Siege stock - is it scalpers or just limited supply from Hasbro?

[Tilarta]

I got my Sixgun from Kmart a couple days ago (see here for pictures thread):
http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showthread.php?p=609038

There weren't many toys though and there's even less now, it's just two Prowls, looks like the scalpers descended like plague rats and cleaned out most of the larger items.
And I apologise to plague rats for comparing them to Transformer Toy scalpers.

[reillyd]

And I apologise to plague rats for comparing them to Transformer Toy scalpers.

They really get a bad rep. but its really not their fault. See it was the fleas on the rats that spread the plague, and killing the poor rats meant the fleas had to find humans to host them. But I digress.....

[DELTAprime]

I got my Sixgun from Kmart a couple days ago (see here for pictures thread):
http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showthread.php?p=609038

There weren't many toys though and there's even less now, it's just two Prowls, looks like the scalpers descended like plague rats and cleaned out most of the larger items.
And I apologise to plague rats for comparing them to Transformer Toy scalpers.

I wouldn't jump to the conclusion that its scalpers that picked clean the Transformers section. A case of Deluxes only normally has at most 3 maximum of a figure in it. That means it could take only 3 customers to clear out a single case assuming they are all buying a single copy of each figure. There are some people that want multiple figures to display in both modes or to keep one sealed. Also, take into account many stores only get a single case in at a time if they do not meet certain internal sales numbers.

[griffin]

I'd have to agree with that, as I haven't seen a major retailer yet that had more than one case of (eight) Deluxes, which would just cover 2-3 collectors per store (at least one collector will buy a complete set, and 1 or 2 others will be selective and not want all of them).
The last case of scalping with Transformers were the really cheap Generations toys at BigW late last year, that members here saw people filling trolleys with, and then we saw a heap on ebay at full retail price, preventing real fans from getting the toys cheap.

[Tilarta]

I live in a fairly remote area, so not sure what a major city retailer has in stock by comparison for the Siege line.
From my personal impression, judging how little space is dedicated to the Transformer products and the fact the stock is rarely updated, I'm assuming they just don't put a priority on those toys.

I really hope it was just a case of one customer buying one item each that depleted the stock near me.
From my perspective, buying extra toys just to have one in the box and one in vehicle mode is denying those toys to someone who might want one to play with.
Also, keeping them in the box is what scalpers do, so if I ever see an unopened box held by a collector, they've just dropped down to that level of notoriety.


Now for the digression, about fleas and carried infections.
Shortly after our species encountered the mammoths, the fleas from our faithful canine companions transmitted a bloodborne disease to which we and the canines carried an immunity, but the mammoths were not immune and as a result, they all died from it, thereby depriving me of the chance of ever meeting a live mammoth.

[Trent]

I live in a fairly remote area, so not sure what a major city retailer has in stock by comparison for the Siege line.
From my personal impression, judging how little space is dedicated to the Transformer products and the fact the stock is rarely updated, I'm assuming they just don't put a priority on those toys.

I really hope it was just a case of one customer buying one item each that depleted the stock near me.
From my perspective, buying extra toys just to have one in the box and one in vehicle mode is denying those toys to someone who might want one to play with.
Also, keeping them in the box is what scalpers do, so if I ever see an unopened box held by a collector, they've just dropped down to that level of notoriety.


Now for the digression, about fleas and carried infections.
Shortly after our species encountered the mammoths, the fleas from our faithful canine companions transmitted a bloodborne disease to which we and the canines carried an immunity, but the mammoths were not immune and as a result, they all died from it, thereby depriving me of the chance of ever meeting a live mammoth.

So you’re trying to tell people how they should collect their toys and judging those that do so differently to you?


Ok.

[Sinnertwin]

Now for the digression, about fleas and carried infections.
Shortly after our species encountered the mammoths, the fleas from our faithful canine companions transmitted a bloodborne disease to which we and the canines carried an immunity, but the mammoths were not immune and as a result, they all died from it, thereby depriving me of the chance of ever meeting a live mammoth.

[Deonasis]

RIP Big Convoy, miss you buddy.

[griffin]

I really hope it was just a case of one customer buying one item each that depleted the stock near me.
From my perspective, buying extra toys just to have one in the box and one in vehicle mode is denying those toys to someone who might want one to play with.
Also, keeping them in the box is what scalpers do, so if I ever see an unopened box held by a collector, they've just dropped down to that level of notoriety.

Just be aware that there might just be a number of closet collectors that shop there, and are buying up the toys before you get there. And don't be quick to blame people who buy multiples, as there aren't that many of them, and wouldn't make a difference to available retail stock in this country.

Also, be careful with how you refer to different types of collectors, as there are probably many of those ones here, who might judge you as being unfriendly and ignore you when you need answers or help.
Toys may be for the purpose of playing, but for some adult collectors, it is the appearance of the sealed package that excites them... like collectors from my era would love to see or own sealed toys from the first 2 or 3 years of Transformers.

[Tilarta]

This is how it appears from my perspective, if someone acts like a scalper, but then objects to being classified as one due to different motivations, it still doesn't excuse their actions, because it still has the same result, they took extra toys out of stock unnecessarily and prevented someone else from getting one.

And if they wanted to keep their acquisition in the box so badly, then just keep their one toy in the box and I won't fault them for that, as they haven't exceeded their allotted purchase of one.

Mainly I'm concerned because my local stores are so disinterested in stocking Transformer toys, I've actually missed out on several items because they were simply not there and I can't afford to purchase them now at scalper prices.
So if I miss out on a toy because someone cleared the shelves by themselves, naturally I'm going to be a fair bit resentful.

Here's an example, this is a local Toyworld near me:

And there was another shelf just like it on the opposite side.
I'm not saying they need to fill this space with Transformers, but to have two shelves running the half the length of the store and be empty is impractical.