1/6th Scale IG-88 Figure LINK IN 1ST POST!

[galactiboy]

But at least you own up to it that you collect limited pieces for only investment purpose.

The problem with me, I collect purely for the joy of collecting and not for investment purpose.

Did you read my post? I clearly said I don't buy purely as an investment... I understand it's hard for you to conceive of a middle ground where a person both collects because they love a property/scale/etc and recognize they have value.

And as for your examples... while I don't think anything should be reissued; I understand that it happens. And when you have nostalgia items like He-Man (etc.) that were never intended to be collectibles you will get reissues. However, limited edition should be just that... the effect on the aftermarket value is just one aspect that is problematic, the bigger one (as you acknowledged) is that it is going against what the customer is promised when you see that it is a limited edition.

$15 plus the $25 over the original price... so $40 more than the old one. And no base.

Paintwork looks great though.

Sure, on the prototype... let's see the final figure And that's a bummer that it's now $215. $200 was a fair price; not like $215 is terrible, but still it's the principle of the thing

 

[ditch]

UK retailers will be able to purchase this through the UK Sideshow Distributor. Still no news on if we can get 4-Lom though.

 

[JCFETT]

I'll be purchasing this one along with the Bossk reissue/update, 4-LOM, and hopefully Zuckuss and Dengar in 2019 and 2026 respectively.

I have issues with Sideshow like everyone else but paint on non human releases is typically not one of them so I'm sure that'll be a vast improvement over the initial release (please don't prove me wrong).

Where did they confirm the Bossk re-release and sculpt update was coming? I mean we all saw it in the promo pic for 4-Lom, but was it actually confirmed?

Also, remember these are prototype photos, so that "vast improvement" statement will take you as far as the re-released ESB Fett improvements, which is "ok" but not a staggering vast improvement on paint apps.

Not to throw farts on your cupcakes, just sayin', let's be realistic, we're in this together.

 

[Mad Old Lu]

Does this count?

Thanks, Ween!

No real interest in the figure anyway. Passed on it then, passing now.

For the record, thanks to all the back and forth here, now I actually do understand the POV of being annoyed at rereleases. Someone said that a big part of it was because Sideshow used to be more about true limited edition collectibles which is what they originally signed up for. Now after years of collecting their supposedly limited stuff, they’re changing the rules. I can completely understand being angry about that.

I’m still of the belief that rereleases are no big deal, but I can finally understand the other side of the debate.

Unfortunately, this is how any collectible hobby goes. Things are popular for a while, then the bubble bursts. A lot of people here enjoyed a good run with being able to flip pretty much anything and everything. Now maybe they have to be more selective about what they think will go up in value and become rare. Maybe that means a whole different line and company.

But people should really face the reality of this hobby: these are no better than Hummels collected by grandmas everywhere that are worthless now. My wife’s grandmother collected those little figurines and my wife’s mom now has boxes full of these things that you can’t even give away. My wife and I like to go antiquing, and let me tell you, the antique stores and flea markets are riddled with Hummel collections that no one wants. Those were expensive, limited edition collectibles way back when. Now they’re burdens to families everywhere. In the future when we’re in our assisted living homes, we’re going to tell our grandchildren, “I’m going to leave you my entire 1/6 collection! Those are worth a fortune!” and they’ll say, rolling their eyes, “whatever, grandpa.” Because 40 years from now, kids won’t even be playing with “action figures” anymore. It’ll be like in BTTF 2 where Elijah Wood says, “You mean you have to use your hands?!? That’s like a baby’s toy!”

 

[TurdFurgusonsHat]

Here is the last eight SW 1/6 figures Ssc has put up for preorder:

1. "Unpainted" painted R2D2- repaint reissue
2. IG 88- reissue
3. 4 Lom - new figure head, but entire body reused from 3PO
4. E Webb - reissue
5. Snowspeeder Luke- most of the figure cobbled together from the Hoth and X wing releases
6.R5 J2- repaint reissue
7. Probe droid - reissue
8. Boba Fett- reissue

It's like the CEO at a recent board meeting posed the question "Is there any way we can fire our creative department, get rid of everyone in R and D, and still make boatloads of money selling Star Wars Toys?"

