Are Marvel Legends collectors interested in the value of their figures? | By: Dakota Phillips

One of the biggest debates in Marvel Legends Collecting is how important the aftermarket value of a figure is. When I first got back into collecting Marvel Legends I would watch a lot of Nerdzoic YouTube videos. My favorites were always his videos covering the after market value of the most expensive Marvel Legends or figures that had increased the most over time. I was interested in the rise and fall of the prices of the kinds of figures I collected. 

Now, on the Strong Collectors Podcast, Jordan and I will often try to speculate what figures will rise and fall in the aftermarket to help listeners make more informed decisions of if they should buy a figure now, wait for a new version, or sell the current high value figure. For me, it’s helped grow my collection by selling the high value figures to buy more new figures as they come out. 

Recently we’ve seen a lot of new release figures come out that immediately have a high aftermarket value because of exclusive releases. The biggest example of this is the recent SDCC exclusive Savage Land 3 pack.

The Savage Land 3 pack sold out quick and just as quickly shot up in price in the aftermarket. This is where I started seeing a lot of very vocal comments about collectors wanting availability over aftermarket value.

We saw this again recently with the “made to order” Dragon Man from Marvel Legends. A figure that was said to only be available during the pre order window was put up as an In-Stock item at Hasbro Pulse. I expected a bit of an uproar about how Hasbro misled the community. Instead, based off the comments on our recent livestream, collectors felt mostly positive. Many, noting that caring about aftermarket value of a figure makes you a “fake collector”. 

I was surprised by the overwhelming response that aftermarket value is not something to desire with your figures.

I remember ordering the entire AOA Colossus wave for retail. I was excited to have the figures when they came but not long after, they went on clearance for nearly $5 each. I was still excited to have my figures, but did feel a bit let down that they were no longer worth what I had paid for them. Similarly, when I order a figure that is a hotter seller than expected and it becomes more valuable on the aftermarket, I have an added sense of accomplishment knowing I was able to secure a figure I wanted at the best price possible. 

I may be in the minority, but I actually like having figures that I’m hunting for. I want there to be something that keeps the chase alive. I could always go on EBay and buy a Fin Fang Foom, but how much sweeter would it be to find him at a lower price locally or at a random shop. If he was readily available for cheap, I wouldn’t have that hunt. 

So where do you land? Do you care about the aftermarket value of Marvel Legends, or is the joy just in having the figures? Join the discussion with us on the Strong Collector’s YouTube page! 

And until next time, 

Stay Strong!