Is There ANY Market At All For Action Figures?

[TrueFaith]

I have quite a few boxes of "mint-on-card" Action Figures from the 1990s in storage. Mostly ToyBiz Marvel & X-Men and DC Total Justice. I suppose I was holding onto them to sell one day, but I don't see any demand whatsoever for these. There are hundreds of them listed on eBay, but you rarely see anyone bidding on them. Is there any demand for these or should I just donate them to Toys-For-Tots or something to give myself more storage space? :confused:

[nbr3bagshotrow]

I have quite a few boxes of "mint-on-card" Action Figures from the 1990s in storage. Mostly ToyBiz Marvel & X-Men and DC Total Justice. I suppose I was holding onto them to sell one day, but I don't see any demand whatsoever for these. There are hundreds of them listed on eBay, but you rarely see anyone bidding on them. Is there any demand for these or should I just donate them to Toys-For-Tots or something to give myself more storage space? :confused:

Yeah, it's a bummer. I have all the Playmates Simpsons action figures and alot of the Star Wars figures and they aren't worth much. Unlike statues/busts, you have a better chance of getting something back by selling them in a lot. However, donating is a good thing and at least a tax writeoff where you can somewhat inflate the value to at least what you paid for them (if you keep track of that detail).

[dr_teng]

Not really, they're fairly low value at the moment. A friend of mine was trying to sell off a similar lot lately with little luck. Wouldn't hurt to put up a few pictures with an Ebay best offer option, that only costs like a buck and you might get lucky. Or try selling on Craigslist.

You'll probably have to go the donation route though.

[marvelboi77]

I got crazy and bought multiples sometimes 10 of each female figure. I kept 1 of each and trucked hundreds of toys and variant comics to the Good Will.

[oddball]

there is ALWAYS a market for anything someone is interested in buying. if no one cares, they won't buy it. the scale dictates what percentage of collectors may want to purchase your items. you may get five dollars for something that originally sold for four, but as long as people want it, you'll be able to sell it. search for the items you have on ebay and see what people are paying.

[joefixit2]

You are about two years too late. That was when the Marvel Legends were super hot and figures were in demand. Not much value right now but they might cycle back at some point.

[HalJordanFan]

I got crazy and bought multiples sometimes 10 of each female figure. I kept 1 of each and trucked hundreds of toys and variant comics to the Good Will.


Obsess much...:thumbs2:

[TrueFaith]

there is ALWAYS a market for anything someone is interested in buying. if no one cares, they won't buy it. the scale dictates what percentage of collectors may want to purchase your items. you may get five dollars for something that originally sold for four, but as long as people want it, you'll be able to sell it. search for the items you have on ebay and see what people are paying.

Yeah, I've done that and the lack of interest in just about every figure is astounding. Considering how hot action figures were when they first came out they've really died as a collectable. No doubt the better detail of the statues and busts that started appearing during their heyday doomed them forever.
I may list a couple of sets just to confirm the lack of interest, but I like Hobbit's idea of donating them and at least getting a tax write-off. Since most are brand-new condition and the characters haven't changed much, some kid will at least have fun ripping open the packages I've preserved in pristine shape all these years. :p

[nbr3bagshotrow]

Yeah, I've done that and the lack of interest in just about every figure is astounding. Considering how hot action figures were when they first came out they've really died as a collectable. No doubt the better detail of the statues and busts that started appearing during their heyday doomed them forever.
I may list a couple of sets just to confirm the lack of interest, but I like Hobbit's idea of donating them and at least getting a tax write-off. Since most are brand-new condition and the characters haven't changed much, some kid will at least have fun ripping open the packages I've preserved in pristine shape all these years. :p

Same thing happened to trading cards.

[bat_collector]

It probably has more to do that the action figures coming our right now are better than the action figures of the 80's and 90's.

Jeff is collecting this new He-Man line (they come out with two toys a month) and they level of detail is astounding.

[ratchet]

The main problem with those figures is that they were produced in such a high volume - the 90's is when the action figure market became really hot so it was over produced - everyone and their mother has those figures. It's like the first series of Spawn - they used to go for MUCHO money - but now you have to all but give them away.

Same thing happened to trading cards.

Same thing here - in the late 80's these were a big business - people were opening up card shops - but the amount of cards that companies were producing just isn't condicve to any kind of after market. My brother was helping clean out my basement - I had a whole slew of his old Baseball cards - he started going through them and got all excited at some of the cards he found - like Mark McGwire rookie card - I didn't have the heart to tell him that those things were pretty much worthless now...

