16 replies to this topic

[SaltLakeToyJunkee]

My vote went to the Bison as proof of my loyalty to the BB line:lol: Not to fond of either figure.

[Scumdogg]

Both of these figures are pretty boring. In the end the only criteria i could come up with was "If i was going to get one of these for free in the mail, which one would i be more excited to get?". I went with the Bison, because at least i could put him with my other Battle Beasts. The GPK figure, like the one i actually own, would end up in a drawer.

[Soupie]

The GPK figure, like the one i actually own, would end up in a drawer.

Argg! Although I couldn't guarantee it, I'm willing to bet 75% of you who are not liking these Cheap Toys would completely change your minds once you had them in hand. Not because of their "awesome" sculpts, but because of their color. I guarantee you the Neon Red-Orange would MESMERIZE all of you. You would be hypnotized by its beauty. Honestly, you'd probably be tempted to pop it in your mouth and chew on it!

I'm not proud to say it, but there is a reason these guys typically go for $50 and up on eBay. Believe me, it's not just GPK nostalgia.

At the very least, I can say with a bit of certainty, if you owned a NRO, it wouldn't be stuffed in a dresser draw! There is no comparison between a NRO and common-colored, hard-plastic Cheap Toy.

[Scumdogg]

The one i have is in a drawer because

a: It's boring
b: It feels fragile
c: God himself could not keep it standing

It's also red, like many of the GPK pics in this contest. And we've all seen how that shows off the details.

I know these sell for tons of money, but i'd be willing to bet it's not because people are hyp-mo-tised by the stunning colors. It's because even the common ones are fairly rare and mini-figure collectors are insane when it comes to color sets and plastic variations.

Edited by Scumdogg, 16 February 2009 - 01:56 PM.

[Ridureyu]

Megan. I happen to have one in flesh, so I know what it looks lile. It's not very good, but it beats the cow.

[Soupie]

I know these sell for tons of money, but i'd be willing to bet it's not because people are hyp-mo-tised by the stunning colors. It's because even the common ones are fairly rare and mini-figure collectors are insane when it comes to color sets and plastic variations.

Eh, you're right. However, considering commons go for $2-$3 ea. and the rubbery figures go for $35-$100, I like to believe that it's more than their rarity that is driving the price.

Anyhow, I don't want to be a whiner. LRGers don't seem to impressed with Cheap Toys, and for good reasons. It's no biggie. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, it's just that their color and plastic type are they two best things they have going for them, and they happen to be the two things that are difficult to ascertain in this tourny.

And that's the last I'll say in defense of my little friends. Promise.

[musclemenkids]

the thing with the SDBB - they are all so simailar and therefore they all suffer the same flaws. I voted for the GBK becuase the one thing you can say about them is they do look unique, each one is different whereas the SDBB is just a different head on a generic blob of a body

[meatcutta78]

The GPK figure, like the one i actually own, would end up in a drawer.

Argg! Although I couldn't guarantee it, I'm willing to bet 75% of you who are not liking these Cheap Toys would completely change your minds once you had them in hand. Not because of their "awesome" sculpts, but because of their color. I guarantee you the Neon Red-Orange would MESMERIZE all of you. You would be hypnotized by its beauty. Honestly, you'd probably be tempted to pop it in your mouth and chew on it!

I'm not proud to say it, but there is a reason these guys typically go for $50 and up on eBay. Believe me, it's not just GPK nostalgia.

At the very least, I can say with a bit of certainty, if you owned a NRO, it wouldn't be stuffed in a dresser draw! There is no comparison between a NRO and common-colored, hard-plastic Cheap Toy.

I don't have any NRO figgies at the moment.....but im happy to say that these little guys will always be my favorites in my LRG collection.

I voted for Megan.

[Universal Ruler Supreme]

I voted for the cool one....oh...wait.

[Ericnilla]

i miss my GPK's...

[Scumdogg]

Eh, you're right. However, considering commons go for $2-$3 ea. and the rubbery figures go for $35-$100, I like to believe that it's more than their rarity that is driving the price.

I really do think that's just collector insanity. Take a M.U.S.C.L.E. claw, for instance. If it's pink, it's 50 cents to $1. If it's purple, it's $400. Not because it makes the figure any better, but because people are crazy nuts. I do believe you that the rubbery figures are probably cooler than the hard plastic ones. They'd almost have to be, since my hard plastic Brett Sweat feels like he'd shatter if i looked at him too long. Unfortunately that doesn't seem to be enough to win them too many rounds on here.

Also it probably doesn't help that the one GPK i'd vote for, Les Vegas, doesn't seem to be in this tournament.

[dankingery]

i think these neon-red orange figs soupie's in love with must be made with the same chemicals that makes the ribwich so addictive. minor contact only makes you want to collect them more. and the sever cases, like soupie, where the person is obviously having sexual relations with the figure turns the person into a raving lunatic that wants to proclaim to the world the magical wonders that is this color.

[GRANDTHEFT]

wasn't keen on either of them , but bison seems to have some sort of function

[Soupie]

Eh, you're right. However, considering commons go for $2-$3 ea. and the rubbery figures go for $35-$100, I like to believe that it's more than their rarity that is driving the price.

I really do think that's just collector insanity. Take a M.U.S.C.L.E. claw, for instance. If it's pink, it's 50 cents to $1. If it's purple, it's $400. Not because it makes the figure any better, but because people are crazy nuts. I do believe you that the rubbery figures are probably cooler than the hard plastic ones. They'd almost have to be, since my hard plastic Brett Sweat feels like he'd shatter if i looked at him too long. Unfortunately that doesn't seem to be enough to win them too many rounds on here.

I'm not trying to be argumentative, this just happens to be a subject of interest for me. I've actually recently been discussing this topic at great length with another collector.

I agree with you that "collector insanity" plays a large role (although I think even collector insanity could be deconstructed a bit).

Anyhow, I would argue that it's not just the Purple Claw's rarity that produces the high sale prices. Of all the MUSCLE sculpts, the Claw is certainly one of the most popular. It simply stands out among the other MUSCLEs. (In fact, I think it was voted the most popular MUSCLE here at LRG.) Many MUSCLE collectors choose the Claw as one figure they'd like to have in all colors. Therefore, there is relatively high demand for the purple Claw since several people are seeking it. Is it "worth" $400? I don't think so. However, the "coolness" of the Claw is the main reason it goes for so much money. (And the reason I say "coolness" is the main reason is because there are other equally rare purple figures that do not reach those values. Thus, rarity can't be the main reason.)

As for the Cheap Toys, keep in mind that we're not talking about one sculpt like the Purple Claw. There are 10 Neon-Red Oranges, 10 Neon Yellows, 10 Neon Greens, etc. Also, none of the figures is nearly as rare as the Purple Claw. For those who find Cheap Toys desirable (and, yes, haha, there are several of us crazies out here running around) the "coolness" factor makes the rubbery figures worth the higher prices. There are harder plastic variants from the UK that actually float in water and are much rarer than the rubbery figures, but they don't demand nearly the same prices as the rubbery figures. So, again, like the Purple Claw, I think the subjective "coolness" factor of these figures is the main driving force behind their high prices.

That's just my opinion though, and you may be entirely correct that their rarity is the only thing driving the higher values.

As to the "coolness" factor of rubbery Cheap Toys and Purple Claws. It's all subjective of course. My non-collecting friends and family look at my mini-figures and all they see is little chunks of plastic. They wouldn't spend a dime on any of them.