I can remember a time before Star Wars when the phrase ‘collectors edition’ didn’t really exist and folk like me who had managed to hang on to one or two items from their early years had done it by luck rather than judgement. My old toys and books had memories attached, of less complicated times when imagination was limitless and endless fun could be gleaned from a die cast car or a plastic rocket.
Nowadays, to buy a brand new ‘collectors edition’ model or toy and remove the packaging to simply enjoy it is tantamount to throwing money away. The advice is to squirrel it away and keep it in pristine condition as a future investment! Or, if you must open it, buy two! That way at least someone's making money.
Obviously it's not all down to Star Wars but I reckon a lot of people saw opportunity, and jumped onto a bandwagon that's still rolling.
Is that the way it is are am I am just being a bit cynical?
By the way, these Star Wars toys are my son’s. As a child he was quite aware of the 'value' of collectables as his Dad's old Thunderbird collection showed. I suspect in later years when he rediscovered his old toys stored in the loft he was also aware that the 'value' was in memories. They’re a bit knocked about and hardly in pristine condition but he wouldn’t part with them for the world.
Agree entirely with your comments about "limited edition collectables" -when you see the words collectables, its almost a guarantee they won't increase in value. I just buy what I like, irrespective of value.
ReplyDeleteCouldn't agree more. "Limited edition" just means a higher price, and the edition still numbers sufficient quantity that someday there'll be a glut of mint-boxed examples because everybody kept them in the box on a shelf or boxed away entirely lest it would lose its "value". Where in most cases I seriously doubt whether a next generation of collectors will even be sufficiently interested -and esp exist in sufficient number- to pay that value.
ReplyDeleteOn SW 'collectables' our children will have the interest because they've experienced it themselves. But I'm not that sure about future interest in our generation's toys...
Best -- Paul