[TrueFaith]

I blame Wizard and then Toy Fare magazine myself. :laugh:
Really, they were like a hype machine for action figures in the 90s. Even started offering poorly-made "exclusive" figures that were advertised as "rare" and "collectable". All the right buzz words to keep the hobby hanging on every issue of their magazine. I remember the same thing happening to cards and the non-sport trading card hobby has fared only slightly better. I still see at least somewhat interesting hobby boxes like Battlestar Galactica offered from time to time, but I'm sure it's only a matter of time before they give up the ghost too.

[SILVERSTAR]

Virtually anything is "collectable". That doesn't mean that is worth anything on the secondary market. Thanks to infomercials and Ebay, not much is "rare" anymore.


Do you remember 10+ years ago when they were selling 10-12 Beanie Baby Bears for over $3000. on TV
"You got to have this".
"It will be a once in a lifetime opportunity".
"It's like getting in on the groundfloor and owning a Mickey Mantle Rookie Card".

Glad I didn't spend $3000.+ on those 10-12 Beanies.
I doubt that they are worth more than $25-50. these days.

[TrueFaith]

Virtually anything is "collectable". That doesn't mean that is worth anything on the secondary market. Thanks to infomercials and Ebay, not much is "rare" anymore.


Do you remember 10+ years ago when they were selling 10-12 Beanie Baby Bears for over $3000. on TV
"You got to have this".
"It will be a once in a lifetime opportunity".
"It's like getting in on the groundfloor and owning a Mickey Mantle Rookie Card".

Glad I didn't spend $3000.+ on those 10-12 Beanies.
I doubt that they are worth more than $25-50. these days.

Yes, Beanie Babies were quite the debacle. It was one of the few "collectables" that housewives and women actually got caught up in, flocking to flea markets in droves and pushing prices into the stratosphere. I remember being completely awed by the demand for them and then it just died completely virtually overnight. That whole era "spawned" a whole host of instant collectables, pardon the pun, from Pokemon to Pogs.
I bet if everyone brought all the worthless Image Comics they have in storage to their nearest power plant on the same day, we could provide electricity to the entire country for a week without burning any coal or oil at all. :laugh:

[nbr3bagshotrow]

Yes, Beanie Babies were quite the debacle. It was one of the few "collectables" that housewives and women actually got caught up in, flocking to flea markets in droves and pushing prices into the stratosphere. I remember being completely awed by the demand for them and then it just died completely virtually overnight. That whole era "spawned" a whole host of instant collectables, pardon the pun, from Pokemon to Pogs.
I bet if everyone brought all the worthless Image Comics they have in storage to their nearest power plant on the same day, we could provide electricity to the entire country for a week without burning any coal or oil at all. :laugh:

I sent 4 boxes of Image Comics to our troops in Iraq about 5 years ago. Got a real nice letter of appreciation from some Captain over there.

[Bezzerkerr]

This thread is SAD BUT TRUE.

[averone]

:(

[Teague]

If you can wait 20 years, they'll be worth tons.

Maybe. :D

Seriously, I have a bunch of old late 80s and 90s X-Men toys too...not sure what to do with them, honestly.

[joy_division]

If you can wait 20 years, they'll be worth tons.

Maybe. :D

Seriously, I have a bunch of old late 80s and 90s X-Men toys too...not sure what to do with them, honestly.

Oh, those were so lame.

Looking through my old comics, I see the ads for the first ever wave of x-men figures and just have to laugh

Wolverine with removable mask
Colossus with "lifting action"
Archangel with firing darts
Cyclops with light up visor
Nightcrawler with suction cups

[joy_division]

Yes, Beanie Babies were quite the debacle. It was one of the few "collectables" that housewives and women actually got caught up in, flocking to flea markets in droves and pushing prices into the stratosphere. I remember being completely awed by the demand for them and then it just died completely virtually overnight. That whole era "spawned" a whole host of instant collectables, pardon the pun, from Pokemon to Pogs.
I bet if everyone brought all the worthless Image Comics they have in storage to their nearest power plant on the same day, we could provide electricity to the entire country for a week without burning any coal or oil at all. :laugh:

they were the cabbage patch dolls of this era

[tedmic]

It probably has more to do that the action figures coming our right now are better than the action figures of the 80's and 90's.

So true. I never bought a single action figure during the 5" scale craze of the 80's-90's. These action figures looked like cheap toys. I caught the fever with DC Direct, Marvel Legends and DCUC!

[joy_division]

[QUOTE=bat_collector;2873831]It probably has more to do that the action figures coming our right now are better than the action figures of the 80's and 90's.

So true. I never bought a single action figure during the 5" scale craze of the 80's-90's. These action figures looked like cheap toys. I caught the fever with DC Direct, Marvel Legends and DCUC!

but if it wasn't for star wars, would any of these figures exist...?