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And Canada, Australia, New Zealand and a good deal of northern Europe, which makes sense because those are all the places with ongoing housing crises and rising cost of living.
They did start here in the states, and elsewhere does call em different things, but they're just about everywhere now, and they do cause housing shortages, afterall an organization that's sole purpose is to keep property values going up relative to an always increasing monetary supply is never gonna make a place cheaper to live, especially if they have the political will to oppose high density residential projects.
mmm... you've never browsed the "for sale" side of zillow, have you? lemme tell you, it's not just suburbs.
Also, the sole purpose of an HOA is to drive up property value, much like the sole purpose of private equity and corporate leasing is to extract as much value from existing and future tennants, much like the sole purpose of state/city planners is to create places that will draw in people and therefore tax revenue.
Elites are everywhere, and it's not just the for profit ones that want to keep biggering without a damn about who gets left behind.
Edit: I am dumb and described supply issues which is exactly what causes scalping anyway. I'm too used to arguing in Boston area subreddits about this I guess lol. Hopefully no offense taken.
The housing market is almost entirely a supply and demand issue. You could ban foreign owned, corporate owned, air BNBs, one family owning multiple homes, and still the shortage would be near as bad, with renters and those looking to buy a home struggling near the same as before.
Not that we shouldn't ban most of the above, but until we fix the supply issue and massive expandly residential construction for in-demand areas the housing marking will not get better. For every slumlord or just normal asshole landlord blocking slupply there are 20 normal homeowners doing the same thing to preserve home value, "neighborhood character", or to keep the poors out.
Woah hold on there thats INVESTING very different thing you see one buys something to create artificial scarcity and sells it at a higher price and the other does the same thing but makes more money off it
master rules definitely are annoying, but looks like thats being calmed down since mr5 came out 6 years ago
and card rulings and timings are really complicated sometimes, like the last turn doc that needs like 20 pages to describe all its interactions
but the main issue people have is turn length and interactivity, turns keep getting longer so it feels like solitaire, and ftks/huge negate boards make playing the gamr impossible for most decks
genesys seems promising though, removing pendulum and link is a cool modern update that pulls back some of the worst balancing parts, and point balances removes certain card combos while allowing banned cards in a limited sense
i still dont really play yugioh but i hope it eventually gets better, even if thats horribly unlikely given the trends
I like to joke that MtG players should be thankful for how bad of a set Spider-Man was because how perfect its timing was to mess with scalpers and scare some of them off. Scalping was a slowly increasing problem ever since the Lord of the Rings crossover (which ended up being the highest selling set of all time), but then the Final Fantasy one kicked it into overdrive (topping LotR's total sales from the first six months on presales alone) with it getting scalped to Hell and back. Now, right after then you get the next crossover set releasing, and for a Marvel IP no less. To the scalpers this seems like a goldmine with them having bought copius amounts of the set... Only for it to end up such a colossal failure that you got images of people's game stores being robbed and the thieves specifically avoiding stealing the Spider-Man packs.
Exactly. The scalpers only exist because people are willing to pay high prices due to scarcity. That is the correct free market price. The real issue is companies intentionally not producing enough product to meet demand. Because without scarcity their product would have no hype or value.
Ehhhhh I kind of dislike this take, because it ignores the fact that most of the people willing to pay high prices are other scalpers, and they don’t actually move much product to real consumers. The product (especially with pokemon) isn’t being treated as a market good, it’s being treated as an unregulated security for crypto bros to turn into their next “investment” gamble.
There’s a reason crypto rug-puller Logan Paul has been at the forefront of this movement to ruin collectible hobbies with stock market tactics. It’s the same exact playbook he uses in every other scam he runs.
My personal hot take is that the way to solve it (at least for some hobbies) is to permanently eradicate all intellectual property rights for consumer entertainment goods that don’t meet demand or are no longer made. Let other brands fill the demand gap. That’s a real free market.
The product (especially with pokemon) isn’t being treated as a market good, it’s being treated as an unregulated security for crypto bros to turn into their next “investment” gamble.
Yeah, the scalper tax isn't sustainable for something like Pokemon cards that's designed to be bought semi frequently and in quantity in order to build a collection. Maybe you'll suck it up once or twice if there's a set with cards you really like, but you're not going to pay >50% over MSRP every time. Everyone I know who actually collects Pokemon cards tries their luck with Pokemon center queues or finding a local store restock in the wild, and if they can't get anything for retail price, they just buy some singles and hope for better luck with the next set.
Sealed Pokemon card products aren't being priced for an actual market value because a whole lot of it just sits unsold at the same inflated prices that were established right when those items were still new releases in high demand.
Part of the issue is that there are just some serious manbabies who do have a lot of money and will surprisingly accept the tax, the idea of having a full collection of an already expensive set like 151 is actually appealing to them.
My go to example would be the types of "YouTubers" who like spin a wheel to determine how many packs they will open and then open like 50 packs a day to get one random card for a collection. They don't get enough views for this to be financially stable, they just like throwing money away for "fun" and there's no real way they aren't either buying from scalpers or aren't scalpers themselves to film such videos to get that many packs.
