Is it time to offload your Star Wars collection?

[Psab keel]

The influx of garbage sabers from overseas has devalued the saber market significantly. As a buyer it's great because you've got a world of options, but if you're an individual trying to offload a few hilts, you're giving them away for nothing. Resale for a lot of collectors is about mitigating loss.

 

[VanPersie]

The influx of garbage sabers from overseas has devalued the saber market significantly. As a buyer it's great because you've got a world of options, but if you're an individual trying to offload a few hilts, you're giving them away for nothing. Resale for a lot of collectors is about mitigating loss.

Without trying to sound elitist or snobbish, though i’m afraid i’ll come across that way, it’s also had a detrimental effect on the appreciation of what came before and the time, effort and research put into collecting those things, let alone put into creating them.

 

[Psab keel]

Agreed! Plus I've seen those LGT sabers and similar and the quality just isn't there. They're cheaply made and constructed of inferior materials/ subpar electronics. For a newbie it might be the best thing ever, but having been one of the pioneers of Luxeon tech back in 2003, so many newcomers have no clue how good they've got it with the ability to buy multiple versions of legacy designs, yet they'll often go for all the bells of the latest LGT offering.

It also doesn't help that there are fewer makers in these hobbies anymore and more collectors. That means fewer people who have any understanding of the difference between a limited run, high end item made by skilled artists and the labor involved, vs. a mass manufactured piece of garbage.

Perhaps to an outsider that may sound elitist or snobbish, but that's not coming from a place of arrogance. It's speaking confidently from hard earned, first hand experience.

 

[edge10]

You can't take it with you.

If it doesn't make you happy, let it go.

During my last move, I dropped some low value kits, or kits I wasn't interested in, at Goodwill. I have several more that need to go now.

Don't leave a bunch of junk, that your family has to clean up.

 

[Moviefreak]

Don't leave a bunch of junk, that your family has to clean up.

Exactly. Sell the stuff. Alleviate your family from having to deal with this stuff when you are gone. Make the money now and use that with family to make new memories, like taking a few vacations.

 

[drusselmeyer]

Apparently, some people have come into a little disposable income!

LoL

 

[Psab keel]

I feel another purge coming on for my collection too. Especially with a move coming up.

 

[CopperRevan]

This is the best answer that i've been trying to live by concerning the topic you brought up:

Matthew 6:
19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:

20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Our family had a good teaching moment on this the other night as a low grade tornado barreled through and we got pounded with wind rain and golf ball sized hail that beat against our home. We had less than 2min to react and hunker down. Not a single toy in our homes could have come to our rescue...or calmed the hearts of our kids...or wiped the tears from their eyes. They can't do anything for you when you are depressed or are alone or overcome with grief. They may bring a temporary smile but are soon forgotten amidst the others.

James 4:
13 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:

14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

16 But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.

17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

This always hits home with me because, by nature we are planners and we sort of deceive ourselves into thinking we have control over this or that...but in reality, nobody sits around planning to die in their sleep, or for a heart attack or an aneurysm or a stroke, or car accident etc. That is why we need to be ready daily and think about these things while we can. It sobers us up.

Psalm 39:
4 Lord, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is: that I may know how frail I am.

5 Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah.

6 Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.

7 And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee.

 

[blewis17]

I'm finding it a good time to offload some of my Master Replica SW props.

 

[TheDragon]

My speculation is, if you have any OT collectibles, such as vintage Kenner items, it may be best to sell them now

These items are at their peak value and it really is only Gen X that is buying these items, right now.

Once we all begin to hit our retirement years, people are going to switch from “buying mode” to “selling mode” as we start offloading these items (or our families will) and the market value is going to crash.

Again…just my speculation.

View attachment 1839120

In regards to the original kenner figures, not the potf2 crap. I started collecting years back and now that i'm 20 almost have a complete set of figures minus about 4-5 of the last 17 figures. I don't believe that it's only your generation that is collecting these/any OT collectables as though I may be a fringe case I do have many friends that also share the same passion. However I don't have the same earning capacity as many of you do to justify spending 1k plus for certain collectables/figures.

So while you guys may be leaving the hobby there are younger people like myself who are just getting into the hobby.

 

[Don93]

I think this is a normal sentiment for collectors to experience. Like many, I remember the dark days of collecting between the end of OT and the POTF2 line. I was excited just to buy anything Star Wars related and quickly began accumulating lots of stuff. Over the years I've let go collections of comics, GI Joe, Transformers, Star Wars, Babylon 5, Star Gate, books, various costumes and more. I’m happy to see it get enjoyed by someone else. I had to realize that I have a touch of the completist bug and enjoyed the hunt of collecting as much as owning some of the items. I've sold off most everything except the stuff I truly enjoy that fits on a 6 shelf display. Most of it could be repurchased if I really wanted but I find that fire has mostly been extinguished. OTOH, I’m sure if Haslab released a Defiant or FLAGG I’d be pulled back but I’m at the less is more stage of my collection.

 

[Sluis Van Shipyards]

That's kind of what I did. I still love B5, but got rid of a bunch of stuff. I wish I'd kept some of the models though, I have no idea what kind of brain damage I suffered that caused that... I even collected baseball cards from when I was 9-15. I do not like baseball. I just did it because friends collected them.