LWATC - Gumball Machine Toys Sold at a Premium

**Thank you RNG (http://www.ragingnerdgasm.com) for lending the use of the Pony Pics for this article. 

Is the weekend after Thanksgiving and is now officially flea market season in Florida. During the winter season we get a massive influx of "snow birds" (people that live in the northern states that migrate to Florida during the coldest parts of the year) who migrate to our state. This massive migrations mostly brings a lot retired people to our state but it also brings down vendors that can't setup up north due to the harsh cold weather.

This new influx of fresh vendors bring new stuff down to the state and it makes the flea market a very interesting fun place to explore. Along with fresh vendors you also get a large influx of garage sales , church garage sales and estate sales raising money for the holidays. Here you can find all kinds of stuff from grandma’s old wedding dress to her sons old toys from their childhood.

On our way towards the flea market, we stopped at one of these church garage sale.  They mainly had a lot of donated products from local stores such as medical gauze, old vitamin bottles, and some toys. To our amazement among all the stuff that we found there was an entire tote full of mini blind bags. This had main brands such as My Little Pony, Halo, Marvel Comics just to name a few. When we asked the church member how much she wanted for each bag she said .25 cents each. At that price we grabbed what we wanted and went on our way with 25 blind bags as gifts for our friends. In the end we got a better deal. Because we grabbed so many they sold us  $6.25 worth of toys for $5 (around .20 cents a pop).

While is always great to find a great bargain, this really made us think about what we just bought. I will be the first person to tell you that I have a pretty good understanding of why things cost what they do, but is the markup that blows my mind away.  Recently I did a video called “Why are toys so expensive” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPsykKyDVQI) where I talk about how companies calculate the cost of these toys you see on the shelves. For a company, mark ups are necessary from whole sale prices in order to make profit to be able to continue business operations such as paying for employee wages and maybe benefits, real estate or location space, utilities, so on and so forth. However the mark ups seem a little excessive at times.

Take the My Little Pony blind bags.  These are recently being sold at stores a whopping prices of around $4 per bag.  The sets series comes with 21 different characters plus 3 bonus special edition figurines to collect.  At the current price of $4 x 24 ponies you are looking at spending a minimum of $96 plus tax.  Lets not forget these are blind bags, so you will have some repeats in order for you to get a full set.  So I say the average hard core collectors of these pony blind bags will spend around $150 to $200 for a full set buying a blind bag at a time. Normally I would say go to EBay and buy the full set since it might be cheaper, but these things are so popular that is about the same price, plus shipping and in some states plus taxes with online purchases.

For more pictures of these ponies figures check out RNG's flickr at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ragingnerdgasm/sets/72157638264939536/

Lets take a closer look at these little figures. For what I could gather from the pile of ponies we got they have 4 basic molds with minor alterations such as added horn and wings with different paint apps.  So automatically, Hasbro is saving a bundle by simply generating 24 variations of ponies out of 4 main different molds. Add to the fact that they are producing these by the millions with machines and is literally costing them around maybe at the most .10 - .20 cents per packet including figure, printed materials and packaging. So when you think about it at $4 a pop retail stores are selling these at a significant markups.

To me these blind bags markups are like equivalent markup on popcorn and soda a at a movie theater or restaurant.  While these may be popular now, I wonder if these little bind bags with meet the fate of other popular collectibles such as beanie babies leaving people feeling cheated out something they thought will retain their value. I personally can’t see myself buying these little plastic figurines at $4 when they look like the toys I could get a gumball machine as a kid.  Just seems like a big waste of money.  So bottom line is, if you collect these make sure you really like them because chances are you will never get that money back if you are ever in a jam.

Love to hear your feedback.

LWATC - He bought me a "Ring" and I bought him 2 "Industrial shelves" for his toys.

Living With a Toy Collector - He bought me a "Ring" and I bought him 2 "Industrial shelves" for his toys.

Now It's no secret at this point that my husband Tom Khayos is a toy collector and we recently moved. Well it's been two months and we have come to the realization that my husbands full collection can easily fill a 4 bedroom 2000 sq foot home on it's own.  While normally I would not have any problems with this, we are currently squished into a 1,100 2 bedroom apartment. So there's stuff everywhere.

Now for the first time in 3 years, both my husband and I are off on Thanksgiving day.  Since we don't have a lot of family where we live we simply decided to just stay home and work on tackling his collection room.  Sounds simple enough ... right???

