Console scalper says we should think about the young people making a good living from...

[Neatfeatguy]

Man, this is something else lol

I agree with some of his points, but it's still a scummy thing to do.

but 60k a month- that is hard to pass up thats for sure for a lot of people.

part of me is in awe, the other side is a bit disgusted lol

Perhaps this will make you feel better about scalpers that buy and sell consumer goods, such as consoles and GPUs:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...preneur-couple-cashed-COVID-testing-boom.html

If scalpers are "scum" according to some people....what do we call people that do this (see link above)?

 

[wiyosaya]

Yep, I used that word precisely because this is entirely a matter of perception: If you take young people doing what they're doing out of their savings and basement then people consider it a "hustle" and like we've seen in this threat, immediately associate it with illegal activities as well.

Yet all any of these kids need to be considered a completely legitimate, respectable business, is a business loan: You get your loan, rent a small warehouse, increase your purchases, report your taxes and as you expand maybe even get a few employeers and now you're no longer a hustler, you're an entrepreneur and a well respected member of society nobody ever questions.

Yet absolutely nothing about your business model has to change: Scalping isn't the problem at all and it's just a matter of perception and respectability and most of those kids just don't have the job experience, education or generational wealth to access those initial business loans or investors to fund their "hustle"

What are the scalpers learning, though? As I see it, they are not learning anything except how to sell things to people who have more money than they know what to do with that money.

The market is taking steps, albeit, small, to rectify the situation, IMO, and this means that the scalper's market will eventually evaporate. And then where will the scalpers be? What hustle will they then turn to? And what is to say that they will not turn to illegal activities to secure their next meal? Buying something and selling it for outrageous and arguably unethical prices is not, IMO, going to get them very far, and I don't see that venture capitalists or angel investors are necessarily going to look at the fact that they were scalpers in a positive manner.

You might think its a matter of perception, but by engaging in something that has a negative perception in the first place is not, IMO, the way to build a reputation as an outstanding business person, much as being a used car salesman also does not lead to an outstanding business person.

As I see it, these scalpers should not expect to be able to screw people and make a living off of it for the rest of their lives.

 

[wiyosaya]

Perhaps this will make you feel better about scalpers that buy and sell consumer goods, such as consoles and GPUs:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...preneur-couple-cashed-COVID-testing-boom.html

If scalpers are "scum" according to some people....what do we call people that do this (see link above)?

I don't think that Techspot would allow that kind of language.

 

[Dimitriid]

What are the scalpers learning, though? As I see it, they are not learning anything except how to sell things to people who have more money than they know what to do with that money.

What do you think somebody with an MBA learns that's fundamentally different, like right at the core principles of it? 99% of it becomes just about the formalities: proper accounting which is done to have proper and easier tax payment, most of the organizational skills are really only there to deal with the much larger scope of the business and the practices that are outright illegal are usually taught just to avoid them or to make sure a legal team (A.K.A. 'compliance officers') is in place to make sure the business is run legally but cuts it as close to the limit and letter of the law as possible while still being able to basically bribe, take shortcuts, cheat on taxes, etc. But on a legal way.

The same basic skills are the same as a small time scalper: try everything you can to get in with a better deal than most people, always remember what's your margin, make sure you can handle the expected ROI or find ways to improve it, make sure you do your market research to know all of the above in advance as best as possible.

These are all skills that are not different at all: you just need the paper that says "mba" on it and the socioeconomical status and/or background to make sure you can qualify for a business loan or investors that would take on your pitch. Everything else most entrepreneurs either learn along the way or delegate to employees eventually.

 

[Michael7]

A lot of folks who made money doing illegal things have the same excuse. Scalping might not be illegal, but it certainly costs people money and drives up the price of stuff. And the activity adds no value to anyone else but the scapler.

This guy has a very warped sense of self-righteous.

Actually you are wrong. The value of scalper activity is that you or anyone else willing to pay higher price can get the item they want. Without scalpers you could simply not but the item because everything would be sold out.

 

[Daniele 00]

He made up so many excuses that I won't even bother to answer him.
Thief.
instead of getting money over trading, go plant some potato on the field to produce real food.
There is a moral limit to the act of trading. "trading" over "trading" (scalping) is just too much.

 

[PEnnn]

"yet he was "very in tune with my moral compass, as a person."

"Moral compass" and "scalper" in the same sentence??

 

[Versutus]

This guy... How can some be stupid and smart at the same time?

 

[bviktor]

The Free Market is always right.

Yes, says Mr. Unhackable Windows XP, we have a lot to learn from this dude.

 

[eforce]

If manufacturers sell products bellow their market value, scalping is inevitable.

Money printer go brrr has consequences...

 

[Ohnooze]

I got an idea...get a real job and stop jacking up the prices for everyone else.

 

[Ohnooze]

"To me, owning the PS5 or an Xbox isn't a necessity, it's a luxury, okay? If you can afford to spend £450, spending the extra £100 should be pretty marginal, if you've got cash ready to splash on that."

