Your views on Toy Hunter and his ilk

[deano_ue]

I just watched a toy hunter ep that was taped for me due to the content, you can guess it was the wb he-man ep. so apart from the obvious elements that made me want to hurl a brick at the screen I wasn't impressed the show seemed forced and the host seemed more more than a scalper and a dirty dealing on at that.

I had a feeling this show was staged I mean if guys are smart enough to keep toys in the boxes from the 70's in mint condition how in the hell do they not know what these things are actually worth.

So has anyone else got any views on the show or others like it?

[barrasco]

Not even Faker would be able host that show any better.

[D.M.]

All shows like that are staged.

[Robarr The Morbid]

I've got a bunch of those recorded. That guy seems totally slimy to me, always low-balling everyone he buys from. I also have to wonder just how much of an actual fan this guy is; in one episode he kept mispronouncing Darkseid from the Super Powers collection calling him "Darkseed". Jackass. Yeah, all of those "reality" shows are staged, that's why I can't stand them anymore. A lot of shows like that have items deliberately planted by the producers.

[Matthew L. Martin]

I also have to wonder just how much of an actual fan this guy is; in one episode he kept mispronouncing Darkseid from the Super Powers collection calling him "Darkseed".

I remember hearing somewhere that that's a legitimate alternative pronunciation of the Lord of Apokalips' name.

[Robarr The Morbid]

Never once heard that. Where'd you hear it?

[Guest]

While a part of me feels as though he is at his core 'a scalper' when he's selling a 80s Halloween toy mask that retailed for $10 for $800, I think those feelings come from a place of envy considering his access to toys. Think about this.

The man does his homework. He seriously knows his stuff. He lives for toys and drives around the country to find what some consider to be pop culture treasure. He sinks a small fortune into his inventory to turn them over for modest profits. If he hands a guy $200 for something that he can flip at a convention for $450, does that make him slimy? Chances are the guy that's been hoarding that MOC $5.99 K-Mart toy for 20 years really wanted that $200. He suffers no loss. If Toy Hinter then places it in his booth marked up 50% to cover his time, gas, wear and tear on his vehicle, booth rental cost (which for conventions is not cheap), he's probably only pocketing $100.

When you're talking 'high end' collectibles, it is a whole other world. These people don't come here and argue over a $27 MOTUC figure when they are shelling out $1'000 on a Universal Monster lunch box, or $10'000 on a movie prop. I recall an episode where he tried to get his hands on a Thundercats Mad Bubbler prototype. It was supposedly worth $17'000. If I had a spare $17k floating around, I could have an entire 80s toy museum in my house with every Thundercats, MOTU, Dino-Riders, and Silverhawks piece I've ever wanted... sans Mad Bubbler prototypes.

The art world is no different. What makes a 45'' X 45'' oil painting by a crazy talented artist that you would kill to own, worth only $2'000, and a Jackson Pollock (whose art I despise) worth $2'000'000? Rarity? Name? Its all perceived value. Recently Andy Warhol's Polaroids of naked men went on auction at Christies. These polaroids, which when they were taken had no value, cost virtually nothing to produce, are of completely unknown men, probably drunk and high at a party, sold from anywhere from $2'000 to $12'000.

Why would anyone drop $12'000 to own a old Polaroid of some random dude's genitals? Its beyond me. The same person that dropped $12k on a tired old instant pic of some guys junk, would probably look at us and wonder why we'd pay $1'000 for a MIB Eternia Playset. It's actually kind of crazy, but if someone is willing to pay for it, well, then that's how much its worth.

Pawn Shops/Flea Markets are no different. You can walk into a Futureshop and buy a brand new slick 22'' HD computer monitor for $200, with warranty, or you can pop over to the pawn shop down the street and find a 10 year old 15'' piece of junk for $150. What are YOU willing to pay for something?

[Nemisythe]

The guy is a Schyster nothing more nothing less.

A Schyster can't screw you, fool you, scam you or sucker you if you're NOT an idiot. If he tells you an old plastic lunchbox with a sticker on it is worth $800, and you believe him. Well. There you have it folks.

[Nemisythe]

Well then there are some (sadly on that show), I guess qualify for said idiots.

