Do You Consider Collecting An Investment?

[karamazov80]

. . .(fairly easy to predict with HT figures these days). . .

This fact has actually affected my buying behavior. I don't generally buy in the hopes of making a profit down the road, but I'll buy figures I only kind of want if I'm fairly confident they will appreciate later. That way, there is no real risk, and only potential reward for buying a figure I might not end up liking. I did that with Ghost Rider recently. I don't care for some of the decisions they made with him, but I do like others, and Marvel characters are money with HT. So, I'll get him, pose him, and enjoy him. Then decide if it's really worth the $250 or not after he's in hand for awhile. If not, I'll probably sit on him for awhile longer then sell him for $400 or whatever the going rate will be, and use the profits. . .to buy another figure that I might or might not want to keep

Drawback to this is--more often than not, when a Hot Toys figure is in-hand, I start liking it and ultimately keep it. So, maybe it isn't the best strategy after all.

i have the RAH of MGS3 and 4 in the 1st edition, they my be more than what i paid then but wil they in the future?

Once the (superior) Hot Toys versions are released? No. The RAH figures are only worth what they are b/c they are all Metal Gear fans have, IMO.

 

[sladesuperagent]

I've been doing this probably 2-3 times longer than most people on here and, yes, I certainly do consider it an investment. But like any investment, you take chances on what will go up in value and what might go down. Anyone who purchased the exclusive HT EtD Bruce Lee knows very well that the ex. piece is worth more than the $20 they paid for it. That $20 I spent is a small investment on a much larger total value. It may not be there in a few years, but if money was tight right now, then I'd be selling that piece for at least 5x what I paid. Great investment imo b/c I wipe my butt with 20 bucks.

 

[Nacho]

Because I don't ever plan on selling my collection the answer is no.
I intend to leave it to my future kids. But If they don't intend
on keeping it, it could very well be a future investment for them.

 

[hoodonit00]

I don't at all. Purely a cool hobby to me. My wife on the other hand has some high end Barbies that are just put in a closet that are never touched or opened. She doesn't buy anymore, but the ones she has are purely an investment.

 

[galactiboy]

I've been doing this probably 2-3 times longer than most people on here and, yes, I certainly do consider it an investment. But like any investment, you take chances on what will go up in value and what might go down. Anyone who purchased the exclusive HT EtD Bruce Lee knows very well that the ex. piece is worth more than the $20 they paid for it. That $20 I spent is a small investment on a much larger total value. It may not be there in a few years, but if money was tight right now, then I'd be selling that piece for at least 5x what I paid. Great investment imo b/c I wipe my butt with 20 bucks.

I think this is a pretty good summary... I'd say overall I'm ahead more than behind on my collection. However, its a fickle market and collectibles are only worth something if there is still a collector base. Right now its pretty good as what I collect (primarily sci-fi, fantasy, horror) has a strong following especially w/in my generation.

And definitely somethings can be great for short term turn-arounds if you are good at predicting prices. Right now I'm kicking myself for not scoring and extra Dutch and Pred1

 

[Jen]

Nope...I just hope that if I ever sell anything, I get my money back....which doesn't happen as often as I would like. I apparently collect all the wrong things.

 

[Darth Madden]

Nope...I just hope that if I ever sell anything, I get my money back....which doesn't happen as often as I would like. I apparently collect all the wrong things.

Yeah, how dare you buy things you like even if they lose value instead of buying things that will make you money in the future.

 

[Skiman]

Nothing leaves my house, 24 hr surveillance, nonstop, one eye opened, trigger happy in a sec.

Only if you want to pray to ur momma.

 

[barryo]

Nothing leaves my house, 24 hr surveillance, nonstop, one eye opened, trigger happy in a sec.

Only if you want to pray to ur momma.

you have a promising future on a television show ski.............

 

[Jill Sandwitch]

Nope it's like collecting comics too great a risk to be a good investment.

