Fury as man clears cinemas of ALL their limited-edition Toy Story popcorn buckets to sell on for double the profit – leaving youngster behind him ‘devastated’
A man has faced angry backlash after clearing out limited edition Toy Story 5 popcorn buckets from two cinemas to sell for double profit.
Alex Ursell filmed himself buying Buzz Lightyear buckets from Cineworld in Leeds and Wakefield on June 19, leaving a child ‘devastated’ behind.
In a video shared on Reseller Paradise social media channels, Mr Ursell explained that he could buy the buckets for £40 and resell them for double the profit at £80.
But a limited-edition popcorn bucket modeled on Buzz Lightyear’s spacesuit is selling for up to £150 on eBay.
This method of reselling is known as scalping; This is a tactic where people buy products for the sole purpose of selling them for a higher price than they were purchased for.
In a video titled ‘POV – peak unemployment’, Mr Ursell walked into Cineworld in Wakefield and asked an employee how many popcorn buckets he was allowed to buy.
Staff said ‘the sky’s the limit’ before Mr Ursell decided to buy ‘anything’, including what was on display.
He then filled large carrier bags with buckets, plus the popcorn and Fruit Spreads that came with the purchase.
Buckets modeled on Buzz Lightyear’s spacesuit were bought for £40 but are on sale for up to £150 on eBay
Two kids waiting in line behind M Ursell looked upset as they bought entire buckets of popcorn.
Alex Ursell, pictured, cleared all the Buzz Lightyear popcorn buckets from two Cineworld cinemas
While he was waiting for the staff to bring him the rest of the boxes, Mr. Ursell turned around and asked the two boys if they wanted some free popcorn.
While one of the children waiting in line sullenly rejected the offer, the other accepted it.
In the second video, Mr Ursell went to Cineworld in Leeds, where he again bought all the popcorn buckets.
After driving away he joked that he had made a profit of £400 by delivering his popcorn to a homeless man.
The retailer has since faced serious backlash online for filming himself purchasing all the buckets.
Cineworld was also criticized online for not implementing a one-bucket-per-person policy to stop people emptying its stock.
One user on X said: ‘These videos are absolutely evil and disgusting; ‘so many people really wanted the video to be missed because you let the sellers clear the shelf’.
The user continued: ‘The poor kid in the queue behind him looks miserable. ‘How could there be no limit to these buckets?’
Another viewer said: ‘Pretty vile to be honest. My sister wanted one of these but couldn’t get it because they were all sold out.’
A third commented: ‘Disgusting. You should make more of these, cheaper and not in limited quantities. Or at least limit how many can be purchased. Otherwise we have the good sense that the greedy will snatch them away.’
Condemning the video, a fellow vendor said: ‘This is not about getting opinions from real kids going to see a movie and being excited to buy one.’
A disgruntled mother said she had to go to the cinema a day early to buy a bucket for her four-year-old child because of ‘people like you’.
Mr Ursell is one of the founders of Reseller Paradise, which claims to be the UK’s largest and number one sales group.
The community boasts thousands of members who have earned more than £1.5 million from resale.
It costs £25 to join the group as a ‘premium member’, which gives dealers access to website monitors and trading guides.
Mr. Ursell also posts shoe and Pokémon card sales videos on the group’s social media channels.
His bio on the Reseller Paradise website states that he made more than £2 million in one year through reselling.
A Cineworld spokesperson said: ‘Our Buzz Lightyear popcorn buckets have officially gone to infinity and beyond and are now sold out.
‘But Toy Story fans can still get their hands on our Toy Story drink tumblers and character ornaments.
‘We also have new collectible ranges for Minions, Moana and Spider-Man coming to cinemas soon, and there’s plenty of Cineworld merchandise for fans to take home this summer.
‘We are delighted that our collectibles are so popular with guests. Creating extraordinary experiences is at the heart of what we do, and our products are another way for fans to celebrate the stories they love.’
Sellers Paradise has been contacted for comment.
