OA stream of consciousness thread 0

[vodou]

3 hours ago, Bronty said:

I mean, we are talking $10 pieces.   Its going to be crraaaappp by definition

I could make every single one of you cry. For days. Cryyyyyy. If I were to share the many, many pieces I've gotten for cost basis $10 and less

But...the new and improved me ....I will not do that.

[Bronty]

5 minutes ago, vodou said:

I could make every single one of you cry. For days. Cryyyyyy. If I were to share the many, many pieces I've gotten for cost basis $10 and less

But...the new and improved me ....I will not do that.

We’re not talking about 30 years ago Michael.   I’m not sure that you’d have any success with today’s $10 pieces.

[vodou]

3 hours ago, Bronty said:

..., but I think that theoretically we are being asked where we'd park our million bucks

Show of hands, seriously, who has even spent $1m in this hobby? Spent aka cost basis aka new money in.

Certainly not me. I'm a bit less than half that.

If it's not "real money" then what quality of answers are we really going to get anyway?

[vodou]

1 minute ago, Bronty said:

We’re not talking about 30 years ago Michael.   I’m not sure that you’d have any success with today’s $10 pieces.

10-15 years ago

And yes it was a hella find, by all definitions.

[Bronty]

1 hour ago, vodou said:

10-15 years ago

And yes it was a hella find, by all definitions.

Great!   I want to hear about that (I’ll om you).    But below FMV finds are another thing.    $10 FMV pages in 2020.   Boy that’s real trash! 

Edited October 5, 2020 by Bronty

[vodou]

22 minutes ago, Bronty said:

$10 FMV pages in 2020.

None "yet", but nearly 3 months remain in the year!

[grapeape]

56 minutes ago, vodou said:

None "yet", but nearly 3 months remain in the year!

My money is on Michael. $10 he finds $Ten FMV art before Christmas 

[zhamlau]

11 hours ago, Timely said:

Would you rather have 10 pieces worth $100,000 each, or 100,000 pieces worth $10 each?

 

I’ve always been a quality over quantity kind of collector. The reason I ask is because a friend of mine has an extensive Disney collection. His house is FILLED with it! He says the collection is worth a million dollars. 
 

I occasionally see “what if” type questions, such as would you trade your entire collection for a grail piece or pieces. 

Actually I’d like 100 different $10,000 pieces. That’s exactly my wheel house with a few exceptions.

[Timely]

I’m glad my question is getting a lot of responses!

 

One of the reasons I asked the question is because my Disney friend searches eBay 5-10 times per day looking for cheap Disney stuff to add to his collection. Whenever a really great piece of art comes up that he would buy he says “I’m broke!”... yet he spends $5000 a year on 400 or so purchases.  I said, if you want that so bad, sell some of your million dollar Disney collection and get something you REALLY want! His answer is alway no. 
 

I asked him his exit strategy since he has no kids. He said he’s waiting for that one Disney guy who will swoop in and take it all.  I’m thinking, yeah, that one Disney guy is called a dealer and he’s going to offer you $40,000 for your $1,000,000 collection! 

[Varanis]

1 hour ago, Timely said:

I’m glad my question is getting a lot of responses!

 

One of the reasons I asked the question is because my Disney friend searches eBay 5-10 times per day looking for cheap Disney stuff to add to his collection. Whenever a really great piece of art comes up that he would buy he says “I’m broke!”... yet he spends $5000 a year on 400 or so purchases.  I said, if you want that so bad, sell some of your million dollar Disney collection and get something you REALLY want! His answer is alway no. 
 

I asked him his exit strategy since he has no kids. He said he’s waiting for that one Disney guy who will swoop in and take it all.  I’m thinking, yeah, that one Disney guy is called a dealer and he’s going to offer you $40,000 for your $1,000,000 collection! 

It sounds like your friend doesn’t know it yet, but he is the one Disney guy. 
 

That’s why it’s so important to invest in quality. Quality pieces always sell. Middle of the road pieces need the right buyer. Quality = liquidity. 

[Bronty]

1 hour ago, Timely said:

I’m glad my question is getting a lot of responses!

 

One of the reasons I asked the question is because my Disney friend searches eBay 5-10 times per day looking for cheap Disney stuff to add to his collection. Whenever a really great piece of art comes up that he would buy he says “I’m broke!”... yet he spends $5000 a year on 400 or so purchases.  I said, if you want that so bad, sell some of your million dollar Disney collection and get something you REALLY want! His answer is alway no. 
 

I asked him his exit strategy since he has no kids. He said he’s waiting for that one Disney guy who will swoop in and take it all.  I’m thinking, yeah, that one Disney guy is called a dealer and he’s going to offer you $40,000 for your $1,000,000 collection! 

Yes, agreed.

He's addicted to the little rush he gets from buying each little $10 item.

There's nothing wrong with that if you can afford it, but he's unlikely to get his money back.

Your comments are on point.   I didn't bring it up on purpose so far so as to not take the discussion in another direction, but the FMV of ten $100,000 pieces as a group is so much greater than the FMV of 100,000 $10 pieces.   They are equal in terms of the outlay required but at liquidation there's no comparison because the work required to move 100,000 pieces is ridiculous.    

100,000 ebay listings?   100,000 packages sent?    That's not liquidation - that's an unpaid full time job for a decade or more.    (if you list, sell, and send thirty packages a day for 10 years, you'll get to 100,000).

 

 

Edited October 5, 2020 by Bronty

[exitmusicblue]

Sometimes a wakeup call is all that's needed.  Would challenge him, just for fun, to try moving 10-20 of the pieces he cares for least.

But yes, as long as he's not pouring his life savings into this, different strokes for different folks.

