Many other places in this forum I have heard of members speaking of how expensive third party collecting is. They are right, it is expensive. However, third party transformers are still not the most expensive collector-grade toy lines out there. If I average out the cost of my third patry transformers (including those bought from Black Friday sales, Flash sales, etc.) the average cost of a third party transformer comes in around $130 per individual release (I'm counting combiner members as separate purchases rather than the total cost of the combiner).

Now the average may be higher for those who have much more expensive units (ex. Maketoys Citybot line- don't have any of those).

I also collect King Arts 1/9 scale Iron Man figures, and the average cost of each of those is around $180.00 per release.

I used to collect Yamato, and then Bandai Valkaries. The price goes up every year, and a friend of mine who collects these says they are averaging over $260.00 per Valkyrie.

So do anyone else collect other lines that cost more on average than 3rd party transformers, or know of another line that costs more? I like joking as much as the next guy, (so the occasional one like 1/1 scale Gundam- $200,000, or my Italian Sports car) jokes are definitely fine. However this should primarily be about collectable toy lines.

Another example for me will be the King arts 1/9 scale Iron Monger when it comes out later this year. That bad boy will be over $350.00 after shipping.



Have fun justifying the (relatively) low cost of third party transformers- go nuts!!

(PS- I do not believe I have seen a thread like this, but I may be mistaken).

 

Vintage graded G1

 

Sideshow collectibles are more expensive.
High end hookers are more expensive, umm from what I hear.
RC Model cars, trucks, airplanes, drones, etc can be much more expensive.

 

Hot Toys Movie Masterpiece Series. Don't get me wrong, they have an EXCEPTIONAL product, but as they've evolved over the years and acquired the rights to damn near everything their prices have gone through the roof.

 

The one that always comes to mind that a lot of toy collectors aren't aware of it BJDs (ball jointed dolls). You can get relatively inexpensive ones but some bodies… like as in a naked body with an unpainted face… can be many hundreds of dollars. A full painted and clothed BJD can be thousands.

 

Not if you pull their hair just right....


Sealed G1 is a world-ender in pricing, as far as Transformers toy lines. That and the Lucky Draw aftermarket. Nothing else is even close, until you venture into aspects other than the toys.

Something kind of in the line of toys but more expensive would be actual (and even replica) movie props.

 

I work at a racetrack and let me tell ya. These guys spend a shitload of money on that hobby. Between the cars, fuels, parts, time, and having to lug that shit all over gods creation paying for entries, tolls, the wife bitching this hobby is cheap and easy. I often wonder how and why they do it. Also I wonder who the fuck does their chores cause all they do is travel. Far too

 

Official MPs.

Optimus Prime £160 (although the trailer bumps price up)
Megatron £170(!)
Inferno £125
Coneheads £150 each (£450 set)
Soundwave £125 solo or £150 with the cassettes
Cassettes £37 for 2
Grapple £120
Starscream £120
Skywarp Asia £155
Delta Magnus £135


Official MP is just as expensive (if not more so) as 3P on average, and these days the quality is equal to worse on average (seeker mold...).

 

The MP cassettes are the absolute worst value.

 

Yep, other hobbies can be way more expensive.

 

Those are collectible?  

 

I'm a musician. I like new music gear. I'll just leave it at that.

 

But what about the less expensive MPs like all the carbots? Comparing those to the likes of Downbeat and Sphinx, they're still much cheaper.

 

My basses and amps are expensive, too. If only my skill level actually justifies them... Anyhow, classical instruments like Violins, etc. are even more expensive.

 

Hot Toys
Soul of Chogokin
Macross stuff

 

Not a collection per say but my girlfriend does astrophotography. That gets both quite expensive and takes up a lot of space. She's also a musician and does collect high end guitars which that also takes up a lot of space and is expensive.

 

That's a good point. Cost is not only money, but also space.

 

I think I spend on average 300 a month on MP size TFs and that's both TT and 3rd/KO, though I haven't been buying any TT since MP Tracks. That said I do spend a fair amount on Scotch and Whisky/Bourbon and that can get really expensive. If you think about it is the biggest waste of my money, paying sometimes a few hundred for what people say is an acquired taste and being left with a cardboard box (sometimes wood) and a glass bottle when you drink it all. While a bottle of some higher end scotch may last me over a year, my favorite go to and entertainer, Macallan 12yr, is still around 65 to 70 a bottle and that might last a month.

 

Yeah space is actually our biggest concern.

 

Jay Leno collects cars and has for many years. Wouldn't be surprised if he easily had over a billion dollars worth by now lol.