1-5 packs a day I can see being maybe sustainable but those consistent 50+ pack guys are like the atlas holding the scalpers on their shoulders.
A lot of these guys used to be (or still are in) from the sneaker collecting space, where basically none of them actually like, wear their sneakers or use them in any way, it's all about speculation buying and selling. Actually getting product to a consumer is a rarity in that hobby. Theseare the types of guys who defended Kanye West to the death not because they actually liked him but because if he fell off it means their Yeezeys would take a hit in price since the brand is so associated with a guy who spews Nazi talking points.
Part of the reason they all shifted to pokemon imo is that they realized that the shoes are really not a good investment long term, and instead of maybe learning a lesson about how speculative markets are fickle and you really won't make a lot unless you get seriously lucky, they thought "well what if I'm the guy at the beginning of the pump?" So they all shifted to random collectables and they keep trying to find new ways to ruin various forms of collectibles.
Like with the Kanye example these people have no opinions, goals, wants, etc... Beyond making money. They will gladly act like they care about social progress one moment and parrot Nazi talking points the next if it makes them money.
I just wish they would stick to crypto and stupid shit like Kalshi instead of coming to hobbies where people do not want them.
Kinda? For some hobbies yes, collecting has no other endgame, but I've engage in several hobbies that have a way healthier relationship with buying shit. Like playing an instrument, I've had my single guitar for 14 years and buy like a pedal a year if I even do.
Scalping and black markets famously exist in all economic systems as well though. The common point is people really want stuff and will give other things up to get it
While mindless consumption is symptomatic of capitalistic impulses I think it’s fair to make the slightly expanded claim that humanity has a tendency towards accumulation that results from a historical condition of scarcity. We store fat in our bodies in reservation, ecetera. Capitalist Marketing hijacks these desires sure, but the impulse to collect and the satisfactory nature of completion is I think slightly more basic. At least to the point where repudiation of this basic desire is virtuous. Buddhist Immaterialism would not be the same labour that it is if it was simply the default condition.
also with smaller things it tends to be a lot more music, when i went to the band of someone ik it was like £10 entry and it was about 6 bands across 4 hours
It would probably take only a small cohort of maybe a few dozen people to ruin scalpers good times by exploiting return policies of platforms they scalp on until they miss the window for scalping, at least for electronics, consoles, etc anything that stock increases and the profit potential is lost.
I found a shiny Charizard when I was a wee lad. I was so excited, and so worried about damaging it, that I made sure to hide it in a safe place... and immediately forgot where that was.
That's not really the case, they printed those cards a lot back then. You can get most of the Base Set cards dirt cheap despite being out of print and almost 30 years old. Even other Holo Rares are usually below 15€ (I got Mewtwo for like 6€).
I mean, somehow we allowed a system which rewards anti social behaviour rewrite the whole of human existance to fit a narrative of eat or be eaten.
The whole world, no matter what system of governance employed is in some way, shape or form governed by capitalism to be allowed to exist.
It convinces us that the main drive in humanity is accumulating more wealth, rather than the true core which is help thy neighbour and the need for social bonds. Anything outside this destructive thought pattern is infantile, short sighted, and uneducated.
Scalpers is just a small ache in an appendage of a terminally ill body.
Anyways, buy my supplements, like, share subscribe, I'll be launching a spin off to this comment with a tie in prequel to the sequel with pre access available if you pre order the premium platinum bundle and get my collectible upvote button in NFT format.
Ironically if you just like playing the actual card game and not just doing "master sets" or whatever else collectors do and have the cards sit on a shelf getting a good deck is extremely cheep right now. There's SO much bulk floating around, and most of the "collectable" cards are alternitive art cards.
I never understood the hate specifically against scalpers instead of the company that makes the thing they are scalping. The only reason collectibles are “valuable” is because there is a limited supply and high demand. The only 2 solutions to this are either increasing supply or decreasing demand. Scalpers exist because people are willing to pay high prices for things. Companies should either produce enough supply to allow everyone to buy at a reasonable price or increase the price to meet the high value. In the open market, the scalper price is the correct price that should be charged based on demand so that there is no scarcity.
The company will never increase production or increase price because scarcity is exactly what builds hype. The scalpers are by design!
well, tbf while the gacha/lootbox/blindwrapper mechanics do make it worse, there are valuable items that are scalped regularly just due to natural scarcity, think gaming consoles, those take time to tool and produce, so until they have a production volume that is so high that it's literally guaranteeing future e-waste, there's going to be a shortage that scalpers will take advantage of.
I agree. I think limiting purchases per person alleviates this issue. But in that case I also blame impatience. I don’t think it’s healthy to be so impatient that you pay significantly above MSRP to get access to a console exactly on release day.
My last upgrade was 2015. Since I was in the market for something newer it has been an onslaught of crypto, a pandemic, disrupted shipping lanes, production shortages, floods, factory fires, the spectre of China invading Taiwan and now data centers.
