I know it's not the policy to ask for pricing, but I'm just curious how the baseline (besides failed ebay auctions) is set.

I was looking for a simple stormtrooper & I kept seeing prices that I thought even for MOC would be ridiculous ($200 & up).

I understand supply & demand, but has it gone off the rails? Or is this a sign of other things in play that I'm not seeing yet?

Rarity is an issue I get, but if there were a million pieces made (just grabbing a random number) of something considered common, and still easily found in the marketplace (Ebay, Amazon, etc...) does that change things?

Or is it just plain old fashioned greed?

And I still didn't get my trooper

One Stormtrooper - whether loose or MOC - might be much rarer than another which will be reflected in the price.

$200 & up is not uncommon for MOCs, and these prices might even be paid for some loose foreign ones (Takara for instance).

What were you looking for?

Sadly, just a simple Kenner from any of the original 70's-80's runs.

Yeah, I know that foreign & bootlegs are going to cost much more, but I wouldn't think a Kenner would. Maybe I remember when they came out costing 2-3 a piece. I'm just getting old.

if you're not too fussy about condition, you should have no problem finding plenty or armybuilders for below $10

(edit: loose ones that is, i'm confused wether you're after a loose one or a moc)

I am so late to the adult collecting party, so I only know what I have seen for the past few months, and any Stormy MOC is gonna be tough to find under $200. Perhaps a banged up ROTJ card, but unless you get lucky on a MOC that just completely flew under the radar, I would say $250 and up for anything decent.

Of course there are always exceptions. And even though they may have made a bazillion Stormys, Stormtroopers in particular will always run a bit higher that their common counterparts since they are popular among anyone that wants a piece of their SW childhood. Stormtroopers are just so freaking cool! Well, that is what I think at least.

You could always start a bit more economically and get a re-seal or a good cardback with the bubble still attached (shamless FS plug ) . hehe

One day I will have a straight up Kenner 12A near mint, but I have a long way to travel before that happens.


Good luck on your quest!

Where do you buy your stuff from???
MOC ROTJ Stormies can be found for around $100 very often, and in very nice condition, unless you're talking about graded ones...
There's currently a Canadian ROTJ stormie on RS for 100EUR(129USD)

tundra9 wrote:

Where do you buy your stuff from???
MOC ROTJ Stormies can be found for around $100 very often, and in very nice condition, unless you're talking about graded ones...

Really????
Unfortunately eBay is my #1 spot... #2 would be Brians Toys or Final Frontier Toys... both those rarely have anything I am looking for and when they do they are generally pretty pricey.

Where online should I be looking? Please tell me there are other options as I know I have been raped a few times to get a few things here and there.
So far, the best deals I have found have been from the FS threads here or on RS.

Yeah, stick to the forums when it comes to buying, much nicer deals, although you do find bargains on ebay though, but not often.
WTB threads on all the forums is a good bet as well, it puts the word out there that you're looking.

tundra9 wrote:

Yeah, stick to the forums when it comes to buying, much nicer deals, although you do find bargains on ebay though, but not often.
WTB threads on all the forums is a good bet as well, it puts the word out there that you're looking.

Yeah, I get that.
To be clear, I haven't spent that kind of cash on a MOC yet. However I fear a drunkin night could change that.

I do search a ton on eBay (love the saved searches and daily emails) so what I see makes me cringe most of the times as far as cost.

As far as the FS threads, I usually join those parties too late, so I will start using WTB threads better.
I have one up with a ton of things, but as long as it isn't frowned upon, I do plan on starting individual topics for very specific things.

Anyway.... I guess the moral of the story is to only use eBay for specific things and only if you bid what you feel is fair and not inflate the item.

Yeah, nothing wrong in bidding what you feel the item is worth, you win some and you lose some.
The drunken ebayer is fun though, just not the day after....

tundra9 wrote:

Yeah, nothing wrong in bidding what you feel the item is worth, you win some and you lose some.
The drunken ebayer is fun though, just not the day after....

Truer words have never been spoken

It is sad, but I have had two packages show up with figures over the past few months that I had to confirm I bought!
Not good........

tundra9 wrote:

Yeah, stick to the forums when it comes to buying, much nicer deals, although you do find bargains on ebay though, but not often.
WTB threads on all the forums is a good bet as well, it puts the word out there that you're looking.

Agree 100% with Jorn here. Stick to nthe forums for the most part. You are garunteed a much better quality piece than on ebay