Can Anyone Tell Me?

16 Responses to Can Anyone Tell Me?

1. Don Perkins says:

   January 19, 2012 at 10:16 PM

   Well….it is obviously MIB — unassembled tin, all the original bags, and even the box is truly mint, just like you would have bought it off the shelf 50 years ago. How many sets like this could there really be out there? I would think, if someone truly wanted an MIB Fort Apache, this might be one of the few genuine examples. But you would know better than me on this, Stad.

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   • admin says:

     January 19, 2012 at 11:05 PM

     Don
     There are people who want the feel of mint in box playsets. I remembered when Peter Fritz would rebuild playsets. He had studied various mib playsets and knew how to make the playset look like it was when opened on Christmas. He had someone who make cardboard dividers and repair boxes.
     It will be interesting to watch what other mint in box playsets go for this year.

     Reply
2. Mark Hegeman says:

   January 19, 2012 at 10:31 PM

   It is the first time I have ever seen the graphics on that box. So maybe rare set number or rare graphics in pristine condition?

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   • admin says:

     January 19, 2012 at 10:59 PM

     Mark
     The graphics are unusual, I am just amazed on the prices for certain non-character playsets.

     Reply
3. Ed Borris says:

   January 20, 2012 at 7:48 AM

   I once paid $350.00 for a Rin Tin Tin Fort Apache that was excellent with bags instructions, dividers and a good box. I also paid $366.00 for another Rin Tin Tin Fort Apache where the guy substituted the metallic cavalry with a matched complete powdered blue cavalry set.

   That set you ask about is a nice one, but I wouldn’t pay that amount. I’m still befuddled by what people pay for Wagon Train sets, other then the undersized out of scale wagons and the one or two character figures depending on the year it was made, everything else is common and used in many other sets. I ‘ve seen Wagon Train sets go for thousands and I confess not to understand.

   Selling on e-bay is a crap shoot, you can never tell what someone will buy or what they will pay, generally I find that the items that shouldn’t bring a good price sell for two or three times what I expect, while quality items sell for less then I expected. Most quality items the people that are interested know what they are worth and try to get it for less then that price, while the non-quality items are usually bought by the clueless and for some reason they seem to have more disposable income.

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4. Bill Nevins says:

   January 20, 2012 at 7:10 PM

   Well, the top 3 bidders all had over 800 feedbacks so they were not “newbie” nitwits who didn’t know what they were bidding on. It would not surprise me if the winning bidder was a well known re-seller who had a customer waiting for this set.
   Off the top of my head, I know that the box is a pretty hard to find one and the graphics really are top shelf. Aside from the long coats and wagons there is also a pack horse which is tough to find.
   But 3,000 plus Yankee dollars!!! A bit out of my range for a box full of plastic toys.

   Reply
5. sean burns says:

   January 21, 2012 at 7:37 AM

   Whenever you see an incredibly overpriced rare set, the culprit is usually Rick Eber. He bought this set. He paid the $1000 for that Velardi sign that caused a stir a while back, too. (If Dave Schaeffer, on the Yahoo Marx group, comes to the defense of someone who has paid a ton of money for a set that people are scratching their heads over, it’s usually Rick.) I called Rick 12 years or so ago, when I saw a used, with damage, Iwo Jima set sell for almost $2,000 (it was worth about $500 in my book, if that- I had just bought a boxed one from a dealer I knew at a horror con for $350). I was surprised when he told me HE bought it. I then followed his bidding for a couple years (“duke1954”); he snipes at the last second, and if an item is rare, price is no object. I posted a diatribe on the Yahoo Marx group 6 or 7 years ago, about how he is controlling the prices of rare sets by buying every one that appears (He had recently bought TWO MINING TOWN sets; this was when he paid $10,000 for a BATTLEFIELD set). I got many commiserating responses privately, but no one wanted to bring it up on the site, it seems (out of politeness? I don’t have that concern, sorry). I have all the common sets I want, and several rare ones, but I saw I had no chance in getting the few (rare) sets I still “needed” (on Ebay, anyway), with him buying up everything. I pretty much withdrew from the playset collecting “fraternity” (hah), as it really pissed me off seeing him get primo set after primo set. (I don’t really participate anymore, though I like Stad’s quirky posts, and I scan the Yahoo group now and then- old habit, I guess).) Rick is a nice enough guy but he is no benefit to the average playset collector; only to those with big pockets. He spent $7500 in the last week alone, for the FT APACHE, an unboxed WAGON TRAIN, TANK BATTLE, and CAPTAIN SPACE. It cracks me up when people on the Marx group say “Where does he get all this great stuff?” The regular guy has no chance against him. PS Very rare box,but the wagons and long coats in that set don’t look like an unusual color to me. Maybe a darker brown, like the ox cart wagon? The figures look to be the regular blue shade, no?

