Price gauge (1 Viewer)

[skeeterbuck]

Im interested in hearing how you decide what is a good price for a figure or set when buying or bidding in an auction.

Do you have any guidelines you use in deciding how much to pay or bid?

Chuck

 

[Wraith]

Well, there's the old speel of paying what you think it is worth to you, but generally, I find that monitoring the prices on the likes of ebay is one of the few recourses available.
Due to the sheer volume of sales, this tends to mean by necessity, narrowing down what you keep tabs on, to a few ranges of manufacturers.

Simon

 

[theBaron]

This is a general statement, understanding that there may certainly be specific examples that are exceptions:

Study as much as you can, gather as much info as you can. When it comes down to it, prices on any secondary market are speculative, that is, not fixed by a retailer. You need to educate yourself, so you have an idea of what the market will bear, before you bid in an auction, or haggle with a dealer at a show or flea market.

eBay is a ready source, but it is by no means the exclusive source. If you can, check auction catalogs, online or hardcopy, and follow up after the auction closes. You'll develop a feel for what the market will bear.

If you're buying from a dealer and not in an auction, remember that the dealer has to buy low and sell high, to make the profit that enables him to stay in business. But also remember that you'll probably be able to negotiate or haggle, too.

In the secondary market, it all comes down to what the seller and buyer agree to as their price, at any given time.

Prost!
Brad

 

[theBaron]

I'll add, too, that my own general limit is $10 to $20 for a finished foot figure, and $25-$30 for a finished mounted figure. For castings, I try to keep it at $10 or less for foot figures, and $20 or less for mounted. There are exceptions, of course, based on the rarity of the item, but in cases like that, if I can get a figure for my lower prices, I consider it a coup.

For example, $10 or less is a good price for unpainted Stadden 54mm castings or Imrie-Risley kits, $5 is even better. Same goes for old King-White/Reeves figures.

Hope that all helps, prost!
Brad

 

[Spitfrnd]

Well, there's the old speel of paying what you think it is worth to you, ....

Well I think there is a lot to be said for the old speel. You should decide the price that you would be happy to pay for it and use that and the price of any dealer retail or buy it now options as your limit unless you are trying to do this for profit in which case you had better know the third party street values.

 

[Wraith]

Well I think there is a lot to be said for the old speel.

Yep, fair one, didn't mean to sound as dismissive as it does. I do have top limits on even my 'Holy Grail' items, that I won't breach, but for some of the stuff coming up on a more regular basis, knowledge of what the current market is doing, certainly gives you an indication as to whether to go for it, or whether to hang fire cause it'll turn up cheaper in the future.

 

[Deitz]

I agree with what was said already, for newer figures ebay is a good indicator of price or stores websites. For harder to find figures ebay can be tricky, sometimes the price is sky high and then the following week if it is not noticed by collectors it can go for half the price the last one went for.

For the "That got to have it figure" it is what you are willing to pay. I try to set a price if it goes over that price sometimes I will go for it. I try to rationalize it by using this logic, thinking to myself, I will have it ten years from now and if I spread that extra amount over ten years it is not really that much.

The probelm is "That got to have it figure" list keeps expanding.

 

[Grognard]

I am of course always looking for a good deal but in general my limit is 2x the original price for retired items that is and including shipping costs...