Lobsterman Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 I'm sure every toy collector makes the decision at least once: spend a stupid, stupid amount of money on some piece he's been chasing for years, or stand pat and watch it sail by. I'm confronting such a decision now, on something I rarely see come up on ebay, and have never found scouring conventions and message boards for the last several years. When an auction popped up last week, I got super excited, tried to calm down, and then talked myself into believing was a "rational" (just f**king stupid, really) amount of money to pay for what it actually is: several ounces of plastic. The auction ends tomorrow, the bids are creeping ever closer to my magic number, and I have a sick feeling in my gut the price will have climbed well past my stated threshold when the cards fall. It already took a lot of mental gymnastics to maneuver around the guilt and shame (shame!) of committing to spend that amount in the first place; now I'm confronted with the notion that the original number may be a pittance, and I need to get ready to put my balls on the table if I really want this thing. How do you guys talk yourselves into Grails? Do you just keep bidding higher until the auction ends, and tell yourself you'll deal with the bill in the morning? Maybe this isn't really a question, just... argh. A vent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karamazov80 Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Only one way to go--all the way, baby! I still harbor resentment and anger at Rob for beating me out on the Spidey-Mate Max. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murderofcrows Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 if you want it you always will. until you get it. so if you get it and love it you made right decision. If you get it and instantly regret it. then put it back to eBay. but at first you have to get it. go big or go home. . just post a pic when item is bought so we can see your grail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lobsterman Posted January 10, 2012 Author Share Posted January 10, 2012 Sonofabitch, you guys are not the voice of reason! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nate_studio Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 You should tell us all what the item is so we can try to outbid you I actually back down all the time on eBay. I had a few "well what difference would another five dollars make" moments early on, but now I stay committed to my original max bid. Of course this means I go home empty handed all the time which is also sad. This makes me wonder, though, what's the highest any of you have spent on a single minimate? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murderofcrows Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 no shit you don't go to a crack house on tips how to kick the habit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dio Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 (edited) If we get enough people we can DDOS eBay after you place your bid so no one else can bid XD jk jk My grail for a long time was a Miku Hatsune figma, but it was expensive before the charity reissue. Before the reissue I decided that if I was going to spend an obscene amount of money on a Miku figure it would be on Chogokin Miku, which has metal parts. So that's my grail. I'll buy it after I go to Sakura Con. I also want a Reimu Hakurei figma but she's like $100-120 now so I'm just waiting for GSC/Max Factory to reissue her. I don't want her that much and I mainly wanted her so that my Marisa Kirisame figma would have her best friend, but then a few months ago I had to sell her. Not that many people bid on her so I got a measly $30. I should have put it up for BIN. It didn't affect me much since I paid like $40 + shipping for her when she first came out. She's almost as expensive as Reimu right now. Edited January 10, 2012 by Dio Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karamazov80 Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 (edited) When there's two minutes left in the auction, put this on and crank it up to get you in the right bidding mood: There are no limits in this kind of situation. Don't put your balls on the table. Put your balls to the wall! Edited January 10, 2012 by karamazov80 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dio Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 When there's two minutes left in the auction, put this on and crank it up to get you in the right bidding mood: There are no limits in this kind of situation. Don't put your balls on the table. Put your balls to the wall! Nice song Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nessex Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 (edited) My 'Supportive Friend' advice goes something like this: Set a price and stick to it. If it's all you can afford at the start of the auction, then it's probably all you can afford at the end of the auction too! The Junky within sings a different song: I loved Marvel Legends. LOVED THEM! Still have a very big soft spot for them. I also started reading comics in the 90's when Jim Lee was putting everyone in new spandex suits and the Evil One was putting pouches on everything. When Marvel Legends was really ramping up, a complementary X-Men line was released by Toy Biz. A lot of the figures were re-hashes of ML ones, and a lot were stupidly accessorized creations aimed at children like Ninja-Strike Wolverine & Ruby Armour Cyclops. However, one figure had a variant that seemed like something i would actually want: It was in the super articulated ML style. It