Kick Azz Toys From Your Childhood... 1 1

[FunnyBooks1969]

I just found my Star Wars X-Wing Fighter from way back, like first ever. It is trashed, unfortunately...

 

 

 

That looks pretty close to how mine is too. Luckily I have a couple more accessories on the wings still lingering around than yours. Its amazing how seeing that piece can bring such powerful memories back. I remember like yesterday pulling off the wrapping paper and busting that box open in less than 3 seconds.

 

Yeah, but it shows we played with our toys.

 

 

 

 

-slym

 

 

 

I have one around here somewhere along with alot other star wars stuff

[mintcollector]

Micronauts has seen expensive high-grade examples for quite some time now. I've been into that line for 25 years...about 7-8 years ago it started taking off with rarer high-grade finds like the MOC aliens or Hornetroid/Terraphant. Of course, the grail pieces remain the GiG exclusives like Lobstros and Ampzilla.

 

Peace,

 

Chip

 

However, lesser known examples should not be selling for as much. Just look at the MASK and Godzilla toy lines. After Toy Hunter brought more attention to the lines, speculation started to run rampant and prices soared.

 

Visionairies, Rock Lords, and MUSCLE have all seen similar gains. Ironically, Battle Beasts sell for a steal, but they have yet to be featured on Toy Hunter. Something tells me that is about to change and the prices will begin to show this. Maybe it is time to dig them out of the 'room of gloom?'

 

 

The lesser known toy markets have always had interest, but the pool of collectors chasing them has shrunk significantly over the years.

 

Toy Hunter may partly be having an effect on demand for more obscure toys, and it's mostly to do with viewers rekindling memories of toys they grew up with and loved. The other part is how the show sensationalizes interest and demand for the toys it features, however I think that has more to do with the choice of edits and cherry-picking valuations data to make the show entertaining for American viewers than any deliberate attempt by Jordan to hype the market.

 

That said, 80's toys have been hot for quite some time. The most significant increase, by a landslide is with vintage Star Wars. They are selling strong and not only in North America, but around the world.

 

The certification aspect is well noted, but I feel it is over-extending people's purchases because it's still a relatively new thing for the average toy collector. Meaning if raw/ungraded examples are marketed near or around the price range of a certified example, I find the majority of collectors are still green as far having the knowledge to test or resist those prices (good example is Sharks photo of the shop listing an ROTJ Falcon at $800 - that would be more in the AFA 80 range, and should sell for about 30-40% less when it's ungraded).

 

People who are caught up with what Jordan says on the show (as far as value opinions), or are taking the dealers word for it when they are buying at shows are caught in an impulse purchase more than an informed one. This dynamic is practically non-existent in comics, and there are several good reasons. First, we've had the benefit of seeing this play out in certification for over 10 years. Secondly, we have multiple valuation references (Overstreet, GPA, online mining of data points). And thirdly, while pressing and optimization plays have allowed the comic market to remain on resuscitation and prolong an inevitable softening of values across all categories - allowing specs/collectors/dealers to continue buying in "as is" condition with the potential for improvable defects leading to an upgrade and profit - this upgrade play is much, much more limited in vintage toys.

 

So while these aspects are either non-existent or lacking in vintage toys, the major play that's happening now is with collectors buying raw and hoping to hit 85/90's to make healthy gains. The major constraints are it's more hit and miss than with comics. AFA turnaround times (TAT) are getting progressively worse and unless you're willing to pony up more money to have your items returned to you faster than the average 6 month wait through their standard service, you may well lose out on a window of opportunity to get the best strike on returns while the iron is still hot.

 

More importantly, I think there is also a lot more manipulation of sales data going on with nosebleed grades, as the last flurry of 90 12 Backs and SW/ESB 3 Packs had some unusual bidding activity, with a few SW-focused community members not only suspecting shilling, but with a handful of auctions believed to have hammered at record prices, people were receiving second chance offers even though there were multiple bidders who had priority on the auction bidding order.

 

What will inevitably lead to the market cooling for 80's toys and secondary lines is more to do with changes in borrowing and interest rates on credit. Right now it is a very attractive time for speculators to gamify certification, but a lot of this has to do with their limited understanding of how things shake out in the market. Most have little experience and don't know how risky the whole game can be to play, and fewer are willing to sit on their purchases longer than a few months to stave off having interest eat into their margins. Unless AFA figures out a way to magically improve it's turnaround times and the economy can somehow stave off interest rate increases, there is a chance this frenzy may continue, or normalize with a slight possibility of correction. However I don't see the floor completely bottoming out on the toys which have remained popular and in demand for decades.

 

The Star Wars frenzy will continue to rise leading up to 2015 without any doubt in my mind, and may possibly stretch out for at least another 5-7 years depending on how Disney demonstrates its competence in effectively marketing the property in film and merchandising.

