Sightings = Private?

[SkyWarp91]

Should the sightings section be private? What do you think? Most of us contribute to the Sightings thread on a regular basis so that our fellow board members know where we can find new toys - but there are lurkers out there...

[iceburn]

there is no need for a private sightings thread.

it's public and the reason you can set "private" is to not disclose the location
but as some fans must disagree that this hinder their search if the item are close time and there's time wastage due to PM and waiting for replies.

i'll say this that if you have close fan friends... ask them to lookout for you
else you can start a <State> Missionaries thread like the one for Melbourne Missionaries and ask fellow fans to keep a watch out for you...

take that into considerations if you dont want lurkers or scalpers

[SkyWarp91]

there is no need for a private sightings thread.

it's public and the reason you can set "private" is to not disclose the location
but as some fans must disagree that this hinder their search if the item are close time and there's time wastage due to PM and waiting for replies.

i'll say this that if you have close fan friends... ask them to lookout for you
else you can start a <State> Missionaries thread like the one for Melbourne Missionaries and ask fellow fans to keep a watch out for you...

take that into considerations if you dont want lurkers or scalpers

Good point **Strokes chin**

[GoktimusPrime]

but there are lurkers out there...

If those lurkers are honest collectors, which I'm sure most of them are, then I have no problem with them viewing the sightings thread. My concern though is with scalpers viewing the thread and taking advantage of sightings to go and scalp the toys. :/ I haven't been able to find WFC Soundwave anywhere (thankfully I got one yesterday with help from Deceptic_Optic who found one like 35km away from where I live).

[Paulbot]

Later wave figures like Soundwave, Red Alert, Dirge and Blurr have only had a limited release so far. It's not a scalper issue that the toy stores are still overstocked with Wave 1 Generations and Autobot Alliance toys.

Wave 2 Generations and Power Core Combiners were hard to find a month ago and now they are being found more regularly. Just because one member found something at a Toyworld doesn't mean it's going to be at your local Kmart the same day, and if it's not at your local Kmart today it doesn't mean they will never get it.

If there's any Private sightings they should be for limited released/exclusive toys (TRU's Masterpiece Grimlock and Ghost Starscream for instance) not for toys that are in general release.

[SharkyMcShark]

To be fair the reason I signed up for OTCA was because I used the sightings forum to nab one of the few NEST Alliance Dirges in the state at the time and felt I should give back as well.

[Lint]

To be fair the reason I signed up for OTCA was because I used the sightings forum to nab one of the few NEST Alliance Dirges in the state at the time and felt I should give back as well.

Ditto, minus the NEST Alliance Dirges

Keep the sightings public.

[Oilspill]

To be fair the reason I signed up for OTCA was because I used the sightings forum to nab one of the few NEST Alliance Dirges in the state at the time and felt I should give back as well.

That's exactly what I did too. Well, not exactly as it wasn't Nest Alliance Dirge - but you get my point

Besides, if there were that many scalpers, wouldn't eBay Australia be full of Generations Soundwaves? I see a sum total of zero on eBay at the moment (that are in Australia). I'd say Paulbot is right, the retailers have not been getting much in stock.

[GoktimusPrime]

WFC Soundwave may not be scalped (could be just an issue with distribution - much like with the Ultra Transmetal 2s), but there have been examples of scalping in the past. When the first TF movie came out I reckon the Deluxe Bumblebees got scalped. Luckily I bought them as soon as I saw them, but I noticed that soon after that they were hard to find. I remember when I got Concept Camaro Bumblebee... I was at TRU and they'd just opened a case awaiting shelving. I grabbed one straight from the box and bought it. I returned to that same TRU like a day later and the Bumblebees were sold out.

Now I'm not necessarily suggesting that we privatise the sightings section to protect it from scalpers per se, I'm just saying that accessibility by scalpers is an issue with having that section being publicly visible and that, in my opinion, TF scalpers do exist. I can't think of an easy solution to this problem, and I suppose in the end keeping the section public probably does more good than harm.

[ITZTRU]

I haven't seen soundwave anywhere either. Then I find him twice in two days at different stores. also found red alert for anyone whos interested in melb...