What holds value better long term: Statues or Action Figures?
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Lejuan
Super Freak
Action figures are easier to flip because of the shipping.
That is rather a 'how long is a piece of string' question, since it depends on the statue/action figure in question.. there is also the fact, statues are more delicate and any damage tends to seriously reduce the value, which can make them riskier to trade.. we have all seen YouTube footage of couriers mishandling parcels.
Collect items you like, if they hold or increase in value, it's a bonus, but not guaranteed.
Technically the more expensive the item's initial RRP, the more residual value it should retain, however again this is not guaranteed..and if you have pets and/or children, take that into account when considering collecting statues.
Collect items you like, if they hold or increase in value, it's a bonus, but not guaranteed.
Technically the more expensive the item's initial RRP, the more residual value it should retain, however again this is not guaranteed..and if you have pets and/or children, take that into account when considering collecting statues.
Thank you guys for your responses. Although the question I poised is pretty vague, quiet honesty I'm very new to this hobby so trying to gain as much insight, from the experts - you guys, as I can.
A main reason why I asked the question is because I come from collecting modern baseball cards. And well, since I joined that hobby two years ago, every modern cards I bought have absolutely tanked in value (I'm talking in the thousands). So really, I just don't want to make the same mistake twice. Knowledge is power, and also makes me feel more secure in what I'm purchasing and not repeating the same mistake twice in another hobby.
The HT I'm looking to purchase is DX08, and the Statue I'm considering is the Skeletor statue up for pre-sale now. But please share as much knowledge as you guys can
fosing
Super Freak
shipper boxes are the shiznit.
it really depends on which figure & statue, there are good figures & bad figures, there are good statues, bad statues, and really really bad statues.
for figures you can modify them easily, for statues, at most you can do is repaint the whole thing to make it look better.
so IMO a really good & limited quantity statue can hold much better value than a really good & limited figure.
but the market for statues are smaller & they are big & heavy & fragile.
of course we talk about polystone/resin statues, not pvcs.
for figures you can modify them easily, for statues, at most you can do is repaint the whole thing to make it look better.
so IMO a really good & limited quantity statue can hold much better value than a really good & limited figure.
but the market for statues are smaller & they are big & heavy & fragile.
of course we talk about polystone/resin statues, not pvcs.
Thank you guys for your responses. Although the question I poised is pretty vague, quiet honesty I'm very new to this hobby so trying to gain as much insight, from the experts - you guys, as I can.
A main reason why I asked the question is because I come from collecting modern baseball cards. And well, since I joined that hobby two years ago, every modern cards I bought have absolutely tanked in value (I'm talking in the thousands). So really, I just don't want to make the same mistake twice. Knowledge is power, and also makes me feel more secure in what I'm purchasing and not repeating the same mistake twice in another hobby.
The HT I'm looking to purchase is DX08, and the Statue I'm considering is the Skeletor statue up for pre-sale now. But please share as much knowledge as you guys can
there is a difference between Baseball cards & other stuffs, Baseball cards is all about current hots, and legends, after a decade peopel forget about those old players & move on to new players, while Batman 70's still very popular today even though there's over 10 new batmen over the decades.
if you talk about cards, i don't see Dragon Ball cards depreciating in price, in fact the older they get, the higher their value goes.
not sure about Pokemon cards though, i heard they can be quite expensive too.
i have stacks of NBA cards from the 90's, it also depends on the series, some have good card designs while others just an eyesore even when the player has the exact same pose.
Thank you guys for your responses. Although the question I poised is pretty vague, quiet honesty I'm very new to this hobby so trying to gain as much insight, from the experts - you guys, as I can.
A main reason why I asked the question is because I come from collecting modern baseball cards. And well, since I joined that hobby two years ago, every modern cards I bought have absolutely tanked in value (I'm talking in the thousands). So really, I just don't want to make the same mistake twice. Knowledge is power, and also makes me feel more secure in what I'm purchasing and not repeating the same mistake twice in another hobby.
The HT I'm looking to purchase is DX08, and the Statue I'm considering is the Skeletor statue up for pre-sale now. But please share as much knowledge as you guys can
Generally speaking, action figures and statues should have a broader appeal, since imho, a larger number of people are into TV and Film memorabilia and the formats have a a broader appeal too..very niche collectables, like Baseball cards are more likely to fluctuate quite dramatically in value, especially if the price is not driven by genuine rarity.
MOTU is not really my bag, but the Skeletor statue does look good and the DX08 Joker is an excellent figure.. try to avoid paying very inflated aftermarket prices for collectibles, since this increases the risk of taking a value 'haircut' later.
cokebabies
Super Freak
Pogs, as long as you have the appropriate slammers.
Thank you for this useful response. I was unaware of the materials used to make a statue affects its value greatly. This is very important and something to remember, thank you.
You are correct in the sense that you need to have H-O-T cards, and vintage HOF cards. Some things to note though for those that are interested, the baseball collecting world mostly revolves around propsects now. With these prospect cards, 99% of the time you want to sell when they get called up to the Majors. If they perform hot at their debut, they will see a nice spike. If you they struggle (which usually happens) values literally plummet. In modern cards, its all about the prospects. If the prospect is in a big market team (think Dodgers, Yankees, Mets, Cubs, ect) this will help a lot. No one pays attention to teams like the Padres and Marlins. For prospects, Bowman brand is King
Thank you. Doing my research on DX08 on these boards, it seems like that figure has stood the test of time. And by my research, it seems like I should be able to get this figure under ~$250.