 

[JCFETT]

Interesting thoughts Mad Old Lu. It's like when everyone bought the hell out of POFT2 thinking they would be rare like the original star wars figures... lolol

I bought my Luke and Han SSC stormtroopers in disguise figure set for $500, that was the only real big drop I did for these collectibles that wasn't bought at release. Now I couldn't get nearly that much for it. So now they lay dead with their buckets on at the feet of Han & Chewie HT figures. You make do my friends.. you make do.

 

[Taibhse]

Thanks, Ween!

No real interest in the figure anyway. Passed on it then, passing now.

For the record, thanks to all the back and forth here, now I actually do understand the POV of being annoyed at rereleases. Someone said that a big part of it was because Sideshow used to be more about true limited edition collectibles which is what they originally signed up for. Now after years of collecting their supposedly limited stuff, they’re changing the rules. I can completely understand being angry about that.

I’m still of the belief that rereleases are no big deal, but I can finally understand the other side of the debate.

Unfortunately, this is how any collectible hobby goes. Things are popular for a while, then the bubble bursts. A lot of people here enjoyed a good run with being able to flip pretty much anything and everything. Now maybe they have to be more selective about what they think will go up in value and become rare. Maybe that means a whole different line and company.

But people should really face the reality of this hobby: these are no better than Hummels collected by grandmas everywhere that are worthless now. My wife’s grandmother collected those little figurines and my wife’s mom now has boxes full of these things that you can’t even give away. My wife and I like to go antiquing, and let me tell you, the antique stores and flea markets are riddled with Hummel collections that no one wants. Those were expensive, limited edition collectibles way back when. Now they’re burdens to families everywhere. In the future when we’re in our assisted living homes, we’re going to tell our grandchildren, “I’m going to leave you my entire 1/6 collection! Those are worth a fortune!” and they’ll say, rolling their eyes, “whatever, grandpa.” Because 40 years from now, kids won’t even be playing with “action figures” anymore. It’ll be like in BTTF 2 where Elijah Wood says, “You mean you have to use your hands?!? That’s like a baby’s toy!”

I take the point you are making.. however anyone who even glances at a Hummel figurine, will know why they are worthless as 'collectibles'.. they are kitsch junk, and therefore crack/catnip for Grannies, but no-one else.

An interesting question (which I think has been mentioned by others on this forum before) is whether Hornby trains, Corgi cars, Horikawa robots, etc. will survive a nostalgia crash, after the generation that originally owned them, passes on.. Steiff bears have managed to negotiate this transition, however 'Teddy bears' probably have a unique nostalgia factor.

It's also worth considering the fact, that outside of 'Fine art' items, many types of antiques can be subject to sizeable swings in collectible popularity, in fact up until sometime in the early 1970s most of what are now termed 'Antiques' were classified as Secondhand furniture and Bric-a-brac.. and the entire antique market is currently struggling, not least because most of the really good stuff is no longer easy to come by..and so there is an oversupply of much more recent and lower quality items.. which also have to compete with high quality reproductions.

The single biggest factor is, are there more collectors, than the collectible items they desire (which is where the re-issue factor comes into play on 'limited editions').. and is there a relatively easy platform to buy and sell the collectibles..on that final aspect we are living in a genuinely 'golden age' due to the interwebz.

Imho, robots and armored figures that look like robots, should endure, if the manufacturing materials have the longevity.. it's a variant on the whole 'knights in armor' thing, but with the added technology vibe.. and 'reboots' would already appear to indicate that certain iconic licenses, like Star Wars, will have multi-generational appeal.

But I agree it's better to collect things you like, rather than automatically expecting it to be an investment.. the same advice has always applied to art, as well.

 

[Creighton]

Thanks, Ween!

No real interest in the figure anyway. Passed on it then, passing now.

For the record, thanks to all the back and forth here, now I actually do understand the POV of being annoyed at rereleases. Someone said that a big part of it was because Sideshow used to be more about true limited edition collectibles which is what they originally signed up for. Now after years of collecting their supposedly limited stuff, they’re changing the rules. I can completely understand being angry about that.

I’m still of the belief that rereleases are no big deal, but I can finally understand the other side of the debate.

