The RFC Mini-cast – 016: What are your Transformers worth anyway?

Brian Kilby makes his first RFC Mini-cast appearance to ask what your Transformers collection is really worth. He and John DeLuna argue that value comes down to supply and demand, and that a big collection is no retirement fund. They trace G1 prices from the late-1990s eBay boom to today, and explain why Japanese G1 like Overlord keeps climbing. They close with tips on thinning a collection and selling for the best return.

Your Collection Is Not a Nest Egg

John opens by warning listeners not to count on a big collection as a retirement fund. Brian says space is his main concern. John recalls renting a storage closet full of Unicron Trilogy toys and selling them all on eBay over one summer. Brian plans to keep one or two hundred meaningful pieces and part with the rest. He says he has donated mint-in-box toys to Goodwill when selling was not worth the effort. John does the same with spare modern figures, giving them to a family friend’s kid or Toys for Tots.

Supply, Demand and Terminal Pieces

Brian says value always comes down to supply and demand, and demand changes. He notes a friend recently bought the United Rumble and Frenzy set for about $40 to $45, after it once climbed toward $100. John raises the idea of terminal pieces, such as Masterpiece Soundwave. Brian finds Masterpiece Soundwave a little too big and still prefers the 1984 original. John displays the Fall of Cybertron Soundwave instead.

The G1 Boom and Bust

Brian says late-1990s eBay prices were insane, recalling $80 for a beat-up loose Mirage he could now get for $15. He argues early online supply was limited, and prices fell as more sellers came online. One host says Classics turned him off collecting G1, because he cares about characters more than the original toys. The other counters that new fans, often drawn in by a new movie, still want the original G1 toy. John suggests that 50 years from now, a buyer would sooner pick Optimus Prime than Grand Maximus, because they know who Optimus Prime is.

Japanese G1 Keeps Climbing

One host recalls paying about $300 each for mint-in-box Overlord and Star Convoy, and says those prices are gone. He credits a point from Protoman: collectors in China who grew up on the Japanese G1 series now have disposable income. That demand has pushed up Overlord, Deathsaurus and Metrotitan. John calls it a boom that will likely bust in 10 to 15 years, and both agree it is cyclical.

Thinning the Collection

Brian plans to sell off his collection while he can, rather than leave it behind. He once thinned his collection by 400 or 500 pieces but bought far more. John plans to sell in chunks and keep a few personal favorites for family.

How to Sell for the Best Return

Brian says to decide whether money or clearing space comes first. For money, he recommends well-lit photos and selling through Facebook or fan classifieds such as TFormers and the AllSpark or TFW2005 boards to avoid eBay fees. He reports eBay non-paying bidders have become common. For easy disposal, he suggests a Facebook lot, or selling a decent G1 collection to TFW2005 or BBTS. He once sold 30 or 40 G1 pieces on the BotCon floor for $100 just to clear them. Brian now ships internationally through USPS.com and says it has helped a lot. His timing advice is to sell when a new movie or big game sparks interest. He doubts BotCon timing matters, since few people attend.

Contributors: John DeLuna, Brian Kilby