 

I agree with most of your points. I am by no means stating or implying that Jordan (of Toy Hunter fame) would have any reason to attempt to misrepresent or manipulate the market in any way. I also don't think that Mike and Frank of American Pickers are attempting to manipulate the vintage advertising market, but some individuals unfortunately do. Neither party has any reason to as they are in the entertainment and business of self promotion as well as the collectibles trade. Just look at how many cross promotional items like t-shirts and hats they sell.

 

I do however think that the television shows themselves have caused a severe speculative bubble within certain areas of the trade susceptible to this kind of activity. Unfortunately pop culture items like toys, comic books, and games are more prone to experience this kind of manipulation due to the fact that most are readily available and recognizable. Very few items manufactured in the 1980's (in the realm of pop culture based collectibles) will sustain the price levels they have currently achieved. As much as I like Kenner's MASK line, it was not selling at such insane prices two years ago. In retrospect, as soon as it appeared on Toy Hunter over a period of several episodes, prices exploded. The same can be said for much later toy lines like Jurassic Park and TMNT. These items are in demand, but few are uncommon; and even fewer are truly 'rare.' I define 'rare' as less than 25 pieces in existence. I understand this may not be a fair analogy when compared to items that saw production runs in the millions, but that is the whole point I am trying to make. Speculators have entered these markets en masse.

 

In conclusion, my fear is not caused by a period if speculation. All collecting fields suffer from this at some point in time. I even think in limited scope speculation can be good for markets. It brings much needed attention to certain aspects of collecting and when te bubble pops, it weeds out those who only entered the trade with dollar signs gleaming in their eyes. My fear is how large the current speculative bubble is. If it truly is caused by arm chair television reality show pickers entererimg the market en masse, what happens when a lot of these shows go off the air and tese individuals leave the market? We would be looking at an extremely dark period much worse than what occurred during the 1990's comic book crash.

 

I meet a lot of pickers and dealers at various stages of their careers ( and I use the term loosely for some). I have never before encountered the amount of new blood entering the trade than I have in the last three years. At most flea markets and high end auctions I attend dealers outrank collectors two to one. This alone is what keeps me up at night.

 

Just my observations.

 

Kind Regards,

 

'Mint'

 

 

[Buzzetta]

I had the original...

Unfortunately the plastic used on 80's GI Joe was VERY brittle and such as life I sold the remains for parts about ten years ago.

 

I thought about buying another original on eBay but then remembered that it would be a waste as it would not last long...

 

Lo and behold' they announced at Toy Fair that they made a new one... not one based off the old mold but one based off a new mold... I wrote about it back in February that I needed one and just this past weekend I found one by pure dumb luck.

http://boards.collectors-society.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=6384583&fpart=2

 

[comicwiz]

Micronauts has seen expensive high-grade examples for quite some time now. I've been into that line for 25 years...about 7-8 years ago it started taking off with rarer high-grade finds like the MOC aliens or Hornetroid/Terraphant. Of course, the grail pieces remain the GiG exclusives like Lobstros and Ampzilla.

 

Peace,

 

Chip

 

However, lesser known examples should not be selling for as much. Just look at the MASK and Godzilla toy lines. After Toy Hunter brought more attention to the lines, speculation started to run rampant and prices soared.

 

Visionairies, Rock Lords, and MUSCLE have all seen similar gains. Ironically, Battle Beasts sell for a steal, but they have yet to be featured on Toy Hunter. Something tells me that is about to change and the prices will begin to show this. Maybe it is time to dig them out of the 'room of gloom?'

 

 

The lesser known toy markets have always had interest, but the pool of collectors chasing them has shrunk significantly over the years.

 

Toy Hunter may partly be having an effect on demand for more obscure toys, and it's mostly to do with viewers rekindling memories of toys they grew up with and loved. The other part is how the show sensationalizes interest and demand for the toys it features, however I think that has more to do with the choice of edits and cherry-picking valuations data to make the show entertaining for American viewers than any deliberate attempt by Jordan to hype the market.

 

That said, 80's toys have been hot for quite some time. The most significant increase, by a landslide is with vintage Star Wars. They are selling strong and not only in North America, but around the world.

 

The certification aspect is well noted, but I feel it is over-extending people's purchases because it's still a relatively new thing for the average toy collector. Meaning if raw/ungraded examples are marketed near or around the price range of a certified example, I find the majority of collectors are still green as far having the knowledge to test or resist those prices (good example is Sharks photo of the shop listing an ROTJ Falcon at $800 - that would be more in the AFA 80 range, and should sell for about 30-40% less when it's ungraded).

