Investor or Collector?

Wreck-It Ralph

Jedi Master
Joined
Jan 16, 2017
Messages
893
With so many well established Asset Classes why would an Investor pick Star Wars to Invest in, do Star Wars Investors exist or are we all just Collectors?
 

subzero

Sith Lord
Joined
Jun 20, 2017
Messages
3,052
Wreck-It Ralph said:
With so many well established Asset Classes why would an Investor pick Star Wars to Invest in, do Star Wars Investors exist or are we all just Collectors?

I'm a collector who's unintentionally turned small time investor, iv'e pretty much collected almost everything I want now accept for just several more trilogo pieces. If I get lucky and spot a relatively cheap figure in nice condition then i'll try and go for it just to put away for a few years, to be honest I think the 'investment' is just an excuse to buy more figures. :lol: Not talking a lot though just the odd one here and there.
 

Pomse2001

Grand Master
Joined
Mar 13, 2012
Messages
16,104
Location
Denmark
I know there is investors out there, even in denmark where I Live. I here from some new collectors that they like the new prices and they collect and will sell when they get old so they have more money when they go on pension.

I am a Collector and if I could choose the value of the star wars toy today. Then I would love to have the old prices from the early 00 back, I have no plan about selling my star wars when I go on pension.
 

Clarkspie&chips

Sith Lord
Joined
Apr 27, 2014
Messages
1,173
I am a collector plain and simply because I do it for the joy of the hobby and whilst it's nice to know what I own is worth more than I paid for it, I wouldn't care if the market crashed and it all became worthless. In fact I'd welcome that happening!

An investor in my opinion is someone who collects purely for financial gain with little to no emotional attachment to the items the have (since the will intend to sell them on anyway). Unfortunately some investors also have little to no respect for the hobby too.
 

inzaman

Sith Lord
Joined
Oct 19, 2006
Messages
1,118
Location
Derby, United Kingdom
I am a collector and have no real intention of selling. I'd be happy for a 'crash' as i could then get some great figures without breaking the bank - i think that attitude definitely makes me a collector :D
 

yoda

Sith Lord
Joined
Jan 10, 2015
Messages
1,905
Location
Ireland
Collector only myself I just buy what I can afford at the time if I like it. I agree with Clarkspie&chips and inzaman id be glad if the market crashed for vintage Star wars even though I've overpaid for items myself in job lots to get afew bits I wanted. I've never once bought anything with the idea of selling it down the line thinking I'll make money. I it has ruined the hobby for the true collectors who are in it just for the love of Star Wars.
It's actually a risk for someone paying big anyway for the purpose of moving later to make money. On the mocs the bubbles are a big risk the more they move around. Plus the market really could crash for these items it's starting to get silly prices. There is no guarantee with anything over time. I honestly think if I had no interest in vintage Star Wars and had a stash of spare cash to throw around. I don't think I'd pump it into that for the purpose of making a big hit later on.
 

subzero

Sith Lord
Joined
Jun 20, 2017
Messages
3,052
With me 99% of me is a collector, if I ever make money from anything iv'e bought it will most likely go towards another figure I like to make it a little cheaper. I like the idea that the hobby can pay for itself in a small way if done right, iv'e already bought and flipped several pieces and took what I made off of a new figure's cost for my collection. If someone on ebay lists something cheap without researching it's value the i'm all over that like a rash and will use it to improve my collection, however iv'e also bought a couple of figures in the past intending to flip them and loved the figure too much and ended up keeping it in my collection. :lol:

I will also never sell anything I collect no matter what happens to the market, unless it's to upgrade or trade for something else I fancy, or if i'm facing bankruptcy. :lol:
 

pizzathehutt

Sith Lord
Joined
Sep 18, 2008
Messages
1,453
Location
Wembley
There was something on the radio I heard a few months back about investments

I cant remember all of it but it was to do with investing in the 70s, some people invested in shares or say an equivalent to an isa in a bank or something else

obviously people who had, did make profit but the biggest profit made, and it was something ridiculous! if you had bought £1000 worth of fine wine back then it was now worth £400,000 or something along those lines, craziness!!!
 

subzero

Sith Lord
Joined
Jun 20, 2017
Messages
3,052
pizzathehutt said:
There was something on the radio I heard a few months back about investments

I cant remember all of it but it was to do with investing in the 70s, some people invested in shares or say an equivalent to an isa in a bank or something else

obviously people who had, did make profit but the biggest profit made, and it was something ridiculous! if you had bought £1000 worth of fine wine back then it was now worth £400,000 or something along those lines, craziness!!!

I was watching a pawn shop program the other day and a guy on there was saying some bottles of scotch whiskey for £100 5 years ago are now worth £1000. :eek:

Iv'e never understood a bottle of liquid being so collectable, it's not like as if this stuff is antique or anything even if it's from the 70's. :?
 

Michael Sith

Grand Master
Supporter
Joined
Mar 2, 2013
Messages
8,768
Location
Up North
Collector and investor.