Unfortunately, this is how any collectible hobby goes. Things are popular for a while, then the bubble bursts. A lot of people here enjoyed a good run with being able to flip pretty much anything and everything. Now maybe they have to be more selective about what they think will go up in value and become rare. Maybe that means a whole different line and company.

But people should really face the reality of this hobby: these are no better than Hummels collected by grandmas everywhere that are worthless now. My wife’s grandmother collected those little figurines and my wife’s mom now has boxes full of these things that you can’t even give away. My wife and I like to go antiquing, and let me tell you, the antique stores and flea markets are riddled with Hummel collections that no one wants. Those were expensive, limited edition collectibles way back when. Now they’re burdens to families everywhere. In the future when we’re in our assisted living homes, we’re going to tell our grandchildren, “I’m going to leave you my entire 1/6 collection! Those are worth a fortune!” and they’ll say, rolling their eyes, “whatever, grandpa.” Because 40 years from now, kids won’t even be playing with “action figures” anymore. It’ll be like in BTTF 2 where Elijah Wood says, “You mean you have to use your hands?!? That’s like a baby’s toy!”

well said. Hey remember the Beanie Baby craze?!
We used them for batting practice now..lol

 

[Travis Baumann]

Here is the last eight SW 1/6 figures Ssc has put up for preorder:

1. "Unpainted" painted R2D2- repaint reissue
2. IG 88- reissue
3. 4 Lom - new figure head, but entire body reused from 3PO
4. E Webb - reissue
5. Snowspeeder Luke- most of the figure cobbled together from the Hoth and X wing releases
6.R5 J2- repaint reissue
7. Probe droid - reissue
8. Boba Fett- reissue

It's like the CEO at a recent board meeting posed the question "Is there any way we can fire our creative department, get rid of everyone in R and D, and still make boatloads of money selling Star Wars Toys?"

To be fair, right before that we had Jawas and C3PO, two highly anticipated releases (but I ended up passing on both due to my own issues with the products).

I believe that what you say about the R&D design team is accurate, at least for the Star Wars figure line... they must no longer be involved. I also think there may be some funny business with their contract in terms of what they are allowed to put out. Seems like it is only things they had in the pipeline prior to the HT/TFA push so we are seeing a few things trickle out that were in the works or promised and then a ton of Disney/LFL/HT sanctioned re-releases of product that they hope can live up to figure standards of today while being developed 2-5 years ago (and some can, although I find the price hike dubious).

 

[Wor-Gar]

I take the point you are making.. however anyone who even glances at a Hummel figurine, will know why they are worthless as 'collectibles'.. they are kitsch junk, and therefore crack/catnip for Grannies, but no-one else.

And to most grown-ups, these are just "toys" we're collecting. You're inside the bubble, man.

Imho, robots and armored figures that look like robots, should endure...

Why, because you like it? Now. What happens when we all have real robots -- who is going to want a faded plastic rendering of a pretend robot?

Are you old enough to remember cowboys? The same thing will happen with "astronauts".

Marvel has the best chance of lasting the longest because its the most recent (on the big screen I mean)... but its so over-exposed that its going to go through a total "uncool" period... and then have a nostalgic comeback over the next 15-20 years.

 

[Mad Old Lu]

I take the point you are making.. however anyone who even glances at a Hummel figurine, will know why they are worthless as 'collectibles'.. they are kitsch junk, and therefore crack/catnip for Grannies, but no-one else.

An interesting question (which I think has been mentioned by others on this forum before) is whether Hornby trains, Corgi cars, Horikawa robots, etc. will survive a nostalgia crash, after the generation that originally owned them, passes on.. Steiff bears have managed to negotiate this transition, however 'Teddy bears' probably have a unique nostalgia factor.

It's also worth considering the fact, that outside of 'Fine art' items, many types of antiques can be subject to sizeable swings in collectible popularity, in fact up until sometime in the early 1970s most of what are now termed 'Antiques' were classified as Secondhand furniture and Bric-a-brac.. and the entire antique market is currently struggling, not least because most of the really good stuff is no longer easy to come by..and so there is an oversupply of much more recent and lower quality items.. which also have to compete with high quality reproductions.