 

People who are caught up with what Jordan says on the show (as far as value opinions), or are taking the dealers word for it when they are buying at shows are caught in an impulse purchase more than an informed one. This dynamic is practically non-existent in comics, and there are several good reasons. First, we've had the benefit of seeing this play out in certification for over 10 years. Secondly, we have multiple valuation references (Overstreet, GPA, online mining of data points). And thirdly, while pressing and optimization plays have allowed the comic market to remain on resuscitation and prolong an inevitable softening of values across all categories - allowing specs/collectors/dealers to continue buying in "as is" condition with the potential for improvable defects leading to an upgrade and profit - this upgrade play is much, much more limited in vintage toys.

 

So while these aspects are either non-existent or lacking in vintage toys, the major play that's happening now is with collectors buying raw and hoping to hit 85/90's to make healthy gains. The major constraints are it's more hit and miss than with comics. AFA turnaround times (TAT) are getting progressively worse and unless you're willing to pony up more money to have your items returned to you faster than the average 6 month wait through their standard service, you may well lose out on a window of opportunity to get the best strike on returns while the iron is still hot.

 

More importantly, I think there is also a lot more manipulation of sales data going on with nosebleed grades, as the last flurry of 90 12 Backs and SW/ESB 3 Packs had some unusual bidding activity, with a few SW-focused community members not only suspecting shilling, but with a handful of auctions believed to have hammered at record prices, people were receiving second chance offers even though there were multiple bidders who had priority on the auction bidding order.

 

What will inevitably lead to the market cooling for 80's toys and secondary lines is more to do with changes in borrowing and interest rates on credit. Right now it is a very attractive time for speculators to gamify certification, but a lot of this has to do with their limited understanding of how things shake out in the market. Most have little experience and don't know how risky the whole game can be to play, and fewer are willing to sit on their purchases longer than a few months to stave off having interest eat into their margins. Unless AFA figures out a way to magically improve it's turnaround times and the economy can somehow stave off interest rate increases, there is a chance this frenzy may continue, or normalize with a slight possibility of correction. However I don't see the floor completely bottoming out on the toys which have remained popular and in demand for decades.

 

The Star Wars frenzy will continue to rise leading up to 2015 without any doubt in my mind, and may possibly stretch out for at least another 5-7 years depending on how Disney demonstrates its competence in effectively marketing the property in film and merchandising.

 

I agree with most of your points. I am by no means stating or implying that Jordan (of Toy Hunter fame) would have any reason to attempt to misrepresent or manipulate the market in any way. I also don't think that Mike and Frank of American Pickers are attempting to manipulate the vintage advertising market, but some individuals unfortunately do. Neither party has any reason to as they are in the entertainment and business of self promotion as well as the collectibles trade. Just look at how many cross promotional items like t-shirts and hats they sell.

 

I do however think that the television shows themselves have caused a severe speculative bubble within certain areas of the trade susceptible to this kind of activity. Unfortunately pop culture items like toys, comic books, and games are more prone to experience this kind of manipulation due to the fact that most are readily available and recognizable. Very few items manufactured in the 1980's (in the realm of pop culture based collectibles) will sustain the price levels they have currently achieved. As much as I like Kenner's MASK line, it was not selling at such insane prices two years ago. In retrospect, as soon as it appeared on Toy Hunter over a period of several episodes, prices exploded. The same can be said for much later toy lines like Jurassic Park and TMNT. These items are in demand, but few are uncommon; and even fewer are truly 'rare.' I define 'rare' as less than 25 pieces in existence. I understand this may not be a fair analogy when compared to items that saw production runs in the millions, but that is the whole point I am trying to make. Speculators have entered these markets en masse.

 

In conclusion, my fear is not caused by a period if speculation. All collecting fields suffer from this at some point in time. I even think in limited scope speculation can be good for markets. It brings much needed attention to certain aspects of collecting and when te bubble pops, it weeds out those who only entered the trade with dollar signs gleaming in their eyes. My fear is how large the current speculative bubble is. If it truly is caused by arm chair television reality show pickers entererimg the market en masse, what happens when a lot of these shows go off the air and tese individuals leave the market? We would be looking at an extremely dark period much worse than what occurred during the 1990's comic book crash.

 

I meet a lot of pickers and dealers at various stages of their careers ( and I use the term loosely for some). I have never before encountered the amount of new blood entering the trade than I have in the last three years. At most flea markets and high end auctions I attend dealers outrank collectors two to one. This alone is what keeps me up at night.

 

Just my observations.

