by Dominic Sacco Friday, May 3rd 2013 at 10:19AM BST
Distributors are clamping down on unscrupulous eBay toy dealers who buy rare figures in bulk and resell at extortionate prices.
Known as 'scalpers', these traders buy a store's entire Skylanders stock before selling it online. Certain retailers reportedly search their own stock for limited edition toys (like the 'flocked' Skylanders, pictured)?before selling them online, or in open packs, instead of allowing customers to find a rare toy in-store by chance.
Now suppliers are taking action, with distributor Asobi just one firm which has changed its trading terms - refusing to take on web-only retailers unless they can prove eBay is not their main selling platform.