You're singing MY tune!! It doesn't often happen that I can pick up extras for people in need because I live in the middle of a toy void anomaly, but it seems like a very decent thing to do if you can---plus, kind brothers here have helped me out and a positive karmic return is always welcome. Some people spend a lot of time and money to be certain that they get specific toys (or any other marketable item), and not all of them have kindly intentions of passing on favors. That is part of the hunt for the toys...and it is only going to get worse as the popularity of the types of toys we enjoy increases. It sucks, and it raises the cost of toys for everyone...and an air-sucking dollar doesn't help us stateside boys any either! I also wouldn't think that the producer of any specific toy really enjoys seeing people buy up their goods and then turning around and selling for twice (or more) what they, the creators, make off of it...doesn't quite seem fair...but then again, everything that lives will eventually die, and that seems like a stone-cold ripoff as well... The bottom line for me is, toys that never leave the bag probably should have been in the hands of someone that will give them freedom...it is one thing to keep your golden age comics MIB, or your original Darth Vader on the card, but ziplocks are for sandwiches and weed, and soft vinyl toys need to be set free! Maybe I am just envious of those that can afford to horde??...I think I was born with a dragon's sensibility and a gecko's life...
FLIPPER! kidding! As long as each side feels that they got a good deal, who cares what was traded; & what anybody except the involved parties have to say about it? For that matter, who even cares what I have to say? Also, pdp sold me my 1st kaiju, at a helluva nice price. So he's o-tay in my book.
Is this the confession box? OK, I horde Hazmapos. When I see a lonely one or two Hazmapos someone is disowning I buy them to keep my others company. I think of it as Hazmapo rescue. People just don't understand the Hazmapos or the patience required in collecting them. Yes, the total and utter lack of Hazmapos in the world is due to this bulging Hazmapo party of unwanted misfits in my closet. But I have to say... when I run into the right person who has some of the few I don't, boy can I set him up with some nice early ones. Lulubell currently has some left overs up there and every time I stop by I just know they will eventually be going home with me. As far as headers or bags or boxes... come on people collect the toy not the plastic or the cardboard it came in! I never get that whole smoke free, never taken out of box, scratch on box thing. Paint chip or broken limb sure that is important... but how can you tell if you never took it out of the box and looked at it? But the rest is so anal it makes me almost afraid of asking the person if they want to trade or if they might be interested in some of my pieces.
hey vinyltag, you're a hazmapo collector, huh? cool! me too! got my entire original collection complete, now i been building up a custom collection of them, got some killer ones from paul kaiju, motorbot, henry brazil and others and just this week, got word from DokA that work on my big/little set is about to commence! yay! i'll post pics when it come in but of course by that time, it will have probably been posted on every vinyl toy site knowing the attention a dokA usually gets. the week i got PK's addition to my collection it was weird seeing my custom on other toy sites....just recently went and saw it on PK's own site. you got any customs? i'd love to see 'em! see, i collect extras too but thats what i been doing with them.
+1 It's not a cheap hobby by any means, but I don't see anything wrong per se with buying 2 and then trading or whatever. back in my SW collecting phase, I bought 2 of everything, one to bust open and play with, and the other to keep in its package. What I don't agree with are the people who will buy a bunch of one item, knowing it will be in high demand for whatever reason, and deliberately sit on them for weeks/months/years, keeping them out of circulation and falsely driving the price up. Thats a bunch of crap.
I saw your PK Hazmapo and that is a most excellent custom. I have also seen that Motorbot has done a few. I really should some day get one done but I am still just trying to find the last of the originals. There are tons of those clear and GID Hazmapos out there and I was thinking LASH would rock with his v-color magic on one of those.
if a toy comes out that i dont want to keep at my place, i dont buy it. i also dont order two burritos when i only have enough space in my stomach for one. what the hell would i do with the second? try to trade it for a slice of pizza later?
Exactly! I use to buy 4 or 5 burritos at a time in college, knowing I'd be hungry again in an hour. I also use to buy 20 cheeseburgers, 2 buckets of fries (yes, buckets!) and 4 sodas from McDonald's for dinner on Sunday nights to split with my roommate. I can't believe how much I use to eat back then...
holy shit, 20 cheeseburgers between two dudes? i can't even imagine how big a 'bucket' (especially in the US) of fries is. ps sign me up.
Sadly they discontinued the bucket of fries... It's probably not as large as you're imagining. Probably 8" high and 5" in diameter. A lot of fries, no doubt, but not so much that you don't want more when you're done! Oh, and that whole spread cost $20 on a Sunday!
well, in all honesty, i have picked up a few doubles of rxh minis here and there, but only to eat, never to flip.
I never flipped those cheeseburgers, but someone else did. Didn't bother me though, we both got what we wanted.
I remember one incident. My agent wasn't able to get me a figure as it was sold out the day it released, and I couldn't send money in time. I then see that he sells 3, maybe more I don't know of the same figure on Ebay for twice retail. I found this out, because I bought one. Then checked his feedback. To him, I'm sure it's his business and main source of income, and even if he didn't buy them, they'd probably be sold out before I could pay anyway. I still felt a little ripped off. I will say this though. I've been tempted, I was at the kaiju invades preview and didn't buy any of the RXH minis. because I don't like minis, but the thought of trade bait did cross my mind. Sometimes it can be so hard to find what you really want, that the only reasonable way, short of paying 250, 300 plus is to buy hot figures you have no interest in for a trade. I've never gone there. and I have been disappointed to see it happen. But at the same time I understand.
If you are sufficiently enterprising and ask nicely, you'd be surprised what you can get without paying $250-300... I think I've only paid significantly more than retail on 3 occasions so far.
Great topic. I was thinking about this last week, when I was looking at a dude's trade bait and he had some awesome stuff from Gargamel that I was looking for, but he was asking for stuff from another company. Now I don't collect stuff from that "other" company, but I collect Gargamel (and I suspect the guy doesn't). So, in order to have decent trade bait, I'll have to start buying (more like hoard) I don't collect, when it could go to a true collector? Fuck that.
i just picked up another white flocked skullwing and hoping to trade it for a silver spray glow. sorry if that offends. anyone interested hit me up!
In this particular hobby - I have NEVER purchased with the intent to "flip" or "fliptrade". I have had my opportunities, as we all have, and I have thought about it and passed. The gross overuse of "trade bait" sickens me especially when I see someone who does not collect the said items he or she has up for trade. They merely picked them up for the opportunity to "score" something they are looking for and missed themselves for some reason. With that being said - I am seriously reconsidering my vinyl collecting recently because it has all left a sour taste in my mouth. But that's just me....... now where are those cheese burgers? Oh and Vinyltag, LMK what you want in Hazmapos. I have a few I want to liquidate. Old store stock and all.