had great paint apps. It was a variant that reminded me of when i first got into comics. And it was anywhere between $60.00 and $100.00. It was still relatively new (at that time) and it was selling on eBay for between 3 and 5 times its retail value. So - i decided i would NOT pay over $60 for it ever. I watched ebay like a hawk and saw them go for $65, $70, $80, $100, $110 I stuck to my guns though and kept hunting . . . but i didn't see one move for $60 again. Just last year i saw one go for over $250 & another for almost $400!!! I deeply regret not buying it for $80 when i had the chance. What you do with this information is entirely up to you EDIT: are these people FREAKING KIDDING??? Edited January 10, 2012 by Nessex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TM2 Dinobot Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Man, this is like asking alcoholics "how much is too much." I will say that when I nailed my Silver Spidey, it was a perfect storm. My bills had been paid, I had the spare cash, and no one noticed it on ebay. That being said, would I do it again? Probably not. But I see Bishoujo Catwoman climbing over the $120 threshold (It's a $60 figure!) and I think back to passing on my friend's Botcon 06 set, an I hang my head. But if you don't have the money, you don't have the money. No amount of whining and wishing will make it appear. be an adult. Pay your bills. Save your cash. Then have fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buttheadsmate Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 5 years ago when I started collecting 'mates I tried to keep some sort of rein on myself & to a degree I did . I definitely have some level of OCD ...I'm not joking...so I decided that 'mates would probably be a self-administered 'relief' which in the long run would be cheaper than drugs,cars,women (I am joking),yachts & hard booze etc. It works & still does but when I began I had to learn what stuff was worth the hard way. I live in the UK having to import virtually everything I buy & incurring the expense to get it to me,importantly that means I generally have to go the extra yard when ever I bid on US ebay . 5 years ago I read here that 'this & that' was considered rare & expensive & in the final analysis I ended up paying too much for some stuff.....then again don't we all? Whether people liked it or not ....& a lot didn't....I decided 2 years ago to produce the Price Guide which would give a newbie some idea of price which is something I never had & I believe it helped. Revamping that guide is now necessary but I'm relaxed in the knowledge that within reason those prices are holding up. All that said if we're talking Minimate grails then I can't think of anything that would really whet my appetite now but I believe collecting habits have changed in the five years I've been collecting....I've seen stuff on ebay recently that would be considered ultra-rare selling for $20 ....Soapmate last week,one bidder ,BD Gold Classic Command Cylon MIB ($3 one bidder). My grail has become something of a personal joke ....SDCC2003 Yellow blank....it's obviously rare,obviously rare to me at least,but I'm not sure whether I actually care anymore because it's only the bag's label that is different than all the other 'yellows' . Reality is I'd bid but dip out after $20. There are just 3 items in the entire Star Wars kubrick line that I'm missing but there's no way I'll be paying $200 each for those....never have never will ,I'm keen but not bloody stupid. Interestingly Sam's comments about Spidey Max .....I didn't realise he was an underbidder when I asked him to take possession of him & thence send him on to me Thanks Sam. If you really want something on ebay then go for it but there is little on ebay that I've only ever seen once & never again ....often cheaper. There are no limits in this kind of situation. Don't put your balls on the table. Put your balls to the wall! Ironic ,yesterday's purchase.... http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-San-Diego-Comic-Con-SDCC-Diamond-Select-Toys-Pool-Cue-Balls-Cylon-Minimates-/190625505072?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c622a5f30 :tongue: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MINI_MYTE Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Is the auction over Brian? Did you win whatever it was you were bidding on? Please tell us what it was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BannersID Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 I would like to say I am a passionate collector. The more accurate term would be rabid. Over the years I have learned some expensive lessons. The first being research. If an item is creeping around a dollar mark that is beyond your comfort level shop around hard and find out what is driving the price, i.e. rarity, character popularity, speculative buyers, etc. If you do your homework you can usually come up with a good idea of what is a fair price to pay (and by fair I mean a price you can likely recoup if you decide to part with the item). The second lesson in regard to ebay if you really want something there learn to snipe but when you do it its a balls to the wall maneuver for sure. Put in a last minute bid but don't go cheap, its an auction the idea is for the seller to get the most the market will bear not for a buyer to get a good deal, so bid big or go home. All that being said I have had "Grails" in one case I let myself get into a week long biding war with another two buyers, a war I won, but with great cost ( I ended up spending close to 5X the market value and wound up taking a serious loss when I sold the collection off) I ate peanut butter sandwiches and ramen noodles for a month after that purchase its a shame thats what it took for me to figure out theres almost always a better deal if your patient. