I have a buddy who lost his job. He has some first generation Transformers toys that he would like to sell. Obviously, he needs to maximize his return. I'm going to list his toys on ebay for him. Do you guys have any advice? The toys are not pristine and he didn't keep the boxes. They are in really great condition though. Should I list them as a group or seperate? Should I wait until after SDCC? Thanks in advance for any advice. Here's some pictures of his stuff:
I would list them seperate.....i used to have a huge G1 collection and sold them seperate and did well with that. They look like there in decent shape so there shouldnt be any problem gettin rid of them. And as far as SDCC goes, i wouldnt wait....Transformer fans will jump on stuff they want with or without the con around the corner. Sunstreaker toy fucken RULES! Tell him to find those Starscream wings........
yeah you probably need the wings of the jetfire too and if you can find optimus prime's hands, that would be good too definitely sell them separately make sure to mark them as G1
I just googled this site and I think it's a pretty informative guide to transformers. It probably has all the names and what to expect. Hope this help. http://www.transformerland.com/sell-transformers.php
This is a pretty awesome collection. I'm not the biggest Transformers expert, but I know there are some seriously great pieces there. Beyond the obvious stuff, the red jet to the right of the bottom pic is Jetfire, which was a Transformers version of the Takatoku Valkyrie fighter from Macross/Robotech. In that same picture near the bottom right is Perceptor the Transformers version of the Microman/MicroChange MC-20 Microscope Robo. The vintage Optimus Prime was also known as Convoy and with his trailer, is a desirable piece. Also, in the top photo on the lower right are two Transformer micro-cassettes, but I'm not too sure those are legit/original cassettes. To my knowledge, only the Taiwan MicroChange knock-offs came with English j-card inserts. I have a boxed version of the Taiwanese knock-off of Ravage called simply "Jaguar" that has some details on the back that might help: Check the tapes and see if they say "Made in Taiwan". You can still sell them for a decent amount, but if you try to pass a Taiwan tape off as a legit Takara Japanese tape, you'll get the stink-eye from some collectors. Also, are there accessories or anything else not pictured? Seems like some stuff is missing. I'd recommend selling them all separately but offer to combine shipping. And since overseas buyers are snapping things up from the U.S. like crazy thanks to the weakened dollar, offer the stuff to people outside of the U.S. as well.
I would probably sell them separately as well, but another option is to try and co-sell the incomplete or less valuable pieces with the more desirable ones. I think your big sells will be Wheeljack, Sunstreaker, Ratchet, and possibly the two cassettes and Blaster. EDIT: I forgot that Ratchet was recently reissued, so the vintage pieces might not be as desirable. As a note, the yellow motorcycle and yellow Bug are Gobots, not Transformers. As for the cassettes, I am fairly certain those are legit given the other items in the lot- looks like Laserbeak and Ravage. It also looks like one or both have the paper inserts in the cassette cases as well. But, like MZ notes, I would also check for legitimacy because of the numerous knock-offs out there (cassettes are particularly prone to this). If you want, I can shoot you a PM with what is obviously missing.
Thanks for the info...I really appreciate it. All the stuff is legit and has been in storage for many years. There's a bunch more parts that I'll have to join with the figures. Check it out...
Wow. If you have the parts and accessories, all the better! But I will stand by my statement that the cassettes might be Taiwanese knock-offs because the only place that Laserbeak (and the other similar bird) were ever referred to as "Condor" were with the Taiwanese knock-offs. That said, based on condition and accessories those tapes would be worth maybe 95% of what they would be if they were genuine Takara "Made in Japan" cassettes. The reason I'm being insistent on that is the Taiwanese knock-offs were very common back during the G1 days and many were sold side-by-side with the Hasbro versions in stores. The quality was quite good; just the pedigree was different enough to make them different... If that makes sense? Definitely sell them individually. And definitely offer to sell them worldwide and you'll be in very good shape!
That's great that your friend has the pieces. Complete toys should do well on eBay. I've shot you a PM with links to a reliable parts ID site that I use. Great tips on the cassette bots, MZ. There are so many bootlegs of those around, it makes my head spin.
Indeed. FWIW, I found this comprehensive guide to pre-Transformers cassettes—on a site that also has lots more info on TF knock-offs—that hopefully outlines things a bit more.
I got a G1 Takara "Made in Japan" cassette from a friend who was selling a bunch of old toys at a yard sale. She was going to throw it away! Not sure what she had, but she sold a box of stuff to a guy for $5 who was BIG into collecting transformers (he told her that he lost his wife over it!).
