Scalpers sold over 53,000 new Nvidia/AMD cards worth $65 million

[midian182]

A hot potato: Michael Driscoll's update on the state of eBay/StockX scalping continues with a look at the latest graphics cards from Nvidia and AMD. Just over 53,000 Ampere/RDNA 2 products were sold on the platforms, bringing in $65.45 million in sales and just over $16 million in profit.

Following on from his examination of Zen 3 scalping earlier this week, Driscoll looked at the turbulent graphics cards market. Nvidia’s RTX 3000 series and AMD’s RX 6000 line have been notoriously difficult to find unless you pay over the odds on reseller sites.

Starting with team green, a total of 49,580 Ampere GPUs have sold on eBay/StockX, bringing in $61.5 million in sales. Scalpers made $15.2 million in profit, while eBay/PayPal/StockX took a hefty $6.8 million cut.

Unlike Zen 3, most Ampere prices on eBay have been increasing recently—the only exception being the RTX 3090. They currently average between 140 and 200 percent of their MSRP. The RTX 3080 has consistently had the largest markup; its median price on eBay is currently $1,300, 85 percent higher than its MSRP.

Even the arrival of the RTX 3060 Ti didn’t lower prices. “The 3060 went from 160 percent launch price 1/1/21 to now 210 percent launch price and has recently fallen down to 190 percent of launch price. The 3080 is a similar story, from 170 percent at Christmas to now 200 percent,” writes Driscoll.

Founders Edition RTX 3000 cards were most popular, followed by those from EVGA and Asus. Additionally, RTX 20xx, RTX 16xx, GTX 1000, and GTX 900 series cards all increased 33 – 100 percent in price since the launch of Ampere

There were fewer of AMD’s RDNA 2 cards being scalped: 3,461 appeared on eBay/StockX—just 7 percent of the RTX 30 series—bringing in $3.95 million in sales ($944K for scalpers, $615K for eBay/PayPal/StockX).

The cards average between 160 percent and 220+ percent MSRP. The Radeon RX 6800 XT ($499 MSRP) appears the most profitable for scalpers, selling for around $1,229.

It’s not only the shortages that are causing problems. The 25 percent tax on Chinese imports has seen some vendors increase graphics card prices, with scalpers bumping up their prices even more. Both Nvidia and AMD have warned that supply will remain tight throughout Q1, so don’t expect the situation to improve any time soon.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/88446-scalpers-sold-over-53000-new-nvidiaamd-cards-worth.html

 

[QuantumPhysics]

Shameful!!!!

 

[QuantumPhysics]

I just hope Nvidia...and AMD... do what apple did and force people to preorder, limit unit purchases to 2 per household and sell directly to gamers/consumers first...and then to miners later.

I got every single video card this year by standing on line at Microcenter for less than one hour on each launch day. I had no intention of scalping, but when these releases are happening with so much chaos, it is inevitable that you may buy one card, and then want to trade up to the newer, faster card.

For example: a whole lot of 3080 models will go on sale when the 3080Ti is released. I won't be in that market.

But when the Kingpins are easier to get, the 3090FE, 3090FTW3 and Tuff will go up for sale just so the apex predators can sell out and towards the highest card available.

Social Media is driving a lot of this.

 

[Shadowboxer]

I just hope Nvidia...and AMD... do what apple did and force people to preorder, limit unit purchases to 2 per household and sell directly to gamers/consumers first...and then to miners later.

I got every single video card this year by standing on line at Microcenter for less than one hour on each launch day. I had no intention of scalping, but when these releases are happening with so much chaos, it is inevitable that you may buy one card, and then want to trade up to the newer, faster card.

For example: a whole lot of 3080 models will go on sale when the 3080Ti is released. I won't be in that market.

But when the Kingpins are easier to get, the 3090FE, 3090FTW3 and Tuff will go up for sale just so the apex predators can sell out and towards the highest card available.

Social Media is driving a lot of this.

Nvidia did get people to preorder and the preorders were sold out within seconds.

There isn’t much Nvidia can do in the face of
overwhelming demand except raise its prices. Scalpers and miners always find ways around schemes designed to limit hoarding or mass buying etc.

The solution really is for Nvidia to develop a mining lineup and use drivers to lock mining out of the gaming cards. But that costs a lot and this mining phase will be over in 6 months.

 

[Leuten]

Which also means that at least 53000 GPU owners lack the backbone to not reward scalpers.

