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.