 

[CollectorNC]

I wondered this when I stumbled onto this hobby a few months ago. (Actually, I've always been into this "hobby" as a generation of the original 3 3/4 Star Wars and G.I. Joe's, etc.) I quickly realized that you can read a thread religiously and get feedback that a new preorder will sell out or be a holy grail (I gave into peer pressure on the Cobra Commander PF EX, which I now regret) and it be the complete opposite. A statute I want bad now, Rocketeer PF EX, sold out last year and due to cancellations it is still available. Sure, on Ebay there are some listed at sales price or slightly above but they aren't selling. Since I've been on here, I've only seen a few that make you hate hindsight...Dr. Doom PF, Captain America PF, Hulk PF...but most only seem to go up 100-200 above retail. I got my ROTLA Indy for 350 new and with shipping, but on Ebay there are ones as much as 500-600 and some actually sell, but it's more a matter of the uninformed consumer. Also, CA is spiking because of the movie, so what if the movie bombs? Or even if it is an average one, will CA PF hold it's 800-1200 value (on ebay)? I noticed the new Thor PF for the movie is a lot item count now and obviously the movie is out and people like it or don't like it, but I wonder on the long term is the movie version the one that will hold it's value and increase or will it be the comics version Thor that actually looks better? I've come to realize, this is much more a guessin game than even collecting comics or football cards. Really, the only good art investment is paintings and one sadly hopes to outlive the painter so their investment doubles or triples...

 

[CollectorNC]

Hell to the NO. While I have sold some of my things for a profit those were pretty much luck not something I expect.

Good example is your signature pic. Of those 4 PF's...only Red Skull is the one that had gone up the most.

 

[CollectorNC]

I tell myself its an investment when I'm trying to justify buying another one that I don't need....same as most people here

I tell my wife it's an investment as I spend another 300

 

[ZombieRepublican]

Once the (superior) Hot Toys versions are released? No. The RAH figures are only worth what they are b/c they are all Metal Gear fans have, IMO.

well the normal tiger stripe i guess not but i got the MGS4 Raiden
and SDCC exclusive version of Zomb Snake both sealed. i think they'll stay valuable hopfully. i have a feeling HT won't make versions already made by Medicom (although i would like to see OldSnake properly done)

 

[Skiman]

I wondered this when I stumbled onto this hobby a few months ago. (Actually, I've always been into this "hobby" as a generation of the original 3 3/4 Star Wars and G.I. Joe's, etc.) I quickly realized that you can read a thread religiously and get feedback that a new preorder will sell out or be a holy grail (I gave into peer pressure on the Cobra Commander PF EX, which I now regret) and it be the complete opposite. A statute I want bad now, Rocketeer PF EX, sold out last year and due to cancellations it is still available. Sure, on Ebay there are some listed at sales price or slightly above but they aren't selling. Since I've been on here, I've only seen a few that make you hate hindsight...Dr. Doom PF, Captain America PF, Hulk PF...but most only seem to go up 100-200 above retail. I got my ROTLA Indy for 350 new and with shipping, but on Ebay there are ones as much as 500-600 and some actually sell, but it's more a matter of the uninformed consumer. Also, CA is spiking because of the movie, so what if the movie bombs? Or even if it is an average one, will CA PF hold it's 800-1200 value (on ebay)? I noticed the new Thor PF for the movie is a lot item count now and obviously the movie is out and people like it or don't like it, but I wonder on the long term is the movie version the one that will hold it's value and increase or will it be the comics version Thor that actually looks better? I've come to realize, this is much more a guessin game than even collecting comics or football cards. Really, the only good art investment is paintings and one sadly hopes to outlive the painter so their investment doubles or triples...

 

[Darth Madden]

Good example is your signature pic. Of those 4 PF's...only Red Skull is the one that had gone up the most.

And funny enough I got it for free during Spooktacular.

 

[thenammagazine]

Buy what I like. I don't care about monetary value. Not even on my radar.

 

[CollectorNC]

And funny enough I got it for free during Spooktacular.

haha, that's even better

 

[Darth Snoopy]

Gonna go with the short answer for this question: No.

 

[Darklord Dave]

Although with SSC items the new deposit may make recent high ticket items rarer down the road.

They got carried away during the LotR Sideshow/Weta craziness and people started buying multiples and we ended up with 10000 Edition sizes. So now Sauron is the new ubiquitous garden gnome.

The lack of a deposit and people ordering and canceling are why you can still get most of the Disney PF exclusives from SSC. They overproduced because of speculators.