what is the code for collecting?
 

Not really sure where to post this n sorry if there is a thread up already.

2 weeks ago I ran into a fellow collector at my local tru. We were Jus waiting for the store to open up so we can rush to the aisles n see what new goodies would b on the shelfs. So as we are waiting we began to talk I asked him what he collects n he told me HOT WHEELS n mcfarland sports figures. Then he asked me what I was into n I told him marvel universe n dcuc figures. So he started asking me about what were hot items in those lines n how popular are mu n dcuc figures( I only started collecting for a lil over a year now)

Ok so now you know a lil of the back story.....

Today I was a lil late getting to tru so when I get up to the aisle where all the mu n dc figures were the same guy I had a talk with had a f**king basket full of mu n dc figures the whole wave 15 the x23 wave in his basket plus robin with the head n crouch of bane. I'm a pretty big guy so I asked him hey man what u doing n he says u snooze u lose.... I still remained calm n said r u collecting new stuff now r u just messing around n he said nope I was on eBay last week n seen a few of these on there selling for a good amount n I said what the f**k u d**k I need that whole wave of mu figures u got there n he told me its not his problem .... long story short I'm currently banned from my local tru for taking items out another persons cart lmao... I didn't wanna do anything physical to the guy cuz that means jail time lol

What would my fellow toyarkers do if u were caught in my situation?

I think this really doesn't belong in the Marvel section even though Marvel toys are mentioned. Seriously, though... That's just the way it goes. There is no universally defined "code" for collecting. Don't get me wrong, he's kind of a jerk because he bought a bunch of toys and he's going to resell them but he's right, he got there first. There's nothing illegal about what he's doing. Unethical? Maybe. I wouldn't have done anything. He got there first. How are his reasons for buying them any less valid than my reasons? Yeah, I'm in it to collect, but if it ever comes to the point where I want to thin my collection, am I just as bad if I sell them for the current going rate if it shot up? If I could make $1000 vs $300, should I? Or should I do the "right" thing and sell them for their original value? Am I only "allowed" to sell them for original value plus gas? And how am I any better than he is if I resell these later rather than right away? Don't want to come across sounding like a jerk, but you were right to be banned. You should never have physically put your hands into his basket. That's crossing the line in my book. He bought some toys before you got there, man. He didn't rob the store. Learn your lesson and do it right next time... beat him up in the parking lot. LOL. Just kidding.

I had a guy like that one time! I told him I collected the same exact thing [Sports and Hotwheels, real manly man things]. You can't trust people at any given time. I usually have some mean looking face on, then they just avoid me. It's pretty bad when a 6'2 guy won't make eye contact with a pissed off looking 5'9 guy [me] LOL.

IMO he was just lying to throw you off and already knew what MU figs were hot. You pretty much have to assume EVERY person (who is not a mom with their kids, lol) that waits outside TRU and Target before the door opens in the morning would slit you throat to get a fig before you.

At my TRU every Sunday there is a a trio of dudes who speedwalk to the SW section, grab everything they can and then take everything they have to another aisle where than can sort out amongst themselves who needs what and put whatever they don't want back when their done.

That's just the way it is. They are people in this world who prioritize toys in their life... maybe they have nothing else, maybe they do... who knows. But I have come to realize one universal truth... no matter how much you want a toy... there is someone out there who wants it more than you. LOL.

BTW... I'm kind of tall and slim... nobody is scared of me. LOL.

I think if there is a code of collecting then clearly this guy has broken it, although since he's obviously not actually a collector then he's free to do what he likes.

I'm going to offer up the opposing view though, the other end of the chain. There seems to be a good few threads on here about scalpers, people who buy purely to sell on eBay. I'll be honest, I sometimes feed these people. I live in Europe, where distribution is somewhere between useless and hopeless, I try and pre-order on BBTS, but sometimes they sell out too quickly so I buy said figure on eBay.

I'm sure people in Australia/NZ (and in fact the more remote parts of North America/Asia) do the same. I could argue these people offer a service, essentially when you see your local toystore bare of the newest, most exciting figures, people like me have bought them on eBay.

I apologise, really, I'd love to buy them at retail and if it was a matter of getting up at 6am to do so I would, I can't, and so I pay the market (eBay) value. You don't get the figure, I do and I pay more for the privilege, the difference going to the scalpers who get up early.

The code to collecting is buy what you want/need for your collection, maybe two for one MIP, but otherwise leave it for other buyers/kids.

This dude sounds like he definitely was a scalper and a douche, so probably had no code of ethics at all other than 'you snooze you lose'.

I'm not saying toy buyers need to justify their purchases, but I could understand it if he was picking up for some friends, or other people who would pay him back, but to just screw over a fellow collector like that to make a quick buck is just sad. If he had more than 2 of whatever figures, he could have spared at least one in your direction. Sadly, there's nothing you can do about it as you found out.

The key here is in how many he was buying and for what ends that many multiples are needed. That's what screams scalper here over fellow collector. As such, scalpers have no code of ethics at all.

Selling an item you've had in your collection for what it's valued at much later is by far different than the intent to buy and reduce availability of a figure to maximize profits of your sales online of that same figure. That's market manipulation.

I'll admit I've fed scalpers too. Ebay is a great service if you're in a different country, impatient, or just don't want to shop yourself, but it's one thing to list a bid or buy it now with a minor markup than it is to list something at buy it now for three times the retail +shipping with 5+ in stock just because it's a new figure.

I'd like to see some one pick a fight with an scalper haha

This story reminds me of a friend of mine who has just started to collect. He has told me on several occasions that he's not collecting MU and all because he likes them, he is collecting to turn a profit because of what he has seen on ebay and all. Told him good luck with that. Makes me wonder what TRU were you at, lol.

