Answer to your question:

After last year's anicon debacle which drove up HT prices from mainly ONE HK scalper who is not a VIP, HT will definately make enough figures for everyone. The ONLY ONE SET OF FIGURES that are limited is the exhibition figures which is now available in 6 other countries which is not as limited as you guys think.

/rant on for the misinformation of VIPs and scalpers

History of VIPs

VIPs existed from 6-7 years ago BEFORE HT had a movie license! It was for their hardcore collectors of their military line. Did you know HT regularly makes ~ 300 - 500 figures then and only fraction (less than 20%) were VIPs, who bought every figure or multiples? It was a reward program because the hardcore collector was spending so much money with the retail shop Toy Hunters and making HT in return popular.

With the movie licenses, that grew HT's fanbase and NEW collectors also became VIPs as their collection grew.

The BS you guys associate VIPS with scalpers is off the mark.

Sure some VIPs are also local store owners since those guys never buy enough to get the wholesale discount - 100+ of each figure or more so they buy a few at a time and eventually become VIPs to get the 10% discount. Those guys upcharge cuz they by at the same costs as everyone else! So yes, there are SOME VIPS and MOSTLY toy retailers/dealers are flippers/scalpers. Most of them make money by selling hard to find limited edition toys.

The bigtime flippers or scalpers happen mostly with the start of the AVP line of predators going from 150 USD straight to 400+ USD and up! Rest of predators followed. During this time, even the old Terminator and Aliens line was not as crazy as the Predator line due mainly to Japanese demand at the time. Before HT Japan/Blister was incorporated.

The most noticable flipping occured when Ironman 2 movie came out since China collectors wanted to collect Ironman and it was not legally licensed in that territory with Ironman 1 movie. So they missed a years worth of HT goods or knew about it.

MK1, MK2, convention MK3 sold through for crazy money because the China fans collected all the metallic color ones, AFTER production has ceased.

The Red/Gold version is still available at regular and marked up prices since there is next to no more demand for it.

At last years HK Ani-con 2010, a riot ensured at HT's booth due to one local store owner hiring ~ 80 kids to riot and try to buy up all the Ani-con exclusives (T-1000 Sarah Connor, Guardian Predator and preorder for exclusive GOD Bruce Lee DX04.

Hence the crazy prices of Guardian Predator and T-1000 SC for  a while, again due to lack of licensed goods for the CHINA market.

If you follow HT's release history: from Iron man, T-800, T-1000 and all old terminator line became crazy hot due to China. Not US, Not EU, Not Japan, Not Australia since dealers in those territories ordered enough to meet those demands.

Then "new" flippers/scalpers came in drove up prices for everything HT, mainly due to China popularity of HT figures.

Old military line was going for close to 300 USD each last year, but has since dropped back down to near 125 USD or less. Not many people REALLY collect military. More collect or know about movies so that is the bigger market.

So do we really think all 1600 VIPs in Hong Kong created the crash of the HT Casual wear Bruce Lee figures? I heard production for CWBL was near 8000-10000 due to the tremendous preordering of this figure! Let see...  there was a limit of 2 per person... I really don't think VIPs ordered 3200 figures to scalp.

And so what if a "VIP" sold one or two figures? Most collectors do that to make room for a new figure, to finance a new figure, to upgrade to a better version or to let a figure go since he/she has outgrown the pleasure of owning it. This is normal and very acceptable. ALL collectors do that at one time or another.

The 800 pieces HT RESERVED FOR VIPS was a fix for what occured last year at HK ANICON. To reward their loyal customers with a first option to buy only 1 piece for their collection who totally missed out last year. These are same people who supported HT for years before they became this popular.

There will still be XXX units available at the HK Anicon show and at 5 other shows.

And VIPs are only available to Toy Hunter buyers (Hot Toys main retail shop).

So what about all those "VIPs" in the US buying up all the SS exclusives? Are those VIPs too? Are we going to complain about how SS SDCC Exclusive Ironman are sold out now too due to non-existing "VIPs"? What about their other exclusives such as GI Joe?! Or are they really just scalpers and fans fighting for that figure? AFAIK, SS do not have VIPs.

VIPs are not nessarily scalpers. But some scalpers are VIPs. VIPs are MOSTLY collectors like you and me who just happen to collect HT figures. And occasionally sell off parts of their collection, just like most collectors.

After last year's anicon debacle, HT will definately make enough figures for everyone. The ONLY ONE that is limited  is the exhibition figures which is now available in 6 other countries which is not as limited as you guys think.

/rant off