Nintendo Scalpers

Scalpers are everywhere. They buy loads of product and sell it for a higher price than any other vendors for huge profit. On the gaming market though, it looks like Nintendo has the biggest market of scalpers. Amiibo, video games and other products have become really rare and in such short time. Video games usually take years to even become relatively rare but, that's not the case for Nintendo. It feels like video games become rare in a couple of months. Ocarina Of Time 3D, Kid Icarus, Star Fox 64 3D, Link Between Worlds and others are either nowhere to be seen, sold for high prices online or are just hard to come by. It almost forces you to try and buy games as soon as they are released because who knows how long they will still be on shelves or at a decent price online. Amiibos are 10x worse! Why or how have scalpers become such a threat to Nintendo customers?

@-paranorman-: I agree with what you have said here. I can't identify the specific problem myself, but I will take a stab at it. I noticed 25 years ago that stores, in general, stopped keeping extra copies of anything in storage; and you would often be told "If it's not on the shelf, we don't have it, but we can special order it for you" if you asked. (The scalping thing is also a problem for some of the Disney Infinity accessories and figures too. Our Walmart has space for Marvel Avengers power disks, but they haven't had any in stock for the last 6 months.) Regarding Nintendo though, there is the perception that the Wii U is a "dead console" because it is selling the least amount of consoles out of the three main consoles (even though not a small number of 10 million have been sold). Stores are not ordering enough games and accessories because the Wii U is selling the fewest consoles of the three main companies. Nintendo is making too small production amounts. The very nature of Amiibo make them highly collectible because they are toy figures. However, they are not just collectible figures of just any company, but instead of Nintendo-an icon of video gaming. And Nintendo has a reputation for some of the highest quality gaming franchises and most beloved characters, which give these toys an appeal that goes beyond Wii U owners. The Amiibo are a gamer thing, and not just a Nintendo thing. Pac-Man for example, is an icon of video game characters, just like Mario. The situation seems uniquely ideal for scalpers to take advantage. I cringe any time people post in threads that ask what gamers think are rare games. You can be sure it is not an in touch gamer or collector asking, but instead a scalper who is shrewd enough to recognize a business opportunity.

Edit: something stores need to remember is that 3DS gamers are going to be interested in the Amiibo as well as Wii U owners.

Actually, when you think about the size of the competition to get any given Amiibo it is pretty scary. Any person who ever owned a Nintendo console might want the same Amiibo you want.