MISB and AFA: good or bad?

[My Alt. Mode Sucks]

OK, this is something I've been thinking about lately. A lot of sellers on eBay hawk off their vintage 1980s Transformers in boxes that're still sealed and sometimes graded by the AFA (Action Figure Authority). These can go for hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars. This may be lucrative to some people, but is it really a good thing for the toy collectors out there? I myself think it's dirty and shameful to post something for $3000 just because a bunch of "authority figures" deemed it worthy of being vacuum-sealed in a plastic display box. I dunno, it just seems wrong, both from the collector's stand point and the economic view.

[Optimus Prime Sucks]

OK, this is something I've been thinking about lately. A lot of sellers on eBay hawk off their vintage 1980s Transformers in boxes that're still sealed and sometimes graded by the AFA (Action Figure Authority). These can go for hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars. This may be lucrative to some people, but is it really a good thing for the toy collectors out there? I myself think it's dirty and shameful to post something for $3000 just because a bunch of "authority figures" deemed it worthy of being vacuum-sealed in a plastic display box. I dunno, it just seems wrong, both from the collector's stand point and the economic view.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

There's no "right" or "wrong" in collecting, to be honest with you. I know there are people who are looking for a particular figure, i.e. Megatron or Optimus Prime, and are obsessed with collecting either one. If there's a demand for some figure to be in some condition, then a price must be paid and sought by the buyer and the seller respectively. Anybody who wants something MISB in the first place demands the highest quality, and to get quality, you have to pay for it. If you think it's wrong to make a profit, then yeah, AFA and MISB is a "bad" thing, otherwise, people should be exploited for their desires (but not their needs.)

[convoy676]

well i guess it all depends on which collector you are, but most people buying them wanna turn around and sell them for more. I myself agree with you, i surely wouldnt pay top dollars just for the seal of approval or w/e. But thats just me, i like to actually touch my transformers other than stare at them through a plastic wrap, i find it much more time worthy. :tflaugh

[Cabal]

I look at it has just another way for people with too much money to waste their money. Give me a mint condition loose figure any day. What's the point of a toy if you can't play with it?

[convoy676]

very true don cassetti, couldnt have sed it better my self, opened over misb anyday.

[My Alt. Mode Sucks]

I always rip the packaging open and discard it. I just want the figure and to be able to hold it in my hand/transform it/play with it. To me a figure doesn't have value if you're going to just have it packed up tightly in a shiny box.

[Godbomber]

I know a few guys who run their own collectible stores, and regardless if its been graded or not, they would only buy stuff at certain percentage of book price. So if someone buys a AFA 85 Optimus for $1000, then they are stuck with it for life unless someone else is nuts enough to buy it at that price.

 

Book price = Book price. Even when its inflated.

[convoy676]

yeah, i was collecting star wars toys but i never opened them, now i 50 of them sitting in a box, not getting any money value out of them. I really dont know why i bought them, other than making money 20 years from now selling them .lol

[My Alt. Mode Sucks]

I don't see Energon being valued greatly anytime soon (except the scalpers who claim Enercron is RARE), but Alternators seems like it'll be a popular line to scalp with MISB. Since it's essentially a collector's line, it'll probably be worth thousands 10 years or so from now. But I wonder how much old G1s will be worth within that timeframe (the ones that're still holding together in the original boxes that is).

[Alpha_&_Omega]

if people are dumb enought to buy a figure for 5 time the actual value just because it comes in a clear box, then they should have money in the first place beause they are too retarded to know its value.