What is the difference between..

[threeonesix]

Scalping and flipping? Could someone explain it to me, because they seem like the same thing to me, i.e. buy at retail price and sell at a much higher price.

[tomandshell]

If I were to order a Qui-Gon today and, once my order is confirmed, put my preorder up on eBay for an artificially inflated price of $150, I would be scalping. I removed an item from the marketplace with no intent of ever keeping it, just to sell it to a real collector at a high price.

If, when he arrived, I decided I didn't want him, and I sold him for the accepted current market value, I would be flipping.

Flipping crazy, that is! Qui-Gon is a great figure!

Most collectors end up selling items at one point to fund other purchases. I'm not sure at what point this ceases to be flipping. My guess is that if you take it out of the box, display it, and enjoy it for a while, then sell it to fund other purchases, you aren't flipping--and definitely not scalping.


To me, it's all about scalpers artificially driving/forcing up the market value VS. flippers simply selling an item at whatever the current value may be, and also your intent of removing it from the marketplace for later sales (scalper), or just deciding not to keep it (flipper). Granted, the "success" of the scalpers to inflate the price may drive some people to flip who hadn't initially planned on selling...

[Customikey]

Whenever I put up an auction on eBay, I usually just put the opening bid as what it cost me to make it (in the case of customs) or what it cost me to buy it (boxed figs). If the bidding skyrockets, I do a little dance of joy, because I can by more toys. It's a Toy Joy Dance.

[Xeno]

It's ALL THE SAME! Cut the crap. ;)

"hey, buy two! Keep one and "flip " the other!" That's something I have read more than once.. it's just an expression for buying and selling with profit.