New Trilogo.info article | Current prices, rarity & AFA

[Joe]

Thanks chaps! Appreciate you taking the time to check the site out, really glad to hear it's reached some new people!

Back to the subject of AFA/prices, I just spotted something on eBay that I found quite interesting and had to share.

So, the first image shows two listings for the same Trilogo figure, an 8D8 (fitting!). One was an AFA 85 and the other an AFA 80. Check out the BIN prices:

$315 for an AFA 85!! :shock:

Now for the interesting part!

Those same two figures where relisted in the auction format and actually sold for a LOT less than those original BIN prices..

Now, I realise this not a 100% accurate reflection of the figures real worth because even though I don't believe a grade and a case should mean a toy is worth more I DO appreciate that they both sold for slightly less than they perhaps should of (I'd say these were more in line with ungraded prices) but at the same time it does prove that dealers usually list high grade AFA figures for huge amounts in the hope that someone will buy them, no matter if the figure is common or hard to find (in this case it was a common figure).

 

[ODB]

You don't even need to look at BIN vs auction prices as some prominent Trilogo MOC have been on BIN for months/years at a price level that hasn't moved. It that seems to do is encourage others to list at the same price and they sit there for equally long periods.

 

[SOJ]

I've noticed a lot with auctioned AFA MOC go for far less than the BIN's. I've seen a few that end at or around the price of an ungrade version. Either people dont bother watching/bidding cause they assume it will go for silly money or the auction prices are the true value. I lean towards the latter.

 

[Jez]

Great article Joe and good on you for writing it.
Your EBay screenshots back up your thoughts well.
Great interview on the podcast too!

 

[Grant_C]

There was a nice trilogo 8D8 in my '****- I'm unemployed' eVay watch list for half of this year for BIN for £55. It was then relisted for £75 and sold in a few weeks.

 

[OTB Records]

Great bit of info Joe. I would love to have a decent price guide for Tri-logo figures. I understand that these kind of price guides soon become outdated but it would be nice to see where we stand right now.

 

[Grant_C]

How does a crap 8D8 Tri provethat dealers tend to overlist figures? And who said this needed proving?

 

[Joe]

..and banned! :lol:

(Never bash 8D8!) :lol: :lol:

 

[OTB Records]

I have a strong interest in Tri-logo carded pieces. My user name on Rebelscum is 'TriJunkie'. When I was first being offered Tri-logo carded figures there was very little interest in them among collectors. They were thought of as 'cheap' and 'inferior'. Therefore a nice carded collection could be put together for a reasonable amount of money. Forward to today and the prices have increased dramatically. Obviously the supply of nice carded Tri-logo figures hasn't increased over the years but the demand has - especially with the forthcoming films. This I believe has lead dealers and some collectors to slap high prices on carded Tri-logos.

Joe is right in saying that if you are patient the carded Tri-logo figure you want (if not one of the very rare ones: Madine, Jawa, Fett and a few others) will probably come up for sale a number of times over the next 6 to 12 months. However, as with all genres of collecting there will be those who will purchase these pieces for the top price either because they are impatient, rich or uneducated when it comes to their true rarity.

As for AFA. Well I am not a fan of them and in many ways I personally believe they are making the market worse for collectors.

I praise Joe for putting his head above the parapet and saying what he feels. Without such people saying: "Stop and think" the hobby could just get out of control and be lead by a few big companies telling us the collectors what we should pay.

 

[Joe]

I have a strong interest in Tri-logo carded pieces. My user name on Rebelscum is 'TriJunkie'. When I was first being offered Tri-logo carded figures there was very little interest in them among collectors. They were thought of as 'cheap' and 'inferior'. Therefore a nice carded collection could be put together for a reasonable amount of money. Forward to today and the prices have increased dramatically. Obviously the supply of nice carded Tri-logo figures hasn't increased over the years but the demand has - especially with the forthcoming films. This I believe has lead dealers and some collectors to slap high prices on carded Tri-logos.

Joe is right in saying that if you are patient the carded Tri-logo figure you want (if not one of the very rare ones: Madine, Jawa, Fett and a few others) will probably come up for sale a number of times over the next 6 to 12 months. However, as with all genres of collecting there will be those who will purchase these pieces for the top price either because they are impatient, rich or uneducated when it comes to their true rarity.

As for AFA. Well I am not a fan of them and in many ways I personally believe they are making the market worse for collectors.

