I feel that I've honed my taste and have figured out what I really,really liked. Sadly this is also the same time I ran out of money.

Having said that, I'd rather hold on to what I've bought rather than sell it at give away prices which still doesn't work I've noticed.

People are going to disagree, its not shit flinging.

You keep mentioning the economy. Its ironic, because people PROBABLY shouldnt be spending $60 on five inch toys to begin with in such times.

Disagreeing is fine, but disagreeing and shit flinging are totally different.

That is not irony, irony would me buying a toy than finding out that me buying that toy helped raise gas prices in which I cant afford because I bought that toy.

Disposable income like that 60.00 dollars helps the economy grow. Its helps Super7 to buy more which helps them hire more people who make money and are able to buy more which helps the economy. Buy me spending my 60 bucks in America I did my part to help

I have been selling off toys and for less then what I bought them for. I am sorry to loose money but part of me is always happy that someone who wants the toy got a good deal. selling because I need room for what I am really after. I have no space to spare where I live, not even storage. Seriously I am in desperate need of space. plus times are hard and I need the money for what currently turns me on.

This is always the way of it. In the 80's people horded comics and drove up the price. Then the creation of the graphic novel allowed reprinting of series and it killed the collector prices. Bad for those that saw comics as an investment, great for those who just enjoyed reading them.

Isnt it the same for every collectors item? Toy hype drove prices up. Economy is drivng prices down but perhaps the hype is fading as well? I dont know but maybe.

That alone is good enough for me, 90% of the time i sell for what is considered good or low prices. If im so keen on letting it go and I can afford to hook someone up at the time then thats what im going to do. Life is too short to hang on to material items that dont do anything for me anymore. Money is money, and unfortunately it rules this country and its sad. Im going to enjoy it while it lasts and maybe put a smile on someone elses face when im done with it.

Supported S7, or other US distro, gave back to the community for cheaper when sold and maybe turned someone on to a new brand that will start buying from S7. Winning formula haha.

I also remember Never Sell as catch words in the RFSO spirit. Why pay 60 bucks if next month it's not worth 60 bucks to you? This is a legit question. Every for sale thread can't be someone hooking up a friend with last months swag at half off. Is it worth half what it was to you after 30 days? If you don't like your old Skullbrain, then wouldn't you want what you had in it to get your new Chaosman?

i haven't sold anything on here (ever), but i don't see a problem with it. people's sitations/tastes change and i think you can tell if it is a legit sale for the right reasons.



there has been tons of stuff released in the last 6 months and i haven't bought a single release. i simply can't afford it since i have other 'life' things to pay for.

Im sure everyone would love to get what they paid, but sometimes things sit and no one bites so they lower it and the problem is solved . For that persons personal situation they now have funds towards whatever it is they needed it for versus a toy they no longer liked (or whatever the reason) that sits and collects dust when someone else is willing to give it a loving home and appreciate the cheap price. And like Lash said, the sales section gets clogged with threads that span 3 weeks because the price keeps getting lowered, so if you are willing to sell cheap off the bat just do it and be done with it, less clog.

Also, considering the large number of customizers here, you would think they would be appreciating this considering I have seen many of them make wanted threads for "cheap" toys.

I think it's a valid point, that we don't know everyone's financial situation here. I don't know how many on here have lost their job. You can't eat your toys, so so ya gotta sell. If they don't sell at retail, but sell for less, that still is positive cash flow. At that point "paying rent" trumps "toy value integrity".

Anything you collect with a pre-knowledge of it being "collectible" is usually not. Learned that from comics and POTF figures. The shit I used to thrash like skatedecks, MOTU, M.U.S.C.L.E.S., garbage pail kids stickers, thundercats, records bla bla bla all became worth money. If there was kids buying SB (or whatever else) and just blowing em up or taking them in bathtubs or whatever I would be like damn these might be worth something someday because they are so cool and just getting destroyed. That is not happening, people are buying them as collectible items and cautiously displaying them, which means in the future there will be plenty of PRIME examples of figures. Given the fact its a smaller scale hobby than a lot of "collectible" stuff I don't think what we collect now will hit prices of what the older stuff did when they were mainly given to kids to keep them busy at the park as they filled their OG toys with sand or were seeing how fast they could hurl it down a slide. Things outside of gold or gems don't really have solid "holding their value" power.