[GREP-A-TOR]

I actually heard about him before the show aired from some friends on the East Coast, some of it originally sounded like sour grapes - but there seems to be a trend with this dude hitting up estates and yard sales days before auctions, and misrepresenting the value of what he is buying - then flipping it triple for what it's worth.

Even among vultures - he seems to piss off the other vultures.

When it comes to picking and fairness, I go with "American Pickers". Yeah they get stuff cheap to sell high, but they aren't completely ****** the people they are picking from.

[Andy]

Did he ever get Tytus and did Matty have the vintage displayed at sdcc?

[Emiliano]

Nope, you were 100% right
Scott, right after the Dark Horse failure, contacted me, Josh and James. It wasn't clear what they actually wanted, but it was Tytus for sure and a few other things, including art.
Then the show production contacted only Josh and James (weird enough, since I'm the only one with a Tytus). Josh never bothered replying, James offered some art, but they said they couldn't use any art.
I'm still puzzled by this guys's way of thinking.

[Andy]

Could you imagine Jordan going to Emil for Tytus. And TG losing his thunder AND TV time?!

[Croc-O-Bite!]

Funny, what a coincidence that the show failed to contact you. I guess Neitlich must have simply misplaced your contact info when passing everyone's along......

He is such a shallow human being.

[Draego-Man]

Crap show....

[Guest]

I have an old tuna can here. Its from 1975. I found it jammed behind the dumpster. A bird recently took a big wet splat in it.

It has history, since its from 1975 and has seen many bird squirts. Its worth approx $15'000 on the vintage tin collector's market since its over 25 years old, and was released the same year that the movie JAWS was released, but since I'm a decent guy, any user here can have it for $2'500.

See my point?

[_RZ_]

If he hands a guy $200 for something that he can flip at a convention for $450, does that make him slimy? Chances are the guy that's been hoarding that MOC $5.99 K-Mart toy for 20 years really wanted that $200. He suffers no loss. If Toy Hinter then places it in his booth marked up 50% to cover his time, gas, wear and tear on his vehicle, booth rental cost (which for conventions is not cheap), he's probably only pocketing $100.

See if you changed that price he pays the guy to $10, all while telling him he's doing him a big favor for buying it because it's worthless... and then flips it for $500+, then you're a little closer to accurate. He pockets more by shady tactics at cons and lowballing garage sales.

People have issues with him because he's got a long past history of buying very rare items like protos and paperwork, and overpricing them, and not making deals with collectors. The show is totally rigged from top to bottom, but the guests are well compensated for their items and time. I've dealt with him before so my opinion is not neutral

Many of the items he offers are very rare and one of a kind, and they sit there because he prices it at 8k, and buyers are willing to pay 6k, he bought it for 1k because you know the last owner... so it's a question of how much profit is too much, and when does holding out for a good price turn into squatting?

[GREP-A-TOR]

That sums it up. That dude will get blood from a stone, then tell the stone he is doing him a favor. BUT - everything he snags is priceless and he will not haggle as much - even though he is STILL making a killing.

The good thing is that the word is out and him putting his face on TV will hopefully force him to basically stop stealing from people, and telling them they should thank him for doing it.

[Andy]

I wish I knew the guy in tiffin that he got the MotU collection. I drive by there every day and Jordan got a steal.

[_RZ_]

I wish I knew the guy in tiffin that he got the MotU collection. I drive by there every day and Jordan got a steal.

Probably not. One guest on the show, who shares some mutual friends with me, said he was paid triple the price that was mentioned on the show. The game with this type of show is, the host is still operating a business (just like, for example, American Pickers) and since most of his profit is in vintage and rare second-hand goods, the prices mentioned in the show aren't "real" or else within a month Jordan and everyone else would be paying retail just to buy G1 Transformers and he'd be out of business in a month. So in order to pay for the person's time and compensate them for being on a TV show, they get one price "behind the scenes" that is both a purchase and a payment for their appearance on the show. Sometimes the show won't even buy it; they just "rent" it and stage the sales, and the owner is paid a bit.

[barrasco]

I knew the show was staged the minute they referred to Scott Neitlich as a MOTU expert.

