"Talk About Price Gouging - 533% of Original Price" Topic

I was looking on eBay the other night, and at the bottom of the auctions page, I noticed a link that said up to 70% off various Konami, UFO models, so I clicked on it.

Konami UFO models are going for some pretty crazy prices on eBay, lately.

It took me to Amazon's page, where there was a Konami UFO model (the saucer), listed for $29.99 USD, plus $3.50 USD for shipping from "TheToyVault" in Rhode Island (I determined that from the phone number provided on the link to the product).

I don't have an Amazon account, so I e-mailed the company owner (Dan), and asked if he'd take a direct payment via Paypal. He didn't reply back, so I called the shop the next day, but the person I spoke with was unhelpful.

Then, the following morning, while searching on Yahoo (still hadn't received a reply to my inquiry from the business owner, or anyone else) an ad for Amazon pops up, listing the UFO model for $160 USD, plus $3.50 USD for shipping.

I e-mailed the owner about that, and he finally responded, and claimed he sold the UFO, which obviously wasn't true, and that they no longer had one for sale.

The trouble for the guy is, Amazon and the internet make it really easy to check, and the $160 USD listing is for his UFO, from his store, since the phone number of his shop (area code 401) in Rhode Island is listed on the next page, and the item is still "available". That's how I was able to look the company up in the first place, in order to get the guy's e-mail.

So, another retailer to scratch off my list. I see now, why his Amazon and Yelp ratings are so low.

That is pretty lame. Some folks just can't get out of their own way I suppose. Keep looking. You'll find what you want eventually.

It's only price gouging if you are forced to buy it.

But Mako wanted iiit! 'Stamps foot down petulantly' ;) let's hope you get the cool toy soon Mako.

Mako…Back when I was in short pants, a company named Pyro put out a set of 1/1200 scale plastic kits of WWII battleships and carriers. There were really only four subjects: North Carolina, Essex, Yamato and Shokaku, but the company put the models into different boxes and sold them under different names: North Carolina + Washington, Shokaku + Zuikaku, etc. I had a whole fleet. I think they were $.25 USD each back in 1965.

Last year, Lindberg reissued the old Pyro 1/1200 ships in two sets of two, US battleship + carrier and Japanese battleship + carrier. Each set of two models now costs $39.00 USD. That's a 7800% increase over the 1965 price. I shudder to imagine what mint condition originals would cost.

I know there's been inflation over the past 50 years, and the price of petroleum-based plastics is up more than inflation. But 7800%? I doubt it.

I bought both sets. They're sitting on my shelf waiting to be built. It was worth it to me.

It's only price gouging if you are forced to buy it.

Actually, he found it for a fair price from the same vendor, made an inquiry and then the item was mysteriously "sold" the next day but the vendor offered the same item or one like it I am sure (yeah right!). It is price gouging or at the very least not trading in good faith. It would be hard to prove either way but if one really wanted to take them to task, they could do it…and could potentially win. Amazon probably has the transaction on file. If it is, in fact, a sale, then it will be there. If it is a simple price change, then trouble will be a brewin'!

I was under the impression that when vendors did this sort of thing it was so they could "keep" their spot on Amazon, but price the item so high that no one would actually spend the money on it. So the vendor may indeed have sold the item, jacked the price up so high that no one would buy it, and they keep their spot in Amazon until they get a restock…

Damon.

Maybe the guy works for Martin Shkreli?

They must have been very crummy kits at 25c even in 1965. An Eagle 1/1200th kit cost about 7/6 (£0.37) back then here in the UK which would have been over 2$ in the USA then.

Even at that price it is still a fair old increase but not entirely out of line with some other products that have been off the market and then returned – look at some old railways models and you will see some amazingly high prices paid for limited re-issues of certain classic models.

Remember buying the Monogram 1/35 PzIV kits in all their variations back in the early 70's for $3 USD each. If you can find em they run like $40 USD or more these days.

Back when I was a kid they were toys young boys would buy and build. Now days they are hobby kits us older people still buy at jacked up prices because we make more money now.

Of course now that I think about it look at the grossly inflated prices for a 40K model tank or some of the other wargaming plastic kits.

Toys in the 60s – Cheap.
Same Toys but manufactured now – Expensive.
Opportunity to recapture childhood dreams – Priceless!

LostPict for the win!

I've never run across a 533% markup on anything, that occurred in 36 hours.

I know there's been inflation over the past 50 years, and the price of petroleum-based plastics is up more than inflation. But 7800%? I doubt it.

Inflation since 1965 has been 750%, so 0.25 then is a touch under $2 USD now.

However people's memories aren't great for stuff 50 year's old. How sure can you be that it was 25 cents?

Henh. $.25 USD was a lot of money in my personal economy, back then. I vividly remember counting up my change, then pedaling my clunky Schwinn single-speed bicycle three miles (uphill both ways!) to Roger's Hobby Shop at Swifton Shopping Center. There I'd count out my cash, coin by coin, to purchase another Pyro battleship, or an Airfix Spitfire, or a Revell FW190.

Sigh. Wish I could do it again.

LostPict is right. $39 USD is a bargain to recapture one moment.

"I e-mailed the owner about that, and he finally responded, and claimed he sold the UFO, which obviously wasn't true, and that they no longer had one for sale."

If you'd wanted it for 160$ pretty sure he would have "found" one in stock… ;-)

There's a guy on eBay selling a papo toy western stagecoach for $200 USD as "" vintage" and you can purchase the same toy, same package,etc for $45 USD from Happy Hen toys. Go figure?
Regards
Russ Dunaway

Garand – that's exactly it. Same on eBay too. Easier (I assume) to keep the listing running at a high price than to take down and relist.

Don't worry when I die and go south I ask the Devil where the guy is and punch him in the nose for you. (the guy not the devil)

There seems to be a general mentality with some people that if its a 'collectible' you can think of a number and slap a zero on the end. Books are where I notice it most on Amazon, quite a lot of US sellers wanting hundreds of dollars if not the full thousand for books, particularly UK editions, that aren't even particularly rare or I'd say sought after. (I use ebay quite a bit and if you're using tools its dead easy to save a listing – so I don't really buy the 'needing to keep a listing running' idea)

Most likely you are dealing with a vendor that discovered he had under priced his product. It may be the retail price suggested or even a fair price for what he paid for it, but found out what ever one else was getting for that item.

I have had this happen to me twice at HMGS-east shows with other vendors. I place an order with them for something advertised they carried, with the mark down or discount they are offering, only they find it to be a hot item without the discount, and guess what, they no longer have it to sell to me. I will say, that at least one of dealers did stick to the original deal when questioned about the higher price.

In terms of models, A few years ago I was in a hobby shop that always visit when in Mpls. As I was heading to the check out, I needed to pass the wall of car models, and I noticed a very familiar box from my childhood, one of the first model kits that I purchased with money earned from collecting pop bottles. It was the old 3 in 1 model T kit. When I purchased it as a kid, it cost me $1.25 USD. Now it was $35.00 USD.

It's now marked up at about triple what they generally sell for on eBay.

You can buy six vehicles in a set, which includes the UFO, for $120 USD on eBay, including shipping, so he's "shooting for the moon", so to speak, just like the UFOs did in the TV series.