If anything is "de-valuing" the hobby its not the RFSO pricing or people releasing stuff cheaply after hype, its the amount of collectors in the know that keep everything pristine (again see POTF or 90's baseball cards), if you want to help values of stuff just start fucking up toys so in the future the production runs are more rare (The only reason I like customs )

If you are going to sell, sell it for what you got it for or less or take it to the bay, even if it is "rare" now you are screwing someone just like yourself selling it on here for more.

Very good point - I hadn't really thought of that. But yeah, I'll generally think "I can buy cheaper, later" about Fight Figures. But I never think that about traditional kaiju releases from Marusan or M1 - then I figure "buy it now or be lucky to ever see one again".

Everyone has solid points. I sell stuff for a few reasons:
1. 700 square foot condo, my girl has thousands of books and I have over 10,000 LPs and loads of gear. I have a pre-determined amount of space for toys so there is a constant rotation.
2. Mortgage on said condo. I'd rather have a home than toys any day. Health bills, repairs, and other unexpected side-effects of life, etc.
3. Need to fund other time-sensitive toy/art/music purchases. My income fluctuates rapidly, so do my collections.

In my life I've gone from huge surpluses of cash to deficits in the blink of an eye. I don't think anybody really wants to sell any of their stuff, but when real life is pounding on you and you're not living in grandma's basement, you gotta do what you gotta do to survive. This kind of scenario can make toy collecting seem like a ridiculously guilty pleasure.

It's also supply and demand. Some things gain value, some lose it. The nature of the collectable. Like a few people have said, if you're worried about your toys losing value because people sell them cheap, then you're collecting toys for lame reasons.

A few things mentioned here that I can't hang with:


Why? What makes him RFSO and not others? I know one of the reasons Scott's sales are near-legendary for their prices is because he enjoys hooking people up big-time. So do loads of other folks on this board. Everyone here knows that Scott is a great person so I even hesitate to bring it up, but that exclusion is just ridiculous.



You can't be serious, Lash. I don't even know where to start with such a statement. I'm not slinging shit, but you should really try to understand economics a bit better if this is what you really believe. No disrespect to either you or Banned, I just disagree strongly enough to point it out.

Again, not trying to start a shit storm since almost everything I've read here makes sense if you're able to see things from different perspectives...but I believe that the folks who are worried about the monetary value of their toys should not buy generally overpriced toys, period.

Good points in this thread.
I have too much to say but too lazy to type it all out.
I buy what I like.
I got caught up in the hype.
I learned being complete is stupid.
I sell cheap and lose money because I can afford to.
I'm not saying I'm well off and money means nothing.
I'm saying the fact that I've gotten great deals on other items.
I can extend that discount on stuff I'm selling.
Real estate space is limited.
Lots more I can't think of right now.

If we're talking about selling ethics here, how do people feel about these "Official Auctions" on YJA.
Those that know what I'm talking about chime in.

Old Balance comes to mind.

My main problem with people selling cheap, a perfect example being Kid Clam/Iron Horse, some people aren't comfortable selling something at 80% of it's retail price.
But lots of the buyers are expecting it to be sold for under retail.
Take some of the skull pirates, some seem to consistently sell well below retail, I could never get what I paid for back on my Rainy Day, and I didn't pay over the odds either.
This then extends to me finding something I really want, deciding to thin the herd, guestimating I'll only need to sell 3-4 items based on retail value, but in reality needing to sell more because I didn't take into account the mystery new reduced value.

A very good point.

on the topic, i still have yet to catch one of stealthtank's elusive sales. i'm always curious to what was sold but its always edited.

Joe, with a bit of jazz in the background that's like Spoken Word or Slaming right there.

Regarding the Official Auction, it's the real deal from reliable sources. I guess if they had retail price BIN items it'll still might go back to resellers hands since they are always checking out deals or know when the shops drop an auction. It's a tough one to discuss because theres always a bad side to it but at least the maker/retail shop has some control as to the distribution.

What about when a store has a sale? Are they to devaluing a product by going under the original price?