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kostisfire Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 When I went to purchase wave 28 my pre paid card expired and I needed to create a new one. That's how I lost the 30 dollar price for the whole wave. Sometime later I decided to hunt down deadpool. I ended paying around 50 euros for him and him only. Since then I learned my lesson so I buy everything I want ASAP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youbastards Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 (edited) Since the late 1980's, my 'Grail' has been an original copy of Mirage Comics 'Gobbledygook' #1. It is the first publication Mirage made, and is significant as the back cover featured an add for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1, technically the first ever appearance of the Turtles! Gobbledygook #1 & #2 (there were only around 50 of each printed in 1984, estimated that surviving copies are in the single digits) are the only issues missing from my TMNT comic collection (yes I own a first print of #1 and the white variant cover to issue #3) and it has been my dream to one day own this. About 10 years ago, I unknowingly bought counterfeit copies of both issues on eBay for $300. Last year, Heritage Auctions featured several rare TMNT auctions with copies of Gobbledygook #1 & #2, as well as the original cover art for both issues. I decided that I was going to go the distance, and take a 401K loan if needed (my max bid was going to be $5,000.00 for both issues), to FINALLY have this grail in my collection. I have to stress that in the almost 25 years of looking for this comic, I only ever had 1 previous chance to buy it and that ended up being a counterfeit. These comics just do not appear on eBay at all, and most collectors don't even recognize it, in fact, the CGC service lists Gobbledygook #1 & #2 as issues they won't grade, as they are unable to verify any authenticity because of the rarity. As you can see from this picture, I didn't win. The realization that this will never be in my collection was tough, and I was actually somewhat depressed for a period of time. It is also one of the reasons I stopped collecting comics, and haven't bought a single issue since. I have a huge comic collection (over 60 long boxes), with gems like X-Men #1 from 1963 (signed in person by Stan Lee!), a complete run of Uncanny X-Men, a near complete Daredevil run, a huge Spidey collection with some single digit issues of Amazing Spider-Man. Don't get me wrong, there were A LOT of other elements that were at play that caused me to stop collecting, not the least of which was my daughter being born, $4.00 an issue price tags, and the general disgust with the industry. However I can honestly say that knowing I would never own one of these was the catalyst. Sorry for the long rant, but this was one of those things I just had to get off my chest. Edited January 10, 2012 by youbastards Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youbastards Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Lobseterman - in regards to your question of how far will you go, my answer is "Sometimes it doesn't matter how far you are willing to go, it only matters how far the other bidders are willing to go!" But seriously, if it is something you really want, then go for it, especially if it is something you have wanted for a long time that doesn't appear very often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karamazov80 Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 (edited) Interestingly Sam's comments about Spidey Max .....I didn't realise he was an underbidder when I asked him to take possession of him & thence send him on to me Thanks Sam. Didn't realize how dangerous that was on your part? I wasn't the 2nd highest bidder on that auction. At the time, I just couldn't afford it. But that was a 1 of a kind auction that would be amazing to have in any collection and was worth the price it sold for IMO. At least I was able to examine it for posterity I'm still curious about who ended up winning that Wolverine. I decided that I was going to go the distance, and take a 401K loan if needed (my max bid was going to be $5,000.00 for both issues), to FINALLY have this grail in my collection. Wow. . . Edited January 10, 2012 by karamazov80 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youbastards Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 I decided that I was going to go the distance, and take a 401K loan if needed (my max bid was going to be $5,000.00 for both issues), to FINALLY have this grail in my collection. Wow. . . Yeah, part of me is glad that it didn't happen, but that's how far I was willing to go to get that into my collection, it was my "last ditch effort". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
