Investing in Collectibles? And the Hottest Pop Culture Collecting Market Right Now Is...Vintage Toys

Welcome back to Reserved Investments! Today, we discuss the current hottest pop culture collecting market by far...the market for high grade third party graded vintage toys from the 1980's! And the top four toy lines currently selling for the most are: Star Wars, G.I. Joe, Transformers, and Masters of the Universe. Let's discuss...links to the actual auction listings discussed in the video are below...
www.hakes.com/Auction/ItemDet...
www.hakes.com/Auction/ItemDet...
www.hakes.com/Auction/ItemDet...
www.hakes.com/Auction/ItemDet...
Email for Antique/Collectible Consulting Services: [e-mail]
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Disclaimer: Videos are not intended to provide direct investment advice. Please work with a financial advisor and actually own real financial assets before putting your money in collectibles or in this case, vintage toys.
Kindly note, that much like Max Headroom, I am just a figment of your imagination. To the crazy chick that keeps sending me strange messages about how she loves my eyes and wants to do weird things to me, please know that I am kind of attached to my eyes at the moment and need them for seeing...and to the crazy crypto-bros who hate me, you're still wrong...
Did I miss anyone? Everyone else, if you read this far into the video description, please ensure a full psychiatric evaluation is done immediately. Reserved Investments is not liable or responsible for any mental health issues that may arise from watching these videos.

[@thetoystorecardscollectibl1797]

So much truth shared in this video. I spent almost 10 years collecting AFA 85 Unpunched Clear Bubble Clean Front Star Wars. I got to 77 of the 92 original figures and needed only impossibility rare ones to complete it. One day I walked into my climate controlled room with no windows and noticed some yellowing. I compared pictures from purchase when they were clear 4 or 5 years prior. I learned the PVC has a 1/2 life. And gives off a gas. The yellowing is not just from figure sitting at yard sales. It's likely gonna happen to all the figures. So be cautious. I sold the entire collection and bought a 1971 Cuda and 5 Acres That I eventually built my home on. If I did not notice the bubbles yellowing, I probably would have never sold. But I doubled my investment in eight years and was very happy with that. This information in this video was very spot on. I'm an eighties boy and love this stuff, but be very cautious.

[@ReservedInvestments]

Thanks for sharing! 🙏

[@slimthumbtak]

Used to be a huge action figure collector. Sold probably about 97% over the past two years. Whittled it down to just the favorites. Nice having the space freed up and knowing that everything I kept is free. Takes up too much space.

[@TheMysteryDriver]

Man, gi joes little rubber band breaking was always a huge pain in the ass when playing with them too

[@jamesclukey7488]

Don't buy into the hype, sell into the hype !

[@ReservedInvestments]

💯

[@mattelder]

Great video and love the info on how items can deteriorate over time. Please do more on Transformers ... don't think there was a stale donut in this video

[@pessithemystic]

Haven’t watched this video yet, and it may be nothing to do with Funko, just wanted to get my thoughts out there. About to dive into this now, keep up the quality insight and reality check that KZbin badly needs ✌🏻

[@HoneyBunny-69]

Stay away from Funko. Unless you're buying them just for the fun of it, then it's fine. But if you're buying them thinking they're gonna be worth something, I've got bad news for you...

[@TheSportsCardDad]

YES! Love Hake's and the vintage toy market, great vid 👍

[@thetoystorecardscollectibl1797]

Hey Dustin 👋....I ended up grabbing MASK Wildcat and Buzzard in that Hakes Auction. Hakes is great, Quickly shipped them professionally packed.

[@davesgoldantiquesloan]

One of your best in my opinion!

[@bat2275]

I don't collect toys. But I always thought it would be so much harder to preserve the condition of toys compared to comics. You can't just bag and board them and stick them all in a long box for 40 years.

[@monkey39128]

What's that saying? "There's always a bull market happening somewhere". Something like that. Be interesting to see how these go in the future. Not seeing many kids interested at the moment but you never know. The oldest toy I own is from the late 90's so I'm well out of my depth with this one. 😅 Still always interesting to hear your thoughts!

[@chrisl6238]

Amy reason for the recent uptick in content? You’ve been putting out a lot of videos lately and it’s been awesome!

[@ReservedInvestments]

No, just was trying to get caught up.

[@jaybjorklund7338]

Love this video. Right up my alley. I'm trying to sell all my MOTU as we speak. Focused on Star Wars , transformers and ninja turtles. Purple frog collectibles on eBay if you get bored. Thanks Shawn for all your insight.

