A rant against Disney Profiteers

OG Runner

OG Runner

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I am honestly interested in the opinions of people on these boards, in reference to what I see as Disney Profiteers. I clarify profiteers as those,
I can only assume are park locals that scoop up new Disney products, then sell them for outrageous prices. I have seen this personally, going
to the Disney Marathons. I usually do not get there until the expo has gone on for a few days. The first three times I went, none of the running
shoes, specifically made by New Balance, were left. Soon after the race the shoes I was looking for were for sale on ebay for $400.00. I happen
to be on ebay today and with the opening of Galaxy's Edge, saw a Batuu Coke on sale for $21.00, or a mech droid for $250.00. Sorry, for the
rant, but I really feel there should be a way to prevent this.
 
S

seascape

Well-Known Member
It is "illegal" (actually against the passholder terms) for an annual passholder to resell items they purchaded using their discount. Disneyland has started to cancel annual passes for those they catch. I wish WDW would do this too. It is one thing to sell something you have owned for years and completely different to buy and sell something the same day.
 
Smiley/OCD

Smiley/OCD

Well-Known Member
As much as you may be upset, just as ticket scalpers gouge the average music or sports fan, it comes down to simple supply and demand. If the prices seem too outrageous, in time, the prices will fall especially if the demand is not there. This has been going on since Cabbage Patch dolls, Furbys, Beanie Babies, etc. What people ASK for an item and what they actually GET are 2 totally different amounts. Just so you know, I don't sell WDW items, lest you think I'm one of them, but it's capitalism.
 
eliza61nyc

eliza61nyc

Well-Known Member
so there actually are laws to prevent price gouging of commodities after what they call "supply" shock. for example, after a hurricane you can't sell a case of water for 100 bucks.
Generally though it's reserved for I guess what we call "basic" necessities. water, gasoline etc.

The best way to prevent price gouging is pretty simple, don't support it. The guy with the 400 sneakers will quickly lower his price if no one bites
 
MrMcDuck

MrMcDuck

Well-Known Member
Disney went after a handful of APers for reselling merch and cancelled their passes, but far more effective would be to significantly limit the number of each special/event item a person can buy, at least for a certain number of days. If the limit is 10 of each item, which it often seems to be, that's really way too high, and you often hear of them not even enforcing that limit. They could easily limit it to 2 or so, tie that purchase to that person, and strictly enforce it. The fact that they don't usually do anything close to that tells you they don't care that much about the issue. They are getting their money either way, and to be a bit cynical, many Disney items being hard to get just makes the collectaholics salivate that much more over the company and its merch.
 
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Smiley/OCD

Smiley/OCD

Well-Known Member
Damon7777 said:
So Disney creates a piece of merchandise that costs $4.25 in totality and then sells it in its gift shops for $38......profiteering, no?

But yet you have issue with the guest profiteers.



Big Corp make sloppy money: good
Little consumer make sloppy money: bad

Seems to me both don't bring out the best in human behavior.
Click to expand...
Right...To rip people off for food, water or gasoline after a natural disaster or storm or raise the price of medicine 5000% (remember Martin Shkreli?) is absolutely wrong and should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law., but if it's not a necessity i.e. a Disney item, the most effective way to combat that is to not support it.
 
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eliza61nyc

eliza61nyc

Well-Known Member
Damon7777 said:
So Disney creates a piece of merchandise that costs $4.25 in totality and then sells it in its gift shops for $38......profiteering, no?

But yet you have issue with the guest profiteers.



Big Corp make sloppy money: good
Little consumer make sloppy money: bad

Seems to me both don't bring out the best in human behavior.
Click to expand...

A little bit of difference the big corp usually incurs some cost, even if it is only 4 bucks. they incur the cost of labor, shipping and taxes.

Little guy does not and little guy is not selling it at the same cost. So he's all profit. The Batuu coke can is being sold at DL for about 6 bucks not 21.00 bucks
 
SteamboatJoe

SteamboatJoe

Well-Known Member
I am not going to lie, I have bought parks merch off of eBay so I can't complain about it too much. That said, I only buy older stuff that I regretted later not buying or couldn't buy at the time, typically months or sometimes years later. I don't live remotely close to WDW and don't go regularly. Disneys tendency for limited availability and not selling stuff in the online store are big factors. I'd buy it from them if I could. I don't buy the new release stuff as I think that definitely enables some bad behavior.

Examples include: Happily Ever After ornament (7 months later), a 2017 photo album (1.5 years later), a Coronado Springs coffee mug and pin as well the 2015 citrus outdoor dining set (all 2+ years later).

Other items I have my eye on are the 2017 Figment statue from the Flower and Garden festival and some of the 2015 parks posters dessert plates I didn't get. Figments price has been obscene and the plates have just not been a high priority. The Great Movie Ride's price spiked for obvious reasons.
 
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Damon7777

Damon7777

Well-Known Member
eliza61nyc said:
little bit of difference the big corp usually incurs some cost, even if it is only 4 bucks. they incur the cost of labor, shipping and taxes.

Little guy does not and little guy is not selling it at the same cost. So he's all profit.
Click to expand...

Did I not say Disney has costs? Why yes I did. A $4.25 total cost is, well, just that, a total cost.

And if Jack bought that item for $38 in the gift shop and resold it I doubt he's making 9 times his initial outlay.
 
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Damon7777

Damon7777

Well-Known Member
Oh, and what's this business about Disney is subjected to taxation while giving us the impression that little entrepreneur is exempt.......
 
Smiley/OCD

Smiley/OCD

Well-Known Member
eliza61nyc said:
A little bit of difference the big corp usually incurs some cost, even if it is only 4 bucks. they incur the cost of labor, shipping and taxes.

Little guy does not and little guy is not selling it at the same cost. So he's all profit. The Batuu coke can is being sold at DL for about 6 bucks not 21.00 bucks
Click to expand...
Well, it's not ALL profit...$$$ for the AP, gasoline costs to the park, wear and tear on the vehicle and, most importantly, the value of the person's time. Those are all factors you have to take into account. Can it be considered petty? sure, but that's the cost of doing business. Even IF Disney had a strict 10 to a customer limit, if several friends go in and buy 10 each, the reseller now has 50 instead of 10...how is Disney going to stop them? As long as they weren't acquired illegally i.e. stolen, (Buzzy), it's a free market economy...the best way to stop it is to not support it. BUT it only takes one that HAS to have it, to open Pandora's box.
 
larryz

larryz

I'm Just A Tourist!
Premium Member
Edward Jackson said:
I am honestly interested in the opinions of people on these boards, in reference to what I see as Disney Profiteers. I clarify profiteers as those,
I can only assume are park locals that scoop up new Disney products, then sell them for outrageous prices. I have seen this personally, going
to the Disney Marathons. I usually do not get there until the expo has gone on for a few days. The first three times I went, none of the running
shoes, specifically made by New Balance, were left. Soon after the race the shoes I was looking for were for sale on ebay for $400.00. I happen
to be on ebay today and with the opening of Galaxy's Edge, saw a Batuu Coke on sale for $21.00, or a mech droid for $250.00. Sorry, for the
rant, but I really feel there should be a way to prevent this.
Click to expand...
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