Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.
Dismiss
Are the higher prices worth it?
18 views
Skip to first unread message
Ultra Magnotron
May 24, 2012, 3:29:56 PM5/24/12
to
Fellow collectors,
I enjoy Transformers as much as the next person, but I've been
trying to figure something out. The highly collectable items,
that are in the very high price range, are they really worth it?
I ask because this how *all* of my TF purchases go. I bring the
TF home, transform it a few times, and then place it on a shelf.
It sits there, collect dust, maybe falls over a few times, and I
eventually stand it back up and/or dust it off. Once in a great
while I'll transform it a few more times, but not that often to
be honest.
So... knowing this about myself I just don't see me paying upwards
of $50 for one, even a Masterpiece. It will simply stare at me from
a shelf and long to be played with, which will never happen. Often.
But, I don't know. That's just me. Is the high price worth it to
others? How so?
--
The Transformers (G1) Subtitles:
http://www.box.com/s/931509f9d6b565d675d8
My Transformers Blog:
http://www.elden.co/transformers
--- Posted via news://freenews.netfront.net/ - Complaints to ne...@netfront.net ---
I enjoy Transformers as much as the next person, but I've been
trying to figure something out. The highly collectable items,
that are in the very high price range, are they really worth it?
I ask because this how *all* of my TF purchases go. I bring the
TF home, transform it a few times, and then place it on a shelf.
It sits there, collect dust, maybe falls over a few times, and I
eventually stand it back up and/or dust it off. Once in a great
while I'll transform it a few more times, but not that often to
be honest.
So... knowing this about myself I just don't see me paying upwards
of $50 for one, even a Masterpiece. It will simply stare at me from
a shelf and long to be played with, which will never happen. Often.
But, I don't know. That's just me. Is the high price worth it to
others? How so?
--
The Transformers (G1) Subtitles:
http://www.box.com/s/931509f9d6b565d675d8
My Transformers Blog:
http://www.elden.co/transformers
--- Posted via news://freenews.netfront.net/ - Complaints to ne...@netfront.net ---
Zobovor
May 24, 2012, 4:49:21 PM5/24/12
to
On May 24, 1:29 pm, Ultra Magnotron <ultra.magnot...@hotmail.com>
wrote:
> I enjoy Transformers as much as the next person, but I've been
> trying to figure something out. The highly collectable items,
> that are in the very high price range, are they really worth it?
I used to tell myself that I would never be able to afford expensive
Jaapnese toys or collectible items, and I was right. Then I realized
that if I focused on less frequent purchases of high-dollar items
instead of buying lots and lots of inexpensive toys that I didn't
really want as much, then they were easily within my reach. And I was
also right.
I have so many toys that I don't really care about. I was buying
stuff from Armada because I was still a completist, and I continued to
pick and choose stuff from Energon because some of it was kind of
interesting, and I even have a small box of Cybertron toys that's
sitting at the very bottom of the stack of boxes in storage because,
well, that's what was in stores at the time. No love for any of them,
really. Probably hundreds and hundreds of dollars' worth of useless
plastic junk. If I sold them all off this afternoon I would probably
experience a very small pang of regret and then forget all about
them. And maybe open the closet every once in a while and remark
about it being much more roomy than I remembered.
The expensive stuff I've bought, on the other hand, is all stuff I
love. My G1 reissues. My Masterpiece toys. Some of the third-party
stuff. Granted, they spend a great deal of time on a display shelf,
but they look damn good there, and I'd rather have them on display
than shoved into a cardboard box somewhere. I don't usually make time
for my toys, but sometimes I do. I've basically stopped memorizing
transformation sequences by this point, so when I pick up a toy that I
haven't touched in a year or two, I'm discovering it all over again.
And that's kind of fun. Also, I let my four-year-old son play with
some of the more durable ones. He loves my reissue Targetmaster
Kup.
> But, I don't know. That's just me. Is the high price worth it to
> others? How so?
It's worth it to me because I derive so much more enjoyment from a
$100 toy than I do from, say, any five Voyager-class toys. I guess I
could just continue to tell myself that I can't afford it, but if not
now, then when? I spent a long time thinking of myself as poor, or
nearly so, and I hate feeling that way. I deserve to have the things
that I want. I'd rather sacrifice spending in other areas of my life
if it means I can get the expensive toys I like. I generally don't
spend a lot on clothes or music or video games, but I likes me some
pricy plastic robots.
