Cancelling the Halo Cart Ebay Auction

[shadowdoggie]

I'd like to start with this: I'm Sorry. As I was writing my last post in the Halo topic I realized I was reacting emotionally, and quite frankly I'm disappointed in myself that I wasn't able to handle that situation more level-headedly. Cursing and calling someone a newbie is totally unacceptable, and I crossed a line. After being called greedy, entitled, sucky, and being told that I was screwing everybody, I simply had enough and felt the need to lash out. Now, I'm being called a profiteer. So, with that I have a few things to say, as this will be my last post.

 

After I write this, I'm going to immediately cancel my HALO cart auction. There is no side deal and there will be no profit made on my extra cart. Someone mentioned in the topic that if Halo was put on ebay it would be a great promotion for this cart on Atariage. Since I had an extra cart, I figured what the heck, I can always order another one. Anyone who took the time (thank you Pioneer) to look at and read my ebay auction would have realized that I was plugging Atariage. I did so in the description, and then when someone contacted me and asked me to do a side deal I explained that I was selling this item to promote the sale of this cart on Atariage and any side deal would defeat that purpose. I went on to ask that anyone who wasn't bidding please sign up on the waiting list at atariage.com.

 

I didn't know for sure if the cart would sell for much more than $20, but my plan was to put the extra money towards becoming a subscriber here. I've thought about it a lot, clicked on the subscriber link many times, and it seemed like the right opportunity. Now, after being called the many names I've been called and subsequently having people question and spectulate on my reasons for purchasing two carts in the first place, I'm sure my story is met with a great deal of skepticism. I can't change that. What I've learned from this is that sometimes words are not enough to convince some people that you don't have bad intentions, even if you try several times.

 

Al, I don't want credit for the carts I sent to you and please don't send them back, they're a donation. I don't blame you for banning me from the topic, but I had no intention of posting there again after the moderator asked me to stop. I'm totally stunned by the fact that putting the cart on ebay caused such a strong reaction. I honestly thought that would be seen as a really nice gesture since I had two and it would be great publicity for this cart on Atariage. I meant no harm.

 

I find people fascinating and it saddens me when I fail at communication, and the Halo thread was indeed a big fail for me. There is more to say, but sometimes enough is enough.

 

Enjoy this great forum and be better to people than I have recently.

[Philflound]

I actually have no idea what this is all about. I never bothered to read any of the Halo thing. I have no interest in it. I feel bad how people flame you for trying to make a buck, whatever your reasons. I've been called many things too over the years for being a seller on Ebay and trying to make some money. I guess whatever you said on here was out of line, but I've gotten frustrated at people jumping all over me and have been tempted to do the same. It's sad that you've been a part of the community for 6 years now and you're giving it all up. Good luck with any decisions you make.

 

Phil

Edited August 18, 2010 by Philflound

[high voltage]

Shame you cancelled the Halo auction. I also never read the Halo thread, but selling a game on ebay is normal, even if you sell free games. People been doing this with NES comptetition carts for years. They made a very nice profit selling these carts, and guess what, nobody's moaning about it. I sold my Atomic CD for Jaguar, so? wanna gripe about it? Profit is the American way, after all.

Edited August 18, 2010 by high voltage

[nathanallan]

shadow I understood what you were doing in the first place. Sometimes peoples' opinions overshadow their wisdom and they talk without thinking.

 

Plugging Atariage on ebay was a great idea, and lots of people do THAT too!

 

For example, you can pay ONE DOLLAR to be sent emailed information on how to get a new XBox 360-- or you can google it yourself. How's that for feeling wronged?

 

Nah, you done good doggie, people just took it the wrong way. I didn't read that particular reply you are referring to but still think you did no wrong.

[iwan-iwanowitsch-goratschin]

Yeah, all is good!

[CPUWIZ]

I didn't read that particular reply you are referring to but still think you did no wrong.

