Okay, NOW this discussion is getting GOOD! This stuff NEEDS to be openly talked about!
But really there are a few other members here that are just like him, Angels who bite you in the A$$ while you are listening to their beautiful voice. Veterans too.
Whoa! There is a HUGE difference between someone creating a duplicate eBay account, using it to shill, and trying to sell fake items -- and someone getting the upper hand in a toy deal. Seriously.
There is a particular type of rare Japanese keshi that I collect. I was torn, but I decided to post pictures of them in my collection thread because I wanted to share them with everyone! As I suspected, they caught the attention of MANY people and I've received many PMs about them. Now, I am still ACTIVELY trying to collect these toys! Recently, I had a member PM and ask me where they could get them, how much they were worth, how much should they expect to bid on them.... Uh, what am I supposed to say? Tell him what my top bid would be or what?
What if I told him, "Eh, they are worth about $15" and I then turn around and bid $20. (I DIDN'T do that.) One member here even transplanted pictures of these figures from my collection thread into a "Needs Toys" thread he created to try and get some of these figures.
Ah, how to express what I'm trying to say...
(1) Yes, we're all "friends" here, but you can't expect people to just GIVE you stuff. In a trade, it's YOUR responsibility to make sure you're getting what you want!
(2) We all know that a lot of vintage toys are NOT mint. Having said that, if someone swaps you garbage, but didn't make it clear that it was garbage -- send them a PM immediately, if that doesn't work, call them out!
(3) But, do so at your own RISK! If you aren't honest in your calling out, you may damage future deals with the person -- hell, you may damage it EVEN if you are honest. That's a risk you HAVE to take. Furthermore, be aware that people are watching! If you squeak TOO much, people will hesitate to deal with you.
(4) Communication, communication, communication. Karma, karma, karma. What goes around comes around. There's a balance -- like above -- between when to complain/call out, and when to stay silent. The bottom line is, some are better at wheeling and dealing than others -- but let's NOT confuse it with immoral/illegal things such as lying, stealing, duplicate accounts, shilling, etc.
Also, recently Ericnilla sold CTM a rare NY Cheap Toys figure on ebay. A few weeks later, CTM turned around and sold it at a profit. Shady? Not at all! CTM had EVERY right to do that. Now, some people might disagree with me... and that's where the communication comes in. Let people know how you feel. (Incidentally, when Eric good-heartedly commented on it, CTM lied and said it was a different figure.
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I'm thinking of the case with Arforbes buying a Mordle for $5 and then refusing to sell others for $5. For one thing, not all Mordles have the same availability -- some are more arare than others, and some are more sought after than others. Hunter, you even said yourself that you like these other two BETTER. Now, I'm not saying Hunter is wrong in his opinion -- but he and I disagree and it important to communicate about this! This is an example I would point to where Arforbes was being savvy. (And, incidentally, he did the same thing to me with the Mordles.
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(5) Finally, I struggle BIG TIME with sharing information about toys I am actively collecting... but do so anyhow. I KNOW for a fact that my Web sites have caused some toys I collect to increase in value simply by creating more awareness/demand.
But the value of sharing these toys far outweighs keeping the info secrete. What I'm trying to say is, by sharing this information, the positive results for me have far outweighed the negative!
How you handle yourself with members translates directly to how your transactions go.As for receiving dirty figures from Arforbes... Sending him a PM and trying to work it out privately was definitely the RIGHT thing to do, but if that doesn't work and you are not satisfied with the transaction, you HAVE to take the risk and leave feedback that expresses how you feel. Yes, it's a HUGE risk. For instance, there is one member here, CuttleFishforsale, who I will NEVER do business with because of the feedback he gives people he deals with. This guy JUMPS all over people if they don't ship his stuff IMMEDIATELY. He has even gone so far as to publically call them out as LIARS if their stuff doesn't arrive when he wants it to. However, I'm sure he's had many GREAT transactions as well. Again, how you behave affects how others approach you.
But that's the risk you have to take. If you are not happy with a deal, send the person a PM, get TGB, Jkaris, or someone you both know involved, but ultimately you have to leave feedback that reflects how you feel. It's not fair to complain about it weeks, months, years after the fact.
And as much as we're all friends here, the responsibility still falls on both parties to insure they are happy with a transaction. Don't assume because someone is a veteran member or has a huge collection that they will just throw you deals, let you have the upper hand in a trade, or give you extras. (Although, in my experience this USUALLY is the case!)
Have you ever heard the phrase: Be a defensive driver? Well, even here amongst generally good people, you have to be a "defensive" collector.