 

[Uncle Al]

I wonder if it would be possible to invoke a "scalpers tax"? That is to say, anyone without a legitimate registration with the IRS with a business number cannot purchase more than, say, 10 cards. Anything above that will be charged a tax equal to ... oh say, 95% of anything above the MSRP. Allow the selling company to keep 20% of that tax and I think you could have an agreement on everyone's part ..... except, of course, the scalper ..... LOL

 

[QuantumPhysics]

I wonder if it would be possible to invoke a "scalpers tax"? That is to say, anyone without a legitimate registration with the IRS with a business number cannot purchase more than, say, 10 cards. Anything above that will be charged a tax equal to ... oh say, 95% of anything above the MSRP. Allow the selling company to keep 20% of that tax and I think you could have an agreement on everyone's part ..... except, of course, the scalper ..... LOL

10 cards is a huge number...

Lets limit people to 2.

 

[tellmewhy]

The manufactures if they couldn’t support the demand they could have start with higher msrps and do more price drops as the time passes but I think they prefer the advertisement from the hype with the "scalpers".

 

[punctualturn]

I blame the selfish and "me first above all else" attitude of everyone.

If I dont see the item at MSRP, you can keep it.

When you see your stash gathering dust, you will feel the heat.

 

[DukeJukem]

If they know how much scalpers made......they should know their names/credit card information blah blah. Why are these people not being punished??? How many articles where "greedy people ruin everything for everyone else" do I have to read? Where are the consequences?

 

[Rdmetz]

I just hope Nvidia...and AMD... do what apple did and force people to preorder, limit unit purchases to 2 per household and sell directly to gamers/consumers first...and then to miners later.

I got every single video card this year by standing on line at Microcenter for less than one hour on each launch day. I had no intention of scalping, but when these releases are happening with so much chaos, it is inevitable that you may buy one card, and then want to trade up to the newer, faster card.

For example: a whole lot of 3080 models will go on sale when the 3080Ti is released. I won't be in that market.

But when the Kingpins are easier to get, the 3090FE, 3090FTW3 and Tuff will go up for sale just so the apex predators can sell out and towards the highest card available.

Social Media is driving a lot of this.

I too got many cards this year (12x 3080/3090) I got them all relatively easily but did have to do some prep and be diligent about being on top of my alerts and having checkout down pat.

I got my card day 1 then proceeded to test my methods over and over as more an ld more friends asked for some help once they saw my success.

It's also true that I did eventually want a different (better) card and so I did end up selling off 2 if my own personal used cards to go from the 3080 xc3 to Asus tuf 3080 to 3080 ftw3 ultra.

I ended up selling both of my sosres on ebay and was very QUICKLY sold (like 60 seconds or less) because of the fact that my cards were priced as the lowest (real) offers.

I still managed to make a couple bucks but I wasn't trying to just wasn't interested in losing money.

Now I did have friend I speak to online (who we both bounced ideas off each other on a daily basis for the best strategies to get cards) who managed to secure enough cards to claim a pretty decent (though still a drop in the bucket) portion of that money listed about.

His 1099 he just got from PayPal shows about $25,000 in sales I don't know exactly what his profits were but still.

 

[Rdmetz]

If they know how much scalpers made......they should know their names/credit card information blah blah. Why are these people not being punished??? How many articles where "greedy people ruin everything for everyone else" do I have to read? Where are the consequences?

What crime did they commit? Being greedy isn't a crime maybe immoral (to some) but Gordon Gekko might have something else to say about that...

 

[Rdmetz]

I blame the selfish and "me first above all else" attitude of everyone.

If I dont see the item at MSRP, you can keep it.

When you see your stash gathering dust, you will feel the heat.

These people have very little to worry about with no questions asked free returns and the insane level of desire there is no "stash" to need to sit on.

If and when someone's left "holding the bag" they'll likley still be able to return product for full refund or at the very least have made enough up to that point to take a hit on the 2 or 3 cards they have left.

 

[Lexii]

What crime did they commit? Being greedy isn't a crime maybe immoral (to some) but Gordon Gekko might have something else to say about that...

I agree listening to people whine about not being able to buy a $500-1500 video card is hilarious to me. Because everyone of them given that chance would do the exact same thing. A lot of sour grapes, going on.

When scalpers are keep food from those who are starving, or keeping power and gas from the needy, then I will care, until then, learn to be better then them.

 

[QuantumPhysics]

I too got many cards this year (12x 3080/3090) I got them all relatively easily but did have to do some prep and be diligent about being on top of my alerts and having checkout down pat.

I got my card day 1 then proceeded to test my methods over and over as more an ld more friends asked for some help once they saw my success.

It's also true that I did eventually want a different (better) card and so I did end up selling off 2 if my own personal used cards to go from the 3080 xc3 to Asus tuf 3080 to 3080 ftw3 ultra.

I ended up selling both of my sosres on ebay and was very QUICKLY sold (like 60 seconds or less) because of the fact that my cards were priced as the lowest (real) offers.

I still managed to make a couple bucks but I wasn't trying to just wasn't interested in losing money.