I praise Joe for putting his head above the parapet and saying what he feels. Without such people saying: "Stop and think" the hobby could just get out of control and be lead by a few big companies telling us the collectors what we should pay.

Thanks for your input and support Kevin! I'm glad to read you share the same opinion on things as the rest of us and it's also good to see you here on SWF! I do hope this has some kind of impact on peoples buying habits, I'm not convinced it will but I think it's still important to highlight the fact that even now (with prices sky rocketing) we still see AFA graded figures sell for way under the dealers previously high BIN prices if they are left to run in an auction format (I posted the 8D8 as an example but almost all of the AFA Trilogos that Brianstoys just sold at auction went for FAR less than their original BIN prices) so who knows..maybe it is working?

(PS: If anyone is interested in reading a little about Kevin's collection you can check this link out: http://trilogo.info/features/general-mills-factory-samples/ )

 

[mumbo]

Very interesting and informative thanks for sharing

So being a collector of backing cards is there a similar pattern of pricing (albeit on a lower scale) with the Tri cards :?: as their prices tend to be higher than the ROTJ cards and some ESB cards. (assuming in C8+ condition).

 

[mr_palitoy]

Very interesting and informative thanks for sharing

So being a collector of backing cards is there a similar pattern of pricing (albeit on a lower scale) with the Tri cards :?: as their prices tend to be higher than the ROTJ cards and some ESB cards. (assuming in C8+ condition).

Backing cards aren't graded so there's no AFA hike in prices. UKG? Have started casing and grading the backing card with the figure it came with side by side. This seems odd to me as there's no way of telling if the figure actually came with the card or not. As with all star wars vintage collectibles, cardbacks have seen an increase in price in the last few years. This is also due to more cardback collectors who were formly MOC collectors who were priced out of that market.

Cheers Jason

 

[Joe]

Here is a link to those brianstoys completed listings: http://www.ebay.com/sch/www.brianstoys.com/m.html?_armrs=1&_from=R40&_sacat=0&_nkw=afa+tri&LH_Complete=1&LH_Sold=1&rt=nc

I'll have to make some screenshots and add these to the article I think!

 

[Dark Sith Lord]

Thats an excellent and very interesting article Joe. I completely agree with you.

$2325 for that TFP is a joke.

I too would be in favour of Trilogo Price Guide? Perhaps you and Stephane could team up? :wink:

 

[DarthStanley]

Welcome Kevin!

Congrats on your trilogo sample collection,bloody hell another trilogo Lobot out there that I don't have! :lol: 8)

 

[OTB Records]

Thanks to everyone for the warm welcome to the forum.

@ DarthStanley. I was fortunate to obtain the sample collection of Tri-logos. Actually I got them more by error (long story) I have been offered lots of money by collectors who want individual pieces for their focus collections. Even thought the amounts offered are very tempting I really don't want to split the collection up as I feel it is unique.

 

[jedisearcher]

Thanks to everyone for the warm welcome to the forum.

@ DarthStanley. I was fortunate to obtain the sample collection of Tri-logos. Actually I got them more by error (long story) I have been offered lots of money by collectors who want individual pieces for their focus collections. Even thought the amounts offered are very tempting I really don't want to split the collection up as I feel it is unique.

I think it's good to keep them together as well, there's so little pre-prod stuff around for these that they are historically significant.

Some of those other MOC's in Joes link are amazing quality. The Leia Hoth looks great.

 

[OTB Records]

@ Joe. I understand that you have a focus collection on 8D8 so I thought you might like to see a picture of the one from my sample collection. I hope you don't mind me posting it here?

 

[Joe]

I remember it well Kevin, sticker is sadly on the reverse isn't it?

Thanks again for telling your story through my site, it was great to be able to chat to you a few years ago about those amazing samples. True gems!

 

[OTB Records]

Hi Joe.

Unfortunately all these figures are now in storage and I haven't looked at them for some time. When I got them I took the photographs that I show on the internet. I only thought about taking photos of the front of the cards as at that time I didn't realise that collectors would be so interested in them and individual characters. I can only surmise that those that don't have a sticker(s) to the front will have a sticker to the back. However, some of the carded figures didn't have any stickers on them but came from the same ex-General Mills employee and were part of their samples.

Sorry that I can't be more precise about the 8D8 figure when it comes to sticker location, type of sticker etc. I must take a look at these figures again but the place they are stored is many miles form my home.