Do you have a box in your closet you haven’t opened in a while? Are you pondering calling the VVA to cart away the stuff that keeps getting in the way? Wait! Talk to the experts at Back to the Past first! That’s the moral of today’s success story.
A Short Time Ago, In A Town Nearby
Kids don’t often keep toys mint-in-package, but the ones that do can profit handsomely from it. A few years back, we got a call from a woman who needed to clear out a closet. She had several boxes of Star Wars action figures that she and her parents had collected during her 1980s childhood. Those boxes had been following her most of her adult life, ever since her parents had made her take them outta their house. She was finally sick of moving them. Her partner had suggested donating the toys to the Salvation Army, but she thought they were probably worth some money. She called us, hoping we’d buy them for a flat fee.
One look at the collection and we knew that wasn’t the best option for her. See, she was collecting circa 1985. That’s two years after Episode VI: Return of the Jedi came out and ended the original trilogy. Star Wars was well on its way out the door by then, in fact that’s the last year of the original Kenner figure series. Her collection of sealed toys included figures based on the short-lived cartoon Droids. Since the show flopped, the toys did too, meaning they’re among the rarest around. The rarest of the rare is the the Droids Boba Fett, packaged with a collector’s coin. And she had one! That on its own was worth near her asking price. We knew we could do much better than even her wildest dreams for the collection.
Don’t worry, Boba Fett forgets he was on that show too.
Help Me B2P, You’re My Only Hope
Sometimes, people aren’t entirely sure about consigning into an auction. We get it: it takes longer than getting bought out on the spot and there’s no guarantees. But she trusted that the B2P Collect team knew what we were talking about and went with it. We sorted and cataloged the toys, set a date for an in-person event, and put the catalog up for prebidding online.
By the time the live event started, we knew her asking price had been beaten several times over. Our consignor chose to attend the auction herself, just to watch. Following the action and noting the realized prices, she was literally crying tears of joy by the end. The Droids Boba Fett, the jewel of this collection, went for several thousand dollars alone. Decades of keeping these lesser-loved Star Wars toys in wonderful shape had paid off. Her decision to sell rather than donate had been vindicated. Everybody – the consignor, the buyers, and the B2P team – left that auction walking on air.
Getting great results for our clients and bringing amazing cool stuff to our eager fans is what we’re all about. If there’s anything we can do for you, don’t hesitate to contact us so we can find the best pathway to success for you. If you’re in the collecting phase, follow us on social media @b2pcollect to keep up with all the great collections we handle!