[_RZ_]

All of those shows are staged except Antiques Roadshow to my knowledge so that is something you can't blame on Scooter. I am sure Mattel paid to be on the show and that is why all the contacting people and Scott's appearance. I had a few friends of friends, one who worked on the show and another who was a guest on one of the episodes (I lived in NJ for thirty plus years) so this is something I actually do have a little "insider's knowledge" on. He wouldn't need an "expert" on any of the things they cover on the show- he's very knowledgeable on our hobby.

To be fair here, Jordan doesn't do shady stuff all the time, that wouldn't be right to suggest that. A lot of his business now is in modern, off-the-shelf Diamond-account stuff (like NECA figures or Hot Toys etc.) He is well known among vintage Star Wars heads to pay very well for vintage MOC stuff that is in good shape or AFAd. I think some of his reputation with protos is "sour grapes" because of his way of bargaining which can be very curt impolite and harsh. I mean let's put it this way- I'm bidding on something of his on eBay this week... but I wouldn't buy a proto, or something from him at a convention.

From my own personal experience, knowing who he bought from and how much the *street* value of the piece in question was, it's pretty hard to respect someone who was making a profit of over $5k for a 15min drive, and then wouldn't give the original buyer he cut out of the deal a measly $500 break, and then lied and said he payed thousands more, when all three of us knew the truth. He behaved as if 4.5k wasn't enough of a profit on the piece and he was gonna lose his shirt. He essentially became a middleman for a deal where there was no need for a middleman; there was probably one buyer out there at that price for that piece, and he basically undercut him and out priced that guy by $50, and then tried to sell it to him with a 5x markup. To make a profit, that's not bad; but 500% markup should be reserved for coffee and gasoline, not our toy hobby it's a bit over the top and greedy IMO. I don't want to be all negative and knock the dude needlessly, and this situation I'm describing above happened like a decade ago. But he does sometimes do shady stuff, the people who live in this area know all about it, and it wasn't a surprise that he got a tv show because of the way he behaves in a "crisis".

[Andy]

I meant to comment before and lost this post so I'm doing it now. I'm sure Mattel paid to be on the show or at least called in a favor. Exposure or ego feed...however one looks at it.

I wish someone would call in a favor to get some exposure on the big bang theory. Sheldon wearing a he-man shirt, Howard wearing a skeletor belt buckle, penny wearing she-ra, or raj....something for product placement.

[_RZ_]

DC pays insane amounts of money for their products to appear on that show. It would probably be the entire MOTUC yearly budget to get a character to wear a MOTU related shirt. It's not easy or cheap.

Of course, Mattel paid to be on the show. TH is not a big budget production by any stretch. Why Scott's status as an employee of Mattel was heavily obscured, that's another question isn't it

[Guest]

Maybe Jordan enjoys his 500% mark up because he knows people are willing to pay it. I cannot fault him for that. If I walk into a store that's selling banged up 80s crap for a small fortune because the 'crooked' store owner thinks he can charge $15 for something he got at a yard sale for .50 cents, is he the jerk, or am I the jerk for paying his price?

Thanks for the advent of the internet, EBAY, Amazon and user forums, its very easy to chuckle at local vendors and 'guys in the business' as you get what you want for cheaper. Also there's this funny little concept called 'want vs need', and I neither want or need to spend exorbirant amounts of money on collectible plastic crap. I remember years ago I walked into a local toy store (with for a reputation for being jerk-offs, something I agreed with as well) and they were asking $100 for a banged up G1 Galvatron with no accessories. Well depending on your level of OCD, you can get a completely mint, "case fresh" (lol that collector lingo always made me chuckle) MIB G1 Galvatron on EBAY for just over $100, or get a dinged boxed one for a mere $30. I've seen immaculate loose ones for $25.

Now when I step into the place, its just to laugh at them, and tell them what I'm going to pay for on EBAY for this and leave. The reason no one is buying this thing that I just wiped an inch thick layer of dust off of, is because no one wants it. There is no demand for it, also, you need to clean your store. I've also now discovered that they're willing to haggle a little, just to move the crap, however in the end, EBAY is still a better resource for me, and I'm already dealing with someone with a more 'fair' mindset on prices. Its a win/win.

