Acquisitions Etiquette?

[d*r*j*]

Did masterpiece Starscream get scalped? really? I saw it twice in Toys R Us and purchased it the second time... and that was the northland store so I must of had plenty of competition.
I liked the toy but thought that $100 was pretty steep. Am pretty sure you can still order it online for $100-110ppd... could've probably got it cheaper from the US before the US shipping skyrocketed.

And GP when you say;

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

I think you are talking to the wrong person... My collecting is really based heavily on G1, I'm not a completist and most of my purchases are agonisingly slow and well thought out. I do not own one single Animated toy, I consider them toys for the new generation of children along with every other post G1 series (with the exception of the 2007 movie line... even then this was simply treated as a curiousity).

[roller]

Leave Brittany alone!!!!

[DigDug]

Did masterpiece Starscream get scalped? really? I saw it twice in Toys R Us and purchased it the second time... and that was the northland store so I must of had plenty of competition.
I liked the toy but thought that $100 was pretty steep.

Only a handful were available to begin with in Brisbane but it appears that MP Starscream, among a few other toys, has been scalped heavily here (hence my assumption about what you were getting at when you said collecting was a bit like Monopoly ).

I thought $100 was steep but scalping is all about shrinking supply to artificially create demand. Even at $100 I was prepared to buy a couple of spares (*NOT* to scalp). It turned out I got the last one at TRU Garden City the first day they were released! They showed up online and elsewhere, often for several hundred $$ to begin with. This scenario was foiled for MP-3 scalpers with additional releases in the US but still continues to be a problem here, esp. with exclusives. *cough* MP4 *cough*

My Brother is a manager at a non TF-retailer (but owned by one of the big 2) and says, with some disappointment, that it is better to ignore 'retail quantity' rules that prevent scalping when the stores are usually under a lot of pressure to continually grow their sales... So this situation is unlikely to improve until management culture changes

Edit: BTW I am in no way affiliated with the Melbourne buying group, nor do I benefit from their arrangement.

[d*r*j*]

...continues to be a problem here, esp. with exclusives. *cough* MP4 *cough*

This is where you cease to make sense... at least from a melbourne perspective... I must have seen MP-04 50+ times at Target on the shelf. It lasted (at least) two sales the first was 10% off the other 15%... I saw one last week in a target and could probably find another one if I so desired. This thing is close to a shelf warmer, and it's quality is comparable to the new Hasbro 25th prime.

I think that your scalper theory is baseless and just a result of stores not really believing that grown men can buy expensive toys in great numbers.

[DigDug]

This is where you cease to make sense... at least from a melbourne perspective... I must have seen MP-04 50+ times at Target on the shelf. It lasted (at least) two sales the first was 10% off the other 15%... I saw one last week in a target and could probably find another one if I so desired. This thing is close to a shelf warmer, and it's quality is comparable to the new Hasbro 25th prime.

I think that your scalper theory is baseless and just a result of stores not really believing that grown men can buy expensive toys in great numbers.

I have only got access to one Brisbane store regularly and a couple of others up here on a more incidental basis. I can't speak for Melbourne...

The local store filled their shelves and then sold all of their 20 MP4s a week before their first catalog sale. The other stores sold out in short order too although I didn't follow closely enough to say how soon.

About that time the nototrious quality problems also became apparent, meaning the savvy buyers would still avoid them. Too late for the eager buyer(s) from around here, but not for those who were waiting for the inevitable catalog sale to be put off...

Be that coincidence or not, please note that my observations above are just that. A theory would take research, which sounds all too much like hard work for a Friday afternoon I only intend to voice suspicion of the situation. You may not have faced this sort of behaviour before, but if it were happening to you, I'm sure you'd be damn suspicious too

[GoktimusPrime]

Did masterpiece Starscream get scalped? really? I saw it twice in Toys R Us and purchased it the second time... and that was the northland store so I must of had plenty of competition.
I liked the toy but thought that $100 was pretty steep. Am pretty sure you can still order it online for $100-110ppd... could've probably got it cheaper from the US before the US shipping skyrocketed.

I saw the toy plenty of times when it came out and it was in plentiful supply. I mean plentiful. Shelves were full and the extra storage shelves on the top were also packed. Then after Xmas/New Year there was _nothing_. Unfortunately this occured when this board was at the old location so I can't pull up the old Masterpiece sightings thread as reference.

I think you are talking to the wrong person... My collecting is really based heavily on G1, I'm not a completist and most of my purchases are agonisingly slow and well thought out. I do not own one single Animated toy, I consider them toys for the new generation of children along with every other post G1 series (with the exception of the 2007 movie line... even then this was simply treated as a curiousity).

In that case this entire discussion about acquisitions/hunting/scalping of current TF toys is irrelevant to you then?

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!

No ill-will was intended dude. m(__)m

I was just trying to clarify a point. I agree with you about how scalping is indeed the darker (evil) side of mass toy purchasing as it's done out of selfishness whereas mass buying for friends is done with more noble intent.

[DigDug]

Absolutely cool Gok, no offense was ever taken hope none was made. I only intended to indicate the lighter side of the situation.

Edit: I only just caught up with the 'other' recent acquisitions thread and now I realize why this subject is so touchy... I will just shut up now

[d*r*j*]

In that case this entire discussion about acquisitions/hunting/scalping of current TF toys is irrelevant to you then?

Yeah in large part. Talk about animated toys is pretty irrelevant to me as a consumer... I don't own them or intend on owning them. I still read some threads that are animated related and enjoy seeing what is currently available. When reading the acquisitions my main interest is Universe/ Classics with some interest in Encore/ Re-issue and Masterpiece. I'm also not really into buying second hand stuff.

[MV75]

Actually, it sounds like you have assumed the reverse of my personal position. I'm actually against any regulation of this nature, but at the same time, I don't want to instill jealousy or cause ill will, so what I was doing was to try and gauge if certain styles of acquisition posts cause that. Contrary to popular belief, I don't want to upset anyone.

I think the best advice for anyone getting annoyed (advice I need to consistently remind myself of), is to simply ignore. Either ignore certain threads or ignore specific posters. I encourage people to ignore me if I grate them. And I would never take offense to it, nor would I consider it petty.

I remember a statement my fourth grade teacher said that always stuck with me:

If you're in a movie theatre and the person in front of you is blocking your view, it's your responsibility to move, not to ask the person in front of you to move.

Ok then, from that POV; Nah, I don't really give a toss that you do display a whole pile of stuff, but, it would be nicer if you seperated your stuff once in a while so we know what you got for yourself, then the others you buy for could then do that themselves. Unless you're just after lots of recognition for buying for others...... Yes, it can be seen as being a "look at what I did" attention whore. Now if that is what you wanted to know, then there you go. Not that I think that readily of you, it's nice to see a big group of the same stuff, but that's all really, no real thoughts of "that's great he got himself that toy" cross my mind in those sorts of shots.

Personal aquisitions are a nicer thing to see overall.

[GoktimusPrime]

I don't think it needs to be physically separated - and there is some coolness in seeing a "wall" of the same TF. But it could be simply explained in text in the post by saying, "one is for me, others for A, B, C, D and E" or something like that, or even "group order/purchase" says it all really.