First off - if this topic is verboten, my apologies - feel free to report it enough that a mod deletes it.

So, I often browse eBay just to see what people are selling and keep aware of the secondary market (I have bought a card or two there as I don't play enough friendlies to feel ok with proxies and was happier paying $4 including shipping rather than buying another ship I wouldn't use, plus I got the TIE Advanced fix for $8 which soothed an itch till I decided to get a Raider) and, being both a realist and a capitalist, I think this is a great thing for both the game and for FFG in general (like fan-sites for video games, this is a sign that the game is vibrant enough to support it's own secondary economy) and also allows outlets for awesomeness like Paul LaRue's custom cards.

I'm used to seeing single cards, models with no upgrades, custom repaints, extra dice & damage sets, asteroids and custom models, a variety of items that prove my point above is true, that there is demand for both the products directly from FFG and then in an aftermarket. That all said - when browsing earlier, I saw someone is selling empty boxes. Completely empty boxes. No model, no tokens, no cards, no nothing. I've added them to a watch list just to see if anyone buys them but I'm somewhere between confused and floored that anyone would list empty boxes and will be somewhere between incredulous and wildly angry if someone actually buys them.

Anyway. Just curious if I'm the only one that finds this ridiculous and also to ask what the craziest secondary/after market think you have seen either in relation to X-Wing or any other game.

How much are the empty boxes going for? I know some people like to use the plastic blisters that are formed around the ship in their storage to keep things from bouncing around too much.

do you have a link?

And to think, I've been giving mine to the recycler for free.

Yeah, depending on the description in the ads, it could be an attempt at being misleading. Without looking at the listing personally, though, I would assume its for people who want the plastic blisters to use for storage. I got rid of my Falcon packaging and regret now that I have a huge collection that can't be stored in one starter box

Ha, I'm not going to link them but these are empty boxes, completely empty, not even with the blister packaging inside (the ad says he will be folding them for mailing) and they run for under $10, but still...

Oh man, don't ******* TELL me people are buying empty boxes. I just filled 2 garbage bags the other day of all the excess cardboard and plastic from the models. I was hanging onto all the boxes until I could get rid of them all with a dump run.

I've seen other collectibles' empty boxes being sold (Transformers comes to mind specifically), so it's not that surprising.

I imagine it's the last attempt to squeeze a tiny bit of profit out of packs someone has bought to break up and sell for parts. Admirable but I can't see anyone buying them, and the collect able value is questionable given that you surely have to rip them open to get to the contents? At least I've never managed to get one open without wrecking it.

It's only low if it's misleading. Otherwise it's either wishful thinking on the sellers part or bonkers if someone actually buys.

almost as bad as those folks that have waaaaay over inflated shipping charges. you think its a good deal and ZAP 40 bucks shipping for something that should only cost 5 to 10 at the most!!! I see that on ebay a bunch!!

I've seen other collectibles' empty boxes being sold (Transformers comes to mind specifically), so it's not that surprising.

Something like that goes good if you have a g1 transformer in good condition but no box. Kind of complete it

However Only a fool would buy a empty box that you could go down to the store and get it with item inside

If someone wanted to keep these as collectables then they'd probably just buy them and not open it.

Empty boxes, yeah I'd buy some if by it wasn't for the over priced shipping from the US.

Why? Coz I cut them up and put them in my pluck foam trays.

I need extra due to the aces packs having the ships on angles, they don't fit in the same size slots as the standard blister/clams

As a self confessed capitalist (something you mention in the first post), why would the sale of these make you 'wildly angry'? Surely this is just the free market in action?

As a self confessed capitalist (something you mention in the first post), why would the sale of these make you 'wildly angry'? Surely this is just the free market in action?

If the market will bear it, then so be it. If it won't, the items won't sell.

OK, I can't tell for certain since the OP refuses to provide a link so that we know what he is talking about, but I think what he is talking about is someone selling promo deck boxes that were provided in some tournament kits.

So, limited edition prize support items that are no longer available.

OK, I can't tell for certain since the OP refuses to provide a link so that we know what he is talking about, but I think what he is talking about is someone selling promo deck boxes that were provided in some tournament kits.

So, limited edition prize support items that are no longer available.

Not sure FFG likes auctions being linked to

If it's the one I saw it's an empty Rebel Aces box.

As a self confessed capitalist (something you mention in the first post), why would the sale of these make you 'wildly angry'? Surely this is just the free market in action?

OK, I can't tell for certain since the OP refuses to provide a link so that we know what he is talking about, but I think what he is talking about is someone selling promo deck boxes that were provided in some tournament kits.

So, limited edition prize support items that are no longer available.

nevermind

nevermind

Yeah, I found them.

My first search did not include the word "empty".

I've seen people try to do this with lego all the time.

"New Opened Lego TIE fighter box with instructions!, NO LEGOS" or something like that. usually around $10.00. makes no sense to me. Even selling empty X-wing boxes is pointless, unless you scrapped your plastic without having a decent storage system already in place for your ships. I mean, i'm sure we've all thrown out plastic for a ship at least once (I did with my TIE interceptor), but buying it off ebay just doesn't seem right...

as for 3rd party sales, yeah FFG isn't terribly happy about tourney kits getting sold on ebay(because the only way you get a tournament kit is to either be, or pose as, a Game store, and then have your distributor order you one while you can, so if tournament kits are being sold to the public, it means either a breach of contract from a distributor or store. or sometimes, a store/distributor goes out of business, people clear the warehouse, stumble upon the kit, google it, and then post it on ebay.

).

Where's the problem?

Person A buys new FFG toy, and has a storage solution which does not involve the original package. Might be plano boxes, magnetic base in metal toolbox, whatever... Left are pristine mint empty packages. Person A can either throw them (at least a waste of plastics which were made of petrol), or test if someone might be interested. Person B might be

-a collector who wants to have as pristine boxes as possible, but does not have enough

-someone actually fond of storing in original boxes but lost boxes for whatever reasons

-a person too unimaginative for another storage solution, lost boxes for whatever reasons

Person B might pay for empty boxes. Then its up to capitalism, how much B pays/at which price A sells.

Old story, you see this all the time. As above mentioned for Lego, when looking miniatures, I've seen it for GW's Man o War (as a sidenote, anyone interested in prisitine MoW boxes , have lots).

The bit strange thing is, that these FFG SW boxes are nothing special, on Lego or MoW you have a least really nice pics. But as said, if you find someone paying, fine.

Yea don't see anything wrong with what he's doing. It's not a misleading post or anything just a guy trying to sell an empty box lol. If it was misleading in anyway I would have a problem and maybe even report the ad to ebay but it's very clear as to what your buying.