Maybe these sellers are intrinsically greedy, or maybe its a matter of these pieces of plastic having no real value, and only percieved value from the collector. They are not raw materials, precious metals, or neccessity. People don't have to line up with food tickets to get their daily bread and action figures because they are a staple for life. If there are 10'000 of them left on the planet or 1, its all the same to me. Its all just ficticious demand from the seller and collector perception.

If people aren't willing to shop around, put in the time and effort, or challenge guys like Jordan, and refuse to pay his prices, it is not his fault. He doesn't make or control the market, or your mind. Also, one can simply choose to live without the silly hunk of plastic, after all, $10'000 for a 4'' in tall Star Wars Darth Vader? That's the cost of a brand new car, and for some people in the world, that's a house to live in!

Welcome to Captialism.

[_RZ_]

Maybe Jordan enjoys his 500% mark up because he knows people are willing to pay it. I cannot fault him for that. If I walk into a store that's selling banged up 80s crap for a small fortune because the 'crooked' store owner thinks he can charge $15 for something he got at a yard sale for .50 cents, is he the jerk, or am I the jerk for paying his price?

He's the jerk, but it's not that simple. I think there is a difference between say camping on a Hot Toys figure (which is expensive, not rare, and there are thousands of potential customers) and camping on a wax sculpt or prototype (where there is one of them in the world and maybe 5 customers at most) and that is the issue. When the stuff you collect isn't widely available to you, and maybe one or two auctions a year come up, it changes your perspective about the pricing and availability. You'll pay more because, hey, you might not live long enough to see another for sale again! And that's if there's even auctions; sometimes these things aren't sold on eBay or Amazon or whatever, and you have to know people or deal with online stores, authentication, etc... The prototype and original packaging art collecting scene is a whole different beast. It's not like there's thousands of these things sitting in a warehouse- there's one, and if the dude who's selling it camps on it, trying to get a crazy price, that sucks. Dropping car-sized numbers on stuff isn't unheard of. The people who do that aren't "evil" or anything. For some people they might save for decades to get a crazy expensive piece; for others they make enough to do those type of things. Toy collecting in general is not exactly something you should be doing if you're having financial trouble anyway, so right off the bat it's a privilege purchase. It's not like it's a "human survival essential" like you put it, want vs. need, perceived vs actual, first world problems cliche joke, etc etc... it's a toy but that's what we're talking here, right? toys? If survival essentials are a big part of someone's budget then maybe toy collecting isn't something they should be doing, saving their money to keep the electricity on is a better move obviously. But jacking prices by thousands does everyone involved bad: the store doesn't sell the item; the buyer doesn't get what they want. Nobody wins.

At no point did I think or suggest that someone wanting to spend 10K on prototype or rare figure was evil. I have an entirely different perception of what it means to drop that amount of money on something like that. For the sake of being polite, the word 'impractical' comes to mind, and yes, these are 'First World Problems' and it is kind of a joke, when you think about it.

If I was given the choice between owning any number of the high end, rare collectibles and movie props that I've wanted (such as the cosmic key from the MOTU movie which supposedly auctioned for like $7'000) VS the exact amount in cash that same items percieved value, I would take the cash, laugh all the way to the bank. I would still obtain a small treasure trove of really, really, cool stuff with some glossy nostalgic meaning attached to it. That's just me.

As per your post, if you were to agree that this world of 'high end collectibles' and ultra rare prototypes with a small customer base is an 'entirely different animal' then by its very nature, you must admit you're entering into a higher stakes, higher price point purchase. That's how it works. You have something that others percieve as ultra rare, so you set a price and hold out for the best buyer.

I have a friend that bought a $3000 NES game for its supposed 'rarity' during distribution and artwork. I've never even heard of the game. Good for him, and no thanks for me. For $3000 I'll pick up a MIB Nintendo master system and every game I've ever wanted to play as a kid. Much more enjoyable. Maybe I just enjoy more bang for my buck, or maybe I don't just don't attach such intense emotional feelings to small inanimate objects.

