They were selling for $300 before anyone new how special they were.
“There and Back Again; A Mystery Chunk Tale”
- Thread starter BRRogers
- Start date
So heres the big question. Boots sold $700. If we see chunks show up at 20-30 bucks are you gonna boycott or buy?
$30 to complete a lightsaber in this community. They will buy, or they will wait and the next boots will be 1K? I use to bitch when i was paying $400 for Kalimars and $200 for Graflexs. Now thats a steal. Add the fact these complete 3 different props 2 of which are hot items.
Yes, at least the way you guys handled it assured that maybe a few hundred chunks made it into this community extremely reasonable prices.
The problem is, a discovery was made and info wasn't shared with the community in an attempt to control something that is uncontrollable.
Just like the Graflex, MPP, Obi grenade, Booster, TI Calculator, Rolls Royce engine parts (etc...) once the discovery is made public no one can control the hording, out-bidding, and price hikes of the real-world parts.
I understand the rational and I appreciate the detective work to identify the part- it's an asset to our community to have such passionate builders willing to invest the time to search and eventually uncover the parts used on our favorite props and costumes. I applaud the efforts of those who finally uncovered this mystery.
But the scale will always be uneven. Some will get the part before it's known publicly and pay the undiscovered rate. Some will get in early or benefit from group buys or pooled resources to get the part at slightly higher than original prices but far less than hording auction prices.
At some point once the part is known to the public it's fair game and the market of supply and demand sets the price. It's impossible to control the price forever and impossible to try and keep it low forever.
Even if 1 person discovered what the mystery chunk was, told no one, was able to purchase a supply of them directly from the original manufacturer, and offer them as originals in the JY saying in the FS thread the actual part will not be identified and selling them at cost- once the parts start shipping and are out in the wild people can take photos of the whole chunk and upload/reverse image search and possibly find out what they are for themselves. It's impossible to keep it a secret, no matter how noble the intention was.
Real world prop parts are very much like the One Ring- they want to be found and once discovered they call our to the darkest places of men's hearts to acquire them at any cost.
There are always going to be scalpers. There are always going to be those who profit from the desires of others. Some people have the capital to make the investment upfront and then make a profit with jacked-up prices. It's sad and I hate it but that isn't something that can be controlled.
When I first got into this hobby, Graflex's were going for $300-$500 each. After 5-10 years the prices had dropped as replicas made their way into the market and you could get a real Graflex for $150-$350. Then the EP7 trailer dropped with the Graflex Luke saber and prices went up $500-$900-$1500+. Now Graflex prices are down again in the $200-$500 range.
I'm on 'Team RPF'. I'm all for the guys and girls who have posted in Luke Lightsaber threads, posted their own lightsaber build threads or lightsaber showoff threads, and showed their passion for the Luke ROTJ V2 lightsaber on the RPF in various discussions. Those are the people I would want to benefit from several other RPF'ers being able to purchase boots before the discovery was made public. I would want those people who were able to purchase boots to not sell/promise any to anyone off-site and under-the-table, and instead post a FS thread in the JY, and sell them first come, first served, to other RPF'ers who are as passionate about the V2 as they are. But it's a free country, and people can do what they want with their stuff, so I'm not upset at anyone for any choices they made.
It's impossible to know if the ending price of the boot auctions after the reveal are a result of RPF'ers, non-RPF online saber builders/sellers, or just capitalists looking to make a profit. But once Pandora's box is open there is no way to put the secret back in the box.
Is it?
Considering the first sales went privately to friends and Facebook groups and not openly in the RPF Classifieds I can see how other members concerns about the Old Boys Network could be considered valid.
CT1138
Sr Member
Old Boys network? Hmm. I don't even know how to respond to this.
Fact is, Bryan, Chris and I were trying to mitigate JUST this. Scott, Roy and a couple others were brought in because of their connections to Brandon and resources to ALSO help assist in procurement.
rest assured, if another discovery is made by Bryan, Chris, or I, or a combination of, it will be handled differently.
lesson learned.
In an attempt to HELP mitigate... we've been derided for "conspiracy theories", withholding info... selling secretly (Trust me I have NO boots to hoard or sell bits of)... and any number of other things.
y'all realize that it doesn't exactly incentivize us to be as philanthropic as we've generally tried to be, right?
The entitlement and lack of context here is astounding...
so is the lack of faith in someone working with a trusted set of good-willed people to do their best with the community at large in mind.. theRPF yes and Facebook (groups) are an extension.
When you try to do the right thing and are met with a reaction like this is the reason people become understandably reluctant to share anything.
What do you want? Do You want to buy a chunk? From Scott on Facebook which you missed because he sold out already? From Chris who sold out already due to PM inquiries? From me?
