Has the success of Toy Hunter helped or hurt us???

[MegoSteve]

You know what made toy collecting sexy? Those eBay sellers who used to shoot pictures of their toys being held by a girl in a bikini.

[Mr. Hollywood]

For a perspective of a person who has only been collecting vintage toys for two years, but has been collecting high end movie memorabilia for 25 years.


Perception:
Like most people I caught the Toy Hunters original episode featuring NY ComicCon before the series was picked up. That episode sparked my passion to reacquire some of the toys from my childhood that I cherished. Jordan’s passion, and joy on the show really excited me. Seeing the Six Million Dollar Man on that show made my head explode.

Fast forward to the first season.............the show continued to excite me and I continued to collect bringing back memories that I thought were long gone until I held that piece in my hands.

Fast forward to that August 2012 Star Wars Celebration VI.........
After checking into the Orlando Hilton my wife and I decided to check out the convention center the day before the event. In the lobby of the hotel who do I see.....Jordan and his crew! I could see that he had a long day, was tired and was certainly getting ready to retire at the hotel. Although he was tired, he took the time to stop and chat with my wife and I. He was VERY appreciative of our compliments on the show, and in particular the fact that his show really helped me recapture some great memories of my childhood. That interaction proved to me that Jordan was not a "Hollywood guy" but was an honest collector and dealer who was smart enough to promote his company, gain the TV show, and further the company he built. A true businessman, and gentleman. (A rarity in the collecting community as I am used too).

During Celebration I stopped by his booth a few times to say hey, or get an opinion on something, and no matter how busy he was he took the time. To me that says a lot as to the type of person he is. From then on I have had casual contact with him over the phone or online, and I do consider him "a friend" even if he may not remember me by face or name without a reminder. Jordan from the day I met him almost 2 years ago to today has continued to be a standup guy who is professional, kind, and always willing to help another collector. Same as that meeting in Orlando.


Market Value Vs. Show Values:
Regarding the title of this thread............Jordan’s show IN MY OPINION has done nothing but benefit the hobby as a whole, just as Antiques Road Show, Hollywood Treasures, and the Incurable Collector had done in the past. It brings awareness to those like me who only two years ago hardly remembered the Steve Austin figure, let alone ANY potential value. That exposure has allowed a larger influx of toys onto the market. Have prices gone up......perhaps on some pieces.......are non-dealers at flea markets asking prices for items that maybe too high for the condition as a result of seeing a "similar one" on the show.......probably. But we all know that the practice of over pricing has always been going on and is not exclusive to the show’s popularity.

Ebay, internet forums, television, and auctions is a condition of the times that alter the way buisness is conducted and precieved. Not a bad thing. As a matter of fact my smart phone is one of the single best tools I use when haggling with a dealer who has an unrealistic price on an item that is based on Ebay. I pull Ebay up, show the list of CLOSED auction results (unlike the asking prices he is quoting) and quickly the dealer either complies, or sticks to his guns.

As I see it the Toy Hunter in no way makes the piece you crave any less able to be obtained. If anything the awareness has allowed the treasure to see the light of day making it more available.

Hobbies no matter their subject always shift. I am willing to bet that there is at least one item you truly would love to have, but the price has been always out of reach......well the show may have pushed it a little further , but it doesn’t change the fact that it was already out of reach to begin with. In some cases maybe an item you wanted was priced to where you felt it was too high, only to now see the price raise forcing you to spend more. Thats the gamble we all take.

Everyone wants to drive a Ferrari for the price of a Honda. Not going to happen. Not before the show, nor after. Toys that have been expensive will continue to be expensive for as long as there is a buyer willing to spend that amount. It's a fact of every hobby. There are items that everyone can afford, then there are those that are limited to the affluent. Nothing wrong with that.

I don’t blame Hollywood Treasures, nor Profiles in History for driving the price of a Screen Used Luke Skywalker light saber from $50,000 to $250,000. Either way I was never going to buy one. Does the price on a sealed, or not sealed Australian Wonder Woman really matter if you’re not in the market to acquire it? How many collectors do you know that are willing to spend even $6,000 on it vs. $18,000? It’s all relative. Those in the market at that price point don't quibble over this issue, so neither should the rest of us. Besides the sale price of that figure in no way has anything to do with anything in your collection that is not the excact same Australian Wonder Woman figure.

When collectors see something sell for high prices for an item that is "similar" to something in their collections.....they love to say....."wow if that sold for X I bet my whatever it is would sell for XXX". A false value sets into the mind of the collector creating the debate of what "items should sell for".

Let’s face it.....if a mego figure was $25 bucks for the last 10 years, and now its $40 bucks..........does that really bother you? Why shouldn't the price go up if the demand is there? I have no issue with that, as a matter of fact that makes me happy to know that the piece I have may have increased since I purchased it. Great for potential sale, or trade should there come a time I choose to let it go. If I don't agree on a price for something I would like to have, or if the price is simply higher than I am able to spend....well its simple.....I don't get it. I have known collectors that have ate beans for a month to buy that special item. Crazy! I have told them that a re-evaluation on priorities is most definitely in order.


