Value retention/appreciation (2 Viewers)

[jazzeum]

Since I am not a smoker, will someone be kind enough to show what kind of damage does tobacco smoke does to cold metal toy soldiers and polystone/resin AFVs? Any pictures to show the type of damage? Thanks!

Unless you're constantly smoking around your figures and probably blowing smoke onto them, the worst thing that will happen is that they will smell. I have a few K & C figures that I purchased seven or eight that reeked of smoke and they are just fine today, both as to condition and smel. There is a thread on getting cigarette smell out of toy soldiers.

Brad

 

[Rutledge]

In another life, I came in contact with a lot of computer components. Among these were parts that most people never see. As regards the residue from cigarette smoke, the most interesting impact was found in fan-cooled, power supplies. Particulate in the smoke would cake itself on the capacitors and other surfaces in the PSU until it was completely clogged-up. The result was a yellow, gooey mess that would eventually completely clog and KILL the unit. I brought such dead power supplies home to show my kids when they were in middle school. To this day, as adults, they credit the viewing to the fact that they never had a bit of interest in purposely inhaling cigarette smoke. So, yeah, that same yellow gunk is on your TS, too!

-Moe

Perhaps, more importantly, that same yellow gunk is in your body and/or lungs! Ugh.

 

[PanzerAce1944]

Since I am not a smoker, will someone be kind enough to show what kind of damage does tobacco smoke does to cold metal toy soldiers and polystone/resin AFVs? Any pictures to show the type of damage? Thanks!

I once bought a tank online. The outer box wreaked of tobacco smoke. The inside of the box and the tank itself smelled like an ashtray.
The tobacco residue on the tank left a sticky feel to it along with the stench. Yes....very bad for your collection !
Wound up sending the item back to the seller.

Wayne

 

[katana]

Mildew(mold) from storage in damp areas and animal smells are other things that detract from a collectors item box. The boxes are as important to a collector as the object that came in the box. Model box art is a subject all by itself and contributes to the value of a piece and when absent can reduce the value by 20% or more!

Always leave unused accessories in the box so they don't go missing i.e. TCS broken track option, turret machine gun etc. Ditto shipping screws, instructions, reciepts etc. All these bits and pieces add value.

 

[Desertkiwi]

Great thread topic guys and pleased to see it hasn't dissolved into the usual carry-on.

 

[Currahee Chris]

My two cents, for what it's worth, is that the market is somewhat saturated with product right now. Prices continue to climb, as does quality, the collecting base still seems pretty steady as those who pass on seem to be replaced at a relatively consistent rate. I think if you are selling, this would not be the market to do it in here in the US. I do believe there are other countries who are experiencing their own collecting ups and downs which might make you a little more money than you might here in the States.

Personally, I echo the sentiments of several folks here. I view the expenditures as disposable income- akin to going to the movies, the arcade, buying books, etc. The value in that equation is the extent of happiness you and others derive from the money spent. Some movies I enjoy better than others, so the money was perhaps better spent on other things. Same with toy soldiers, the "opportunity cost (ie spending money on toy soldiers versus other equity driven expenditures) is derived from the qualitative enjoyment you obtain from these items. There are folks who do enjoy the burn and turn of the toy soldier hobby- and that is fine- but for me, I do enjoy the other aspects built into the hobby of which the toy soldier is but one piece.

 

[DMNamiot]

My two cents, for what it's worth, is that the market is somewhat saturated with product right now. Prices continue to climb, as does quality, the collecting base still seems pretty steady as those who pass on seem to be replaced at a relatively consistent rate. I think if you are selling, this would not be the market to do it in here in the US. I do believe there are other countries who are experiencing their own collecting ups and downs which might make you a little more money than you might here in the States.

Personally, I echo the sentiments of several folks here. I view the expenditures as disposable income- akin to going to the movies, the arcade, buying books, etc. The value in that equation is the extent of happiness you and others derive from the money spent. Some movies I enjoy better than others, so the money was perhaps better spent on other things. Same with toy soldiers, the "opportunity cost (ie spending money on toy soldiers versus other equity driven expenditures) is derived from the qualitative enjoyment you obtain from these items. There are folks who do enjoy the burn and turn of the toy soldier hobby- and that is fine- but for me, I do enjoy the other aspects built into the hobby of which the toy soldier is but one piece.

Great post and summation of the subject. I have been at this hobby for a long time and like Chris I look at the money spent as disposable and have enjoyed the hunt as much as the figures. Some of the figures I own have value due to rarity but they all have some value with the memories of how I found them.

Dave

 

[Currahee Chris]

That's a great point Mod-6

The hunt is such a thrill for so many of us. I think the internet has made it a little easier than it ever used to be but nonetheless, the hunt is a very "valuable" part of the hobby.

 

[Denver]

On Ebay today, 9,000 K&C items are for sale.
Did these sellers spend more than planned and must now sell,
or were those items bought as investments,
or _______________ ?

 

[David C]

On Ebay today, 9,000 K&C items are for sale.
Did these sellers spend more than planned and must now sell,
or were those items bought as investments,
or _______________ ?

I assume quite alot of those are from traders.

One reason I sell is to control the size and of the collection.

I can only display about 60 models, so after that they go in the attic and get crop rotated now and then.

I now prefer to have a collection that is smaller, but better quality and more targeted to what I really like. That way most of my investment in models is on display, rather than in the attic.

