If you are a collector who collects a lot of mainstream stuff or stuff with a lot of hype more likely you know what scalping is or unknowingly might face it. Being a collector, if you ask me, is something amazing. There are numerous things that you can collect and numerous reasons as to why you should collect something.
It could be as simple as collecting different types of small stones, which costs basically zero, all the way to collecting luxurious cards. It's up to you, your budget and preferences. You can start your collection simply because you like admiring something or because it can bring back some memories and bring out some emotions.
Now, whenever money is involved, people who will try to take advantage of that will pop up. So what these people do is try to make an advantage out of everything and sell high for profit. In my opinion, it's okay to sell something out of your collection, because you want to buy something else, or because you are in need of the money. You can set whatever price you want as well, it's a free market.
Scalpers aren't doing that though. I will give you some real-life examples. Let's say that a new Funko Pop, or a Pokemon or One Piece card set, or a new Labubu is out. If the orders are online, they will buy as many as they can. If they need to go to a store to buy the product, they will do the same. This applies to everything, even concert tickets and such.
A collector may buy 1-10 tops, depending on the item. For example, if we are talking about a Funko Pop, he/she will be 1 or 2 of the same. if we are talking about TCG they may buy up to 10-12 in order to get most of the cards. The scalper will buy the entire stock and then the same day he will sell it for x2-5 times its original price.
Because we aren't talking about a single scalper out there, the result is to basically find products that originally cost let's say 20$-80$ up to 50$-400$, leaving out a lot of collectors. Note that there are collectors who are families with kids and these kids end up disappointed. These kids are the future of every collection, so keep in mind the harm that they cause.
If you do a simple google search you will see videos of scalpers literally fighting like what happens on Black Friday to get everything. I have even seen on vending machines where you can buy Pokémon booster packs, to just go there and buy everything, while other people with kids are behind them and they don't even leave a single thing for them.
My advice is to simply be patient and don't buy for them and in general, that many overpriced items. I get that some of you need some products to complete your collections, or you want to get your hands on new things as soon as they come out. If you keep your patience, though and simply don't buy my bet is that they will start selling cheaper, as they will simply try to get rid of their stock. Also, if you spot a scalper, simply don't buy from him ever and let other people know as well.
It's okay to buy something a bit more expensive due to the nature of the free market and the collectivity, limited editions and stuff but it's not okay to be taking advantage of people that don't care about the hobby. I will gladly pay a true collector x2 times the original price for something and wait months even a year to get it than pay a scalper x3-x4 to get it now.