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   • admin says:

     January 21, 2012 at 10:59 AM

     Sean
     I can understand your frustration on not able to get playsets for a fair price on Ebay. The problem is the big money has taken over Ebay when it comes high quality items be it playsets, toys, coins, etc. If a very good item comes up very rarely will the average collector be able to get it unless they pay big bucks. Last year I tried for Jescan Bridge over the River Kwai bridge. It is very rare and in high demand in Europe. I had wanted to add it to the collection. If I had seen it at a show, I might have gotten it for under $100.00. On Ebay I slugged it out and quit at $250.00.
     Rick is doing what Peter Fritz was doing 20 years ago selling to a higher cilentele. This is your doctors, lawyers, famous people etc who have money but not the time to search. They are willing to pay someone the big bucks to get the item for them. When someone has access to this type of cilentele they can pay silly prices. It hurts the average collector, so you have to go to other avenues flea markets, shows etc. Last year I got a partial Daktari and Sears Store using other sources and I will be working them hard this year.

     Rick is a nice guy. I know some people who got some great buys off of him at shows this year. He has been very gracious in letting me take pictures of his stand to share on the web site.

     Reply
6. Bill Nevins says:

   January 22, 2012 at 1:16 AM

   I guessed that it was him on my previous post. If rich people wish to spend their money on toys, then who am I to say they should not. Eber seems to have a thriving business going and if he didn’t do it then someone else would. Can’t fault a guy for that. Beside, Eber has been very generous with allowing his mint sets to be photgraphed and shared with other through Playset magazine and other places.

   I’ve bought a couple of sets from Ebay but 90% of my collection came from flea markets, toy shows and hunting down leads for old toys. I like the idea that you can still hunt down sets and figures at flea markets. Last year I found 2 Giant Blue and Gray sets for under a hundred bucks at my usual market. I wrote about my find on the ‘net and the first email I got was from Eber offering to buy the sets!

   I didn’t sell, but you can’t blame the guy for trying.

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7. Andy Keliar says:

   January 22, 2012 at 10:20 AM

   If the winning bidder (all I see on eBay is d***9) is in fact Eber, and re-sale motive theories are correct; wonder what he will try to charge his high roller “client” for his $3025.00 procurement?? Isn’t a 50% mark up still the ideal goal? That’s a little over $4500.00…… basically to own an “unusual box”, because Ft. Apaches are pretty basic and cheap. No doubt the seller will be aggressively solicited to sell his whole remaining collection direct and by-pass eBay fees. I’m wondering if this whole high priced Marx Play Set “house of cards” phenomenon will crash soon, like baseball cards and comic books have done. In the future, if any one even still wants these things when we “Boomers” are gone, they may be available for pretty cheap – certainly not $3025.00.

