Major scores on auction sites or garage sales.

[My79Falcon]

Let's hear about some of your scores on auction sites or garage sales. I know the garage sales will be really good prices, I'll throw one out there from the bay. I was checking out a listing on the bay and it was an AT-AT which showed one chin gun in the pics and it was tough to see. Wasn't in the description at all. It was real clean and complete except for the one chin gun. I threw out an offer for $100, the person countered with $135 and said he had the same offer out to three other people. Seemed decent so I accepted. When I received the item it had BOTH chin guns. I was so happy!! I got it working and did a little cleaning, real nice 100% complete AT-AT. Lets hear your story.

 

[TauntaunScout]

Just the same old story I always tell.

I bought an Ion Cannon on eBay, nice loose condition with a beater box. I was looking for one because I needed the dimensions of the box to better structure my displaying pipe-dreams. The reason I bought that particular one was, I could see it came with the rare Leia variant. In photos she's pointing with two fingers, in 99% of production pieces she's pointing with four. So that was a great score because the seller listed it as a pretty normal price for something loose with box. However when I received it, there was a signature, a date, and two rows of check marks on the box, in pen. The date was right around the time of the product launch. Upon further research I found out the signature was a known Kenner quality control employee. I had unknowingly bought the QC sign-off sample to my focus item.

 

[DarthBeek]

Oh Lord....where do I begin??? I have countless tales.

 

[My79Falcon]

Oh Lord....where do I begin??? I have countless tales.

Oh do tell.

 

[My79Falcon]

What's a thread without some pics??? NO........that is not my play table, my wife does in home daycare, not saying I wouldn't play on it though.

 

[Lobotscomb]

I needed the imperial gunner, but couldn’t find one complete for a fair price. I came across one with a blue gun, and the same guy had Endor Leia paired with the black gun. I missed out on the gunner but won the Leia for $45. So i also bought an incomplete gunner for $90. Winner
Also found a Jawa Sandcrawler for $75 at a second hand shop. If memory serves me correctly.

 

[jedikman]

I bought almost all my stuff in the 90’s when it wasn’t “cool” to collect Star Wars. K

 

[darth_sidious]

There must be at least half a dozen garage sale finds threads in this section - wish stuff like that would be combined for a mega thread to show off everything from over the years.

I've had a number of garage sales finds at insanely low prices, though I don't really check them much anymore, because with online auctions and apps to sell used items, finding gems is rare now. My favorite find at a garage sale might be the Desert Sail Skiff mini-rig which was complete and only a dollar or two. I love it because it appears in the animated Droids series that I watched as a kid. I also only collect small vehicles, so I dig the mini-rig range. I've also found a few loose Kenner figures over the years for a dollar a pop, my favorite being Greedo, which is near mint. When it comes to the best prices, it would be when I found a box of SW vehicles and apparently the guy knew my mom, and said everything is $1! There was an AT-AT, Slave 1, and Jedi starfighter, so I picked those up and gave them to my nephew.

 

[My79Falcon]

There must be at least half a dozen garage sale finds threads in this section - wish stuff like that would be combined for a mega thread to show off everything from over the years.

Maybe this thread will be the new one. Just have to keep it going.

 

[blue_snag]

I have had good success with craigslist, i have bought many things from there. Last year i bought 2 12 backs there for $300 each. Though not extremely cheap but when you consider what there going for now it seems like a deal.

 

[DarthBeek]

Ebay ---

*Mint R5-D4 Red Bar Variant nestled in a vinyl case with other super clean figs
*DT Darth Vader (missing inner filament) that was part of a first 21 loose lot

Facebook Marketplace ---

*DT Luke Skywalker in a vinyl case filled with mint first 21 figures (was found in an abandoned storage locker)

Garage Sale ---

*Massive collection of over 75 loose figures, playsets, ships, Beasts, cases. The garage sale had been canceled due to extreme heat. I contacted seller not knowing this, seeing I had missed the date. He had me drive over on a lunch break, and I bought everything.

