Aftermarket prices take complete nosedive

[ReTardist]

Originally Posted by Zombiez

like what???? which popular licenses have drifted away??? from pop culture popularity??

starwars, star trek, alien and all the major DC and marvel characters are still very popular and their merchandise makes millions. The same thing goes for transformers, GI.JOE, ALIENS/predator, dragonball z etc etc etc

the list of the ones that no one cares about is even longer. i meeeeann.... this thread is evidence enough of the fickle nature of these things.

[traind]

The drop means you may now get something you like for a decent price!

I just picked up a $650 retail from 3 or 4 years ago for $380. It was in very good but not absolutely perfect condition. The price was attractive. I also sold a few at realistic prices recently ... got what I paid or just a few dollars more. Those trade offs are fine with me. I never bought a piece expecting to make profit, even though I made a killing on one or two over the years because I could not resist the huge prices people were paying. The recent sales I made allowed someone else to enjoy at a good price.

The issue going forward is that so many pieces are huge and expensive to start with. Both qualities limit most collectors even though I don't mind creators and manufacturers capturing more of the economic value up front vs. Flippers on ebay.

[Zombiez]

Originally Posted by ReTardist

the list of the ones that no one cares about is even longer. i meeeeann.... this thread is evidence enough of the fickle nature of these things.

Those licenses were never as popular as people thought to begin with. All the ones that are popular stay popular and I'm not just talking about statues.

[The Co11ector]

Originally Posted by chunkster702

When the collection is worth a lot less than what you paid, you start resenting it.

You hit the nail on the head for me, I resent about half my PCS collection at the moment. These are statues that I really like, but it still bugs me that I paid more than I should have.

[candyrocket786]

Originally Posted by Barbarian

How am I supposed to afford these righteous Prime 1 1/3 and 1/4 scale pieces if some sucker won't buy my old stuff for a grip o cash?!?

Cause folks want a deal or want it for less than retail or better yet.... a "Good Price".

[equi-nox76]

Originally Posted by supermetroid

Yeah, PCS kind of went from one extreme to the other really quick. I know the OG Akuma was initially quite cheap and took a while to sell out but the limited numbers and great sculpt keeps him valuable along with the first pieces through Sagat. After Sagat was the turning point imo, they started offering too many variants/exclusives and the ES started adding up too high for the niche market. Then like you mentioned they started doing characters in the same scale when the only year old PO of the same character(Ken) hasn't even came close to shipping yet. I hope they get back to basics maybe one Exclusive and a regular and get the ES down a bit, I think I remember SS's Darkseid having a lower ES than one of PCS's SF statues around the same PO window lol.

Also, the long "sold out" statues coming back with 40% off sales didn't help either.

+1 exactly my thoughts

[archery]

Many collectors want to buy statues, enjoy them for a long period and then sell them for a profit. That tells me they put ZERO value on the statue itself because they are not willing to lose ANY money when reselling.

I've resigned myself to losing anywhere between 10%-50% of what I spent when selling in the aftermarket. If I'm not willing to pay that price then I don't value the statue and the work that was put into it and I have no business buying it.

The bubble hasn't burst yet because collectors are hoarders who will only part with a statue if they can make a profit and feel good about themselves and the money they've spent. There are garages and warehouses full of unsold statues including sought after XM pieces whose supply has been artificially restricted.

I shake my head at the Facebook pictures of "respected" collectors whose homes are rammed with expensive statues, poorly lit and poorly displayed and then laugh when they complain about being on a diet of ramen noodles because statues are more important than food. These are the people sustaining an unsustainable market.

At some point, these collectors will run out of space or luck and will need money. The trickle will turn into a flood, aftermarket prices will crash even further - and when that happens collectors will think twice about spending 1-2k at retail on a new statue.

The moral of the story is collectors are their own worst enemy and anyone who buys statues as an investment deserves to lose money.

.

[Python]

It isn't just PCS, I've tried to sell a few SSC Star wars items recently and only received offers for less than I paid for them. There is just too much choice now and the base prices are too high. Gone are the days of these things being almost guaranteed to retain their value, never mind increase...

There's plenty of high priced collectibles on ebay, but not many of them are selling it seems...

[vitreolum]

The Star wars market is overflooded for any collectibles/toys whatsoever. And the "marvel" that are the new movies do wonders for the sales.

[nbr3bagshotrow]

Originally Posted by archery

Many collectors want to buy statues, enjoy them for a long period and then sell them for a profit. That tells me they put ZERO value on the statue itself because they are not willing to lose ANY money when reselling.

I've resigned myself to losing anywhere between 10%-50% of what I spent when selling in the aftermarket. If I'm not willing to pay that price then I don't value the statue and the work that was put into it and I have no business buying it.

The bubble hasn't burst yet because collectors are hoarders who will only part with a statue if they can make a profit and feel good about themselves and the money they've spent. There are garages and warehouses full of unsold statues including sought after XM pieces whose supply has been artificially restricted.

I shake my head at the Facebook pictures of "respected" collectors whose homes are rammed with expensive statues, poorly lit and poorly displayed and then laugh when they complain about being on a diet of ramen noodles because statues are more important than food. These are the people sustaining an unsustainable market.

At some point, these collectors will run out of space or luck and will need money. The trickle will turn into a flood, aftermarket prices will crash even further - and when that happens collectors will think twice about spending 1-2k at retail on a new statue.

The moral of the story is collectors are their own worst enemy and anyone who buys statues as an investment deserves to lose money.

.