Luxury Collaboration Phone Priced at 3 Million Won Drops Sharply... Resellers Suffer Losses

Resale Prices Lower Than Release Prices
Analysis Suggests Consumer Interest Has Cooled

The resale price of Samsung Electronics' foldable phone series, which boasted phrases like 'sold out in 8 seconds,' has significantly dropped. As a result, 'resellers' who expected large profits are facing losses.

According to the limited edition trading platform Cream on the 7th, the highest resale price of the 'Maison Margiela Galaxy Z Flip5' is about 2.99 million KRW. This transaction price was recorded on the 1st, when the model's lottery winner announcement was made.

Galaxy Z Flip5 Maison Margiela Edition product photo
[Photo by Samsung Electronics]

This means a premium of about 500,000 KRW compared to the retail price (2,497,000 KRW), but it is far below the previous model. While the previous model could yield a market price difference of about 1 million KRW, the current purchase price of the Maison Margiela Galaxy Z Flip5 on Cream is 2.48 million KRW, which is even below the retail price.

Declining Resale Popularity

The current purchase price of the Maison Margiela Galaxy Z Flip5 is 2.48 million won, which is even lower than the original price.
[Photo by KREAM]

The reason why previous collaboration products were popular in the resale market was their scarcity as limited editions. Resellers also aimed for price differences by leveraging this point.

In particular, limited edition smartphones were frequently resold for profit.

End users, unable to obtain the product due to purchase competition, were forced to buy from resellers at a premium, albeit reluctantly.

Some analysts suggest that consumer interest in Samsung Electronics' luxury collaboration models has cooled. The resale price, which can gauge demand and popularity, not rising significantly has led industry experts to speculate that consumers no longer find the repeated collaborations between Galaxy foldable phones and luxury brands novel. Additionally, consumers have expressed that the scarcity, which is most important in resale, has also greatly diminished.

Reflecting these opinions, in the resale market, not only the Flip but also the Fold prices show little difference from the retail price.

Unlike the 'Thom Browne Galaxy Z Fold 3 Edition,' which had a premium of about 2 million KRW, the recently released 'Thom Browne Galaxy Z Fold 5' only commands a premium of up to 800,000 KRW. The recently released Fold also shows little difference between the current selling price and the resale price.

"Market Order Distorted by Resale Specialists 'Scalpers'" Criticism

Some criticize that excessive reselling is distorting a healthy market order. The reason is that resellers focused solely on price differences flood the market excessively, causing harm to genuine end users.

There are calls to regulate the resale market, but practical sanctions are difficult. Above all, resale is basically conducted through person-to-person transactions, so there is no legal basis to prevent reselling.

According to Article 3 of the Minor Offenses Act, if one engages in scalping at venues such as stadiums, they may face a fine of up to 100,000 KRW, detention, or a penalty. However, there is currently no law to regulate online reselling.