Craigslist ---

*Saw an advertisement that showed a beautiful white TIE Fighter with box. I asked if there was more. Well, I wish I had taken photos. Seller was literally 10 minutes from my house. He was selling his entire childhood collection - his garage was FILLED with SW and GIJOE. Inside the house was Battlestar Galactica, Indy, etc. It was like nothing I'd ever seen gathered in one spot. One of my biggest regrets, not buying it all. I had a newborn in the house, and I was so sleep deprived. Ugh. I did buy all his loose SW vintage figures.

 

[DarthBeek]

I have many photos of these finds!

 

[VaderJay]

Ebay ---

*Mint R5-D4 Red Bar Variant nestled in a vinyl case with other super clean figs
*DT Darth Vader (missing inner filament) that was part of a first 21 loose lot

Facebook Marketplace ---

*DT Luke Skywalker in a vinyl case filled with mint first 21 figures (was found in an abandoned storage locker)

Garage Sale ---

*Massive collection of over 75 loose figures, playsets, ships, Beasts, cases. The garage sale had been canceled due to extreme heat. I contacted seller not knowing this, seeing I had missed the date. He had me drive over on a lunch break, and I bought everything.

Craigslist ---

*Saw an advertisement that showed a beautiful white TIE Fighter with box. I asked if there was more. Well, I wish I had taken photos. Seller was literally 10 minutes from my house. He was selling his entire childhood collection - his garage was FILLED with SW and GIJOE. Inside the house was Battlestar Galactica, Indy, etc. It was like nothing I'd ever seen gathered in one spot. One of my biggest regrets, not buying it all. I had a newborn in the house, and I was so sleep deprived. Ugh. I did buy all his loose SW vintage figures.

Dude, I only have dreams like that! The dream is I walk into a 2nd hand store to find pegs of 80s toys everywhere for cheap.

 

[blue_snag]

I forgot the most recent buy. I bought a boxed snowspeeder, asked if he had anything else they would be listing. He said yes and sent me pics of 61 mint, i mean MINT figures. Best figures i have ever seen.

 

[E-V8-9d9]

I remember buying a Rebel Transport ship, bc I love the old ships. I can't remember where I had gotten it, I think eBay. But, when it showed up, it had 3 or 4 POTF coins in the storage bin! Stupid me gave them to another collector, as I wasn't really into the coins at the time. But, it was a neat surprise.

 

[TauntaunScout]

I forgot the most recent buy. I bought a boxed snowspeeder, asked if he had anything else they would be listing. He said yes and sent me pics of 61 mint, i mean MINT figures. Best figures i have ever seen.

That's sorta the other half of my story. I asked the seller if they had any more. They sold me a Death Star Compactor sign-off sample for a similar price, ie, what I'd have paid for any old near-mint loose playset with a beater box.

 

[porkinsred6]

Not everyone has time to troll ebay or yard sales looking for diamonds in the rough. I am quite happy letting you all go out wasting your free time searching for this stuff and flipping it to me for market value if you ever find things like those mentioned above. I would gladly give you a huge profit just so I have time to spend with my family.

 

[DarthBeek]

Not everyone has time to troll ebay or yard sales looking for diamonds in the rough. I am quite happy letting you all go out wasting your free time searching for this stuff and flipping it to me for market value if you ever find things like those mentioned above. I would gladly give you a huge profit just so I have time to spend with my family.

Ohhhhh, you salty....

 

[DarthBeek]

Sharing some pics ..... first up, as detailed earlier. The DT Luke snag!

 

[DarthBeek]

Forgot about this find at my local comic shop. They had a large tray of loose figures, and this one caught my eye, obvious reasons.

 

[DarthBeek]

This was a Craigslist grab. Required a bit of travel, but for $100 ... I didn't complain.

 

[My79Falcon]

Not everyone has time to troll ebay or yard sales looking for diamonds in the rough. I am quite happy letting you all go out wasting your free time searching for this stuff and flipping it to me for market value if you ever find things like those mentioned above. I would gladly give you a huge profit just so I have time to spend with my family.

It's the thrill of the hunt. I don't think anyone here is devoting every free second of their time to this. Lighten up Francis.

 

[Imperial_JD]

Forgot about this find at my local comic shop. They had a large tray of loose figures, and this one caught my eye, obvious reasons.

View attachment 419249

Dang!

