How does collecting compare to a year ago?

[edd_jedi]

About a year ago I unfollowed all of the Facebook Star Wars groups because they were simply taking over my entire Facebook feed and I was spending hours every day trawling through irrelevant posts to find the occasional thing of interest. This was annoying for me hence unfollowing the groups, however it did give me (and probably others) the impression that there was a real buzz around collecting, no doubt exaggerated by the new films coming out. Now my only vintage star wars "fixes" are this forum, the VR podcast, eBay, and perhaps the odd Facebook post that somebody happens to tag me in. Plus with no new films there is no media buzz around Star Wars any more, so from my point of view it seems things have slowed down. But I am wondering if this is purely down to the fact I am viewing less vintage Facebook content?

So since I have unfollowed the FB groups, how has it been? Is there still a feeding frenzy every time somebody posts a loose imperial blaster for sale? Are there still dozens of posts every day by newbies "discovering" collecting again? Is stuff still selling really quickly? Or has it cooled off since the hype of the films has died down?

 

[lejackal]

I'm a member of more groups now than ever and have only turned off one or two yet repeatedly see the same posts on my feed, even when I switch to most recent rather than highlights so I suspect Facebooks algorithms are just unhelpful.

In terms of sales common as muck items seem to hang around unless they meet one or more of these criteria:
1. Very well priced
2. Exceptional condition
3. Celebrity seller

Harder to find items seem to sell within a few hours to a day.

There is definitely less of a "buzz" around at the minute, there also seems to be a number of people selling up and a lot less people active than there was 12-18 months ago.

From a buying point of view

Spoiler

the best bargains are now and always have been on eBay

but you know that anyway :lol: (with the exception of a Palitoy MOC Luke FB being sold on here for circa £200 recently)

I'm actually really enjoying collecting at the minute, there are more bargains, you get a bit longer to consider a purchase and you can haggle a bit.

I'm not on the Echo groups so things may be different there.

 

[poncho]

i dont buyanthing these days really.

i have switched off notifications for all fb groups.

so i have to actively fing the group and browse.

from my casual browsing ive found loose figures even beaters sell for more than there worth imo still.

there are alot of new finds still posted daily amazingly

i have noticed variants arnt selling as quick as they were last year. pbp was the in thing and even loose beater conmon pbp figures were selling like hot cakes but i see there hanging around ages for a silly price which people were paying.

Beyond the toys! i think alot of vintage collectors have been put of recent price hikes and switched to none vintage toys. which is great i see the beyond the toys page is getting bigger and bigger in terms in volume and finds of items at affordable prices.

ive no idea on MOCs....

 

[theforceuk]

In terms of sales common as muck items seem to hang around unless they meet one or more of these criteria:
1. Very well priced
2. Exceptional condition
3. Celebrity seller

Harder to find items seem to sell within a few hours to a day.

This put's the present collecting climate in a nutshell. I don't no about Facebook I gave up before it really started. I like a bargain and waiting for a bargain on Facebook is like waiting for Donald Trump to say something sensible.

 

[Robstyley]

I don't go on there much, have a quick flick through a few groups every couple of days. Occasionally save/watch something. I can't deal with the ****** facebook interface of not showing me every post or the most recent one etc. And it's still all mostly overpriced in my opinion. Was just on there before coming here, 77 back 3P0 for $300, says it all really.

 

[Michael Sith]

My SW fix has always been this forum since joining. I don't do FB or any social media whatsoever.

I occasionally purchase from eBay, but most of my purchases are on here from trusted members. Prices on baggies seem to have taken a hike which is a bummer!

I have noticed some of the items I look at on eBay are more plentiful and reasonable in price but in the USA, and when you factor in postage and import tax it makes it much less attractive, there is one item right now I would buy at £45, but the postage to uk & import charges take it to £70 plus!

 

[Wreck-It Ralph]

For me it is completely dead, I may as well be trying to collect MOC's in the middle of the Sahara! Last year was very busy buying year for me but this year has been very thin on the ground and I have not bought a MOC in months. Thankfully I have started collecting comics as well now so hopefully that will see me through the long buying voids that other collectors have told me about. I guess there is less of a feel good factor out there at the moment after the poor performance of Solo.

 

[Ruby2511]

Collecting is still a big part of my life and I really enjoy finding items for my growing collection when I get time :lol: :lol:

I am not on FACEBOOK or any other social media sites as I don't like them !!!!

I am very happy to be part of this forum and love to see what everyone collects and enjoy the topics posted.

 

[Taffius]

In terms of sales common as muck items seem to hang around unless they meet one or more of these criteria:
1. Very well priced
2. Exceptional condition
3. Celebrity seller

Agree with lejackel that was also confirmed by "theforceuk".

I feel exactly the same way. My 1st anniversary is in December, I think there has been a noticeable slow down in just 10 months, but a slower sales medium on forum here. I like to think that my lots are just not the standard for this site. :lol:
fb seems a rush for quality priced items and seen a few angry disappointed people miss out.
I am still a member of a few groups as still developing and learning too. During a consolidation phase recently, a bit has been sold at a loss as its the only way it moves. A lot has gone via fb groups as not even a hint of interest here. Its all experience and my journey continues.

