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> … economically viable scalper's resales definitionally represent the minimum demand for a product You’re purposefully ignoring that they actively create and

> … economically viable scalper's resales definitionally represent the minimum demand for a product You’re purposefully ignoring that they actively create and exacerbate market inefficiencies by making it difficult for manufacturers and retailers to manage demand effectively, and by inserting themselves as a middleman to extract their rent. > … completely uncalled for contempt for a class of people who are trying to do better for themselves (or maybe even just trying to make rent and groceries). How is it uncalled for? They’re useless trash making money by virtue of being willing to take advantage of others, not because they’re contributing anything of any value in any form. They produce nothing and provide nothing of value. The only skill required is a lack of moral scruples. So yes, kick the useless trash — and their enablers — back to the gutter they crawled out of. And for good measure, prosecute them under the CFAA once they’re there.

seabird 4y ago
>by making it difficult for manufacturers and retailers to manage demand effectively This doesn't add up. Every person who buys a PS5 from a scalper for $700-$800 would also buy it for MSRP at $500, unless they are insane. Demand would outstrip supply even in the absence of scalpers, because one PS5 would be bought at MSRP from a retailer for every one that would have otherwise been bought and then sold by a scalper. The only kink is that because PS5s immediately sell out at a price of $500, people who don't have the time to camp checkouts and/or want the item immediately are shit out of luck. However, they could pay a scalper an extra $200 to do that for them, because that's the value of the time they would lose acquiring the PS5, or the value they would miss out not having the PS5 immediately. In economics parlance, this is a service. You can call it something else if it makes your feel better. Either way, scalper activity cannot oversell the demand for a PS5 beyond not accurately modelling the sales you would lose from customers not wanting to deal with the effects of illiquidity on the market. The only thing scalper activity misrepresents if your MSRP is below what they're charging is the customers who won't buy your product at all if you're constantly sold out. Scalpers do not change forecasts.

seabird 4y ago

>by making it difficult for manufacturers and retailers to manage demand effectively This doesn't add up. Every person who buys a PS5 from a scalper for $700-$800 would also buy it for MSRP at $500, unless they are insane. Demand would outstrip supply even in the absence of scalpers, because one PS5 would be bought at MSRP from a retailer for every one that would have otherwise been bought and then sold by a scalper. The only kink is that because PS5s immediately sell out at a price of $500, people who don't have the time to camp checkouts and/or want the item immediately are shit out of luck. However, they could pay a scalper an extra $200 to do that for them, because that's the value of the time they would lose acquiring the PS5, or the value they would miss out not having the PS5 immediately. In economics parlance, this is a service. You can call it something else if it makes your feel better. Either way, scalper activity cannot oversell the demand for a PS5 beyond not accurately modelling the sales you would lose from customers not wanting to deal with the effects of illiquidity on the market. The only thing scalper activity misrepresents if your MSRP is below what they're charging is the customers who won't buy your product at all if you're constantly sold out. Scalpers do not change forecasts.