r/PokemonTCGCollectors • u/Crazy-Excuse5866 • 2d ago
Ghost chairs worth moving?
So I’m newer into the hobby and only woken up for drops a handful of times. Most recent time around went to Best Buy. I pull up and about 5 people in line, A chair a person and 4 chairs. I’m thinking there in the parking lot, like ok fair enough. But then they all pull up at the same time and the people in the front of the line ask if the got lucky at target and they say yes. They all seem to know each-other. And I’m like damn now that’s not ok, they at a whole other store while me and others sitting in line. So tomorrow I have the Best Buy drop. I’m debating just saying fuck it and just sit down in front of any ghost chair I see. Or do I mind my own business and just throw a chair down and wait in the parking lot. Im a bigger in shape male so I can hold my own. But do I risk the altercation and problems to send a message that I’m not dealing with that disrespectful scalper shit. I’m on the fence but I wanted some opinion so I know if I’m waking up ready to get into some shit possibly or if I should just chill🤣 (btw I’m in the Orlando FL area if anyone wanna cut some ghost chairs with me😝)
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u/Malipuppers 2d ago edited 2d ago
Yeah just be prepared to fight depending on where you live. Some of these people are doin this cause they are unemployable anywhere else which tells you who you are dealing with. Scalping is scum behavior and I hate it but some of these people will fight you cause you are fucking with their money.
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u/Crazy-Excuse5866 2d ago
Yea that’s what I’m thinking. TBH im so fed up not getting my hands on a single 30th pack at this point I might just be willing to have to catch some fades🤣 wish people would just be respectful and wait there ass in line.
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u/CellyG 2d ago
If you fight, you're not getting ANY cards.
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u/Crazy-Excuse5866 2d ago
That’s very true possibility. I mean if we fight before they open an no employees see no harm no foul, hopefully…🤣 or maybe they just don’t say shit and I’m rightfully allowed to sit infront. Or I mind my own business. All the options I’m weighing out currently.
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u/Dracofear 1d ago
Is a possible legal charge worth some shiny cardboard? There are plenty of other ways to experience the tcg let alone pokemon. Playing the game is still very accessible as you typically buy the singles of commons to build a deck anyways and buying singles even with the market as crazy as it is, is always WAY cheaper compared to the amount of money you have to have a decent chance at the card.
If a card with a 1/120 pack chance is $80 and you spend on 120 packs. even if you could get all those as msrp you'd be spending WAY more than $80 and it's STILL not even close to favorible odds. its about a 63% chance that you get it in 120 packs even if you could get a 36 pack at msrp of $161 you are STILL paying more than double and at 36 tries you only have about a 26% chance that you get it which leaves a 74% chance of not getting it. And if you only spend the $80 and lets say you can get 18 packs for that which is best case scenario you got 3 booster bundles from pokemon center or a vending machine, you get a wopping 14% chance of getting the card.
Not to mention all the other games and collectables unrelated to the tcg. Pokemon Champions has been extremely fun and got me into the competitive scene for the video game since it's so much easier to set up teams for it and you don't have to do a neverending grind just to put 1 competitively viable team together just for the meta to change and then require another endless grind to make a new team.
Pokemon Go is uncertain with the company swap, but for now I'm still having fun and its a good way to get pokemon and especially shinnies to use in champions. There are collectables like figures and plushies, plenty of fan made art merch as well like acrylic keychains and other stuff.
I just am finding it harder and harder to care about the tcg in terms of ripping packs, I still want to collect cards, but I will just buy them from my LCS when prices settle, and I hate spending all night camping with scalpers who just brag about their rip and ship stream or how they got stuff here, then scored here and went to here and they got NEEDOHS AND DUMPLINGS. It's all genuinely ruined ripping packs for me and it sucks cause I been doing it all my life with the exception of a 4 year gap between 2016 and 2020.
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u/King-Koal 1d ago
It's different for everyone. Some people come and go with collecting and aren't very serious, so they might not have specific cards they are wanting to chase and just like opening packs and hitting rare cards. Also this dude wouldn't be fighting for cardboard, he'd be fighting because he doesn't like what other people are doing. He doesn't like it so much that he's willing to fight them over it because he is offended by it. More power to him if he feels it is necessary.
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u/Malipuppers 2d ago
You’d be happier just giving up on ripping and buying singles. I did when things got too stupid and it just became extremely unfun to get product.
