Collecting GI Joe Toys - A 3000 Percent Return on Investment?
Growing up in the 1980's, some of my favorite toys belonged to the 3 and 3/4 inch tall G.I. Joe action figure line. After purchasing a few vintage Joes on Ebay as an adult, I enjoyed the nostalgia that they provided and decided to start collecting again. Ebay provided an endless supply, but I had one problem. How much were they actually worth? An Ebay auction alone is a good barometer of an item's value, but was I getting a good deal on a particular auction, or was I overpaying? I was shocked to see some unopened figures selling for hundreds of dollars.
I searched all over the internet for a GI Joe price guide, but could not find one. I ended up buying a collector's book and watching thousands of auctions to get a feel for what individual G.I. Joe figures and vehicles were worth. Not only did I learn a great deal about the 1980's Joes, I also became educated about the figures and vehicles sold from the early 1990's -- all the way up to the toys being sold today.
Being a toy collector is not only a fun hobby for thousands of people, it is also a great investment. Keeping in mind that the value of anything is totally dependant on what someone is willing to pay, and that any investment involves risk, toys have always been popular collectors' items and usually increase in value over time. They remind us of pleasant childhood memories, or the memories of a son or daughter's early years. A few things that add special value to Hasbro's G.I. Joe line are: a following which sometimes nears cult status, respectable quality, and a longevity that spans over 40 years.
If the joy of collecting is the only motivation, the 3 and 3/4 inch GI Joe and Cobra forces provide plenty of things to do. There are a wide variety of fascinating figures and vehicles to collect. There is the thrill of the search for rare variations and sets. A simple joy is displaying the highly poseable collectibles; and if figures and vehicles are broken or incomplete, they can usually be fixed or completed. There are sub-hobbies to explore such as custom figure creation and diorama displays. And finally, a toy collection is one that can be shared with one's children or friends, and eventually passed on for generations.
I searched all over the internet for a GI Joe price guide, but could not find one. I ended up buying a collector's book and watching thousands of auctions to get a feel for what individual G.I. Joe figures and vehicles were worth. Not only did I learn a great deal about the 1980's Joes, I also became educated about the figures and vehicles sold from the early 1990's -- all the way up to the toys being sold today.
Being a toy collector is not only a fun hobby for thousands of people, it is also a great investment. Keeping in mind that the value of anything is totally dependant on what someone is willing to pay, and that any investment involves risk, toys have always been popular collectors' items and usually increase in value over time. They remind us of pleasant childhood memories, or the memories of a son or daughter's early years. A few things that add special value to Hasbro's G.I. Joe line are: a following which sometimes nears cult status, respectable quality, and a longevity that spans over 40 years.
If the joy of collecting is the only motivation, the 3 and 3/4 inch GI Joe and Cobra forces provide plenty of things to do. There are a wide variety of fascinating figures and vehicles to collect. There is the thrill of the search for rare variations and sets. A simple joy is displaying the highly poseable collectibles; and if figures and vehicles are broken or incomplete, they can usually be fixed or completed. There are sub-hobbies to explore such as custom figure creation and diorama displays. And finally, a toy collection is one that can be shared with one's children or friends, and eventually passed on for generations.