So if you can truly afford to drop $15'000 on 8 inches of plastic or wax, and you need it to fill some gaping hole in your life, or show off to your high end collectible friends, if you really want it that badly, then part of that ownership process is swimming in the water with the sharks. What's his name will be there waiting to sell it to you.

I still fail to see how the Toy Hunter guy is a jerk.

[Andy]

Probably not. One guest on the show, who shares some mutual friends with me, said he was paid triple the price that was mentioned on the show. The game with this type of show is, the host is still operating a business (just like, for example, American Pickers) and since most of his profit is in vintage and rare second-hand goods, the prices mentioned in the show aren't "real" or else within a month Jordan and everyone else would be paying retail just to buy G1 Transformers and he'd be out of business in a month. So in order to pay for the person's time and compensate them for being on a TV show, they get one price "behind the scenes" that is both a purchase and a payment for their appearance on the show. Sometimes the show won't even buy it; they just "rent" it and stage the sales, and the owner is paid a bit.

I kinda' assumed that. Good to have some sort of confirmation. It's crazy when you see stuff on eBay and what it sells for then you see what Jordan offers these people for said stuff and you think, idiots use eBay. I still watch the show because of the toy expisure

[_RZ_]

So if you can truly afford to drop $15'000 on 8 inches of plastic or wax, and you need it to fill some gaping hole in your life, or show off to your high end collectible friends, if you really want it that badly, then part of that ownership process is swimming in the water with the sharks. What's his name will be there waiting to sell it to you.

I still fail to see how the Toy Hunter guy is a jerk..

Just because something is expensive or rare, doesn't mean it's suddenly something that "fills a gaping hole in your life." Sometimes people buy a nice car, just because it's a nice car, not because they're overcompensating or are a show-off. Assuming that everyone who collects expensive things has some hole in their hearts, or is desperate to show off, it says more about your own stereotypes than anything else.

And just because of the price, doesn't mean suddenly it's "swimming with sharks." If anything it increases the transparency needed. If a store or seller raises prices on items specifically for certain buyers, or injects themselves into transactions of others, is that OK? Let's say you go to buy your Dream Car, your most desired thing since you were a kid, from an ad on the internet. There's only one of them in that color in the world! You've saved for years! You go to this guy's house, and pay him in cash, and are just about to hand over the key, when the owner of a car dealership comes in. He offers the guy $100 above your price on that Dream Car, and says the offer is only on the table for the next ten seconds. The guy takes it, because hey it's $100! Next week, it is at this guy's dealership with a sticker on it for 8 times what he paid for it. So since this is the only thing you want, your Dream Car, you figure, hey I'll just go there and try to make a deal, no hard feelings, explain everything to him, and he'll give me a bit of a break. Instead, the dealership takes advantage of your desire, because it remembers you that day at the guy's house, and stays firm on the price, just ever so slightly out of reach. And the Dream Car sits in the showroom for a decade with no buyers. Now that's not exactly a fair or happy ending, is it?

You have something that others percieve as ultra rare, so you set a price and hold out for the best buyer.

I think there is a difference between making a profit, and profitteering. What we're talking about here is not items without a clear basis of "perception" of their worth; there is a clear difference between a carded action figure, and the original piece painted artwork used on the card back. One is clearly more important than the other. There is but one painting, whereas there was many carded figures. And who is "the best buyer"? The one with the biggest pockets, or the one who would love and cherish that item the most? Sometimes the price is predatory, and sometimes it isn't. It's not exactly very honorable to buy hundreds of dollars of toys at a yard sale and pay the person pennies. Do the right thing, it's not hard. No one is saying to go crazy and pay full c10 eBay prices down to the cent, but there is clearly a difference between taking advantage of someone and doing the right thing, and if you can't figure it out, then there's something more important to be done in your life than collecting.

If I was given the choice between owning any number of the high end, rare collectibles and movie props that I've wanted (such as the cosmic key from the MOTU movie which supposedly auctioned for like $7'000) VS the exact amount in cash that same items percieved value, I would take the cash, laugh all the way to the bank.

