Look at the prices of Sam & Pony

[Goldberry]

I can well and truly state that I'm a collector only. But it also bugs me when I paid a few 100$ more for an item than I could have now. I could never be a share holder, I'd die of a heart attack every week. :hang

I think prices are also coming down now because last year, prices were at a low in early autumn. People may have grabbed stuff at exactly that time this year hoping for the lowest prices yet. This would definitely explain why Sam/Bill and other rarer statues went so high these past few months.
Pockets are empty now but wait until after Xmas.

 

[Daveyjaro]

I have only been on this forum for some 7 months or so, but I have seen quite a few deals where people bought pieces for relatively cheap because they are "fellow / real collectors" here and then sold those pieces for a higher price again here on the board or on Ebay. I've been looking for a few things here on the board and the offers I got were usually at least as high as the recent highest price on Ebay, most of the time with "a little extra" on top.

That sounds nasty! sounds like someone is taking advantage of others. I can see why someone would be pissed off if a fellow board member bought a piece for a nice (low) price from another board member and then took it to ebay with the intention of making a killing. I could understand how someone would be steaming mad at that. Who are these people?

For me personally, I am a collector, and would only ever sell if I had some financial problems that would motivate me to sell.

 

[achteel]

On one hand, I feel for the collectors that paid big money for any of these pieces only to see the market value sliding away.
On the other hand, in the case of Sam & Bill, I'm getting excited at the possibility that I might be able to pick up my personal LOTR "Grail" at a price that I can afford. I could never justify $1000+++ for any statue, but at $500 or less, well, I'm going to do some serious thinking. But that's just me.

 

[The Josh]

For me personally, I am a collector, and would only ever sell if I had some financial problems that would motivate me to sell.

Yup, totally agree. That's why I had to sell several things a while back.

 

[FrodoEyes]

I don't like it when prices drop down really low, firstly because I like to think that my statues are worth more than I paid for them, and secondly because I want these things to sell for alot of money because that's what they deserve, to be worth so much. But only after I've got the big 3! Not because I want to sell them off again. No-one likes to spend alot on something and then soon after it goes down in value and you realise you could have got it for alot less!

Incidently, that broken Sam statue looks EXACTLY like mine did before Dassy repaired it for me!

 

[Buzzie]

https://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=6569977257&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT

 

[Mithrandier]

I do not know, I guess as a collector I do not look at this as an investment for the future. I am collectig them to keep them. There are other, more solid ways to make money, than buying & selling polystone. I do not see how someone who could state they are a collector and have been lucky enough to buy an Orthanc for $100 or whatever it was, and then sell it for $1500 or whatever crazy price it is going for. I cannot say that I do not blame them for it. It is really the people who buy them at these prices that are driving the market. They are really ruining it for themselves and other collectors. Something is only worth what somebody will give you for it.

 

[daelith]

I do not know, I guess as a collector I do not look at this as an investment for the future. I am collectig them to keep them. There are other, more solid ways to make money, than buying & selling polystone. I do not see how someone who could state they are a collector and have been lucky enough to buy an Orthanc for $100 or whatever it was, and then sell it for $1500 or whatever crazy price it is going for. I cannot say that I do not blame them for it. It is really the people who buy them at these prices that are driving the market. They are really ruining it for themselves and other collectors. Something is only worth what somebody will give you for it.

They're called collectibles for a reason. Part of the fun of collectibles is the give and take between collectors who want to buy them and collectors who want to sell them (for whatever reason). The same person that bought his Orthanc for $100 and turns around and sells it for $1500.00 might be doing it to get what he really wanted--a Balrog, for example. Or he might just being selling it to pay for his kid's surgery. Whatever the case, that's their perogative and I wouldn't pass judgement on whether they were "real collectors". For those who are late to the game, how else are you going to get the items if you really, really, really want the items? How is it ruining for themselves and other collectors?

As an example, I went and got an X-men poster by Arthur Adams for 60.00, simply because at the time it came out I was in 5th grade and couldn't afford it. The smile it brought to my face when I opened it was worth way more than the 60.00 I paid--which is paltry in relation to my income now. So can you tell me how I might be ruining it for myself and other collectors? Although I'm talking about a poster, it could just as might well have been a LOTR statue.

 

[goliath]

It is really the people who buy them at these prices that are driving the market. They are really ruining it for themselves and other collectors.

I tend not to agreed with that.

What are you supposed to do if you want to have these items in your collection?

I, for example, did not discover the Sideshow Weta line of LotR collectables until early this year. You can only imagine what efforts, particularly on the financial side, I had to make to acquire my collection.

If there are items you absolutely want in your collection, what other options do you have than to buy at what the market is asking for at the moment? "Ok, I'll wait and let them have this one, there will be another one" doesn't always work.

When I first saw the prices of these items, I could not have imagined forking out that much money for all those high-priced items like Balrog, Cave Troll, Witchking, Sam & Bill, Aragorn, Orthanc, Stone Trolls and all the other "reasonably" priced items, yet now I have them all sitting in my class cabinets - and I love them all, yes, I am proud of them.

 

[Mithrandier]

Daelith - I have not edited what I said earlier. But I believe I said I cannot blame those who buy one piece for a price & sell it to someone else at a balloned price. I am sorry if you felt that I passed judgement. I am sorry if I am not a "real collector" by not buying & selling the items to in turn buy a higher priced item. That is not my game as a collector. I have said to each their own as well. I will probably fall into the boat as everyone else & buy the pieces that I want at these prices. And that is my fault, not the sellers. When a seller says he has a orc muzzle helm for $3500, I have a decision, not the seller. If I say OK I will take it, then the next person selling the same piece says hey, there is a demand for that piece & I can get $3500 for it, you know I just drove the price up, even though I could have bought it for $40. Someone will always have it for cheaper, thank goodness. I have the patience. But when you get bit by the bug to buy a piece, you tend to pay the price.

Goliath - I found out about Weta a little late in the game as well - probably 2 years ago, but it was still after the Aragorns & the Balrogs were sold out.

 

[VTX]

The sky is falling the sky is falling...
Price fluctuation is normal and sometimes prices are influenced by speculation, manipulation and panic. The bottom line is SUPPLY and DEMAND, period. Of all the millions of people in the world that love LOTR how many will not love it in ten years?
In ten years how many mint un-damaged Cave Trolls or Balrogs will there be?
The prices will climb in time.....Supply & Demand......
Bill

 

[gtb]

This is more like it. https://cgi.ebay.com/Sideshow-WETA-...579661973QQcategoryZ86935QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I;ve got mine at about 860USD at a second chance offer from mandu_7, I think you guys must heard of him or her before... never see much of this guy recently anymore... used to have lots of AP Orthanc...

 

[daelith]

Mithrandier,
When you stated "I do not see how someone who could state they are a collector and have been lucky enough to buy an Orthanc for $100 or whatever it was, and then sell it for $1500 or whatever crazy price it is going for", you imply real collectors don't buy and sell (at inflated prices) when the opportunity presents itself. I gave you two examples in which a collector might. Do you think by saying "I cannot say that I do not blame them for it." (horrid phrasing) negates the awfulness of the comment? Again, you take this holier-than-thou attitude when you say "I am sorry if I am not a "real collector" by not buying & selling the items to in turn buy a higher priced item. That is not my game as a collector."

I don't care if you do or don't; I merely suggest that collectors will collect for different reasons--and when they sell, they will sell for different reasons. As far as I'm concerned, you are a real collector--just like the guy who sells to get a Balrog or the father who decides to sell to finance his kid's surgery, per my examples.

What I find funny is that in your earlier post you stated, "It is really the people who buy them at these prices that are driving the market. They are really ruining it for themselves and other collectors"...yet now you're admitting that "I will probably fall into the boat as everyone else & buy the pieces that I want at these prices." I'm glad you're one of us, because I pay exorbitant prices all the time and at least now, I know there's one more person out there who has to do it.