Well earlier Wednesday morning we took Tom's mom out to eat.  As we continued to spend time out with her for a Pre Thanksgiving day, we roamed stores such as Toys R Us, Ross, and even went to the mall. Yeap you read that right...the mall.  Normally Tom and I don't go to the mall but it was a special treat for his mom.  The last time we came to the mall there was this really nice ring I saw at one of the jewelry stores.  Now Tom will tell you that I'm normally not much for shopping, or spending money like it grew on trees.  However he knew that I really like this ring and he was hoping to get it for me as an early Christmas gift. Well he did.  I loved it.

After we dropped his mom off and stopped by to say hi to our friends at Heroes Haven, we went home and started tackling the massive task of sorting his room.  It took some time to move stuff out of the room. Tote after tote we removed toys from his collection room in order to unclutter it so we can work on it. As a result we ended up re cluttering the kitchen, what will someday hope will be our dining room area, and our living room/common area. After moving quite a bit of stuff out  we noticed he didn't have enough shelves. So I quickly went to the Walmart site and started looking for industrial shelves. Keep in mind it is Thanksgiving eve around 7 pm. Not a lot of places open that has that kind of stuff, so we had to brave it out with the rest of the crazies buying last minute Thanksgiving stuff.

We were very lucky and we found 2 out of 3 much needed industrial 5 tier shelving for his toys. (** I will warn you that if you get industrial shelving it is very heavy so bring a friend that can help you lift it into the car and out of the car.)   We made a our way home fighting the stinging Florida freezing breeze and started figuring out a strategy to start setting up these shelves along with the two display cases he had from the move.

So far we have done very well and have all the furniture in the room, but now I helped as much as I can with this collection room.  Is all up to him.  We've had fun this holiday weekend.  He got me a very nice ring and I got him shelves for his toys. We are happy people.  Let's see how things go from here. LOL

My man has graduated form book shelves to industrial shelves.

LWATC - Me, My stuff and My Wife

Ok  ok.. so the title of the blog is a rip off of “You, My self & Dupree” but there’s a great reason for this.  I've been married to my husband Tom Khayos (who is a 4th generation toy collector) for 3 years now and I have been learning about his toy bobby.  Apparently, there are many women or partners who are not willing to endure being involved with someone who collects extravagant amounts things. To be quite honest it took me a while to adjust to it, but even as accepting as I am of his hobby a times the clutter does get on my nerves.

Why does this happen?
For what I have encountered there are two main reasons why women or partners get upset at the collector in their lives.  #1 lack of space and #2 finances.

#1 Lack of space

Previously I wrote a blog called "Moving with a Toy Collector" (http://livingwithatoycollector.com/?p=383 ) in which I talked about the difficulties of moving with a collector and the options many people face when they are looking for a new home. However I haven’t had the chance to talk about the space issue on a daily life that your lady, partner and even family will face. In order to this discuss this we need to first talk about what in my opinion are the 3 levels of collectors.

a) The casual collector - These collectors on average only collects what they really like and are not compelled to be completest (definition page link).  They are normally limited to a very small section of their living space such as a shelf, a wall or a bookcase at the most and are not constantly looking into expanding their collection.

b)The Average collector - These are collectors that buy things they really enjoy but also are willing to pick up other pieces because they are looking into expanding their collection, they think is cool and it starts giving them bragging rights. These collectors are the ones that are given designated room in the house, often have stuff on shelves, and in bags, boxes and totes.

c)The Elite Collector - These are the guys and gals that most average folk like to label as toy hoarders due to the incredibly large size of their collections.  Many of these collectors have been long time collectors and are very passionate about their hobby .  Many of them also take great care of their collections but sadly encountered space problems that can appear to be overwhelming to someone who doesn't knows anything or does not care about collecting. Just like the average collectors, they  will have stuff protected in bags, boxes, totes, and on shelves. However, they will also start having display cases, several rooms full of stuff, several closets, storage units and yes at time even an entire separate house just for their collection.  Yes you read that last part right.

Now you are probably saying “SO” at this point but let’s put it from your lady’s or partner’s point of view.  You come home and just had a very long day at work, or dealing with the family.  Now instead of coming home where you are at least trying to wind down, all you see is clutter and simply can’t relax.  That takes a toll on you on a daily basis.  Some people can function regardless of the environment but there are many that can’t live with a lot of clutter.  Think about, while there are many people that don’t have a home that looks like the cover of Better Homes and Garden, many of them have created layouts that is functional for everyday life without claustrophobic or dangerous circumstances where you can trip and fall over something.