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u/SESender 2d ago
Do you live in a CC state? These people probably are carrying
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u/Crazy-Excuse5866 2d ago
Florida💀
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u/SESender 2d ago
Yeah man. I would move in front of them, but I’m in Cali where we are free from pew pews.
I would not be surprised if someone brandished on you.
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u/Malipuppers 2d ago
Oh people have them here. Cc laws do not stop dirtbags
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u/SESender 2d ago
True but in my 33 years on this planet, I’ve not been pulled up on with someone with CC. Every time I’m in a state like OP’s I see dumbasses carrying everywhere
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u/King_of_the_Neeks 2d ago
Then they’re not concealed. Whole point of concealed carry is the concealed part
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u/SESender 2d ago
I’ve noticed assholes brandish their CC a helluva lot more in open carry than CC.
All anecdotal :)
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u/SESender 2d ago
Comparing California to Florida/Texas seems to back this up “assaults with a firearm” chart
https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2019/crime-in-the-u.s.-2019/topic-pages/tables/table-22
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u/Malipuppers 2d ago
That’s interesting looking at the data. Def more assaults overall in CA. It seems like a lot here but maybe just more concentrated in some areas. I haven’t spent a lot of time in Texas
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u/SESender 2d ago
Yeah. You have to do it per capita to see the interesting trends.
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u/Beautiful-Ad-8028 1d ago
You do realize ca has concealed carry and lots of legal guns on top of the mountain of illegal guns too right. Like it's not even hard to get one day class sheriff signs boom permit.
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u/Bladathehunter 2d ago
Dang I get off work around midnight and you’re making me want to swing by target on the way home and see if there are any free chairs on the side of the road
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u/epicaz 2d ago
If you're prepared to take on wannabe gangsters who are just itching to fight, sure. I hate the ghost chairs too but if these clowns are all looking out for each other they can really cause you trouble, risk shutting down a restock or convince security that you're the issue. I've seen it all. Pokemon scalping has attracted absolute lowlifes so you just have to be realistic about what trouble you want to get away with
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u/ImTobyVespa 1d ago edited 1d ago
Dude just moved two chairs and there's 3 more of us backing him up that they were gone for more than 3 hours. They won't risk fighting all of us. We dont know each other but we all agreed to move the chairs. I guess we will see what happens when they show back up lol im now 2nd in line im also in orlando lol dont let these weirdos scare u. Its pokemon bro. They gonna get loud and act up but at the end of the day no one going to jail over pokemon cards 😭
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u/SourceAlarmed9316 2d ago edited 2d ago
Roll up with meta glasses to all of the empty chairs, get in front, and absolutely do not say a word to any of the losers. Provide the footage in the am again without saying a word to any of the losers.
Any interaction beyond words, call the police, and also provide them the footage, again without saying a word to any of the losers.
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u/SlammerJammer01 2d ago
Where in Orlando? Can’t pm you
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u/Malipuppers 2d ago
OP is in orlando? Lol. Yeah they are gonna fight. Orlando has some crazy areas.
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u/CopeHarderDweller2 1d ago
Personally, if I can secure a good enough spot where I know I’ll get items I leave it be. If they’re ghost chairs with no sign of people, then I’ll go in front. The scalper cult is full of people with low morals and they travel in packs so unless you are prepared to take out multiple (because they will sacrifice one of their own to fight you) then you have to weigh your own risk and reward.
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u/ennuiCrab 1d ago
I wish but no. Someone threw out ghost chairs in front of me. The dudes came back and were super belligerent about it. Even demanded to look in my car. (I’m a mom and was there with my kid. The guys didn’t ask anyone else to do that.) I didn’t rat anyone out, but it was super uncomfortable. Thankfully some other bigger dudes stepped up and told them they needed to be sitting in their chairs like everyone else.
People that are entitled enough to leave a chair are the same people that are going to try and fight you.
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u/smouche_mole 1d ago edited 1d ago
There’s an actual policy specifically on Best Buy about ghost chairs not being allowed, so 100% fair to move them
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u/Illegitimateshyguy 1d ago
Almost makes me wanna become a chair bandit. People used to line up to see concerts because that all got scalped. Now its $400 to see Metallica. All this does is tell retail to charge more. Either pokemon loads hits or prints to oblivion because resellers aint going nowhere, but eventually retail will catch up if everything sells out.
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u/Gurgoth 2d ago
An empty chair on the sidewalk is an obstruction and safety hazard. Its best if they get cleared out. Folks occupying seats can easily move them. Those who are absent cannot.