Heard at Target

[Mamaw]

I am sure this type of deal is not new to you but I was in Target in Jacksonville, Fla. when I heard one clerk telling about one woman buying all of a certain toy and that she had gone to another and bought all of theirs. The clerk wanted the store to keep a couple to sell other customers but the manager said sell all. The clerks guessed when they didn't sell on e-bay because that was what the customer was going to do that they would be returned. I can see the side of the manger wanting to sell and yet a shortage is created and your kids wants that toy and some parents will pay the price.

[disneysteve]

When there is a hot toy in big demand from collectors and resellers, some stores will put limits on sales but many won't. If you want one, you need to be in the right place at the right time. If not, there is always ebay.

[kork13]

Didn't this happen last year with the new tickle-me-elmo toy? Might have been 2 years ago.... but i remember that stupid thing being a huge deal, and people got in fights because somebody bought the last one, or wanted to buy multiple ones.

[PrincessPerky]

oh good grief, parents need to not worry so much about getting the 'hot toy' and then folks would stop buying all the toys in hopes of resale.

I don't care how cool a thing is I am not paying double or quadruple the store price (heck I am not sure I would pay the store price!)

Half the toys that are so 'cool' they get bought out, are not much fun. anyone still play with tickle me elmo? or a furby? I think I got legos the first year furby came out.. my kids still play with them. Much more worthwhile to buy what will last than a hot item that wont last.

[poundwise]

I think that whole mentality is asinine. People pay exorbitant amounts of money for a doll, video game system, etc. simply because they, or their little darling(s), want one (and want it now) but they have been beaten to the punch by other gift givers and opportunists who have snapped them up.

If there is a 'run' on a certain toy or game for Christmas, and you can't find it, then just get something else and then buy the particular, desired item after Christmas when it is back on the shelves, available at the standard pricing.

[Broken Arrow]

Oh man, this reminds me of back in the day with Cabbage Patch Dolls. I don't understand why they were such a big deal, but all I remember was that our family went to this flea market warehouse that we've never been to, and they just opened the boxes there, put up a giant sign written in Sharpie, and sold them on the spot.

And the crazy part? The warehouse was SWAMPED with people. There was no line. There was just a mob of people circling the huge stack, each of them holding up cash and yelling above the noise for which one they wanted to buy. A couple of workers climbed up the warehouse rack to reach the ones that were up high. It was surreal.

[click4credit]

yes i agree.

[kork13]

I think I got legos the first year furby came out.. my kids still play with them. Much more worthwhile to buy what will last than a hot item that wont last.

YEA! Legos! Now THAT'S a REAL toy worth getting! ^_^ My brothers and I were given legos quite a bit, and over about 15 years of it all, we ended up with a big box (~16 cu. ft) of them. So we finally stopped buying them, but we kept building stuff. Even through and out of college, I still have a few lego models in my room.

[boosami]

A coworker of mine did that recently with a pokemon-like toy. He bought up all of the stock from nearby retail stores, and sold them off for about a 30% markup on eBay.

I had a former coworker do the same when the latest generation gaming consoles came out... He bought 5 of each kind (XBOX360, PS3, Wii) through a concerted effort and sold them at inflated prices when retailers ran dry. He was left with three consoles and several games and accessories for each without spending a net dime.

[disneysteve]

You guys clearly aren't collectors/dealers/entrepreneurs. There is LOTS of money to be made buying and selling common items. This has always been true but ever since ebay came along, it is even moreso. Many items are released in limited number that doesn't come close to meeting demand. I see nothing wrong with an enterprising person taking advantage of that fact to make some money. I've certainly done it over the years, though I don't sell very often anymore.

The same thing happens on Black Friday each year when people line up at 5 am to get that super bargain computer or other item and then turn around and sell it for a profit.

With collectible items, it is even better. When an item came out that I wanted, I would buy 3 or 4. I would then sell 2 or 3 at enough profit that I could keep one for my own collection at no net cost.

[kork13]

You guys clearly aren't collectors/dealers/entrepreneurs. There is LOTS of money to be made buying and selling common items.

Okay, but.... Tickle Me Elmo? Really? I mean REALLY?!? lol

[disneysteve]

Okay, but.... Tickle Me Elmo? Really? I mean REALLY?!? lol

No worse than Cabbage Patch dolls or Beanie Babies or numerous others things. It isn't the item that matters. It is the demand for the item that matters.

[poundwise]

You guys clearly aren't ... entrepreneurs.

I've got nothing against the people who turn a profit on the scheme. I just think such efforts are reliant on the idiocy of the masses to drive a customer base. (Hmm... that's not a bad play, actually.)

"Nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public." - H.L. Mencken

"There's a sucker born every minute" - P.T. Barnum

[SnoopyCool]

You guys forgot Furby!

Anyway, OP, this very thing has me irritated recently, as I started doing the Walgreens coupon thing where you can get stuff for free or for money back, and when I go to get the merchandise someone has already bought all of it. Grrrr....

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

I think that is a little different with Walgreens. They aren't fad items, as you know. I think Walgreens just makes no effort at all to keep on the shelves the things they have advertised with rebates. At least that is my experience. The most they will do for me here when I inquire about empty shelves is say, "We get deliveries on Thursday. You could try again then."