Quitting/putting collecting on pause

[Damien]

I mean, if any of ya'll are looking to unload any of the AvP movie stuff, I'd happily take them off your hands. As not great as they were, I've got a lot of love and nostalgia for at least the first one, and the McFarlane figures for them (I can't even count how many times I poked or cut myself to the point of drawing blood on those sharp ass blades of theirs). I got into the line only somewhat recently, and sadly, I don't know if those AvP figures are ever getting re-releases. I'd try my luck at some of the knock-offs on Ali Express, but some seem to have much higher success rates than others.

I had all the McFarlane ones way back when they first came out. As trash as that first movie really was, I still deeply love the idea of a more heavily-armored Predator and I genuinely think the designs were badass. I'd probably buy them again if a company were making any that weren't fragile, loose-jointed garbage.

 

[Alt]

Is the first one the one where the predator takes his mask off in a room of facehuggers?

 

[joshsquash729]

Is the first one the one where the predator takes his mask off in a room of facehuggers?

I hate to use my daily "Um, ackshully" on the AvP movie of all things, but it wasn't a room full of Facehuggers. There was that sacrificial chamber of Facehuggers, but that was before the scene with Scar, and only involved humans. He killed a Facehugger, then a Xeno, then took his mask off to mark himself as having completed the ritual, then got ambushed by another Facehugger before he put his mask back on. A truly bonkers sentence, and I suppose one could argue it was a temple, not a room, that happened to have a handful of Facehuggers running around, but the distinction is noteworthy.

 

[TheRealSmallville]

I mean, if any of ya'll are looking to unload any of the AvP movie stuff, I'd happily take them off your hands. As not great as they were, I've got a lot of love and nostalgia for at least the first one, and the McFarlane figures for them (I can't even count how many times I poked or cut myself to the point of drawing blood on those sharp ass blades of theirs). I got into the line only somewhat recently, and sadly, I don't know if those AvP figures are ever getting re-releases. I'd try my luck at some of the knock-offs on Ali Express, but some seem to have much higher success rates than others.

I have the set of 3 knockoffs from Ali Express, I believe they are NECA KO's. Surprisingly, the paint is really good on them and if you're just looking at them they look like the real thing. Got them for like $15/each, but that was probably two years ago. One of them had a loose leg, and one had a loose arm (joints, I mean), but other than that they aren't half bad. Especially for $15, you could do a lot worse. If you use a stand with them, they represent on the shelf very nicely. Worth it if you can find them cheap, just don't pay more than maybe $20 each for them.

 

[TheRealSmallville]

I had all the McFarlane ones way back when they first came out. As trash as that first movie really was, I still deeply love the idea of a more heavily-armored Predator and I genuinely think the designs were badass. I'd probably buy them again if a company were making any that weren't fragile, loose-jointed garbage.

I think AvP is a very solid 'B' movie. If you ignore the actual Alien and Predator lore and treat it as just aliens fighting aliens with people involved, it's a solid little monster movie with some fun set design and costumes. The Predators look like linebackers, and I kinda love it. I wouldn't want all Predators to look like that in all of the movies, but I wouldn't mind seeing them pop up again sometime.

For what its worth, I also like the designs in the sequel. When you can see them, anyway.

 

[joshsquash729]

I have the set of 3 knockoffs from Ali Express, I believe they are NECA KO's. Surprisingly, the paint is really good on them and if you're just looking at them they look like the real thing. Got them for like $15/each, but that was probably two years ago. One of them had a loose leg, and one had a loose arm (joints, I mean), but other than that they aren't half bad. Especially for $15, you could do a lot worse. If you use a stand with them, they represent on the shelf very nicely. Worth it if you can find them cheap, just don't pay more than maybe $20 each for them.

That's good to know! I've really only ever ordered one or two things from AliExpress- some clones from Veils, which I know has a good reputation. Do you happen to remember the seller? I'm down for some cheap, display-only figures; God knows I've probably proudly displayed worse in the past.

 

[TheRealSmallville]

That's good to know! I've really only ever ordered one or two things from AliExpress- some clones from Veils, which I know has a good reputation. Do you happen to remember the seller? I'm down for some cheap, display-only figures; God knows I've probably proudly displayed worse in the past.

