Just thought i would share this story with you..

[70's-toy-fan]

This is a very true stroy i wanted to share with you all..I went to a local antique center here in R.I. on sunday with my wife.I always go here at least twice a month for the last 6 or 7 years.Its a nice place to find some good deals except..there are just some sellers who do not know whats going on when they price something.

There was a booth with 5 Mego loose trek figures,spock,kirk X2,bones,scotty.They were locked so i asked a member of thier staff to open it and the staff member was actually the owner of that very booth who just started there,i have never seen him before.He is in his late 60's and he asked what i wanted to look at so i said the star trek figures please,he took them out..i looked at them incomplete with some weapons,no foil as well.

A couple had some stain issues and some paint issues,dust so i looked at the tag and my jaw dropped that my wife asked me whats wrong.The prices he marked were a whopping $69 a piece..i was in total shock!!I asked him why so high on these,they sell on ebay for $10-$20 depending on shape and what might be missing and yadda yadda yadda..he asked whats an offer you can give me on them,i said offer on them?/I won't start from these price tags sir because the price will still not be adjusted correctly,you want $350 for these.

He said those are old and expensive pieces and i stopped him and offered him $20 each figure to be nice and get this going before the sun sets..he looked at me and said with a high tone in his voice,your not my type of customer and want these for $20 each they go for $70 each loose on ebay now please i have no time for joksters like you and don't insult me again.Again..my jaw dropped harder.I was lost for words,i didn't want to argue with him.

Well i went right to the actual owner of the place who has known me for years and explained to him whats going on and he agreed because he has been doing this for 20 years in the buisness and said he was now going to spot check items to make sure these new sellers are not overcharging the public on some items,there have been other complaints.Can you believe the nerve on that guy,i mean put a price on it yeah its yours but don't rip off the public with a price thats 5-6 times its value.I was still in shock when i left to see that some people really do not belong in buisness!

All in all before i left i picked up a loose nude falcon,kirk,batman,cochise with his feather but no shoes and robin no boots or gloves for $3 each from another booth.He said there will be more nude ones next week and a boxed Green Arrow and carded batgirl he will be brining in for me.I dont know prices yet but i cant wait till next week to see them.

[Meule]

That seller has no idea what he's in to obviously, but unless people are buying them he's not ripping off anyone. If he claims these sell for $70 on eBay I take it he has at least looked at some auctions, so he knows that's bull****. So yeah, that makes him a liar and a shady character but that doesn't really mean he's a rip-off artist. If people want to pay his prices that's their business

[scoth70]

maybe its just GREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEED.......

[Meule]

maybe its just GREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEED.......

BINGO

[bondtoddbond]

I remember going to antique centers for years and it was like going to a museum, because every year you would see the same overpriced toys that no one would buy. I think some of these guys pick up a guide, see mint in package price and put that price on their incomplete junk. It's the same kind of guys we laugh about on here that try to sell a loose Ponch for $99. They obviously have time to waste trying to sell to one guy who is clueless. Congrats on the cheap finds, that's what it's all about.

[garagesale]

Yeah, I saw an overpriced ($30, I think) naked Spock w/a broken wired-together knee at a flea market once. I mentioned the high price and was cut off by, "We get that price for these all the time!" I shot back with, "Oh, you get these all the time?" I gave her my card and told her to call me when she got some in. I also offered to sell her some loose Spock clothing, but was brushed off.

In a way, a lot of this high-pricing is a con disguised as "whatever the market will bear" that plays on people's sense of nostalgia.

JamesD

[palitoy]

I think everyone can relate to the over priced antique mall seller, it's universal. People read in some price guide that a MIB Batman is worth $300 and figure their loose, incomplete chewed hand Batman must be worth at least $100.

At one place in Buffalo, a very old lady used to set up every week with her $250 Batman and Iron Man, both were missing everything.

[goldenryan]

He said those are old and expensive pieces and i stopped him and offered him $20 each figure to be nice and get this going before the sun sets..he looked at me and said with a high tone in his voice,your not my type of customer and want these for $20 each they go for $70 each loose on ebay now please i have no time for joksters like you and don't insult me again.

[trekman101]

I have been buying and selling in the collectibles market for over 20 years and have seen this time after time.....these sellers do sell items for crazy prices to people who don't have a clue of what an item is worth but sooner than later get shunned and disappear.

[Wee67]

Get some beat up Trek figures and offer to sell them to that person for $30 each. Tell that person they can double their investment since they get $70 a pop.

[highquality]

All I took from this story:

There's a CARDED BATGIRL on the way.

I hope you get her.

[70's-toy-fan]

That seller has no idea what he's in to obviously, but unless people are buying them he's not ripping off anyone. If he claims these sell for $70 on eBay I take it he has at least looked at some auctions, so he knows that's bull****. So yeah, that makes him a liar and a shady character but that doesn't really mean he's a rip-off artist. If people want to pay his prices that's their business

http://i729.photobucket.com/albums/w...eIfSerious.jpg

thats what it really looked like to me..

[70's-toy-fan]

Get some beat up Trek figures and offer to sell them to that person for $30 each. Tell that person they can double their investment since they get $70 a pop.

I know right..but why drop to his level..

[70's-toy-fan]

All I took from this story:

There's a CARDED BATGIRL on the way.

I hope you get her.

That guy who is brining that stuff in..i have bought lots of loose figs from him,apes,superman,batman all at great giveaway prices.This is what that guy told me "i am here to sell not dust"..

[70's-toy-fan]

That seller has no idea what he's in to obviously, but unless people are buying them he's not ripping off anyone. If he claims these sell for $70 on eBay I take it he has at least looked at some auctions, so he knows that's bull****. So yeah, that makes him a liar and a shady character but that doesn't really mean he's a rip-off artist. If people want to pay his prices that's their business

Very true..there are people out there that are oblivious and will pay..i just talked to the owner on the phone to see what else might have went down and he said other dealers call him the shyster from other shops over the years and say he uses unscrupulous tatics to make a buck.