Something about the expensive toys, also, is that they do tend to
appreciate in value, so if you do experience buyer's remorse, there
will most likely still be a market for it later.
Zob
wrote:
> I enjoy Transformers as much as the next person, but I've been
> trying to figure something out. The highly collectable items,
> that are in the very high price range, are they really worth it?
Jaapnese toys or collectible items, and I was right. Then I realized
that if I focused on less frequent purchases of high-dollar items
instead of buying lots and lots of inexpensive toys that I didn't
really want as much, then they were easily within my reach. And I was
also right.
I have so many toys that I don't really care about. I was buying
stuff from Armada because I was still a completist, and I continued to
pick and choose stuff from Energon because some of it was kind of
interesting, and I even have a small box of Cybertron toys that's
sitting at the very bottom of the stack of boxes in storage because,
well, that's what was in stores at the time. No love for any of them,
really. Probably hundreds and hundreds of dollars' worth of useless
plastic junk. If I sold them all off this afternoon I would probably
experience a very small pang of regret and then forget all about
them. And maybe open the closet every once in a while and remark
about it being much more roomy than I remembered.
The expensive stuff I've bought, on the other hand, is all stuff I
love. My G1 reissues. My Masterpiece toys. Some of the third-party
stuff. Granted, they spend a great deal of time on a display shelf,
but they look damn good there, and I'd rather have them on display
than shoved into a cardboard box somewhere. I don't usually make time
for my toys, but sometimes I do. I've basically stopped memorizing
transformation sequences by this point, so when I pick up a toy that I
haven't touched in a year or two, I'm discovering it all over again.
And that's kind of fun. Also, I let my four-year-old son play with
some of the more durable ones. He loves my reissue Targetmaster
Kup.
> But, I don't know. That's just me. Is the high price worth it to
> others? How so?
$100 toy than I do from, say, any five Voyager-class toys. I guess I
could just continue to tell myself that I can't afford it, but if not
now, then when? I spent a long time thinking of myself as poor, or
nearly so, and I hate feeling that way. I deserve to have the things
that I want. I'd rather sacrifice spending in other areas of my life
if it means I can get the expensive toys I like. I generally don't
spend a lot on clothes or music or video games, but I likes me some
pricy plastic robots.
Something about the expensive toys, also, is that they do tend to
appreciate in value, so if you do experience buyer's remorse, there
will most likely still be a market for it later.
Zob
Gustavo Wombat
May 25, 2012, 3:48:33 AM5/25/12
to
On Thursday, May 24, 2012 12:29:56 PM UTC-7, Ultra Magnotron wrote:
> Fellow collectors,
>
> I enjoy Transformers as much as the next person, but I've been
> trying to figure something out. The highly collectable items,
> that are in the very high price range, are they really worth it?
Are you referring to eHobby exclusive variants of G1 reissues, or the $15 deluxes of TF:Prime?
> Fellow collectors,
>
> I enjoy Transformers as much as the next person, but I've been
> trying to figure something out. The highly collectable items,
> that are in the very high price range, are they really worth it?
Some of the toys that I absolutely love have been quite expensive (Magnificus, Energon Ultra Magnus, BW2 Dirgegun, Predaking) and others have been very cheap (2007 Target Exclusive Scout Armorhide).
I've never really regretted any of the pricy toys I bought -- there are some that no longer really fit my idea of a good toy, but at the time I've enjoyed all of them -- and the easily available mass market toys were cheap enough that I didn't really get too upset if they turned out to stink.
But $15 tiny-deluxes, $10 Cyberverse Commanders, and $6 Legends are just pricey enough that when they disappoint they sting. I haven't quite gotten to the point where I don't just buy them when I see them, but I'm no longer seeking them out. I haven't done a dedicated toy run since the prices jumped.
> I ask because this how *all* of my TF purchases go. I bring the
> TF home, transform it a few times, and then place it on a shelf.
> It sits there, collect dust, maybe falls over a few times, and I
> eventually stand it back up and/or dust it off. Once in a great
> while I'll transform it a few more times, but not that often to
> be honest.
