How Critical Are You Now On Condition?

So I'll be honest, to begin with the condition of an item was a huge factor in my collecting habits - everything had to be near mint! I even went down the AFA/UKG route... but now I'm not so massively fussed. I mean obviously in an ideal world we would all like our collections to be super mint! but when it comes down to the price tag of buying a near mint item these days, I'm now more than happy to own something that has a few creases or a few dings for a lesser price.

I still buy near mint loose figure because there are so many out there that you can hold out for a nice example for a good price, but when it comes to other items, boxed or carded, then I'm just happy to own it regardless... even reseals.

Anybody else had a change of heart when it comes to buying?

Yeah, definitely the same.

For MOC I used to want minty cards without price stickers. I now have a few with price stickers on and they actually add to the character. There are also a few cards I want (such as solid dome R2 on ESB) which go for more than I want to spend at the moment, so I'd happily compromise on card condition to obtain a card I'd want. I don't mind bubble dings and yellowing but I'm still not keen on bubbles which are coming away.

For boxed items I'm still pretty fussy and would rather have a quality box. In saying that I bought a Palitoy Land of the Jawas this year with a pretty poor box, but again that was about the price.

Loose figures still have to be pretty mint - not perfect, but as close as possible to the condition in which they'd have left the factory.

I agree. The way I see it is it is still exactly the same item, with exactly the same appeal as an AFA 90 equivalent... just a massively reduced price tag. I don't care too much about condition myself.

Nobody who will ever see my collection will care if my 12 back Luke isn't graded straight 85's

I've never been a major condition whore. I think it's because I collected back in the 90s and back then everything was rough, you would see sellotape on bubbles and MOCs pinned to walls with drawing pins in shops. No star cases to protect them either.

Now I am looking for nice condition trilogos for my collection, but only because I want a better set than the one I had before.

Will depend on what you collecting. There may be rare items that you don't have a choice of getting a mint version, you get what you can get. Also price can play a factor, I might have to accept a less than perfect card or bubble, reseal or even open bubble!! But for a common item then the better the condition the better!! :lol:

I've always collected on a budget, I really enjoy a piece for its collecting worth to me as opposed to its intrinsic value ( which in a lot of cases is overinflated in my view).
Therefore reseals are absoloutely fine for me, even to the extent of putting a nice cardback blister and loose figure together and resealing for my collection. It's never going anywhere, will stay with me, and for me it's bringing a piece back. You have the fun of researching which figure goes with that particular cardback, in the case of Tri Logo, which blister type to put with it, so you improve your knowledge, and add to your collection, the piece you have has a backstory to you as well.
It's horses for courses, some people want mint, and I get that.
Baggies for me have opened up a whole new world, and allow you to go off in all sorts of directions, again you learn, ( massive thanks to Frank for his baggie guide, and his baggie knowledge, which benefits our hobby in a very big way).

I think that's the thing really for me, as I have always maintained, it's about collecting for you and what makes you happy, as opposed to what you perceive others "expect".
Make a contribution in anyway you can to the hobby as you collect, " meet" some fantastic guys, as I have done on this fantastic forum.
Long may it continue :wink:

I actually prefer stuff used. Too much value is locked up in mint/sealed/unused items for me. As long as the items is complete, with inserts where possible, I'm happy.

I've always traded or sold items I've owned that are unused/sealed.

75/80 condition is absolutely fine. I remember someone on here with a 90 MOC asked if I would part with 2 of my 85s in exchange. 90 sounded so good, but for the sake of 5 points I would have just 1 beautiful MOC instead of 2. No, I want 2.

I got my 30 back Palitoy Lando for £320 because of a couple of slight creases on the card. It graded 70. This was at the time C8/8.5 ones were going at Vectis for £800-£1300.

Saying that, when you do see a totally flawless MOC with a clear bubble, it is utterly amazing to look at.

Condition of loose figs I'm fussy about.....but MOC's I'm not....love a good beater me

Everyone has their own criteria and standards, it's part of what makes it interesting. In the same way everyones collections are different and unique. I'm quite fussy about loose figures, but I've taken a long time to collect them and that's my choice. With Mocs I like unbent, uncracked bubbles but don't mind yellowing. I like flat undamaged cards but don't mind small creases, price stickers or a little bit of edgewear. I basically like things in good clean condition but not mint perfect.

I'm a bit picky when it comes to condition but I know it gets expensive only going for those minty one's. Some creases and dents/yellowing are ok but I'm not too fond of price stickers. Sometimes I wish I was. :lol:

I'm still a bit picky on condition. Mainly cause in this market the lower end damaged stuff is fetching prices that would have got you quite nice stuff a few years ago.

I can't bring myself to pay for it. I'm stuck in the past like that, hoping in the not too distant future prices will return to the old ways.

Current pricing on MOCs (especially 1st 21) has meant that I have adjusted on condition accordingly

Still pretty critical. I will still only go for the quality I used to go for, even if that means something I used to be able to afford is now out of range for me.

As long as the bubble is factory sealed and intact I dont mind the card condition.
I think because of costs I know I'll never have certain figures mint.

I would be unlikely to buy loose unless it was complete, beater MOCs are fine and I actively look for price stickers- strangely though I'm not over keen on yellow bubbles if I can avoid them I do.

In regards to moc I Don't mind a little wear as it gives vtg charm & tells me it's not been namby pambied from day one which I don't like as it seems a bit unnatural to me , Not to mention very "40 YEAR OLD VIRGIN LIKE" :wink: Bubbles though, can't do cracks at all or anything past a very slight tinge of pee.
I have even come to like price stickers,not so much normal little random white labels but the more colourful bigger ones specific to stores, especially if they have a real 80s look.
I do think when it comes to displaying a full run of loose together they have to be as nice as possible. Figures with wear although equally nice will get displayed in little scenes etc.

I'm pretty flexible really. If its something I don't own at all I'll take a less than perfect example every time to fill a gap I fancy filling.
I don't though pursue a beater loose figure, a little rough, yes, perfect, not necessarily... The reason for me is that I like to display everything I own if I can, I'm not a fan of buying and then storing stuff.
Acrylic cases can help a reseal or beater MOC look 10 times better, so MOCs can always be that bit more worse for wear...

I collect the good , bad and the ugly !!! :lol: :shock:

Any port in a storm for me.