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magicfish Inner circle 7004 Posts |
Hi guys, I've recently heard this term used in reference to magic books.
I know about ticket Scalpers but can someone explain the term in regards to magic? |
WitchDocChris Inner circle York, PA 2614 Posts |
I would assume it would be someone who buys copies of books that are likely to be in demand, waits for them to go out of stock, and tries to sell them for inflated prices.
Christopher
Witch Doctor Psycho Seance book: https://tinyurl.com/y873bbr4 Boffo eBook: https://tinyurl.com/387sxkcd |
magicfish Inner circle 7004 Posts |
That's the feeling I'm getting.
But if the scalper can buy 20, surely the customer could just get one in the beginning to avoid having to pay a scalper? |
Leo H Inner circle 1331 Posts |
Quote:
On Jul 27, 2018, magicfish wrote: True--but there are always a few that miss the boat. The scalper is counting on it. |
Ray Haining Inner circle Hot Springs, AR 1907 Posts |
It's mostly guesswork as to what will become rare and desirable and therefore increase in price.
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Tom G Inner circle 2895 Posts |
Latest thing I've seen is some possible speculation on the Thompson books. Right after they went out of print, prices went up, but then the announcement of a second, signed printing and they went down.
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Alan M Elite user California 433 Posts |
I believe this kind of purchase speculation also occurred when Cervon's Castle Notebooks were released. And I don't think it worked out as well as the speculator's had hoped, perhaps with the exception of Volume 1.
I know that I got a fantastic deal on my complete set, far below the retail price. Had I had the money when the set was first released I would have paid the full price but in this instance the fact that I had to save up for a long time worked in my favor. |
Indistinguishable New user 49 Posts |
I'm hoping (speculating) that the arrival of Penguin in the publishing market might even out the supply chain which can only be good for creators and buyers too - but less good for scalpers! It seems to me a bit like concerts: the performing artists (and most fans) gain nothing from scalpers. It's the same with books - an artist who sold his/her book at $50 (or realistically, earned a tiny fraction of that as a royalty) gets no benefit when the book changes hand at hundreds. But it's relatively rare in most other fields of books, that they become "rarities" so soon, or aren't republished if they sell out. So hopefully Penguin might see there is probably a win-win to be had --- keep the supply going for longer at "normal" prices and everyone benefits. Just a view.
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RiffRaff Special user 671 Posts |
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On Aug 5, 2018, Indistinguishable wrote: Wrong. Everybody gains. The artist trades tickets for money to the scalper. The scalper trades tickets for money to the fans. Artist gets money (what they want), scalper gets money (what they want), and fans get tickets (what they want). |
Indistinguishable New user 49 Posts |
Clarifying, I accept that the artist gets SOMETHING from the scalper, but I'd maintain that the profits they make are out of proportion to any "service" they may provide by hoarding and buying early when they sell at prices that are heavy multiples of the cover price. If the artist sets a reasonable fair price then I'd maintain that in an ideal world there would be ongoing supplies and the artist would continue to get the rate they want to sell at, and the buyer would find the product there and not "out of print", and there'd be no place for scalpers. We're seeing it increasingly in concerts where musicians decide that they do not want scalpers to make a side business, and they would like their fans to get the tickets at $50 not $500. So they make the tickets non-transferable. Seems reasonable.
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RiffRaff Special user 671 Posts |
Quote:
On Aug 5, 2018, Indistinguishable wrote: What is "a reasonable fair price"? |
C-suite magic Regular user 115 Posts |
Simple supply and demand. The price should reflect what people are willing to pay. If it's too high people won't buy. If it's too low the artist won't make any money. Pricing is both an art and science.
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