Selling Disney Parks Merchandise on eBay

[atjimfromdisney]

Exclusive merchandise, Passholder giveaways and other Disney Parks items are becoming harder to acquire with eBay resellers buying merchandise in bulk to flip online. Personally, I don't think it should be difficult to get specific merchandise if you are at the park, rope dropping the day it releases, but with people (families even?) buying the 10/per person limit each (surely not just for themselves?) it's not always guaranteed to get the items.

I've seen the Food and Wine Annual Passholder cutting board already listed on eBay (before the event has even started).

I know some people don't have the opportunity to get to the parks to buy this merchandise, so eBay is a great way to snag a item you may really want, but are raised prices worth it? Are purchases limits on certain items in the park too steep? Interested to hear your thoughts!

 

[Mousey21]

I like the idea that being from the uk I could maybe buy something, as we can’t afford to go as often as we like, but the splash mountain pop, which I would love is currently on eBay for £100/$129.

Now my guess is, it doesn’t cost that in the park.....

I’d rather more people visiting could buy them for themselves than them being put on eBay for ridiculous amounts!

I also understand the limit, and i like it, as when we buy our nieces and nephews things, we tend to try get the same, which means 7 of everything, if the limit was below that though we’d just deal with it and maybe do it between us or on different days.
Though I suppose people reselling could also do that if they were that bothered...

 

[Gillyanne]

Now my guess is, it doesn’t cost that in the park.....

Definitely not, I really really want the figment & Dreamfinder tsum that's parks only, any time I look in the app it's "out of stock" but I'm really really holding out hope that it's just the app being dumb and I'll find it when I get there later this week... It's retailed at $34.99 but is selling for $50+ on ebay (currently I see %53.95 shipped is the cheapest). doing the math to account for AP discount, and FL tax ($29.81), that's a 55% increase which is definitely higher than any "finders fee" would need to be. Now I'd be willing to pay higher if I wasn't local (A bit of a finders fee and shipping) but again 55% is just ridiculous.

Looking at the pop you mentioned, it's retailed at $40. Cheapest (US, buy it now) ebay I see is $72.98 Shipped. The same math as above (AP discount and FL tax = 34.08) is a 47% increase.

The thing that really gets me too with these sellers, so many of the item pictures are of the product on the shelf, not even a photo of the item outside of the park, so do they really have it? or are holding out hope when they go back in the park it's still there?

 

[LaughingGravy]

There's a certain mercenary aspect to presumably AP holders making a career of sorts out of buying limited edition things in the park and reselling at huge markups. Then again we have a certain fellow named Lou making a career out of being on site with meet and greets of him and his podcasts. I think it's all kind of silly. I really want the Funko Pop tiki room figures, Splash Mountain, Orange Bird and Figment but I have my limitations.
It's an amusement park.

 

[Mousey21]

Definitely not, I really really want the figment & Dreamfinder tsum that's parks only, any time I look in the app it's "out of stock" but I'm really really holding out hope that it's just the app being dumb and I'll find it when I get there later this week... It's retailed at $34.99 but is selling for $50+ on ebay (currently I see %53.95 shipped is the cheapest). doing the math to account for AP discount, and FL tax ($29.81), that's a 55% increase which is definitely higher than any "finders fee" would need to be. Now I'd be willing to pay higher if I wasn't local (A bit of a finders fee and shipping) but again 55% is just ridiculous.

Looking at the pop you mentioned, it's retailed at $40. Cheapest (US, buy it now) ebay I see is $72.98 Shipped. The same math as above (AP discount and FL tax = 34.08) is a 47% increase.

The thing that really gets me too with these sellers, so many of the item pictures are of the product on the shelf, not even a photo of the item outside of the park, so do they really have it? or are holding out hope when they go back in the park it's still there?

When we were there 5 aug - 17 aug the figment/dreamfinder tsum tsum was there and in a few shops so fingers crossed you’ll find it!

 

[Mander]

Exclusive merchandise, Passholder giveaways and other Disney Parks items are becoming harder to acquire with eBay resellers buying merchandise in bulk to flip online. Personally, I don't think it should be difficult to get specific merchandise if you are at the park, rope dropping the day it releases, but with people (families even?) buying the 10/per person limit each (surely not just for themselves?) it's not always guaranteed to get the items.

I've seen the Food and Wine Annual Passholder cutting board already listed on eBay (before the event has even started).

I know some people don't have the opportunity to get to the parks to buy this merchandise, so eBay is a great way to snag a item you may really want, but are raised prices worth it? Are purchases limits on certain items in the park too steep? Interested to hear your thoughts!

I definitely think it's becoming a problem. Though sometimes I think Disney could curb this by selling more things online. My family has made two Disney merch purchases from Ebay in the last year. I bought the Universe of Energy closing hat and my sister bought the one for the Great Movie Ride. There was no way we could get down there to buy them in park. I think I paid $40 for my hat, which seemed reasonable. My sister though? She paid $100. It was one of her favorite rides, so I get it...but it seemed a bit much!

 

[JIMINYCR]

Disney puts the merchandise out to sell. They know theres people buying up exclusives and other items that are limited to resell at a huge profit. When they say its limited to 10/ person, those people bring friends in to buy up more for them. Those of us who cannot be in the parks when those opportunities open up have limited access to those items so we are at the mercy of resellers. I wish Disney would offer more online to us who live away. You know you are paying way more than the item was listed for and have to decide if its worth the cost to buy the collectable. I've found some amazing deals over the years but have also gritted my teeth purchasing things I really really wanted knowing I was being taken advantage of.

