Local Mego Sighting (a sob story)

[Den82]

So Friday night my dad noticed an estate sale listed in the paper. Vintage toys, dolls, etc. were all mentioned. I checked on craigslist and sure enough they were advertising the sale on there too. Only they had more info and pictures. Clapping monkey, 60s GI Joe...now I had to check it out. My dad, always one to state the obvious reminded me that the "early bird catches the worm", so we woke up some what early and got there about an hour and a half before the same. Early birds indeed, but apparently the early vultures wake up even earlier and to make matters worse, you had to take a number (we were 30).

What was ironic was that on the way to the sale I was telling my dad about how much I hate estate sales and garage sales for this very reason: the war-like mentality and losing out to somebody faster than you. There is a lot of camaraderie among toys collectors/dealers, except in situations like this. You'll get your neck stepped on if you're not as equally rabid.

I reminded him about the day we went to a sale mentioning vintage Star Wars toys. I was certain we'd be the first there, I was wrong. Some guy already snatched it all up and all I walked away with was a bag of 80s GI fodder.

To my horror, the same guy was at this sale yesterday..and he was one of the first online. I knew I was freezing online for nothing now and I was right.

I got in, nothing. Then I noticed a guy snatched a Mego Dracula. I was crushed, as I've been on a Mego kick lately (I currently own none) and I was telling my dad I was hoping Mego would be there.

Then I noticed a dream pile. Star Wars case full of 80s Joes and a slew of Mego and 80s figures. I start loading it up and a lady told me somebody already claimed it. Sure enough, it was that guy. The thorn in my damn side got me again.

I think from now on, I'm just going to pay collector's price and forget yard sales, estate sales and flea markets.

[wayne foundation 07]

Man thats a bummer sorry to hear you missed out on some good stuff.

[Den82]

Usually these guys know what they are buying. Hell, I have no problem with resellers (I am one too). It's just very annoying to wake up with no sleep, freeze to death and lose out on something. It's just depressing. My toes felt like they had frost bite and all I was thinking was that all the good stuff was being sold (they letting people in in small groups at a time).

What was in the box wasn't all that great, anyway. It wasn't actually a Star Wars case, but one of those dime-a-dozen Star World knock off ones. All of the Joe's were incomplete and I think the bulk of them were early 90s ones. I think he told me he paid $75 for it, which I would of said no to anyway. Considering you can get that case for $10 and most of those Joe's for $1-$3. The rest was like MOTU knock off stuff (which is cool), two Centurions, I think some 3" Mego stuff and one Mego guy with no shoes.

Not sure how much the Dracula sold for, but the guy was a dealer for sure. Sometimes you can just tell.

All I got was a few 80s GI JOE fodder parts (again!) and some 1978 Mattel Kate Jackson doll, in sweet shape that I am putting on eBay.

[timb]

I feel it man, I feel it.

[RG]

man ... that sucks.

I finally got a good yard sale over this past summer. first one in a long time, no megos but got some 80's joes, redline hotwheels and a couple model kits.

[Den82]

What sucks about this guy is that I am sure there was some stuff he had no use for in that box that I would of liked. Instead of saying, "well what are you interested?" and maybe giving somebody else a chance to get something, he was just guarding that box like new born.

Believe it or not, I would have done it. I mean, he walked away with 60s Joe, Mego, 80s Joes and other stuff. could it have hurt to give up the Centurions? lol

...or hell. Offer to sell me it? My dad asked that one guy about the Mego Dracula. I am all for being a reseller/dealer...I just cannot stand when people pretend they aren't.

I see it all the time. At one Flea Market I shop and sell out, this one clown makes his son dress up in a Darth Vader costume...to me it's so damn obvious what he is doing. I can't stand the "my son" excuse. I know it's true for some, but it's the oldest trick in the picker book.

[Batman]

Not to sound stupid but me personally only I buy stuff that I want/need for my collection...I'm by no means rich but I HATE it when I see something that I WANT/NEED and see some tool come by and swipe it. And you get that gut feeling that he is only there to make money NOT collect...That's what kills me....

[Den82]

That's what I do. Buy lots, keep some stuff and try to make the rest pay for it (with a little bit of a profit too if possible). Eventually I'd like to own a store and deal in toys full-time.

But that is another issue. These resellers you'll always miss out on, because they are the type who try to sell figures for AFA graded prices and will just let them sit and ROT in their eBay shop until somebody is stupid enough to buy it. They make more money, therefore willing to pay more.

They can pay stupid prices to joe smoe for their Star Wars beater figures (ones I'd only be able to sell for $2-$3) each, because they will try to squeeze $10 a pop out of them.

_________________

I can write a book about my run-in's with local clowns like this. There is one store. It's so overloaded, you have to walk on your side or single file (if you're with somebody) and the owner has THE WORST attitude of anyone I ever met. This guy has no social skill at all. Everything he sells, is priced so high, he never sells a damn thing. As if he looks at eBay prices and tried to get even more.

Went in there a few times, never bought a thing. I always sensed he hated me, as he knew I was too wise to rip off. Then one day he put an ad on Craigslist that he was having a massive clearance sale. He told me on the phone "he was cheap, but today even cheap". Scam. Nothing was priced differently.

He has a bunch of common loose Joes in a knock off case (all incomplete). Some guy bought it for $125! Made me sick. So I hung around, waiting for this guy to leave so I can hand him me email, to trade, sell...the owner must of sensed it and came storming out telling me to leave or he'd call the police. He wouldn't even let me talk to the guy (who ran off). Told me he "didn't need me trying to solicit his customers".

Truth be told, I was hoping for a confrontation, because I had it in for this guy for a long time and was ****ed I got suckered in by his bull post.

