[Saint Phe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jmacq1

Actually no, the secondary market doesn't "intensify consumer interest" in the brand, because the secondary market is fueled almost purely by collectors who are already interested in the brand/product being resold.

To put it another way: If the interest was not already there, they wouldn't be looking on the secondary market for product in the first place. No "new" interest is being generated by the secondary market.

I take that back. The only interest that might get "intensified" by the secondary market is the interest of other scalpers/resellers when they see which figures are commanding higher prices and start hunting for them themselves. It's a vicious circle.

Alright, we don't even have to bring broad sales and marketing principles into this. I'll keep it personal: the whole reason I went back and bought the Odin figure with gold details was because somebody on here told me it was selling for alot on Ebay. And it wasn't even because I wanted to sell it (and I didn't). This Fall when I stand before the new Thundercats figures, I will be significantly more likely to buy them if I know they are quickly disappearing from shelves. I'm a collector and I'm always interested in highly sought after figures. And I'm not alone. Collectors are a vital part of the modern toy business, whether they make up the bulk of sales or not.

Hasbro cares about the secondary market. That after market buzz feeds future sales whether or not you think it makes a sizable impact on their bottom line.

But I did not mean to derail the conversation. I leave it alone now.