 

Kind Regards,

 

'Mint'

 

 

Thanks for sharing your perspective Shawn. What I will say about M.A.S.K. is I believe they have been a sleeper toy line for far too long. Everyone who I run into that collects vintage toys is sweet on M.A.S.K. They are also in my opinion some of the best engineered toys for their time period, and in many cases, were way ahead of their time. When found complete, some of the more popular vehicles and playsets, with box, paperwork, etc, can fetch good money. I sold a few foreign line M.A.S.K. that I now regret selling because they are much harder to hunt down than more popular foreign lines for MOTU or Star Wars. Some of the parts are extremely hard to source or find. I also feel the same could be said about some of the more popular LJN toy lines.

 

Btw: see what He-Man 8 Backs are selling for - now that's nuts!

[dudeman5000]

Here is a righteous bump for you toy folks.

 

(In case anyone is wondering, AFA looks like they have gotten a little more strict as of late. I have several pieces that I am awaiting to get back and will keep you posted.

 

Just found this gem as I have been looking years for him. Overall came in at 80 with subs of 80 85 85. There is a tiny bit of edge wear on the front portion top of the box beneath the front flap and the back has no flap crease. This was so close to getting an overall 85.

 

This is the very first pre-rub edition release from hasbro.)

 

 

Beautiful!

 

 

Chris

[DarthBane]

Here is a righteous bump for you toy folks.

 

(In case anyone is wondering, AFA looks like they have gotten a little more strict as of late. I have several pieces that I am awaiting to get back and will keep you posted.

 

Just found this gem as I have been looking years for him. Overall came in at 80 with subs of 80 85 85. There is a tiny bit of edge wear on the front portion top of the box beneath the front flap and the back has no flap crease. This was so close to getting an overall 85.

 

This is the very first pre-rub edition release from hasbro.)

 

 

Beautiful!

 

 

Chris

 

Thanks (thumbs u Took a very very long time to find a Megs like this one. I was going to post it also in the "this week in your collection thread" as I saw a really sweet SW movie poster in there and was not sure if its for comics only. Hopefully soon have a couple more G1 friends to keep Megatron company.

[dudeman5000]

 

I loved the cartoon intro!

 

 

 

Chris

[dem1138]

Micronauts has seen expensive high-grade examples for quite some time now. I've been into that line for 25 years...about 7-8 years ago it started taking off with rarer high-grade finds like the MOC aliens or Hornetroid/Terraphant. Of course, the grail pieces remain the GiG exclusives like Lobstros and Ampzilla.

 

Peace,

 

Chip

 

However, lesser known examples should not be selling for as much. Just look at the MASK and Godzilla toy lines. After Toy Hunter brought more attention to the lines, speculation started to run rampant and prices soared.

 

Visionairies, Rock Lords, and MUSCLE have all seen similar gains. Ironically, Battle Beasts sell for a steal, but they have yet to be featured on Toy Hunter. Something tells me that is about to change and the prices will begin to show this. Maybe it is time to dig them out of the 'room of gloom?'

 

 

The lesser known toy markets have always had interest, but the pool of collectors chasing them has shrunk significantly over the years.

 

Toy Hunter may partly be having an effect on demand for more obscure toys, and it's mostly to do with viewers rekindling memories of toys they grew up with and loved. The other part is how the show sensationalizes interest and demand for the toys it features, however I think that has more to do with the choice of edits and cherry-picking valuations data to make the show entertaining for American viewers than any deliberate attempt by Jordan to hype the market.

 

That said, 80's toys have been hot for quite some time. The most significant increase, by a landslide is with vintage Star Wars. They are selling strong and not only in North America, but around the world.

 

The certification aspect is well noted, but I feel it is over-extending people's purchases because it's still a relatively new thing for the average toy collector. Meaning if raw/ungraded examples are marketed near or around the price range of a certified example, I find the majority of collectors are still green as far having the knowledge to test or resist those prices (good example is Sharks photo of the shop listing an ROTJ Falcon at $800 - that would be more in the AFA 80 range, and should sell for about 30-40% less when it's ungraded).

 

People who are caught up with what Jordan says on the show (as far as value opinions), or are taking the dealers word for it when they are buying at shows are caught in an impulse purchase more than an informed one. This dynamic is practically non-existent in comics, and there are several good reasons. First, we've had the benefit of seeing this play out in certification for over 10 years. Secondly, we have multiple valuation references (Overstreet, GPA, online mining of data points). And thirdly, while pressing and optimization plays have allowed the comic market to remain on resuscitation and prolong an inevitable softening of values across all categories - allowing specs/collectors/dealers to continue buying in "as is" condition with the potential for improvable defects leading to an upgrade and profit - this upgrade play is much, much more limited in vintage toys.

 

So while these aspects are either non-existent or lacking in vintage toys, the major play that's happening now is with collectors buying raw and hoping to hit 85/90's to make healthy gains. The major constraints are it's more hit and miss than with comics. AFA turnaround times (TAT) are getting progressively worse and unless you're willing to pony up more money to have your items returned to you faster than the average 6 month wait through their standard service, you may well lose out on a window of opportunity to get the best strike on returns while the iron is still hot.

