Help clear this up?

[JoshRJV77]

So today i was on ebay and saw a chase Pop! and looked at the seller and its a toy shop not too far from me! I know they sell Pop! and have wanted to go check it out, but what they have done is taken the chase they get and put it up on ebay for more than the regular price! I always thought chase were meant to be lucky finds and retailers were supposed to just leave them in with the rest of them! So are there any "rules" for a store to leave them with the others or is it all fair game if they know the real value of them? I would have loved to go in and find that chase but theres no point if they are picking them out and selling them for more on ebay!

[xHEMLOCKx]

there are no rules. Some places buy entire cartons, knowing that they will get a chase piece so they can make that little bit of extra money, these are mainly the smaller and independent stores. Some of the bigger chains do not care and just put the chase piece out with the rest of the toys and it becomes easier to find on the shelf. There are also some of the bigger chains that prefer that they do not receive any chase pieces because they do not understand what they are and think that the factory messed up a piece or painted it wrong. So in the end a store can do whatever they want to with the piece once they receive it.

[akaSID]

I think that's why we're finding chase pieces at bigger stores, like HMV and Best Buy...
Unless staff are collectors, they don't know, or understand the difference!
Owners of smaller, independant stores are more likely aware of the change in value of a chase piece, and the unscrupulous one's will take advantage of that! I don't believe they are under any obligation to put them out and sell as regular (though my guy up here does it for me!). They bought them, so they are free to what they want with them! It ruined pez collecting for me, many years ago. I'm in an area with a lot of antique stores....Stores would display older pez, I'd offer more than market value for them, but they'd refuse...instead putting them on ebay...because they thought they could get more for them....

[groundhog7s]

I can't blame any store or e-tailer for marking up a chase piece. I doubt there are many stores that sell Pops that are making a huge profit off of them and if they want to charge extra to help pay for their order then more power to them. I collect Minimates and they are one variant pack per wave case and it's almost guaranteed that every store that carries them sells them for more. It's just accepted, as is the fact that they are probably getting stuck with unsold sets of non-variant packs (as I'm sure the case is for dealers and stores selling Pop figures). I wish it weren't this way, but it is what it is and I understand why.

[JoshRJV77]

Thats what i was afraid of! Its unfortunate because i like the idea of being able to find them just sitting there with all the rest! Thats what makes the hunt exciting and fun, the hopes of moving a few around and finding a chase piece buried in behind! But if a store is going pick them out and take advantage of that, it ruins is for someone like me who just enjoys looking for them and doesnt have the biggest wallet to be paying the higher amounts! But thanks guys for heloing clear that up!

[Meth68]

Thats what i was afraid of! Its unfortunate because i like the idea of being able to find them just sitting there with all the rest! Thats what makes the hunt exciting and fun, the hopes of moving a few around and finding a chase piece buried in behind! But if a store is going pick them out and take advantage of that, it ruins is for someone like me who just enjoys looking for them and doesnt have the biggest wallet to be paying the higher amounts! But thanks guys for heloing clear that up!

I agree, I am convinced the large retailers around me have employee's cherry picking because everywhere I go has the same couple POP no chase and not even other random regulars :/

[Aratak]

Honestly, I never fool with chase figures. I've been through much the same stuff with football and basketball cards. To me, chase cards pretty much killed that particular hobby. People stopped completing sets and just treated packs like lotto tickets. At least with Funko you see what you are getting. The metallic chrome on chase Pops is very cool, I'll admit. I just want to stay out of it.