Why are AFA VC Jawa's so much now?

[Palifan]

Hi all,

I wrote this in another thread this week but thought I'd write it again as a separate topic to see what your thoughts were on this -

One thing I don't understand is why everyone's asking so much for their AFA VC Jawa's at the moment. I know the AFA have been around longer than UKG but the prices look a bit ridiculous to me. Recently an AFA 85 one hit 530 pounds with over 20 bids but it didn't hit it's reserve (what ever that was). There were other UKG ones for less at the same grade but they sat there, well they did until the AFA didn't sell.
I've had 3 AFA ones in the past and now have 2 UKG ones, all have been graded at 85 and the UKG ones are by far better looking Jawa's. Maybe at some point people will value the figure inside the perspex case and not the other way around.

 

[edd_jedi]

One word - idiots.

OK a second word - lazy. Anybody willing to pay that kind of money for a common mass produced figure is either a) retarded or b) incredibly impatient. There are probably more loose VCJ's in circulation than there are carded Klaatu's. Their perceived value and rarity is a relic of pre-internet collecting, and even then I saw a few of them.

 

[Palifan]

One word - idiots.

OK a second word - lazy. Anybody willing to pay that kind of money for a common mass produced figure is either a) retarded or b) incredibly impatient. There are probably more loose VCJ's in circulation than there are carded Klaatu's. Their perceived value and rarity is a relic of pre-internet collecting, and even then I saw a few of them.

I imagine the main thing with the graded ones is that people aren't willing to take a chance on a loose one because of all the repro capes out there. It is hard to tell sometimes with the capes if there aren't super close ups of it, I've had a few in my time and I find it tricky sometimes to know for sure. The thing is though the first AFA 85's I bought were about 250 each and I'm shocked at what people want for them now. I really do think the UKG have stricter grading on their loose figures (from what I've seen) so I think people are getting a better deal by buying those ones. The AFA sellers will only price themselves out of the market before to long so maybe this will bring them back in line with UKG.
All the said though 450 pounds does seem quite steep for one of these fellows but I guess that's the more realistic price at the moment, who knows about next year though.

 

[edd_jedi]

From what I've seen the prices of both graded and ungraded VCJs has climbed steadily over the last few years, and it just makes no sense to me. Also bear in mind that the fact somebody has theirs listed for £500 doesn't necessarily mean it is worth that much or will sell for that price.

I agree that there are a lot of fake capes around so you need to be careful, but AFA do make mistakes (I've seen graded repro's before) and there are still plenty of original ones about.

I've only ever had one, which I paid about £75 for 10 or so years ago. At the time, that was about the going rate for a Blue Snaggletooth and Yak Face as well, yet the price of those two has fallen if anything, despite being of roughly equal rarity.

 

[Palifan]

From what I've seen the prices of both graded and ungraded VCJs has climbed steadily over the last few years, and it just makes no sense to me. Also bear in mind that the fact somebody has theirs listed for £500 doesn't necessarily mean it is worth that much or will sell for that price.

I agree that there are a lot of fake capes around so you need to be careful, but AFA do make mistakes (I've seen graded repro's before) and there are still plenty of original ones about.

I've only ever had one, which I paid about £75 for 10 or so years ago. At the time, that was about the going rate for a Blue Snaggletooth and Yak Face as well, yet the price of those two has fallen if anything, despite being of roughly equal rarity.

I'm really surprised that the AFA slipped up with grading a VCJ, don't they have copies of everything they're grading! (well not everything but they sell enough on that they must have things there).

I have one loose that cost me about 85 pounds a few years ago on ebay. I think I got it at that price as it wasn't graded and the seller wasn't 100% sure about it. I always thought they were around the 200 mark loose and about 275 graded but oh how times have changed. I really think the ones priced at 750 and upwards will just sit there. The last AFA one I sold was for 450 and the buyer was really happy with that price and I felt that it was about top end for selling one. I did see a AFA 90 go for 550 the other day and I think that reflects the kind of price people are willing to go to. This would only change if they don't become available and it doesn't look like that's going to happen soon.

 

[Stargeezer]

Well i had one i sold 2 years ago, sold it for a fair price for both (seller and buyer). It was in C9 shape, just perfect paint, cape tight limbs.

I bought it from a german seller (also collector) about 7 years ago for a little less then a 100£. He knew what it was and the price was very fair at the moment.

But as other have stated, VC jawa keep turning up every day, they are equal in rarity then Blue snaggs and Yak Faces, yet the Jawa prices skyrocketed whilst the others remained the same....

I would like another VC jawa again, but only if i can buy it for a normal price and not these silly nowadays prices...

 

[Palifan]

Well i had one i sold 2 years ago, sold it for a fair price for both (seller and buyer). It was in C9 shape, just perfect paint, cape tight limbs.

I bought it from a german seller (also collector) about 7 years ago for a little less then a 100£. He knew what it was and the price was very fair at the moment.

But as other have stated, VC jawa keep turning up every day, they are equal in rarity then Blue snaggs and Yak Faces, yet the Jawa prices skyrocketed whilst the others remained the same....

I would like another VC jawa again, but only if i can buy it for a normal price and not these silly nowadays prices...

I think it'll be hard to find one at a good price although the last 2 loose ones that sold recently went for close to 180 each and one was without it's blaster. Again the sellers weren't sure if they were 100% the real deal but it turned out that they were.
This seems to be the price people will gamble on now a days but you might get lucky with finding a cheaper one.

 

[edd_jedi]

That's insane - 5 years ago you wouldn't get an auction going over £50 unless the seller guaranteed it was original.

 

[Caswellbot]

Madness I tells ya. Even Carded VCJ's can be found on ebay most days. In the grand scheme of things they really arent that rare at all. :|

 

[palitoyjunky]

Just check the pop report at Toy Grader.com to give you an idea of how many carded VC Jawas exist, there are literally hundreds!!

I bought a mint loose VC Jawa at Mem a couple of years ago for £250, sent it to AFA, it graded an 85 and I sold it earlier this year for £580!!! :lol:

 

[edd_jedi]

I'm pretty sure the madness will end sooner or later and prices will crash, so if you want to cash in, now's the time to do it.

Saying that, people still pay silly money for carded Boba Fett's and they're equally common...

 

[CRAZYHAZY]

The problem is there are so many fake vcj out there!
i just find it bonkers that people pay those prices just because its in a plastic tomb!!!
my vcj aint goin anywhere i have him in my collection for nostalgia not to make a quick buck. if the prices crash so be it im not arsed!

plus ive made a massive loss on all my figs as im not the best at finding a bargain

 

[Sandpersonsflipflop]

I certainly want one and would pay extra for a verified one but the prices seen recently are nuts!