1st 1/4 SSE Mummy on eBay!

[The Monster]

I don't usually take exception to comments, as everybody has their right to
an opinion, but to wish ill upon people openly for selling something seems
very immature and spiteful.

I got the SSE Mummy and offered it in trade on two different boards even
up for a Grey Hulk PF. $400 vs $425 retail pricing so a very fair and even
trade in my mind, if somebody who wanted the SSE Mummy missed out on
it and had the Hulk available. I got no response to it. None. Zero. Nobody
even contacted me to see if I'd trade it for something else, or try to work
out any other type of deal on it.
As a result, I've listed it now for sale and if it sells - great. If not, then I'll have
it available in the future to trade for a Grey Hulk PF or Doom Exc. any time.

I missed out on the Neg. Zone Spidey and nobody cut me a deal on it just
because I'm a "true collector" of several Marvel PF pieces. I ended up paying
about double retail for it from a boardmember, and I'm happy with it. I didn't
say "you profiteering jerk. I wish you very bad luck" Because they WEREN'T
a profiteering jerk. They were just a trusted long-time boardmember who had an
item that I wanted, and offered it to me at the near-going Ebay rate. I just chose
to pay for what I wanted, and I'm extremely happy with my decision.

I also missed out on the Grey Hulk vs. Spidey and a boardmember helped me
out with it too, but there was still extra cost involved. Again - I didn't gripe.
I just paid what they were asking, and we were both happy.

Very unfortunate that you'd think ill of boardmembers who sell and/or trade
statues to fund their own ever-growing collections, as that would exclude a
very large portion of the regular members who are all great people.

All my best wishes to you Monster.

JS

Let it be known, I do NOT think ill of any board member, I just want everyone to have a fair shake at these items.

 

[316what]

That is what those people get for trying to make extra money off of them
when some true collectors wanted one & did not get one!

I hope they do not even get the reg price out of them.

#32 sold for a decent profit.

 

[Anton Phibes]

Properly gage interest

Well, with 3 of these active on Ebay at present, and at least one having been sold there already...we can at least gage one thing. We can gage how many of the exclusives are bought strictly for their exclusivity and not to collect. This is why I hate variants, chases, etc. Also, has anyone searched completed auctions? Someone just sold a color Mummy PF for $290. Wha--??? That's cheaper than it retailed for originally?

 

[The Monster]

Anton, You get what I am trying to say right?

 

[RoboDad]

Anton, You get what I am trying to say right?

I get what you are trying to say, but I don't think you get what I'm trying to say.

There is no such thing as a fair shake as long as there are more people who want something than there are copies of the thing they want. Even if every piece bought by a "scalper" went to a "true collector", there would still be a large number of other true collectors who didn't have a fair shake. How do you make it right for them?

The answer is that you can't. Even if you gave your collection away to other deserving collectors, it still wouldn't make things fair for everyone.

 

[lcummins]

#32 sold for a decent profit.

I assume the simile means you are being sarcastic, because


Mummy SSE - $400
Shipping - $20
eBay/PayPal Fees - $40
______________________
Cash outlay - about $460 (or more)

Auction total (with shipping) - $610
Less cash outlay - $460
Actual shipping to winner - $20
______________________
Approximate profit - $130 (at best, not counting time, effort, gas, etc to list and ship).

Not a whopping payday, but then again, if you could do this just 10 times a day you would be living pretty well...

 

[The Monster]

I get what you are trying to say, but I don't think you get what I'm trying to say.

There is no such thing as a fair shake as long as there are more people who want something than there are copies of the thing they want. Even if every piece bought by a "scalper" went to a "true collector", there would still be a large number of other true collectors who didn't have a fair shake. How do you make it right for them?

The answer is that you can't. Even if you gave your collection away to other deserving collectors, it still wouldn't make things fair for everyone.

RoboDad, What I am trying to say is friends should offer it to friends first at cost before putting it on evilbay & jacking up the price.

 

[316what]

I assume the simile means you are being sarcastic, because


Mummy SSE - $400
Shipping - $20
eBay/PayPal Fees - $40
______________________
Cash outlay - about $460 (or more)

Auction total (with shipping) - $610
Less cash outlay - $460
Actual shipping to winner - $20
______________________
Approximate profit - $130 (at best, not counting time, effort, gas, etc to list and ship).

Not a whopping payday, but then again, if you could do this just 10 times a day you would be living pretty well...

$130 ain't too bad for 15 minutes 'work' though, lol. (5 mins to list, 10 mins to go to PO). And being a former police officer, I'm full of sarcasm...it was a requirement for employment.

 

[JSA]

I was ready and waiting at the computer when ALL the B&W items went up
for sale on Sideshow's site. I reeeeeealy wanted the Neg. Zone Spidey, but
everybody else in the world had a faster connection than me that night, and
I missed out on it. Well that just wasn't fair.

