HasLab War for Cybertron Unicron: Production Update #4 – Packaging & Distribution Testing

Cjracer

scalp·er
/ˈskalpər/
noun

• 1.a person who resells shares or tickets at a large or quick profit.

I bet you're that fella who starts a speech with, "Webster defines a [concept of choice] as…"

CannibalChow

Scalping I've always learned is charging ridiculous prices for a product that isn't worth the amount wanted while still being available or in short supply.
BBTS, TF Source, and a few others will have extras for sale once the Pre-Orders ship since according to those earlier in the thread that either work at said retailers or know owners of other retailers said there'll be extras for sale.
Scalping is just a term used more than ever now for insane prices on things that shouldn't be hiked so much.
Xbox Series Xs or PS5s scalped in the hundreds and on eBay and other places selling for $1500-2500 and so on.
Essentially the word has broader meaning than it used to have, it isn't just for out of stock items, it can be thrown at those charging ridiculous amounts.
This is just from what I've seen the word being used as, either way Scalpers are terrible.
I'm still kinda laughing at the 2 scalpers that bought 2000 PS5s had all those PS5s stolen after bragging about it on social media.
Scalpers get what they deserve go being terrible people.  

Uh-huh. But, again, in the specific case of made to order, campaign funded, HasLab projects, a scalper is not directly altering the value or percieved value of demand for an item by directly limiting the supply.

A guy walks into Target and clears out all the Skywarp/Thundercracker two packs in the tri-county area, what he has done is further bottle neck a collector's options. You either buy from him or one of his buddies on eBay or you waste time and resources expanding your hunt into other areas and create demand [competition] in those areas that wouldn't exist if said scalper hadn't wiped your area clean. Or you go without.

Target doesn't care because, as far they're concerned, they are selling their 120,000 units ordered regardless of who is buying them. These resellers hurt the collectors in their area.

A HasLab campaign pops up, they tell you, "We need 1200 of you to commit to buying this figure for $600. You have this many days to pledge and we will fill every order so long as it is paid for when the window to purchase closes. If 1200 orders happen, great, we hit our target and all 1200 are made. If 120,000 get ordered, even better. All 120,000 will get made and distributed to their buyers."

Every one had options to purchase. There was no strangle hold on the market by scalpers who bought up excessive numbers. You never went to HasLab or BBTS and were told, "Sorry, we had six more to sell, but that guy bought them all just before you". In fact, in this regard, those resellers, BBTS and the like included, helped this campaign get its pledges to that 1200 target.

You were never denied a chance to buy this set from HasLab because a scalper beat you to the order first.

This isn't scalping in our conventional use of the word in toy collecting. Yes, it's a shade of grey but you as a collector were never hurt by some guy out there buying many of these to resell later because you had a chance to buy through many other options during the campaign's window of opportunity. As I said, those people actually helped you because they drove the orders up to the minimum threshold. They helped make get this figure made.

If you're paying $2000.00 now, you've only yourself to blame. But it's no different than buying any other toy after your window of retail opportunity for more than original retail.

Also, using Playstations and XBoxes as a counterpoint is silly. Why? Because unlike toys that may see one or two production runs and global distribution, these consoles will be in production for the next five to seven years. Only idiots would pay the have to have it now rates of secondhand retail and scalping. But fools and money are what they are. Especially knowing that eventually all consoles will go to discount. Some people may never see a Skywarp and Thundercracker boxer at retail but I bet everyone who lives long enough will find an XBox for a considerably discounted price in the electronics department at some point.

Hicks_Royel

I can't wrap my head around the idea of calling someone reselling a made to order item "scalper". Profiteering in a capitalist market now that the order window is closed? Probably. Scalping, no.

There was no finite production number during the campaign window. There was no, "we need 1200 orders to start this into production but we are only going to produce 3600 in all. So, get your orders in now."

If that had been the case and one person had cornered 1200 units to sell for five times retail to a demanding market denied other options of purchase? Yes, that would be scalping. But, no, this is not scalping.

Scalping I've always learned is charging ridiculous prices for a product that isn't worth the amount wanted while still being available or in short supply.
BBTS, TF Source, and a few others will have extras for sale once the Pre-Orders ship since according to those earlier in the thread that either work at said retailers or know owners of other retailers said there'll be extras for sale.
Scalping is just a term used more than ever now for insane prices on things that shouldn't be hiked so much.
Xbox Series Xs or PS5s scalped in the hundreds and on eBay and other places selling for $1500-2500 and so on.
Essentially the word has broader meaning than it used to have, it isn't just for out of stock items, it can be thrown at those charging ridiculous amounts.
This is just from what I've seen the word being used as, either way Scalpers are terrible.
I'm still kinda laughing at the 2 scalpers that bought 2000 PS5s had all those PS5s stolen after bragging about it on social media.
Scalpers get what they deserve go being terrible people.  

CannibalChow

These scalpers man, I'm surprised people are paying that much when the Online Retailers are still having some spots open up.
BBTS, TFSource, etc.

I can't wrap my head around the idea of calling someone reselling a made to order item "scalper". Profiteering in a capitalist market now that the order window is closed? Probably. Scalping, no.

There was no finite production number during the campaign window. There was no, "we need 1200 orders to start this into production but we are only going to produce 3600 in all. So, get your orders in now."

If that had been the case and one person had cornered 1200 units to sell for five times retail to a demanding market denied other options of purchase? Yes, that would be scalping. But, no, this is not scalping.

CannibalChow

Oh yeah that reminds me, look at the price hike for aftermarket here:
haslab unicron | eBay
$1900-2000
HAHAHA

Holy cow… I checked the sold listings and people are buying them dang. Saw one for a cancelation listing. Must have bought someone's deposit to take over which was smart of the seller.

I found more good memes:

View attachment 28931889 View attachment 28931890

Only now, people wish it was only $850, lol

pokemonsdoom

Unicron Is my most awaited figure this year and last year. I did my best to survive 2020 just for him.

This figure is actually what got me in TF. I've been a fan of Orson Welles for quite a while and was aware of his role, but didn't really give it much of a second chance until I caught wind of this figure. The PSG episode also helped peak my interest.

The funny thing is that I initially passed on him since I didn't want to fall into collecting until the original window had passed (a shelf warming POTP Skrapnel at the store I work at was my first figure). So I'm glad that BBTS had pre-orders reopen so I could get him.

I'm just glad to have secured one. It would have felt like a massive gaping wound in my TF collection. I have the G1 recolor of the Armada mold, which isn't bad, but yeah… This IS Unicron.

pokemonsdoom

Unicron Is my most awaited figure this year and last year. I did my best to survive 2020 just for him.

Lol same

I'm getting really excited for this. I know we're a couple of months away, but I just got Combiner Wars Devastator in the mail. He's huge. And Unicron is going to be even bigger.

pokemonsdoom

Si

Sideways is an obsessives liar and I dont talk to drones.

Hook Line & Sinker are far from drones, they were Unicron's personal guard albeit very into fishing for some reason.