 

[TheJabbaWookie]

I'm on eBay quite a bit and I would say prices on loose are coming down a fair bit from a peak around about May of last year (unsurprisingly around the 40 year anniversary hype and on the crest of a wave following The Force Awakens and Rogue 1). For example Leia Organa sells for around £70 now whereas you might of expected to pay in excess of £125 last year. Also, if you're selling, there are a lot fewer people watching auctions now suggesting less people are currently actively buying in the hobby on eBay at least.

Price reductions are not being effected as significantly on FB where items are still being priced at over inflated prices and sometimes left sitting for weeks and people are commenting that items are selling cheap when they are way above realised prices on eBay. For example people were still writing tempted on a nice condition Yak at £270, when I recently sold a mint one on auction on eBay for £170.

I also agree with what Poncho said that while the interest in foreign variants is still high realised prices on many figures on eBay are significantly lower and people are less inclined to pay over the odds prices for poor condition items on FB and they are left sitting for weeks.

 

[SublevelStudios]

The variant thing is certainly on the wane IMO. Not sure why that is but prices have reached a plateau and in some cases dropped.

I'm finding the Palitoy Collectors page really busy ATM, with loads of new members join in recent weeks - think we're at 1300 now.

And as Poncho says, the Beyond The Toys is as popular as ever. The great thing about collecting that is there is loads to go at and on any budget.

There's not the same buzz as 12 months ago but that's to be expected. Just wait till Favreau's THE MANDALORIAN hit's the small screen...

 

[Michael Sith]

The variant thing is certainly on the wane IMO. Not sure why that is but prices have reached a plateau and in some cases dropped.

I'm finding the Palitoy Collectors page really busy ATM, with loads of new members join in recent weeks - think we're at 1300 now.

And as Poncho says, the Beyond The Toys is as popular as ever. The great thing about collecting that is there is loads to go at and on any budget.

There's not the same buzz as 12 months ago but that's to be expected. Just wait till Favreau's THE MANDALORIAN hit's the small screen...

Yep the vintage "Fett Tax" will increase yet again once that releases!

 

[Taffius]

The variant thing is certainly on the wane IMO. Not sure why that is but prices have reached a plateau and in some cases dropped.

I'm finding the Palitoy Collectors page really busy ATM, with loads of new members join in recent weeks - think we're at 1300 now.

And as Poncho says, the Beyond The Toys is as popular as ever. The great thing about collecting that is there is loads to go at and on any budget.

There's not the same buzz as 12 months ago but that's to be expected. Just wait till Favreau's THE MANDALORIAN hit's the small screen...

Yep the vintage "Fett Tax" will increase yet again once that releases!

I think Fetts have gone down in recent times. I have been struggling to minimise loss on mine but had to take a loss recently. Found that quite unusual.

 

[edd_jedi]

A lot has gone via fb groups as not even a hint of interest here.

Yes I'm afraid that although visitor numbers and activity on the forum hasn't been too badly affected by FB, the sales forum definitely has. I think it is just the ease of posting stuff on Facebook that is attractive, especially how you can post to multiple groups at the same time.

 

[Gadders]

I've done a similar thing, Edd. I was getting fed up seeing post after post selling run of the mill loose figures for over inflated prices. It didn't help that the number of items I am looking for has dwindled away - I need one MOC for the 96 run now, and there are only a handful of other items on my wants list. I do occasionally take a peak in certain groups, but I find it very frustrating... they still refer to eBay as "evilbay" which really annoys me, especially as eBay prices are generally better than the group in question. And only the other day, someone referred to loose Warok as a "£100 figure". That's just mental.

On the other hand, there does appear to be a few more MOCs appearing for sale recently, when they had seemingly dried up in recent months.

 

[xbomber]

You're not missing much Edd. Lots of back slapping and ego massaging. One growing trend that's surprised me, is the fact that most of the deals now being made aren't via PayPal or even trades any more.

On echo (and presumably other Facebook groups) they've just progressed to having sex with each other to pay for card backs and ewok catapults and stuff.

It's actually fine and I'm a progressive person so don't see it as an issue as such but when you're browsing while having your corn flakes in a morning and it's all "I'll eat out this" and "you can do this to my whatsit" it's a bit early in the day you know?

Otherwise it's all "as you were".

 

[StarWarsFan]

A year ago, I would buy without hesitation but now, seem loads of things but though nope not interested, last purchase online was on here.

 

[Taffius]

A lot has gone via fb groups as not even a hint of interest here.

Yes I'm afraid that although visitor numbers and activity on the forum hasn't been too badly affected by FB, the sales forum definitely has. I think it is just the ease of posting stuff on Facebook that is attractive, especially how you can post to multiple groups at the same time.

I think so too edd. Although noticed on fb, if its not gone quick, it disappears quickly down the field. Bumps only do so much.

