Master Replicas,EFX and ANOVOS question—

Not a show off thread, more of a discussion so if this is in the wrong place, tell me and I’ll move it.

That being said—

Why is it that we all know that these prop replicas, at least the majority of them, have multiple problems, aren’t screen accurate, and are usually not the best quality but people try to charge thousands of dollars over their retail price for them on eBay and even here in the Junkyard?

I mean $2500 for a ROTJ Luke Lightsaber v02 when it’s highly inaccurate. And someone will pay for it. That’s just mean in my opinion.

I’m not trying to start a war. And I know “a fool and his money,” but gouging fans and even members of our own community? That seems pretty low to me.

Sure, everyone wants money. Got it. A decent markup based on the retail price is totally fair, but $2500 for something “wrong” just because it was a limited or licensed thing? I dunno. Makes me wonder.

Thoughts? Am I wrong?


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Collectibility. limited numbers make them harder to get. if you want it bad enough, you'll pay more for it. Yeah there are more accurate versions out there. some people want accurate, some people want rare. ICONS was horrible but they can still fetch a high price due to limited numbers.

on the other side, you get people that know this and try to jump start the price hike by putting a high limit on it. If it doesn't work it doesn't work, but if it does, they make out pretty well. I personally set my own minimum limit and let the market dictate the final value rather than try to force it up. But to each their own.

Trooper_trent said:

Collectibility. limited numbers make them harder to get. if you want it bad enough, you'll pay more for it. Yeah there are more accurate versions out there. some people want accurate, some people want rare. ICONS was horrible but they can still fetch a high price due to limited numbers.

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I just wonder why people gouge other fans. Maybe that’s my main issue here.


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zsherman said:

I just wonder why people gouge other fans. Maybe that’s my main issue here.


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to make the most money they can, do buy more props to gouge more fans to make more money? lol

You hit the nail on the head, it's because it's licensed and limited edition, these things usually always go up in price. Personally I would rather have something fan made and accurate rather than licensed and innaccurate, but it's just the nature of limited edition items that they'll go up in price, it's supply and demand. You also have to remember most collectors aren't as anal as we are on here in terms of screen accuracy, and to most people the licensed items are as good as it gets and worth paying a premium for.

Regarding the saber for sale on here, you can't expect someone to sell something on here at a discount because it's not screen accurate, the market price is the market price, whether it's on here or on ebay, it isn't about gouging anyone. If something is worth (based on market prices) $2500 why would you sell it for less?

If I read your post correctly, you are questioning the prices set in the resale market and not the initial licensed vendor market. As a 501st Darth Vader, resale prices are definitely kept in check within the main Sith Lord Detachment forum, but of course, a props demand will dictate the asking price - not necessarily the sell price.

Case in point: eFX Darth Vader PCR Helmet. Initially it is sold on the eFX website at $299 USD. They are sold out as are most of the eCommerce websites for this helmet. The same helmet is on eBay for $425+/-. So is it right/wrong? This is the supply/demand/community discussion that goes back and forth. You can easily boycott buying this higher priced helmet, but then you do not have it - and if that is a helmet you want, and someone else buys it, then you are back to searching. The question is what is your price to wait? I found one for $260. Was I lucky or diligent?

The lightsaber market seem to have the highest resale bump, but without buyers, the prices would adjust. But if people are buying, why lower your price to original price and leave $ on the table.

You also mentioned quality and accuracy. I understand mass produced props will not be 100% screen accurate, but you are a least buying a prop with the thought that there is some type of lineage to the original, if that is important to you. How many cars/trucks that are professional made have been recalled? All mass produced items have some type of flaw or defect and hopefully Quality Control catches most.

I am definitely cautious buying on eBay vs FB/club forums but I also find that some buyers do not know what they have and do not do their homework for pricing - so you can find some decent deals if you have the $ ready.

I like to see others comments.

Thanks!

Trooper_trent said:

to make the most money they can, do buy more props to gouge more fans to make more money? lol

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BWAHAHAHAHA!

I had two of the Master Replicas Fett helmets. I kept one and sold the other years later for like $150 more than I paid when it was selling for like $3K or something ridiculous.

I guess my feeling is not all of us are rolling in money like Scrooge McDuck, and if there’s someone out there that wants it, I don’t need to price normal fans out because of greed.


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zsherman said:

BWAHAHAHAHA!

I had two of the Master Replicas Fett helmets. I kept one and sold the other years later for like $150 more than I paid when it was selling for like $3K or something ridiculous.

I guess my feeling is not all of us are rolling in money like Scrooge McDuck, and if there’s someone out there that wants it, I don’t need to price normal fans out because of greed.


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by your own logic, why did you add $150 onto the price you paid for the Fett helmet when it's no where near accurate? shouldn't you have just done all the fans a favour and sold it cheaper than you paid? it was 2nd hand and inaccurate after all...

Accuracy and value does not go hand in hand. If the demand is there but not enough product prices will go up. They are pieces of history as far as licensed goes.

razorsharp192 said:

by your own logic, why did you add $150 onto the price you paid for the Fett helmet when it's no where near accurate? shouldn't you have just done all the fans a favour and sold it cheaper than you paid? it was 2nd hand and inaccurate after all...

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New in box. Never opened. And honestly there’s a difference in paying back the shipping and bull**** fees I had to pay on eBay vs charging someone a used car for a toy.


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Depending on what it is, custom or fan made replicas can go for a lot. Look at anything made by Rylo, or the 1989 SD Studios Batman Speargun. EFX is already overpriced in my opinion, but once a product they make sells out it sometimes triples in value. As all the others have said people like the certificate of authenticity, or the metal plaque with the limited number. Though sometimes people list items on eBay at lower then the original listed prices. I got the Factory Ent Men In Black J2 brand new for only $250 on eBay. Personally most of the time fan made items are a lot better then licensed replicas. But if I listed a rylo reveal on eBay for only $1000, as well as an EFX Reveal on eBay for the same price. The casual crowd, and even maybe some hardcore collectors would go for the EFX reveal. The bottom line is that when you by a licensed replica your also paying for its resale ability.

Just my thoughts,

Matthew

There's also a lot of people who don't care about accuracy. Furthermore, there's people who don't feel buying accurate replicas- even if made from original parts- are "worth it" if they're not licensed.

I've had this debate before, where someone will believe that a licensed product, no matter how terrible, is "more star wars" than the screen accurate replica, as I said, even if produced from original parts or cast directly off of screen used/production assets.

That's actually insane someone selling the MR ROTJ Luke saber for that much. You can just get the Black Series ones at retail price. Personally, I don't think there's anything wrong with anybody really preferring to stick with licensed props. Hell, most of my stuff is probably licensed as I only started looking at fanmade later into my collection. But you've got to consider what an item's actual value is, even when you desperately want something. It's cool to have something that's rare but how can you really care about that more than accuracy when it's tenfold more expensive? I get it if your thing is collecting every item in series line. I have every single Black Series saber, but I have never paid a cent over retail price for them. It's unfortunate how thick the neck of their ROTJ Luke and Obi-Wan sabers are, but it would make the completionist in me crazy having only 6 of the 8 props in the line. When you pay exorbitant prices for stuff that isn't worth it, then you're just a sucker to a corporation rather than a fan of the art.