Now I did have friend I speak to online (who we both bounced ideas off each other on a daily basis for the best strategies to get cards) who managed to secure enough cards to claim a pretty decent (though still a drop in the bucket) portion of that money listed about.

His 1099 he just got from PayPal shows about $25,000 in sales I don't know exactly what his profits were but still.

Better to meet people in person an keep the sales off tax records

 

[dirtyferret]

What crime did they commit? Being greedy isn't a crime maybe immoral (to some) but Gordon Gekko might have something else to say about that...

based on a real speech by Ivan Boesky who went to prison for insider trading...

 

[Lionvibez]

I too got many cards this year (12x 3080/3090) I got them all relatively easily but did have to do some prep and be diligent about being on top of my alerts and having checkout down pat.

I got my card day 1 then proceeded to test my methods over and over as more an ld more friends asked for some help once they saw my success.

It's also true that I did eventually want a different (better) card and so I did end up selling off 2 if my own personal used cards to go from the 3080 xc3 to Asus tuf 3080 to 3080 ftw3 ultra.

I ended up selling both of my sosres on ebay and was very QUICKLY sold (like 60 seconds or less) because of the fact that my cards were priced as the lowest (real) offers.

I still managed to make a couple bucks but I wasn't trying to just wasn't interested in losing money.

Now I did have friend I speak to online (who we both bounced ideas off each other on a daily basis for the best strategies to get cards) who managed to secure enough cards to claim a pretty decent (though still a drop in the bucket) portion of that money listed about.

His 1099 he just got from PayPal shows about $25,000 in sales I don't know exactly what his profits were but still.

(12x 3080/3090)

So you spent like $10,000+ on these gpu's?

You are part of the problem!

 

[punctualturn]

These people have very little to worry about with no questions asked free returns and the insane level of desire there is no "stash" to need to sit on.

If and when someone's left "holding the bag" they'll likley still be able to return product for full refund or at the very least have made enough up to that point to take a hit on the 2 or 3 cards they have left.

If they return the items and then the store sells them at MSRP, then we win and the scalpers lose.

But in the end, you missed my whole post.

 

[CanAqua]

There are fools born every second in america alone, not to mention the rest of the world... More money than brains I say.

 

[PEnnn]

Because everyone of them given that chance would do the exact same thing. A lot of sour grapes, going on.

Just because you'd do it, doesn't mean every one is like you.

 

[DonquixoteIII]

Here in the Antipodes, the situation is even worse. The distributors themselves are doing the 'scalping', adding on huge markups at the distribution level. And no one cares.... Not nVidia, not AMD. To them a sale is a sale, something they can take to their respective shareholders' meetings and say 'see how good we are doing?, Money has no morality, no ethics, those are human 'vices'.

 

[Gastec]

I wonder if it would be possible to invoke a "scalpers tax"? That is to say, anyone without a legitimate registration with the IRS with a business number cannot purchase more than, say, 10 cards. Anything above that will be charged a tax equal to ... oh say, 95% of anything above the MSRP. Allow the selling company to keep 20% of that tax and I think you could have an agreement on everyone's part ..... except, of course, the scalper ..... LOL

I come from a former communist country but sometime you people from the "West" really scare me with these fascist and marxist-leninist ideas. I'm also pretty sure that some of you, posting these ideas, are scalpers and crypto-speculators.

 

[Gastec]

The manufactures if they couldn’t support the demand they could have start with higher msrps and do more price drops as the time passes but I think they prefer the advertisement from the hype with the "scalpers".

How much higher should the MSRP of the RX 6800 XT or RTX 3070 should have been to avoid scalping? $999 instead of $499? $599, $699? How about $1099? That price would surely fix them scalpers!

 

[Kosmoz]

I agree listening to people whine about not being able to buy a $500-1500 video card is hilarious to me. Because everyone of them given that chance would do the exact same thing. A lot of sour grapes, going on.

When scalpers are keep food from those who are starving, or keeping power and gas from the needy, then I will care, until then, learn to be better then them.

1. A $500 GPU buyer is a completely different kind of person than a $1000/1500 buyer... not even close. In many, many ways.
2. Not everyone will do the same, because not everyone has zero morals and no commons sense. Yes, these virtues are almost going extinct, but there are still some people who have them... although the majority don't.
3. Being better does not mean joining the greed club and being even more greedy, it's exactly the opposite. But it's expected since this is the trend in the world today, to spin everything around and invert the values.

 

[alexnode]

The main thing that Nvidia can do is to create a centralised database for preorders with the addresses and allow retailers, OEMs in too. Disallow weird industrial addresses po-boxes and have one card per address . Anyhow I am boycotting them, I won't buy this generation at all, or I might buy it only if I find it at msrp (which means never). Let scalpers have fun with their 3080s ... they will need to dump them sometime. Please don't buy from scalpers. To be honest I can't find any electronics to buy anymore ...