Thoughts from a returning collector

I've recently got back into the hobby after around ten years out. I've been so surprised to see the change in prices that, to me, almost prevent it from being a hobby anymore..or at least, a pretty expensive one..leaning towards antique collecting.

Also, the amount of Reproduction items! Now figures as well as cards and weapons!

I just assume now that most weapons on ebay have a strong chance of being repro and that uncertainty really takes the fun out of it for me.

Has all of this been gradual, or were the new movies a big catalyst for surges in price?

There seems to be more people buying to sell on than beforehand.

I remember a 4-lom palitoy 45 back costing £60 odd...

I think the catalyst for the price increases are more to do with Disney taking over the franchise rather than the crappy films they have released (except Rogue 1 which was awesome!). Disney offers longevity and wider audience which leads to increased demand and thereby prices.

Not sure if there are more flippers in the market as that is dictated by people selling below market value as flippers or opportunists can only operate with specific market conditions.

Also, I think there is a lot more competition for the so called rarer items. You only have to look on eBay and see the prices are crazy at the moment. Last 17 loose figures are going for silly money.

I agree with the Disney thing having an impact on prices and demand. Star Wars is such a huge phenomenon though, you could look at it from the point that we were lucky that prices remained low up until they did. Will be interesting what happens in the next 10 years with the way things are heading at the moment.

I can see that with Disney..especially bringing in a wider audience. The last 17 prices are baffling, you're right..and a lot of it is 'perceived' rarity rather than rarity?

In terms of flipping..I was thinking..grab a last 17 figure..add a repro weapon/helmet etc and make a profit on it..that certainly seems to be happening and, I suppose funds the production of more repros...despite the 'complete for display cheaply' thought process.

I was thinking the same thing about the next 10 years..I've seen an approx 300%-400% growth since I came back...surely that can't continue past the original generation of 70's kids/collectors!

If it does, people are sitting on some pretty serious investments for genuinely rare pieces!

Disney + the new streaming service has its own category for Star Wars as does Marvel that shows how big Star Wars is to Disney. I think the investment will keep being pumped in by Disney as the brand is worth so much. As far as the vintage market is concerned that still seems buyout especially considering the dire economic situation we all find ourselves in at present. If you look at the money that is changing hands in both vintage Star Wars and Vintage Marvel it is huge, A R2D2 prop sold for 2.7 million a couple of years ago and some high grade Marvel comics can sell for over a million, so to me it is not surprising that prices are going up in general, what is surprising is how buoyant the vintage collecting market is going into a recession!

At the moment I'd suggest that more people than normal have found themselves with time on their hands, and probably not all that much to spend money on. I tend to buy cheap stuff, but to me it just seems very erratic and unpredictable at the moment. I have found myself paying over the odds a few times lately just on impulse, possibly to cheer myself up. Vintage Star Wars is my safe space. Counselling possibly required :lol:

I have no idea why the prices for top end stuff keeps going up in the way they have done. Money no object collectors clearly. The very nature of auctions is the winning bid goes to the person with the deepest pockets who actually is prepared to pay the most for the item. This is nothing to do with the value of item. Patently 99.9% of people on the planet don't think these items are worth spending thousands on, but obviously there are enough collectors out there who have the money, so as far as I'm concerned they can do what they like. I hope it's at least partly an emotional decision for them because of the pleasure they get from collecting. As for investors, they are ultimately counting on somebody else down the line being willing to pay even more than they have. So far, that has been the case, and I can see prices going up further for the next 5-10, but I'm doubtful that will be the case say in the twenty years myself. Let's face it we are all knocking on a bit and most of our earning potential will decline by the time we are pensioners. There isn't the interest amongst the next generation in Star Wars, and certainly not the toys. But then if the last few months have taught us anything, it's probably not to try to second guess the future.

We shall see! (Hopefully!)

Like others have said the price these days for figures like Last 17 are ridicules. With Disney making the crappy movies dosa'r help only R1 and to a lesser extent Solo IMHO keeps things about water a bit. Other issues with repros is getting a major issue now. Some repros look so convincing along with figures getting harder to spot them. There has been cases of people selling fake Yak Faces in job lots no return. Also having some collectors who support repros and customs don't help things as it seems to boost their confidence in producing more repro crap.