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Re: Bought some lovely display cases
Posted: 22 May 2008 20:48
by The Baron
Yup - here's the truth of it:
The other rarity is a carded Night Patrol, and I don't think anybody owns a carded AF Snowjob (that name still makes me chuckle).
Hey Paul, how did your carded Skeletron / Minesweeper auctions work out?
Re: Bought some lovely display cases
Posted: 22 May 2008 21:05
by SteveD
Sorry, my bad, I was meaning Captain, rather than Pilot - once I work out how to upload I can share my (I think Spanish) Orange Booted Pilot with the assembled masses...
Re: Bought some lovely display cases
Posted: 22 May 2008 21:07
by paulitoy
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Great pic Baron!
I've just checked & the orange booted fella is on Space Pilot's page on your AF site.
You know, its amazing that sometimes you just don't notice things even when your looking straight at it! I guess its age, I'm a 'thirty-something' these days....
Re: the Skeletron & Minesweeper auctions:
They were pretty much a disaster! The skele went for about £16 quid and the 'sweeper for about £24! I mean, I've seen loose minesweepers go for more than that, and I went to all the hassle of getting it recarded!
I was pretty dissapointed with the prices and would have ended up making a loss.
As luck would have it, I'd been round at Scoobydie's a day or two before and we'd talked about listing them. He suggested putting a £50 quid reserve on each which I did.
After the auctions ended, I emailed the highest bidders, told them the reserve and they still bought the figures at the reserve, so I didn't make a loss and the 2 figures went to happy homes.
I was very surprised that they ended so poorly though. I thought the carded Skeletron would have got a LOT more interest...
Re: Bought some lovely display cases
Posted: 22 May 2008 21:11
by The Baron
Eek! Good call on the reserves then!
Re: Bought some lovely display cases
Posted: 23 May 2008 09:23
by Lady Jaye
In a free market prices do not always go up. Imho, recarding hardly improves price as it is not the real deal. It gives a loose figure an extra touch, but nothing more. Good thing you went to Scooby!
Within Europe I have noticed that Action Force and GI Joe prices are stabilizing, in some cases even dropping. Interest in the hobby is strongly declining. Common items are getting harder to sell at decent prices.
Even selling to the bid-crazy Americans is getting less attractive. GI Joe European Exclusives are ending up less high than before, because the dollar sank to Botswana level. The euro-zone is getting too expensive for Americans.
GI Joe, the movie might give a new impulse to the market, but it will help GI Joe only and it will only be temporarely.
Re: Bought some lovely display cases
Posted: 23 May 2008 10:09
by SteveD
Nice analysis of the situation Lady Jaye - I wholeheartedly agree. I have a number of the more common carded Figs that I was looking to sell on Ebay to thin things out a bit and get me some space, and they seem to be going for next to nothing. By the time I've paid listings fees and Paypal fees on Ebay they aren't really worth selling, as I'm clearing about a pound or two per figure, and quite frankly I'd rather open them and swell the ranks of the armies a bit rather than 'give' them away and line Ebay's coffers.
I'll possibly put a list up of my duplicates in the foreseeable on here in case anyone is after anything in particular.
Re: Bought some lovely display cases
Posted: 23 May 2008 11:23
by Lady Jaye
As an international marketeer I analyze markets all the time. However, my stated arguments in this case are mainly based on gut feelings and personal experiences.
On demanding side most collectors are in the finishing stage of collection, solely looking for the cherries that top the pie. On the supply side a lot of collectors are stepping out of the hobby (kids, moving house, etc.) and sell their collections.
I have quite some duplicate mocs in my attic. At the moment I rather keep them than selling. Prices are very low, so it is just not worth it listing them on ebay. Like you said, it is just like giving them away. I rather keep my mocs for another 20 years. By that time the bubbles will have dropped of for sure! My oh my, what a lousy glue Palitoy used...
Re: Bought some lovely display cases
Posted: 23 May 2008 11:25
by The Baron
Can you stick them in airtight bags or something?
Re: Bought some lovely display cases
Posted: 23 May 2008 12:43
by Lady Jaye
I could try, but if it helps I strongly doubt. I remember I had to dig through the clearance bin, because of half the figures the accessoiries had already fallen out. That was around 25 years ago. Air tight sealing would not change a lot now.
Micronauts are 10 years older, but have bubbles that are still perfectly connected to the backing card. The quality of the Palitoy glue is just bad.
