Comments on: Vintage Guilt: the Blog

By: Lt. Clutch

Lt. Clutch — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 17:41:31 +0000

It’s two-edged sword, but I usually go with opening. Incidentally, the one carded Cyborg that I found was on a U.S. card which was chewed up on one edge. That took some of the pressure off. But the figure was turning yellow on one side of his chromed torso, so I was happy to free ol’ Victor before his plastic prison did him any more damage. And yeah, that Wicket figure is one cute lil’ critter.

By: Lightso

Lightso — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 02:53:26 +0000

There are plenty of rare items that aren’t valuable. Value is relative.

By: CantinaDan

CantinaDan — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 15:41:29 +0000

Hahaha! Sucker.

By: CantinaDan

CantinaDan — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 15:40:42 +0000

Haha, yes, isn’t it! Thanks for saying so, Jon. A piece of me just wanted to open the dang thing so I could play with that figure for a bit. Crazy first wave had only two Ewoks and FOUR ugly Duloks! Bummer.

By: Caped Crusader

Caped Crusader — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 04:30:15 +0000

Loose, carded, new, vintage, whatever… That Wicket figure is positively adorable.

By: tom

tom — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 03:38:33 +0000

*faints*

By: demoncat

demoncat — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 02:49:14 +0000

me i open every figure i get to display never have been one of those who believe in keeping the thing forever in their packages for its up to the individual collector wheter they get guilt over opening a figure including a rare one like super powers cyborg to complete their collection or not

By: HalJordanist

HalJordanist — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 02:42:23 +0000

I totally understand the practice and the pain. A big part of toy collecting is the nostalgia factor. There are two parts of that nostalgia: the carded figure as you remember it in the store, and the loose figure you spent all those countless hours playing with.

So, One of my goals is to have a few pieces of some of my vintage collections carded/boxed in duplicate, while the bulk is loose and playable/displayable. It’s not such a big deal for me with boxed vehicles, etc because most vintage vehicle/playset boxes are about the art, and you can’t see the product inside. So, I open them to have a toy in great condition, AND have the box to display. Double-win!

And it is true that it’s often difficult to find some loose figures of good quality with original accessories in good condition. My SP collection is coming along slowly (only seven figures or so), and I fear that at some point I may have to resort to a carded figure for quality.

When it comes down to it, it’s a personal decision. Although, often a painful one.

By: xrmc20

xrmc20 — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 00:45:13 +0000

Ha! Yeah, I got this one with the intention of opening it, but I second guessed myself a little before I decided to do it. Then I did open it because Dan pressured me into it so he could put it in his blog. (just kidding on the last part).

By: xrmc20

xrmc20 — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 00:42:25 +0000

Yeah, I want a loose SP collection that is complete with all accessories, and I want them to all be in nice shape. That means that about a third of my loose SP collection are figs I bought carded. Most were banged up though–at least more banged up than this Cyborg. Oh well, gotta do what you gotta do.

By: zach

zach — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 00:39:37 +0000

…I just fainted.

The only vintage card I have ever opened, or for that matter ever really owned, was an SP Lex Luthor that I opened for similar purposes. But I got that figure waaaay cheap. Still had a hard time opening it, though. It took me about 2-3 weeks to give it the green light.

By: xrmc20

xrmc20 — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 00:35:04 +0000

This blog isn’t about the carded/MOC vs loose debate. The point here is that we opened items that are pretty rare and we also instantly reduced the value (which just meant we had to decide if we might want or need to sell the items again sometime soon). In Dan’s case, he got a great deal, and in my case I was paying a premium compared to the price of a loose complete Cyborg. I’m not a MOC collector at all, and I don’t care about packaging or being careful when I open new stuff.

By: blubeetle3

blubeetle3 — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 23:23:01 +0000

Amen, brother.

Testify!

By: Jason "Plastic Soul" Lenzi

Jason "Plastic Soul" Lenzi — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 23:15:19 +0000

Wow, what a great article. I tend to agree as well, open ‘em up and enjoy them as intended. I can understand the hesitation, especially if the owner is always thinking of possible re sale down the road, and that Cyborg is a doozy. But for me, if I’m into a line or character and want to have one for display, I eventually track down a second one and rip it right open. We’re all gonna die, so live a little and move those little plastic limbs!

By: Hourman

Hourman — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 22:58:25 +0000

I take great perverse joy in de-carding vintage action figures. MWAHAHAHAHA!!!

By: Chip Cataldo

Chip Cataldo — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 18:09:17 +0000

“Toys are meant to be played with. The end.”

Buy a new one, then. The DCUC Cyborg has more playable value than the SP version, anyway…if you’re looking for a toy to play with.

If the card is completely and utterly trashed, I can maybe understand it…but those two carded examples? Wow.

My carded Cyborg also went up another $5 in value, but I mourn the loss of another carded example biting the dust. Not to mention that Wicket…that was a great carded example.

By: JuliusMarx

JuliusMarx — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 17:54:30 +0000

Woo-hoo! My carded SP Cyborg just went up another $5 in value! Thanks Matt!

By: Jim

Jim — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 17:42:17 +0000

My opinion. You bought it, you do whatever you want with it. I’ve done it before several times in the past and I’ll do it again. Why? Because that’s how I remember most of those toys and cherish the memories and imaginary adventures that go along with it. My most recent example is when I opened a Mego Joker that was MOC. I couldn’t IT find loose and complete without having repo parts sio I got a bargain on a carded one.

By: stewbacca

stewbacca — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 17:39:30 +0000

I have never had a problem with this– (and have done it myself several times- mostly with Droids figures..)-but have done it with other early 90′s toys that I have recently purchased– (swat kats, Thundars, Herculoids)– some of those are just as rare as some of the vintage but I dont care…)- a
nd in those situations offered the other collectors- an opportunity to buy it from me to keep it “perserved” – provided that they provide me the pieces I require from the cards– with no offers– not my problem — but I also never understand- as other collectors go– if you already have one- -why do you care if I open mine? in theory it just makes yours that much more valuable.

By: Dagger

Dagger — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 17:24:20 +0000

Man I thought I was bad for leaving my XMC Bobby Drake on card. I can’t believe you opened that Cyborg.

By: UncleMarsellus

UncleMarsellus — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 16:29:56 +0000

I’m starting to feel guilty about not opening them with as much care as you guys did.

Nah.

By: FlaBat

FlaBat — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 16:07:10 +0000

Wow that was tough, a Super Powers Cyborg. As much as I open all of my figures I still have a few I will never open and while rare, they are worth only a fraction of what that Cyborg is.

Still they are your figures and you are free to do whatever you want with them without any guilt.

So enjoy

By: Shellhead

Shellhead — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 16:04:16 +0000

Man, I don’t even use a blade to pop ‘em open. I just use my fingers. I don’t keep the cards after I’ve read the back once. I simply don’t understand the MOC mindset.
Gotta agree with Jason on this.

By: Jason Geyer

Jason Geyer — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 15:11:29 +0000

Toys are meant to be played with.

The end.

By: superfriend

superfriend — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 14:35:06 +0000

In general, I open everything right after I buy it. I still have the SP Delta Probe 1 that I bought MIB a decade ago. For some reason my wife convinced me not to open it. And so it still sits there in the box. Every once in a while it beacons me. But most of the time it is out of sight, out of mind.

By: jzachery

jzachery — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 06:27:17 +0000

Oh my GOD!