Is there a way to tell if a Hot Toys has been displayed?

[MoMo]

If you're buying it secondhand, and you're going to open it anyways, and all the parts are present, what difference does it make?

People are so OCD when it comes to buying things second hand. Actually I would rather buy from someone who has opened their figure for at least inspection. Even more so with Hot Toys because I'd hate to be the one to buy an unopened figure well after it has sold out, find there is a problem and 1) have to deal with returning it and 2) finding another one at an already high price.

 

[Taibhse]

People are so OCD when it comes to buying things second hand. Actually I would rather buy from someone who has opened their figure for at least inspection. Even more so with Hot Toys because I'd hate to be the one to buy an unopened figure well after it has sold out, find there is a problem and 1) have to deal with returning it and 2) finding another one at an already high price.

Fair point.. however I think the OP's concern was paying extra for 'new' figures on the secondary market, that aren't actually new.. and therefore should be costing less.

 

[lerath666]

HA! HA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! secondary market Hot toys costing less than original release!
That's a good one!
don't you know that the bodies are filled with gold, diamonds and oil? they only go up in value, no matter what

 

[Taibhse]

HA! HA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! secondary market Hot toys costing less than original release!
That's a good one!
don't you know that the bodies are filled with gold, diamonds and oil? they only go up in value, no matter what

The point I was making, was not that Hot Toy figures should cost less on the secondary market than at retail.. but that a 'new'(ie. the retail packaging has never been opened) toy on the secondary market, normally cost more than a displayed toy on the secondary market.

Therefore if you buy a figure on the secondary market that is advertised as new and so you pay extra for that, you do not want to receive a figure that has clearly been displayed ..because the secondary market price for displayed figures is normally lower (all prices referred to are secondary market prices).. hope that clarifies the issue.

 

[karamazov80]

Everybody stretches the truth when it comes to condition of whatever it is they are selling.

I'm so neurotic about buyers with ridiculous, unrealistic expectations, that I now go overboard underplaying the quality of whatever I sell so I can avoid complaints. I never say that anything I sell is mint, even if it appears to be to my eyes. Unfortunately, to some, "good" or "OK" means "mint right out of the factory," so there's only so much you can do.

 

[CTO15]

The smell of a figure is a bug giveaway

If the figure doesn't stink of plastic chemicals, then it has been opened for a bit

 

[Taibhse]

I'm so neurotic about buyers with ridiculous, unrealistic expectations, that I now go overboard underplaying the quality of whatever I sell so I can avoid complaints. I never say that anything I sell is mint, even if it appears to be to my eyes. Unfortunately, to some, "good" or "OK" means "mint right out of the factory," so there's only so much you can do.

Its a difficult issue.. once the retail packaging is opened, everyone's opinion of what constitutes 'mint' varies and some disreputable buyers, are simply hustling the seller for a post-sale discount.

Lots of photos of the actual item helps.. I tend to get suspicious of sellers who use retail stock photos of 'displayed' items or where the photos appear to be deliberately not showing something (eg. pics of front, back and left.. but not right side of figure/retail packaging).. vague answers to specific messaged questions can be another warning sign.

However, I have also had 'displayed' figures arrive, which could have passed for new.. just not as often as clearly 'displayed figures arriving, claiming to be 'new'!

 

[VintijDroidGutzz]

The smell of a figure is a bug giveaway..

 

[lerath666]

The point I was making, was not that Hot Toy figures should cost less on the secondary market than at retail.. but that a 'new'(ie. the retail packaging has never been opened) toy on the secondary market, normally cost more than a displayed toy on the secondary market.

Therefore if you buy a figure on the secondary market that is advertised as new and so you pay extra for that, you do not want to receive a figure that has clearly been displayed ..because the secondary market price for displayed figures is normally lower (all prices referred to are secondary market prices).. hope that clarifies the issue.

In a perfect world, yes, you'd be right.

However, there are people who think that "hot toys is hot toys, so it's worth gold, period". and Unfortuantely, there seems to be more of that mentality than common sense.
Like the guy a few months ago who had a broken Hot toys Iron man Mark 5, with no additional accessores ( main body, fists, one head), demanding 3x original retail becuase " even though it's loose, and the arm is broke, and has no accessories, it's still rare."

And when I offered the guy 100$, he LITERALY told to to " stuff the lowball offer up my *** and go **** myself"

TL;DR : Too many people have an overinflated idea of what HT figures are worth, in any condition. Including Hot toys themsevles these days




So my Advice to OP is this. Set YOURSELF a price you're willing to pay and shop around. concern yourself more with completeness than being unopened. you're going to open it and display it anyways yourself.
and if you're not, you're likely in the wrong hobby.

 

[Taibhse]

...Like the guy a few months ago who had a broken Hot toys Iron man Mark 5, with no additional accessores ( main body, fists, one head), demanding 3x original retail becuase " even though it's loose, and the arm is broke, and has no accessories, it's still rare."

And when I offered the guy 100$, he LITERALY told to to " stuff the lowball offer up my *** and go **** myself" ...

Yep.. there are quite a few 'alternative reality' sellers like that on evilBay.. generally however, they are still advertising the same figure/price over a year later, presumably hoping either for inflation to catch them up, or a crazed, multi-millionaire collector will see their ad.. I tend to keep a couple on my 'Watch' list and send them the same allegedly 'lowball' offer approximately every six months...

 

[Taibhse]

*double post*