 

More importantly, I think there is also a lot more manipulation of sales data going on with nosebleed grades, as the last flurry of 90 12 Backs and SW/ESB 3 Packs had some unusual bidding activity, with a few SW-focused community members not only suspecting shilling, but with a handful of auctions believed to have hammered at record prices, people were receiving second chance offers even though there were multiple bidders who had priority on the auction bidding order.

 

What will inevitably lead to the market cooling for 80's toys and secondary lines is more to do with changes in borrowing and interest rates on credit. Right now it is a very attractive time for speculators to gamify certification, but a lot of this has to do with their limited understanding of how things shake out in the market. Most have little experience and don't know how risky the whole game can be to play, and fewer are willing to sit on their purchases longer than a few months to stave off having interest eat into their margins. Unless AFA figures out a way to magically improve it's turnaround times and the economy can somehow stave off interest rate increases, there is a chance this frenzy may continue, or normalize with a slight possibility of correction. However I don't see the floor completely bottoming out on the toys which have remained popular and in demand for decades.

 

The Star Wars frenzy will continue to rise leading up to 2015 without any doubt in my mind, and may possibly stretch out for at least another 5-7 years depending on how Disney demonstrates its competence in effectively marketing the property in film and merchandising.

 

I agree with most of your points. I am by no means stating or implying that Jordan (of Toy Hunter fame) would have any reason to attempt to misrepresent or manipulate the market in any way. I also don't think that Mike and Frank of American Pickers are attempting to manipulate the vintage advertising market, but some individuals unfortunately do. Neither party has any reason to as they are in the entertainment and business of self promotion as well as the collectibles trade. Just look at how many cross promotional items like t-shirts and hats they sell.

 

I do however think that the television shows themselves have caused a severe speculative bubble within certain areas of the trade susceptible to this kind of activity. Unfortunately pop culture items like toys, comic books, and games are more prone to experience this kind of manipulation due to the fact that most are readily available and recognizable. Very few items manufactured in the 1980's (in the realm of pop culture based collectibles) will sustain the price levels they have currently achieved. As much as I like Kenner's MASK line, it was not selling at such insane prices two years ago. In retrospect, as soon as it appeared on Toy Hunter over a period of several episodes, prices exploded. The same can be said for much later toy lines like Jurassic Park and TMNT. These items are in demand, but few are uncommon; and even fewer are truly 'rare.' I define 'rare' as less than 25 pieces in existence. I understand this may not be a fair analogy when compared to items that saw production runs in the millions, but that is the whole point I am trying to make. Speculators have entered these markets en masse.

 

In conclusion, my fear is not caused by a period if speculation. All collecting fields suffer from this at some point in time. I even think in limited scope speculation can be good for markets. It brings much needed attention to certain aspects of collecting and when te bubble pops, it weeds out those who only entered the trade with dollar signs gleaming in their eyes. My fear is how large the current speculative bubble is. If it truly is caused by arm chair television reality show pickers entererimg the market en masse, what happens when a lot of these shows go off the air and tese individuals leave the market? We would be looking at an extremely dark period much worse than what occurred during the 1990's comic book crash.

 

I meet a lot of pickers and dealers at various stages of their careers ( and I use the term loosely for some). I have never before encountered the amount of new blood entering the trade than I have in the last three years. At most flea markets and high end auctions I attend dealers outrank collectors two to one. This alone is what keeps me up at night.

 

Just my observations.

 

Kind Regards,

 

'Mint'

 

 

Thanks for sharing your perspective Shawn. What I will say about M.A.S.K. is I believe they have been a sleeper toy line for far too long. Everyone who I run into that collects vintage toys is sweet on M.A.S.K. They are also in my opinion some of the best engineered toys for their time period, and in many cases, were way ahead of their time. When found complete, some of the more popular vehicles and playsets, with box, paperwork, etc, can fetch good money. I sold a few foreign line M.A.S.K. that I now regret selling because they are much harder to hunt down than more popular foreign lines for MOTU or Star Wars. Some of the parts are extremely hard to source or find. I also feel the same could be said about some of the more popular LJN toy lines.

 

Btw: see what He-Man 8 Backs are selling for - now that's nuts!

 

Can anyone give a few concrete examples of M.A.S.K. toys "exploding" in value versus 2 years ago? Or He-Man 8 backs?

[Dark Knight]

I had the original...

Unfortunately the plastic used on 80's GI Joe was VERY brittle and such as life I sold the remains for parts about ten years ago.

 

I thought about buying another original on eBay but then remembered that it would be a waste as it would not last long...

