what is the definition of a "flipper"?

[Dancing Fire]

...if i bought an item from Ebay and then held it for 30 days before i re-list the item for sale on PS would i still be regarded as a flipper? how about 90 days later? how about 1 yr later?

 

[makemepretty]

If you buy something for the sole purpose of reselling it for a profit, that's a flipper.

 

[junebug17]

To me, if you purchased the item with no intention of using it yourself, and for the express purpose of reselling it at some point for a profit, then that's flipping. The amount of time you hold onto the item doesn't enter into it, imo.

 

[liarudd]

a flipper is a fake pair of teeth cute little girls in tiaras wear to beauty pagents lol

 

[maplefemme]

To me, if you purchased the item with no intention of using it yourself, and for the express purpose of reselling it at some point for a profit, then that's flipping. The amount of time you hold onto the item doesn't enter into it, imo.

+1

Anything purchased with the intention of never using yourself, but to resell at some point, is flipping, to me at least...

 

[diamondseeker2006]

It's a dolphin that used to have his own tv show.

 

[maplefemme]

It's a dolphin that used to have his own tv show.

 

[TristanC]

I think this is a behavioral guideline not a legal guideline. If you spotted a beautiful set of earrings on ebay for a very reasonable price, and bought them because it is coming to year end, you have a big formal dinner with work colleagues, your son's graduation dinner, and your niece's wedding to attend (3 different crowds), then come January, you sell it on and break even or earn a small minuscule sum... are you a flipper?

Too many grey areas. If you are trying not to be, don't be. If you are trying to skirt the lines, good luck.

 

[Dancing Fire]

It's a dolphin that used to have his own tv show.

i ain't that old...

 

[sphenequeen]

If you buy something for the sole purpose of reselling it for a profit, that's a flipper.

I think the nuance here is that a flipper is usually only making a small profit. The above definition would pertain to any retail situation. Like others have said, I think it is the intention to turn a quick profit.

 

[canuk-gal]

I think this is a behavioral guideline not a legal guideline. If you spotted a beautiful set of earrings on ebay for a very reasonable price, and bought them because it is coming to year end, you have a big formal dinner with work colleagues, your son's graduation dinner, and your niece's wedding to attend (3 different crowds), then come January, you sell it on and break even or earn a small minuscule sum... are you a flipper?

Too many grey areas. If you are trying not to be, don't be. If you are trying to skirt the lines, good luck.

WOT??

 

[AGBF]

I think this is a behavioral guideline not a legal guideline. If you spotted a beautiful set of earrings on ebay for a very reasonable price, and bought them because it is coming to year end, you have a big formal dinner with work colleagues, your son's graduation dinner, and your niece's wedding to attend (3 different crowds), then come January, you sell it on and break even or earn a small minuscule sum... are you a flipper?

Too many grey areas. If you are trying not to be, don't be. If you are trying to skirt the lines, good luck.

WOT??

I know what you mean, Sharon. I was fooled, too! My own husband bamboozled me! He told me all those guys we saw doing that were Wall Street traders!!!!

Deb

 

[junebug17]

If you buy something for the sole purpose of reselling it for a profit, that's a flipper.

I think the nuance here is that a flipper is usually only making a small profit. The above definition would pertain to any retail situation. Like others have said, I think it is the intention to turn a quick profit.

That's true - I guess selling the item quickly is a component of flipping.

 

[Dreamer_D]

All these definitions involve intentions, which is awefully murky.

 

[Kaleigh]

It's a dolphin that used to have his own tv show.

And DF would know that show, it's his era....

Love ya DF. But you know what this is about stop stirring the pot...

 

[Kaleigh]

It could be someone who cannot make their damn mind up... Seriously, we have seen that right???

 

[Skippy123]

It could be someone who cannot make their damn mind up... Seriously, we have seen that right???

OMGosh, YES

just for fun since dolphins are sooooo cool

 

[Imdanny]

I'm a Florida native and I love Flipper. "They call him Flipper..."

On a more serous note, I've read these definitions and so far they could describe a wholesaler so I'm still a little confused by what people mean.

 

[makemepretty]

A flipper usually puts a little work into the item rather than it being sold as they bought it. House flippers do. I guess PSers who then have an ebay item inspected and add paperwork to it do too. At least, that's their theory. They improved it so they deserve to make a profit.

 

[Upgradable]

a flipper is a fake pair of teeth cute little girls in tiaras wear to beauty pagents lol

This is the first thing that popped into my head when I read the thread title. Then I wondered why DF was asking about little beauty queens. I just shook my head and said to myself, why does DF wonder about anything??

 

[diamondseeker2006]

It could be someone who cannot make their damn mind up... Seriously, we have seen that right???

I think that applies to MANY of us!!! We buy something and then find something we like better so we sell something to get something else! But that does not a flipper make, me thinks.

A flipper buys with the intent to resell at a profit. A flipper does not buy the item for their personal collection.

 

[kenny]

IMHO, there is nothing wrong with flipping.
What the seller paid, when she bought it or why, is not relevant.

There's the item, there's the price.
If you don't like the price, don't buy it - or make an offer.
It's that simple.

The people who complain about someone flipping strike me as a bunch of pious self-righteous busybodies, jealous someone got a good deal.
But hey . . . people vary.

Unless admin defines it and forbids it . . . flipping is a non problem, IMHO.