 

[Mousey21]

The thing that really gets me too with these sellers, so many of the item pictures are of the product on the shelf, not even a photo of the item outside of the park, so do they really have it? or are holding out hope when they go back in the park it's still there?

Just had another look at the splash mountain pop, it says in the description that it’s pre order, and Disney are shipping them at the moment, so they don’t actually have the items yet.

 

[Gillyanne]

Though sometimes I think Disney could curb this by selling more things online.

This! The Shop Parks app used to be a treasure trove of goodies; now it's all "out of stock" or "in park only". '17 Flower and Garden I didn't get down there to buy up figment merch, but all/most of it was available online/in app. I was able to get each of the garden statues x2, the ears, shirt, mug, flower pot etc and shipped home. May have even done it for F&W (though as a bit of a "pre order"/not need to drive it home) and only bought minimal stuff in parks that weren't available in the app. This year, while it listed all the F&G items and I could make my shopping list with pricing, none was available to purchase and ship. I'm waiting to see what tomorrow holds for this year's F&W (though i'm on my way down Friday so hopefully things are still available) but I'm not holding my breath to order it from home....

Though I will mention, when things were working well, I've still seen "sold" listings for items on Ebay at a price way higher than an available to ship item on shop parks or disney store even. I'm guessing not all people know it is available and just go right to ebay...

 

[Gillyanne]

Just had another look at the splash mountain pop, it says in the description that it’s pre order, and Disney are shipping them at the moment, so they don’t actually have the items yet.

Without me going to find one on ebay; did it mention when it's released? Maybe board member to board member, if I can get my hands on one, I can grab one for you and charge/ship at cost

 

[Mousey21]

Without me going to find one on ebay; did it mention when it's released? Maybe board member to board member, if I can get my hands on one, I can grab one for you and charge/ship at cost

No . It says estimated shipping 2 sep - 3 sep, and be prepared to wait 2-3 weeks. So I don’t know. Haha. That would be awesome.

 

[LeighM]

There's a certain mercenary aspect to presumably AP holders making a career of sorts out of buying limited edition things in the park and reselling at huge markups. Then again we have a certain fellow named Lou making a career out of being on site with meet and greets of him and his podcasts. I think it's all kind of silly. I really want the Funko Pop tiki room figures, Splash Mountain, Orange Bird and Figment but I have my limitations.
It's an amusement park.

Disney is cracking down on annual passholders who do personal shopping because it's against the terms of the AP. I've known of 2 shoppers that have had Disney freeze their pass for a year as punishment.

 

[MinnieWaffles]

Can't they institute a 2 items per person limit like every other place does??? I was amazed last September to see people walking out with whole armfuls of rose gold Mickey ears. Greedy!!

 

[Br’er Rabbit]

In my Theme Park Leaders of America club I had yesterday, we discussed whether or not it’s moral to buy merchandise and sell it at a higher cost. Specifically the Splash Funko pop. Ultimately we decided that it’s a unfair situation in some ways, but people are choosing to pay that higher price and it’s their decision to do so.

 

[danyoung56]

It would be difficult to put limits on everything. I work in a department of 8 people, and I bought them all mouse ears. I would have been ticked if I could only buy 2 at a time, and had to visit 4 different times to make my purchase.

 

[Raineman]

I have wanted to buy one of those full sized Haunted Mansion sign replicas, but they always seem to be sold out on Shop Disney online. They sell for $80 from Disney, but the EBay prices run from $125 to $200. Nothing but pure greed, IMO, marking up an item 150% from retail. I want that sign for my house, but I'm not paying that price for it.

 

[networkpro]

Once a physical item is purchased, it has a new owner who can dispose of it as they see fit and laws allow.

 

[Phonedave]

For all who are saying "It is selling on eBay for $$$ which is way to high."

No, it's not too high, because somebody is buying it. It's called capitlaisim

As far as being moral is concerned, there is no morality involved - these are theme park souvenirs after all, nobody needs them. It's not as if somebody is cornering the market on food or a life saving drug - it's toys.

What WDW does need to ask itself is, is it hurting it's bottom line. If WDW releases a limited run of items, does the dissatisfaction of not having them in stock in the parks offet the profits of selling out in a matter of hours.

My honest assessment is no, it does not hurt them. For the casual guest - they don't care.

For guests who don't know enough to make ADR's, or who can't figure out FP+, do you really think they care that a limited edition plush is not in the stores?

For hard core Disney guests, who know all of the limited edition merchandise, who track it on eBay, who know when every new item is coming out, who have a Disney room in their houses for all the stuff they bought - is an empty shelf going to stop them from coming to WDW. Highly unlikely. If broken attractions, poor upkeep, degraded dining, and astronomical prices have not stopped them from going to WDW, a lack of commerative hats is not going to he straw that breaks that camel.

-dave

 

[phillip9698]

Can't they institute a 2 items per person limit like every other place does??? I was amazed last September to see people walking out with whole armfuls of rose gold Mickey ears. Greedy!!

At that point all you are doing is causing someone to get in line more than once.

 

[Jedi Stitch]

Rose Gold Galore at Disneyland.