1.
reseller; scalper; someone who buys goods to resell at a higher price
A person who purchases products — typically limited-edition goods, concert tickets, or popular items — with the intention of reselling them at a markup. Carries a strongly negative connotation in Japanese, implying profiteering at the expense of genuine buyers.
転売屋が許せない。
I can't stand scalpers.
限定グッズを転売屋に買い占められた。
The limited-edition goods were all bought up by scalpers.
人気チケットが転売屋のせいで正規価格の何倍もの値段になっている。
Popular tickets end up costing many times the regular price because of scalpers.
Combines 転売 (resale) and 屋 (dealer, -er suffix for a person in a trade). The 屋 suffix here carries a somewhat derogatory nuance, framing scalping as a dubious trade.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 転売屋から買う: to buy from a scalper
- 転売屋が買い占める: scalpers buy up all the stock
- 転売屋対策: anti-scalping measures
- 転売屋に流れる: to end up in scalpers' hands
USAGE:
Became a hot-button social issue in Japan with the rise of online resale platforms. Concert tickets, game consoles, limited sneakers, and seasonal goods (e.g., Christmas toys) are common targets. The word is almost always used with negative connotation — it implies unfair profiteering. Online slang sometimes uses テンバイヤー (a playful blend with the English suffix -er).
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 転売: resale — the act itself, which is neutral in tone
- 買い占め: buying up, hoarding — focusing on the act of cornering supply rather than on the person
- ダフ屋: ticket scalper (traditional term) — specifically for event tickets sold outside venues, whereas 転売屋 is broader