Still waiting for the email

I don't mind paying this price as long it goes to the artist.
I think Shigeru deserve the retail price now. Not letting the flipper to gain to much profit from his toys.
By this, hope he can create more toys and stay focus on his work.

Yeah, he's special.

I think Shig should raise the price even more to over $2000+. This way none of the flippers will be able to gain profit and it all goes to Shig.

It terms of curbing flipping, it doesn't really matter what retail is. By their nature, and business model, resellers will always charge more, thus ensuring profit. If anything, selling them outrageously high to start with almost makes it a certain bet to rake in more cash on aftermarket. The only real question in the equation is whether there is a ceiling to what 'collectors' [cough] will pay; and history has shown us that there is not.

The best way to curb flipping isn't raising prices to even stupider levels. Maybe creating open runs and get medicom to do a release would be more effective?

There's a bubble here and it's going to be very fun watching it pop.

A buddy of mine got his email last week.. I'm sorry to deliver the disappointing news. I'm not sure if there will be a second round of emails for people who don't pay up though (I imagine there must be a couple with this price) so maybe you might have a chance?

Think he's taking about the 3 eyed ones that just ended.

Ahh gotcha, gotcha

I just stumbled upon this article about flipping on the Guardian website.
For a UK newspaper i was surprised when Japanese Vinyl and Skullbrain were mentioned.
I dont think her comment about 'true collectors' is correct . . . .

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2 ... 27/news.g2

we're exposed !!!

Ha! That is exactly what I was thinking. Very odd and random to see our little group pop up there, but I can't help but think it is in connection to the 'wrong' ideas of the hobby - though, I have to say, at least the mention is a context about the right things (i.e. we do not tolerate flipping..... openly....)

I do have to take issue with several points Oliver's article makes. For one, it doesn't really get into the details of flipping, or more importantly, how it hurts any collecting community. I think choosing examples of high fashion/trends/celebrity/etc., is exactly the kind of BS that hurts any kind of market. To buy something solely for status or because so-and-so is porting it, or it is going to earn you some ridiculous 'cred' in your opinion in the eyes of others, is sad and completely against why I think you should own something. Yeah, that is the way the world may be now, but not, at least, why I am buying these silly toys. And yes, those same perspectives are exactly what are causing flipping and idiotic behaviour in the vinyl scene as well; so in that way, Oliver is correct. Still, retailers allowing an entire family to buy a limited edition print for instance, or the author's own friend doing the same, does point to a general acceptance of the existence of flipping. Whether we like it or not, it arises as a direct result of the consumerist drive and capitalism pervading culture now, and the free market will always support this because of huge gaps in disposable income. I completely disagree with the closing line however,

That article appears to be over 8 years old? Just sayin'...

Dear old Shig is flipping himself, moebius style.
But as a true artist, he's entitled to do it
Or it has to do about the time it takes to paint eyes again.

How must he laugh hard each time he receives a Paypal payment.
But wait, did he notice Paypal takes 4% from him !
He loses 3200 yen per toy ! One third the real value of his toys !
Someone should tell him.

Still relevant.


Hahaha!

I think Paypal may be the real winner here.


Didn't mean to suggest otherwise, just wanted to point it out in case other people may have missed it just like I did myself at first...

No worries, i missed it too. I was all excited to see SB mentioned in mainstream media, so i did'nt notice the date.

Anyway, apologies for the thread de-rail.
Back to the expensive toys . . . .

As one final derail, because honestly, I think this conversational is as worthwhile having as any (particularly for stuff coming from the Nag thread), I thought the point of the article being eight years old is also worth highlighting for the fact that this describes the situation as it was a fair amount of time ago (in the short life of 'internet things') when the forum was still somewhat new, and it can be argued, internet commerce was also at a different stage then it is now. If anything, it is worth mentioning here to bring up how SB was very anti-flipping early on, something we should hold up to be respected now, in a time when it has gone much worse. The greater attention to the hobby and the more availability of 'art' toys has really changed this scene to be more like other traditional collectible markets (e.g. sneakers). Not that flipping is tolerated now by any means on this board, but the people who openly decry it on here tend to be those who have been in it for a while. I think there is an extra lesson in that, especially for 'newcomers' to SB. The timely focus on Kaws was one thing I found interesting, looking back. Or probably I am just waxing philosophic, because in the end we all know it {flipping} is going to continue. If anyone - for example, the 'friend' who contributed this little tidbit to the piece (thank you for that, whomever! ) - wants to speak up, I think there is always a worthy discussion to be had.

Okay, I will let it go now. Back to Nag bashing/adoring, as is your preference.

I am curious about how much you consent to pay your domestic help...

I have a needle

If there's a bubble here, it's been inflating for years and years. Haven't people been pining for or at least predicting the *pop* since the very beginning, when ye olde Alice ignited the hype?

There's a bubble and it does not smell good inside.

"Reek! My name is Reek!"

Hahaha.

I learn to stay focus on this hobby. Only buy specific toy that I really like. How many times in a year do you think that Shigeru sell his toy? As I remember this year there are only 2 lotto which are nagball and new genjin. I do hope to win both but I didn't. Hope to win next time.