Toy Hunter (11/28/2012) Update
 

This was on my facebook page regarding one of my favorite shows on the Travel Channel. Just wanted to let the TMNT fans know about it! Info listed below:


Hollywood Heroes, Inc

All New TOY HUNTER tomorrow night! I'm in Houston Texas, searching for Corgi toys, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, rare board games... and so much more.

Tune in tomorrow night for "Houston, the Toys Have Landed" and find out what NERF really stands for!

http://www.travelchannel.com/tv-shows/toy-hunter

SWEET! thanks for the heads up, homie! :tgrin:

Toy Hunter Show
 

Just caught a glimpse of a scratch during a commercial. I wonder when tmnt show up on this show what he'll price them at? Apparently he's a buyer and seller, but usually he says what he market values things at.

Was it for an upcoming episode? Is so when does it air? I only saw the show once by chance a couple of months ago.

He's talking about the show that aired/is airing tonight

He bought a case of 1988's (24 of them) for $1000. 41$ a piece and Scratch for 300$

Let's hope this show doesnt make everyone dig through their tmnts for a scratch. Goodluck finding one at a yardsale for a quarter.

Though it was posted in the wrong section, it was briefly addressed here- http://forums.thetechnodrome.com/showthread.php?t=40244

haha for a sec I thought you were saying I was in the wrong section. I was like it can't get more toy/collectible than that.

I posted this 2 min ago and saw someone beat me to it. It's a cool show, I have been waiting all season for some tmnt items to be aired.

You and I were thinking the same thing. It's bad enough that the goodwill over prices their video games now they're really gonna go nuts.

Yeah my mistake, I did post the info yesterday in the wrong section. :tconfuse: The show was great though :tgrin:

I saw the episode earlier today and DVR'd it.

First he gives all this information about the vallue and stuff , and then he pays allot of money for them , why wouldn't he wanne buy these for stealprices ? :s
Great vid though..

Like other similar shows, like Pawn Stars, he tells them the value but there's an understanding that he needs to sell it for that price. At one point in the show he says something like "It's worth upwards of $200, I'll give you $100"

I would assume he would like the seller to feel like they got a good deal so he would be welcomed back if he showed up again.

I am still new to collecting tmnt. Why is scratch so valuable?

i dont know about anyone else's goodwills but the ones around my area decided to slowly start marking things that are in good condition at prices close to retail value. its a bunch of bull if you ask me, considering goodwill has always been considered "a place for the less fortunate" lol. Though i did get an Adventure Time Slamacow Finn plush in its box for $4.99 and its retail is close to $30 and we got a 2012 furby for $2.99 at one of our goodwills. they obviously didnt know they are brand new and cost $50 at walmart lol

He's a toy dealer and so his reputation is on the line. If he goes on TV and purposely misleads someone as to the value of something just to get if for a steal then he'll lose credibility. Then no one will want to deal with him...end of show.

Scratch was an obscure character to begin with and was produced late in the life of the original Playmates TMNT line. Only one Scratch was being included in the cases delivered to retailers (if that, I don't remember seeing them at all). Since the TMNT figures were declining in popularity, retailers wouldn't have been ordering as many TMNT figures.

Agree with this.

He mentioned Scratch being one per case. Does anyone know what other figs came out in the same cases as Scratch?

Goodwills around my area have always been wonky on their prices. I've seen one store have an original Gameboy for $5 and another (without Battery Cover) for $99. From what I've been told, it all is up to the person in the back who's pricing the items.

I will mention though that at the main goodwill I go to, most Music, Movies Books and Games have set prices (IE: all hardcovers $2, all softcovers $0.50, etc) I've gotten vintage Nintendo and Super Nintendo games for $0.50 each

I'd imagine it's the "other figures" listed here: http://www.tmnttoys.com/figures.html#1993

I had the good fortune to interview him at NYCC this year and I asked him about the process of giving good advice and a fair price on items. It's all about building a reputation and relationships for future dealings.

i cant hate on goodwill for raising their prices, it is a non-profit organization that relies on donations... each year i donate some of my overstock from mysterycolor vintage toys to salvation army and/or goodwill- what they do with it is up to them.

episode was sweet. i need to go to that old ladys house and take all her other tmnt stuff, haha.

and does this dude have a store online where hes gonna be selling this stuff? tried looking it up and came across something on ebay but not sure if thats it or not.

anyone?

This show is just making toy prices higher. If everyone knows the value then they will not be at flea markets or yard sales anymore; everyone will just put their toys on ebay or some other website for the full value or higher than the value. This guy over pays for stuff sometimes, which misleads people to believe that certain things are worth more than they are. I like to see all of the weird vintage figures and toys this guy finds but it's really bad for collectors.

+1^^ Thats what I was saying! smh

Its kind of what barret jackson did to cars. When speed started showing that and the old muscle cars where going for 7 figures and more. Every one and there brother thought there rusted out pos was a million dollar car. Thing is, no where in the world is your car worth more then at barret jackson. After a while though the prices came back down.

If anything I think the nick show might have more of a impact on the prices of the stuff then this show. Im not sure how high the ratings are but I dont think there that high.

Toys, like the stock market, have cyclical ups, dows, recessions, depressions, and plateaus. Its not unlike real estate, where the most desirable will always be the most expensive, even in downturns since it is usually the items on the fringe of desirability that are must subject to volitility. The market may be hot now, but could bust the way baseball cards did in the '90s and have a long, slow recovery since it can leave a bad impression, especially when people try to corner the market and raise prices too high where that the average consumer can't really invest. Commons are usually poor investments (loose/played with and no accessories with wear/loose joints along with all comics since 1980 in less than VF condition), whereas those that have lots of pitching will always remain interested.

Its always fascinating for me to learn and discover the origins about how something becomes collectible, as it usually starts with a few hardcore, loyal fans who see that something is rare/unique compared to what's common. Then, as more people discover the rarities, this creates a higher demand, causing prices to go up. Toys however are unique since typically the boom in prices occurs when the people who were kids when such toys are current happens when the target audience is typically in their late 20s/early 30s as their financial situation settles down into steady incomes, but before the burden of raising their children gets too much. Mego/Star Wars figure values boomed in the '90s, Transformers/He Man values boomed in the early/mid 2000s, and you'll see the same with Power Rangers & Pokemon. Be thankful for your finds, since you know that unless there is a big market crash, it will keep getting harder and harder to find vintage, collectible toys at a cheap price.

Case in point...this guy. "I just watched the latest episode of Toy Hunter and that Dude paid a lady $1000 for a case of 24." :lol: