Price your toy

[Martin Avis]

Personally I wouldn't be in favour of a specific valuations thread because the danger would be that vague, and most likely wildly inaccurate speculations, would be taken as gospel. Posts and threads are (in theory at least) permanent, whereas real-world values change up and down all the time. What might be quoted as reflection of a market on one day could be complete nonsense a few months or years later.

We have Nick's valuation guides to steer us in the right direction and eBay (or Vectis) for people to do their own due diligence.

Martin

[kerbside]

Hello I tend to agree with all the members who are not in favour of it, my collection will still be in my display cabinets when depart this life.

As I am only looking for regular wheel variations I would pay what I think is a fair price for it.

Also I think that it might end up like the MCCH site which got unindated with people asking for prices on models, even common ones, and we do not want that to happen here, sorry about that if that upsets any body.

George T.

[Tinman]

Hello I tend to agree with all the members who are not in favour of it, my collection will still be in my display cabinets when depart this life.

As I am only looking for regular wheel variations I would pay what I think is a fair price for it.

Also I think that it might end up like the MCCH site which got unindated with people asking for prices on models, even common ones, and we do not want that to happen here, sorry about that if that upsets any body.

George T.

I remember what a mess that was on the mcch. Arguments broke out about value, arguments broke out about sale prices, it was a huge distraction and all needless. I would again like to voice strong opposition to such a discussion and would lobby hard against such a forum.

Collectors need to decide for themselves what they are willing to pay for a model. Sellers & Dealers need to do their own research and simaliarly decide their own asking prices.

[nickjones]

My price guide also has Vectis's own estimate which sometimes gets overlooked. Usually the estimate price is probably the more accurate valuation.

[Big Al]

Well! I guess I got put in my place, haha! I didn't mean to drop a bomb and run away from this topic. I got sick as heck and also ended up with a few rush jobs in my "real" business.

I understand everything all you more experienced people are saying (no sarcasm intended), and about the cluster-**** such a thread could be. But I still don't understand why those of you who aren't interested in discussing such issues couldn't just ignore the thread and let others like me chat about these things.

Just as a final analogy, and I'll let this go: Let's say I collect antique rocking chairs. I'd like to know what they are worth before I buy one, even if I intended to die sitting in it. I'd be a fool to pay $1,000 for one that could be had for $10. By the same token, if I wanted to sell or trade one I owned (which I'd bet almost everyone here has done with diecasts), I'd be crazy to accept $20 in cash or trade for a rocking chair that is worth $2,000. And please don't accuse me of not researching values. I spend many hours doing exactly that, and networking with others in the field like you guys and gals is part of it.

OK, I'm done. I love this place, and all the great information available.

Alan

[Big Al]

Personally I wouldn't be in favour of a specific valuations thread because the danger would be that vague, and most likely wildly inaccurate speculations, would be taken as gospel. Posts and threads are (in theory at least) permanent, whereas real-world values change up and down all the time. What might be quoted as reflection of a market on one day could be complete nonsense a few months or years later.

We have Nick's valuation guides to steer us in the right direction and eBay (or Vectis) for people to do their own due diligence.

Martin

OK, I'm not done.

Martin,

In this day and age of almost instantaneous online feedback, whether through facebook, twitter, yelp, tripadvisor etc., I doubt anyone expects an old review to apply to up-to-the-minute conditions or values. And you stole the "due diligence" line from me, earlier in this thread. I said it is only right that I should do that.

-A.

[GHOSTHUNTER]

Hi guys, (and gals)!

Valuation threads can be/will be dangerous things, someone will take as gospel a value of a model and move the earth so he/she gets that price for that item.

IMHO threads would be better, as then its only someones idea of what they think the model is worth and when they don't get that price they will have to change their idea of the price, nothing set in concrete.

We all have a rough idea of how much certain models are worth, how much we would like to pay and how much some models do fetch. There will always be some models that defy valuations, so it has to be guesswork based on your own past experience or what you think you can ask for it.

In this hobby, (it is still a hobby, isn't it!), there will always be a temptation to get as much money as you can for a model and the true value of a model will become diluted, not only that, friendships can be made or broken because of monetary issues.

All the above is assuming you are not a dealer/trader, if you are, then things are a little different and you have to survive by selling and buying at prices that sometimes scares us true collectors.

I think 'Price your toy' could work if it is policed properly and it is made clear that what you read within it's confines are only someones idea of what they think the model is worth, a member can come into the thread with a price idea and ask if other members agree with it and if not, what would be a more realistic price and so on.

That's my view on this at the moment,

GHOSTHUNTER.

[Tinman]

I think 'Price your toy' could work if it is policed properly and
GHOSTHUNTER.

You had it correct in the first part of your comments: "it's a hobby" Let's leave money as far out of it as possible.

Once you launch down a path where something has to be policed, this is always a bad thing! Policing a difficult thread or forum involves censoring in the form of editing or deleting posts. This always angers members and begins a nasty cycle of posts. On the other side of the coin, someone now has to give up part of their hobby time to do the censoring (and their reward is always to be loathed for doing so).