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[Shadowstar39]

I was thinking about all the tech that has released lately and has had demand and scalpers. In the past there was this too, but I don't recall it at all during the ps4 launch. I remeber singing up at gamestop back after e3, paying for console a few weeks before launch and picking it up in 10 minutes. In and out. It was easy and great. I was expecting the same.

Thats not what happened to either console. Hell even nvidia gpus (major expensive ones too) are bought out. Also switch is still hard to find (except for crap lite version)
In years past I don't remeber demand being like this. Hell most people wouldn't plop down $800 for a gpu at msrp let along at price gouged numbers yet here we are.

My theory is this stimulus check is causing this. A lot of people who are collecting unemployment and then using that extra check to pay for stuff like this and resell. Coupled with technology and people being bored. Perfect storm. It's kinda shitty for people who work everyday and don't have the time to be waiting in the morning for pre order sales to go up.

Do you think that 1200 check is causing the shortages? People who would normally not have spending money buying stuff up to gouge working people?
Why are people buying a 3080rtx at such high prices when no game really will take advantage of that (I am sure most people are on 1080p, I know I am).

 

[Deleted member 801069]

I don't recall this during the ps4 launch because I didn't follow it but I know this happened during ps3 launch

probably not to this same extent, but I think a big part of it is people being bored as shit at home with tons of free time to play video games

edit: getting the wii at launch was also a complete, utter, total nightmare for me. the reseller market was insane, too.

 

[dorkimoe]

there is NO way anyone has their stimulus checks left
that was so fucking long ago

 

[Deleted member 801069]

also, this might come as a shocker, but people used their stimulus check to pay off debt

What did people do with their $1,200 stimulus checks? Finally an answer

What did people do with their stimulus checks? People who spent most of their stimulus checks account for just 15% of U.S. households, compared to a third of...

www.marketwatch.com

 

[poppabk]

The GPU thing is a little weird but ever since bitcoin the GPU market has been permanently warped. As for consoles, I remember having to line up at 6am outside target 4 months after it launched and then buying one on black friday 1 year after it launched and reselling for a tidy profit.
Demand may be higher because people have less to do outside of the house, but most of those stimulus checks are looooong gone.

 

[n0razi]

Online marketplaces have made it 1000x easier for people to scalp today.... Back in the PS2 days, scalping on ebay was a small minority, now everyone and their mom can scalp anything on places like Facebook marketplace and 5miles with 3 click on their iphone.

 

[Shadowstar39]

Online marketplaces have made it 1000x easier for people to scalp today.... Back in the PS2 days, scalping on ebay was a small minority, now everyone and their mom can scalp anything on places like Facebook marketplace and 5miles with 3 click on their iphone.

You know you got a point there. My mom in her 60s no less is notorious for buying anf selling anything and everything on Facebook marketplace. I tell her she is addicted to it. As for scalpers there really needs to be bot protection and buy limits on new tech.

What is to stop an online 3rd party seller buying up a whole swath of inventory and marketing it up on Amazon or eBay. I say this as the switch is being sold for $100 to 200 over msrp still on amazon but normal price at best buy, Walmart, etc if you can find one.

For myself I was a bit miffed about not getting ps5 pre order, It was sold out before I even got to the sites on time said. I don't know how so many people actually did get one. Xbox was no better, I tried that too. That being said I'm going to just wait it out as I used my ps5 saved money for a new cpu/mobo/ram/case upgrade. Next year is around the corner.

As for bit mining, I thought people were done with that. Didn't it peak in 2018, or am I out of the loop on this?

You guys are probably right about the stimulus. I used mine for my dad's funeral though I am sure there are a lot of kids and adults who don't pay rent/bills who would use it for something like this (and they can) just saying it may have driven up purchases.

 

[TaySan]

Honestly, the PS5 and Series X were super easy to obtain. I wasn't even looking for it and I was able to snag both easy. lol

I think demand is much higher for tech since so many people are staying home and bored.

 

[Shadowstar39]

Honestly, the PS5 and Series X were super easy to obtain. I wasn't even looking for it and I was able to snag both easy. lol

I think demand is much higher for tech since so many people are staying home and bored.

How? I was on all the sites that morning and all said unavailable or sold out with grayed out links. I call bs in you not looking for it. You would of needed to know ahead of time or had a bot buyer. Shit was sold out in seconds.

 

[TaySan]

How? I was on all the sites that morning and all said unavailable or sold out with grayed out links. I call bs in you not looking for it. You would of needed to know ahead of time or had a bot buyer. Shit was sold out in seconds.