I don't know, I'd be different. $7k or something one of a kind amazing from a movie or show I loved? What would I buy with the money, a watch to get stolen on the subway, or a crappy used car? Pay a bill? Go on a vacation? It would get spent away on things that I'd do anyway like vacation or paying off debt; the prop or art or proto or whatever, would probably only increase in value as time went on. Rather have the cool thing than the numbers in the bank, but that's my opinion. Maybe it could be sold years later and turned into many much better vacations instead of the $7k one

[Andy]

Dammit now I rally want a cosmic key replica. BTW was that a private auction or eBay?

[GREP-A-TOR]

Skyrunner, are you Jordan the Toyhunter???? lol

[Guest]

Just because something is expensive or rare, doesn't mean it's suddenly something that "fills a gaping hole in your life." Sometimes people buy a nice car, just because it's a nice car, not because they're overcompensating or are a show-off. Assuming that everyone who collects expensive things has some hole in their hearts, or is desperate to show off, it says more about your own stereotypes than anything else.

Yes, sometimes people do like to buy 'nice' things. However in my experience, people who squander small fortunes on expensive material pursuits do so, because the accquistion of said items makes great hole filler. You call it a stereotype, I call it an observation.

And just because of the price, doesn't mean suddenly it's "swimming with sharks." If anything it increases the transparency needed. If a store or seller raises prices on items specifically for certain buyers, or injects themselves into transactions of others, is that OK? Let's say you go to buy your Dream Car, your most desired thing since you were a kid, from an ad on the internet. There's only one of them in that color in the world! You've saved for years! You go to this guy's house, and pay him in cash, and are just about to hand over the key, when the owner of a car dealership comes in. He offers the guy $100 above your price on that Dream Car, and says the offer is only on the table for the next ten seconds. The guy takes it, because hey it's $100! Next week, it is at this guy's dealership with a sticker on it for 8 times what he paid for it. So since this is the only thing you want, your Dream Car, you figure, hey I'll just go there and try to make a deal, no hard feelings, explain everything to him, and he'll give me a bit of a break. Instead, the dealership takes advantage of your desire, because it remembers you that day at the guy's house, and stays firm on the price, just ever so slightly out of reach. And the Dream Car sits in the showroom for a decade with no buyers. Now that's not exactly a fair or happy ending, is it?

I do not have such emotional attachments to material possessions. I find dreams and joy in the love of others, or in moments. Material possessions are fleeting. If a situation like that arose in my life, I would chuckle at the doofus that purchased something and let it sat in a lot for 10 years and wasted away, as I drove my new hybrid.

I don't know, I'd be different. $7k or something one of a kind amazing from a movie or show I loved? What would I buy with the money, a watch to get stolen on the subway, or a crappy used car? Pay a bill? Go on a vacation? It would get spent away on things that I'd do anyway like vacation or paying off debt;

$7'000 can get you a well maintained used car. It can also get you a great watch, which you would have no fear of it being stolen because kids these days don't steal watches, they steal iphones. Or you could buy a really nice $3'000 watch, and a $1'000 gun to shoot anyone who tries to steal your watch. You'd also still have money left over.

the prop or art or proto or whatever, would probably only increase in value as time went on. Rather have the cool thing than the numbers in the bank, but that's my opinion. Maybe it could be sold years later and turned into many much better vacations instead of the $7k one

If you sold it for more than the $7'000 it was worth than when you accquired it, would it not make you exactly the same as Toy Hunter?

[GREP-A-TOR]

Is Jordan your idol?

[_RZ_]

You call it a stereotype, I call it an observation.

Well I think that goes for every stereotype, anyone who buys into it can simply call it an "observation." Just because in your particular experience a rich uncle uses expensive items as a mental crutch doesn't mean -everyone- who has money is like that. Broad generalizations and judging doesn't help anyone.

$7'000 can get you a well maintained used car.

But will it buy you a Ferrari? Because that is what vintage prototypes are equivalent to. You can't just log on to BBTS and buy some original packaging artwork for a vintage toy line. You're applying Wal-Mart values to Beverly Hills shops.

It can also get you a great watch, which you would have no fear of it being stolen because kids these days don't steal watches, they steal iphones. Or you could buy a really nice $3'000 watch, and a $1'000 gun to shoot anyone who tries to steal your watch. You'd also still have money left over.

