The US Prime First Edition craze

[big dawg]

hey guys,

I tend to hop between this site and TFW2005 during the day. I've noticed with the "announcement" that the US won't be getting first edition prime figures people are clamoring to get these guys (with the biggest rush to get the 2 voyagers and cliffjumper).

I myself most of the FE wave around xmas, getting a couple of the deluxes during the 40% off sale. I had them all sitting in my display and I thought to myself "this is animated all over again". What I mean by that is, I purchased pretty much every animated toy on the shelves only to realize later down the road that I didn't even like the toys, or really the show. When the value of animated toys started tanking I basically got whatever I could for them (and I notice from other members B/S/T threads that they have done the same).

Then the other day I put up my prime figures in a trade thread on TFW because I didn't really want them anymore (this was before the announcement). I got alot of offers but I took a guy up on an amazing deal for some movie human alliance figures (mudflap was among them), however now I see everyone on that board wants them and we pretty much have the market cornered (as we did somewhat with windcharger).

So I'm torn now, do I just avoid buying the prime line because it's not really my cup of tea (I think I initially bought them because I hadn't seen any new toys on the shelves in months) or do I take this opportunity while their value is at an all time high and try to fill out my classic collection?

I mean, I'm not looking to get ridiculous markup for them, but it is really good way to make people trade some of their older classics with artificially inflated values that they would never have traded for an "off the shelf figures" (jetfire for example). Does anyone else feel like they bought Prime line figures because of the glut in other transformers toys over the last few months?

TL/DR version, should I buy prime toys now to trade to US guys even though I don't want the line. Anyone else doing this?

[brr-icy]

i'm helping a couple people out usually at cost, but not buying to trade, i did this with windcharger and animated cliffjumper as well

[vohkuhl]

I don't see any problem in taking advantage of the situation since you aren't willing to pay those inflated prices and the demand is there in which the value for trade is equivalent to the traders pervceived value.

[big dawg]

Originally Posted by vohkuhl

I don't see any problem in taking advantage of the situation since you aren't willing to pay those inflated prices and the demand is there in which the value for trade is equivalent to the traders pervceived value.

this is exactly what I was thinking. Say someone has a classics voyager jetfire in their stuff for trade priced at $40, and have roughly $40 in wants for DOTM toys. If you offer someone something that is the same value as they want for their jetfire you will usually get a response like "sorry but I'm not going to trade jetfire for toys that I can buy off the shelf". This changes that, especially for those of us that didn't start collecting until recently (I myself started 1/2 way through 2010)

[big dawg]

Originally Posted by brr-icy

i'm helping a couple people out usually at cost, but not buying to trade, i did this with windcharger and animated cliffjumper as well

I've noticed that alot of people try and help out other collector's, which is awesome, but I guess I haven't made enough contacts to warrant that kind of help from south of the border. Every time I tried to score a warpath or wheeljack in the last 6 months (before showing up in canada) I always got prices in the range of $20 or more per deluxe plus shipping. that is why I don't really offer to just "help someone out" without getting something I want back in return.

Again though, I never really looked for insane prices in return. When I scored a few windcharger I was trading them to guys in the states at around $20-25 in trade value.

[vohkuhl]

Yeah, I understand the whole idea of assisting other members in getting a specific item (as brrr-icy has done) but in reality if that were the case I would love to buy everything on the BST threads at cost. Instead, I do end up paying inflated prices because like you BD I started in early 2011 but didn't join the forum until July. I probably would've saved tons of money if my purchases were made here.

If I can help a boardie I would but you can't always be the nice guy.

[OMEGA]

all i know is when they had exclusives and we never got some they rubbed it in our face and inflated for insane amounts of flowflow i guess its karma? i just sold my bulkhead to some tfw2005 memeber for $70 that dude was desperate

[Undrave]

I didn't know the US weren't getting the FE toys... should I grab a spare Cliffjumper and Starscream or something as 'investment' for future trades??

I got a trade line up for either of the Voyagers in exchange for Reverb and Dragstrip which I can't find anywhere around here.

[Goaliebot]

As long as you aren't harming the retail availability* to fellow fans, I see no harm in providing a service to the US fans by buying and shipping to them for either a reasonable profit or trade value.

* Basically, the bad scalpers are the ones who wipe out retail stock, depriving fellow local fans of a chance to get one, and then hock to those same local fans at markup. They add no value to the chain, only take money. In this case though, we Canucks can add value because the US folks can't get them, plus I think pretty much all of us that want the Prime FE toys have them by now.

[ang3l3s]

My ? is will tfp end up like animated? The transformations are wwwaayy better and the stories are more matura than animated mind you the only figs i like are prime voyager and arcee and cj.

We have a niche i say use it, if you don't someone else will. It's your right and choice.