Transformers Prime FE an investment?

[Joalro]

So I'm not typically a MIB kinda guy. And i'm definitely not a buy 2 of a figure kinda guy. And even more, I'm not the kind of guy who usually buys figures for a profit.

But the FE voyagers are really tempting me. Considering that they seem to be only released in Canada, if it just so happens that they stay this way (never get released in the states) I think it's inevitable that the price of these figures will skyrocket once Canada stops getting them too. Especially when they are significantly more desireable than the upcoming main line.

Now i'm sure more of you have experience with this than me, so do you think that this is an investment worth making?

[GMfan]

Toys now, as a whole, are a horrible investment.

[Nullray]

Originally Posted by GMfan

Toys now, as a whole, are a horrible investment.

This is so true. If you are going to collect on the premise of making a million then thats not realistic. Collecting to enjoy and sharing IMO is the way to go.

[TwinTwistR]

Depends on your long term outlook. Are you willing to buy it, store it properly, then just sit on for 20 years or so? Then it MIGHT become profit maker, IF Transformers still happen to be popular and IF someone is willing to shell out for it.

Collect purely for the fun of it.

[GMfan]

Originally Posted by Nullray

This is so true. If you are going to collect on the premise of making a million then thats not realistic. Collecting to enjoy and sharing IMO is the way to go.

That pretty much sums it up. Remember, toys of the past are worth a lot because they were made in fewer numbers and finding them complete is harder because few held onto them in that MISB/MIB/Mint loose state.

Now each toy has triple to quadruple the production numbers toys from the 80's had, people think they'll be worth money so they hold onto more MISB(etc.)...ya...you're never gonna see the crazy numbers that G1 figures command for anything recent. MAYBE for a few of the really rare things like con exclusives/older store exclusives/rare variants, or things that got 3rd party upgrades but other then that...forget about it. Just enjoy the toys and put your money into something worthwhile.

Look at Beast Wars toys...they were like...$13 retail. PLUS they also had initial packaging variants, "the rock bubble" which is the rarer packaging. Fast forward to near 20 years later...a MISB Beast Wars figure goes goes for...$20? $25 for a rock bubble at shows...close to 20 years holding onto something for $7-12...ya...take that profit to the bank...

[Protoman]

This is a stark reflection of the concept of collecting. Look at comics, cards and even today, action figures.

Back in the 60s/70s/80s, no one thought "Gee! If I take good care of this, bag and board this comic, put this card in a hard plastic, keep this toy sealed mint, it will be WORTH SOMETHING".

And thus, stuff from that era in general go for a larger sum of money due to the fact that no one did think like that and the secondary market of it is in bad shape in general. Thus having it MINT is RARE. 60s/70s/80s MINT = RARE

Now fast foward to today. In the 90s, the card/comic book boom happened and everyone thought SHIT WILL BE WORTH MONEY SO KEEP IT SEALED, MINT, PERFECT. Comics GOT bagged and boarded fresh out of the store, cards out of the pack and into plastics, toys sealed in their plastic prisons FOREVER.

But sadly..... everyone thought like this and thus having a SEALED Beast Wars Rattrap or an Mark Mcguire rookie card that is MINT is not rare.

90s-Modern MINT = Common as SHIT.

So....... to answer your question. No..... it's not an investment at all. You will be lucky if you even get your money back come 2-3 years.

That's Protoman's 2 cents.

[gagagalvatron]

I would say that toys are completely unpredictable.

Toys can become sought-after for reasons that don't exist when the toy is released. They might be re-released later, causing their value to plummet, or not. You never know. Trying to predict what will be valuable is a crapshoot.

With "First Edition", Hasbro is practically announcing "Hey, collect these! They'll be valuable!" and many people who wouldn't have given a thought to it before will buy some to store. That means there's even less likelihood that any of them will ever be worth anything because many more people will be holding on to some "just in case".

The exception is Bulkhead, as he's one to a case. If you want to buy an extra Bulkhead and store it, that may not be a bad idea. But I'd only do it 1) if you have space and 2) if you find it amusing and any profits are incidental.

If you really want to make a profit, go Lego. Two sets that I bought on clearance for $60 less than ten years ago just sold on eBay for (combined) $1000.

Though, I gotta add -- two other sets were worth little more than I paid for them. Crapshoot. See above.

[Ozrein]

I think if any money is to be made it's now and it's on the short packed figures like Bulkhead, BUT even then you're not gong to be making much by buying at regular canadian retail. Find a sale and you might turn a small profit. But is the hassle of packing them up and shipping them out worth $5-10? Probably not, IMO. I make more than that working at my job for an hour.

[Sun Swipe Prime]

Originally Posted by GMfan

Toys now, as a whole, are a horrible investment.

Ditto for this and everything else that's been said. BTW In the 80's, as a very unusual kid, I did keep a few things MISB and a lot of my toys complete with everything down to used sticker sheets, and if I sold everything for max profit and take inflation into account, the money would be nice but it wouldn't allow me to driving around in a gold car wearing $100 bills for underwear. To put a little perspective on prices. G1 Prime sold for $19.99 when it first came out, which according to an inflation calculator I found on line is around $40.00 in today's money.

There will always be one or two things that just go crazy and jump in price but the bulk of things, you'll be lucky to recoup your investment. If you think about it, it just takes one repaint/re-release to drop market prices back to retail. Just take a look at Classics/Henkei Rodimus. For a while it was going for like $150 on ebay. Then the BIS pack gets released and then the re-release of Henkei Rodimus that prices for $30-$40 now.

IMHO if you want to make a buck this way, you'd be better of keeping in the bank. At least there isn't a chance you loose your shirt.

[razin]

Originally Posted by Joalro

Considering that they seem to be only released in Canada, if it just so happens that they stay this way (never get released in the states)

The US will get them. Toysrus.COM already has them available. Shouldn't be long before they hit stores.