Kids steal anything. Guns cause more problems than they solve. Collecting vintage watches is in vogue (at least amongst my friends.) Again you're comparing a Prius to a supercar. One is practical, the other is luxury enjoyment. If you just hate on those who have more money on you, fine, call them dufus all you want. But if you're trying to say anyone who collects in the true high-end is stupid, well, for spending money you don't have, that says more about jealousy or envy than anything about them. Comparing a $20 Casio and a $10,000 vintage watch, two different worlds, simply applying the values of one to another doesn't work.

If you sold it for more than the $7'000 it was worth than when you accquired it, would it not make you exactly the same as Toy Hunter?

Nice try, but only if I told the old lady I bought it from for a $1 that it was worthless. Toy collecting is a much, much smaller world than people think. Ripping off people- regardless of the particular strain of capitalism you prescribe to- generally isn't encouraged or celebrated when you're trying to run a business, especially secondary market used items...


You might not have emotional attachments to material possessions, but others do. Some less than reputable people take advantage of that. Personally I think it is wrong to take advantage of others, full stop. Even if you make a profit off of it. Making money isn't justification for wrong doing. Toy collecting is supposed to be fun for everyone, and sadly some people, like the dude discussed in this topic, take advantage of others to make a profit, which isn't fun. Emotional attachments are kind of why people collect and why vintage toys are even worth anything to begin with. I mean if you don't have emotional attachment to objects, then why even collect in the first place? For profit?

Again you state that Toyhunter is somehow sucking the fun out of toy collecting. Now allow me to throw your own platitudes about fairness back at you. Maybe its fun for some people to drop obscence amounts of money on toys. Stop name calling, and judging Toyhunter for being a savvy businessman and bringing so much joy to others by finding their lost treasures for them. Maybe you're jealous that he has access to high end niche items, which he turns for massive profits, garnering praise, admiration, and business connections. Follow me?

You seem to be making assumptions about me. Your statements point towards me having some sort of jealousy over people who can afford to drop small fortunes on what I consider meaningless pieces of old plastic. I assure you, that is not the case, and now I've lost interest in even sharing ideas with you.
I've invested far too much time into this conversation. Any further correspondence with you will be as fruitless as my previously wasted keystrokes. Bye now.

[_RZ_]

Again you state that Toyhunter is somehow sucking the fun out of toy collecting. Now allow me to throw your own platitudes about fairness back at you. Maybe its fun for some people to drop obscence amounts of money on toys. Stop name calling, and judging Toyhunter for being a savvy businessman and bringing so much joy to others by finding their lost treasures for them. Maybe you're jealous that he has access to high end niche items, which he turns for massive profits, garnering praise, admiration, and business connections. Follow me?

You seem to be making assumptions about me. Your statements point towards me having some sort of jealousy over people who can afford to drop small fortunes on what I consider meaningless pieces of old plastic. I assure you, that is not the case, and now I've lost interest in even sharing ideas with you.
I've invested far too much time into this conversation. Any further correspondence with you will be as fruitless as my previously wasted keystrokes. Bye now.

Yes the fun is being taken away, because for me dishonesty is not fun. Maybe for you Sky Runner being dishonest is a big old game and a lot of fun, but for me, and my friends, it's really straight up scumbag behavior.

Sadly for the point you're trying to make, I'm not jealous of him in any way. I don't collect what he sells so I don't care. Where is the "admiration" for this dude? Praise? Nowhere, except for clueless watchers of the show. Anyone who has delt with him in person won't give him praise. "Massive Profits" well I guess you have no idea what you are talking about. That's why he's moved more and more to pedestrian stuff like Hot Toys or NECA, because of the "massive profits" on those high-end piece? It's like a McDonald's fry cook trying to give advice to a Michelin chef. C'mon man. Business connections? Um it's called a theatrical agent. If you honestly think he's buddies with people like Gene Simmons then I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you. Theatrical agent man, look it up

If you think ripping off old ladies at garage sales, or messing with other booth vendors at a convention is "savvy" business, then I guess we clearly have different moral standards.