 

[AGBF]

A flipper usually puts a little work into the item rather than it being sold as they bought it. House flippers do. I guess PSers who then have an ebay item inspected and add paperwork to it do too. At least, that's their theory. They improved it so they deserve to make a profit.

I tried to make my point lightly in a posting above, but it seems to have been missed. I was trying to say that the practice called, "flipping" spoken of here in a seemingly pejorative way, is the essence of all commerce, both retail and wholesale. All sellers attempts to sell their goods as quickly as possible after they obtain them for the biggest margin of profit possible, whether they are retailers or wholesalers. They do not care whether they add value to the product or not. Wall Street traders trade in products with the sole intent of making as much money on the trades as possible as quickly as possible. This is not the Middle Ages when people are looking for the concept of the "fair price", nor are we communists here on Pricescope. So why the sudden moralizing about, "flippers"? Why does selling for a quick profit on Pricescope hit a nerve?

In other words, why does the seller here have to "deserve" to make a profit? Do we ask that a Wall Street trader "deserve" his profits?

Deb/AGBF

 

[Miss Sparkly]

LOL! I have been watching too much Toddlers and Tiaras because my first thought was, "it's those little fake teeth the girls use in the competition"

A "flipper" is anybody who buys an item with the sole intention of reselling it for profit. Timeframe doesn't matter.

 

[Maisie]

IMHO, there is nothing wrong with flipping.
What the seller paid, when she bought it or why, is not relevant.

There's the item, there's the price.
If you don't like the price, don't buy it - or make an offer.
It's that simple.

The people who complain about someone flipping strike me as a bunch of pious self-righteous busybodies, jealous someone got a good deal.
But hey . . . people vary.

Unless admin defines it and forbids it . . . flipping is a non problem, IMHO.

I think the problem some people have is that its happening in the PRELOVED section. Preloved implying that its been owned and loved by the PS'er selling it. I don't see anything wrong with flipping though. If you can take something and sell it for more money, more power to you. Just don't say its preloved when it isn't.

 

[MissStepcut]

A flipper usually puts a little work into the item rather than it being sold as they bought it. House flippers do. I guess PSers who then have an ebay item inspected and add paperwork to it do too. At least, that's their theory. They improved it so they deserve to make a profit.

I tried to make my point lightly in a posting above, but it seems to have been missed. I was trying to say that the practice called, "flipping" spoken of here in a seemingly pejorative way, is the essence of all commerce, both retail and wholesale. All sellers attempts to sell their goods as quickly as possible after they obtain them for the biggest margin of profit possible, whether they are retailers or wholesalers. They do not care whether they add value to the product or not. Wall Street traders trade in products with the sole intent of making as much money on the trades as possible as quickly as possible. This is not the Middle Ages when people are looking for the concept of the "fair price", nor are we communists here on Pricescope. So why the sudden moralizing about, "flippers"? Why does selling for a quick profit on Pricescope hit a nerve?

In other words, why does the seller here have to "deserve" to make a profit? Do we ask that a Wall Street trader "deserve" his profits?

Deb/AGBF

Some of us do

 

[Amys Bling]

To me, if you purchased the item with no intention of using it yourself, and for the express purpose of reselling it at some point for a profit, then that's flipping. The amount of time you hold onto the item doesn't enter into it, imo.

agreed.

 

[Snicklefritz]

a flipper is a fake pair of teeth cute little girls in tiaras wear to beauty pagents lol

Ha! Exactly what I was thinking! I'm sure this definition would be thread-worthy too. It's an unusual addition to the dress code for tots.

 

[Harriet]

A flipper usually puts a little work into the item rather than it being sold as they bought it. House flippers do. I guess PSers who then have an ebay item inspected and add paperwork to it do too. At least, that's their theory. They improved it so they deserve to make a profit.

I tried to make my point lightly in a posting above, but it seems to have been missed. I was trying to say that the practice called, "flipping" spoken of here in a seemingly pejorative way, is the essence of all commerce, both retail and wholesale. All sellers attempts to sell their goods as quickly as possible after they obtain them for the biggest margin of profit possible, whether they are retailers or wholesalers. They do not care whether they add value to the product or not. Wall Street traders trade in products with the sole intent of making as much money on the trades as possible as quickly as possible. This is not the Middle Ages when people are looking for the concept of the "fair price", nor are we communists here on Pricescope. So why the sudden moralizing about, "flippers"? Why does selling for a quick profit on Pricescope hit a nerve?

In other words, why does the seller here have to "deserve" to make a profit? Do we ask that a Wall Street trader "deserve" his profits?

Deb/AGBF

Deb,
Perhaps your post was mistaken as being flippant. Sorry, I couldn't resist.

 

[VRBeauty]

So why the sudden moralizing about, "flippers"? Why does selling for a quick profit on Pricescope hit a nerve?

In other words, why does the seller here have to "deserve" to make a profit? Do we ask that a Wall Street trader "deserve" his profits?

Deb/AGBF

Some of us do

The question that started this discussion is not whether "flipping" is good or bad. It's whether someone who purchases stones or jewelry for the purpose of re-selling should be allowed to list such goods in the "pre-loved jewelry" forum, and whether they should be considered a vendor rather than a consumer for PS purposes.

BTW "flipper" makes me want to hunt down a good old-fashioned pinball machine!