 

Neither do I, it's just a game. He bought it, played it and is now selling it, every kid on the block does that with their 360 & PS3 games. What's the difference, it's not like he is yelling "LOOK: Atari 2600 Halo - ULTRA RARE!" - BIN $99.99 or Best Offer? I could make hundreds of these at home, not one of you would ever be able to tell the difference. Especially not once "you think" (not you Nathan) it's deemed a collectible, in a few years, that you can put on ebay.

 

IT'S JUST A GAME!

[iwan-iwanowitsch-goratschin]

[

 

IT'S JUST A GAME!

 

 

hECK yEAH!

[atarinut76]

Yeah Shadow, I didn't think you were doing anything wrong + the extra money going to AA I had no problem bidding higher on this puppy.. Also it was giving someone a chance to get this game cause they couldn't go to CGE. I thought it was a grand slam of an idea?

[homerwannabee]

The thing is that when all is said, and done there will probably at least over a 1,000 of these carts in existence. With that type of production run, there is going to be a Halo cart or two going on Ebay. It is that simple. I suggest that people live with it. By the way I will be selling my Halo cart I got at CGE, and from AtariAge on Ebay. Oh, wait, I did not get either a CGE cart or an AtariAge. Dang it, where than get I get my insane profiteering? No worries though, I never really wanted this cart anyway's. To me, getting an Atari 2600 Halo cart is almost akin to getting a Raiders jersey that says Pittsburgh Steelers rule!

[+5-11under]

I didn't see the other thread, but I see absolutely no problem with selling your game on eBay. It's yours. Do what you want with it.

 

My 2 cents,

5-11under

[Pioneer4x4]

To me, getting an Atari 2600 Halo cart is almost akin to getting a Raiders jersey that says Pittsburgh Steelers rule!

I don't see anything wrong with either!

Now combat on wii virtual console would be wrong, and raiders on Pittsburgh jersey would be awful!

[Albert]

I agree, there is no problem of course with someone selling something they own on eBay, including in this case a copy of Halo 2600. What really turned me off Shadow was your post in the other Halo thread where you came out swinging with rude and vulgar insults. I did look at your auction and I appreciate the props you gave to AtariAge.

 

Also, to stop short term profiteering of this game while new copies are still being produced, I will have an eBay auction on standby with a BIN for $20-$25 when auctions for this title pop up, regardless of who posts them. Once I stop producing copies, all bets are off at that point.

 

..Al

[homerwannabee]

I agree, there is no problem of course with someone selling something they own on eBay, including in this case a copy of Halo 2600. What really turned me off Shadow was your post in the other Halo thread where you came out swinging with rude and vulgar insults. I did look at your auction and I appreciate the props you gave to AtariAge.

 

Also, to stop short term profiteering of this game while new copies are still being produced, I will have an eBay auction on standby with a BIN for $20-$25 when auctions for this title pop up, regardless of who posts them. Once I stop producing copies, all bets are off at that point.

 

..Al

The only problem is that this will not stop people from putting out $75 bins on auctions that would probably get snapped up quicker than you can actually put up your own $25 bin. And most likely your $25 bin is not going to last for more than an hour.

[Cebus Capucinis]

IT'S JUST A GAME!

 

It's not a way of life?

 

[Pioneer4x4]

And most likely your $25 bin is not going to last for more than an hour.

SSSHHHHHH! (Don't let Al know that! He might raise his prices!)

[shadowdoggie]

Wow. I really appreciate the support from some those who responded, especially those senior members

who do so much to support this community; you know who you are. I speak for myself now when I say the following: My trouble in the Halo topic started by asking Al the unpopular question about whether or not Halo was going to be made in limited quantites (note: after I purchased the carts). Now, I have to do something even more unpopular and disagree with Al about something.

 

Al, respectfully, I fundamentally disagree with the policy you set regarding placing Halo carts up for

bid on ebay. You own and operate Atariage, not ebay and not the free market. Threatening to place BIN

auctions of the same cart if anyone puts the Halo cart up for auction (as stated in the Halo thread) borders on abuse of power, no?