[@tomneijnens4048]

Thank you very much

[@maltefischer1830]

The craziest thing i recently witnessed is definetly Stanley Cups

[@DanSchawbel]

Agree stupid

[@Car_Porn]

Bitcoin? 😂 shit was 1 cent then went to 70k 😂😂 no value in it at all

[@davidlanders5369]

Sorry for the repeat questions. Will you comment about the ultimate universe bubble? Great video!

[@Odinoian]

This video reminded me of the fewer material types the better, and that some vintage video games have batteries in them that might go bad... I hate to think about that :(

[@jordanparks99]

For toys that are restored how does the value compare to ones in good condition without restoration? A toy truck on pawn stars had “value” tripled in a recent episode by restoring but I’m not sure how that’s looked upon in that market

[@firecrest3325]

Turtles still have movies and cartoons that are successful I think they would e solid as well

[@bargaintuesday812]

If anyone is interested in getting into old Transformers, something else to consider is Gold Plastic syndrome: "Gold Plastic Syndrome (commonly shorthanded to GPS) is fandom terminology used to describe the phenomenon of a toy's plastic decomposing and becoming brittle to the point of shattering or crumbling under minimal-stress conditions. In the most extreme cases, toys have been reported to spontaneously crumble to small bits without any applied force at all, even if they're fresh out of their unopened package. Despite the name, Gold Plastic Syndrome has been known to affect other types of plastic-most of them noted for a pretty metallic swirl in the plastic; the reason it has the "GPS" moniker is because gold plastic was the first and most common color observed to have this horrific phenomenon." Something to think about!

[@gregorychiasson7739]

Yeah truth but even worse is paper items eventually everything will become dust…

[@marcellachine5718]

This is why anyone with a top tier item should have it hermetically sealed to preserve it.

[@marcellachine5718]

I have witnessed this first hand with a robotix set, specifically the argus set. It's a robot construction toy similar to Lego with motors and gears. The plastic became so brittle on certain pieces that just merely putting it together with minimal force the plastic crumbles.

[@nicholasmogavero2927]

Good Video - Aside from AFA, what's your take on CAS (Collector's Archive Services)? Would you ay that using them to sell action figures, would be on parity with AFA (at least equally), or lesser to a degree?

[@Gichie79]

CAS over grades and thus is less valuable than stuff graded by AFA.

[@BOBSMITH-fp5xv]

this was a well done video the way you went about it , good job brah

[@survivorscheme4754]

Thanks Void Rivals and the Energon Universe (for Transformers and GI Joe interest at least).

[@TomSchmitzLP]

Speaking of the bubbles coming off the cards, I used to collect the carded/bubble MTG blister packs from Lorwyn, Avacyn Restored etc. Works of commercial art better than the cards themselves but that glue is not designed to last. Many bubbles partially or completely popped off the cards during shipping and as the years went by. I'd stay away from anything bubbled/glued/carded.

[@hchan07]

Hey Shawn do graded comic book page quality degrade over time? Like going from white to white to off white pages?

[@OMG-ws6lx]

Shawn i have a genesis sonic 1 in sealed condition (pal version but extremely rare copy). Do you think i should get rid of it now or keep it for the long term from a investment point of view? FYI: im a timmy.

[@ReservedInvestments]

Depending on condition, I’d get it graded and go from there. I’d probably not keep it as an investment in all honesty.

[@d.g.8790]

I got into MOTU sealed action figures a while back. 4 out of 5 in existence have some degree of yellowing. To some collectors the yellowing doesn't bother them to me it's a deal breaker. For me the nostalgia is ruined by seeing the yellow bubble and actually does the opposite of nostalgia - making me feel old lol! Figures that don't have yellowing command a huge premium and I did have some that didn't have the dreaded "Y" on the AFA grade. But that grade is just a stamp in time and if that changes it would need to either be regraded or sold without an accurate grade. What I didn't expect after owning is the constant paranoia of yellowing. There are some difference of opinion on exactly what causes it and why that process could suddenly start after 40 years. I ended up offloading them because of this reason.

[@bc3102]

Hi Shawn

[@ReservedInvestments]

Hi!

[@zerostar90s]

How about Fisher Price Toys from the 70s/80s. Are sealed sets from that period any good?

[@KeyKiller74]

I love the 80's toy line when I first got my first job I'd collect 80's Transformers sealed & sell it off to ebay back in 2000 I'd flip so much vintage toys by the end of the year I was able to buy my first car. 😎🤖🚙

[@philexile2954]

Well said. However, I must take issue with the implication that the Star Wars toy line somehow eclipsed Inhumanoids.