I collect, but I invest my time and patience in learning about and collecting the things I enjoy collecting, the payoff in that investment is, I learn more, I build a collection I know about, I enjoy my interaction with a community of likeminded enthusiasts, I will keep collecting and trading as it keeps paying a very handsome dividend by making me smile and enriching my life in that way.
That's a Return on investment that only I can value, for me. I share that investment with my Son who also collects, so even better ROI I get to spend quality time with my lad discussing memories of his childhood

Lad ...." remember when you got that boxed Millenium Falcon an ATAT Walker for me, where did that come from?" ...... Me
" that was your Grandma and Grandad, they got them from a car boot for £5", Lad " you fancy going to a car boot one weekend?"
Me " let's do it"

So the above may come accross to some as cheese.... but my point is, collecting is something we do but there are different reasons in the background as to why we do it, and that, I say again, is an investment well worthy of the cost attributed to it.
 

Mini99

Sith Lord
Supporter
Joined
Sep 1, 2016
Messages
4,756
Michael Sith said:
Collector and investor.

I collect, but I invest my time and patience in learning about and collecting the things I enjoy collecting, the payoff in that investment is, I learn more, I build a collection I know about, I enjoy my interaction with a community of likeminded enthusiasts, I will keep collecting and trading as it keeps paying a very handsome dividend by making me smile and enriching my life in that way.
That's a Return on investment that only I can value, for me. I share that investment with my Son who also collects, so even better ROI I get to spend quality time with my lad discussing memories of his childhood

Lad ...." remember when you got that boxed Millenium Falcon an ATAT Walker for me, where did that come from?" ...... Me
" that was your Grandma and Grandad, they got them from a car boot for £5", Lad " you fancy going to a car boot one weekend?"
Me " let's do it"

So the above may come accross to some as cheese.... but my point is, collecting is something we do but there are different reasons in the background as to why we do it, and that, I say again, is an investment well worthy of the cost attributed to it.
As per normal Michael, absolutely brilliantly put.
 

BradleyScott

Youngling
Joined
Feb 22, 2018
Messages
9
I would not look at it as a Investment in money. Just my opinion. Sure you can make money, there is money to be made just about anywhere as long as there is demand. If you get it at a steal of a price of course theres money to be made. Inflation comes into play as well. Demand drives prices, scarcity desirability etc etc etc... The list keeps going. Unfortunatley maybe not in are time as a lot of these figures have withstood the test of time there will come a time that they will succumb to their volatility of time. They are bound to fall apart, adhesive to let go, degradation and etc. Its a scary thought but one that must be met with reality and start becoming a factor in the coming years sooner than later. I hope they will come out with a process that actually seals the figure, sucks out air and protects the whole integrity of the piece. We shall see.
 

Wreck-It Ralph

Jedi Master
Joined
Jan 16, 2017
Messages
893
Michael Sith said:
Collector and investor.

I collect, but I invest my time and patience in learning about and collecting the things I enjoy collecting, the payoff in that investment is, I learn more, I build a collection I know about, I enjoy my interaction with a community of likeminded enthusiasts, I will keep collecting and trading as it keeps paying a very handsome dividend by making me smile and enriching my life in that way.
That's a Return on investment that only I can value, for me. I share that investment with my Son who also collects, so even better ROI I get to spend quality time with my lad discussing memories of his childhood

Lad ...." remember when you got that boxed Millenium Falcon an ATAT Walker for me, where did that come from?" ...... Me
" that was your Grandma and Grandad, they got them from a car boot for £5", Lad " you fancy going to a car boot one weekend?"
Me " let's do it"

So the above may come accross to some as cheese.... but my point is, collecting is something we do but there are different reasons in the background as to why we do it, and that, I say again, is an investment well worthy of the cost attributed to it.

A very interesting post!

While most of us, myself included look at Investment in purely financial terms there are clearly other forms of Investment as Michael points out and the Returns on that Investment are emotional.

Generally when I have heard people use the term investor in Star Wars collecting terms it is in a derogatory way, the post above clearly shows this is not always the case.
 

TrooperWill

Padawan
Joined
Nov 4, 2017
Messages
90
definitely a collector,
tried investing once, when a huge lot of 150 figures and 20-25 vehicles turned up at my local auction house, they broke it down into manageable lots and auctioned it, I bought it all, every single lot, which added up to pretty close to a Grand, my GF at the time was asking me if I was really sure I wanted to buy it all and if I could afford it.
I justified it to her by saying the resale of the items I didn't need/want would more than cover the cost, via eBay ect.

until I got it home, realised just how nice the boxed items were, how I still needed about 50 figures to complete my loose run, and by the time I came to sell, I sold less than £200 worth as I kept the rest for myself.

not my best moment but at least I have a nice collection :D
 

chipsteak

Jedi Master
Supporter
Joined
Jun 13, 2014
Messages
904
I'm a collector who suspects he'll get his money back, plus more, should I need the cash.
 

Mini99

Sith Lord
Supporter
Joined
Sep 1, 2016
Messages
4,756
I don't fit into any camp, as I'm a hoarder!
This time round I have never sold a piece of SW on, I ensure that what I buy is what I want and that's it, it's in the collection!
It maybe an OCD thing, but I can't let them go. :roll:
Or it maybe that I sold everything at auction and now regret it very much. :(
 
Old Thread: Hello . There have been no replies in this thread for 365 days.
Content in this thread may no longer be relevant.
Perhaps it would be better to start a new thread instead.

Latest posts

Top Bottom