Collecting vs. Selling

[bec9681]

I had posted a blurb mentioning this in another part of the forums, so I thought I'd throw it out for discussion here. I love collecting action figures and toys - but I really only enjoy keeping GI Joes and the like. The other figures I like to have for a while, some I will keep longer than others. I guess you might call that my working collection. Then I like to try and flip them and make some cash. There are some non-GI Joe figures I have decided to keep, but for the most part I don't have much attachment to other toys because I didn't really play with them when I was younger. I also get a kick out of knowing the toy I've sold is going to a fellow collector - especially when that toy completes someone's collection.


I was wondering what everyone else's opinion on this was...

[anna]

i do that myself i often buy items for the sole purpose of trading(hopefully for stuff on my list)

[Ghouldrool]

I think we all do this - I can't help but wander over flea markets and picking up figures that I already have, or lines that I don't really collect but I know are valuable to collectors for real cheap prices. And why shouldn't we? Not all of us have access to the same markets and not everyone has the same eye for things. For instance, if that MOC He-Man Turbo Tormentor can make someone that doesn't have it yet happy, and I'm able to get something back for it that makes ME happy that I wouldn't have been able to find otherwise, it's great to help eachother out.

I also buy lots online and end up with figures I don't collect or stuff I already have, and I always try to sell those to get my invested money back - free figures that I needed! I don't go for profit, I'm not a dealer. I wouldn't buy Barbie dolls just so I can flip them on Ebay. I know some collectors do that - specifically hunt for thigns they can sell - but generally that's not my M.O.

[Captainamerica]

...I'm also a close-out fiend. If I find a super-deal on something, like Legos at 75% or half-off Marvel legends; I'll grab a few to sell or trade. This works for me online , too (Hasbro closeout Hiss Tanks for $6). Sometimes I sell right away (to make more $$ for toys!!), sometimes I trade, sometimes I bundle stuff in lots close to Xmas (discontinued Lego makes a great gift!!!), offering the lots up for less than full retail. My rule/reasoning on wheteher to buy something is pretty simple: if it's a line/brand that I know people collect (Legos, SW, TF, GI Joe) I'll probably grab it. Too many times have I passed on stuff that I see everywhere, gathering dust or getting closed-out; only to kick myself as I realized I missed whatever it was, or fetches huge sums on ebay.....woulda coulda shoulda, ya know?

Yesterday's find: Lego Tie interceptors, and Lego Spongebob sets. Whoo!

[bec9681]

Yeah, I am like you captainamerica. I will usually buy stuff on closeout and either flip it right away, or sit on it for a year or two and then sell it. I like action figures the most, but I just love toys in general. I am not above buying girl toys if I know they will fetch a good price - especially 80's stuff. My little sister collected Strawberry Shortcake and Barbie. I won't pick up Barbies, but pretty much everything else is fair game to me.

I don't consider myself a dealer, but I do go for profit - mainly to make a side income for my family (my wife is a stay at home mom and we have 3 kids) and so I can buy more toys. When people ask what I collect, my wife quickly replies "Everything."

[daltron]

I buy stuff to resell, not just toys, then I usually spend the money on toys or more stuff to resell. I used to get pretty good stuff from closeouts, but local competition has gotten pretty stiff lately. Same goes for yard sales. When I pull up and there's 20 other cars parked in front I feel pretty dumb for getting up so early. I may have to get a second job if I want to keep collecting.

[blockbuster]

Primarily I buy figs I like or wanted from back when or that look kool!
They sit around for awhile on various displays until I get something else to take its place.
At that time I decide to
Box it: store this figure toy for personal collection
Ditch it: ask around my local collectors (soon to be expanded to the online collectors) to see if they want it.
Or give/donate them to the neighbourhood kids or “Sally Anne"

I don’t generally buy figures to "sit on" till later but I do keep an eye out for toys/figures that I know people (fellow collectors) are looking for.

[taskmaster99]

I buy for the collecting factor. Im not much of a seller. I see people go to the stores and buy multiples upon mutiples of stuff just to hock it on the bay. I have a friend.....well actually I kinda gave the dude the boot outta the friendship circle recently. We always talked action figures...then it came to him constantly asking me what stuff was going for on the bay. Then it went to stuff he knew I was looking for....telling me he couldnt find any of them.....then me going onto his ebay and seeing multiples of the stuff I was looking for up for sale. All in all..........that dude pretty much sucked!!!! So as you can see....I kinda have a small dislike for that type of thing.

[bec9681]

I have to agree and disagree with you taskmaster. I don't mind people going and buying multiples of figures to sell for a profit on-line - even if it is the Justice League Unlimited figures I am having a hard time finding right now. It's a free country, and while I would be disappointed to see someone walking out with 3 single carded JLU Blue Devil figures when I can't find one, they were fortunate enough to find them first.

That being said, I think it was a bit unethical for your friend (or ex-friend) to be asking you all of the info you know on figs and then use it against you by buying what you wanted. He should've been doing his own reasearch. I think it is too bad you decided to end your friendship over that - I would've just told him to start researching things himself.

[WishItWas1984]

The buying of retail product and they reselling on eBay is called "scalping" and I used to hate it, but I've since realized it's probably a good thing. Without scalping, I'd have to hope my local TRU would carry something and I'd have to waste my time shopping and driving around.

Today I just make an eBay favorites search and keep daily tabs on the market. McQuarrie Star Wars figures at retail? Yeah they're pretty much all on eBay, unless you were lucky enough to snag a cheap pre-order someplace.

At first people with too much money or too little sense snap desirable figs at double or more of the retail cost. I wait and eventually things are sold for retail or $1-2 more. Perfect.

As for buying vintage figs you know you're not going to hang onto? I don't particularly understand that. I don't have enough money to collect everything I want to keep, nevermind make a trading or resale collection, but to each his own I guess. The only thing to do is keep knowledgeable on how much is too much to pay for a fig you want, and not overpay. For the people that do it for resale, man that's risky. Most everything collectable goes down in value over time.

[Ghouldrool]

Prices go up, but they also go down. The vintage Star Wars marktet has a continuing circle of petty dealers heating it up perpetually - these guys buy their store stash from lots - but prices for G.I Joe, He-man and Transformers can swing rather violently. Right now Transformers is hot and He-man is rather cold in the Netherlands, but that won't stop me from picking up good deals on flea markets for less than a euro. That's always good for trading or selling later. I have a big attic Two months ago I came across a vintage Amanaman for 50 cents. Of course I bought it

[bec9681]

Wow! That is a sweet deal on Amanaman. The only time I buy vintage figures to sell is when I get them cheap. I am not going to pay a premium for something unless it is something I collect. Usually I won't even do that - I enjoy the challenge of finding it for as cheap as possible. I still maintain that I will find my Gold Headed Steel Brigade GI Joe figure for under $10...just give me some time.