In the past I have bought Die Cast aircraft at "Bargin" prices, not because I really wanted them, but because the were a low price. They usually ended up in the attic. I have been selling them off lately (Making a small profit) and turning them in King and Country {sm4}

 

[jazzeum]

On Ebay today, 9,000 K&C items are for sale.
Did these sellers spend more than planned and must now sell,
or were those items bought as investments,
or _______________ ?

Many (if not most) of the items sold on eBay are by dealers or persons who purchased the items seeking to make a profit. Others are items sold by collectors seeking to reduce the size of their collection and hoping to also make a profit.

 

[Poppo]

Money, money, money....{sm4}

 

[David C]

Last night I won an unboxed K&C Churchill Tank on UK Ebay.
Total price with postage was £65.
Shows just what affect not having a box can do to the price.
Would normally expect to pay £120 to £140 for a good condition Churchill Tank.

 

[Desertkiwi]

Last night I won an unboxed K&C Churchill Tank on UK Ebay.
Total price with postage was £65.
Shows just what affect not having a box can do to the price.
Would normally expect to pay £120 to £140 for a good condition Churchill Tank.

That's a great score David, the Churchill is an excellent model, well done!

 

[MarkeytMaker]

The valuation game has been hindered by a few eBay sellers who list "buy it now" on rare sets for what use to be common, high and doable prices. The problem is they sit, listed and unsold in these "buy it now" formats at max price. Since they sit unsold this creates a false reality that the set isn't so sought after or rare, when in fact it's still a desirable set and rare in comparison. As an example, a D-Day set that could have sold for $350 at "auction" sits unsold for "buy it now" forever, other sellers come in and try to list their sets with "buy it now" for $300, then $250 and less and less success happens with selling. Then people start listing these same sets on "auction" and not many are left to bid up because they've witnessed prices being drawn down. Now those $350 sets only achieve $112 or $88 LOL! When the sought after items were being listed as "auctions" only that created bidding wars, especially when those sets would only be seen every few months. With "buy it now's" the bidding wars are being removed. The strategy I assume with the "buy it now" sellers is, "they don't care if a set sells or not, if it does then a hefty sale for them." For the average eBay seller these high priced "buy it now" sellers are killing the old exciting bidding wars. On a positive note the prices are doable for everyone and something the majority wished for! There is no doubt in my mind though that K&C is the "King" of toy soldiers"...especially the glossy ones!

 

[MarkeytMaker]

Also, if anyone was wondering about my absence? I'm not coming back on long term until Randy, wait what the #%&@ is his name again? Andy...right...until he starts making more glossy sets! And yes I'm well aware some of you are appreciative of my absence just as well and prefer me to just disappear and go join some other hobby^&grin

 

[jazzeum]

The fallacy with the above argument is that it assumes the old K & C sets are still desirable by collectors. They are not. The number of buyers who wish to purchase older items has decreased. A case in point are the old K & C glossy Naps. They used to be expensive. Now, they're almost hard to give away. Another case: the old 88s would fetch upwards of $500. Now, if they sell at all, they sell for $200 or so.

In addition, just because one of the big resellers lists an item at a high price doesn't mean that if the same item, if priced lower, won't sell. Buyers, if they want an item, will pay for it if they think it's more reasonably priced. I should know as I've sold several of these items. In some cases I priced them too high and on relisting, at a lower price, they sold.

 

[tdubel]

The market changes daily. Case in point - I have now handled a highly desirable Trophy set 3 times as I was buying for my own collection. First sale was at 499 fast. Second sale was long and tough at 525. Last sale occurred in 3 days at 625. Go figure. I got my own set for 399. See what I mean, prices are any given day. While in general, some lines have come down in price, a lot of the reason too is you are seeing more of them as collections open up.

TD

 

[MarkeytMaker]

The fallacy with the above argument is that it assumes the old K & C sets are still desirable by collectors. They are not. The number of buyers who wish to purchase older items has decreased. A case in point are the old K & C glossy Naps. They used to be expensive. Now, they're almost hard to give away. Another case: the old 88s would fetch upwards of $500. Now, if they sell at all, they sell for $200 or so.

In addition, just because one of the big resellers lists an item at a high price doesn't mean that if the same item, if priced lower, won't sell. Buyers, if they want an item, will pay for it if they think it's more reasonably priced. I should know as I've sold several of these items sitting at max "buy it now" prices. In some cases I priced them too high and on relisting, at a lower price, they sold.

Brad, everything has changed when sets sit at max price unsold...this creates the "impression" nobody wants them. To say the sets are no longer desirable is anything from the truth but true the buyers have decreased because of the impression of continually unsold items...everything you just said about hard to sell, hard to give away has a lot to do with the impression....not just the impression alone but the fact an item wouldn't be seen for months and then boom all of a sudden there it is in an auction. What use to be hardly seen items are now being seen over and over everyday on "buy it now" and sit and sit unsold! The sets are still amazing treasures as Treefrog suggests. The current selling prices are likely fair but with any good collectible, you take away the auction and rarity and you take away the fight to own for the highest price. In 2007-8 I remember auctions we're entertaining and in many cases unbelievable...those we're the days that created a war to own!

 

[jazzeum]

Mark,

We agree that the number of buyers have decreased but disagree on the reasons. The loss of interest is not only evident on eBay but in the auction houses. The people who want the older items, by and large, have them. Moreover, the collector base is shrinking and those who are leaving the hobby, whether voluntarily or otherwise, are attempting to sell their holdings. This causes a glut and oversupply is what we are seeing, in my opinion.

At any rate, if there are less buyers, then there is less return, obviously.

How is Hawaii, by the way.

Brad