groundhog7s Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 I'm not sure how much I would pay for a grail because it would depend on what it would do to me financially at the time. Up until recently, there've only been two grails on my list: the Muppets Backstage Theater and Jim Henson figure from the Palisades line (now you all know what to get me for my birthday). When they were released, it was at a time when anywhere near me wasn't selling Muppets in stores any more and I wasn't buying stuff on-line at the time yet. Right after being released is when the company disappeared and the last few thigns released disappeared. I could buy either pretty easily, but won't pay Corndog inflated prices, especially for things that will just go into storage. But, someday when I have extra money for something like that, i know I can get it. If it were a once in a long time thing, though, I'd probably screw up my account and find a way to do it. On a related note, did anyone here ever post on the Spawn board? They had a club of collectors that paid every month and then paid it out to a member of the club once or twice a year (I don't remember which it was). It was good to help people obtain some harder to get pieces and I guess was similar to a Christmas club. Don't know if something like that would work here, but thought I'd throw out the idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urban Saboteur Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 (edited) Well, My two Grails that cost $150+ are: Scopedog Turbo Custom Street Fighter Round 1 M.Bison *Grey Variant* I'd actually been ok for finances when buying these, i'd researched Bison and lost out on him twice previously to high bids before i finally got him 3rd time lucky, what is interesting is that you seem to want to community to help you convince you are buying something more than just a lump of plastic? I've never personally had this dilemma for something to truely be a grail to me i'd be willing to save for months upon end to buy it, i've never thought about the cost versus the product, the product i've wanted as a grail has always outstripped logial price reasoning. What I would say is 'how badly' do you want the grail? Because if you really really want it, i'd think you'd stop at nothing to get it in your collection. There are obviously some things i probably wont ever afford, mostly because i've allowed myself to be satisfied with the collections I have, also have no qualms about selling out stuff that has lost its attraction value, even sometimes at a loss (in the past). It does sound like you really want this grail item, but the conflict appears to be monetary in that you have allowed logic to take a hold of the situation and are pricing up just how ridiculous it would be to buy this item, of course alot of people would say ''Wow, you spent over $150 on a piece of plastic, you schmuck'' I'd say, ''wow, i know people that have blew more than $200 on a night out and have nothing to show for it but a raging headache and alcohol poisoning'' you can't sell those back on ebay once you're done with them can you? In life we have enough crap thrown at us from every direction, if a chance comes along that makes you happy even just for a couple of months or one year and it costs you more than you thought, as long as it made you happy it really doesn't matter. Whatever you choose i hope its a decision you are happy with, i've also learnt that if you miss out on a grail on ebay, as long as you're patient and keep saving you'll get what you wanted eventually. Rich Edited January 10, 2012 by Urban Saboteur Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shanester Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 In my experience, persistence pays off. I've had some hits and some misses, but generally, I have done well in tracking down my grails. There are still a few out there that I just haven't gotten to yet, but I will eventually. I just scored the Art Asylum Marvel Milestones Hulk Statue recently and practically robbed the guy who had the auction up. Now if I can just find the Marvel Milestones "Flagpole" Spiderman at a good price, I'm done for a while. I'd like that Kubrick Tarkin, but I just know they will re-release him as soon as I pony up the cash for the one out now (persistence). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karamazov80 Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 On a related note, did anyone here ever post on the Spawn board? They had a club of collectors that paid every month and then paid it out to a member of the club once or twice a year (I don't remember which it was). It was good to help people obtain some harder to get pieces and I guess was similar to a Christmas club. Don't know if something like that would work here, but thought I'd throw out the idea. Interesting. Seems like it would be hard to overcome the "collective action" problem there where the short term costs are felt by everyone, yet the longer term gains are felt by a few that have an incentive to defect from cooperation once their time came up. You would need to trust that folks would keep paying in after they received their pay out for it to work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
groundhog7s Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 They only allowed 12 people in and they had very strict standards as to who could join (with a few people offering to cover is someone missed). Everyone gave $20 a month and, yes, eventually someone defaulted. Of course, they also screwed over a lot of other people at that time so it wasn't just with the club. What was strange was they came back on months later and resolved everything. Not saying it's a great idea, just throwing out a different idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karamazov80 Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Well, it seems to me that if you plan on getting back what you put in, then the safer route would be a separate saving fund you set up for yourself, but I guess this would make it easier to justify paying an outrageous amount for something while allowing you to develop some real camaraderie with your e-pals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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