The GI Joe collectible to end all GI Joe Collectibles?

[originalisbest]

I concur with Flying Donut (who puts it more politely than I care to.) The idea that in the world of collectibles someone paying $$$ for THE GI Joe prototype is viewed as "ridiculous" is quite snide IF that same person would gladly pay $$$ for the original art to AF #15 (for example.) Either you "get" collectibles or you don't. Not a bit of it makes any sense and paying $100 for an "old comic" is just as ridiculous as $600K for an "old doll", depending on your perspective.

 

And $600,000 is a lot of money? I had NO idea.

 

As to certain individuals leaving this board - hohohoho, I'll miss CI (if he really stays away) like I'd miss a festering stomach ulcer. Bleeeeeeeeeeech.

[COI]

Exactly. Maybe this particular collectible is meaningless to you, but it dosen't make it stupid or worthless. The average person who dosen't understand these markets may think $100,000 for a NM AF 15 is ridiculous, but dosen't mean it is.

 

I would have thought that collectors would at least understand other collectors/collections, but I guess not.

[Ariamus]

Delekkerste,

 

I sense some disbelief in your tone, but I'm afraid your true feelings just aren't getting through your diatribe. How do you really feel about spending 600 grand on a toy?

[Guest]

I would rather have the "original" Joe doll than the entire original artwork for AF 15 even though I like comics more than toys. Stuff that in your pipe and smoke it Delecursed!!

[delekkerste]

I would rather have the "original" Joe doll than the entire original artwork for AF 15 even though I like comics more than toys.

 

And $600,000 is a lot of money? I had NO idea.

 

To me....it seems that a hand-carved by the designer one-of-a-kind toy (and the toy collectible market is BIG) will bring in a very large sum of money.

 

I would have thought that collectors would at least understand other collectors/collections, but I guess not.

 

You can make snide comments all you like, but I'm not going to subscribe to a value-relative world view where any price can be justified in the name of "being a fan". Using some of your arguments, any price, no matter how outlandish, could be justified. What, Bill Gates is a huge Joe aficionado and is willing to pony up $25 BILLION for the doll? Does that make it not a silly price because it makes Bill happy and he's willing to pay that? If you want to believe that, fine. However, please respect my right to humbly disagree.

 

Gene

[hammer-migration]

Not everything that one would logically assume is of incalculable value to a particular genre of collecting is. For example: Years ago, Alex Acevedo put out a catalog of "art" items of great rarity. In it, he had a 16th century crucifix with a glass holder that supposedly had an impeccable provenance. It was suposed to house pieces of the last remains of Christopher Columbus. The price was $2,000,000. It didn't sell. He also had the original prototype game that the Parker Bros. CARVED BY HAND, of Monopoly. The board and pieces that they used to secure the copyright. It was priced $31,000 and didn't sell.

 

Here's some pieces that DID sell at auction, bringing prices that one would think was extroadinarily low based on the seeming significance of the item in relation to other related pieces that sold for MUCH more:

 

Babe Ruth's St. Mary's complete flannel uniform! A complete uniform that Ruth wore and played in during his last year at ST. Mary's (probably a unique item), the orphanage that he grew up in. ..... auctioned for just under $25,000 at a time when a NY Yankee flannel JERSEYs alone were bringing approx. $175,000 and Gehrig's about $200,000 (not unique items).

 

Reign of the Superman, the 1933 "comic" by Superman's creators. Sold or auctioned at $10,000 at a time when even a mid-grade Action 1 would fetch $100,000++. Dated FIVE years prior to Superman's first commercial comic appearance in 1938!!!

 

Tough at times to put pre-production items in their proper dollar perspective.

 

 

 

 

[Guest]

I wouldnt pay 25 billion for the toy......15 billion would be my limit!

[hammer-migration]

There are entire COUNTRIES you can buy for $15B!!!!! You can not only have G.I.Joes and G.I.Bills, but you can have your own ARMY!!!

[delekkerste]

Awesome post, Hammer! Those examples were pure gold. People sometimes forget that no matter what the "ooh and ahh" factor is for something, you still need to find people to plunk down the cold, hard cash for it and, as you showed, that amount of cash may be much lower than expected or absent entirely.

 

I'll be very curious to see the final price on this doll...I wonder where they pulled the $600K+ figure from? To be able to spend that kind of money for such an expensive, non-essential, non-income producing item, you really need a huge net worth, probably over $20M (as an aside, my former manager is worth over $100 million and, knowing him (I would think he's pretty typical for someone of that demographic), I'm 100% sure that even with his resources that it would still be a very difficult decision to spend $600K on a luxury item he really wanted. I think some people are still not grasping how large that number really is).

 

You would also need to find at least two such qualified bidders to bid the item up to that level. Oh wait, it's Heritage, so you really only need one bidder since there will undoubtedly be bids that magically take the book to just below the reserve price.

 

Gene

[Bugaboo-migration]

In it, he had a 16th century crucifix with a glass holder that supposedly had an impeccable provenance. It was suposed to house pieces of the last remains of Christopher Columbus. The price was $2,000,000. It didn't sell.

So .......this proves that nobody likes to collect dead people??

 

The collectible toy market is big and this piece is probably going to sell for a huge amount. And I do think that it will have some big money collectors driving the price up on it.

 

Comparing those items to this is like comparing a dog turd, a jewel encrusted crown, a cockroach, and a Ferrari......I don't really think you can make the comparison.

[originalisbest]

I'm still confused. Is $600,000 a lot of money? One time I withdrew $600 from the bank and purchased a gold coin. Is that pretty close to the $600,000 amount? It was a lot of money to me.

[Guest]

and the roads will be paved in cheese!