 

You have the right to ban me from any or all AtariAge topics, or suspend/delete my account here, but

when you suggest strong-arming me or others by taking away our right to sell an item that we have

already paid for, even for a short period of time, that's when I feel you cross the line. This game

didn't come with a disclaimer or waiver of rights. I own it. I was a supportive, contributing member

of this community while I was here, and yet you feel comfortable weilding your power this way? This

cannot be, and I'm having trouble believing it. Everything about it feels wrong.

 

Make-believe Story #1

I'm a baseball card collector and one day I decide to buy an old box of 1985 Topps cards. Amazingly, I

find a Bounty Bob rookie card inside one of the packs. A few days later, Bob breaks the homerun

record. I'm excited because not only am I a fan, but the value of my card just went up. I decide this

would be a good time to sell the card. When Topps finds out I'm placing the card up for bid on ebay,

they threaten to place an unlimited number of Bob's rookie cards up on ebay with a Bin of $25 if I put

mine on ebay. Is this acceptable?

 

Make-believe Story #2

It's early in the holiday season and I'm low on cash, but I have enough money to buy a new doll called

Talking Elmo at Toys-R-Us, which is in high-demand. My plan is to wait in line all night, purchase the

item and then sell it on eBay so that I have more money for the holidays and someone else who wasn't

able to make it to the store will have an opportunity to get an Elmo. When Fisher Price hears that I'm

going to sell my item on eBay, they threaten to put an unlimited number of pre-order Elmo Dolls up on

ebay with a Bin of $25 if I put mine on ebay. Is this acceptable?

 

I'm sure it's possible to punch holes in these examples and make arguments for how these are not

parallel examples, but they feel quite similar. It's impossible to come up with an example where the

seller doesn't expect to earn more than what he paid because that's the nature of most auctions. Did I

expect to earn more than I paid? 90% yes, but I had a plan for what I would do with those funds, as

I've already explained, which in the end would have yielded more money for AtariAge. It also should be noted that I wasn't forcing bidders to buy the cart for more than I purchased it for. The starting price was set at $19.99. At that point it's up to the buyer to decide whether or not they want to spend more for the item now or wait for it new.

 

What I said to the new AtariAge member was indeed disrespectful and vastly disproportionate based on

what he said to me. Unfortunately, he was getting blasted for more than what he had actually said. I have thought about it, acknolwedged it, and apologized for it. Now I ask you to do the same by re-examining your stance on this policy, because it doesn't seem concordant with the fairness you've shown in the past. I'm condemning the policy here, not the person.

[CPUWIZ]

Wow. I really appreciate the support from some those who responded, especially those senior members

who do so much to support this community; you know who you are. I speak for myself now when I say the following: My trouble in the Halo topic started by asking Al the unpopular question about whether or not Halo was going to be made in limited quantites (note: after I purchased the carts). Now, I have to do something even more unpopular and disagree with Al about something.

 

Al, respectfully, I fundamentally disagree with the policy you set regarding placing Halo carts up for

bid on ebay. You own and operate Atariage, not ebay and not the free market. Threatening to place BIN

auctions of the same cart if anyone puts the Halo cart up for auction (as stated in the Halo thread) borders on abuse of power, no?

 

You have the right to ban me from any or all AtariAge topics, or suspend/delete my account here, but

when you suggest strong-arming me or others by taking away our right to sell an item that we have

already paid for, even for a short period of time, that's when I feel you cross the line. This game

didn't come with a disclaimer or waiver of rights. I own it. I was a supportive, contributing member

of this community while I was here, and yet you feel comfortable weilding your power this way? This

cannot be, and I'm having trouble believing it. Everything about it feels wrong.

 

Make-believe Story #1

I'm a baseball card collector and one day I decide to buy an old box of 1985 Topps cards. Amazingly, I

find a Bounty Bob rookie card inside one of the packs. A few days later, Bob breaks the homerun

record. I'm excited because not only am I a fan, but the value of my card just went up. I decide this

would be a good time to sell the card. When Topps finds out I'm placing the card up for bid on ebay,

they threaten to place an unlimited number of Bob's rookie cards up on ebay with a Bin of $25 if I put

mine on ebay. Is this acceptable?

