Flipping Convention Exclusives?, I hope I'm not walking into a landmine here... Options

[D Buster Prime]

I'm probably painting myself as a "scalper" for even asking this, but I'm considering selling off some of my (er...my wife's) Botcon stuff in order to help make back some of the costs of the trip.

Do convention goers ever unload their exclusives right at the convention itself? Do any of the dealers regularly buy them for a fixed price? I noticed that BBTS has preorders for the convention exclusives, and I would think that they get their supply from people attending the convention.

This isn't an offer to sell to anybody here. I'm just trying to get a handle on what customary practice is. Ideally, I could get rid of some stuff right at the convention, so I can have more room in my luggage for the other stuff I buy for myself. I really hope I can get some good deals on Arms Microns! Yay!!!!

[G.B.Blackrock]

I'm probably painting myself as a "scalper" for even asking this, but I'm considering selling off some of my (er...my wife's) Botcon stuff in order to help make back some of the costs of the trip.

Do convention goers ever unload their exclusives right at the convention itself? Do any of the dealers regularly buy them for a fixed price? I noticed that BBTS has preorders for the convention exclusives, and I would think that they get their supply from people attending the convention.

This isn't an offer to sell to anybody here. I'm just trying to get a handle on what customary practice is. Ideally, I could get rid of some stuff right at the convention, so I can have more room in my luggage for the other stuff I buy for myself. I really hope I can get some good deals on Arms Microns! Yay!!!!

I can't speak to the "fixed price" nature of dealers buying exclusives at the convention, but a great many of them will offer store credit.

[Axaday]

I think BBTS isn't going to be there, right? I sold my bagged set to them in 2008. I had to look harder for someone that would buy SG Blurr without whoever he came with, but I found it. You might get more on eBay, but it's pretty handy to hand them off at the Con and someone with a table has a good chance of finding a buyer and flipping it quick themselves.

[Walky]

I "flipped" my clear Mirage so I could buy a Glit/Sundor/Rosanna set back in 2007. I got cash for that at the time. Dunno if that's as common these days.

In a twist of irony, buying that set resulted in SG Ravage, which resulted in me being more engrossed in SG, which resulted in me purchasing the OTHER clear Mirage for more than I originally paid for the Kiss Players set.

Dammit.

[Daggor]

Have no shame - I have flipped several sets over the years to offset costs, and it has been a common practice. Some even put Ebay auctions up before the con.

[MrBlud]

A lot of people seem to be trying to sell the boxset (not with much success it seems like).

You'll probably have a better shot with the at-con exclusives.

This post has been edited by MrBlud: Apr 13 2012, 07:22 AM

[G.B.Blackrock]

A lot of people seem to be trying to sell the boxset (not with much success it seems like).

You'll probably have a better shot with the at-con exclusives.

I, personally, find pre-convention sales distasteful (to say nothing of the fact that they skirt eBay's rules, although the current batch are technically legal, since the convention is now less than 30 days away). I don't know if I'm the only one, but I'd be curious to see what sales, even of the box set, look like after the convention. Especially if they do actually sell out from Fun Pub between now and then.

[CORVUS]

Agreed. I have no issue with post-con exclusive flipping, and I'll tell you why: these aren't retail items. Part of my distaste for scalping revolves around taking toys out of the hands of kids, whether literally or figuratively.

[G.B.Blackrock]

Agreed. I have no issue with post-con exclusive flipping, and I'll tell you why: these aren't retail items. Part of my distaste for scalping revolves around taking toys out of the hands of kids, whether literally or figuratively.

Hey, Walky! Have you ever done a Shortpacked! where some jerk snatched a rare toy out of a kid's hand?

[Walky]

Not yet, no.

[CORVUS]

Yeah, you need to, since we hear anecdotal tales of people literally taking a toy from a child's hand so they can buy it. Get to work! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/icon-fire.gif)

[D Buster Prime]

Would you recommend against buying additional loose sets for flipping as well?

[▲ndrusi]

I expected this thread to be complaining about exclusives, with "flipping" being self-censoring.

[Walky]

The once or twice I took the time and effort to buy a loose set to sell it, it sold for about what I bought it for. So I don't anymore.

Morally, I don't see any problem with it. I don't think buying a loose set to sell is conceivably "scalping," as to get one you have to be buying a box set anyway. You're not robbing that loose set from a person who won't otherwise be getting a set. If anything, you're spreading the toys around wider than they would have been otherwise, and likely more cheaply than the boxed set.

[G.B.Blackrock]

The once or twice I took the time and effort to buy a loose set to sell it, it sold for about what I bought it for. So I don't anymore.

Morally, I don't see any problem with it. I don't think buying a loose set to sell is conceivably "scalping," as to get one you have to be buying a box set anyway. You're not robbing that loose set from a person who won't otherwise be getting a set. If anything, you're spreading the toys around wider than they would have been otherwise, and likely more cheaply than the boxed set.

Personally, I buy a loose set to keep, but sell the box set (usually for about what I bought it for, but sometimes more). I do this mostly so I can get the toys for the loose set price, since one can't buy loose sets without having purchased a box set.

And, frankly, I don't care about the boxes. They're beautiful, sure, but they take up tons of space. Actually, they're TOO beautiful. If I kept them (as I do for club exclusives), I tend to feel obligated to keep my toys in them, and I generally prefer to keep toys on display.

[Walky]

As I pile up more and more box set boxes, my brain is warring over whether adding to my pile is kinda sweet-ass or whether I'd rather have the space.

It's the BW Dinobot mold effect.

[Solarstorm]

I "flipped" my clear Mirage so I could buy a Glit/Sundor/Rosanna set back in 2007. I got cash for that at the time. Dunno if that's as common these days.

I did the same. Though mine was via Ebay, though. I had the auction set before heading out for dinner/the Stan Bush concert. It sold in a few hours for $100. I'm surprised it sold so fast, as it was the worst toy of the 2007 convention.

This post has been edited by Solarstorm: Apr 13 2012, 02:51 PM

[Mouse_Pad]

The sooner you list your toys, the more you'll get for them. You might even be able to do a high BIN price. Some people have more money than patience. The going price tends to drop shortly after the convention, and it takes a while for it to start to go back up.

I did pretty well selling a G2 Redux bagged set piece by piece. I didn't do so well with Wings of Honor, but I got back what I paid for it. Those are the only sets I've tried to sell.

[Sean Whitmore]

Personally, I buy a loose set to keep, but sell the box set (usually for about what I bought it for, but sometimes more). I do this mostly so I can get the toys for the loose set price, since one can't buy loose sets without having purchased a box set.

And, frankly, I don't care about the boxes. They're beautiful, sure, but they take up tons of space. Actually, they're TOO beautiful. If I kept them (as I do for club exclusives), I tend to feel obligated to keep my toys in them, and I generally prefer to keep toys on display.

Damn, that's a good idea.

I was just going to toss the box this year instead of shipping it home, but if I could sell it to someone and keep a loose set for myself, it would feel a lot less like a waste (because they are beautiful, but when you have 4 or 5 of them it gets ridiculous).

[Might Gaine]

It is not frowned upon, especially for just one or two of each item.