Methinks at some point in time, you WILL sell an item at an "inflated price", at which point, I hope you consider yourself a scalper

 

[Mithrandier]

Daelith - yes I am admitting that I will have to buy these pieces at these prices. I see that you are upset by the idea that someone would buy a piece cheaper than what you paid for it. I, on the other hand do not have the same feelings. I am sorry, I pay what I feel is fair for a piece. If someone else is lucky enough to get it cheaper, I may be a little jealous, not angry at them and the market. I really cannot blame the person for selling a piece at an inflated price. I know you dislike that statement, but I cannot. If you buy a piece for $90 & sell it for $1500, you just made a heck of a profit. But if you try to replace that piece, what are you going to pay for it?

As I said, if you get it in your head that you need that piece at that time, you will pay what everyone else is at that point in time.

Also - methinks you should not quit your day job and go into reading peoples futures. I collect LOTR for the sake of keeping it. I can guarentee you that if there ever comes a time that I sell a piece, I will sell all of my pieces together, along with the books, the CDs, the games, the DVDs, the posters, the swords, the staves, all of it, the whole collection. But I can forsee one thing, you are wrong.

You can call people what you want in regards to buying and selling items. The ones that sell at inflated prices are being smart buisness people. It is a big profit. Do I agree with that....no. But the people that buy a piece from a fellow board member at a cheap price and then turn around and immediately sell it to another board member at an inflated price, that is bad. That is my opinion. I personnaly do not have the time to buy & sell & buy & sell & buy & sell. So, I just buy.

 

[daelith]

Mithrandier,
If you had simply said that when "people buy a piece from a fellow board member at a cheap price and then turn around and IMMEDIATELY sell it to another board member at an inflated price, that is bad" I would've agreed with you wholeheartedly, since in that particular instance the buyer is betraying the seller, who probably assumes the buyer wants it for his/her "permanant" collection.

But you didn't say that did you?

In your first post, you implied sellers weren't real collectors if they sold their stuff at inflated prices--even though inflated prices, in my view, are just market prices--and even when I provided you with clear examples where sellers might have good reasons to part with them. Then you went on a tirade against buyers, claiming they ruined the market because of their impatience, etc.

But you changed your mind and admitted you were one of those buyers, didn't you?

As for my prediction "that at some point in time you WILL sell an item at an inflated price", I stand by it.

You changed your mind from one post to the next, so who's to say you won't change your mind within your lifetime? After all, we've heard from collectors on this board saying time and again how they'll never sell some of their wares, yet they appear on Ebay...and at market prices mind you.

 

[Viking28]

Anybody got a orginal Action Comics #1 they can sell me for the original price of .10 cents? Or even original Dective Comics #27 for .10 cents?

 

[elwood49]

Guys, my 039/750 Watcher arrived today in MINT condition!

It's a beautiful piece, and is nice and BIG. The box is actually quite small for how large the statue is. I'm very pleased with it.

$365 shipped was a great deal for what is an easily damaged piece. Now I have my sights on 2 more items that are very rare, but have dropped massively in price recently.

To be continued...

 

[goliath]

For those caring about the Watcher, there is another one on Ebay for $ 300 at the moment: Watcher on Ebay

But some members were questioning the seller: https://sideshowcollectors.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5421 because he was selling a lot of high-end stuff all at the same time and didn't provide actual pictures

 

[elwood49]

For those caring about the Watcher, there is another one on Ebay for $ 300 at the moment: Watcher on Ebay

But some members were questioning the seller: https://sideshowcollectors.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5421 because he was selling a lot of high-end stuff all at the same time and didn't provide actual pictures

I was looking at that auction also, but I passed because he has never sold a single item on Ebay. He also didn't post pictures as stated, and is selling some high ticket items. Someone can grab a deal if they use caution.