Believe it or not there has been many articles released linking excessive clutter to depression. While Chronic Disorganization is not a recognized medical diagnosis nor do they have solid evidence that is linked directly to depression, many people do link clutter to their depression.   Do any of these symptoms sound familiar when it comes to your partner?

• Issues with concentration, hard time remembering things, and hard time making decision. These can affect how a person prioritize, organizes and sorts through things.
• Severe exhaustion, and energy drain.
• Feeling of self-esteem, worthlessness, helplessness, and guilt.
• Trouble sleeping, waking up very early, or excessive sleeping.
• Irritation and restlessness.
• Grossly over eating or losing appetite.
• Chronic pains, headaches, digestive problems persisting with treatment, and cramps.
• Constant anxiety, empty feeling, and sadness.

Bullet points reference from  www.care2.com article “Clutter and Depression” (http://www.care2.com/greenliving/clutter-and-depression.html?page=2)

I’m not stating that all collector’s spouses or partners suffer from depression, but I do want to state that when dealing with large amounts of stuff you have to considered how that is effecting other members of your household.  You would not feel very comfortable if every surface of your home is covered in shoes, clothing, and purses especially if this stuff don’t interest you.  Then why would you think that your partner would be interested to see your collection they are not that into all over the place? If you are one of the lucky once who has a partner than collects as well, I hope you are very very rich and can afford a mansion to put your collections into.

#2 Finances

Weather or not you are involved with a collector of any kind, finances has been known for being the number one cause of stress among relationships and families.  That’s not just something that have been determined several times in many professional articles but  I have experienced it myself in my first marriage which is the reason why I’m in my second marriage.

This is not rocket science. Keep in mind that to your partner your collection is just more stuff cluttering in their living space because many of them simply don't know, don't care or understand what you are collecting. Example: A spouse will be more willing to spend $1000 on a diamond or a ring because in their mind they understand that is valuable versus spending a $1000 on a mega rare toy that to them they see as just a hunk of plastic/junk.

The main reason why Tom and I can function is that I've been taking the time to understand and learn about what he is collecting and the value of his pieces. However we also have a very clear agreement that I have stated In my blogs before " As long as you pay you portion of bills, necessities and put a specific amount into savings , the rest of the money is yours to spend however the pieces must be quality pieces not junk."  By quality pieces I mean something he can quickly turn around just in case of a drastic emergency.  This agreement has really helped him really take a closer look at what he is buying and creating a much nicer and higher quality collection.

Now Tom and I are very lucky that we at times have the spare income to spend on his collection but it's because we plan ahead by incrementally saving paycheck to paycheck. However if you are in a position where you can't barely scrape by every month is understandable why your spouse/partner would be very upset if you spend income you don't have on a hobby. Hobbies are not a necessity. Shelter and food are number  one (especially if there are small children) followed by necessary clothing (not a shopping spree), other such as transportation cost should be next.  In this bad situation both parties in the relationship must agree to not spend on unnecessary stuff.  Also, credit cards are not an option for extra income. In fact that makes the financial stress worst and with high interest you will end up overpaying and adding more bills you can't afford on the table. Avoid them at all cost unless is an extreme emergency like broken glasses or a chipped tooth.

All in all when it comes to living with a collector there has to be a balance between partners needs, education and understanding among parties otherwise is just a ticking bomb waiting to happen.

Thank you for joining me on this blog.

In the middle of moving.

Hey guys it's been pure madness to say the least. Once this all done ill posting again. Be back in a week. 

LWATC Moving With a Toy Collector

Anybody that has ever moved will tell you moving sucks 200%.  Lets face it unless you move on a yearly basis chances are you have accumulated a lot stuff you don’t even know you still have or haven’t figured out why you kept it.  And FYI, good luck finding someone to help you move if you don’t live on the first floor.  Sorting, cleaning, organizing, and disposing of stuff is a process that takes some time when moving.

Before I meet my husband, moving was kind of a yearly to bi-yearly thing for me.  I would literally only buy necessities and would do my best to never buy anything I could not move by my self due to past experiences of moving everything alone.  At one point my apartment was so bare my friend joked that rooms is a 3rd world country had more stuff than I did because they at least had dirt and maybe a chicken or two running around. LOL

Well my bare apartment quickly changed when I meet my husband. He likes having furniture and places to display his stuff.  I don’t mind the furniture, but the size of his collection was so massive that  when he moved in to my little 600 square foot apartment  we literally had small pathways from front door, to kitchen, to bathroom, to bed. It was the first time that my OCD kicked in full strength.  It wasn't fun.  Luckily he agreed to put all his stuff in a storage unit until we could finish the lease and get a bigger place.  I’m sure this is a very common story for many collectors.