 

Make-believe Story #2

It's early in the holiday season and I'm low on cash, but I have enough money to buy a new doll called

Talking Elmo at Toys-R-Us, which is in high-demand. My plan is to wait in line all night, purchase the

item and then sell it on eBay so that I have more money for the holidays and someone else who wasn't

able to make it to the store will have an opportunity to get an Elmo. When Fisher Price hears that I'm

going to sell my item on eBay, they threaten to put an unlimited number of pre-order Elmo Dolls up on

ebay with a Bin of $25 if I put mine on ebay. Is this acceptable?

 

I'm sure it's possible to punch holes in these examples and make arguments for how these are not

parallel examples, but they feel quite similar. It's impossible to come up with an example where the

seller doesn't expect to earn more than what he paid because that's the nature of most auctions. Did I

expect to earn more than I paid? 90% yes, but I had a plan for what I would do with those funds, as

I've already explained, which in the end would have yielded more money for AtariAge. It also should be noted that I wasn't forcing bidders to buy the cart for more than I purchased it for. The starting price was set at $19.99. At that point it's up to the buyer to decide whether or not they want to spend more for the item now or wait for it new.

 

What I said to the new AtariAge member was indeed disrespectful and vastly disproportionate based on

what he said to me. Unfortunately, he was getting blasted for more than what he had actually said. I have thought about it, acknolwedged it, and apologized for it. Now I ask you to do the same by re-examining your stance on this policy, because it doesn't seem concordant with the fairness you've shown in the past. I'm condemning the policy here, not the person.

 

Al's comment has very little to do with your auction, it's directly related to scalpers and people with little ugly heads on their labels. I think you're overreacting a little.

[Philflound]

I agree with CPU on this. And you must remember some things about Ebay and Al making games.

 

1. He has a limited amount of time. He would have to make the game, chip, cart, label, etc. I think he can think of better ways to spend his time. He's not going to put 1000 copies up.

2. He has to ship the game. Pack, tape, print labels, post office.

3. Ebay has millions of buyers. Though not many Atari in comparison, there are probably enough out there that higher priced ones will be purchased when Al's sale is up. Unless he has an Ebay store, he can only list 1 at a time.

4. Is your extra the CGE version? Then yours won't be mass produced if it is.

5. Never buy things for investment. This goes for all collectibles. I've been doing this for over 25 years. You buy to enjoy. If your item goes up, consider it a bonus. If you can actually sell it at the higher price, consider yourself lucky. I can't tell you how many death of Superman comics I sold for $75 that I bought for $3.50 that are now worth $20. It's the name of the game. Same goes for your Mark McGwire rookie you called Bounty Bob. That card was $150+ when he broke the record. Then Sammy came along and ruined it, so did the steroids. Maybe you can get $25 now.

 

I put stuff on Ebay all the time. I look at what others are selling theirs for. I compare condition, box, etc. If there are 1 or 2 cheaper, I don't care. Eventually theirs will sell and mine will be the one left for sale at the higher price.

 

(EDIT) By the way, Elmo was mass produced. It was all about getting it before Christmas. After Christmas, there were tons on the shelves.

 

Phil

Edited August 18, 2010 by Philflound

[Albert]

Sorry, Shadow, just as you have the right to list your copy (or copies) of Halo 2600 on eBay, I have just as much right to do exactly the same. That's hardly an "abuse of power". Setting a low BIN on any copies I put up would just help ensure that people who want a copy can get one for a reasonable, uninflated price. Especially while these are still being produced. That's nothing against you as far as that's concerned.

 

And an easy way for me to prevent a BIN auction from disappearing quickly is to put multiple copies up at a time (say, for instance, 50).

 

..Al

[Zwackery]

IT'S JUST A GAME!

 

It's not a way of life?

 

 

That game is evil, I tells ya! Evil! EEEE-VIL!

[Emehr]

Threatening to place BIN auctions of the same cart if anyone puts the Halo cart up for auction (as stated in the Halo thread) borders on abuse of power, no?

