Is Champion's Path The Next Hidden Fates?

[fresco]

@amcgl58

@krill

My issue is more of these self fulfilling loop of scalpers. Due to higher demand, people are buying up a new product intending to sell it for more profit. They are an unnecessary middleman. Because scalpers are scooping up so much product, people are unable to get the product and have to buy from a scalper. This loop repeats itself. Perhaps this is just the new norm moving forward but it’s just annoying knowing someone with 0 interest in the hobby makes himself a middleman that I have to pay to get new still being printed product. I managed to preorder a few at 50$ each so I’m not dealing with these scalpers but the idea annoys still.

To add, its more the idea of a forced addition of ANOTHER middleman rather than the price. From distributor to store to some guy on ebay then to someone who actually wants to open the product. I’m more annoyed at a scalper selling for 80 bucks than a lgs selling for 120.

Every hobby has scalpers but the current atmosphere with pokemon cards and sports cards is toxic with the scalping. On more than 1 occasion, Ive seen and done battle with people who don’t even give the vendor a chance to stock the shelves or the people waiting with them a chance to get anything. They just buy everything and are usually snarky about it.

Yupp, that’s what’s happening here where i live.

[A.P.Speeze]

@crypto

What’s everyone doing with their promo’s? I have a couple, and I do think both have a shot at a 10. People who have snagged some ETB’s, are you opening and grading, or keeping them sealed?

Grade the ones that have a shot at a ten and keep the rest sealed

[gengarguy]

@crypto

What’s everyone doing with their promo’s? I have a couple, and I do think both have a shot at a 10. People who have snagged some ETB’s, are you opening and grading, or keeping them sealed?

I’m grading all of my promos (except the ones that are really bad right out of the box).

[trainerdlyellow]

I don’t understand why TPCi doesn’t print closer to demand with these holiday sets. either don’t gain much from the secondary market hype, do they?

Best I can tell from my outings last week, each Walmart got a case of ETBs (12) and nothing more. Could be for numerous reasons, however. I just don’t think there will be a restock of ETBs (i.e. if you missed out then you missed out.)

[smpratte]

@trainerdlyellow, I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a supply chain issue because of covid.

Even if there wasn’t, there is more demand now than supply. Here is one of my favorite metrics I love using to help people understand supply and demand: In 1999, certain sports card sets didn’t have a release because all the printers were printing pokemon cards, and that still wasn’t enough to meet demand.

[cardgames12345]

Do scalpers ever lower price if struggle to shift? Small hobby stores start off at decent or normal price and then increase the price as more is sold. It is like sold 20 percent increase by 5,sold another 20 percent increase by another 5 ect.But I am glad they limit the amount they sell to people.

But I think the hobby stores only do that if it is flying of the shelf

[trainerdlyellow]

@cardgames12345

Do scalpers ever lower price if struggle to shift?

Scalpers aren’t a monolithic hive mind. Some will adjust prices, some will stay the course.

But typically the over leveraged ones will dump at lower prices first. If enough people in that situation lower prices others may see it as a sign of the asset losing value and decide to get out with 25% profit verses 10%. Well, the smart ones will do that. When the rest dog pile prices will tank.

[Josh]

“Scalpers” are a product of supply/demand capitalism, which incidentally helped build the modern West, and has existed and been practiced for many centuries. There’s little utility in complaining about it, because it won’t go away. In fact we’re all inherently opportunistic creatures by nature so to complain about it is hypocritical.

If scalpers are making you upset I’d suggest getting your preorders in as early as possible. The majority of them are getting their products from the same places you are. Set an alarm if you need to, adapt to the situation and beat them to the punch. Preorders for Champion’s Path in the UK were available online for several days across multiple retailers before they went out of stock.

[missingno]

@Josh

“Scalpers” are a product of supply/demand capitalism, which incidentally helped build the modern West, and has existed and been practiced for many centuries. There’s little utility in complaining about it, because it won’t go away. In fact we’re all inherently opportunistic creatures by nature so to complain about it is hypocritical.

If scalpers are making you upset I’d suggest getting your preorders in as early as possible. The majority of them are getting their products from the same places you are. Set an alarm if you need to, adapt to the situation and beat them to the punch. Preorders for Champion’s Path in the UK were available online for several days across multiple retailers before they went out of stock.