What are the Options

If you think about it ,as a collector there aren’t really many options when it comes to preserving a collection.

 Unless you are single millionaire playboy with a manssion chances are you have limited space, and are sharing your space with someone else (parents, spouse, girlfriend/boyfriend, or children).  Depending on your income this can become tricky and leads you to one of the following options.

• Get a bigger place.
• Get a storage unit
• Spreading your collections at several different locations.
• Downsizing

Get a bigger place.

In a perfect world this make perfect sense, however it only works out if you have the income to support this.  Here in Tampa Florida, finding a place to live has become abnormally expensive in both the rental and the real estate market.  Unless you can qualify for income restricted areas you are looking at around $1 -$2 per square foot for an apartment and around $100 per sq foot for a house.  Sure you can find cheap apartments but when you have a fortune in toys do you really want to be in the ghetto and in  high theft area… I don’t think so. That’s not me being a snob... that’s just common sense in my book. And Yes, we are looking into moving away out of state in the future.

If you decide to get decent size living space chances are the cost is so high that you simply will have to quit collecting.  Now I have encountered many spouses that would be thrilled to stop their collectors from collecting but to me is not worth it if they are now miserable and everybody in that home is  “apartment poor” or  “house poor”.

This situation leaves most collectors either downsizing, spreading their collections in several locations, or simply getting a storage unit which is another added cost.

Storage Units

In theory, storage units do help clear up a lot of clutter and help keep the other members in your home happy, but they also have a downfall.  Mainly cost.  Let’s face it if you don’t place your collection in a climate control unit you might as well don’t expect to retain the value of your stuff.  Here in Florida it’s very very hot and is very very humid.  A horrible combination for a collection, especially for vintage pieces.

My main issue with storage units is the cost.  With so many people losing their homes, storage units have become high in demand.  My husband and I currently have a 10’ X  30’ storage unit costing us a whopping $190 per month (after insurance and taxes).  That is around $2300 for the year just to keep his collection stored away safely on top of the collection that we have at home.  That’s a lot of money.  I can even imagine some of our friends who have 2 to 3 units for their collections.  The cost adds up really quick and let’s face it many collectors are not wealthy to begin with.  One missed payment and you are 30 days away from seeing your entire collection in an episode of “Storage Wars”.  Trust me they don’t mess around with late payments.

Another problem that we encountered with Tom’s collection is how to simply store it in the unit.  Most collectors have either things in boxes that are crushed or torn, or have a lot of loose figures.  These are hard to stack.  Not to mentioned that even when you have found a way to stacked the stuff in the unit with out causing a toy avalanche, most people don’t noticed that climate control units have a water sprinkler system hovering over their stuff. So imagine having an entire collection mint in box or carded figures wiped away by one person acting stupid in the facility.  No insurance in the world can cover you for that much damage.  So here comes another added cost.  Totes and resealable bags can make your life easy but at $5 a pop per 18 gallon tote adds up.

It has taken us 2 years, but we finally have around 80% of his collection protected.  The larger pieces that are in the box are sealed inside larger trash bags and are watertight.  We could get larger totes but sadly the bigger the tote the more expensive they are.

Spreading your collection in several locations

We have encountered many friends that have very large and vast collections but they have it spread in several locations.  This could be in their own home, several storage units, friends, and family houses.  Yes you've read that right…. spread through several friends and family houses.  This might work for some but for me I simply couldn't sleep easy knowing that my stuff is in someone's house other than mine.  You might trust that one person but you can’t control who comes in and out of that person home, nor are you guaranteed that the person that you trusted will watch your stuff or will take care of it like you would.  Is just very risky in my opinion and just plain crazy.

Downsizing

Here’s what I call the final frontier. Meaning you have peaked because of lack of space, finances, or other reasons and must cut back.   Downsizing means different things to different people.  The two main translation of I've seen is a) the person is sorting and getting rid of stuff they no longer want or b) they are really cutting back to purchasing only very few lines they still enjoy.

For what I have observed many collectors have a hard time downsizing.  Many collectors collect because there’s an emotional attachment to a specific item or series they simply just adore.   So I can only imagine that after so many years going to comic conventions, shops, flea markets, storing and maintaining these items that all of the sudden they must let go due to an urgent matter.  It can be a horrible experience for them.  We've meet many collectors that have dissolved their collections due to spouses or partners and the relationship has taken a horrible down turn. No one really wins if there's no compromise between the parties.  That is fair.

