Subject:
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Re: Insane prices.... nothing new
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.market.theory
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Date:
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Tue, 11 Jan 2000 15:27:04 GMT
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Viewed:
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395 times
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John DiRienzo wrote in message ...
> > Also for an interesting fact, I bought an unopened red beard runner on • eBay
> > for $81. In my large pirate auction, it was sold opened for $152.50 which • was
> > more than a near-mint black seas barracuda went for ($148.01).
>
> I think the more recently discontinued a set is, the more chance of
> massive price variations and valuations by individuals. I have sold at
> least a dozen RBRs, and the price differences are shocking. IMO, the • reason
> is because there are a lot more of the recently discontinued sets still
> around than sets that were discontinued 5 or 10 years ago. There are more
> of the newer sets on the market, and so the amount of time one spends
> pursuing the set has a great effect on the final price he pays. Some are
> willing to spend a lot and do little work, while others are willing to put
> in some effort to save a lot - it all depends on how much one values his $.
Part of the problem is uneducated buyers not realizing how many of these are
out there (and not knowing that people bought them for bargain prices - I'm
a lot less willing to bid up something that I know was purchased from DYA or
some other bargain source). I bought a couple for a small premium, but now
would look to pay less than MSRP (they RBR does have some nice bits to start
a custom ship from, and hull parts for it are starting to go for too much
for my taste).
> > The bearded runner had a box but still, it looks good displayed in a dark
> > closet while the BSB would look great displayed anywhere and is a 10 times • as
> > good of a model as the 6289 is. I don't understand what people see in the
> RBR.
>
> I have a few assumptions about the recent slump on the BSB prices. I
> think it is normally selling for half of what it sold for a year ago. We
> can thank eBay for that, too. Before eBay got a Lego category, finding a
> BSB was actually very difficult and expensive. With the category added to
> eBay, people began to realize they could sell their old Lego for pretty • good
> prices. I never really thought the BSB could be that rare (perhaps, • sealed,
> but not used) - it was the original "flagship" set of the Pirates theme, • and
> must have been sold in mass quantities during its first couple years. I
> think the people who got those as a kid are now realizing they can sell • them
> (primarily because of eBay), and at this point in their lives (Dark Ages)
> consider cash more valuable than Lego. I think eventually the price will • go
> back up, after the NLPs (aka mundanes :-) ) sell off the BSBs and they
> become harder to find again. I think in five or ten years, the BSB will be
> the most desirable Pirates set, by far, especially compared to the RBR.
I agree. The market is shaking out a lot of BSBs, though they have been on
the market for a while. I bought one at a used toy store for $50 (it's about
80% complete), but still an awsome deal). The owner mentioned that it was
the 2nd time she sold the same set! She commented on how the original buyer
was affraid to do anything with it (even wash it - she carefully dusted
it...), and displayed it on her mantle. Soon it will be ravaging the seven
seas...
> I think a lot of people don't realize how much better the BSB is in
> comparison to the RBR, and see the RBR as a better value than the BSB.
> Plus, a few of the people buying the RBR already have the BSB, and are just
> completing their collection before the RBR price goes up any higher (which • I
> doubt it will continue to do for long).
Definitely, though I think I will end up with a real sweet ship when I take
a RBR hull (plus extra center) and build my Red Seas Barracuda (hey - does
anyone know if the 3x3 diagonal brick exists in dark grey?).
> A similar situation exists with 6080 and 6085 - they can't truly be rare
> in used condition (tons were made and sold). Most of the 6080s are • probably
> already in the hands of collectors (or Lego fans, at least) instead of the
> original hands who let them go during their Dark Ages. The 6085 is • probably
> in the same position as the 6285 right now, being bought up by Castle fans
> from the NLPs who don't need them. Eventually there won't be many left
> besides those owned by collectors, and they will be harder to buy (more
> expensive, harder to find). The 6080 is already less common than the 6085,
> and I think the price on both of these will rise steadily. Both had • dropped
> in price during the past year, too, but the 6080 is selling for about the
> same amount it did a year ago, while the 6085 is still catching up.
I feel fortuanate to have got 3 6080 from a kid entering his dark ages (yes,
THREE). Hmm, my database says I have a 6085 also, I think I got it from the
same kid. He had an amazing collection for a kid (and I think I less than
half of it, even when I bought out the last several boxes of stuff he hadn't
separated into sets yet, I have 3 copier paper boxes FULL of bricks from
him, plus at least another 1 or 2 boxes worth of bricks sorted into sets).
> For those complaining about insane eBay prices, I say love it while it
> lasts, we are in a buyers market, for now, but probably not much longer. • If
> a price is insane, don't bid - wait for another, if you think there is a
> reasonable chance there will be another. I am talking about old sets,
> primarily. Who knows how long insane prices for recently discontinued and
> currently available sets will last, probably longer than with the older
> sets, until a more efficient marketing device than eBay is initiated.
> Although most of us have not liked the idea of a price guide all along, I
> think we will be seeing one (in some form) soon, FBOW. That could • alleviate
> some of the insanity regarding new sets, but at the same time, may hinder
> the accessibility to old sets, if its not accurate (and how could it be • 100%
> accurate?!) People tend to read price guides incorrectly, too. Anyway,
> enough. Thanks for reading.
I'm not sure a price guide will ever be that useful. One may exist which
gets used by those who primarily collect sets as a collectors item (many of
whom probably wouldn't build the sets). The value of a set varies somewhat
based on the buyer's interest in the set as a whole, or the parts it
contains.
Frank
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Message has 1 Reply:
Message is in Reply To:
 | | Re: Insane prices.... nothing new
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| D. Jezek wrote in message ... (...) So (...) described. I remember paying him for shipping, but your right - he has a great reputation, and, at the time, he had far and away the best selection of sets in his auctions. eBay seems to have eliminated (...) (25 years ago, 11-Jan-00, to lugnet.market.theory)
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