Looking through my order history, it looks like I paid $16.80/ea in July '22...so a bit longer than I thought lol The seller was Shop1102342987

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256811491671479.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.6.683djnJEjnJEMp&algo_pvid=0c35669a-7c81-4e5a-acb5-95b004e8c7f5&algo_exp_id=0c35669a-7c81-4e5a-acb5-95b004e8c7f5-5&pdp_ext_f=%7B%22order%22%3A%223%22%2C%22eval%22%3A%221%22%2C%22fromPage%22%3A%22search%22%7D&pdp_npi=6%40dis%21USD%2116.53%2116.53%21%21%21112.15%21112.15%21%4021033d1217780859410756609edbb5%2112000056226052446%21sea%21US%214119756621%21X%211%210%21n_tag%3A-29919%3Bd%3Ad10dc1ee%3Bm03_new_user%3A-29895&curPageLogUid=6GU2x1trwWSB&utparam-url=scene%3Asearch%7Cquery_from%3A%7Cx_object_id%3A1005011677986231%7C_p_origin_prod%3A

Hopefully that works lol

The figures also come in clamshell packaging that looks like the originals. As far as KO's go, they're pretty decent quality. Not quite as good as the KO's of the 08 NECA Mirage TMNT, but they're good. Looks like they have Scar and Celtic right now, but I see Chopper from other sellers. As long as the seller has a high rating, you should be golden.

 

[Alt]

I hate to use my daily "Um, ackshully" on the AvP movie of all things, but it wasn't a room full of Facehuggers. There was that sacrificial chamber of Facehuggers, but that was before the scene with Scar, and only involved humans. He killed a Facehugger, then a Xeno, then took his mask off to mark himself as having completed the ritual, then got ambushed by another Facehugger before he put his mask back on. A truly bonkers sentence, and I suppose one could argue it was a temple, not a room, that happened to have a handful of Facehuggers running around, but the distinction is noteworthy.

I don't mind being clarified and corrected, ever.

 

[TFitz]

So apparantly today is opposite day. No pause on collecting. Incoming today is Mondo's Ray and Mr. Ghash, Roboskull MKII with stand and Red Shadow figure, Black Series updated Han Solo, and 2 Star Wars BA Battle Droid May the 4th figures.

 

[mrboshek]

So apparantly today is opposite day. No pause on collecting. Incoming today is Mondo's Ray and Mr. Ghash, Roboskull MKII with stand and Red Shadow figure, Black Series updated Han Solo, and 2 Star Wars BA Battle Droid May the 4th figures.

You have 47 minutes to place one more action figure order that qualifies for same day Prime delivery.

 

[mrboshek]

I'm not quitting or pausing, but I did order some boxes on Amazon. I haven't been an active seller in about a year and a half, the price of boxes from Staples really went up since then. They run a deal, buy 5 get them 50% off. The last time I bought boxes from them, the smallest action figure sized boxes were around $.60 - $.70 each after the discount. Now they're $1.25 each for 5 or more. That would really cut into the margin when I'm trying to move cheap figures.

Maybe buying some boxes will get me motivated to clear some space. My peak was 950 sales in '23, around 450 in '24, then I dropped all the way down to 22 last year.
950 was a bit much, I was at the PO nearly every day.

 

[Chooch555]

I've been selling my McDCs for a few months now. Had to pivot to lots quickly for my sanity which often requires big discounts, but that's the game. I don't allow offers, but sometimes send offers to folks who invariably counteroffer. One guy literally just sent three digits "140." Man, can't you write one sentence? The strangest so far came in today though. He offered a few bucks more for a lot if I'd hold it until September because he's selling concert tickets then or some such? People are weird.

 

[Alt]

How do you set up your lots?

I'm at the point I want to do that with some stuff, just get it gone. Do you have one or two anchors? Just don't even care? Any rhyme or reasons or none?

 

[Chooch555]

I try to make some logical grouping in my head, but the more random lots are moving slower. Waves with BAFs were the initial easy lay-up. Then I made groups of 4-6 like Justice League Int'l, Justice League... Powerhouses, Justice League Dark, Brave and the Bold (Atoms, Green Arrows, and Hawkman), and eventually a DC oddballs. Oddballs sold first, probably because Question was in there. I just did my first Batman/Wonder Woman set where it was Golden Age/Toddified/Modern. Tossed all the animated ones together, that's not moving. All the alternate Batmen of Earth -X sold as a set.

I haven't listed the bulk of the Super/Bat yet (which is most of them to be fair) so curious if character popularity plays into it. I'm assuming it's collectors like us that are buying and they have lots of Batmen and Supermen, but who knows.