We get it we get it…

It’s COVID’s fault though, every factory probably has less workers operating for TPCi. Less operators=less operating≈less cards.

Oh well at least the scalpers get to salivate over their phones as they charge double the price for a box because “cApiTaliSm”. Let’s face it though if it were any of you doing the scalping it would certainly be ok.

I’m sure their will be more product in the next week or so. For now I’ll be f*cked up before I pay $100 for a box best believe that.

One thing is for sure:
Pokémon is as hot as a Charizard’s fire blast right now.

[trainerdlyellow]

@missingno

@Josh

“Scalpers” are a product of supply/demand capitalism, which incidentally helped build the modern West, and has existed and been practiced for many centuries. There’s little utility in complaining about it, because it won’t go away. In fact we’re all inherently opportunistic creatures by nature so to complain about it is hypocritical.

If scalpers are making you upset I’d suggest getting your preorders in as early as possible. The majority of them are getting their products from the same places you are. Set an alarm if you need to, adapt to the situation and beat them to the punch. Preorders for Champion’s Path in the UK were available online for several days across multiple retailers before they went out of stock.

We get it we get it…

It’s COVID’s fault though, every factory probably has less workers operating for TPCi. Less operators=less operating≈less cards.

Oh well at least the scalpers get to salivate over their phones as they charge double the price for a box because “cApiTaliSm”. Let’s face it though if it were any of you doing the scalping it would certainly be ok.

I’m sure their will be more product in the next week or so. For now I’ll be f*cked up before I pay $100 for a box best believe that.

One thing is for sure:
Pokémon is as hot as a Charizard’s fire blast right now.

I keep hearing this sentiment, but if we compare it to Hidden Fates we may not see a restock of ETBs in particular. I never found any on shelves after release day. The only time they were available this year, that I know of at the least, was through The Pokemon Center website in early February, limit 2 per customer.

TPCi surely realized how sought-after Hidden Fates was. Yet they didn’t seem to increase supply to take advantage of demand. I don’t understand why that happened, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the same thing happened with Champions Path.

[Josh]

@missingno you criticise scalpers but an exchange of goods is a 2-way deal. Is it the scalpers’ fault that there are buyers willing to pay $100 thereby buoying the market at those prices? Anyway there will indeed be a 2nd wave of ETBs in October giving everyone who wants them an opportunity to purchase them if they missed out the first time round. Yet there will still be people who miss out and complain about prices, because apparently everyone is entitled to children’s cardboard and everyone is entitled to buy it at a price that they subjectively determine as being reasonable.

[amcgl58]

@Josh

@missingno you criticise scalpers but an exchange of goods is a 2-way deal. Is it the scalpers’ fault that there are buyers willing to pay $100 thereby buoying the market at those prices? Anyway there will indeed be a 2nd wave of ETBs in October giving everyone who wants them an opportunity to purchase them if they missed out the first time round. Yet there will still be people who miss out and complain about prices, because apparently everyone is entitled to children’s cardboard and everyone is entitled to buy it at a price that they subjectively determine as being reasonable.

You can try to rationalize it all you want but if somebody wakes up at at the crack of dawn and drives to every store in the area to buy up all the product. Just to resell at an exuberant markup. That person is a a flaming dbag.

[fresco]

@Josh

@missingno you criticise scalpers but an exchange of goods is a 2-way deal. Is it the scalpers’ fault that there are buyers willing to pay $100 thereby buoying the market at those prices? Anyway there will indeed be a 2nd wave of ETBs in October giving everyone who wants them an opportunity to purchase them if they missed out the first time round. Yet there will still be people who miss out and complain about prices, because apparently everyone is entitled to children’s cardboard and everyone is entitled to buy it at a price that they subjectively determine as being reasonable.

Once again, someone else missing the point.

So people not wanting to pay x price, even if they could easily could, automatically means “ppl cries because they are being priced out” ? Not everything is black and white.