 

Lo and behold' they announced at Toy Fair that they made a new one... not one based off the old mold but one based off a new mold... I wrote about it back in February that I needed one and just this past weekend I found one by pure dumb luck.

http://boards.collectors-society.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=6384583&fpart=2

 

 

I too had the original. Brings back some good memories

[comicwiz]

Can anyone give a few concrete examples of M.A.S.K. toys "exploding" in value versus 2 years ago? Or He-Man 8 backs?

 

Odd question, but I suppose I'll bite. Does eBay now offer 2+ years of auction results?

[mintcollector]

Can anyone give a few concrete examples of M.A.S.K. toys "exploding" in value versus 2 years ago? Or He-Man 8 backs?

 

Odd question, but I suppose I'll bite. Does eBay now offer 2+ years of auction results?

 

If you guys can wait until I have more time I will gladly expand on part of this. Keep in mind I do not know the MOTU market, so I can only state the modest facts behind my statements regarding MASK toys,..

 

Kind Regards,

 

Shawn

[comicwiz]

Can anyone give a few concrete examples of M.A.S.K. toys "exploding" in value versus 2 years ago? Or He-Man 8 backs?

 

Odd question, but I suppose I'll bite. Does eBay now offer 2+ years of auction results?

 

If you guys can wait until I have more time I will gladly expand on part of this. Keep in mind I do not know the MOTU market, so I can only state the modest facts behind my statements regarding MASK toys,..

 

Kind Regards,

 

Shawn

 

Just struck me as odd as seeing someone starting a "GPA help" post in this very thread.

[montrealfilmguy]

Toy hunter.

 

Oh that guy,man,that guy.

 

Just saying the words gives me instant migraine.

[dem1138]

Can anyone give a few concrete examples of M.A.S.K. toys "exploding" in value versus 2 years ago? Or He-Man 8 backs?

 

Odd question, but I suppose I'll bite. Does eBay now offer 2+ years of auction results?

 

If you guys can wait until I have more time I will gladly expand on part of this. Keep in mind I do not know the MOTU market, so I can only state the modest facts behind my statements regarding MASK toys,..

 

Kind Regards,

 

Shawn

 

Just struck me as odd as seeing someone starting a "GPA help" post in this very thread.

 

I wasn't coming from that angle. I have no horse in this race other than I have always had an interest in collectibles markets beyond what I collect but that I grew up with. There have been several statements about exploding prices and I just wanted to hear about some concrete examples out of genuine curiosity/interest.

I grew up with all of these toys and it has always fascinated me to see them adopted as collectibles. M.A.S.K. came out during the waning years of me playing with toys but I was all in from the minute they hit the shelves. They were awesome because they were a great combination of GI Joe and Transformers and then the whole mask thing played into the superhero genre. The toys were great but I lost interest after a year or two and moved on to other things. Its fun to look back and see how the toy line developed and how it is now an emerging collectible.

[comicwiz]

Can anyone give a few concrete examples of M.A.S.K. toys "exploding" in value versus 2 years ago? Or He-Man 8 backs?

 

Odd question, but I suppose I'll bite. Does eBay now offer 2+ years of auction results?

 

If you guys can wait until I have more time I will gladly expand on part of this. Keep in mind I do not know the MOTU market, so I can only state the modest facts behind my statements regarding MASK toys,..

 

Kind Regards,

 

Shawn

 

Just struck me as odd as seeing someone starting a "GPA help" post in this very thread.

 

I wasn't coming from that angle. I have no horse in this race other than I have always had an interest in collectibles markets beyond what I collect but that I grew up with. There have been several statements about exploding prices and I just wanted to hear about some concrete examples out of genuine curiosity/interest.

I grew up with all of these toys and it has always fascinated me to see them adopted as collectibles. M.A.S.K. came out during the waning years of me playing with toys but I was all in from the minute they hit the shelves. They were awesome because they were a great combination of GI Joe and Transformers and then the whole mask thing played into the superhero genre. The toys were great but I lost interest after a year or two and moved on to other things. Its fun to look back and see how the toy line developed and how it is now an emerging collectible.

 

Gotcha. The two year timeframe is what stuck out most. SO MUCH has changed just in the past 6-8 months with 80's toys that you surely could track past sales reasonably well Googling a particular toy and seeing what activity has followed the specific figure/character and/or MOC variation.

[dem1138]

Can anyone give a few concrete examples of M.A.S.K. toys "exploding" in value versus 2 years ago? Or He-Man 8 backs?

 

Odd question, but I suppose I'll bite. Does eBay now offer 2+ years of auction results?

 

If you guys can wait until I have more time I will gladly expand on part of this. Keep in mind I do not know the MOTU market, so I can only state the modest facts behind my statements regarding MASK toys,..