[@vintagecardcollector433]

AFA desperately needs an easy to navigate Pop Report like with sports cards and comics.

[@thetoystorecardscollectibl1797]

Yes... I actually put in a call to them last month before bidding with the Hakes auction. I wanted to know some populations. "WE are working on it" was all I got. Sad. We really need to know that information.

[@user-gi6kq2wy4u]

I suspect Pokémon and most other Pop Culture collectibles are being purchased by people in their 20's and 30's where are those buying 80's toys are in there 40's and 50's, when the bad times come, older people in general are able to weather the storm better and don't need to liquidate to pay bills, hence why most stuff dropped after the recent boom while toys have apparently remained strong

[@ReservedInvestments]

That does not however, explain comic books. Comic books are heavily collected by collectors in their 50's and 60's.

[@custum18]

I'm sitting on complete vintage collections of G.I. Joe, He-Man, Star Wars, Thundercats, M.A.S.K., Transformers, Silver Hawks, Ghostbusters...etc. Multiple rooms full of the stuff. None of it is sealed or boxed though but it's all complete. Been collecting the stuff for over 20 years. Most was bought cheap years ago. Im one of those hoarders Shawn. Thousands of figures, vehicles, and playsets.

[@alfredocamba1995]

How & why I've got the same tick I've moved to cards to save space still logistics it's rough

[@tubernery]

Test only: Visionaries Leoric, Bionic Six Jack, or Centurions Max?

[@BoopDoopPoop]

Time to sell!

[@tdpetrucci84]

Remember what Shawn says though, he's talking about the top 5% of the market , what happens there doesn't necessarily carry over to the lower end .

[@mattstrott753]

I just sold all my Star Wars, G.I. Joe and Transformers. I guess I sold too early. :( I was pretty happy getting several thousand dollars for it all. It was more than my parents paid and I got decades of enjoyment out of it all.

[@superbn0va]

I also see Macross/Robotech getting there. Idk why but I have been selling a lot Macross lately.

[@brandonmetro7115]

I'm absolutely convinced X-Men Toy-Biz first series is highly undervalued right now. In my opinion.

[@tdpetrucci84]

I'd assume there would be significantly more sealed stock floating around than these other toy lines

[@jaybjorklund7338]

Now that MOTU had a theatrical release date , should one sell their collection now or wait until the trailer/movie release. I know to sell into the hype but when would you guess that is. I would hate to miss the train on this. Thanks Shawn

[@tubernery]

I remember a time when G.I.Joe figures were $5.50 and thought that was a sales ripoff. Curious to see how high a recently posted Snake Eyes AFA 80 figure will sell on eBay, considering the broken o-ring. It is currently at $500+ I'm trying to make peace with the fact that this rubber piece will eventually snap (or hoping it will fossilize).

[@Gichie79]

The o-rings breaking are having less effect on value as time goes on. 15 years ago though it destroyed the value and a carded one with a broken o-ring had the same value as a loose figure.

[@tubernery]

​@@Gichie79ya know what.. i can live with that. Because complete dinosaur bones, despite the decomposed ligaments, are priceless! Thank you!!

[@chuckjay6254]

Is it better to sell higher end 1980s GI Joe items on Hake's or eBay?

[@ReservedInvestments]

Preferably auction houses if you know how to navigate and negotiate with them.

[@TheSillySils]

Shawn, in regards to inevitable yellowing for graded sealed, wouldnt the market compensate if everyone was affected by it? Rising / lowering tide idea.

[@ReservedInvestments]

The market would simply reward non-yellowed items and punish those that are...

[@TheSillySils]

@@ReservedInvestments I should say if all fell victim to the yellowing. Is it not inevitable for every piece?

[@Voodicus]

Shawn have you noticed the market over the last 5 years on limited release bourbons, scotch, whiskeys and alcohol in general? Do you have any commentary on it?

[@ReservedInvestments]

Yes, I’ve been meaning to do a video on this, just haven’t gotten to it yet.

[@Gichie79]

Shawn if you think the 80s toy market could say viable for several decades to come wouldn’t it be theoretically possible that this isn’t the top of the market in a long term since, but could be the top in a short one?

[@BanditsBest686]

i cant wait till the future, probaly 10-20 years, where its investing in physical vs digital. Just the fact that you actually own something.

[@electrumcomics]

What's your opinion of graded vintage Star Wars prototypes? From Rocket Firing Boba Fett to Unproduced figures from Droids and Ewoks.

[@ReservedInvestments]

The risk of deterioration is still a concern, but I am a fan with some precautions.