To be fair I follow a Discord and I was able to pre-order both through script links to get right into the checkout. Xbox Series X was pretty easy once Amazon started taking preorders. PS5 i was there at the right time when someone posted a link to checkout. Both were much easier than getting the 3080 though. The 3080 i pretty much had to stay up all day every day for a week to snag one. : P

 

[Shadowstar39]

To be fair I follow a Discord and I was able to pre-order both through script links to get right into the checkout. Xbox Series X was pretty easy once Amazon started taking preorders. PS5 i was there at the right time when someone posted a link to checkout. Both were much easier than getting the 3080 though. The 3080 i pretty much had to stay up all day every day for a week to snag one. : P

Damn are you rich? That 3080 is $800 alone without scalper price also add all that up and you paid at least $1800. Seems like a lot to spend during covid. I admit im jealous. I could swing it too if I wanted to take a chunk out of my savings but I would never do that. Too many emergencies could happen. Also bills, car, rent/mortgage, utilities, food, etc..

 

[Shadowstar39]

How much is ps4 now? I thought it was under $300? I see the slim ps4 being sold for $350 from sony store on amazon and others charging $400 plus. Are all consoles having a shortage or are companies and people marking it up due to knowing there is demand? I never heard of prices going up for consoles especially near next Gen launch, usually they discount. I guess not in wierd ass 2020.

 

[TaySan]

Damn are you rich? That 3080 is $800 alone without scalper price also add all that up and you paid at least $1800. Seems like a lot to spend during covid. I admit im jealous. I could swing it too if I wanted to take a chunk out of my savings but I would never do that. Too many emergencies could happen. Also bills, car, rent/mortgage, utilities, food, etc..

It was a FE from Nvidia so I paid MSRP for it! Both PS5 and Series X are through Amazon so they haven't charged me yet. I may end selling the Series X to a friend though not decided yet.

 

[Grinchy]

I was hoping a 2nd check would come and pay for my whole PS5 launch. But no! They made me use my income like a fucking chump.

 

[and 3 others]

Honestly, the PS5 and Series X were super easy to obtain. I wasn't even looking for it and I was able to snag both easy. lol

I think demand is much higher for tech since so many people are staying home and bored.

Fuck you! Sell me a PS5!

 

[Deleted member 1159]

No. When the majority of this country can’t afford an unforeseen expense of like $400 and the stimulus was months ago, the idea it gave scalpers money is fucking retarded. Anyone with enough money to buy up consoles to scalp didn’t need a handout, and anyone that needed a handout isn’t spending it to scalp consoles.

 

[DarkestHour]

No. When the majority of this country can’t afford an unforeseen expense of like $400 and the stimulus was months ago, the idea it gave scalpers money is fucking retarded. Anyone with enough money to buy up consoles to scalp didn’t need a handout, and anyone that needed a handout isn’t spending it to scalp consoles.

People easily scammed their way in to getting the $600 weekly payment, especially those who didn't even have a job before COVID-19. Don't even try to tell yourself they didn't. It must really depend on where you live too, because my neighborhood has seen an incredible influx of people buying new vehicles all of a sudden. Can't be that bad.

 

[Deleted member 1159]

People easily scammed their way in to getting the $600 weekly payment, especially those who didn't even have a job before COVID-19. Don't even try to tell yourself they didn't. It must really depend on where you live too, because my neighborhood has seen an incredible influx of people buying new vehicles all of a sudden. Can't be that bad.

Even assuming all of that’s true, jumping from there to “here’s why there’s so much scalping“ is some really dumb shit.

 

[Reptars Revenge]

Scalpers been hungry bc there has been no concerts and sports to scalp. It’s probably Ticketmaster trying to get back in the green haha. So the lightning have a celebration planned for Wednesday for free all the tickets sold out and they’re going for like $120 on Craigslist

 

[Haint]

It's not the one-off $1200 stimulus check, that was barely a blip in the radar and most people spent it immediately. The real disruption is in the 10's of millions of laid off retail, restaurant, and CSR workers who have been drawing 50-100% higher incomes thanks to the $2400 monthly unemployment bonus that has been going on for over half a year. Millions of laid off minimum wage and near minimum wage workers have literally been given an extra $10,000-$15000+ (on top of their usual incomes) for sitting at home and they're happy to spend it irresponsibly. You know how much discretionary spending surges during income tax returns? Every week has been income tax return day since March.

 

[DeafTourette]

The stimulus check was back in JUNE!! HOW THE FRAK would it apply to September?!?!

 

[Nehezir]

the crypto boom last time showed us that you don't need a ton of money being sent out to everyone in order to see people hog up all the halfway decent GPU's on the market. Lots of people were snatching them up left and right, making money off mining and then reselling far later down the line. And scalping gpu's on ebay has always been a thing too.


It's just a thing that happens.