Conclusion

There is not right or wrong way to move a collector, however it is good to take a moment and really think about your situation in regards of needs, resources, and ability to continue such a unique habit. If you take the time to really plan things out, even a big move can become and easy move.

As for Tom and I, we will be moving to a larger place this weekend, killing the storage unit but he will be downsizing some of his collection.  I even volunteered the master bedroom for him to enjoy his happy little kingdom.  I never asked him to downsize, he simply figures that it is time to downsize because he was becoming sick of towing around extra stuff he doesn't care for any more.  I can honestly say that it makes me very happy to have a new place to live in, but it also giving him the chance to enjoy and display his collection properly.  I get my computer space and he gets his Man Toy cave.  I can't complain.

LWATC Small Army of Shogun Warrios Found at Thrift Shop

** Thank you Raging Nerdgasm for allowing me to use their pictures, 

In the three years that I have been with my husband, it still blows my mind away how he has an impeccable timing when it comes to finding bargains with toys.  Granted while I’m still learning a lot from him, I often find myself still scratching my head when he pulls out a figure, purchases for a few cents and it’s worth a small fortune all because he has a really deep knowledge of his hobby.  To me is like magic to remember that much stuff it just blows my mind away.  Could you have imaging what would had happened if he would have used his mental data banks for science…we probably would had become a real Super Villain with giant Robots and Ray Guns.  Buahahaha… but luckily he just likes toys and working like most normal Joe's.

As magical as these bargains may seen to me, I know he spends a lot of times looking through the internet social media sites, message boards, craigslist, and eBay just to name a few sources to get these crazy bargains. But unlike other collectors I have notice the he has the ability to do two things: he doesn't buy everything he sees just because is from a toy line he kind of likes, and he saves up his cash for better pieces he really loves.  I've meet many collectors that simply can’t do these things and when
a great bargain comes around they are simply broke and have to walk away.

When I heard of this lot of Shogun Warriors I knew it was a really big deal for two main reason: my husband wanted to get up really early (he works graveyard shift normally) witch most of the time is unheard off unless they're a really good reason, and I saw that twinkle in his eyes when he really wants something. I’m like oh boy… and  I asked him “What’s the price?”  The ad stated $450 or best offer for 5 Jumbo Shogun Warrior in great condition, 1 Godzilla Jumbo Shogun Warrior, and 7 small die-cast Shogun Warrior.  I stated that is was a really good price considering that every time I see these Jumbo figures people want a small fortune for the ones that are in disrepair. By the time my husband had told me about the ad, he was already in contact with the dealer who had told him he’s had a several people call him but been offering him ridiculous offers of $250 and he was becoming annoyed with the situation.  We both agreed that at $450 was already a fair price but we would go check it out and go decided from there.

The next morning we were there early.  The shop had been opened and the seller immediately greeted us and recognized my husband and his courtesy.  I explored the thrifts store and it was full of your standard stuff, old mugs, tea sets, apparatus that have been outdated for some time and some that simply made you laugh due to their impracticality but the shop was clean and it was easy to navigate through. All of the sudden from the corner of my eye there they were on a glass counter between old clocks and other doodads and  the other half of the set where on top of a table near by because of their large size.

It was so unique to see them in between so many different nick nacks but it truly felt like finding treasure.  The vendor made the exchange very pleasant and even shared stories of others that had come the store and have left agitated because he would accept their low offer, fights with wives, fights with girlfriends you name it he saw it.  We agree that $400 plus tax was good.  And I even go a small $3 blocks Minnie Mouse for my self.  All in all when we left my husband was very happy and thank me for being cool about it.  The funny part is that after several stops at several shops my husband once again spent a small fortune and I spent just a few bucks.  C’est La Vi.

LWATC Toy Purchase Camouflage in Victoria Secret Bag

Yesterday I had a very long day of work and just like so many of us,  I simply wanted to come home,  take off my pants and have some dinner.  Now normally I come home to an empty home since my husband and I work opposite shifts but this night it was different, he was home.  Now we are both aware that both our birthdays are coming up soon along with our anniversary.  With that in mind you can imagine the look on my face when I see something completely unexpected and pink in our house.  I thought to myself “pink, he know I hate the color pink and being on the hefty side I don’t shop at Victoria Secret”.  At this point, I was too tired finding out what was in the bag and it wasn't top priority and I simply proceed to talk to my husband and started to relax for the evening.