> So... knowing this about myself I just don't see me paying upwards
> of $50 for one, even a Masterpiece. It will simply stare at me from
> a shelf and long to be played with, which will never happen. Often.
> But, I don't know. That's just me. Is the high price worth it to
> others? How so?
And then there's Magnificus and Ga'mede, who have brought me far more joy than their cost. If a toy fits into a fanfic, if it represents a character that I've thought a lot about, and which I've put something of myself into, it's worth way more than the mere cost.
Ultra Magnotron
May 25, 2012, 11:52:10 AM5/25/12
to
On 5/25/2012 12:48 AM, Gustavo Wombat wrote:
> Are you referring to eHobby exclusive variants of
> G1 reissues, or the $15 deluxes of TF:Prime?
Yeah the Masterpiece and G1 reissues are mostly what I'm
> Are you referring to eHobby exclusive variants of
> G1 reissues, or the $15 deluxes of TF:Prime?
referring to. The $15 Prime deluxe toys aren't all that
expensive to me, but I can understand the growing concern
of the incredible shrinking deluxe. I mean, if the size
is going to shrink shouldn't the price go down as well?
*shrugs shoulders* Whatever. I've not bought a Prime toy
I regretted yet. Of course, I haven't yet purchased Hot
Shot, so who knows how that will go. Is he really any
different from BB?
...Also Known As Thunder
May 25, 2012, 5:22:52 PM5/25/12
to
Gustavo Wombat wrote:
> Energon Galvatron was $80-90 (I never saw him at retail).
At Canadian retail he cost $60 (which was crazy! But..er, I bought one
> Energon Galvatron was $80-90 (I never saw him at retail).
anyway).
t.k.
primustf
May 25, 2012, 7:36:05 PM5/25/12
to ultra.m...@hotmail.com
> So... knowing this about myself I just don't see me paying upwards
> of $50 for one, even a Masterpiece. It will simply stare at me from
> a shelf and long to be played with, which will never happen. Often.
>
> But, I don't know. That's just me. Is the high price worth it to
> others? How so?
I understand the collectible value of some of the older toys, but to me they are still children's toys and I can't justify spending that much. Even with the prices for the new toys I will quite often wait until they go on sale.
primustf
Zobovor
May 25, 2012, 9:11:54 PM5/25/12
to
On May 25, 9:52 am, Ultra Magnotron <ultra.magnot...@hotmail.com>
wrote:
> The $15 Prime deluxe toys aren't all that
> expensive to me, but I can understand the growing concern
> of the incredible shrinking deluxe. I mean, if the size
> is going to shrink shouldn't the price go down as well?
If it makes you feel any better, pretty much the entire "Autobot Cars"
and "Decepticon Planes" assortment from the G1 days are all about
Deluxe-sized, and they usually retailed for around $15. And that's in
1984-85 money!
Zob
wrote:
> The $15 Prime deluxe toys aren't all that
> expensive to me, but I can understand the growing concern
> of the incredible shrinking deluxe. I mean, if the size
> is going to shrink shouldn't the price go down as well?
and "Decepticon Planes" assortment from the G1 days are all about
Deluxe-sized, and they usually retailed for around $15. And that's in
1984-85 money!
Zob
Irrellius Spamticon king of the Potato people
May 25, 2012, 11:30:35 PM5/25/12
to
I could go either way on the matter. i\I've spent alot on Unicron and
Primus, but they look damn good on a display shelf, or crushing a bot
underfoot. But then again Jap Landcross and Road Cesar I transformed a
few times and then was so afraid I would break and devalue them I
ended up selling them.
I loved Universe Onslaught and was pretty ambivalent of most of armada
deluxes.
I love HA barricade and legends barricade. $30 for one and $4 for the
other
Honestly i havent spent alot on TFs. Most of the expensive ones I
collected piecemeal. I have a bunch of pretenders I couldn't care less
about, but i spent the time to get their belts and helmets and guns
etc etc etc.
Mostly, price doesn't determine how much I like something, nor does
size. mostly I assign a character to the toy, sometimes it's a show
character, sometimes it's a character I derive from tech specs or
looks of the toy. ROTF Mindwipe I assigned a personality to, and love
the toys because of it.
