Ha! "Let the shaming begin"
Well, I won't shame anyone because the collectibles industry can be cutthroat and it's mostly about perceived value, but Redford Films (a major seller of the Master Replica Muppets) contacted me recently to see if I was interested in a Kermit which had been shipped in the bare collectors box and was missing the name plate. They wanted less than $200 for it. You see, Redford Films is honest and they knew what the product was worth so they were asking a fair price. Clearly someone bought that Kermit because Redford no longer has it. And now guess what- there's suddenly your Kermit (with shipped collectors box and minus a plaque) for sale on ebay. That's fine. But what's the price? Oh gee, it's over $500, or over $1000 if you get lucky.
The law of supply and demand is an incredible force. I just thank heaven for honest folks like those at Redford Films who wouldn't scalp a collector because they know they have the only Kermit on the market.