And you are spot on about modern day baseball cards fluctuating up and down like a roller coaster ride. Most of the time, its a downward spiral of cards losing their value. Unless you happen to have Mike Trout, Bryce Haper cards and they are playing like MVPs. But even if they get get in a bad slump, or even worse sustain an injury, its gonna hurt their value.
Don't underestimate the Global Market for NBA cards. The entire world watches the NBA, as compared to MLB - it's mostly an American sport, with a few Latin countries and a couple of Asian countries watching as well. But the NBA rules the globe in terms of American sports, China is a G-I-A-N-T market that the NBA has, and the MLB does not
Taken from SS website on the Skeletor statue:
"Engineered using an advanced combination of high-quality materials, including polystone resin and PVC."
Again, I apologize for the noob question, but what is the difference between the materials used? Why does PVC hurt the value?
Collectorcol
Super Freak
Sounds like you need to look into investments rather than collecting.
No, I want to collect. That's why I started collecting baseball cards. I want to have a hobby that I enjoy - I enjoy sports and superheros. I don't however, want to collect something and very soon after have the values plummet like crazy. Collecting is fun, but collecting and seeing your collection tank in value is not fun.
lotus000
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Interesting Topic that is not discussed often enough to bring a reality check to us collectors.
My take is whether you buy a Starbucks coffee, Statue, or Action Figure you pay with money that is disposable. Meaning you can afford to throw it in the garbage. It's that simple.
When you purchase something with this "Disposable" money, you will enjoy the piece even more because you are not worrying about the value. If you change your collection down the road, and decide to sell the piece, you may get more than you paid, or less. The funds received at this point is Income.
So whatever it takes to put money aside in an account which is considered Disposable, is the way I prefer to collect. It's a good feeling to know you actually own the pieces we look at each day.
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Collectorcol
Super Freak
The old days of low edition sizes are long gone. Sideshow don't even set the ES until the item has been up on pre-order for 2-3 months.
This means anyone who wants one has plenty of time to order at retail. The only people you will attract on the secondary market are those new to collecting. Chances are supply will be greater than demand so you will lose money.
Anything rising in value after release is very rare now, especially Sideshow pieces.
My advice, for what it's worth, only buy what you love and expect to be lucky to recoup cost if you ever decide to sell.
This means anyone who wants one has plenty of time to order at retail. The only people you will attract on the secondary market are those new to collecting. Chances are supply will be greater than demand so you will lose money.
Anything rising in value after release is very rare now, especially Sideshow pieces.
My advice, for what it's worth, only buy what you love and expect to be lucky to recoup cost if you ever decide to sell.
I think the point Potato was making, is that the larger polystone, Premium statues, tend to have a much higher RRP; than the generally smaller non-poseable, PVC figures.. this and the fact polystone as a material has a more traditional statue feel and heft (Premium statues may include a variety of materials including cloth and PVC accessories), tends to mean prices remain higher .. but again, bear in mind they are more brittle than a PVC figure (articulated or not) and damage will affect the value.. this of course still applies to damaged PVC figures, as well.
I agree with Collectorcol, the chances of making money in the short-term are pretty small.. anything you purchase will generally need to have sold out at retail, before there is a chance of it appreciating in value, there will then be an undefinable period where a figure or statue, is or is not, going to appreciate in value due to demand.. until a re-release, version 2, or another manufacturer decides to release an alternative and changes the demand.
So, collect figures you like and some of them may appreciate in value.. due to its wider appeal, this area of collecting is probably less likely to seriously tank, than baseball cards..and imho, figures, statues, props, etc. are much more fun to collect.
Welcome to the forum.
Awesome post Taibhse, thank you. I guess my main concern is what you addressed,and that is values tanking. Because as I mentioned previously with cards, I've lost thousands of dollars. I still have most of those cards, but if I went to sell them - I would make a fraction of what I paid for them. I've spent thousands on different cards and see values plummet to a 1/3rd of what I paid for. That's just not fun for me
Again, I want to collect. That's why I'm looking into this hobby. I want to be able to look at a collection and enjoy it without feeling guilty/ashamed/embarassed that I spent so much on a collection and the value not holding up at all. I don't mind if it it goes down, but please not by that much!
Again, I want to collect. That's why I'm looking into this hobby. I want to be able to look at a collection and enjoy it without feeling guilty/ashamed/embarassed that I spent so much on a collection and the value not holding up at all. I don't mind if it it goes down, but please not by that much!
That is a reasonable enough concern.. imho, part of the volatility of the Baseball card market, is that is has pretty much zero appeal to anyone who is not 1. a fan of the sport and 2. a fan of card collecting.. plus, the card has very little value attached to its actual manufacture, allowing for huge fluctuations between demand.. and an 'out of favor' card being perceived accurately as having no intrinsic value.
I think the only Baseball personality I can name is 'Babe' Ruth and I probably wouldn't recognise a picture of him.. a good statue or figure, of a major Superhero or 'classic' movie character on the other hand, should manage to hold its general appeal and more of its value as a result.
I think the only Baseball personality I can name is 'Babe' Ruth and I probably wouldn't recognise a picture of him.. a good statue or figure, of a major Superhero or 'classic' movie character on the other hand, should manage to hold its general appeal and more of its value as a result.
Do names like Mickey Mantle, Jackie Robinson, Sandy Koufax, Roberto Clemente, Yogi Berra ring a bell?
Do names like Mickey Mantle, Jackie Robinson, Sandy Koufax, Roberto Clemente, Yogi Berra ring a bell?
Unfortunately not.. however I'm equally sure there are lots of European Soccer and Rugby celebrities, who could probably travel unrecognised in the USA.
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