Primus, but they look damn good on a display shelf, or crushing a bot
underfoot. But then again Jap Landcross and Road Cesar I transformed a
few times and then was so afraid I would break and devalue them I
ended up selling them.
I loved Universe Onslaught and was pretty ambivalent of most of armada
deluxes.
I love HA barricade and legends barricade. $30 for one and $4 for the
other
Honestly i havent spent alot on TFs. Most of the expensive ones I
collected piecemeal. I have a bunch of pretenders I couldn't care less
about, but i spent the time to get their belts and helmets and guns
etc etc etc.
Mostly, price doesn't determine how much I like something, nor does
size. mostly I assign a character to the toy, sometimes it's a show
character, sometimes it's a character I derive from tech specs or
looks of the toy. ROTF Mindwipe I assigned a personality to, and love
the toys because of it.
Chad Rushing
May 26, 2012, 1:10:53 AM5/26/12
to
On May 24, 2:29 pm, Ultra Magnotron <ultra.magnot...@hotmail.com>
wrote:
>
stood on the shelf until I have had to store them away to make room
for the next batch. Most TFs I've owned haven't been touched since
their respective shows/toylines finished up, and new ones were
introduced.
> So... knowing this about myself I just don't see me paying upwards
> of $50 for one, even a Masterpiece. It will simply stare at me from
> a shelf and long to be played with, which will never happen. Often.
>
> But, I don't know. That's just me. Is the high price worth it to
> others? How so?
In retrospect, most of the really expensive TFs I purchased did not
give me much more enjoyment than a common toy of a similar size and
character popularity which cost a fraction of the former's price.
That's why I sold off most of my expensive TFs when I first started
downsizing my collection. Also, there was something about owning a
single toy worth over $100 that made me nervous about it getting
broken or stolen somehow. I couldn't work up the nerve to take most
of them out of their boxes. A set of ten $10 toys (= $100) didn't
give me that same sense of anxiety at all.
Lastly, things being "expensive" is totally relative. Some
millionaire out there might find a $200 toy no more difficult to
justify purchasing than a $20 toy. For example, I read that there is
a single wrist watch that costs $30,000.
- Chad
wrote:
>
> I enjoy Transformers as much as the next person, but I've been
> trying to figure something out. The highly collectable items,
> that are in the very high price range, are they really worth it?
>
> I ask because this how *all* of my TF purchases go. I bring the
> TF home, transform it a few times, and then place it on a shelf.
> It sits there, collect dust, maybe falls over a few times, and I
> eventually stand it back up and/or dust it off. Once in a great
> while I'll transform it a few more times, but not that often to
> be honest.
That is very similar to my collecting method. Most toys have just
> trying to figure something out. The highly collectable items,
> that are in the very high price range, are they really worth it?
>
> I ask because this how *all* of my TF purchases go. I bring the
> TF home, transform it a few times, and then place it on a shelf.
> It sits there, collect dust, maybe falls over a few times, and I
> eventually stand it back up and/or dust it off. Once in a great
> while I'll transform it a few more times, but not that often to
> be honest.
stood on the shelf until I have had to store them away to make room
for the next batch. Most TFs I've owned haven't been touched since
their respective shows/toylines finished up, and new ones were
introduced.
> So... knowing this about myself I just don't see me paying upwards
> of $50 for one, even a Masterpiece. It will simply stare at me from
> a shelf and long to be played with, which will never happen. Often.
>
> But, I don't know. That's just me. Is the high price worth it to
> others? How so?
give me much more enjoyment than a common toy of a similar size and
character popularity which cost a fraction of the former's price.
That's why I sold off most of my expensive TFs when I first started
downsizing my collection. Also, there was something about owning a
single toy worth over $100 that made me nervous about it getting
broken or stolen somehow. I couldn't work up the nerve to take most
of them out of their boxes. A set of ten $10 toys (= $100) didn't
give me that same sense of anxiety at all.
Lastly, things being "expensive" is totally relative. Some
millionaire out there might find a $200 toy no more difficult to
justify purchasing than a $20 toy. For example, I read that there is
a single wrist watch that costs $30,000.