 

Kind Regards,

 

Shawn

 

Just struck me as odd as seeing someone starting a "GPA help" post in this very thread.

 

I wasn't coming from that angle. I have no horse in this race other than I have always had an interest in collectibles markets beyond what I collect but that I grew up with. There have been several statements about exploding prices and I just wanted to hear about some concrete examples out of genuine curiosity/interest.

I grew up with all of these toys and it has always fascinated me to see them adopted as collectibles. M.A.S.K. came out during the waning years of me playing with toys but I was all in from the minute they hit the shelves. They were awesome because they were a great combination of GI Joe and Transformers and then the whole mask thing played into the superhero genre. The toys were great but I lost interest after a year or two and moved on to other things. Its fun to look back and see how the toy line developed and how it is now an emerging collectible.

 

Gotcha. The two year timeframe is what stuck out most. SO MUCH has changed just in the past 6-8 months with 80's toys that you surely could track past sales reasonably well Googling a particular toy and seeing what activity has followed the specific figure/character and/or MOC variation.

 

2 years...8 months...whatever. Just curious of examples. And if I look it up, then only I learn. But if you share, then we all learn.

[comicwiz]

Can anyone give a few concrete examples of M.A.S.K. toys "exploding" in value versus 2 years ago? Or He-Man 8 backs?

 

Odd question, but I suppose I'll bite. Does eBay now offer 2+ years of auction results?

 

If you guys can wait until I have more time I will gladly expand on part of this. Keep in mind I do not know the MOTU market, so I can only state the modest facts behind my statements regarding MASK toys,..

 

Kind Regards,

 

Shawn

 

Just struck me as odd as seeing someone starting a "GPA help" post in this very thread.

 

I wasn't coming from that angle. I have no horse in this race other than I have always had an interest in collectibles markets beyond what I collect but that I grew up with. There have been several statements about exploding prices and I just wanted to hear about some concrete examples out of genuine curiosity/interest.

I grew up with all of these toys and it has always fascinated me to see them adopted as collectibles. M.A.S.K. came out during the waning years of me playing with toys but I was all in from the minute they hit the shelves. They were awesome because they were a great combination of GI Joe and Transformers and then the whole mask thing played into the superhero genre. The toys were great but I lost interest after a year or two and moved on to other things. Its fun to look back and see how the toy line developed and how it is now an emerging collectible.

 

Gotcha. The two year timeframe is what stuck out most. SO MUCH has changed just in the past 6-8 months with 80's toys that you surely could track past sales reasonably well Googling a particular toy and seeing what activity has followed the specific figure/character and/or MOC variation.

 

2 years...8 months...whatever. Just curious of examples. And if I look it up, then only I learn. But if you share, then we all learn.

 

I'm sure you're overzealousness explains part of the motivation for making the ask, but I don't understand why you need me to do the work for you. I've seen way too much well-intentioned information sharing being used against me in this hobby (and historically on these boards with similar inquiries via PM), and it's a hundred times worse in vintage toys, so pardon me for suggesting that Google search and eBay are the droids you are looking for.

[mintcollector]

Can anyone give a few concrete examples of M.A.S.K. toys "exploding" in value versus 2 years ago? Or He-Man 8 backs?

 

Odd question, but I suppose I'll bite. Does eBay now offer 2+ years of auction results?

 

If you guys can wait until I have more time I will gladly expand on part of this. Keep in mind I do not know the MOTU market, so I can only state the modest facts behind my statements regarding MASK toys,..

 

Kind Regards,

 

Shawn

 

Just struck me as odd as seeing someone starting a "GPA help" post in this very thread.

 

I wasn't coming from that angle. I have no horse in this race other than I have always had an interest in collectibles markets beyond what I collect but that I grew up with. There have been several statements about exploding prices and I just wanted to hear about some concrete examples out of genuine curiosity/interest.

I grew up with all of these toys and it has always fascinated me to see them adopted as collectibles. M.A.S.K. came out during the waning years of me playing with toys but I was all in from the minute they hit the shelves. They were awesome because they were a great combination of GI Joe and Transformers and then the whole mask thing played into the superhero genre. The toys were great but I lost interest after a year or two and moved on to other things. Its fun to look back and see how the toy line developed and how it is now an emerging collectible.

 

Gotcha. The two year timeframe is what stuck out most. SO MUCH has changed just in the past 6-8 months with 80's toys that you surely could track past sales reasonably well Googling a particular toy and seeing what activity has followed the specific figure/character and/or MOC variation.

 

2 years...8 months...whatever. Just curious of examples. And if I look it up, then only I learn. But if you share, then we all learn.