Eventually I walked by the bag out of sheer curiosity to see what was in it. What do I see inside?  More Kaiju.  I’m like … OK… well  he’s still sorting to the giant tote of Kaiju that he got around two weeks ago… Whatever… So I simply do what most wives do, continue doing my thing and try to stay out my hubbies hobby for that evening.  It wasn't until later that night that my husband told me he had just received more Kaiju in the mail but for whatever reason it was sent to his moms house.  His mom only had a Victoria Secret bag to carry it all home.  While I don’t like to think about why his mom has a Victoria Secret bag it definitely answered two questions with one explanation.  It simply made me laugh.  My tall husky nerdy husband walking around with a big Pink Victoria Secret bag full of Kaiju.  I’m sure most people thought he was just a big pervert.  But hey He’s all I can say is “That’s my man”.

LWATC More "Bang" for your "Buck" with Knock Off's

NOTE: Thank you Raging Nerdgasm for allowing me to use some of your pictures.

Recently my husband and I went to Toy R Us and we found our selves like usual wandering up and down the aisles of the store searching for new arrivals.  Some of the product were great but others simply blew our minds away of how bad they were and how much they thought they could get for it. Like so many, I personally believe that many companies are really pushing the limits of their fans by placing outrageous prices on these figures hoping their fans will literally buy anything that is put in front of them. For many, the illusion is starting to fade quickly with the sticker shock you get when you go and pick up that one item you love so much and simply walk away empty handed.  Collectors are kind of use to crazy pricing for a good item but for a parent that just wants a toy for their kids this really starting to put a bad dent in their pocket books even if  they can afford it.  Think about it, if the family has one boy and one girl, they are looking at dropping around $20 for a Monster High Doll and  $15 for a wrestling figure, plus tax you are looking around $40 for two pieces of plastic.  Not sure about you but with cost of living being so high that seem like a lot.

What I find amusing is that the lower quality of toys are mainly found in the boys toys but not as much in the girls toys.  Yes there are knock offs brands for girls but even those don’t look as bad as some of the main brands for boys. Next time you go the toy store roam around in all the isles and you will see what I mean.  If you have feedback on this subject I would love to hear it. But moving on...

Comic Book Toys
Examples of a bad over saturated toy lines are Marvel and DC toy lines. Yes, we get it Disney and Time

Warner…  you are trying to make your money back on your big purchase but before you start making Avengers or Batman toilet paper you might want to really start investing some time into quality control.  Some of the toys look really bad like they would be part of a kids meal toy, they have poor sculpts , are made of cheaper plastic or they are poorly painted and it gives it the look of a bootleg figure that would be sold in a shady shop somewhere.  Yet some of the figures have a whopping price of $8 -$15 a pop.  For a collector, there’s really no value for them with these newer figures. I have literally seen my husband doing a toy review and in the middle of the review the figure breaks or is broken right out the package.  For parents this is just insane pricing.

Nostalgia Toys
Example of horrible sticker shock would be the New TMNT Classic Figures.  For whatever reason the toy company has a big set of brass balls in thinking that fans will pay as much for a new version reproduction as they would for a vintage one off from Ebay.  This reaction is not only shared by my husband and myself but also by many collectors that wanted to purchase the figures but simply stated that the price is way too steep for what they are getting.  Most people in their right mind would not pay $60-$100 for four action figures that are just cool but not high quality.  I have literally seen my husband and other collectors walk up the shelf where the repos are, have a big smile on their face for a moment, see the price, put it down and walk away.  That is sad.  It seem that most companies are simply not doing price point testing to see what people are comfortable paying for an item.  They are just slapping a high price and hope that enough people will bite.  To me this seems like poor business practices in the long run but hey that what comes with at "Collectible" market.


Just plain over done

Yes that is me and yes that is my husbands Burger King Roof Top Display promo from the Star Wars movie.

A toy like that has really lost it charm and is trying to make it back is the Star Wars line.  I mean good lord how many Darth Vaders do you need.  Unless you are collecting the vintage Star Wars figures, there’s really no value on most of the new stuff. Trust me if you are a flea market hunter like my husband and I you constantly see boxes full of episode 1, 2 , and 3 figures sold for $2 a pop still in the package. They are simply making too many of them and they don’t hold their value very well.

Now recently the company finally decided to go with what is known as the “Black Line”. They finally listened the fans and created a fully articulated 6 inch star wars figures.  They come in a sleek black case that reminds you of gourmet coffee or fancy perfume bottle, but at whopping price of $20 -$30 each depending where you are buying it from. So far we have only seen 3 figures in the set and they really don’t look that bad, however if my husband really wanted these figures he has to drop $60 -$90 for the set.  Just way too much.  Even he stated that he is way happier with his vintage set than dropping that kind of money for 3 new figures.  Heck for a little more money  he can finally get that star wars jackface he wants to complete his vintage collection or the 2 foot Metroplex that just come out.  NOW a Big COOL TOY!!!!



