Last week, Valve introduced their Steam OS-based handheld console, the Steam Deck. The portable console can run all the games from Steam Library, including the AAA titles. Although Steam Deck is scheduled for release in 2022, you can get it beforehand through eBay for a staggering 5000 USD.
The practice to resell products is termed Scalping. It originates back to the late 19th century. Initially, it was railway or theatre tickets, but as online selling websites like Amazon eBay came up, people discovered a new way to sell items that are yet to be released.
In this modern-day society, people want to stay ahead of everyone. Buyers have repeatedly proved that to stand out of the crowd, they require access to items that are not available to the public. Unfortunately, they fail to realize the premium price they pay for this product.
In case of Steam Deck, the seller is trying to scalp a product that will sell for $750 and is demanding around $5000, with the aim to make a 666% profit. The question arises whether the product will sustain this price or will reduce it to stay in the competition. Nintendo’s new OLED Switch also went through the same. The manufacturer has lowered the cost of the product so that they can continue to maintain the competition brought by Valve with the new handheld.