White Swirl

17. What are your personal feelings on some of the people you serve at the shop who are only there to flip the item an hour later? What does TMR as a whole think about it all?

Ben Swank: Well, I can only speak for myself here, but me personally I don’t like it. I do make an effort to keep people from doing it. I ejected a woman from the store last time because I felt she was a flipper, and we keep it to one per person. Which obviously isn’t a flawless method, but you can’t just look at people and say yes or no, can you? But here’s the thing. Some people seem to have the feeling that because they can’t get these things that they shouldn’t exist (I assume we’re talking about Tri-colors). And I really disagree with that. I mean, I want a pet zebra, but I can’t have one. Doesn’t mean I want them wiped off the planet. We do these in our shop because we are a business after all and we want something special in our store that brings people in to a place that is not their internet machine.

i was told by a flipper at TMR-LA that the only way she can afford TMR merchandise is to buy extra and flip it... so for instance she purchased 2 rob jones metal prints and sold 1 for 235... so that means she really got hers for $15 after all is said and done. (if she could afford to fork out $250 for the prints then i think that means she could afford it right?) i mean i think everyone could afford to have limited TMR merchandise if we got it for free. but at what point do you say 'this isn't what the band would want?'

a little further down the flipper road she even decided to flip some posters Mr. Swank GAVE to her for FREE for spending so much money. do these flippers have no conscience? no morals?

NOW on another note, i went to TMR-LA with my girlfriend who is also a vault member and collector. yes we did come home with some extra swag but no more than 1 item a piece. we were worried that Mr. Swank would think we were flippers as well, but i assure you none of my TMR merchandise will ever make it's way to ebay.

below is the video of Mr. Swank opening the Bizarro store and the flipper i speak of rushing in to buy posters... you can hear her say something like 'and those 2 too..' referring to the soon to be flipped posters.

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Flippers caught on tape! That is HI-larious. Thanks Och.

anonymousbrunette wrote:Flippers caught on tape! That is HI-larious. Thanks Och.

hilarious isn't the word i would use... and the chick wasn't too bright because she listed her Slater posters as RJ posters...


http://completed.shop.ebay.com/californ ... 283&_rdc=1

Is being a 'flipper' determined by an amount of time passing? Should all band merchandise, Greene & Greene homes, Eames chairs and Ferrari's never increse in value? Or is value determined by what someone is willing to pay? I've paid 500 times what a record sold for originally. My choice. Good for the seller, I suppose...

I think that in the TMR case and the community of the Jack White fans (and this is my opinion)
a flipper is someone who instead of helping other fans to get a copy of the item sold exclusively somewhere (TMR Nash, popup)
he chooses to sell it an insane prices getting advantage of fans that have no other way of getting that

trickster wrote:I think that in the TMR case and the community of the Jack White fans (and this is my opinion)
a flipper is someone who instead of helping other fans to get a copy of the item sold exclusively somewhere (TMR Nash, popup)
he chooses to sell it an insane prices getting advantage of fans that have no other way of getting that

agreed. why not do a buy now on ebay for the original cost?

Why doesn't your dentist fix a tooth for cost? Why won't I install a patio in your back yard for cost? Why doesn't TMR sell a 7" single for cost? Fans can get pretty self riteous, believing they "deserve" some kind soul to pick up swag for them and give it to them for cost. It happens, but usually only among friends (which a website like this helps create). It still doesn't help all the other fans that never realise forums like this even exist. I don't see ANYONE putting up reverse records or Pink Lafayette Blues for $10. People say their collections will never be sold (we'll see), but I hope when they do decide to sell, they follow your concept and put the whole thing up at cost. THAT would be a score!

ochfish707 wrote: hilarious isn't the word i would use... and the chick wasn't too bright because she listed her Slater posters as RJ posters...
http://completed.shop.ebay.com/californ ... 283&_rdc=1

I saw that on eBay and actually wrote her suggesting she correct the listing by attributing the posters to Slater. Small world, isn't it?

Remember, the BUYER sets the price. I only feel for the few (if any) who were at the LA store (Nashville, NYC, etc.) who were actually there and missed out on something.

I love my collectibles. I set up my nesting dolls yesterday and showed them to everyone who walked through my door. My face is sore from smiling over my 3" records. But I don't see myself willing these to the kids. Hopefully they will grace someone else's collection someday. Five years? Fifty? Who knows. I don't think either makes me better than the gal in the video (unless she screws me out of a concert ticket, in which case all bets are off.)

stoutr wrote:Why doesn't your dentist fix a tooth for cost? Why won't I install a patio in your back yard for cost? Why doesn't TMR sell a 7" single for cost? Fans can get pretty self riteous, believing they "deserve" some kind soul to pick up swag for them and give it to them for cost. It happens, but usually only among friends (which a website like this helps create). It still doesn't help all the other fans that never realise forums like this even exist. I don't see ANYONE putting up reverse records or Pink Lafayette Blues for $10. People say their collections will never be sold (we'll see), but I hope when they do decide to sell, they follow your concept and put the whole thing up at cost. THAT would be a score!

I dont want to sound like I am confronting you or have bad feelings for you but flipping is similar to a profession for you?
Thats a bad way to start dealing with the whole flipping situation.
I know its impossible to help every single fan out there when only 100 tricolors pressed and that you cannot be friends with everyone on communities line LR or Vault or the Swirl
and that nothing comes for free but I think its not good to defend people selling multiple copies of the same tricolor hours of its release.

This whole situation has many ways that someone can deal with it. There is no way that we can agree on the same thing about that but I am just discussing here.
I might miss some aspect that would help me see this from a new point of view but still havent found it

I'm happy to be the devil's advocate. To each his/her own. None of my opines are pointed at any one person. (for the record)
I personally don't like 'flippers' because they cost me money, but I appreciate 'flippers' because they are out there hustling and helping me get something I otherwise may not get a chance to see. It is risky to wait and hope a rare record shows up later.

stoutr wrote: but I appreciate 'flippers' because they are out there hustling and helping me get something I otherwise may not get a chance to see

thats a point there

interesting read this thread...

wait. flippers are out to make a buck, correct? they aren't out to help provide people who otherwise wouldn't have access to the merch. i think some of you are a bit confused on that.

harvestgirl wrote:interesting read this thread...

wait. flippers are out to make a buck, correct? they aren't out to help provide people who otherwise wouldn't have access to the merch. i think some of you are a bit confused on that.

Making a buck while also helping (from the buyers point of view) sad collectors.

Perfect case in point is the new orange colored Pearl Jam 45. They are given away FREE at local record stores via a Twitter promotion and they sell almost instantly for $450-$500. Flipper is happy. $$$ Buyer is happy (because they have rationalized spending $450 on a rare record).

making a buck while helping.. lol ~ nice rationalization.

sorry, flippers think about no one but themselves & the $ they can make, they don't do it for other people.