Knock Off’s
Since the price of toys have gone  up you would think that the quality of knock offs would go down. Wrong!!! What we are seeing is that you get more bang for your buck with knock offs that you do with the brand stuff.  Example GI Joes vs CORPS figures.  And average 3 ¼ inch GI Joe figure will cost you about $8-$10 each.  For the price of one GI Joe you can get two CORPS three packs with accessory like a motorcycle, a hand glider, etc.  I’m not sure about you but if I’m buying a toy for a kid trust me when I tell you the kid rather have 6 figures and 2 big accessories versus one measly GI Joe. The funny part is that when you look at the CORPS figures and compare it to the GI Joe’s figures you will notice that sometimes is literally almost the same mold but they change the colors on it and some of the head sculpts.  Unless your kid has been watching the old GI Joe show, they won't be able to tell the difference between a GI Joe brand figures and a CORPS knock off figures if they were all in a big pile. Unless your son or daughter is GI Joes collector, there’s really not reason to buy a $10 GI Joe for play time.


A store that has really been pushing the bang for the buck has been Toys R Us with their in store lines name True Heroes  or True Legend sets.  So far we have encountered amazing sets like Ture Legends Myth and Elf sets, True Heroes Western and Pirates set, Firefighters, Cops and lets not forget the Army sets that comes with 5 figures, a full truck, weapons, props, and even a missile that make noise for only $50.  The box is about the size of about a 30-40 gallon fish tank.  Many of the sets come with amazing props.  They are also great for someone who is learning how to make custom backgrounds, needs props for pictures, or learning how to sculpt on figures. The funny part is that most of the time they are literally the same quality as the main brands toys, comes with more stuff, and is a better value.



I know there’s a big price difference when it comes to the pricing of toys and that is the word “Collectible”.  Meaning if the figure you so loved wasn't loved by everybody else as well it would simply be another plastic knock off figure on the shelf. Supply and demand 101.

Thank you for reading


Toys R Us Line on flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ragingnerdgasm/collections/72157633027690403/

CORPS
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ragingnerdgasm/sets/72157632814351765/

LWATC - So Cheap looking and So Expensive. WTF!!!

Thank you Raging Nerdgasm for allowing me to use these pictures.  World War Z figure. Check them out at http://ragingnerdgasm.com/.

Maybe is just me but recently I find myself walking down the isles of toy stores with my husband and thinking to myself “Wow, many of these new toys just look so darn bad and cheap, but they come with a whopping price tag. What gives?”

I recently did a You Tube video called “Why are Toys so expensive”.  Check it out.

Now, I personally have an idea and an understanding of why the toys cost what they cost, but it still doesn't justify it enough for us to buy any of the products at the whopping prices they are asking for just because is a license we love. Especially when we keep encountering the following problems with new collectibles toys:

Figure...
… is not secured in package.
… is broken in package.
… comes with wrong limbs, poorly attached limbs or poorly made limbs.
… has a sloppy paint jobs.
… will brake the second you get it out of the package due to using cheaper plastic.
… will not stand or pose well due to molding issues.
… can’t hold accessories they come with.
… doesn't have likeness or a bad sculpt of whoever they are supposed to be.
… has orange color skin or colors are off completely and they are not suppose to be variant.

We love Kick-Ass but the figures for Kick Ass 2 just don't look very good compare to the usual NECA Release figures.

The worst part is that many of these companies have the balls to sit there and ask for $12 plus tax for a crappy 3 inch figure or $20-$25 plus tax for a 6 inch figure.  God forbid if you are buying anything larger like a 12 inch figure, special release figure, overseas release, a play set, or a reprint or re issue figure.  At that point you are looking at $35 + for figure.  That’s insane. It wasn't even that bad even just a few years back when I first met my husband.

We find ourselves often going into the store and often leaving without buying anything these day. When we do find something,  we are finding ourselves literally picking up certain figures just because we simply love the licence so much that we have to have it, but only to leave them in the package because we are aware that the manufacturer produces such low quality product it would simply break or paint will chip the second it comes out of it’s package.  We like to call these figures “NRFB” or “NRFP” Figures” (Never remove from box or never remove from package).  However, there’s been times that we have simply loved a licence but the quality of the figure was so so so so bad that we walked away without buying.  I mean that is bad when you have people willing to give you money for something and they simply can’t do it. That’s bad business.