 

[TheJabbaWookie]

I do occasionally take a peak in certain groups, but I find it very frustrating... they still refer to eBay as "evilbay" which really annoys me, especially as eBay prices are generally better than the group in question.

I often wonder if this is a ploy. When you actually look into it loads of them have eBay accounts and are actively selling on there. Can't imagine they don't shop on there too.

Also I tend to be really cautious with my purchases on eBay especially when any ST lightsaber is involved. Can't begin to imagine how many have Repro ones have sold on FB as the genuine article... they're so hard to distinguish from the Repro and a lot of the guys don't do their research into what they're buying or selling.

 

[peekaygee73]

The evilbay thing is pathetic, where do people think the majority of stuff being sold on fb comes from?

 

[xbomber]

The evilbay thing is pathetic, where do people think the majority of stuff being sold on fb comes from?

Playing on people's fear a little I think.

 

[Taffius]

A lot has gone via fb groups as not even a hint of interest here.

Yes I'm afraid that although visitor numbers and activity on the forum hasn't been too badly affected by FB, the sales forum definitely has. I think it is just the ease of posting stuff on Facebook that is attractive, especially how you can post to multiple groups at the same time.

Perhaps use the SWF FB page has a full selling platform or link members to sales posts here as notifications seem quicker (or is that just my settings and preference?). Some I see do it and tagging members in, helps with notifications.

 

[Dannywhiteley]

The evilbay thing is pathetic, where do people think the majority of stuff being sold on fb comes from?

Playing on people's fear a little I think.

Definitely. Keep the population under control using biased or misleading information to create fear and promote a particular cause or POV. That's propaganda isnt it?

 

[Richard_H]

Far more people are falling out with the hobby IMO and for these reasons:

Collectors buying their 'dream' items and flogging them within 12 months for 3x (or more) the original price that they haggled down
Prices are starting to stabilise and come down a bit. Some though can't see it due to ^
Collectors being from vectis or other auction houses to flip
Friends of admins of FB groups being caught doing unscrupulous things but not enforcing action
Mood hoovers sucking the life out of collecting by whinging and bringing up the same tired arguments

Yet, many people are still enjoying it and looking forward to:

Celebration chicago
FF
non-action figure related items like Beyond The Toys

 

[Ruby2511]

You're not missing much Edd. Lots of back slapping and ego massaging. One growing trend that's surprised me, is the fact that most of the deals now being made aren't via PayPal or even trades any more.

On echo (and presumably other Facebook groups) they've just progressed to having sex with each other to pay for card backs and ewok catapults and stuff.

It's actually fine and I'm a progressive person so don't see it as an issue as such but when you're browsing while having your corn flakes in a morning and it's all "I'll eat out this" and "you can do this to my whatsit" it's a bit early in the day you know?

Otherwise it's all "as you were".

:lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Ruby2511]

I am always on Ebay looking for affordable figures and ships.

Recently picked up a loose 77 R2 with original sticker, sensorscope and in pretty good condition for £10.50.

So pretty pleased with that 8)

Compared to a year ago, I feel prices are pretty good especially when on a budget like me. I like to take time and effort when adding to my collection and quite enjoy seeing whats for sale :lol:

 

[edd_jedi]

Friends of admins of FB groups being caught doing unscrupulous things but not enforcing action

The incident you're referring to is truly shocking Rich. I got a grilling for supporting the outing of a scammer on here, and on FB the admins bail said scammers out

 

[Darth Bobby]

Facebook is Facebook. It's designed to bring people together yet all it ever does is cause trouble. Whether it be collecting or personal relationships.
I've turned all of the notifications off and still follow a few groups but not too many that it becomes overwhelming. I use it, it doesn't use me. I've personally not had any problems with Facebook and must say I really enjoyed Echo Live. I still prefer the forum as it just seems a bit more grounded in the real world. There are arseholes on Facebook but also some nice people, it's manoeuvring the annoying people I guess. My collecting over the past year has definitely slowed due to two reasons. Firstly I haven't had a lot of spare cash and secondly the items I want cost a little more than I was spending. My interest and enjoyment of the hobby has increased I would say over the last year. The only negative I would say is, the further down the collecting road you go, the more expensive the pieces get and it doesn't help that you budget for something only to find out it's gone up after a few months. There are still bargains out there I'm sure, it's just about biding your time and hoping for a bit of luck.

 

[plantainman]

Lads, Lads, Quick, Someone has just listed a blue jedi saber on Fb for £55!

No, Really, They have!

 

[subzero]

The evilbay thing is pathetic, where do people think the majority of stuff being sold on fb comes from?

Playing on people's fear a little I think.

Definitely. Keep the population under control using biased or misleading information to create fear and promote a particular cause or POV. That's propaganda isnt it?

I got into a disagreement with an admin ( who PM'd me ) on Echo Base before I left just for mentioning the word 'ebay' on someones post and suggesting that good bargains can be found on there. After telling the admin why I think it's stupid to not be allowed to even mention ebay his exact response was.. "why would we promote the competition?"

Yep, that says it all!