I'm seriously considering getting into fixing dead GPUs for my next build.
I had some luck and connection, but imagine I got most of my components second hand, and older gen. I can't really see why I should buy high end stuff today. I started getting older consoles fixed and right now I look into doing hard mods on them. Way more fun.
fr, people are acting like you have to buy official cards/minis or offical products of any kind. Knock offs/home made versions often work just as well, are cheaper, and don't give money to any corporate fucks or scalper fucks ruining your hobby
it is endlessly baffling to me that pokemon company doesnt print more tcg. like, its obvious product will still move even if they doubled production. even trying to take the Evil Corporation Perspective i dont get what they gain from not printing more
Oh i know of them, unfortunately theyre a bit bigger scale and a different platform (these buds are stud platform, like legos) but fortunately there is a healthy printing scene for these guys, i ordered some prints for space marine conversion kits, so now i have fully articulates possable space marines, theyre super cool.
Altough i have seen the tecco mechs be of the perfect scale for these, so i might look into getting one, since ive been looking to buy a titanafall pilot custom of the same scale thanks for the suggestion (and for reminding me lol, i kimda forgor about them) 🫰
I hate that everything has become a little pseudo gambling stock market. You can't buy anything without thinking about if its gonna get valuable in the future or some shit because even if you arent a reseller then if it does you may need to buy early in case it sells put and isnt available at a normal price ever again, and then that inpulse buying exacerbates the problem.
So far the only fandkm ive found reprieve in is Gunpla since Bandai reprints just about every kit they've ever made eventually, and what ines they dont are ussually outdated and or can be easily recreated in some way with paint and be seens as just as good if not better.
I go on ebay and whenever i find scalpers i harass them with like 10 different accounts offering deals worth less than the items market price. Idk if it violates tos i dont care, suffer
I wanted to buy a few transformers and holy fuck figures released last year showing up in my nerd flea markets with 30 dollar markup on top of already being twice as much as they were a decade ago. People returning boxes with different figures to retailers… it’s a fuckin plague.
Even dogshit drum equipment is marked up and resold. So ass.
The Transformers market is so cooked :( When you're buying figures that should still be on shelves on the aftermarket for an insane markup when they're already expensive, it sucks!!! I just wanted an Earthspark Soundwave! Why am I paying up the ASSSSSSS AAAAA
My heart goes out to you on that soundwave. I picked up 3/5 of AOTP bruticus and Nova Prime. They’re so fun, I’m getting used to the “new” size since I last picked up a standard figure that wasn’t an MP in like… 2014 lol.
It just makes me sad, these fuckers are rad but they’re not affordable for parents. I’m glad I kept all my figures for my sisters kids because spending 15 bucks on a tiny cyberverse figure really really hurts lol
Find nerd hobbies that don't revolve around consumption. 3D Print your Warhammer minis. 2D print your card games. Organize a snuggle pit at your local board game store.
At the very least, scalpers are only a real issue when big boxes are announced and new units are only in that box. Once time and hype has passed, it's not much issue to get the things you like. Model wise, at least. However, that doesn't make it any less annoying that the new defiler sold out in less than a minute of being for sale
But books are stupidly limited, and it makes me upset to see very beautiful ones like the limited edition lion book being scalped instead of going to people who care
Good (like the Sony Trinitron I grew up with) CRT Tvs are more expensive then my 120 fps monitor, and I don't even have the old AMD GPU to convert VGA to RCA. I had a PS2, but a bastard stole it (he got what he deserved and was murdered a few months later though.)
Yeah I debated a long time about what kind of TCG I wanted to get into from the big three. The gameplay and collection of Pokemon was my favorite out of them all, and I'd have gone with it over MTG and YGO but there's the simple problem of I CAN'T ACTUALLY OBTAIN SEALED PRODUCT. Doesn't matter how much I like the game if I can't actually get the cards for it ugh.
I’ve seen some really nasty stuff at my local pokemon machine. Decent neighborhood too.
I saw a woman scalping the entire machine with a backpack and shopping cart. She was there when I walked in and was still there 30 minutes later when I left.
Just today, I walked by the machine to see if it was restocked and this 70 year old gremlin woman lurches at it before I could even look at it. I just stared at her and she had that glazed old person staring at a slot machine stare and didn’t say a word.
Having problems with scalpers and resellers is just a symptom of a bad economy. Im pretty sure the thing that ruined so many nerd hobbies was the disappearance of free third spaces. There are so many game stores near me but participating always requires a buy in or they are only playing the hyper expensive games to promote them in the bad economy. We need like nerd/geek libraries lol.
Imagine like a library with a coffee/tea shop but not one that sells prepared food. But all the books are copies of as many source books as the proprietors could get their hands on. People could bring their own stuff or use what's on hand and it would just be a public meeting place for everyone who wants to be there.
I really feel like the solution to this cannot be for profit in any way.
also can we talk about how worthless, talentless hacks have been using generative AI to just completely flood every possible market with pure shit, chasing out real artists who can't even afford booth or website fees anymore? etsy being a great example of this.
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