Blood for the Baron!

The Baron wrote:It's possible, our influx of new recruits has in large part been due to Jamar promoting the Colouring Project, so let's blame him.

heheheehe whooooooo meeeeeee!

yes its all your fault!!!

lol

Popped into the Harris Arcade in Reading on Saturday, collectors shop there, maybe 10 boxed GI Jo / Action Force vehicles in stock, when i asked the question "got any Series 1 or 2?" he replied "No, they go out as soon as we get them, very popular". Maybe it's just their time to become "universally collectable" instead of "niche"?

ALL that stuff for £30? Wow! http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Action-Force-Robo ... 911.c0.m14

I once saw Red Jackal alone go for £70. So £30 is amazing! Well done.


SPACE COMMANDER

The Baron wrote:It's possible, our influx of new recruits has in large part been due to Jamar promoting the Colouring Project, so let's blame him.

Well in my case it's the 25th Joes that did it. I started out getting the 25th versions of the AF characters (Duke, Scarlet etc.), then suddenly had an urge to re-collect all the old old Palitoy figures I used to have.
Although Jamar's colouring has sent me spinning back to the 80's on a tide of dizzying nostalgia in a big way too!

-

This is an interesting thread as our 'new, or new-ish recruits' think this is a wonderful find and the more established collectors such as The Baron himself or Lady Jaye think its just about right;

I think it's a very reasonable price - I wouldn't want to pay any more than that for it. However, we all know prices have gone stupid as of late

I agree with the Baron, a year ago prices of stuff were lower than what they are at the moment. I was lucky enough to buy virtually everything during that time, so to me current prices are just stupid and I refuse to pay them.

We 've been lucky to pick up a few great new members to the board over the last 6 months and it is their enthusiasm to collect that has driven up ebay prices.

Basically, I reckon, there are 'at best' 50 or so active collectors of out there. Maybe 25 who are forum members and 25 regular ebayers who haven't joined us [yet!] such as 'johnigoe73' on ebay who seems intent on purchasing every Red Shadow within the western hemisphere. He, alone, has driven Red Shadow figures above what I am willing to pay.

A year back, Scoobydie ran his ebay shop and there were many occasions when items sold for very weak prices. Maybe today would be a good time to resurrect it Andy as the few new collectors are battling away at the moment and making things go for more than they are worth.

A year from now when the new collector's have got their armies prices will probably fall back to what they were a year ago. Supply and demand. Of course, the new movie might stir things up and make things even worse [or better if you want to sell of course!]

Me, I'm happy to let things blow over, let the new collectors win every auction and overpay. I'll wait till the storm passes and then pick up a few extra Shads for my army.

Guess I sound like a right miserable Sod this morning!

Not grumpy - just spot on Paul.

I'm not sure whether I'd be considered a new collector or not, as even though I'm relatively new around here I've been building the collection for years now, and I'm pretty much the same as you with my philosophy on collecting at the minute. Whilst there are figures I'd like to be adding, I'm trying to show a little restraint. Seems crazy for me at the minute to be buying up Shads at £5+ each and Z Force army builders when I haven't even got room to display the collection I've got. I'd love a huge army of Shadows, but if making my small army into a huge army is going to cost hundreds of pounds, then I'll not bother! Same with the later Cobra troopers. I'd love to have more than I've got, but as they are going for roughly £10 each an army becomes an expensive luxury, rather than a bit of fun. Can't really justify paying those sorts of amounts to simply put the figures into a shoe box in the loft and looked at when I've got an hour spare occasionally. Ebay being "improved" to be the shittest, most unusably piece of crap ever was really the icing on the cake, as a five minute search in my dinner break to see what's new is a thing of the past it seems.

I'm therefore just waiting around, keeping an eye on things, and making the occasional purchase that I can't resist or if an exceptional piece comes along, like Jen's Blades I picked up, or something that I've been after for a while. Have to say I'd love to take some of MJV's off his hands, but can't see me stretching to the amounts being mooted.

I dont know whether to be pleased, because my collection is worth more money, or disappointed, because the fun of picking up a cool figure or two for a reasonable amount has gone. I never started collecting to make money, I try to do that in other ways, so the value is kind of irrelevant, so I guess it's the later of the two. Having said that, I'm loving the ever increasing popularity of AF, and the fun banter we have around here. So I guess I get my fix in a slightly different way these days! BFTB has replaced Ebay as the drug of choice!

And the bloody MIA Jammer of mine is still winding me up!

Jsut some rambling thoughts, as I can't be arsed doing my work today!

I only buy these things because I love them and want to keep them for 'fiddling' with. I'd never buy stuff in the hopes they'll accumalate in value - As soon as I got my 25th GI JOE "Doc" from the US I opened him without hesitation, even though I know I could have made quite a few bob on Ebay with him. I wanted the character to add to my collection, so didn't think twice about keeping him carded.

I realise that I arrived here a bit too late to get everything I want because prices are going up and up. I'd love a SHADOWTRAK and SWORDFISH but know the chances are slim to none. Here's hoping for a lull in the market in a few years (with apologies to the sellers here!!!;)) so I can snag what I'm missing!
I wouldn't be bothered if my collection was worth nothing financially if it meant I could get some goodies.

I am new here, although have looked in from time to time. I started colecting the toys I actually had as a boy, and then, when prices went up iended up selling them or giving them to my son.
Now I've got back into them again, and just want one of each and a few spare parts for customs. I used to be quite good at model making and figure painting and love 'being creative'!
I personally believe Red Shadow figures are worth a tenner in good condition, bearing in mind they are more than 20 year old, and will have been played with. Also when you consider how many have had their heads cut off by customisers!
However even with my inflated opinion on prices I have been wholly unsuccesful at buying on Ebay...
My collection:

A tenner for a shadow is way too expensive! I would only go to a fiver tops.