 

Ebay unfortunately, does not offer two years of auction results. That being said, a site like Worth Point does. You can also track sales yourself using algorithms or a simple excel spreadsheet. This is great to do and I encourage individuals who get the 'investment mentality bug' to do this before ever buying anything. This allows them to learn the truth about a particular market and make their own informed decisions. I can tell you that a lot of things most people think are 'hot' have actually fallen in price just by looking at my own research. The opposite is also true. For instance, Star Wars 12 back figures in AFA 80/85 + condition have increased. VGA graded NES games (mostly common titles) in 80/85 condition have fallen significantly (I deal them and luckily sold most of my stock when the prices were strong).

 

Lego sets made after 2009 have failed to make any significant gains as of yet. Lego Star Wars is stagnant as most buyers of these sets realize that Lego is going to probably rerelease most of the sets that they could not get the first time around. The worst thing to happen to this line is the fact that it got renewed for several more years (it first premiered in 1999). The market is becoming oversaturated and stale.

 

I remember a time when Kenner MASK toys (even AFA graded which is what I collect) where not in this high of demand. I paid only $325 for my Slingshot (AFA graded) and only about $200 for my Firefly in the same grade. Today these prices are much higher.

 

 

 

 

[mintcollector]

Can anyone give a few concrete examples of M.A.S.K. toys "exploding" in value versus 2 years ago? Or He-Man 8 backs?

 

Odd question, but I suppose I'll bite. Does eBay now offer 2+ years of auction results?

 

If you guys can wait until I have more time I will gladly expand on part of this. Keep in mind I do not know the MOTU market, so I can only state the modest facts behind my statements regarding MASK toys,..

 

Kind Regards,

 

Shawn

 

Just struck me as odd as seeing someone starting a "GPA help" post in this very thread.

 

I wasn't coming from that angle. I have no horse in this race other than I have always had an interest in collectibles markets beyond what I collect but that I grew up with. There have been several statements about exploding prices and I just wanted to hear about some concrete examples out of genuine curiosity/interest.

I grew up with all of these toys and it has always fascinated me to see them adopted as collectibles. M.A.S.K. came out during the waning years of me playing with toys but I was all in from the minute they hit the shelves. They were awesome because they were a great combination of GI Joe and Transformers and then the whole mask thing played into the superhero genre. The toys were great but I lost interest after a year or two and moved on to other things. Its fun to look back and see how the toy line developed and how it is now an emerging collectible.

 

Gotcha. The two year timeframe is what stuck out most. SO MUCH has changed just in the past 6-8 months with 80's toys that you surely could track past sales reasonably well Googling a particular toy and seeing what activity has followed the specific figure/character and/or MOC variation.

 

2 years...8 months...whatever. Just curious of examples. And if I look it up, then only I learn. But if you share, then we all learn.

 

I'm sure you're overzealousness explains part of the motivation for making the ask, but I don't understand why you need me to do the work for you. I've seen way too much well-intentioned information sharing being used against me in this hobby (and historically on these boards with similar inquiries via PM), and it's a hundred times worse in vintage toys, so pardon me for suggesting that Google search and eBay are the droids you are looking for.

 

I have to agree with ComicWiz here. It has ben my perspective that there are several individuals on certain forums (and I am by no means referring to you or any other individual participating in this thread) who will start a 'unique' discussion with me in an attempt to gain well researched pricing information that took me time and money to formulate. Lately I haven't taken the bait, but I tend to volunteer more tips of the trade than most other dealers and well versed collectors. I even get PM's from other forum members asking me why I am so forth coming with this information. I have no problem helping anyone learn the basics and even help them further along in their venture, but I am not overtly helpful any more. For one it really serves no purpose as those who think of things only based on past performance (i.e. proponents of the so called 'rule of 25') cannot usually be changed. Speculation runs rampant in most of the pop culture based collecting fields and ironically, most of these items had production runs in the millions and more and more are being saved and discovered as time goes on.

[dem1138]

I haven't purchased M.A.S.K. toys since I bought them off of the shelves when they came out nor do I intend to purchase any more. I can understand your skepticism and always enjoy a good These aren't the Droids Star Wars reference.

I have had opportunities to buy 70s/80s toys since they started to become collectibles and I never could bring myself to buy any of them save for a few opened figures here and there purely out of nostalgia. I just couldn't bring myself to buy these things to sit on a shelf after I had originally owned them and played with them when they were purchased for their original intention - to be played with.

Its still very interesting to me to learn about how it has developed into a collectibles hobby. Its something that I enjoy reading about on these boards, but not something that I am going to put a lot of time into researching.

I would like to give a shout out to Shane Turgeon, who did give me some great background on Star Wars toys and prototypes and shared some awesome pictures of his collection with me. He is an amazing resource and a wealth of knowledge. And I used nothing that he shared with me against him.