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Post by admin1 aka Ed on Nov 14, 2008 8:30:21 GMT -5
I'm curious how things are from your perspective.
Ed
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Post by bt1 on Nov 14, 2008 9:18:18 GMT -5
Very competetive vote here. When just boxes go for $100-$600, which I saw several last week, theres definitely people ready to pay through the nose for what they want. There are deals to be had if you can get lucky, but certainly not the norm for me, as it's often the same bidders going after what I like.  |
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Post by KingboyD on Nov 14, 2008 11:17:11 GMT -5
Yeah, I'd say very competitive, too. It seems that the market is so saturated with collectors that its impossible to find deals any more. Every time I think I might be able to pick up something for a great price, last minute bidders drive up the price from a steal to above fair value.
However, I have had discussions with several collectors in the past about future bidding, and many have graciously backed away from bidding so I could make a run at it and vice versa (depending on the item, of course). So I wouldn't say that things are completely cut-throat, but there is definite competition on almost every item, regardless of how obscure, unpopular, or common it might be.
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Post by chogoman on Nov 14, 2008 13:39:19 GMT -5
yip, very competitive.
but thats a "logical development". because "vintage"people,
like me (around 40 years old), who grow up with that vintage stuff, have now the cash to buy all that stuff they loved as a kid.
I must say that collecting toys 15 years ago or so, was much more
an "adventure" and i really miss the "personal contact" today.
Its very simple and to buy stuff today and the vintage-toy-business is very professionalized. All you need is a computer and
a PayPal account and enough cash on the bank.
I'm happy that i bought most of my stuff, traveling around the world and always nice when I could make a "deal" without ebay&co.
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Post by sketcher on Nov 14, 2008 13:41:44 GMT -5
Yeah, I'd say very competitive, too. It seems that the market is so saturated with collectors that its impossible to find deals any more. Every time I think I might be able to pick up something for a great price, last minute bidders drive up the price from a steal to above fair value. However, I have had discussions with several collectors in the past about future bidding, and many have graciously backed away from bidding so I could make a run at it and vice versa (depending on the item, of course). So I wouldn't say that things are completely cut-throat, but there is definite competition on almost every item, regardless of how obscure, unpopular, or common it might be. So as not to repeat everything that Myles has stated, that is my experience as well. |
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Post by admin1 aka Ed on Nov 14, 2008 14:38:47 GMT -5
As a follow-up I'm wondering if competition = higher prices. With the economy "off" to say the least, I've seen prices all over the board.
For instance I see people asking the world...but asking is different from actual price trends.
Mid 90's stuff is just dropping like a rock because of hard times; the supply goes up. I don't see much of that in vintage stuff.
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Post by drakepasha72 on Nov 14, 2008 16:06:17 GMT -5
Very competitive , and it is more so this year compare to last year. Recent economy downturn does not affect vintage collectors because the real value of the items is very personal and money is second priority. This make vintage collectors much more determine to compete in an auction. On a bidding of an especially rare and expensive item, it's not unusual, especially in yahoo japan, to see only two bidders left , fighting all the way to the top until one of them loose nerve and back down. By the time, however, the price has gone skyward.
It's very interesting to see this in yahoo japan because in there, the timer usually reset to 10 minutes once a new bidding is put on, so the fight last longer than that in ebay , with its fix bid end timer
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Post by bt1 on Nov 15, 2008 0:54:17 GMT -5
Nice comments, DrakePasha - agree 100%. Money is not the key factor in vintage purchases unless its a main/side business of the buyer. They'll pay what they can afford or what it's worth to them at that given time. The hunt for that rare toy is half the fun, and I know the disappointment of finally finding one, only to have to let it go to someone else with the deeper desire/pocket that week.
As far as more competition=higher prices, I don't think thats the case necessarily. I just think it makes it that much harder to find a real "bargain" with more people scanning the auctions regularly.
There are blips in prices, where something goes for far more than expected. Case in point, in a heated bidding battle, there was an item last week that I pushed the price up to probably double its normal or "fair" value (I didn't win).
I was kind of relieved I didn't pay what it went for, but within minutes of it closing, a new seller put up a same mint condition item for just under what the first one sold for as a BIN - it's still sitting there, and he has dropped the price, but still not what it would, or should, go for.
Which made me ponder: There's no MSRP to go by, so theres no true "fair value" for any of these things. Someone sees another piece go for a ridiculous price, and then thinks they should all be valued that way and that's probably why you see some crazy asking prices in ebay stores or on YHJ - someone saw it sell for close to that price at one time or another, so they think all selling prices should be on the high end.
Anyway, it's certainly not getting easier out there, especially for the more minty ones, but like I said, the hunt is half the fun.
Happy hunting ;D
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Post by magengar on Nov 15, 2008 14:08:17 GMT -5
I think it's become very competitive.... In today's local economy, many average robot-toy collectors can't splurge $$$ for certain expensive vintage items... This clears the path for those who are serious Hardcore Vintage collectors to go after their prospective finds... the Fast and the Furious will get that long sought-after holy grail before the next guy does. There's lotsa Thrill in this Chase.  zozo-Magengar |
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Post by admin1 aka Ed on Nov 20, 2008 9:17:54 GMT -5
I see a pattern Thanks for the voting. |
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