Masters of the Universe Art Book Update
Scalpers are doing fairly well with the book over at eBay, with 66 copies sold as of this writing. That 6.6% of the run (if Mattel told us the truth about the number of copies produced) for per book pricing between $180 and $99. The most outrageous auction was six copies of the book for $610. Limit of 2 per customer? Hah!
No word yet on whether or not anyone at SDCC was able to score one of these for me. I hope to hear from a few different people today.
It was f’n ridiculous I had an exhibitor/professional badge, so no chance on night one. Day 2 you needed a special pass – but I missed when they were giving them out. On Day 3, two kind Californians helped me secure ONE book. Working with a team of people (this sounds so asinine as I read it typed out), we finally got a line pass on day three – by which time they were completely sold out.
I asked a lot of people in line if they could help me out with just one book, and they gave the ol’ stink eye. Meanwhile, Joe Scalper walked out with cases of them.
At least six people asked me for the book (including people at the con who were running booths and couldn’t get in the line), not including my own interest in it. That’s six lost sales, because my copy went to one of the people on that list and everyone else got nothing. WE GET – NOTHING. WE LOSE.
I have not been a completist on any line for years, but Mattel has shown me that they don’t want all of my money, so the hell with them.
@John K – That sounds like a disaster. Did anyone in the booth even try to explain why some people were allowed to buy cases?
Phil, when I was at the con, I had not seen the pics of people walking out with cases of the book. I had witnessed a few scalpers talk people into buying them copies of the book, but nothing as wholesale as the pics and story related on Poe’s site. So I didn’t ask. It does not surprise me in the least though.
At the Mattel panel, a fan asked ToyGuru if we could just pre-order the exclusives online and just pick them up at the show. I like this idea the best – if Mattel is going to insist on giving extras to con attendees, then why not just take my money in advance? Make it so the buyer has to bring an id and the printed-out order form to get their toys.