Greetings /toy/ First time browsing/posting.
I want to pick up some FE stuff, but I havent collected anything since like 1995. I used to be an avid collector of the original stuff, and I made a killing selling it off before I went to college (before toy boy lucas crashed the market with saturation)
So why are all the new toys so fucking expensive? Inflation aside, I remember 3.75 figures being 2.99 in stores, and I still have some original carded figures from ROTJ that are worth less than the new ones.
Is this limited release? what the actual fuck? I feel bad for collectors and parents alike.
People are scalping them because they're the "hot new thing" right now.
>>5347854
First off, eBay and many other online websites can be poor representations of a toy/s value. You have people scalping (buying toys in higher demand for a higher price to make a profit, see your picture). You also have people overestimating a figure's value, also seen in your picture.
Star Wars usually doesn't have limited release figures, and if they do they are usually comic convention exclusives and are stated as such. Sometimes waves of figures are harder to find than others, since distributions of those figures can get screwed up. You have figures from certain distributions being in higher demand than others (Captain Phasma versus Finn for example). There are a ton of reasons a figure can be set at a higher price outside of inflation.
The 3.75" Star Wars figures got screwed like a year ago. They divided the line into 5 points of articulation (usually $3-4 a figure), and the higher point of articulation figures (which are now $12, which is a huge rip-off imo). They used to be $5-$7, but jumped in price over the past couple of years.
And yeah parents get the worst end of the bargain if they don't pay attention to the market for some figures. ToysRUs likes to take advantage of this quite often by having higher prices than MSRP for most their stuff.
All I can say is, shoot for MSRP prices for figures always. If you can get it cheaper then go for it. Hope this helps.
>>5347868
Oh I noticed a mistake. The 5 point of articulation 3.75" figures are now like $6 or $7 since the Force Awakened figures started up, even though they used to be about that price for 2 figures. Now is not a good time to be a Star Wars figure collector imo.
>>5347854
If u think this is bad wait until the new Han Solo release
>>5347868
With that in mind I'm going to wait until after Christmas. I'm not looking to collect as an investment I was just taken aback by the prices. Thank you for the great explanation.
Any advice on current collecting though? When I was a full out collector I passed on the original minifigs line like everyone else.
I hear those toys are the most valuable of the 90s rerelease.
Can't find captain phasma anywhere. Is she getting restocked?
>>5347854
It's just hasbro and Disney being Ultra Jews.
>>5348229
there was a brief restock on amazon a few weeks ago for 19.99 like it's supposed to be but it sold out in minutes. Just be patient, her lack of performance in the film should bottom out the price soon-ish after christmas.
>>5347854
hah, picked up a 6" at TRU for retail on Friday. I just wanted it for the droid.
>>5348259
I heard hers was the best performance in the film?
>>5348429
nope. into the trash she goes
>>5347854
Well I'll tell you as a small retailer I wasn't in a hurry to order them because I didn't get my first look/solicit until Force Friday when all the big stores already had them. My distributor then told me "November...maybe" as a receipt date and past experience has shown me that those dates are ridiculously optimistic. I was _not_ going to order these toys and get them a month or two after the movie had potentially bombed.
>>5348438
I would've sold them at normal retail too ($20-$22) but past experience has also shown that toy buyers are very...how to put this...value conscious and they would've tied up operating funds for a year.
>>5348429
nah, she was overshadowed by BB-8
just scalpers trying to ride a trend.
You can find her easy at Walgreens.
Hasbro's release strategy for series 1 blows scalpers out of the water. Series 2 and 3 might be harder.
>>5347868
Yeah man that 12.99 is bullshit. I payed 12.99 for my damn comic two packs. Having recently picking up pic related, i'm starting to feel like this may get really expensive when they start releasing more TFA characters. Plus since they are WalMart exclusive, it's gonna be even harder finding Phasma and the like.
>>5347859
I saw four of them at Walmart early in the morning .
I bent every cared and fucked up the boxes as much as I could.
Fucking scalpers will shit their pants and some little kid will now be able to get it for Christmas .
>>5348827
How do scalpers know what figure is going to be popular/rare, do they buy out everything in order to make demands for it
>>5348893
>>5348893
Easiest thing in the world.
Is this character popular? y/n
Is this chracter one that hasn't had a releaseyet? y/n
Is this a figure from a particularly good line? y/n
Is this character shortpacked? y/n
Is this chracter exclusive? y/n
Basic questions you gotta ask yourself. If you're familiar with the media it's easier, but if you're not, just use popular toy sites or places like this to gauge fan reaction.
For things like Zelda, it's clear they'd be a good candidate for price mark up. based on past figure and merchandise trends.
>>5348827
I'd say you were doing gods work, but no one wants finn.
>>5348911
Do u think the new BLS Han Solo will be scalped cause I really want one but I have to time to get one cause of work schedule
>>5347854
Damn I should've picked up Rey when I saw her....
>>5348827
>implying parents will want to buy a smashed up box to give as a gift
Parents value presentation as much as scalpers, all you're doing is making it so that winds up with some neckbeard.
>>5348933
No, I think he will at first, but then the price will drop off when he peg warms.
Who the fuck wants an old man han solo? Not kids, probably just older fans and half of them already got sated with young han.
Old Luke though, he's got the old sage mysticism going on, he'll probably be a bit harder to get.
OP here, thank you all for the replies.
Its really sad to see toys being pushed like commodities.
It seems like everything now is a potential collectible,and the modern prices reflect that.
It's a fucking shame. Kids shouldnt have to shell out 10 dollars in allowance money to get ONE FUCKING ACTION FIGURE.
>>5349076
> the modern prices reflect that.
no they don't, unless you're only buying from ebay
>Kids shouldnt have to shell out 10 dollars in allowance money to get ONE FUCKING ACTION FIGURE.
Welcome to realizing that wages aren't going up at the same rate as inflation and cost of goods.
In the 80s, working one hour on minimum wage could buy you a GI Joe and a half. Today, you can't buy a single GI Joe with that... if they were still sold singlely.
... which actually shows how great a deal the two pack and three packs are.
>>5348246
why'd you save this?