[megoat]

I don't understand this animosity towards dealers expressed in this thread. Are there no room for dealers in y'alls world? Should this or any other hobby only exist with collectors selling to other collectors?

[RG]

I don't understand this animosity towards dealers expressed in this thread. Are there no room for dealers in y'alls world? Should this or any other hobby only exist with collectors selling to other collectors?

fine line with dealers, those who are also in the hobby I can't view as being "true dealers" since they buy sell and trade, I've done it. Like I bought some items at the one yard sale I planned on reselling. But I left lots of other stuff for people to buy, greed just ****es people off. What sucks is when someone goes in and buys everything even if they have no clue what it is, but think becasue they saw something like it on some hobby show or the Road Show they can retire on it, but they have the right to do so.

I can't say someone who beats me to items at a yard sale are on my hate list, since I could have got up early to do the same, but most times don't. What bugs me is too many times these same people under cut and make deals with the "little old lady" who doesn't know any better, like a mego for $1 ... they'll try and get it for .75 ... come on just pay the asking price.

Now take someone like me, this is how I work my good deals ... I got about 60 80's GI Joe figures for $2. most didnt' have weapons ... I kept the ones I needed for my collection, sold the beaters in a lot on ebay for someone who makes customs to buy, gave some away to fellow collectors and sold some for much under value prices. I got my money back made some money and made others happy. I like to share what I find, and if I get a good deal and don't need the item I like to pass it on with a good deal that might also help me earn a buck or two ... not top dollar. Goes back to the greed thing... Like if this guy who beats Den82 to all the sales, were to say hey man, I see you around ... here I'll pass on this ... or pass on that etc. or sell him some stuff with a mild mark up from what he paid but not top dollar, I have a feeling Den82 wouldn't have such a bad feeling for the guy.

I know those who do this kind of thing for a living can't always do that, but every now and then if they did ... paying top dollar for their items might not hurt as bad.

[Nostalgiabuff]

I don't even check the papers, the ones that advertise tings like that are the ones these dealer types hit. I just go out on a saturday morning and see what I can find by following signs....some times you get lucky, sometimes not. Last year but my first sale out I snagged a fuzzhead joe with some clothes pieces, a POTA Astronaut along with a bunch of old barbies, sunshine family for like a dollar.
following week I scored Castle Greyskull for $3.00. They all sit in my collection now.
I also score lots of other great deals on things, other than collectibles.

[Meule]

Ugh, that sucks

[torgospizza]

"I got these at an estate sale and know nothing about them..."

The "know nothing about them" part always strikes me as a crock.

[Batman]

Here Here it's not like you buy something on clearance for like $7-9 then try and jam someone for $20 or more that's what ticks people off...Too many people do that I'm sorry but how much are you actually making when someone does that?? That's crap...

I give you props RussG you actually do it the right way sorry I have done this plenty of times as well and people just don't get it when you call them out because they don't care...Making money is always first to them sorry but I don't think that way and I have to keep things to myself because it would come out the wrong way but when you come right down too it how much money do you actually make on this a couple of bucks????

Sorry but I they should put secondary prices on retail items because you know that will keep all of the losers away and put them into the hands of people that actually want them...

fine line with dealers, those who are also in the hobby I can't view as being "true dealers" since they buy sell and trade, I've done it. Like I bought some items at the one yard sale I planned on reselling. But I left lots of other stuff for people to buy, greed just ****es people off. What sucks is when someone goes in and buys everything even if they have no clue what it is, but think becasue they saw something like it on some hobby show or the Road Show they can retire on it, but they have the right to do so.

I can't say someone who beats me to items at a yard sale are on my hate list, since I could have got up early to do the same, but most times don't. What bugs me is too many times these same people under cut and make deals with the "little old lady" who doesn't know any better, like a mego for $1 ... they'll try and get it for .75 ... come on just pay the asking price.

Now take someone like me, this is how I work my good deals ... I got about 60 80's GI Joe figures for $2. most didnt' have weapons ... I kept the ones I needed for my collection, sold the beaters in a lot on ebay for someone who makes customs to buy, gave some away to fellow collectors and sold some for much under value prices. I got my money back made some money and made others happy. I like to share what I find, and if I get a good deal and don't need the item I like to pass it on with a good deal that might also help me earn a buck or two ... not top dollar. Goes back to the greed thing... Like if this guy who beats Den82 to all the sales, were to say hey man, I see you around ... here I'll pass on this ... or pass on that etc. or sell him some stuff with a mild mark up from what he paid but not top dollar, I have a feeling Den82 wouldn't have such a bad feeling for the guy.

I know those who do this kind of thing for a living can't always do that, but every now and then if they did ... paying top dollar for their items might not hurt as bad.

[Den82]

Like if this guy who beats Den82 to all the sales, were to say hey man, I see you around ... here I'll pass on this ... or pass on that etc. or sell him some stuff with a mild mark up from what he paid but not top dollar, I have a feeling Den82 wouldn't have such a bad feeling for the guy.

Right. He's nothing like that though. At the first sale, when he saw me make a bee line for the vintage Star Wars and GI Joe stuff, he got this nervous look on his face and was watching me like a hawk. When ever I even went near the stuff he already claimed, he'd move it away from me. Eventually he had his wife guard it all at the end of the drive way.

He strikes me as the type of guy who'd push you out of the way.

I could just image what it would be like if we were in the same group that got let into the estate sale at the same time.

THAT is what I hate. This should be fun, not a damn fight.

My dad told me he witnessed actually fist fights at sales in the past, when two guys went to grab the same thing.

Not that I am against that. I would love to knock one of these guys out.