There is no code, what are we in a secret society of collecting or something? Yea he's probably going to resell at a higher price and be labeled a scalpers, but who cares, if he had the money to buy whatever he bought then that's up to him. He's probably a douche but I can't label him that without knowing him. I'd have politely asked if he could part with whatever you would have needed and if he had a smart comment to say then I would have argued with the guy for being a jerk. I've ran into a couple of collectors who have asked me without even knowing them if I needed what was in their cart. I do the same thing if I already have the figure or don't really need it.

sounds like the guy is not a collector, but a scalper. Especially since he's waiting outside before the store is open.

There is what people should do and what people actually do.

We hope in anything that we do (whether it's collecting, driving, talking whatever) that these two are relatively symmetrical.

Obviously this is not always the case. To the Original Poster: I applaud you for being that person who genuinely trusted another collector and sought that connection and of course, we are all sorry that it did not work out the way it should have.

I dont trust any of you guys. Your after My Toys! You get them after I Get them!



kidding :P

I think there a rule. unwritten rule.
First Come First Serve. Its true. You shouldnt be taking somthing out of sombody elses cart.
On that note, however, I'm pretty sure that guy is a scalper, not a collector.

I go into a target, I see a carnage sitting there and I already have one. Its a coinflip. I'll either leave it for the next guy, or get it and use it in a trade, and sell it on ebay or my lcbs when he becomes less popular. I'm not in it for the money or the value. I'm in it for the action figures and using them as shelf porn and having epic battles. I'm in it for the 6 year old me. lol

if he's saying he's getting them because of the prices he saw on ebay, he's no collector, he's a dirty rat scalper and needs to be dropkicked

1. Be polite.
2. Be efficient.
3. When you see a small child eyeing the same item you are, cede it to them. You probably have connections that they don't.
4. When you see a Tickle Me Elmo-type mom, don't even bother. It's not worth the hassle.
5. Barring 3 and 4, anything on the shelves is fair game. Rule one ALWAYS applies, however.
6. Have a back-up plan.


That's all I've got for now. Might have more later.

I get that this situation can be annoying, but at the same time, there's absolutely nothing you can do. He was there first, he saw them and had them in hand ready to buy. You can't just go up to people and bully them because they're buying stuff you wanted, regardless of what they plan on doing with them. Lets not forget, they're TOYS! It's not worth getting banned from a store over. Would it really have made a difference if he said he was collecting them instead of selling them?

I can recall a time at the height of my collecting, going into a store and finally seeing a toy I've been hunting for awhile for. I can certainly image going into said store and seeing someone walk away from the isle with a cart of 4 and then seeing none on the shelf. Yes I would get annoyed and frustrated that I was so close. But I would know that at least this store now has said item and I can always go back and see if they restock. You have now lost that option.

The scalper code is to buy up all the hot action figures at retail and sell them on eBay for as much as you can get for them.

That sucks. Looks like you should never let the competition know what you're looking for. lol I've showed up late to a toy Isle only to see a cart full of what I need rolling away from me. It sucks but there is always next week. I'd never reach into someone's cart but I would ask them as nice as I could for something out of it. If he was a true Scapler he would have offered to sell them to you after he bought them.

The more collectors I meet, the more I see a Collectors Code umong us. We trade/swap fig for fig no matter the value. Sometimes you end up with something for free when we all get together. The code only works if everyone abides by it. Mostly I see toy collecting as anarchy. I can't help but run to the toy isle every time I enter a store because ther could be someone there grabbing the one thing I want.

thats why they call it a toy HUNT. sometimes you miss and go home hungry. Ive never actually seen a scalper to be honest, but i have run into collectors picking up say, star wars, but never marvel or dc. Am i gonna get up a the crack of dawn to drive down to friggen target? No. But tough s*** if someone else does that and scores it before me. Thats the game of it i guess.

Great points all...@Talisman, rule 3 should always be observed, we are "grown ups" after all. A few months back I saw a dad with his kid, obviously a Marvel fan as he knew every MU character that was on the pegs. I was there a few minutes before them and scored a then-rare Sunfire I was looking to trade. The kid knew the character and his dad knew he was pricey on ebay...long story short I offered it to the kid who was too shy to accept it. I could tell the dad appreciated the gesture. As for scalpers in the aisles, I've seen one or two. It's a bit bizarre and reeks of douche but like a lot of you have said, don't cross the line. They did get there first.

Yea I should have never reached in his car. By the way if he said oh Im buying these for a friend are anything else I wouldn't have said anything else to him but to Jus tell me I snooze u lose Jus pissed me off lol.. BUT I KNEW MY FELLOW TOYARKERS WOULD HAVE SOME GOOD INSIGHT ABOUT THIS SUBJECT THANKS N NEXT TIME I'LL JUS GET THERE ON TIME!! LOL

I'd have told him you were there for the next hot hot Transformer, Bumblebee. In every size class.

Then he could clear the shelves of that junk.

I want to add a little somthing somthing. If he would have told me "You Snooze you Lose", I would calmly walk to the bike section, grab a small bike, walk over to him, and then proceed to beat the piss out of him. I'd then Drag him over to a shelf, set him on fire, and throw him into the pegs. As he's wiggling in pain, I'd say "Youve just become a Pegwarmer, Bitch!" and then my dreamsquence would end

Post of the day right there, haha, good stuff.

I don't know, I kind of enjoyed this one actually..

lol

The Illumi-NERD-i???
The PLASTIC Masons???

That would be epic, especially if it worked.