[missingno]

@Josh

@missingno you criticise scalpers but an exchange of goods is a 2-way deal. Is it the scalpers’ fault that there are buyers willing to pay $100 thereby buoying the market at those prices? Anyway there will indeed be a 2nd wave of ETBs in October giving everyone who wants them an opportunity to purchase them if they missed out the first time round. Yet there will still be people who miss out and complain about prices, because apparently everyone is entitled to children’s cardboard and everyone is entitled to buy it at a price that they subjectively determine as being reasonable.

I didn’t criticize you at all, I was saying it’s covids fault. I get all your technical mumble jumbo but I don’t care, I was simply stating the reality of things.

One thing will always remain the same though:
Scalpers salivate=collectors get annoyed.

But that’s fine after all, we can’t have sunshine without rain amyrite?

[missingno]

@trainerdlyellow

@missingno

We get it we get it…

It’s COVID’s fault though, every factory probably has less workers operating for TPCi. Less operators=less operating≈less cards.

Oh well at least the scalpers get to salivate over their phones as they charge double the price for a box because “cApiTaliSm”. Let’s face it though if it were any of you doing the scalping it would certainly be ok.

I’m sure their will be more product in the next week or so. For now I’ll be f*cked up before I pay $100 for a box best believe that.

One thing is for sure:
Pokémon is as hot as a Charizard’s fire blast right now.

I keep hearing this sentiment, but if we compare it to Hidden Fates we may not see a restock of ETBs in particular. I never found any on shelves after release day. The only time they were available this year, that I know of at the least, was through The Pokemon Center website in early February, limit 2 per customer.

TPCi surely realized how sought-after Hidden Fates was. Yet they didn’t seem to increase supply to take advantage of demand. I don’t understand why that happened, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the same thing happened with Champions Path.

There’s hidden fates product still laying around at my local stores…

[missingno]

“1 per 500 packs”

[jcincy101]

@missingno

“1 per 500 packs”

*Posts pic of me hitting a hole in one*

“1 in 12,000 chance”

What’s your point?

[mcorey777]

@missingno

“1 per 500 packs”

Ya right haha. If you watch mass box openings of 100-1000 packs people are pulling abunch of them. I’m seeing 1 in 100 packs to get a random Zard.

Also I feel people defending the extreme prices of these ETB’s are probably the same people marking them up.

If you want to sell a Champions Path ETB for $100-$200 three to five years from now more power to you!

But trying to instantly wipe out
supply and charge double, triple the price is just a greed thing in my opinion!

Someone else made a good point and it’s somewhat the buyers fault for paying these prices.

It is what it is tho. No big deal. There’s no need for us to stress about it. Just find your product in stores or online. Off eBay

[Josh]

@amcgl58

@Josh

@missingno you criticise scalpers but an exchange of goods is a 2-way deal. Is it the scalpers’ fault that there are buyers willing to pay $100 thereby buoying the market at those prices? Anyway there will indeed be a 2nd wave of ETBs in October giving everyone who wants them an opportunity to purchase them if they missed out the first time round. Yet there will still be people who miss out and complain about prices, because apparently everyone is entitled to children’s cardboard and everyone is entitled to buy it at a price that they subjectively determine as being reasonable.

You can try to rationalize it all you want but if somebody wakes up at at the crack of dawn and drives to every store in the area to buy up all the product. Just to resell at an exuberant markup. That person is a a flaming dbag.

I’m simply speaking from fact, not emotion.

As I’ve already said. You cannot sell something at an exuberant markup without somebody being willing to buy it at that price. People who buy from scalpers fuel the practice and therefore define market prices. Everybody else has an equal opportunity to buy the product they want at the same time as the scalper. Everybody has an equal ability to preorder. If a scalper gets there first, is it their fault or yours? Is the scalper a flaming dbag because he’s depriving you of a human right, or because he bought some Pokemon cards that you really wanted before you?

There’s an underlying premise that people are entitled to luxury non-essential products at a set price that should be defined by some arbitrary moral code, when in practice literally no successful functioning market on this planet has ever worked that way. Supply and demand. TPCi could print more as they saw fit, but the same thing would happen just like it did with Hidden Fates tins this year.

TL;DR you can either whine pointlessly, or adapt your practices around scalpers and a high demand environment to ensure you get the product you want, because these behaviours will continue for as long as the human race exists.

[fazool]

You must be fun at parties