Subject:
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Re: Can some confirm Piece????
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.starwars
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Date:
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Sat, 20 Feb 1999 10:06:32 GMT
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Viewed:
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904 times
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Kevin Johnston wrote:
>
> Tom Stangl writes:
> > I ordered a complete set of SW sets, plus an extra Snow Speeder and Speeder
> > Bikes for parts from S@H, because at this point, I'd rather be guaranteed
> > the sets and pay a premium than fight the scalpers for the sets.
>
> I don't expect to be fighting many scalpers; I expect to be competing mostly
> against other eager fans. Scalpers only exist in markets where there is active
> buyer interest.
Um, check EBay for SW Lego sets, and tell me there won't be active buyer
interest, especially if speculators buy out stock. That's why I'm hoping
TLG is ramping up to saturate the market quickly, to stop short-term
speculators cold. I DO want to be able to buy multiple sets for parts, and
be able to trade with others that are able to do the same.
> > Though that does NOT mean that I'm going to do my best to find out the
> > stocking days/times for my local Targets, so I can buy every copy I can of
> > certain SW sets.
>
> *??* I'm sure you "can" buy hundreds by year's end, and thousands next year.
> It's not going to be like the Kenner Slave Leia figure which took a year to
> reach saturation. Regardless: if you want to buy all you can, call Shop @
> Home....
>
> Secondly... "every copy" you can? If you're fighting the scalpers, who am *I*
> fighting; the scalpers... or people like you?
In MY case, every copy I can means every one I can afford, which is not
much at all. I'm no LarryP or GaryI here ;-)
> > I sure do hope that TLG is ramping up MAJOR production, so the early
> > scalpers lose their shirts as the supply keeps up with the demand. I don't
> > want the scalpers receiving any satisfaction for at least 5 years.
>
> Hmmm. I don't know of any scalpers that hang onto their stock for five years
> (well, maybe the bad ones ;) ). It's by definition a short-turnaround-time
> activity. If the supply is adequate (which I believe it will be by late
> summer, if not sooner), they will simply move on, not hang about for five
> years.
>
> > Of course, that is NOT going to stop me from socking away 2 complete SW
> > sets - one for ME, one to sell in 2-3 years to pay off ALL the SW sets
> > bought up until that time. And selling a complete set WILL pay off the
> > 4-10 sets I'll have bought for parts, you can count on it. Especially if
> > it is sold on Ebay.
>
> Pardon me, but, in case it's not already clear, I'm getting a bit of cognitive
> dissonance here. You're concerned about scalpers beating you to the punch (and
> damn them anyway for not wanting to build the sets!).... and hope they can't
> get returns for 5 years... yet you're eagerly looking forward to significant
> profits (from stock you're not going to build...) in 2-3 years time?
Yeahyeah, I should have said in 5-6 years ;-) Though it wouldn't bother me
a bit if the sets were still on the market then, and I couldn't make any
profit, as I'd just build the sets at that point. But it WOULD be nice to
pay off the sets in 5-6 years. That'd give any RTL/LUGnetter plenty of
time to get their own before I "scalped" mine.
> Might I suggest that many of the sets being released this year will in fact
> still be regular issues in 2-3 years, possibly even 4-5 years' time for some?
> Esp. many of the classic SW sets from this year, which are *signature* vehicles
> that could well be marketed like the popular Lego sets of yore, when 4-5 yr.
> production cycles were common.
>
> Might I also suggest that even if the cycle is more standard, and you believe
> you can sell them for a premium in three years' time, that you invest your
> money more wisely for, say, two years, and pick up the sets for resale during
> the *end* of their production run, instead of the beginning?
With my cash flow, I need to get them when the money is available - if it's
now, I get them now. I have found with many items in my lifetime that if I
say "nah, I can buy it in 3 months", it ISN'T THERE in 3 months, and then
if I really want it, I pay a premium. I LUCKILY bought one of the last 5
or so 8880s available at LIC/MOA, and I was REAL happy I for once said
"screw it, buy it NOW, not later", as I wouldn't pay $200 for one now.
Now if TLG were nice enough to set up an AFOL Club, and actually WARN us
"Oh, BTW, the last production day of set X is Y, and worldwide stock is Z",
so we would have a SLIGHT clue about when things might get scarce, I might
wait. But I don't see them doing that. The 8880s dried up amazingly fast,
in a matter of weeks, HOURS towards the end.
Ignore any inconsistencies in the above, I'm on painkillers, it's late, and
I'm rambling ;-)
--
Tom Stangl
***http://www.vfaq.com/
***DSM Visual FAQ home
***http://ba.dsm.org/
***SF Bay Area DSMs
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Message has 2 Replies:
 | | Re: Can some confirm Piece????
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| "Tom Stangl, VFAQman" wrote: >Now if TLG were nice enough to set up an AFOL Club, and actually WARN us ^^^^ can you expand that for me.. thanks --justin (26 years ago, 20-Feb-99, to lugnet.starwars)
| | | Re: Can some confirm Piece????
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| Thanks for the reply, Tom-- I don't have much to add, except, yes, the auctions on eBay set my teeth on edge too. ;-) Sorry if I came across harsh. Believe me, I've already experienced the worst of this, from the action figure side. It's my firm (...) (26 years ago, 21-Feb-99, to lugnet.starwars)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: Can some confirm Piece????
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| (...) I don't expect to be fighting many scalpers; I expect to be competing mostly against other eager fans. Scalpers only exist in markets where there is active buyer interest. (...) *??* I'm sure you "can" buy hundreds by year's end, and thousands (...) (26 years ago, 18-Feb-99, to lugnet.starwars)
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