 

...when you suggest strong-arming me or others by taking away our right to sell an item that we have already paid for, even for a short period of time, that's when I feel you cross the line. This game didn't come with a disclaimer or waiver of rights. I own it. I was a supportive, contributing member of this community while I was here, and yet you feel comfortable weilding your power this way? This

cannot be, and I'm having trouble believing it. Everything about it feels wrong.

Wait a minute. I thought all proceeds exceeding the price you paid for the cart were going to be donated to AA? That doesn't sound like the case at all to me, according to your post.

 

EDIT: Oh ok, just re-read original post. Still, seems like a bit of an over-reaction.

[homerwannabee]

Wow. I really appreciate the support from some those who responded, especially those senior members

who do so much to support this community; you know who you are. I speak for myself now when I say the following: My trouble in the Halo topic started by asking Al the unpopular question about whether or not Halo was going to be made in limited quantites (note: after I purchased the carts). Now, I have to do something even more unpopular and disagree with Al about something.

 

Al, respectfully, I fundamentally disagree with the policy you set regarding placing Halo carts up for

bid on ebay. You own and operate Atariage, not ebay and not the free market. Threatening to place BIN

auctions of the same cart if anyone puts the Halo cart up for auction (as stated in the Halo thread) borders on abuse of power, no?

 

You have the right to ban me from any or all AtariAge topics, or suspend/delete my account here, but

when you suggest strong-arming me or others by taking away our right to sell an item that we have

already paid for, even for a short period of time, that's when I feel you cross the line. This game

didn't come with a disclaimer or waiver of rights. I own it. I was a supportive, contributing member

of this community while I was here, and yet you feel comfortable weilding your power this way? This

cannot be, and I'm having trouble believing it. Everything about it feels wrong.

 

Make-believe Story #1

I'm a baseball card collector and one day I decide to buy an old box of 1985 Topps cards. Amazingly, I

find a Bounty Bob rookie card inside one of the packs. A few days later, Bob breaks the homerun

record. I'm excited because not only am I a fan, but the value of my card just went up. I decide this

would be a good time to sell the card. When Topps finds out I'm placing the card up for bid on ebay,

they threaten to place an unlimited number of Bob's rookie cards up on ebay with a Bin of $25 if I put

mine on ebay. Is this acceptable?

 

Make-believe Story #2

It's early in the holiday season and I'm low on cash, but I have enough money to buy a new doll called

Talking Elmo at Toys-R-Us, which is in high-demand. My plan is to wait in line all night, purchase the

item and then sell it on eBay so that I have more money for the holidays and someone else who wasn't

able to make it to the store will have an opportunity to get an Elmo. When Fisher Price hears that I'm

going to sell my item on eBay, they threaten to put an unlimited number of pre-order Elmo Dolls up on

ebay with a Bin of $25 if I put mine on ebay. Is this acceptable?

 

I'm sure it's possible to punch holes in these examples and make arguments for how these are not

parallel examples, but they feel quite similar. It's impossible to come up with an example where the

seller doesn't expect to earn more than what he paid because that's the nature of most auctions. Did I

expect to earn more than I paid? 90% yes, but I had a plan for what I would do with those funds, as

I've already explained, which in the end would have yielded more money for AtariAge. It also should be noted that I wasn't forcing bidders to buy the cart for more than I purchased it for. The starting price was set at $19.99. At that point it's up to the buyer to decide whether or not they want to spend more for the item now or wait for it new.

 

What I said to the new AtariAge member was indeed disrespectful and vastly disproportionate based on

what he said to me. Unfortunately, he was getting blasted for more than what he had actually said. I have thought about it, acknolwedged it, and apologized for it. Now I ask you to do the same by re-examining your stance on this policy, because it doesn't seem concordant with the fairness you've shown in the past. I'm condemning the policy here, not the person.

No, it would be more like getting 2010 Bounty Bob rookie cards. And if you put yours up for auction Topps has every single right to put out a million 2010 Bounty Bob baseball cards, and this is very acceptable. In fact a move that should be applauded.