- Chad
Chad Rushing
May 26, 2012, 1:17:36 AM5/26/12
to
On May 25, 10:52 am, Ultra Magnotron <ultra.magnot...@hotmail.com>
wrote:
>
attempt to offset the increasing costs of materials and transportation
due to inflation. New Deluxes at the old Deluxe size might cost like
$15 USD apiece now. The Deluxe TFs aren't the only products
shrinking. I noticed today that the bags of Oreos and Chips Ahoy have
shrunk from 1 pound to like 14 ounces in the past few years despite
being the same price. The same is true of the corn/potato chip bags.
- Chad
wrote:
>
> Yeah the Masterpiece and G1 reissues are mostly what I'm
> referring to. The $15 Prime deluxe toys aren't all that
> expensive to me, but I can understand the growing concern
> of the incredible shrinking deluxe. I mean, if the size
> is going to shrink shouldn't the price go down as well?
That -should- be the case, but the toy shrinkage is probably an
> referring to. The $15 Prime deluxe toys aren't all that
> expensive to me, but I can understand the growing concern
> of the incredible shrinking deluxe. I mean, if the size
> is going to shrink shouldn't the price go down as well?
attempt to offset the increasing costs of materials and transportation
due to inflation. New Deluxes at the old Deluxe size might cost like
$15 USD apiece now. The Deluxe TFs aren't the only products
shrinking. I noticed today that the bags of Oreos and Chips Ahoy have
shrunk from 1 pound to like 14 ounces in the past few years despite
being the same price. The same is true of the corn/potato chip bags.
- Chad
SteveD
May 26, 2012, 6:00:59 AM5/26/12
to
On Thu, 24 May 2012 12:29:56 -0700, Ultra Magnotron
<ultra.m...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>Fellow collectors,
>
>I enjoy Transformers as much as the next person, but I've been
>trying to figure something out. The highly collectable items,
>that are in the very high price range, are they really worth it?
The question, at its core, is whether it is worth it to _you_.
<ultra.m...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>Fellow collectors,
>
>I enjoy Transformers as much as the next person, but I've been
>trying to figure something out. The highly collectable items,
>that are in the very high price range, are they really worth it?
The same toy may be absolutely worth it to one person, and not in a
million years to another. It's all about your particular wants and
resources, not whether some other buyer with completely different desires
might or might not pony up.
-SteveD
Deathsaurusx
May 26, 2012, 1:08:36 PM5/26/12
to
Hasbro clearly makes the super tiny new mold TF toys for toddlers
under the age of 5. any adult male TF fan who buys the tiny new mold
TF toys is a pedopile,is gay & likes little boys.
Hasbro creates the bigger sized TF toys like voyagers,ultra's & leader
sized toys for older teenage kids & adult male TF fans.
under the age of 5. any adult male TF fan who buys the tiny new mold
TF toys is a pedopile,is gay & likes little boys.
Hasbro creates the bigger sized TF toys like voyagers,ultra's & leader
sized toys for older teenage kids & adult male TF fans.
GutterVamp
May 27, 2012, 5:05:35 PM5/27/12
to
Have him set up near my Animated Leader-class Megatron, and I'll be darned if he doesn't actually LOOK like a proper Megatron --> Galvtron progression, what with the wings and everything.
Like Zob, I used to be a completist and grabbed every toy out there, putting the more expensive toys out of my grasp. But now that I've mostly limited myself to buying characters I have some sort of "emotional attachment" to -- mostly updated G1 and BW characters -- I've discovered a lot more disposable income I can put towards the more costly figures.
And since I'm buying a lot less Transformers now, I'm finding that the ones I DO buy satisfy me a lot more. They get monkeyed with more, and when one gets added to the display, it doesn't feel like I'm just trying to jam something in there just because I bought it.
And it's a lot easier to justify dropping the cash on something like the Runamuck / Runabout set -- despite all the screwiness that went with the whole Fun Publications debacle. Having the Decepticons' answer to Terrence and Phillip on my desk makes me happy, despite the higher price-tag. They were expensive, but I've always liked their brain-dead portrayal in the old Marvel book, and they're two steps closer to ultimately having updated versions of every figure I had and loved as a kid!
So in a roundabout way of answering the original question, yes, I DO think the more expensive ones are worth it. But it also depends on your collecting habits, I suppose.
0 new messages