Not sure if this has been brought up before.. I made a joke comment on instagram this morning about the lineup for RH Life. The more I think about it though the more it kind of makes sense. The comment was something like "Mori should ask customers a RxH trivia question to answer correctly to make a purchase". It kind of sounds elitist but to be fair even if it was an easy question it would weed out a bunch of flippers. Could this work for shop drops? Possibly a captcha style field box or a couple of multiple choice style questions that "unlock" the opportunity to add something to your cart. Could be a simple photo of a toy asking to name the character or name the two artists who worked together on the collaboration. Or name the year this toy was first released. Something like that. It's a little bit of work for the producers to set something like this up but could be a fun way to make sure special releases go to real fans.
The triva question thing sounds kind of silly and with so many language barriers to overcome for customers around the universe it would be pretty tough. The captcha idea is interesting though. Wouldn't that by itself cancel out bots?
I second the captcha. Trivia would be annoying for people who are only interested in certain sculpts. (I'm less of a "maker" fan, more of a "sculpt" fan, y'know?)
I'll tell you what, I would do something dramatic along these lines if I had something as limited as some of these artists, with such a huge demand. I would ask you to write to me about why you want my art. Apply like a scholarship. It would be some work on the front end but it would avoid the emo that ensues when noobs and flippers hijack a release using bots and the artists loyal fan base is excluded. I'd gladly sift through 500 emails and hand pick who gets things. I'd pick out the names I recognize or feel deserve it right off, then sort through the rest. It would take one day of my time but I'm a hard worker. I'd do it to make sure flippers could fuck off and to protect my real fans.
I still think we should establish a flipper "no sell list" of sorts to make shit easier for artists. I've messaged artists screencaps of eBay listings of their stuff being flipped by Godsendconspire before, and they were either really surprised or pissed off as hell. Either way, he was put on a lot of personal no-sell lists.
Having a ban list doesn't deter flippers. They can just use a friends credentials. Having a captcha sounds like another headache, just another barrier towards getting in the cart fast enough. "I misspelled JKHREJH and had to do it over and I got cartjacked!" Also. Can we see actual proof that bots have ever been used on a drop? At this point it's all hearsay and conspiracy to me, and as much as I love a good conspiracy, I just don't see it working. Especially with the latest form of random time releases. What I want to know is: Do makers actually check to see if someone has entered their address multiple times in a lottery? Are lotteries actually random, and how? I know it's none of my business, but I'm genuinely curious to know how the process works. Not going to name names but I've seen some sellers in Japan who are particularly favorable of the same, like, 10 people. It could be preference on their part, but it could also be that they're being gamed.
There's a captcha now that is literally just a checkbox that says "Are you not a robot?" And if for some reason they suspect you are, they give you something like 8 little photos and will give you a prompt like "click the kittens." Much easier than typing a jumbled bunch of words.
^ I messed that up once, missed a tree and now i am completely blacklisted from a bst site. There is no way for my account to be reinstated, i cant even pm to explain what happened to a mod
Yeah that's true - I guess bots are not so much a thing now. However, I imagine flippers to be just as "mindless" and giving buyers a couple of hoops to jump through could deter people who are looking to make a quick buck. Then again - if you can make a couple of hundred bucks on a shop drop release, a couple of captchas might not be enough to put most people off. I think the trivia idea could be fun. I don't want to hinder people who are getting into the hobby and are still learning - Maybe for just a special release? Things like lotteries or open pre-orders obviously don't require things like this - but for example if it was something like the first release Sludge Fighter, something as simple as asking "When was the first release of the Sludge Demon?" is a fairly easy question for most fans and it would stump most flippers.
I was in Atlanta on a business trip a few yrs ago. KAWS was doing an exhibit at the High museum there and I met one of his friends/art installers who travels with him when he does US shows. I asked him about the on line sales and this exact issue. He said himself that they would ship multiple toys/prints/etc to the same addresses and would always be too late before they'd figure it out. awesome...
Is it answer B). Who gives a fuck!? Flippers and scammers have been around long before you showed up and will be around long after, so it's better to take the Zen route and just accept it as part of the game. This crap is expensive enough and eventually there there will come a point of realization that all the hassle and stress of jumping through hoops just for the privilege to overpay really isn't worthwhile . . . embrace it when the time comes!
Larger runs. There are a lot more collectors these days so just way larger runs seems the only way to beat the flip.
Doesn't stop these new Japanese eBayers from flipping absolutely everything. They had a regular run of Keronga posted for $200, I sent a $25 offer for shits and giggles. They reject it and say they want at least $180. HAHAHAHHAHAHAno.
you can ostracize, demonize, & jazzercize until your heart stops beating, but the flipper train keeps running on schedule
Makes sense, but I'll still need to figure out a way to get through the door. Hmm. Maybe some Мишка gear? I sure do wish Violence Toy made sweater vests.
the ideas people come up with in here... Nobody is really thinking about the toy producer and how at the end of the day they just would like people to buy their stuff, regardless of aftermarkets. While a lot of producers care, they care more to make toys and have fun than to come up with convoluted schemes for sales. I'm glad they spend their energies elsewhere and not in these ridiculous ideas. Flippers are going to be around and those of us too poor to buy hyped toys will just have towait around. Have always done and will always do. My issue with some of the comments here is that some of you feel you are deserved something just because you want it and want already exclusive shit made even more so, so you can buy it because due to manifest destiny you deserve it. The flippers are smart and put in the time, I suggest you try and do the same. It is not fair, but when has anything been fair in this lovely world of ours. sit around at a drop time and press the refresh button like everyone does. Send your emails and wait for lightning to strike. Its a broken system but its as good as it gets. Quit buying hyped shit and just wait. Its not that hard, pick up a book or a hobby. Shit, start making your own toys. Use that which you want to make to create what you want to have. This same shit, every damn year. if its not a goddamn captcha someone is crying about, its Shig's secret handshake. Get a grip, guys.
I'm starting to get an eye twitch similar to the old Funko Sofubi thread with this one.. Funny how the Skullbrain community works - one second people are blasting flippers and the next they are defending them. For me at least, it's not about being disappointed in missing hyped toys - it's more about squashing the flipper problem before there's more flippers gunning for pieces than toys in a run. You can't deny that word is spreading and more people are seeing dollar signs in 2016. Probably more than there ever have been. But you're right - patience wins out in this hobby. The bubble will burst soon enough.
