Ebay Madness: Ghoulish or No Big Deal? Your Call
This Ebay Madness we’ll take a look at an auction that is… a bit questionable. First though, let’s have some background. In 2007 Hasbro released a limited edition R2 action figure named R2-KT. R2-KT was made in honor of Katie Johnson. Katie was a little girl that suffered from brain cancer. Coincidently, her father is Albin Johnson, the founder of the 501st Legion (you know the guys that dress up like Stormtroopers and other assorted Imperials at conventions, parades, and what not). The R2-D2 builders club decided to build Katie an R2 unit of her own while she fought her illness. Katie eventually lost her battle with cancer and in her honor Hasbro made the action figure R2-KT as an exclusive, the proceeds of the sale going to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. In a really nice touch the packaging for the R2-KT is very similar to an exclusive 501st Stormtrooper Hasbro made at about the same time.
That brings us to the present day and this auction:
This fellow had a “buy it now” for 99.99 GBP (that’s around 130 American dollars) and a Best Offer. There’s no telling how much it went for, but I have a feeling that it was a bit more than the original price tag.
Look it’s a toy and whatever you do with it is fine, but this leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I guess I can’t separate the story of Katie from the toy enough to see some sort of potential for profit. I own a R2-KT and even if I knew I could get a good bit of cash for it, I’d feel bad selling it for pure profit. To have this certified by the AFA in the hopes of selling it at such a huge increase seems pretty damned scummy to me. The only way I could justify something like this is if I at least gave a portion of my gain away to charity.
What do you guys and gals think?
For the whole story of R2-KT: Go Here.
Thanks to Darren for the tip.
October 1st, 2008 at 1:46 pm
I don’t see the issue…the whole point of the toy was to raise money, and if something is on the secondary market it has already been accomplished vis a vis the original sale of the toy. What happens to the toy after that is irrelevant from the perspective of the charity involved….its not like somebody was selling them retail and pocketing the profits…
October 1st, 2008 at 2:17 pm
I and my Father each bought one a while back, me because its a Pink R2… what? I like pink.
And my Dad bought one because its part of the 501st legion and thus goes with his blue and white stormtroopers/clonetroopers, over 50 strong now.
October 1st, 2008 at 7:28 pm
I see your point, but I also agree with James. The money went to a good cause regardless, though it would have been nice if the money from the auction had also gone to a good cause. But hey, I think the issue you’re having Paul is like you said: it’s hard for you to separate the story from the toy.
Now if the dude had stolen the thing and then done this, well, he deserves a Hulk-sized beatdown.
Sam
October 9th, 2008 at 1:41 am
Anybody who gets anything AFA graded for any reason deserves a HUlk-sized beatdown…