Conclusion:
At the end of the day toys are not precious commodities. They're not gold, silver, nor precious stones. They are plastic where the perceived value is driven by sentimentality. That means that the "true value" can never really be established until the buyer and seller meet.

The show is great entertainment, Jordan is a great guy, and the hobby will see its ups and downs like any collectibles market.

[Sowth]

I had a stall at my local vintage toy fair on the weekend and it seemed like every second person stopping by mentioned Toy Hunter or Jordan. While the show has been on cable here for a year or so it only began on free-to-air TV a month ago, and the response on the weekend was near unanimously positive. I saw a bunch of new buyers/lookers at the fair and the Megos and vintage SW I had for sale attracted much more interest than usual. I sold a loose batman, riddler and joker for good prices. Lots of younger interest too which is great for the long term future of our hobby. Chalk me up in the "helped" column for Toy Hunter's impact!

Will

[dr_cyclops]

"Helped or hurt us?"
Helped! For all the reasons listed on this thread.

[Fitski]

Wow I made it to the end! I think the show is great! I've seen a lot of awesome toys that I completely forgot about or never knew about it the first place. I find myself pausing the show just to see what is in the background of his booth, love the show and hope it continues for a lot more seasons. To help out my Canadian bros... If you have a US iTunes account you can download the show there.

[megocrazy]

I've yet to hear anyone who's met Jordan have a bad word to say. Like others I have friends that have been on the show. They also speak highly. I also say 5 stars for not ducking the question and answering honestly. Few realize what actually goes on behind the scenes. You see Jordan but he's hardly the final word. As for the show, none of the reality shows has done a fraction of the damage ebay has IMHO. I can remember the days of quality toy shows. Days when you could hit some kind of show every other week. When sellers could do those shows and make enough to justify staying in the business. Today we see few shows that survived. We have 1 long time show left and one new one thats caught on. The megafest show is horrible. I stopped going to that after 3 years where I spent $75 to get in and spent $25 total over 3 shows. Everything is on ebay. Great for those that were too rural to go to shows but, who hasn't been to a show, looked at something, questioned the price and been told "one sold on ebay for $xyz." I go to yard sales where people actually post copies of completed auctions on their stuff. Toy Hunter, Auction Hunters, etc, came along way too late to harm something that had already shot off the charts. I'm not saying I don't find deals out there, I do, but far fewer than the days before ebay. That died along with the, shows and the comic and toy stores, when ebay was born. Perhaps it's evolution. It's not like I drive a horse and buggy or watch B&W TV, I just preferred the old toy show days.

[llseeker]

I think it has helped for all the reasons already mentioned, but it also has waken up interest from people that aren't really collectors and because of the show may start to buy stuff, thus adding competition for items in the market....

[aussiejedi]

Here's my 2 cents worth... I think on balance, Toy Hunter helps the hobby.

As someone who had kept almost all of my childhood toys, took up collecting (mainly Star Wars) as an adult and then 'drifted' from collecting mainly because of competing priorities once marriage and kids came along, Toy Hunter has re-ignited my interest and passion in the hobby.

Not only does the show have the potential to bring new collectors in, it also has the potential to bring items into the market that otherwise would have remained in storage (or even worse, been thrown out). (Without the Toy Hunter 28k Wonder Woman episode, I would never have known of the rarity of this particular figure to then bring my figure and cardback from my childhood out of storage and into the market (for anyone interested, see my thread in Auction Watch forum)).

Overall I think Toy Hunter has got to be a +ve.

[Toyman_Chris]

I am sure someone posted a similar response to what I am about to say, but here is my two cents anyway....keep the change.

As a dealer, shows like "Toy Hunter" attract a main stream audience. People who know nothing about our industry, will watch the show for its entertainment value and realize that the "Green Ghost" game at Grandma Walton's house is actually worth something & they decide to go get it and sell it. This brings the more awesome stuff to the surface. Of course, with the knowledge it is rare, these people realize it is valuable. As a dealer, I am always willing to pay a higher percentage for the items I can flip quickly. I am at least seeing more and more of the "better" stuff. As a dealer, I will take shows like "Toy Hunter" as a big positive, because in my humble opinion, it breathes life into the hobby.

As a collector, Jordan does a great job of explaining the items he is talking about. The history of the item. What is rare and why. How can this be bad for our hobby? We are gaining new collectors. Younger collectors. This breathes life into our beloved hobby.

Overall, the days of finding the rare item for .25 cents at rummage sales are over. We all love a good deal, but don't we all love the search more? The gratification of finding the "Grail" you have long desired? Jordan's show and others like it are helping bring that to fruition.

[drmego]

The money angle is as essential to Toy Hunter as it is to poker games. It's how you keep score.
Toys are in every household, and people love to see perfect versions of toys they used to have,
but without a stated value, whether your mileage varies or not, it puts a perspective on the item
and establishes a scale of rareness for the viewer.

[XXXPHOENIX]

In my opinion it hurts only those toyhunters who try to pick top$items for fractions of their value...