 

And Fischer Price has every right to put out as many Talking Elmo dolls on Ebay as they want. This is also acceptable. And in fact a move that should be applauded.

 

Now the Albert example is a little different. Say Albert puts 50 on Ebay. What he does not realize is that he will need WAY more than 50 to meet demand. If he puts 50 at $25 a pop they will sell out within a week. Al is going to need a bin of 500 to scratch the demand. See Al is not dealing with the Atari 2600 community any more, he is dealing with the XBOX 360 Halo community. And man is that one beast to meet demands. If Al can meet demands to the point of stopping scalpers than he has done one heck of a job. And if he does than I will tip my cap off to him for doing what I thought was virtually impossible.

[shadowdoggie]

@Al

The posts have been long and the risk is that things get misunderstood. I would never in my life suggest that you don't have the right to put up a BIN copy of Halo on eBay. That isn't what was written. What I question is your reason for doing so.

 

Why were you so opposed to anyone else putting up a copy of Halo on ebay while your were working on putting more together?

 

You had said "Be forewarned that if copies do pop up on eBay, I will list auctions with a $20 BIN for the cart." Well, why?

 

If you've already made your $ on the game, why would you care what the person did with it, and in this case put forth a warning about how you'll respond if anyone disobeys. Cebus might smash his with a hammer, any problem with that? Sounds silly, but seriously, doesn't he have the right to do what he wants with his cart and sledgehammer?

 

There is a big disconnect for me with this message, and the only thing I can come up with is that you are standing on some moral ground and using your power to prevent me from doing something that I want to do with my own property. That's it right? Profiteering, as some were calling it. Or, for the rest of us, the typical lifestyle of a vintage game collector. We buy auctions/items cheap, keep what we want, then sell the duplicates back. This we do on ebay, antique shops, goodwill stores, flea markets, garage sales, plug for game gavel, etc. This keeps a steady flow of collectibles moving throughout the country/world. Sometimes we make money, other times we break even or lose money.

 

Listen, I'm not here to argue morals. If that's what you feel strongly against, then fantastic. People will disagree, and my issue with it is that you threatened to imposed sanctions against those who do something that is in discord with your beliefs, and in my opinion that isn't right, and beyond your jurisdiction.

 

I just purchased a boxed Sears Heavy Sixer by using the BIN, and WAY overpaid. I didn't need Al to save me from that. It was my choice to overpay, it happens every day. You get the final word.

[Miss 2600]

 

 

There is a big disconnect for me with this message, and the only thing I can come up with is that you are standing on some moral ground and using your power to prevent me from doing something that I want to do with my own property.

 

How is anyone preventing you from putting your game on eBay?

[Christophero Sly]

Al, respectfully, I fundamentally disagree with the policy you set regarding placing Halo carts up for

bid on ebay. You own and operate Atariage, not ebay and not the free market. Threatening to place BIN

auctions of the same cart if anyone puts the Halo cart up for auction (as stated in the Halo thread) borders on abuse of power, no?

If you have the right to sell your copy of Halo wherever, whenever, and at whatever price you want, then doesn't Al have that very same right? Whatever fundamental motivations underly Al's actions, they are irrelevant because just like you, he is entitled to sell his products when, where, and at whatever price he chooses. It's not sanctions because however Al chooses to sell his product, there is nothing preventing you from attempting to sell yours. I understand that his actions will undercut your profits... but, hey, it's the free-market, and he was nice enough to give you fair warning.

 

I realize that it doesn't seem fair or right or whatever, and I hope that what I just said didn't sound overly harsh because I am genuinely sympathetic to your feelings on this matter--it sounds like Al is as well. Nevertheless, recognize that you and anyone else who tries to re-sell a copy of Halo on eBay are essentially going up against a legitimate, all-powerful monopoly in this particular market. The safest play is to quietly stop doing that.

 

Again, Al can make and sell as many copies of Halo as he desires... whenever, wherever, and at whatever price he chooses. Being upset about this fact is like being upset at a bakery because they keep making fresh bread everyday, for everybody, and now you can't make a profit reselling the bread you bought there yesterday.