Again, nobody cut me a deal on the Negative Zone Spidey PF
(or Grey Spidey vs. Hulk, or the Balrog, or the Cave Troll, etc.....)
just because I'm a "true collector" of specific pieces, and wanted
it really, really bad. Nobody even offered an even-up trade for
a comparable value piece like I did with the Grey PF Hulk.

I chose to pay the market rate for the item and I'm happy with that,
as I got what I wanted for my personal collection. Sometimes I get
lucky and get what I want, sometimes I don't. When I don't, I just
have to make a decision on what it is worth to me, and then I pay
if I want that particular item.

JS

 

[PsychoCenobite]

Two now sold on eBay. One went for $560 and then the second just went for $610.

If the other's sell then that will be $669 and then $699.

PsychoCenobite

 

[The Monster]

Congrats to hummer who won the $560.00 one. Hope the $610 one went to a board member as well. Best of luck to the other board members still looking for one. Hope you all find one real soon.

 

[lcummins]

...Nobody even offered an even-up trade for
a comparable value piece like I did with the Grey PF Hulk...

To be fair JS, they aren't "comparable value". The Grey Hulk is selling for much more than the SSE Mummy has, and even though the two Mummys just finished, I think most people would agree that the Grey Hulk was going to be much more sought after than the SSE Mummy. The auctions just confirmed that. So nobody took you up on the offer because they didn't see it as a fair trade...

 

[The Monster]

To be fair JS, they aren't "comparable value". The Grey Hulk is selling for much more than the SSE Mummy has, and even though the two Mummys just finished, I think most people would agree that the Grey Hulk was going to be much more sought after than the SSE Mummy. The auctions just confirmed that. So nobody took you up on the offer because they didn't see it as a fair trade...

Lonnie is right, I have seen The Grey Hulk list at almost $800.00.
However, If the Grey Hulk was $425.00 & The Mummy SSE was $399.99 that is a fair trade in my eyes.

 

[JSA]

To be fair JS, they aren't "comparable value". The Grey Hulk is selling for much more than the SSE Mummy has, and even though the two Mummys just finished, I think most people would agree that the Grey Hulk was going to be much more sought after than the SSE Mummy. The auctions just confirmed that. So nobody took you up on the offer because they didn't see it as a fair trade...

Thank you for the opinion lc!

But they ARE comparable retail value. The entire argument that Monster
has proposed, is how dare somebody sell something at a profit, and make
money off of a poor individual who missed out on an item they wanted.
(I've been there too folks, many times)

The retail price on the SSE Mummy was $400, and the retail price on the
Grey Hulk PF was $425. That is very fair in my eyes, if your'e talking an
even trade for pieces people want, without making profit off either piece.

I think though that even considering the Ebay values of either piece, that
they are definitely comparable. The Hulk may be higher now, as more of
them have been up for sale so far. The SSE Mummy is MUCH more limited
than the Grey Hulk PF, and I'm just venturing a guess that they'll end up
close in value or the SSE Mummy will be worth more.

All speculation of course, but I do know what it is worth to me currently.

Thanks again for the opinions folks.
It is always nice to discuss "hot" topics civilly.

JS

 

[lcummins]

...The retail price on the SSE Mummy was $400, and the retail price on the Grey Hulk PF was $425. That is very fair in my eyes, if your'e talking an even trade for pieces people want, without making profit off either piece...

You make an excellent point here JS. If someone really wanted the SSE Mummy, they might be inclined to trade even for the Hulk. Heck, I was prepared to offer either my Retro or Neg. Zone Spider-Man if necessary, but fortunately, it wasn't!

 

[Anton Phibes]

Anton, You get what I am trying to say right?

I understand you perfectly. I also understand RoboDad, Bannister and all others perfectly as well. Monster truly wishes from the bottom of his heart that all people who collect and desire a piece should have that desire fulfilled. Then, he could care less if there were scalpers, flippers, or whatever, galore making piles of cash on a daily basis.

I have no problem with capitalism. I am all about making a dollar. I have no problem with certain aspects of marketing. Yet when I feel a product is aggressively marketed...I walk away. By aggressive marketing, I mean to say the tactic of intentionally limiting supply as to create demand that otherwise wouldn't exist. I hope everyone can understand me as well. Once an item has been purchased by an individual, they can do whatever they want with it, though. I think everyone agrees with that principal.

Where the problem lies is when someone who really wants the product for a collection doesn't get one and someone who wants it to make a profit does. Then the aforementioned party feels "screwed" by the latter. Thus, aggressive marketing is born. Sideshow wants to secure selling 50 Mummy SSE's at at a slightly higher rate than a color version. So, they deliberately create only 50. Then, they sit back and let the aggression ensue. I am loathe to say it, but this falls into the new era mentality of "don't hate the player, hate the game."

The only way it will ever stop is if the players walk from the field and leave 15 SSE Ardeth Bey busts on the gamemaster's field. Which will never happen. To sum up:

1. I hope all the collectors out there get that exclusive piece you desire (like Monster, Occulum, and all the rest of the gang).