The single biggest factor is, are there more collectors, than the collectible items they desire (which is where the re-issue factor comes into play on 'limited editions').. and is there a relatively easy platform to buy and sell the collectibles..on that final aspect we are living in a genuinely 'golden age' due to the interwebz.

Imho, robots and armored figures that look like robots, should endure, if the manufacturing materials have the longevity.. it's a variant on the whole 'knights in armor' thing, but with the added technology vibe.. and 'reboots' would already appear to indicate that certain iconic licenses, like Star Wars, will have multi-generational appeal.

But I agree it's better to collect things you like, rather than automatically expecting it to be an investment.. the same advice has always applied to art, as well.

Love this post!

Also worth taking into consideration is that collectibles now, and even plain old toys, are treated as collectibles. We take good care of them, even keep them MIB. Therefore, they will be well preserved and well taken care of and therefore will endure. Ironically, that will mean that there will be plenty to go around in the future. Even in the limited numbers they are making these collectibles, there are still hundreds, if not thousands of any given piece that are treated like gold. As opposed to toys you had growing up which were heavily used and most likely lost or thrown away. Which makes them scarce and rare at this point in time, which then makes them valuable.

We also don't know what Star Wars or Transformers or whatever are going to be thought of in 40 years. It's amazing that they have stuck around 30 to 40 years already, but they could just be another dated, nostalgic pulp property like how we used to think of vintage Flash Gordon or Buck Rogers. The SW toys from 1978-84 are valuable now only because we 40 year olds are giving them value because we want to relive our youths. Kids in the future when they're in their 30s and 40s are going to want to buy a vintage iPhone or vintage XBox where they used to play video games!

 

[Wor-Gar]

Kids in the future when they're in their 30s and 40s are going to want to buy a vintage iPhone or vintage XBox where they used to play video games!

Exactly. There will always be someone somewhere who will but anything... but finding that person who believes your old junk is valuable will simply become harder and harder. The internet really makes that easier now -- like minds can connect -- for better and for worse.

 

[Taibhse]

And to most grown-ups, these are just "toys" we're collecting. You're inside the bubble, man.






Why, because you like it? Now. What happens when we all have real robots -- who is going to want a faded plastic rendering of a pretend robot?

Are you old enough to remember cowboys? The same thing will happen with "astronauts".

Marvel has the best chance of lasting the longest because its the most recent (on the big screen I mean)... but its so over-exposed that its going to go through a total "uncool" period... and then have a nostalgic comeback over the next 15-20 years.

I am inside the bubble it's true.. but there is also no denying that 'Geek' is now mainstream, not niche.. robots have been popular for pretty much the entire period that involved cowboys and astronauts.. I grew up with all three.. and Star Wars is a Western in space.

 

[Wor-Gar]

I am inside the bubble it's true.. but there is also no denying that 'Geek' is now mainstream, not niche.. robots have been popular for pretty much the entire period that involved cowboys and astronauts.. I grew up with all three.. and Star Wars is a Western in space.

Then you're old enough to understand the pendulum swings. Geek chic is doomed.
And you know Star Wars is more than a western in space. They used that so that generation could "get it". It's knights of old, its a war movie, its everything. That's its beauty. It is to anyone what it needs to be.

But all things fade. It will always be a classic.


Anyway, I just don't think there's longevity in these toys we're collecting. Look at the 3" market, or Star Wars Hasbro. Oversaturated.

And the fact that so many collectors keep things pristine is actually a bad thing. Means there's too many MIB items out there which drives the value down.

 

[galactiboy]

I agree with what you're saying Mad Old Lu; and as we know anything that is trermed a "collectible" is almost guaranteed to not be since people will treat them differently. I was just looking at early bird kits; those things are insanely valuable since no one had any conception of treating them with care or storing away for a rainy day. And I have a feeling I may eventually get one as it would be a grail for me.

At the end of the day Sideshow will do what they want, and now that I know they don't treat 1/6 items as limited I'll adjust my purchases accordingly. I've already been frustrated by their rising costs w/o matching quality so this just adds to an issue that was already there.

And the fact that so many collectors keep things pristine is actually a bad thing. Means there's too many MIB items out there which drives the value down.