As for Jordan- since you have not met or dealt with him, and know zero people who have, your opinion isn't really viable, is it? Since you don't value objects and don't know the guy then why are you so voraciously defending him? Just watch the show and enjoy yourself and not just jump into stuff you have no idea about.

What "ideas" as you even presenting? All I see is someone who is always negative jumping in and defending a guy you don't know, in a business you don't have any respect for, talking about things you have no idea about. You don't value physical objects remember so how would you know about this?

Again, if you don't value "little pieces of plastic" then why do you collect? To scalp? To try to make money?

You're wasting your keystrokes by even participating in a toy collecting site if you don't value toys or physical objects. Sorry you didn't win your argument here but no reason to run home with the ball in your hand in tears.


Give us all an explanation as to why you collect if you don't value physical objects.

Sure, why not I'll bite.

1. If dishonesty is such a buzzkill for you, I got some honesty for you. It makes the collector world go round, and it is only a perception. If people want to spend small fortunes on toys and he wants to sell it to them, that's their perogative. So you and your 'friends' can sit and cry about the way he peddles plastic, and he'll just keep on making money.

2. Clueless watchers of the show. This statement explains your position on this entire conversation, but I'll continue.

3. My opinion is as viable as your opinion, and your attempts to make it otherwise is just a sad. Your opinions are being shared in an Internet forum, and the only one listening at this point, seems to be me. Why don't you spend some time with your morally just, toy collecting friends, instead of making snipes at me? I'm sure they're just dyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyying to be in your righteous company. You can talk about me with them!

4. Someone who is always negative? I'm glad I stand out so much, and that I'm so memorable to you. Wait, who are you again? If you actually cared enough to notice my positive posts, instead of just trawling for the negatives, we wouldn't be having this little back and fourth. However, like most self righteous, highly opinonated internet nerds, you ignore the posts that praise artwork, customs, fan discussion, and other creative threads, while you troll for someone to harass and argue with.

That's why you keep coming back here. I could post 1000 complimentary, positive, friendly and encouraging posts to other users regarding MOTU, but you will you hooked here, waiting to assault me in your search for truth and justice. There is another truth for you.

5. Yawn - poor clueless me... I don't know a thing. I'll be waiting for the first season of your toy show, RZ: The Righteous Toy Defender, and you can educate me and the mindless masses with all that you know, and herd the sheep to safe little farmers markets so they can graze the plastic pastures in peace and serenity.

6. Yawn- I have to stay awake so you can put me in my place. Yawn. You might win this online arguement...-yawn

7. Snooze............................................ ... hick up .................................................. ............................. me me me me me me...... snoooze hick up .................................................. ............................. me me me me me me...... snoooze...... me me me me me....

After you have read this post and responded, you will be added to my persistant ignore list. I did not leave He-Man.org to come here, and be sucked into another argument with puffy, pretentious, finger pounding people like you.

[_RZ_]

Did it take you all month to come up with that tripe? Or did you ask your 10th grade teacher to help you? You don't post anything positive, you just complain. Please, ignore me and do the rest of us a favor and ignore this site. You just like to vent online and attack people in PM so no wonder you're banned everywhere. Sorry if you feel inferior... but perhaps it hurts cause it's true? Read a book maybe? Learn something instead of huffing paint cans? I guess since you don't like honesty, we all know now who to ignore in the B/S/T section

You were so busy insulting me you forgot to answer the question: since you don't value physical objects, why do you collect? All those sentences and you didn't even get to the question LOL. Don't worry you can take your time, take a month again to think about how you'll snipe at me and not-think about your response just like last time.

[Eterni-or]

I just don't like the condescending tone he uses. You know, when he starts telling the owner of an item the history of said item? Like they're a moron - and although a collector, clearly have no idea what they actually have. That's honestly my biggest pet peeve.

Go spend some time around some art snobs, or gearheads, or anyone who thinks they know everything about something (_RZ_ for example ), its really no different anywhere.

[_RZ_]

Nice that Mr. Runner here needs to snipe me from the comments. Be a man and contact me personally if you have a problem with what I say. It's not my fault you're butthurt by "art snobs" or "gear heads" or people who know more on a topic than you do.