2. I hope all of you who are subsidizing your income by flipping, keep being able to do so to afford to continue to add to your collections.

3. I hope Sideshow, Bowen Designs and all the rest eventually walk away from these "hype" ploys and just focus on quality. Because at the end of the day that's all that's going to stand the test of time.

I have been on both sides of this argument before, so I have some objectivity here. I will explain. When Krycek and Skinner came up for pre-order...I ordered both immediately. I had to have them in my collection. I had no job. When I saw the prices go up through the roof, I sold them for $200 each. I needed the cash. I had no intention of flipping them. Yet after holding them for a couple months...thats exactly what I did.

I walked into a comic store once, and there sat a chrome Silver Surfer mini bust. It was $90. I bought it. I got it home and compared it to the painted one. I liked the painted one better. When I saw the chrome version on ebay was going for a fortune...I sold it. For $500. The money went into my collection. I didn't set out to "deprive any other collector". I just had an impulse buy that I later regretted that worked in my favor.

Yet I don't think I would exert the energy into "hunting" rare pieces simply to flip them. In short, everyone on here needs to stay civil, wish each other well and keep on trucking. Cause when we croak, all of this junk stays here.

 

[lcummins]

I understand you perfectly. I also understand RoboDad, Bannister and all others perfectly as well. Monster truly wishes from the bottom of his heart that all people who collect and desire a piece should have that desire fulfilled. Then, he could care less if there were scalpers, flippers, or whatever, galore making piles of cash on a daily basis.

I have no problem with capitalism. I am all about making a dollar. I have no problem with certain aspects of marketing. Yet when I feel a product is aggressively marketed...I walk away. By aggressive marketing, I mean to say the tactic of intentionally limiting supply as to create demand that otherwise wouldn't exist. I hope everyone can understand me as well. Once an item has been purchased by an individual, they can do whatever they want with it, though. I think everyone agrees with that principal.

Where the problem lies is when someone who really wants the product for a collection doesn't get one and someone who wants it to make a profit does. Then the aforementioned party feels "screwed" by the latter. Thus, aggressive marketing is born. Sideshow wants to secure selling 50 Mummy SSE's at at a slightly higher rate than a color version. So, they deliberately create only 50. Then, they sit back and let the aggression ensue. I am loathe to say it, but this falls into the new era mentality of "don't hate the player, hate the game."

The only way it will ever stop is if the players walk from the field and leave 15 SSE Ardeth Bey busts on the gamemaster's field. Which will never happen. To sum up:

1. I hope all the collectors out there get that exclusive piece you desire (like Monster, Occulum, and all the rest of the gang).

2. I hope all of you who are subsidizing your income by flipping, keep being able to do so to afford to continue to add to your collections.

3. I hope Sideshow, Bowen Designs and all the rest eventually walk away from these "hype" ploys and just focus on quality. Because at the end of the day that's all that's going to stand the test of time.

I have been on both sides of this argument before, so I have some objectivity here. I will explain. When Krycek and Skinner came up for pre-order...I ordered both immediately. I had to have them in my collection. I had no job. When I saw the prices go up through the roof, I sold them for $200 each. I needed the cash. I had no intention of flipping them. Yet after holding them for a couple months...thats exactly what I did.

I walked into a comic store once, and there sat a chrome Silver Surfer mini bust. It was $90. I bought it. I got it home and compared it to the painted one. I liked the painted one better. When I saw the chrome version on ebay was going for a fortune...I sold it. For $500. The money went into my collection. I didn't set out to "deprive any other collector". I just had an impulse buy that I later regretted that worked in my favor.

Yet I don't think I would exert the energy into "hunting" rare pieces simply to flip them. In short, everyone on here needs to stay civil, wish each other well and keep on trucking. Cause when we croak, all of this junk stays here.

Anton, I believe you may have stated this issue more eloquently than anyone else has! I agree whole-heartily!!!

 

[The Monster]

well put Anton!

 

[JSA]

You make an excellent point here JS. If someone really wanted the SSE Mummy, they might be inclined to trade even for the Hulk. Heck, I was prepared to offer either my Retro or Neg. Zone Spider-Man if necessary, but fortunately, it wasn't!

Exactly Lonnie! If someone was a die-hard Mummy fan, and they had the
Grey PF Hulk, they'd darned sure trade it even-up if that was their main
interest area of collecting. Well, one of my main areas is Marvel now, and
more specifically the HULK, and I'd still gladly trade somebody the SSE
Mummy for one of the Grey Hulk PF's. Hulk is absolutely my favorite
comic-book based character, and I really can't get enough versions of him.

Lastly, a point to remember folks is that every single one of these items is
absolutely an expendable luxury and NOT a necessity. Nobody ever forces
somebody to pay any amount higher than they're willing to do. We as a
group are very lucky, and should count ourselves fortunate that we have
the expendable income for these items, but they're never worth getting
worked up over, or disparaging somebody else.

They're all really just very expensive adult toys. (and I sure love mine!)

JS

 

[JSA]

Excellently put Anton.

JS