I’ve gotten more messages for chunks than I HAVE.
Personally I want to make tutorials first and then part them about because I need the studs to do so... especially if I mess something up. I feel a bit entitled to that. Does your entitlement to have one trump that?
You don’t seem to get that I found them on
-Aug 3rd 2020.
-Worked feverishly with trusted friends IRL to collect within reason make a nice presentation and offer sets to distribute per supply AT COST.
- worked to advocate against price gouging and the feverish bidding once revealed.
-received my personal set August 19th to officially verify.
- revealed EVERYTHING just 6 days later August 27th 2020.
August 30th 2020 a set of boots has more than tripled in price for no reason.
I have half a mind to wipe the whole thing based on this petty kind of junk.
So gjw
Would you have preferred $1000 sets of boots marked up to $100 per stud from day one?
Or to not know at all
Or what we tried to do
keep in mind. When I sell MY studs
They will be about $3 a piece plus shipping because I got a great deal and they are A plus.
Shall I put you in my personal interest list?
Or maybe I WILL keep them
(P.S. I’m not. I’m not a jerk)
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Amen. This has been a VERY disappointing reminder of human nature, even inside the RPF community. I literally cannot even...
C'mon everyone... we are BETTER than this...
Serenity
Master Member
I don't see how this could have been handled any better.
The item was identified. A number of them were offered at cost and will likely continue to be offered at cost. The info was shared publicly so everyone has a chance to find something.
Even better, a few of them have made their way to replicators to make hopefully perfect replicas for those who can't get a real one. This beats the mentality I saw a while back of someone blurring out details of a ******* calculator circuit board because they didn't want replicas made. Or years ago when someone had the community help identify what I think was a hose and then deleted the whole thread without sharing what they found.
There will always be examples of poor ways to handle things but this was not one of them. Kudos to those who did the legwork and shared the info.
The item was identified. A number of them were offered at cost and will likely continue to be offered at cost. The info was shared publicly so everyone has a chance to find something.
Even better, a few of them have made their way to replicators to make hopefully perfect replicas for those who can't get a real one. This beats the mentality I saw a while back of someone blurring out details of a ******* calculator circuit board because they didn't want replicas made. Or years ago when someone had the community help identify what I think was a hose and then deleted the whole thread without sharing what they found.
There will always be examples of poor ways to handle things but this was not one of them. Kudos to those who did the legwork and shared the info.
I don't think anyone WANTS to pay more.
I definitely salute you. You've done the community a HUGE service for sharing the info and I truly hope it isn't forgotten.
But at the same time, it's hard to get mad at people for.. What? Not waiting their turn? Maybe I could, except there's no turns. No lists, just...go buy em if you want them. Most world probably get on a list of there was one. There isn't.
I will wait. I think ultimately there will be plenty to go around, but I can't get mad at people for wanting them. Especially when they are told they are out there, but... DON'T but them because... Why? You aren't next in"line?" Id even be ok with that... If there WAS a line. There isn't. So people are buying them. That's how it works.
I guess I'm just not seeing why it's an issue.
I definitely salute you. You've done the community a HUGE service for sharing the info and I truly hope it isn't forgotten.
But at the same time, it's hard to get mad at people for.. What? Not waiting their turn? Maybe I could, except there's no turns. No lists, just...go buy em if you want them. Most world probably get on a list of there was one. There isn't.
I will wait. I think ultimately there will be plenty to go around, but I can't get mad at people for wanting them. Especially when they are told they are out there, but... DON'T but them because... Why? You aren't next in"line?" Id even be ok with that... If there WAS a line. There isn't. So people are buying them. That's how it works.
I guess I'm just not seeing why it's an issue.
Well done to all involved in IDing the part. I'd love to get one for my V2 whenever possible. If I'm going to do that I may as well get a real knob as well... How difficult are those to come by?
I guess ultimately, I hope there are no hard feelings coming. This is a great discovery. I still can't believe you actually found it! Do you know what the odds must be on that? Random hobnail 40 years later? Million to one!
I'm still just thrilled knowing that someone was able to track down a detail like that!
Frankly, that's the kind of thing that brought me to RPF in the first place!
I'm still just thrilled knowing that someone was able to track down a detail like that!
Frankly, that's the kind of thing that brought me to RPF in the first place!
I haven't been around the forums much, lately, but I've been chatting with Bryan and others throughout all this. Just wanted to publicly applaud you, BRRogers , and your handling of it all!
Amazing find, and thanks, my friend!!
Next to one of my hand machined chunks from awhile back.
And the model I've been working on..
Amazing find, and thanks, my friend!!
Next to one of my hand machined chunks from awhile back.
And the model I've been working on..
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