"Sold Out on the First Day: What Do You Think About the Controversy Surrounding the Bride's Headband Resale?"

The Trendy "Bride Headband"

Have you seen or heard the term "bride headband" frequently in the past few days?

Here's an explanation for those who are thinking, "I saw the title in the news, but I'm not quite sure about the details."

The bride headband refers to this headband sold at Tokyo Disneyland Resort.

It is a Halloween seasonal product, inspired by the veil worn by the ghost bride from the Haunted Mansion.

(This is the bride!)

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The design features bats attached to it, and the veil is adorned with a spider web pattern.

This product is not making its debut this year; it was also sold in 2018 and became a hugely popular item among girls visiting the park during the Halloween season.

The Current Issue: Reselling Problem

The reason this product is in the spotlight is due to the mass buying issue caused by resellers. It has been reported on television news as well.

Sales started on September 2, but it sold out immediately. By September 3, there were no stocks available, and this situation continues.

Ideally, we would want the girls who want to wear the bride headband to be able to purchase it, but that's not the case. The frustration stems from the fact that this is caused by the mass buying by resellers.

It has become a familiar sight, with大量の新品がメルカリに並び、定価の倍以上で売られる様子が初日から見られます。

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The bride headband is sold for 1,800 yen at Disneyland Resort, but on Mercari, it's being traded at around 3,600 yen, which is double the price. Some accounts are selling it for triple the price (6,500 yen).

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Among them, there are resellers who buy 50 or over a hundred headbands and post pictures of them on Twitter.

If they sell an item priced at 1,800 yen for at least 3,600 yen, the profit per item is 1,800 yen. Selling 50 items yields a profit of 90,000 yen. Selling 50 items for 3,600 yen brings in an 180,000 yen profit.

When operating a resale business with a substantial volume of goods, you need to obtain a "Secondhand Dealer License" from the police, and selling without it constitutes illegal activity.

Although the headbands were limited to three per person, this problem still arose, leading to many comments on the Mercari product pages like, "Please stop reselling," and "I will report this."

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Unforgivable ><

Even though Disneyland Resort has established purchase limits per person, this is the current situation regarding resale.

It's just not right that while Disneyland Resort has no stock, there are tons of these items being sold for more than double the original price on flea market apps.

What’s crucial is to firmly maintain the stance of "not buying unethical resale products."

(If no items sell, it would mean a loss of 1,800 yen x 50 items for a reseller who bought 50, which would be a significant hit...!)

However, when people desperately want the item and find it available on Mercari when the official store has run out, they end up making purchases, which plays right into the hands of resellers....

It's surely tough for Disneyland as well, having their product scooped up on the first day and facing the disappointment of telling many eager customers that there is no stock left.

Just thinking about it evokes feelings of heartbreak: they can’t sell their own products due to a lack of inventory while they see them being sold at inflated prices on Mercari.

It feels unfair that, "After setting prices considering procurement costs and other expenses so that everyone can afford it, they are completely ignored, and resellers profit by selling at double the price."

The reseller problem isn’t limited to the bride headband but is something that has been repeatedly observed in clothing, cosmetics, and more. What matters most is not purchasing those overpriced resold items and not giving undue profits to unethical resellers.

What do you all think?

The resale problem is truly heartbreaking!! (There are reports that shouts of frustration from potential buyers echoed in the stores on the first day.)

It's important to have a firm stance against malicious resellers and to think about the issue of definitely not buying from them as well.