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   • admin says:

     January 22, 2012 at 12:04 PM

     Andy
     No one knows if or when the prices of playsets will drop. I have been hearing that mantra for too many years. Even after we are gone(the ones who grew up with playsets) the prices on certain playsets may hold up or go up. Look at cast iron toys certain ones have held their value and have gone up.
     As to the playset itself, it was previousily noted that three people were bidding on the playset and pushed it to its high value. They saw aspects of the playset to justify the price. If they are reselling to someone it isgoing go to a collector who has money to pay for it thatthe average collector would call silly money. I don’t think the person who gets this ultimatily is looking it as a investment. Perhaps he is looking to reclaim a memory.

     Reply
8. Andy Keliar says:

   January 22, 2012 at 12:14 PM

   How much have Marx Giant Fort Apache Sets been selling for? I had a complete (nine or ten piece – I forget exactly without actually looking up the piece – with flag, short pole, special slotted ladder, etc.) blockhouse over the gate accessory that I sold on eBay for around $1025.00 a few years back. Just the gate – no figures, nothing else.. It was a nice piece and wish I had another one, but not sorry for selling it for $1025.00. There were two bidders that fought over it and it jumped from like $300 to the $1025 at the last 3 seconds. I thought my computer was broken!! As I remember, I had bought a lot of two of them, one with slight damage, in Marx checkered bags, on eBay for around $300 total. My wife thought I was crazy to pay that much. I sold the damaged one for around $100 right away and then the mint one maybe two years later. Since then, I’ve seen whole sets including blockhouse over gate, box, bags, long coat calvary, pack horses, etc. on dealers’ lists for around the $1000 figure. Could never figure why mine sold so high. The one I sold was heat stamped in yellow letters with a little (disclosed) wear on the letters….

   Reply
9. Bill Nevins says:

   January 23, 2012 at 1:18 AM

   I’ve never really understood the attraction of just spending silly money on playsets. I like the boxes because of the box art, but the bags and deviders? I can live without them. The whole point of having a playset is to play with it. So you spend thousands of dollars on a set that is mint in the box and now what? You stare at it? Afraid to rip the bags or have a piece fall off a sprue.
   To each his own, I guess, but that’s not why I got into collecting plastic soldiers. I love setting my sets up and I use parts from all different sets and makers. I just recently spent the most money I have ever spent on toys in order to get a Blue and Gray set with the box that I did not have. I have always loved the charcoal gray and bright blue figures that came in a few B&G sets. So, I treated myself for Christmas and bought
   the set which ended up including most of a Giant set and most of a mid level set besides the set that I wanted. And the seller threw in about 100 extra Marx western figures including some 60 mm 7 th cavalry in tan.
   I paid 700 bucks for everything. If I parted it all out, I am sure I can triple what I paid.
   But I won’t, because I can always get money. I am at the stage in my life where I am financially well off. However, I would never consider paying the ridiculous prices that
   a Wagon Train or Johnny Ringo set goes for. I think that it’s insane to spend 10,000 dollars for a playset that cost 10 bucks when it was made.
   But that’s just me. Your mileage may vary.

   Reply
   • admin says:

     January 23, 2012 at 8:35 PM

     Bill
     I am the same feeling, a playset is to be played with and enjoyed. I buy for enjoyment. Most of my favorite figures cost me next to nothing. I will not pay silly money for an item that is for our enjoyment. The most money I can think I have paid for a sinle item which was a Mammoth I paid $90.00 for your Laurie in Germany at least 5 years ago. I have not seen it since.

     Reply
10. Ed Borris says:

    January 23, 2012 at 7:43 AM

    I don’t understand it either, but if you have bags , dividers and instructions it sure drives up the selling price.

    Ohhh, 60mm tan cavalry huh? Man I love those guys. Tough to match the colors though, they always seem to be different shades unless you get them from one set. It’s very rare to see someone with a complete set for sale. I had one last year at Indy, sold the set for $450.00.

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    • admin says:

      January 23, 2012 at 8:29 PM

      Ed
      If we could figure out why people pay silly money we would be rich. Just watch antique road show.

      Reply

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