Thinking of Selling SSW Bust Collection

[dfchang]

Not meant to be a FS thread which is why it isn't posted there.

I have a collection of all 49 busts from Sideshow Weta's Lord of the Rings line. The statues even at 1/6 scale just took up too much room so I decided to go for the busts instead as a way to get a nice representation of all the characters from the trilogy.

Took me several years to gather them and they are all in mint condition. I actually have 50 total as I got an extra Ringwraith bust.

They're displayed in my curio cabinet but now as time has passed, I find my collecting tastes changing and gravitating toward fewer pieces with larger presence and price tag.

I'd like to move them as one complete collection (that's 50 boxes and two of them are pretty big, the Treebeard and Gollum) and just wondering since it's been so long what a fair price would be for this?

It would be a pretty unique sale (I think maybe one similar collection had been put up in almost 7 or 8 years?) so hard for me to judge.

Some busts obviously are very rare and valuable while others are dime a dozen that you can still get for retail or below.

I also wonder if I will regret it when I let it go since it IS pretty awesome to have them all together.

Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.

I was thinking about using the money as a deposit and saving more to eventually land a Gandalf bronze if I'm ever lucky enough to come across one.

 

[The Josh]

Let's play nice.

 

[EVILFACE]

Ebay or craigslist them.

 

[gagaliya]

lol josh... that was pretty funny though

to the poster, they average $80 a pop, complete set adds some value, so put it up for $5000. If it doesnt sell gradually lower it to $4000. If that still doesnt work, you better off selling them individually.

the paint seems pretty good on those..

 

[The Josh]

You will have an easier time selling them if you sell them off piece by piece. Heck, I'd be interested in a couple.

 

[dfchang]

Thanks for the advice. The thought of selling 50 pieces individually makes me want to curl up into a little fetal ball though . . .

I was thinking 5000 is a pretty fair price. Busts like Gandalf the White, Lurtz, Treebeard, Gollum, Witch King, etc command pretty good prices but then you have some of the lesser orcs that don't go for much. It all evens out overall though.

 

[The Josh]

If you can sell it all in one shot that would be great! If not I think you can sell them all individually.

 

[FrodoEyes]

I also wonder if I will regret it when I let it go since it IS pretty awesome to have them all together.

I did, and couldn't get them back quick enough!

The thought of losing Treebeard, GTW, Ringwraith, Mouth of Sauron, Grima, Gimli, Theoden, the Nazgul steed, the Last Alliance, Lurtz, Uruk swordsman, Moria swordsman...... Shudder!

 

[NASEDO]

I sold my entire collection about 2 years ago. I sold them individually. I might have a few left. I know I still got the witchking. But I think its a hard sell as an entire set. Great line though.

 

[Moriaman]

The trouble with selling them as a set is 1-you have to find someone with the money and 2-some one who doesnt own any of them and 3-someone close by so shipping isn't a deal breaker,you've eliminated a whole bunch of poeple right there,i'd sell them individually

Good luck

 

[dfchang]

I did, and couldn't get them back quick enough!

The thought of losing Treebeard, GTW, Ringwraith, Mouth of Sauron, Grima, Gimli, Theoden, the Nazgul steed, the Last Alliance, Lurtz, Uruk swordsman, Moria swordsman...... Shudder!

You're not making this any easier you know . . .

 

[dfchang]

The trouble with selling them as a set is 1-you have to find someone with the money and 2-some one who doesnt own any of them and 3-someone close by so shipping isn't a deal breaker,you've eliminated a whole bunch of poeple right there,i'd sell them individually

Good luck

I had a similar problem when I decided to liquidate my then 60 plus complete set of Sideshow 1/6 scale Star Wars figures.

I finally managed to trade the lot of them in for a 1:1 scale T-800 Endoskeleton and Alien Warrior Maquette with a local comic store. It was a fair trade for both parties.

Here the busts are a bit more manageable but I still don't want to deal with shipping 50 different packages to 50 different buyers.

You sell that much, YOU WILL FIND A CRAZY out there who will make life miserable for you, rather not take the chance.

But you are absolutely right, finding the right person at the right time with the right funds is a big challenge.

 

[Moriaman]

No doubt its a pain in the ass,and as you say law of averages say you'll come across a few idiots doing it that way as well.

What about grouping them together in lots?,orcs in one,Last alliance,Uruk's,Elves etc,and then sell Treebeard on his own,that might work