for crying out loud...

[wptw]

Okay, wptw, so if members of the orgs aren't buying the badges and collectors aren't buying them, then who is?

What? Where did I say that? OF COURSE collectors and members are the ones buying them.

What I'm saying is much simpler than all that anyway. Forget collectors and members and who is bidding against whom. These pins are highly valued and in limited supply. Agree? So, more people - ANY people - putting in a bid at ebay means higher prices. That is a fact of capitalism.

Who's responsible for the sudden increase in price?

We all are. Equally. Everyone who has ever bid on an auction has contributed to the demand, thereby contributing to the inflation. You’re right, you can’t attribute this entirely to sister vs. sister bidding. But I’m right too – you can’t say “collectors are driving up the prices” and walk away. That’s too simple and easy an analysis. Remember too that collectors were here first. So we’re not really “driving” anywhere. We’ve been parked here the whole time.

The XYZ sister vs. the collector scenario…

Sure. I’m sure that’s happened. But look at the counters at the bottom of the listings. These auctions are being viewed HUNDREDS of times! With that many people in the arena, there’s no way you’re going to keep the price down. That was my whole issue with Shadokat – since it’s blindingly obvious that plenty of people are already in the arena (collectors and non-collectors alike) poised to battle for the pins, why pull up to the arena with another 10 or 20 tour busses full of people?

Now Shadokat would have you believe that more gladiators in the arena means a better chance of fighting off the collectors. But dzrose, you’ve already acknowledged (correctly, I think) that some sisters are tag-teaming the auction and still not winning.

What it boils down to, I think, is this:

Who do you blame for the increase?

Maybe that’s why I finally jumped into this debate a few weeks ago. I don’t BLAME anyone. I just kind of accept it as a fact of supply and demand in an environment of increasingly internet-savvy consumers. And you shouldn’t blame anyone either. Keep rescuing the badges because I think you’re doing a good job, but quit whining about a problem that you yourselves contributed to.

wptw