epping or northland or where ever else you guys hunt often... it must seem like certain toys never get released to them.

I like scalpers... well not really... but I think that when the movie came out, when bumblebee was the 'bee's knees' of children's toys, it really amused me to see middle aged, stinky men in bombers jackets scoping the racks for that one elusive toy... I'd watch them stare at the Cyber Slamming/ Stomping whatever rubbish with a confused look and snigger to myself... it helps that I didn't really want that toy. Apart from that I don't really think that we have that much of an issue with scalpers... after all our shelves are full of cheap plasic toys that are way over-priced.

[liegeprime]

My desire for Special Edition (heh, Special Ed has a different connotation ) Drag Strip made me gravitate toward TRU, then their $40 price tag made me gravitate away!

You could say you were depolarized severely then heheheh, which TRU Gok? (is it....the nearest one here?) they really should lower their prices. ah well...

[GoktimusPrime]

If you refer to Scalping, the ugliest side of mass-purchasing,

Nobody's talking about scalping here. Scalping is an entirely different (and evil) practice.

I just feel for the kids who live near epping or northland or where ever else you guys hunt often... it must seem like certain toys never get released to them.

This tends to happen more because of scalpers not because of active toy-hunters. Remember that toy-hunters are basically only buying for their own needs. Scalpers will take _everything_ - as in, fill up an entire trolley full of toys and then purchase them. There's stories of scalpers fighting with children over toys. Scalpers also tend to camp outside stores when they know there's a new stock coming out and they rush in and scoop everything up before anyone else can have the chance to get in there. They then sell the toys off to collectors at inflated prices.

A person who buys a bunch of toys for him(her)self and his(her) friends is an entirely different thing. First of all, they usually don't take as many toys as scalpers do, and secondly their motivations are far more altruistic. It's one thing to grab a bunch of toys to help your friends/fellow collectors and basically sell them at the same price that you paid (i.e.: you're not making a profit). It's an entirely different thing to grab everything and then sell them at an increased price, with the intention of making a profit. The former is effectively doing a favour for other people, the latter is exploitation of collectors.

And as I said before, if you're worried about other people missing out then the only thing you can do is _stop_collecting_ because every toy you buy is a toy that someone else can't have!!

On some rare occasions toy stores have been known to enact anti-scalping policies, like restricting the sales to say a limit of 3 of the same toy to any one customer. I remember some toy stores doing this when Star Wars The Phantom Menace toys first came out - there was a limit of 3 per customer (of the same figure). The vast majority of stores don't do this though.

I remember in late 1986 Kups were shelf-warming and they were marked down to like $5 each or something really cheap like that. My mum went and bought a crapload of Kups! I got one, my brother got one and she kept the rest as presents for my cousins and her friends' children... so for the next year it was like, "Happy Birthday!" "Oh wow, Kup!" or "Merry Christmas! Oh wow, Kup!" over and over again. It wasn't scalping or anything, she was giving them away as free gifts to children. d:

So blame Santa. ;P

which TRU Gok? (is it....the nearest one here?)

The one we went to last time.

[Doubledealer]

Nobody's talking about scalping here. Scalping is an entirely different (and evil) practice.


This tends to happen more because of scalpers not because of active toy-hunters. Remember that toy-hunters are basically only buying for their own needs. Scalpers will take _everything_ - as in, fill up an entire trolley full of toys and then purchase them. There's stories of scalpers fighting with children over toys. Scalpers also tend to camp outside stores when they know there's a new stock coming out and they rush in and scoop everything up before anyone else can have the chance to get in there. They then sell the toys off to collectors at inflated prices.

A person who buys a bunch of toys for him(her)self and his(her) friends is an entirely different thing. First of all, they usually don't take as many toys as scalpers do, and secondly their motivations are far more altruistic. It's one thing to grab a bunch of toys to help your friends/fellow collectors and basically sell them at the same price that you paid (i.e.: you're not making a profit). It's an entirely different thing to grab everything and then sell them at an increased price, with the intention of making a profit. The former is effectively doing a favour for other people, the latter is exploitation of collectors.

And as I said before, if you're worried about other people missing out then the only thing you can do is _stop_collecting_ because every toy you buy is a toy that someone else can't have!!

On some rare occasions toy stores have been known to enact anti-scalping policies, like restricting the sales to say a limit of 3 of the same toy to any one customer. I remember some toy stores doing this when Star Wars The Phantom Menace toys first came out - there was a limit of 3 per customer (of the same figure). The vast majority of stores don't do this though.

I remember in late 1986 Kups were shelf-warming and they were marked down to like $5 each or something really cheap like that. My mum went and bought a crapload of Kups! I got one, my brother got one and she kept the rest as presents for my cousins and her friends' children... so for the next year it was like, "Happy Birthday!" "Oh wow, Kup!" or "Merry Christmas! Oh wow, Kup!" over and over again. It wasn't scalping or anything, she was giving them away as free gifts to children. d:

So blame Santa. ;P


The one we went to last time.

Just for the record, I didn't say what you've quoted me as saying.

[GoktimusPrime]

Sorry Doubledealer - I've corrected my last post.

Apart from that I don't really think that we have that much of an issue with scalpers... after all our shelves are full of cheap plasic toys that are way over-priced.

We do have a problem with scalpers on some toys. As you said, movie Bumblebee was heavily scalped and so was Masterpiece Starscream. I wonder if you would find it so amusing/charming if it was happening to a toy you wanted. :/

I don't care what the toy is, if I see a scalper I will hurt his janglies. A lot.

[JuzMel]

Guys I think we should stop "arguing" about whether it's right or wrong to help friends buy TF figures (otherwise this might get to be a "heated" thread.)

Everyone has their own perceptions and no one's bound to agree. From what I have read, there's no right or wrong in wanting to help your friend buy a TF. Maybe it's just a different way to approach it and also a compromise.

Instead of buying say 6-8 packs of the same TFs for yourself and other friends from one store (and other fans or parents nearby have less chance of buying), why not just buy extra for a couple of friends? In that way the shelves will still have more stock for parents and other fans who go over and buy for themselves later.

Some of us here have their little mini-groups of 2-3 who are on the look out for each other more as compared for other members (and we all know that) . There's nothing wrong in that, so sometimes when we see in acquis that Member A bought extra for friend B or C, no one is really fussed about it.

But when it becomes heaps like 6 or more of the same TF item, then yes that would cause the jealousy, "why-was-I-left-out", "you're a scalper, you buy so many of the same item" factors that will come out.

Remember, not everything is on your "MUST HAVE NOW" list. And certainly no doubles, triples of quadruples or more in this festive season. Unless they are shelf-warmers of course.

[DigDug]

Nobody's talking about scalping here. Scalping is an entirely different (and evil) practice.


This tends to happen more because of scalpers not because of active toy-hunters....

You really didn't read that twice before posting, did you?

I was attempting to clarify a comment D*R*J made earlier and you chided me then turned around and did exactly the same!