Pre-Internet Market

[Den82]

Before I was even a teenager, I was collecting vintage Star Wars. A few years before the Power of the Force 2 stuff hit the market.

How has the internet effected prices for vintage Star Wars? I know it's made obtaining stuff much easier, but although I really can't remember prices of stuff too well, I don't think it has changed much. The figures that everyone wanted then are still the same figures everyone looks for now (POTF, Blue Snaggletooth, etc.)

I remember back in those days, there was this gigantic warehouse that was kind of hidden. They sold Star Wars figures in bundles in like a plastic comic book baggie with white cardboard. I remember them having a bunch of the POTF figures and I got a DTS Luke there and a stack of POTF coins about six inches high. WOW, do I regret selling that stuff.

What I remember though was how CHEAP it was.

My dad is always telling me I should sell my collection and always reminds me of a saying, "strike while the iron is hot". I know I've heard stories in the past about certain things (like Lone Ranger, 60s GI Joe and Roy Rogers) being untouchable at one now and now not so desirable. But I always tell him that Star Wars seems to be just as popular as it was in the 90s with very little change to the market.

Right now, trying to find 80s toys is getting harder and harder and it does seem more people are after it now. But will it ever reach a point where it's "worthless" and people will be giving it away?

I can't tell you how many times I've had to deal with people that had small, incomplete junk lots of He-Man acting like they had a pile of gold.

[mazinz]

The internet in some cases has been a good thing and a bad one. Price wise unless it is a rare variation or something along those lines, the Star Wars market is so over saturated that most prices tend to go for a lot less than what the item may be "book" valued at". This in a sense is good if you are looking for more of the common items. However, if you are looking for foreign, rare, and along those lines than the internet has worked as a catalyst and in most cases really jack knifed the value on what some of those items are actually worth.

On the complete opposite spectrum depending on whatever country's financial crisis has played a strong role in determining what you may or may not get when selling

I can relate to your hidden treasure place. In Queens, New York (by Flushing) used to be a regular warehouse called Eisenstadts (spelling??). They sold toys as well. If the people on this board saw what they still had way into the 1990's sitting on the shelves.. Most of my original (as in first issue from the first movie,) Star wars toys I purchased in the late 80's he still had sitting there among many other things

I enjoyed reading your post, thanks again for sharing

[toys2cool]

80's toys will never be worthless...way to many good lines..I'd say it's probably still the most popular decade of collecting of all time..you had it all,he-man,Transformers,thundercats,Slu's,WWF ljn just to name a few

prices will always go up and down a little bit, but they will always hold their value

[Delusional B]

80's toys will never be worthless...way to many good lines..I'd say it's probably still the most popular decade of collecting of all time..you had it all,he-man,Transformers,thundercats,Slu's,WWF ljn just to name a few

prices will always go up and down a little bit, but they will always hold their value

It's kind of funny how everyone sees the decade that they grew up with as being the best, all-round decade for toys.

If someone asked me, I'd say the 70's, hands down... Megos, Star Wars, Gi Joe Adventure Team, Six Million Dollar Man, Shogun Warriors. It's all fun, though.

[jwyblejr]

Actually,the prices of Star Wars stuff jumped quite a bit after the POTF2 stuff came out. As an example,back around 1991 someone had a POTF Anakin Skywalker for sale in Toy Shop for $50. Now look at what he goes for. Around that time,I could have picked up a set of 21-Back figures for $2100. Look at what Boba Fett by himself goes for today. I'd take into account that the internet was just getting started around the time Windows 95 came out must have also helped with the price boost. But that's just me.

[HardyGirl]

It's kind of funny how everyone sees the decade that they grew up with as being the best, all-round decade for toys.

If someone asked me, I'd say the 70's, hands down... Megos, Star Wars, Gi Joe Adventure Team, Six Million Dollar Man, Shogun Warriors. It's all fun, though.

Amen! And I'm sure that sometimes us 70s kids seem to be speaking a foreign language to the 80s babies when we talk about some shows and toys. But I think it's also interesting that a website about a toy line that had its heyday in the 70s attracts people of so many different age groups.

[Figuremod73]

'80s toys are awesome but i would have never thought i would be so into the '70s stuff until i saw the retro action superman. Now i think megos are some of the best display toys their could be. Not to large, not to small; just right.

[Den82]

I didn't grow up with 70s stuff at all, since I was born in '82. I was always familiar with Mego though, for some reason.

I always had a thing for old stuff, even as a kid. I remember seeing the Kiss dolls as a teenager in a store in NYC called "Love Saves the Day". Wanted them ever since

[tay666]

I think the prime time to sell the more common SW stuff was just before Phantom Menace hit the screens.
Everyone was talking SW. The internet was still pretty new and not as many people were listing things for sale.

The internet by and large has done great things for the rare stuff, and killed the common stuff. Before the internet, the only people that really knew how common some stuff was, were the dealers. And they charged quite a bit for all of it. After ebay and that went big though, many people found out just how easy it was to find most things. If you didn't get the current auction, there would be at least a dozen more this month for you to try your hand at.
But it also heightened the demand for really rare stuff, that a lot of people had no idea about. Now everyone knew it existed, and they all wanted it.

[Toyman_Chris]

It's kind of funny how everyone sees the decade that they grew up with as being the best, all-round decade for toys.

If someone asked me, I'd say the 70's, hands down... Megos, Star Wars, Gi Joe Adventure Team, Six Million Dollar Man, Shogun Warriors. It's all fun, though.

I think you are on to something here. I just asked my Grandpa and he thought the 20's had it all. Rocks, Sticks, Yo-Yos, Magic Slates......

[toys2cool]

I think the prime time to sell the more common SW stuff was just before Phantom Menace hit the screens.
Everyone was talking SW. The internet was still pretty new and not as many people were listing things for sale.

The internet by and large has done great things for the rare stuff, and killed the common stuff. Before the internet, the only people that really knew how common some stuff was, were the dealers. And they charged quite a bit for all of it. After ebay and that went big though, many people found out just how easy it was to find most things. If you didn't get the current auction, there would be at least a dozen more this month for you to try your hand at.
But it also heightened the demand for really rare stuff, that a lot of people had no idea about. Now everyone knew it existed, and they all wanted it.

I remember bidding $250 on ebay for a 1988 Dan Marino SLu and losing it the only one I had a chance to buy in person was at a local card shop and they were asking $500, I waited about 4 years and found it and a lot of 7 additional different year pieces for $70