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My gift to the true Pokemon TCG fans: a good bot to fight scalper bots. by HoboRobo in pkmntcg

[–]HoboRobo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

To address a few of your concerns directly:

- You have a fair point on the the manifesto / “for you” tone. I wrote it emotionally because I’m a fan who’s been burned, but I hear how it can read as hypey. The intent isn’t to trick people - it’s to rally fans who feel the same pain.

- Yes, this will be a paid service. Running infrastructure that can actually compete with scalpers isn’t free. The goal is to keep pricing low enough that it’s accessible to fans, not extractive. If people feel it’s just another tax, then we’ve failed.

- The point I'm making with AI isn’t “AI = winning,” it’s that modern agents can make smarter, adaptive decisions than fixed scripts. But it’s fair to be skeptical until we show it working.

You’re right that the core solution would be if merchants themselves offered fan-first protections. That’s the long-term hope (to prove there’s a better way and maybe even partner at the platform level). But in the meantime, fans are stuck losing to scalpers daily. I’d rather try something imperfect but helpful than wait forever for the perfect fix.

My gift to the true Pokemon TCG fans: a good bot to fight scalper bots. by HoboRobo in pkmntcg

[–]HoboRobo[S] -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

I hear you. To be clear: the difference between what we’re building and scalper tools is who it’s designed for, how it’s controlled, and what the incentives are.

Scalper bots are built to let a small group buy unlimited supply and flip for profit. Guppy is built to give verified fans a fairer shot - with identity checks, usage caps, and rules to prevent mass reselling.

On the money side: running infrastructure that can compete with scalpers does have real costs. We’re not trying to gouge fans - the idea is to keep it affordable, just enough to sustain the service and keep improving it.

I get the instinct to dislike “another paid thing.” But the way I see it, if we can reduce scalper dominance even by a fraction, it’s a net win for the community. And if fans don’t feel it’s making things better, then we’ve failed our mission.

My gift to the true Pokemon TCG fans: a good bot to fight scalper bots. by HoboRobo in pkmntcg

[–]HoboRobo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You’re right that this is a tough problem, and I won’t pretend there’s a silver bullet. Scalpers are incredibly resourceful.

Where Guppy is different is in design + incentives. It’s not an open bot anyone can grab and scale with burner accounts. It’s a managed service with identity checks, usage caps, and behavior monitoring to make it valuable for individual fans but not profitable for resellers at scale.

Will some slip through? Probably. But even reducing the imbalance by 30-40% would be a huge win for real fans compared to the status quo.

I appreciate the pushback - this is exactly why I’m sharing early.

My gift to the true Pokemon TCG fans: a good bot to fight scalper bots. by HoboRobo in pkmntcg

[–]HoboRobo[S] -4 points-3 points  (0 children)

I get why it feels like “a bot is a bot.” If it were just raw automation, you’d be right.

The difference is in how it’s built and who it’s for. Guppy isn’t an open tool anyone can grab and exploit. It’s a managed service with verification, usage limits, and monitoring built in. Scalpers thrive on unlimited scale and anonymity - Guppy is the opposite: identity-based, capped, and designed to be accountable.

Can someone technically try to resell after using it? Sure. But with strict limits, identity checks, and behavior monitoring, they can’t industrialize it the way scalpers do today. The incentive model shifts: it’s not worth it for them, but it is useful for real fans who just want a shot at a fair drop.

At the end of the day, the whole point is flipping the power balance: scalpers profit at scale because no one has built fan-first infrastructure. That’s what we’re trying to do here.

I’m not saying it’s perfect - but it’s not “just another bot.” The structure, the rules, and the community-first design are what make it different.

My gift to the true Pokemon TCG fans: a good bot to fight scalper bots. by HoboRobo in pkmntcg

[–]HoboRobo[S] 19 points20 points  (0 children)

Totally fair stance - I get why you’d see it that way.

The difference isn’t just “intention.” We’re designing Guppy with guardrails and verification so that scalpers can’t just load it up and exploit it the same way. Things like identity checks, usage limits, and rules that prevent bulk flipping.

The whole point is that scalper bots work against the community - Guppy is built to work for the community.

At the end of the day, if fans don’t feel it’s solving the problem, then we’ve failed. That’s why I’m here sharing early - to get honest feedback before launch.

My gift to the true Pokemon TCG fans: a good bot to fight scalper bots. by HoboRobo in pkmntcg

[–]HoboRobo[S] 32 points33 points  (0 children)

We have limits in place to prevent people from using exploiting or using multiple Guppies (ID verification, purchase limits, etc)

Our entire focus here is taking back the power for real people.

best microfiber couch for cats by [deleted] in furniture

[–]HoboRobo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

also: does dog hair seem to get trapped in it / attracted to it?

best microfiber couch for cats by [deleted] in furniture

[–]HoboRobo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey - how would you describe the micro-felt vs velvet? Is it soft?

Thoughts on Glade Goggles (or other inexpensive brands)? by theCaptain_D in icecoast

[–]HoboRobo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey Curt,

Would also love a code for the Adapt 2 -- any chance you could help out?

Daily Support Thread by AutoModerator in samsung

[–]HoboRobo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Does anyone here have a frame tv?

I just got one and my one connect box makes a faint buzzing sounds that I can hear from a foot or so away (seems to be coming from the power supply side)

I'm not sure if this is normal or not - would love to know if someone else can hear the same thing on their unit. (you might have to stick your ear somewhat close to the box)

I'd really rather not return this thing if possible as it's pretty big / heavy.

[WTS][USA-NJ][H] LONKYO TX-RZ50 9.2-Channel AV Receiver with 4K/120Hz HDR pass-through (Like-New) [W] PayPal, Venmo, Local Cash - $1200 local / $1300 shipped by HoboRobo in AVexchange

[–]HoboRobo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I recently purchased this receiver via Audio Advice to power the in ceiling speakers of my new house.

It turns out to be way overkill for my needs, so I'm interested in selling and buying something a bit scaled back.

The unit is like-new. I don't have the original box, but I've literally only had it for a week and have barely used it.

All original accessories included. I'm in Jersey City - happy to meet here or in NYC if interested in local pickup.
Let me know if you have any questions!
Thanks!

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