Transformers toy collectors are growing steadily in numbers... there is such a huge demand for the original toys that we're now seeing an influx of K.O. (knock-off) "reissues". It's just unbelievable. I recall the early to mid-90's when there weren't that many collectors... prices for Gen1 Transformers were high (but not as high as they were a couple of years back) and you could still grab great deals.
Around '96, I remember haggling with a seller for the 3 powermaster cars... Slapdash, Getaway and Joyride. I got them for around 50 bucks each MISB (boxes ranged from a C7.5 to C9). A year later, I was offered more than 200 dollars per piece! This was before the big toy companies (Hasbro & Takara) realised the vast untapped market of adult toy collectors who were still hiding in their closets.
Then came the official reissues... they were a good idea on one hand. Collectors who'd missed out on their favorite TF toys during their childhood could now easily purchase one to make up for that loss. Thing is, that drove the prices of the originals down quite a bit... initially. Good or a bad thing? Depends on whether you're a seller or a buyer. The good thing was that the toy companies did NOT attempt to reissue the toys completely... the toys were the same ('cept for certain exemptions due to recent toy safety regulations in the US) but they came in new packagings and designs which differentiated the old from the new. So in a way, old time collectors were respected in the process and prices for the original toys remained steady (over time).
Now... we're seeing unofficial "reissues" which look and feel like the original thing AND come in boxes which are an exact replica of the originals. The K.O. people started out with a big release of the Decepticon tapes with collectors lapping up their initial stock. These toys came with diecast parts, professionally airbrushed paintjobs, sticker sheets, etc, etc... just like the originals. It was hard to tell em apart... seriously. What this has done is to bring down the prices of toys on the secondary markets and in the process killing the joy of hunting down certain figures which to me, is one of the main joys in toy collecting... the hunting... yeeeesssssss.
I find it a sad thing... I can picture some diehard collector buying himself an original Gen1 TF Swoop that's MISB for some ridiculously high price and having that gleam of satisfaction last for only a short while when he realises that there are fakes floating around at a fraction of the price! Or worse still, realising that he'd bought a fake for a premium! I'm just glad that I'd off loaded most of my MISB Gen1's before this K.O. craze went out of hand.
Well, it just brings us all back down to the fact that we're collecting toys and toys are what they are... so yeah.
Oh, just a heads-up for those who don't know... the K.O. folks are going to be doing a remake of Gen1 Mirage (so get rid of your MISB Gen1 Mirages now!). They've just released K.O. boxes of Gen1 Soundwave (only the boxes... no toys as the toys are currently being reissued by Hasbro... Takara's a little more expensive an option). AND they're gonna start with a project on getting the Constructicons released soon.
Gotta admit that I AM so very tempted in getting myself one of these "reissues"... gotta resist em tho. Argh.
Around '96, I remember haggling with a seller for the 3 powermaster cars... Slapdash, Getaway and Joyride. I got them for around 50 bucks each MISB (boxes ranged from a C7.5 to C9). A year later, I was offered more than 200 dollars per piece! This was before the big toy companies (Hasbro & Takara) realised the vast untapped market of adult toy collectors who were still hiding in their closets.
Then came the official reissues... they were a good idea on one hand. Collectors who'd missed out on their favorite TF toys during their childhood could now easily purchase one to make up for that loss. Thing is, that drove the prices of the originals down quite a bit... initially. Good or a bad thing? Depends on whether you're a seller or a buyer. The good thing was that the toy companies did NOT attempt to reissue the toys completely... the toys were the same ('cept for certain exemptions due to recent toy safety regulations in the US) but they came in new packagings and designs which differentiated the old from the new. So in a way, old time collectors were respected in the process and prices for the original toys remained steady (over time).
Now... we're seeing unofficial "reissues" which look and feel like the original thing AND come in boxes which are an exact replica of the originals. The K.O. people started out with a big release of the Decepticon tapes with collectors lapping up their initial stock. These toys came with diecast parts, professionally airbrushed paintjobs, sticker sheets, etc, etc... just like the originals. It was hard to tell em apart... seriously. What this has done is to bring down the prices of toys on the secondary markets and in the process killing the joy of hunting down certain figures which to me, is one of the main joys in toy collecting... the hunting... yeeeesssssss.
I find it a sad thing... I can picture some diehard collector buying himself an original Gen1 TF Swoop that's MISB for some ridiculously high price and having that gleam of satisfaction last for only a short while when he realises that there are fakes floating around at a fraction of the price! Or worse still, realising that he'd bought a fake for a premium! I'm just glad that I'd off loaded most of my MISB Gen1's before this K.O. craze went out of hand.
Well, it just brings us all back down to the fact that we're collecting toys and toys are what they are... so yeah.
Oh, just a heads-up for those who don't know... the K.O. folks are going to be doing a remake of Gen1 Mirage (so get rid of your MISB Gen1 Mirages now!). They've just released K.O. boxes of Gen1 Soundwave (only the boxes... no toys as the toys are currently being reissued by Hasbro... Takara's a little more expensive an option). AND they're gonna start with a project on getting the Constructicons released soon.
Gotta admit that I AM so very tempted in getting myself one of these "reissues"... gotta resist em tho. Argh.