True, but if something is truly limited it does leave some protection; even though there were 3,500 IG-88s floating around it was still demanding 2-3x retail. I'm sure the 1/6 bubble will eventually burst as these kind of collectibles fall out of favor. But if you double the ES that will only hasten the devaluation of certain figures.

 

[karamazov80]

Once again, Sideshow confused me, this time when they put up a contest to win one of these. My first thought was, "a contest for a sold out item. Awesome! They used to do that all the time!" But of course, it's another re-release.

*heads to eBay to sell Hulk PF and Spidey Comiquette before SSC re-releases them*

 

[TurdFurgusonsHat]

And the fact that so many collectors keep things pristine is actually a bad thing. Means there's too many MIB items out there which drives the value down.

The Internet exposed several older collectibles as being not nearly as scarce as they were previously perceived.

Personally I don't buy this stuff because I believe I am sitting on a future goldmine, I buy it because "these" are the toys I always dreamed of owning as a kid. That said, I have to constantly remind myself that my collection is growing larger than it needs to be. It's probably much more likely that the value of this stuff will suffer in the future than it is that the price will rise. So buy the stuff you want to keep. It's been my experience that sealed lego sets are much better investments than 1/6 figures.

 

[Wor-Gar]

Personally I don't buy this stuff because I believe I am sitting on a future goldmine, I buy it because "these" are the toys I always dreamed of owning as a kid.

Totally agree.

 

[shockwave]

I was interested until I saw the pics, no axe thingy....

But I saw the WM MK III and said oh yeah but the price.......

Hmmm now I don't like collecting....

 

[Taibhse]

Love this post!

Also worth taking into consideration is that collectibles now, and even plain old toys, are treated as collectibles. We take good care of them, even keep them MIB. Therefore, they will be well preserved and well taken care of and therefore will endure. Ironically, that will mean that there will be plenty to go around in the future. Even in the limited numbers they are making these collectibles, there are still hundreds, if not thousands of any given piece that are treated like gold. As opposed to toys you had growing up which were heavily used and most likely lost or thrown away. Which makes them scarce and rare at this point in time, which then makes them valuable.

We also don't know what Star Wars or Transformers or whatever are going to be thought of in 40 years. It's amazing that they have stuck around 30 to 40 years already, but they could just be another dated, nostalgic pulp property like how we used to think of vintage Flash Gordon or Buck Rogers. The SW toys from 1978-84 are valuable now only because we 40 year olds are giving them value because we want to relive our youths. Kids in the future when they're in their 30s and 40s are going to want to buy a vintage iPhone or vintage XBox where they used to play video games!

Excellent points, the highest demand tends to be for the Mint, or near Mint collectible experience.. and although more figures and replica props are looked after to a higher standard now, meaning more are available, than is the case for toys from the 1960s through to the 1980s.. I still think the demand for items like this is not going to drop away radically, because we now live in a 'Pop Art' age.

Part of the problem with Antique collectibles, is many people simply not having the time (or patience) to hunt for very rare items, which may also need restoration, if and when you do find what you are looking for..whereas an adequate supply of good quality, is more likely to keep collectors engaged.

It may be the case that the very limited availability of Mint items from the 1960s and 1970s in particular (and the fact they were designed specifically as toys and therefore often not as well made, as modern collectibles) delayed the current popularity of such collectibles, ie. even if you wanted them, they were very hard to find, and therefore niche.

There is also the fact that so many collectors make the comment on this forum, that they 'would have killed for toys/collectibles like manufacturers are offering now, when they were kids' ..and because these collectibles are not cheap, I can see that still being the case in the future.. if kids are being given cheap hasbro toys now.. HoT Toy type products are still going to look very collectible in the future, although perhaps with a much heavier slant towards computer game characters.

Its interesting trying to identify what will be iconic nostalgia items for kids of today, projecting into the future.. I agree that Computer games and consoles do seem likely, along with figures from those licenses, so Sideshow's 1/6 scale Raynor from Starcraft 2 is probably a 'keeper'.. there are already collectors on this forum for the older classic, Atari, NES, Megadrive games and consoles.

Outside of computer gaming, I'm not quite so certain there are many completely new iconic franchises like Marvel, DC or Star Wars though, far more reboots and spin-offs instead.