Another good point!
I have always seen selling below what I paid as an "Art Rental Fee." If I was to score a Bemon for $220, but then 6 months later, life takes an unexpected turn & I have to sell it quickly for $180, then I have had the pleasure of having it in my collection for only $40 for 6 months. Which is a bargain if you ask me.
(BTW, I have not yet had the funds/opportunity to own a Bemon for any length of time )

When you have 5 or 10 versions of a toy you like, and then you buy 5 or 10 more, you're going to run out of space in a hurry. So, you sell a bit and trim. Or you branch into a new line and decide that, rather than turn your house into a massive toy repository, you want to maintain the size of your collection. Or you trim the collection like a bonzai tree and develop a deeper appreciation of what you have due to the space you've created. Or you see a photo online, think you might like the toy, buy it, and then find you're not really into it. Or you buy a lucky bag and don't like the contents....

There are so many reasons to sell stuff beyond "hype" or "revolving collection" issues. I have many pieces that have been in my collection for 10 years. I also have others that haven't lasted 10 minutes. So, I collect, build, and trim - angst free.

What I find bothersome are not people selling at a discount, but buyers who, even after seeing that discount, go for the throat and want an even deeper cut.

So maybe the issue is not selling ethics but buying ethics.

Yes I'm very serious, but I'm also willing to understand why what I'm saying is wrong. Not saying that you are, but there is no need to say I'm stupid or anything for saying things like this. I have reason why I said that, so just explain it to me and I will hear it out and be grateful. Here or through PM. For sure I may not be right as I have been just getting into this sort of thing. But explain it to me so I can understand and grow. Yes just like many of us I could be more educated. But, from what I have found this is real. Just saying that I'm wrong and that's that is not good enough a reply.

I do see all the other points that have been laid out and I can totally see some valid points that I didn't think about before. But I think some are taking a few ideas out of context.



I don't buy because I'm trying to make an investment. But shall I have to sell something I think its only fair that I get what I paid back. People always selling low is making the toys loose value. And Value not as is current street price, but value as in what I paid. ALL things have some value to them. Saying that if I care about any value is wrong than that is just foolish. When I had the insurance sales man here I had to give him a value on my collection in case I was robbed. If I said " Nah man its not about the value to me ! " he would have asked why he even bother insuring all your belongings.

One person selling for some reasons mentioned is cool. But everyone selling at a loss if is odd. Maybe its just me.

At least now I understand some viewpoints and see why some sell as they do. I will definitely think about this when seeing a sale thread now . I have sold stuff because I need space so I totally understand that. I have sold stuff because I can afford to take a small hit it I understand that, I have also given stuff away just the same. I have also bought a figure that I have never owned before, got it in hand hated it and just wanted to get rid of it. Very good points I didn't think about off that bat. I still like the idea of this is market correction. Maybe they where overpriced to begin with and I paid a blown up price. Rather it be a flipper or online store. Who is to say that 60 bucks was ever the right price. Maybe it should have been 30 to begin with, nice thinking. Many of my friends who don't collect seem to think of this. They say I'm crazy for spending 60 bucks on a toy. Maybe they are right.Thanks for all the factors that I hadn't considered people


Its weird as even with all I said, I still hope I score some goodies on YJA or ebay for cheap... Its just that when its on THIS board that I bring up these questions.... I'm such a hypocrite , my mind has betrayed me !

On value of toys: I think what most are worried about aren't our toys losing value/us losing investments BUT if these toys won't even sell for under retail from a store or private seller, how long will the toy company continue to make toys?

Look at Gargamel fight figures. Pretty much stopped since there's little interest. That's the scary part. That's the thing that worries me, if something isn't selling here under retail, on auction sites under retail and in stores under retail who will buy the figures direct from the company anymore if they DON'T SELL?!?

I think Andy has a real solid point: It's not just selling, it's buying. Don't sit there and think "I can get this way cheaper" once it hits the retail mark or slightly under. If you really want it, go for it if you can afford it. If you can't afford it, pass and wait until you can. If you can't afford it and buy it, you'll probably try to sell something, way under retail, and start the cycle over. One off's and things like that may be the only excuse (cause' you probably won't see them again....but that's probably not definitely.)

Patience is something that needs to be nurtured more here. Make goals, be patient, collect, don't just buy because it's available and you can afford it at the moment and it's not something you feel you NEED but it's a good price.

Very very well said !