 

[Imperial_JD]

I remember buying a Rebel Transport ship, bc I love the old ships. I can't remember where I had gotten it, I think eBay. But, when it showed up, it had 3 or 4 POTF coins in the storage bin! Stupid me gave them to another collector, as I wasn't really into the coins at the time. But, it was a neat surprise.

That’s awesome. Those old coins are cool

 

[Luke9Lindsey]

My yard sale haul from a a few weeks ago.

Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk

 

[Lex]

Usually the best scores come to when asking if a seller has more. I've had countless of great deals, SW or not, by just asking. Sometimes they even contact months later if they find more stuff. Of course this doesn't really answer the question at hand as they are done in private. For example one guy had maybe 3 MOCs for sale for a pretty high price. I asked if he had more, and I ended up buying about 20 MOCs at much more reasonable price/figure and he got more money than what he was selling at first.

 

[blue_snag]

My yard sale haul from a a few weeks ago.

Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk

Holy crap!!!!!

 

[Mike_Sidious]

About three years ago, on FB Marketplace. Seller had advertised his boxed childhood ROTJ Millennium Falcon and to my great surprise, not only was instruction sheet for the Falcon inside, but also the Y-Wing and the Speeder Bike instructions, plus a loose Jedi Luke as well. Not bad for 200AUSD (148USD)

 

[Wtrailer]

I never find anything but old Happy Meal toys at garage sales. I have since given up.

 

[miscus555]

at least all these are real stories of finds. you go on facebook and everyone seems to find the motherload every day. 95% of these "finds" are untrue of course. it's sad that people need attention that bad

 

[DarthBeek]

Another Craigslist posting that was literally 15 minutes from my house a few years ago. A guy had cleaned out his attic and was looking for cash. My cousin actually saw the ad, and messaged me ( bought him lunch, heh). Some fun surprises including Amanaman, Brown Hair Luke, Hollow Cheek Tusken, Brown Snake Yoda)

 

[TauntaunScout]

Not everyone has time to troll ebay or yard sales looking for diamonds in the rough. I am quite happy letting you all go out wasting your free time searching for this stuff and flipping it to me for market value if you ever find things like those mentioned above. I would gladly give you a huge profit just so I have time to spend with my family.

True but, without the trawling there's no story. And once I found certain things at second hand shops I sold other examples because the ones I captured in the field were just worth more to me than a more pristine example ever could be.

 

[Mike_Sidious]

About a year ago, a seller listed a bunch of figures and instead of going to sleep early on a Sunday night, i scrolled through, spotted these on Marketplace and quickly messaged the guy. To my great surprise, they were still available.

The seller was a picker and had found these in a different state. I paid immediately and they arrived two days later. There are some beaters here (which I've since sold off) but that Yak and DSG are both mint and have hardly been played with. Barada had some paint loss. Not a bad score for 90AUSD = 66USD

 

[Mike_Sidious]

Last one.

A few months ago, seller advertised a bunch of loose figures on FB Marketplace for $80. He was two suburbs away from me and by the time i got there, he'd found some more stuff, including Jabba's Dais (sans Jabba), Speeder Bike, MLC-3 and the Tauntaun.

Turned out that his Mother was having a clean out of her place and came across his childhood toys. He said his son wasn't interested in Star Wars and he almost threw these out, but put them on marketplace instead. I was so thrilled that i gave the guy 120AUSD = 88USD.

 

[Mike_Sidious]

Last one, I promise. Just found this image on my phone.
About 10-12 years ago, at a second hand record store along with some HC books and other bits.

 

[DarthBeek]

These were all the figures picked up from that massive collection, the one I regret not buying everything. But sleep deprivation was real in Spring of 2017. Great memory regardless....many of these earned a spot in my mint run due to being so nice!

 

[Mike_Sidious]

That's a phenomenonal haul. There was more than that?!

 

[VaderJay]

I'm starting to hate this thread. I'm so green with envy.

 

[Dax]

Here's one that I had enough indicators to take a gamble on years ago. Cost me roughly $50 at the time plus shipping from Japan. Nope, not a DT Luke but a Takara mold Vader. Definitely worth it

 

[DarthBeek]

That's a phenomenonal haul. There was more than that?!

I can't even bring myself to describe the amount of stuff there...