Uhh...wtf? So if someone has money they should be good paying more than MSRP and giving this @ss hat a portion of it...for no reason what so ever? And makes sense how exactly?
Just trash....sounds like typical millennial attitude. He's make it harder for the regular people to get products at a reasonable price as well. Someone please punch this turd in his face.

 

[Ohnooze]

Actually you are wrong. The value of scalper activity is that you or anyone else willing to pay higher price can get the item they want. Without scalpers you could simply not but the item because everything would be sold out.

That is completely false.
Scalpers ARE the reason that people can't find products in a lot of cases.
They compound the problem of high demand, make it worse and make it last longer than it should.

They are low moral trash.

 

[gamerk2]

This isn't even the stupidest argument I've heard, that one goes to "we're actually ensuring availability", followed by a bunch of economic BS that basically boils down to "if you can't afford it at it's current price then you obviously don't want it that much".

This is what Capitalism has now been defined as; and people wonder why others are becoming enamored by alternatives.

 

[captaincranky]

Sociopaths always find a way to justify their actions.

 

[Ohnooze]

This isn't even the stupidest argument I've heard, that one goes to "we're actually ensuring availability", followed by a bunch of economic BS that basically boils down to "if you can't afford it at it's current price then you obviously don't want it that much".

This is what Capitalism has now been defined as; and people wonder why others are becoming enamored by alternatives.

You could kind of argue that it's more of a socialist view in that he thinks if you have the money you should pay more....to him...for no reason.

 

[gamerk2]

Actually you are wrong. The value of scalper activity is that you or anyone else willing to pay higher price can get the item they want. Without scalpers you could simply not but the item because everything would be sold out.

Oh, you again.

Provably false: sustained GPU shortages have *never* been a thing before now, so the argument that raising prices ensures supply falls on deaf ears. If anything, the fact supply remains available but people buy and large aren't buying is evidence of the jacked up prices.

 

[cliffordcooley]

First off! If you can afford to buy a console, you don't need the money. This mans head is twisted.

 

[Nobina]

"To me, owning the PS5 or an Xbox isn't a necessity, it's a luxury, okay? If you can afford to spend £450, spending the extra £100 should be pretty marginal, if you've got cash ready to splash on that."

Some people work with a goal to save up and buy a console or a PC, every cent counts for them. The fact he is trying to justify what he's doing shows he's insecure about it.

"To me, owning the PS5 or an Xbox isn't a necessity, it's a luxury, okay?

Bet my *** this guy would do the same with necessities like food and water.

People will make money any way they can, I understand that, but this guy also wants to be seen as something other than an absolute piece of ****, and that's just not the case.

 

[Michael7]

That is completely false.
Scalpers ARE the reason that people can't find products in a lot of cases.
They compound the problem of high demand, make it worse and make it last longer than it should.

They are low moral trash.

It's quite the opposite. Just go to Ebay or other such website. You can pick whatever card you want. If not for scalpers you would never be able to do it - who would sell it to you then? You would have to wait a long time not only for the card to be produced but for the demand to be met. They do not compound anything. High prices are just reflecting high demand and low supply. That's all.

 

[Michael7]

Oh, you again.

Provably false: sustained GPU shortages have *never* been a thing before now, so the argument that raising prices ensures supply falls on deaf ears. If anything, the fact supply remains available but people buy and large aren't buying is evidence of the jacked up prices.

This is basic economics. If nobody bought at these inflated prices they would have nowhere else to go but down. Scalpers could not afford to collect large inventories of expensive hardware just taking up shelf space for any considerable amount of time. And to a large degree, high prices are caused by ETH miners.

 

[McMurdeR]

Actually you are wrong. The value of scalper activity is that you or anyone else willing to pay higher price can get the item they want. Without scalpers you could simply not but the item because everything would be sold out.

So basically they make it so only the rich can buy the products? Well let me buy those guys a round!

 

[viperfl]

I believe in the free market but this is a scummy way to make a living. What stops these scalpers at just game consoles? What about scalping everyday items that people need? I would love these scalpers to give me the moral implications of not scalping necessary items for people to live.

Just because someone could afford to buy a Playstation, don't mean they could afford to buy a Lamborghini. Did they ever think someone scrimped and saved up their money to buy a $400 Playstation only to find they have to spend another $400 because some ***** scalper thought it was a fun thing to do?

 

[Ludak021]

He can say whatever he wants, but as long as products get bought by resellers first, with little to none hitting the store shelves where customers can "avoid" scalpers prices, he and his "buddies" are going to make margins huge and rip off kids.

I don't believe in supernatural, such as karma, but this would be one area where karma should catch up to scalpers and they should loose more than they made. Wishful thinking.
They have no operating costs, no employees and this scheme is not sustainable. I bet they don't even pay taxes on the profits they make.

 

[gamerk2]

This is basic economics. If nobody bought at these inflated prices they would have nowhere else to go but down. Scalpers could not afford to collect large inventories of expensive hardware just taking up shelf space for any considerable amount of time. And to a large degree, high prices are caused by ETH miners.

They also can't afford to sell at below the cost they purchased them. So you have a glut of unsold inventory at still inflated prices.

And I again note: GPU shortages have *never* been a thing, so the whole argument of "we're actually creating supply" is total BS.