I tried a lil' something this year that worked out well for me.
During the big UGH spring we had this year I not surprisingly noted several greedy scalpers were going straight to SW sections to nabb UGH figs in stores.
Though I got my set, I was trying to get more for not-so fortunate other collectors(not scalpers). I noticed a couple times I had not gone to a store the night before and arrived the next day to find 10-20 cases
of UGH cases stripped of their 2 UGh per case. When I found out 'through the grapevine' it was the scalpers' doing
- I got pissed and decided I was going to do something about it. I confronted the Scalpers to confirm my suspicions. Instead of doing anything stupid, I devised a plan to USE scalpers greed as my ally. What happened next is what I'm still currently doing...oh, and it's working quite well, too
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I studied the scalpers habits and noticed they (as a group) would hustle to the SW section first(since everybody 'knew' each other and they knew I was a SW guy). I guess since they felt I wouldn't go for their HW at all, that they could try to outrace me to my SW section, grab the desirables then rush to their HW section to fight over those Treasure Hunt cars next. I used this knowledge of their tactic to burn them at several stores going crazily to the HW section FIRST and grabbing their cars while they would get my UGHs. This plan worked well enough after a couple of instances that it got them to go back to their old ways and go to their HW section first instead. I was taking their cars- offering up 1 for 1 deals AND THEY COMPLIED!
When the UGh stopped shipping the 'plan' continued to work. Those guys had so many friends with UGH stocked up that I continue to this day to make deals. If I'm at a store alone at night while it's being stocked I take the time to look for my SW as well as HW TH's(because they really come in handy later). Best thing was, I spend less than 1$ for a car while they spent a full fig price for an UGH. AND..I always do one for one swaps in these deals unless the HW TH is not mint then maybe 2 for one..either way, I still win
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So, give it a try why don't you? Ask around your scalping community to see if you can form a trading relationship with one of these guys..ask him if he can get you UGH 's then ask if they'll do one for one deals (a TH for an UGH). This way you could help out folks that never got them or fill your own collection if need be.
Last I checked the 'aftermarket value' is really close on a new TH versus an UGH figure, so, as long as that holds it's worth a shot
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Well it has and continues to work for me still
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The DS