 

[Dirk Benedict]

there is NO way anyone has their stimulus checks left
that was so fucking long ago

I threw mine in the bank, so technically, I still have mine available to me.

 

[RadAndrew502]

Here is a simple explanation.
They are not producing enough products to meet demand.

Simple as that.

 

[Darkmakaimura]

What stimulus? There will probably be no second 1200 dollars or at least not for a few months.

 

[Manus]

It was a FE from Nvidia so I paid MSRP for it! Both PS5 and Series X are through Amazon so they haven't charged me yet. I may end selling the Series X to a friend though not decided yet.

Damn aren't you unemployed? How you rollin' in all that dough?

 

[TaySan]

Damn aren't you unemployed? How you rollin' in all that dough?

I had a decent amount of savings already before the pandemic + my car was paid off so my only expense right now is my parent's generously low rent and phone bill($250 month). Admittedly the pandemic has helped me more than doubled my savings.

This month was a treat month for me with the 3080 and consoles, but I'm usually more frugal with my spending.

 

[nush]

Honestly, the PS5 and Series X were super easy to obtain. I wasn't even looking for it and I was able to snag both easy. lol

Quit lying your ass off.

Spoiler

"Actually it was so easy I didnt even need to use the bot /s

 

[TaySan]

Quit lying your ass off.

Spoiler

"Actually it was so easy I didnt even need to use the bot /s

That was for the 3080 and not the consoles which didn't even work for me because it wouldn't send me notifications so I eyeballed my discord all day every day for the week.

 

[nush]

That was for the 3080 and not the consoles which didn't even work for me because it wouldn't send me notifications so I eyeballed my discord all day every day for the week.

Quit lying your ass off.

 

[oagboghi2]

The stimulus check was back in JUNE!! HOW THE FRAK would it apply to September?!?!

Is the concept of saving money really that foreign to people

 

[Jaguar Victory]

Honestly, the PS5 and Series X were super easy to obtain. I wasn't even looking for it and I was able to snag both easy. lol

I think demand is much higher for tech since so many people are staying home and bored.

Not in the US.

 

[GymWolf]

Is stimulus check has to be the most stupid name ever??

It sound like a check to convince people to take a crap.

Are you not stimulated enough?!

 

[DarkestHour]

Even assuming all of that’s true, jumping from there to “here’s why there’s so much scalping“ is some really dumb shit.

I agree.

 

[DeafTourette]

Is the concept of saving money really that foreign to people

It's not foreign but many people were and are hurting financially. People had bills in June... Probably a lot are in the process of being evicted if they haven't gotten some kind of rental help. $1200 wasn't that much.

 

[Amory]

I think scalping has just become a lot more prevalent in general, since the last gen launch

People scalp everything now because it's relatively easy. You don't have to go wait out in a line somewhere, you just click some buttons faster than someone else can click some buttons.

 

[TalentedMrJ]

Honestly, the PS5 and Series X were super easy to obtain. I wasn't even looking for it and I was able to snag both easy. lol

I think demand is much higher for tech since so many people are staying home and bored.

You must be one of the few gamers in your area
There were lines outside of Gamestop and online just didn't work

That said this is the least hyped I've ever been for a launch
Already done Demon Souls although it looks amazing
Sackboy looks fantastic but I can wait

Me wanting the new consoles is more habit than anything
I'm good with just the switch

 

[nush]

You don't have to go wait out in a line somewhere, you just click some buttons faster than someone else can click some buttons.

Pfft, I still queued up for 5 hours to grab a launch day Wii.

 

[Durask]

Couldn't bother with either PS5 or Xbox series X or 3080. No launch games that interest me and nothing that I would actually need a 3080 for - will be a long time till I get to Metro Exodus if ever.
Will get PS5 eventually when there are a few JRPGs on it worth playing so probably a couple of years.

Also couple of identity thefts attempts. First, someone tried to apply for a small business assistance loan under my name, then someone tried to file for unemployment under my name. Caught and blocked both attempts immediately.
I left my info when I reported the SBA loan fraud and the investigator actually called me a few weeks later, said there are thousands and thousands of fraudilent applications for SBA loans.

 

[Durask]

I think scalping has just become a lot more prevalent in general, since the last gen launch
People scalp everything now because it's relatively easy. You don't have to go wait out in a line somewhere, you just click some buttons faster than someone else can click some buttons.

Just wondering - is there really such a huge market of people willing to pay scalpers for a gaming system?

 

[nush]

Just wondering - is there really such a huge market of people willing to pay scalpers for a gaming system?

Yes, But only for a short window.

 

[Amory]

Just wondering - is there really such a huge market of people willing to pay scalpers for a gaming system?

Yeah I mean, just look at what the console preorders are going for on ebay. It's like 2x the cost