[Bronty]

Just now, exitmusicblue said:

Sometimes a wakeup call is all that's needed.  Would challenge him, just for fun, to try moving 10-20 of the pieces he cares for least.

But yes, as long as he's not pouring his life savings into this, different strokes for different folks.

yep.   Have him see what a PITA selling 10, 20, 50 items is and then see how he feels about the prospect of selling 100,000 items.    

Edited October 5, 2020 by Bronty

[vodou]

1 hour ago, Bronty said:

They are equal in terms of the outlay required but at liquidation there's no comparison because the work required to move 100,000 pieces is ridiculous.    

100,000 ebay listings?   100,000 packages sent?    That's not liquidation - that's an unpaid full time job for a decade or more.    (if you list, sell, and send thirty packages a day for 10 years, you'll get to 100,000).

Huge "if"...never happens, they never sell...ever watch Hoarders?

Then they pass and "somebody" (heir or estate attorney) dumps the whole thing in some random auction geared to their own convenience not that of maximizing return and a bunch of dealers end up buying it all up for 1/10th what it will sell for on eBay ($10) and...the cycles begins anew

[Bronty]

55 minutes ago, vodou said:

Huge "if"...never happens, they never sell...ever watch Hoarders?

Then they pass and "somebody" (heir or estate attorney) dumps the whole thing in some random auction geared to their own convenience not that of maximizing return and a bunch of dealers end up buying it all up for 1/10th what it will sell for on eBay ($10) and...the cycles begins anew

exactly.   The unmanageable task is never completed and then someone else shortcuts it to keep the time involved reasonable.    No one wants to sell your worthless crrrrap for you.

[Rick2you2]

2 hours ago, Bronty said:

Yes, agreed.

He's addicted to the little rush he gets from buying each little $10 item.

There's nothing wrong with that if you can afford it, but he's unlikely to get his money back.

Your comments are on point.   I didn't bring it up on purpose so far so as to not take the discussion in another direction, but the FMV of ten $100,000 pieces as a group is so much greater than the FMV of 100,000 $10 pieces.   They are equal in terms of the outlay required but at liquidation there's no comparison because the work required to move 100,000 pieces is ridiculous.    

100,000 ebay listings?   100,000 packages sent?    That's not liquidation - that's an unpaid full time job for a decade or more.    (if you list, sell, and send thirty packages a day for 10 years, you'll get to 100,000).

 

 

All true—if you consider it as an investment, as a fair number of you do.  The Disney guy doesn’t, and when he dies, he won’t really care what happens to his stuff.

In my case, I generally consider what I buy to be a consumable, not an investment, which may have salvage value after I die, but I really don’t care at all. I buy what I buy for the rush of winning, and repeated viewing, finding my l’l treasures, and as a gateway to both nostalgia and a hobby enjoyed by similarly addled human beings who have refused to accept the strictures of supposedly adult behavior (good for us). I consider the hobby to be relaxing, like people who love to play golf, but I get better souvenirs and less exercise. I suspect I am not unique in this way.

But, I also don’t spend tens of thousands of dollars on an 11 x 17 sheet of Bristol Board. That’s a different level of play; more like work. I do enough of that, and I don’t want to mix work with play. 

[malvin]

4 hours ago, Timely said:

I’m glad my question is getting a lot of responses!

 

One of the reasons I asked the question is because my Disney friend searches eBay 5-10 times per day looking for cheap Disney stuff to add to his collection. Whenever a really great piece of art comes up that he would buy he says “I’m broke!”... yet he spends $5000 a year on 400 or so purchases.  I said, if you want that so bad, sell some of your million dollar Disney collection and get something you REALLY want! His answer is alway no. 
 

I asked him his exit strategy since he has no kids. He said he’s waiting for that one Disney guy who will swoop in and take it all.  I’m thinking, yeah, that one Disney guy is called a dealer and he’s going to offer you $40,000 for your $1,000,000 collection! 

Do people have an actual strategy that is formulated?  I have a vague one but nothing planned in detail that I would call an "exit strategy"

Malvin

[aokartman]

20 minutes ago, Rick2you2 said:

All true—if you consider it as an investment, as a fair number of you do.  The Disney guy doesn’t, and when he dies, he won’t really care what happens to his stuff.

In my case, I generally consider what I buy to be a consumable, not an investment, which may have salvage value after I die, but I really don’t care at all. I buy what I buy for the rush of winning, and repeated viewing, finding my l’l treasures, and as a gateway to both nostalgia and a hobby enjoyed by similarly addled human beings who have refused to accept the strictures of supposedly adult behavior (good for us). I consider the hobby to be relaxing, like people who love to play golf, but I get better souvenirs and less exercise. I suspect I am not unique in this way.

But, I also don’t spend tens of thousands of dollars on an 11 x 17 sheet of Bristol Board. That’s a different level of play; more like work. I do enough of that, and I don’t want to mix work with play. 

Yes, my trading is mostly just for fun, though I treat my buyers with respect.  I suspect many of my buyers are of a like mind. 

Let's face it, an extra $10,000 only gets you a few more weeks in the fancy hospice home.  David

[exitmusicblue]

Definitely passing down most if not all of what I've got that'll retain value to the kid(s).  He can do as he likes with them.  

I'd prefer not to spend so much money on any hobby that it'd make a serious difference on way or another.

[Latverian Tourism Board]

I’ll say quality over quantity, but then I see something shiny with a Marvel logo, and out comes the CC. I collect comics and toys, too, so It would be tough to choose one collecting path or the other, and actually stick to my guns. Cheap, rare toys are my jam.

Full disclosure, I’m currently balancing my collection and getting rid of lots of lower-end and middle-range stuff to have a more quality and svelte collection (do these Go-bots make me look fat?), and because I’m much more focused on OA these days.