Currently I believe that the main issue is that being a nerd and a collector has finally become so mainstream that companies are quickly trying to profit on this and simply putting out garbage just because they think new collectors will buy anything that has a connection with the licenses they love.  While this might be true for some new collectors, in the long run their will start fading off this craze due to several “life” events or simply realizing that the quality is not there for what they pay for and cut off cold turkey.  That’s when you start seeing collections being sold on eBay or craigslist.

Companies are banking on the same illusion that comics when through during the Golden Age of comics “If I buy this now and keep it, in the future it will be worth a fortune”.  Well I would say that would have made sense if you started collecting in the 1950’s  when collectors were far and few and many toys were simply played with and disposed.  However if you start collecting today many of those toys you buy at the store will not be worth much because they are too many people collecting them and there are too many of them out in the market.  Supply and demand 101.  More of an object the less is worth, less of an object the more it’s worth.  Yes there are exceptions for to these statement but more often than not this is fairly true.  Example:”Spawn Figures”, "Newer Star Wars Figures", est.  That’s all that I’m saying.

Living With a Toy Collector Living With A Toy Collector #6 Ruby gloom fan art video

Here’s another fan art piece. This time I did fan art on Ruby Gloom. I don’t own the rights to characters but is my interpretation of the characters. Video mainly shows sketching process. Hope you enjoy it.

via WordPress http://livingwithatoycollector.com/?p=264

Living With a Toy Collector Living With A Toy Collector Pony Fan Art process 07

Here’s some fan art created based on the show my little pony. I hope you enjoy watching the process.

via WordPress http://livingwithatoycollector.com/?p=192

Living With a Toy Collector Living With A Toy Collector intro video

Hey guys. Hopefully this gives you an preview of what my channel is about. Living with a toy collector. I’m very happy to share my experiences with you.

via WordPress http://livingwithatoycollector.com/?p=185

Living With A Toy Collector #10 Life Cycle of a Toy

Hey guys. Ana Khayos here. With a short video where I talk about the "Life Cycle of a Toy".   I've been married together with my husband Tom Khayos for a few years now and I've have learned a lot during that time.  I hope you like it.  Don't be shy and leave comments below.

Life Cycle of a Toy

Living With A Toy Collector #9 Not worth going to the Movies any more.

This video talks about how going to the movie theater has lost it's value.  The figures given on this are rough estimates and are used as examples in order to explain the concept.

Thank you for joining me and I hope to hear feed back from you.

Living With A Toy Collector #8 Why Matty Collector Is Bad For Collectors Pocket Books

NOTE: I think at one point I was suppose to type out 50 instead of 40 so add and extra $20 . So instead of $680 is $700.

Meant to say and Extra $2.00 if you are not a member.

Hey Guys is Ana Bruja Khayos from Living with a Toy Collector.  This time around I wanted to talk about the very popular Matty Collectors Toy Group. When Tom and I used to be dating he was part of the collectors group.

Living With A Toy Collector # 7 Why Are Toys So Expensive

Hey guys.  So part of my daily life is spent me looking through toy isle with my husband searching for his next toy treasure.  With the change in the economy we are seeing that the price of these items are just simply sky rocketing.  So this will give you guys and idea why.  Hope you like it.

** Note I also neglect to mentioned the cost of transpiration from port to store, and profit the store needs to make from the product. That also adds up.

My Husband video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6klHnfij9A

Reviving a ZOMBIE BOX

So if you have a toy hunting husband/spouse like me you will occasionally see him/her bring home a really tattered toy that is “carded” or “in the box”.  The sad part is that most of the time you will hear he/she  say “it’s really cool that I found it un open but man it’s a shame the card or box looks like hell”.  The way I like to compare this situation is to a cat bringing their owner a dead bird and thinking it’s the coolest thing they can show their owner... yea it’s kind of like that for other members of the collectors family LOL.  

If you are trying to keep your collector happy, and if they did not pay high amounts of money for the piece (less than $10), you can do something to fix their box.  You will need a few things before you start.  Caution if you or your collector have a weak stomach you might want to skip this blog completely.   

Tool you will need
-exacto knife or knife
- clear packaging tape
- Clear Plastic sheet that is big enough to cover the damaged plastic window


The video below will show you the whole process I go through to fix my husbands Dick Tracy Big Action Figure Doll.  If you have better suggestion or techniques please don't be shy and share. I'm always willing to learn new things. Enjoy :D