Buying trends/is it the wrong time to sell?......

[01AB]

I love my near complete set of vintage figures, but unless I come into some silly money, I really cant justify spending out on a REALLY good Blue Snag, Yak Face, Luke Stormtrooper, VC Jawa or Last17 R2 to complete my set and compliment my other minty figures.

I'm sorry to say that there are things I'd rather send my money on, I think subsequently I'm loosing the colecting bug (or I've got it out of my system!).

I've spent roughly £500 getting to where I am, and I'm not looking to make a proffit if I sell, but saying that, I dont want to make a great loss if I do offload them.

I've been checking the form (ebay), some Last17 figures (Imperial Dig for instance) are going for less than a good Logray (though I guess a good Logray has loads of bits with it), and your common types (Madine, Weequay etc) are lucky to go for a quid.

Even though my collection is in looks great, a few have had touches of re-painting, especially to refresh the black (say on IG88s belt), these 'fixes' I would have to admit to if selling as I am no fraudster, would these people want these? in favour of a not so 'good looking' example?

So, is it time to sell, will be people want vintage figures in the lead up to a potentialy expensive couple of months, do I pack the collection away for a few years so as I loose the urge to buy a Blue Snag and spend the money elsewhere? Do I sell and then feel like **** because the money has gone on winter fuel bills and petrol, only to start collecting again next year because I start having those horrid dreams again about stealing figures....

 

[Darth Wensleydale]

Seems a shame to sell them on after the effort you've obviously put in. The touched-up figures wouldn't really bring much imo. Most people actively avoid such figures for the sake of originality. If you don't want to keep them then put them away for a while, now ain't the time to sell and ebay will destroy the chance of making any profit. Wait until times are better for selling and just see them as a bit of an investment for now. Last year almost complete collections of figures were fetching £750+ but I'd doubt they'd reach anything like that at the moment.

 

[weasel]

Like Simon says, now is not the time to sell. Ok if you need the money then go for it (I would suggest trying on here and RS before letting Ebay suck your blood) otherwise just hold fire for a while.

 

[Bollux]

it depends what you mean by silly money, i got a mint white luke stormy for only £30, there are bargains to be had!

 

[edd_jedi]

My advice would be sell as a lot. £700 for an almost full set is very tempting for even a dealer in case there's a few rare variants etc. You of course already know whether there is or isn't As said b-grade loose figures are only worth a few quid max on their own. Perhaps even sell the weapons separately?

I'm in the same boat - considering selling my MOC but it's a bad time. So I'm just selling stuff slowly on RS and not accepting less than I want for it. I've realised I enjoy the hunting/buying much more than I enjoy the owning, so am thinking of selling quite a lot and them just starting again in a few years for the fun of it

 

[01AB]

. I've realised I enjoy the hunting/buying much more than I enjoy the owning, so am thinking of selling quite a lot and them just starting again in a few years for the fun of it

That's pretty much how I feel, maybe I'll just keep hold of the first 20 and then sell the rest and get an AFA Blue Snag...

Thanks for the feedback so far folks.

 

[01AB]

Update, pretty much all sold now, I was very honest with my descriptions and double checked all my accessories only to realise I had a few more repro bits than I realised (mainly a couple of repro Leia guns, two hoth rifles and some bespin guns, gutted!).
Didnt get less than £2 for any one figure and included paypal and Ebay fees in the postage costs (as I guess most people do)
No figure went for more than £6 which I was a little surprised at after looking at completed listings on say Luke Farmboys...
So I guess after completing my collection which included a few of the cheeper last 17 for about £350 from scratch (I replaced most of my original dozen or so figures) I have walked away with about £250 in total...

My Wife's a bit gutted for me but I really dont care, the joy for me was in opening the jiffy bags as they came through the door and getting that 'nostalgic hit' of once again owning a toy I had not seen for 20 years.

In the new year I will start collecting again, am yet to decide whether it will be loose AFA 85s or the half dozen more 'prestige pieces' (well, what I considder to be prestige) I've discovered since first visiting this site....

3 foot R2
Red cape Squid
Blue Snag
Takara C3P0
Tri logo hoth rebel soldier (the darker brown boots etc one)
VC Jawa

I'm already feeling the bug again.......

 

[Ron]

You never will make money off ebay

 

[Grant]

Update, pretty much all sold now, I was very honest with my descriptions and double checked all my accessories only to realise I had a few more repro bits than I realised (mainly a couple of repro Leia guns, two hoth rifles and some bespin guns, gutted!).
Didnt get less than £2 for any one figure and included paypal and Ebay fees in the postage costs (as I guess most people do)
No figure went for more than £6 which I was a little surprised at after looking at completed listings on say Luke Farmboys...
So I guess after completing my collection which included a few of the cheeper last 17 for about £350 from scratch (I replaced most of my original dozen or so figures) I have walked away with about £250 in total...

My Wife's a bit gutted for me but I really dont care, the joy for me was in opening the jiffy bags as they came through the door and getting that 'nostalgic hit' of once again owning a toy I had not seen for 20 years.

In the new year I will start collecting again, am yet to decide whether it will be loose AFA 85s or the half dozen more 'prestige pieces' (well, what I considder to be prestige) I've discovered since first visiting this site....

3 foot R2
Red cape Squid
Blue Snag
Takara C3P0
Tri logo hoth rebel soldier (the darker brown boots etc one)
VC Jawa

I'm already feeling the bug again.......

Hi mate.

If you manage to put together a complete loose set of afa figures that would be a collection to keep for many years.

Cheers.

Grant.

 

[jezza124]

a ukgraders full set might be too?

 

[01AB]

I'm thinking a full set of loose AFA85 (including last 17, VC Jawa and Blue Snag) would cost about £3000-£3500 max to obtain?

 

[spoons]

I'm thinking a full set of loose AFA85 (including last 17, VC Jawa and Blue Snag) would cost about £3000-£3500 max to obtain?

:shock:

You could get a full set of MOC for not much more than that

(obviously not a vc jawa or blue snag)

 

[burnsy]

I've started to buy some loose graded figures and they're are some bargains at the mo.
85 Blue Snag went for £95 yesterday.
85 Luke armboy £18 the other day.

Not sure if it's because loose AFA is not really collected as much as ungraded loose and MOC's?!?
I am going to slowly pick more and more up though, 85 or aboves.

 

[Bollux]

but you cant play with them or look at them right up close!

thats the fun of collecting loose for me, it brings back more memories that way!

 

[weasel]

but you cant play with them!

That's the only reason you 'collect' isn't it? So you can set up little battles in your front room when the missus is out! :wink: :lol:

 

[Bollux]

yes it is!

as opposed to my Mrs playing with toys like yours normally do son!

 

[weasel]

:lol: Gave you that come back on a plate!

Does sound more exciting than looking at them threw a perspex case still MOC!

 

[Bollux]

i have a couple of mates that are interested in them for nostalgia's sake as well so its nice for them to pick them up and have a look at them, will be even easier when i get my Bertby!

 

[weasel]

Just make sure they don't end up trashing any of your better figures!

 

[Bollux]

they wouldnt ****ing dare!

they know how careful i am with them, they all bought me my blue snag and were deeply unimpressed when it arrived!