[@lerak8452]

My Star Wars is kept in a case that has no light on it. Nice white colors. I know they'll be more sought after later.

[@thetoystorecardscollectibl1797]

Light is not the only factor. Do some research on the gas given off by the pvc they used. Mine were kept in best possible storage conditions, and still starting turning. POTF AND ROTJ were the worst as the bubbles were a little different.

[@lerak8452]

@thetoystorecardscollectibl1797 maybe they weren't stored in the best possible way. Maybe the research you thought was reliable was not. My figures are free to the air in an ac room with no light hitting them. There's no plastic case their in. It's worked for me.

[@thetoystorecardscollectibl1797]

@lerak8452 maybe your right. Good luck

[@Gichie79]

Temperature fluctuation even to a small degree over time plays a factor. Also, humidity levels and the fluctuations of them as well. Altitude, proximity to ocean or other industrial areas. Air quality and even air movement and the degree of oxygen exposure. All this can play a factor. Also there is a lottery to it as well as not all plastic is made equal and some batches are mixed better with less elements that contribute to yellowing.

[@christiantolliver4042]

So Shawn (Sean?), comic books, you always say sell into the hype but what about the never sell school…till two to three decades later

[@pessithemystic]

Shaun! You don’t understand! There’s a new video game called Funko Fusion coming out - my Funko collection is always going to be worth money! Joking aside, interested in your thoughts on this direction for the company. Is it one last roll of the dice for the company trying to expand the brand? Or is it attempting to capitalise on the fact that then the Venn diagram for Funko collectors and gamers is nearly a perfect circle?

[@oli1682]

Just remember, even the loose graded vintage star wars figures will have their plastic degrade over time.

[@ReservedInvestments]

Correct! ✅

[@Mmantis]

i wonder where Fornite toys gonna be to these young kids 20 years from now 😂

[@HoneyBunny-69]

In the garbage, most likely. Kids, and even grown-ups don't take good care of ANYTHING these days. Everything in this modern world is dispensable. Like cellphones or TV's, and even computers. People just throw shit away and replace it with a newer model. Even if it's NOT broken, people find an excuse to buy a new smart phone, just because they wanna show off to their friends how "cool" they are owning the latest crappy overpriced Apple iPhone! Out Of Control Consumerism, at an all-time high. It's sickening!!!

[@patiencezero-xc9zl]

During COVID, at one point, I was profiting as much as $1000 a month buying, breaking up and re-selling 19th century used U.S. postage stamps. COVID and free government money breathed new life into many collectible markets.

[@stevenewsome5306]

Little Timmy- markets at all time highs= time to buy more. Markets crash= have to sell, just no choice 🤷‍♂️ 😂 it’s all rigged

[@JustAverageJeff]

I think Power Rangers toys will be worth much more in the near-distant future.

[@HoneyBunny-69]

They've already started to sell at high prices on Ebay. I have a White Tigerzord, Mint. STILL in the Box, Unopened. And just out of curiosity I checked the market and I recently noticed one sold for almost $300.

[@rocketfighter8]

I have almost all the first generation Power Ranger toys still unsealed. How are those doing?

[@vgrepairs]

BEANIE BABY BUBBLE BURST

[@Johndeplume.]

Shawn: Thanks for your suggestion in your previous upload ('Made you Look'). Those documentaries are right in my wheel-house, and I can't believe I hadn't seen it! If you haven't seen 'Sour Grapes', that's the equivalent to the art documentary, but from the wine World. Both are great documentaries, and are food-for-thought. As always, thank you for your content. 👍

[@ReservedInvestments]

Welcome!

[@jabezcreed]

Yeah sounds risky

[@55ense5imulation4]

Sooner or later, it will all end up in a landfill, ocean, or buried underneath the soil. This is why gold will always be king.

[@ReservedInvestments]

Gold is a horrible investment over the long term.

[@annihilatorg]

What's the state on the 60s G.I. Joe vs the 80s? I would think gen x/y would be looking to the toys of their childhood and make up the bulk of recent large sales, largely ignoring the older. I'm trying to think of other evergreen properties that might follow a generational wave. All in on WWF tonka wrestling buddy pillows.

[@f.catfracassofracasso404]

Is storm shadow valuable? I have the tan g.i Joe tank and a bunch of figures like scarlet and the salior with the parrot. Not many cobra figures just zartan and cobra commander destro his face is chipping the chrome platting and the baroness just toys from when I was young .

[@patiencezero-xc9zl]

Sell, sell, sell!!!

[@ArsonHicks]

No Shawn, the Pokemon market you invested into receded. The SWSH Pokémon market is outpacing 1980s toys.