Markets and collectibles that have crashed or cratered?

[clovis97]

I picked up a well used Coleman three burner stove today at an estate auction. I was pretty excited to win this today.

A few years ago, buying any Coleman, white gas, three burner stove was like getting your hands on gold. Even rusty three burners were selling very well, often fetching $100.

After a quick check of completed sales as of today tells me that only pristine examples with original boxes are commanding much money.

I'll still make money on this stove. I paid $11 total for two Coleman propane stoves, another two burner white gas Coleman, and this three burner. I'll guess that I'll get $100+ for the four at the flea market, but I sure would have liked to have gotten $100 for the three burner alone!

It appears that the demand for three burners in this niche collectors market has cratered.

What other markets have crashed? Are there any that you are familiar with?

 

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[starwarsblazer]

I used to sell Star Wars (both vintage and newer) since the late 90's. They really peeked when the new movies came out, but after 2005 the market for them went to crap. When I do find Star Wars, sellers want top dollar for their stuff when the current value is rock bottom. I am sitting on around six hundred vintage pieces which used to be worth thousands, but in today's market would not be worth a few hundred. I still pick up pieces when I find them cheap, but I am hanging on to all of it until the market surges again. So the market in my area for Star Wars (vintage) has been down since 2005 until now.

 

[diggummup]

I used to sell Star Wars (both vintage and newer) since the late 90's. They really peeked when the new movies came out, but after 2005 the market for them went to crap. When I do find Star Wars, sellers want top dollar for their stuff when the current value is rock bottom. I am sitting on around six hundred vintage pieces which used to be worth thousands, but in today's market would not be worth a few hundred. I still pick up pieces when I find them cheap, but I am hanging on to all of it until the market surges again. So the market in my area for Star Wars (vintage) has been down since 2005 until now.

Maybe once the next film comes out it will pick up on the Star Wars market (and a new film each year after that)-
?Star Wars: Episode 7? Opens in Summer 2015; New ?Star Wars? Movie Every Year After

 

[clovis97]

I used to sell Star Wars (both vintage and newer) since the late 90's. They really peeked when the new movies came out, but after 2005 the market for them went to crap. When I do find Star Wars, sellers want top dollar for their stuff when the current value is rock bottom. I am sitting on around six hundred vintage pieces which used to be worth thousands, but in today's market would not be worth a few hundred. I still pick up pieces when I find them cheap, but I am hanging on to all of it until the market surges again. So the market in my area for Star Wars (vintage) has been down since 2005 until now.

Thanks for sharing. I find that very interesting, especially since I wouldn't know a Star Wars item if it fell from the sky and hit me on the head.

It is funny though, that they sold a PILE of Star Wars stuff at the estate auction that I attended today. All of it was brand new, never opened, in sealed boxes and blister packs. I am pretty sure this stuff was new...none of it was old.

I stayed with the auction ring that went to the shop, barn, and garage since they were selling stuff that I know best. Thought I was going to score a Sioux valve grinding set up for a mere $100, that is, until a woman walked at the last minute, got in a bidding war with another guy who showed up, and ran the price to $600.

I did wonder what the Star Wars stuff sold for. It would have done well at the flea market, especially since they had serious amounts of it. I bet it went cheap at the end.

 

[housemom6]

Beanie Babies....they were ridiculously expensive for a while in the 90s now you can't hardly give them away. I have the McDonald's sets they did for the olympics and last time I looked they were selling for 2 bucks

 

[diggummup]

The depression glass market has taken a huge hit as well as pottery and china. Unless a piece is exceedingly rare and in perfect shape then the prices don't bring anything near what they used to. Prices have been slowly dropping for many years. Same goes for cookie jars, Hummels, Franklin Mint stuff, Many sports related collectibles and the list goes on. There are exceptions to every rule though and certain items in each of these categories will still get good prices but for the most part each one of these categories has declined greatly in terms of selling price.

 

[DarkSithLord]

I used to sell Star Wars (both vintage and newer) since the late 90's. They really peeked when the new movies came out, but after 2005 the market for them went to crap. When I do find Star Wars, sellers want top dollar for their stuff when the current value is rock bottom. I am sitting on around six hundred vintage pieces which used to be worth thousands, but in today's market would not be worth a few hundred. I still pick up pieces when I find them cheap, but I am hanging on to all of it until the market surges again. So the market in my area for Star Wars (vintage) has been down since 2005 until now.

Hi there. Prices have really surged of late. For example Palitoy Cardbacks are selling for £90 a piece fom £20 a months back.

I am sure whatever you sitting on would trump 2005 prices 3 fold!!

Liam

 

[housemom6]

It would probably be easier tho say what hasn't lost value

 

[diggummup]

It would probably be easier tho say what hasn't lost value

Or what is worth more now than a few years ago because the market is always changing.

 

[clovis97]

Apparently, the antique pharmaceutical collectibles market has cratered too.

I bought a very unusual Eli Lilly tin today at a flea market. Of course, I'm no expert in the field, but I've never even seen a tin like this one.

Just last year, I did well with some Lilly stuff I found at a thrift store. I am a bit perplexed...the bottom of this market has fallen out too.

I want to list it on the bay, but I am tempted to take it to an antique mall that is still doing a brisk business.

 

[diggummup]

I thought antique medical stuff was on the rise myself.

 

[clovis97]

I thought antique medical stuff was on the rise myself.

Well, if it is, it certainly hasn't reached the Eli Lilly stuff.

Lilly stuff used to bring moon money, but a look at the completed listings makes me very perplexed!!!

 

[duffytrash]

if you bought high end marbles as an investment 15 years ago ...you would be in trouble...i think its the internet that has harmed the market the most.....foir example a marble king spiderman used to easily bring over 300$...now you can get em for $3....there was a 55 gallon drum found in a warehouse and the guy flooded the market...but theres other companies that still hold their value...the antique german hand mades has leveled out...there was a huge dig in the german glass area that proved to be their killer...market also flooded...at shows its a buyers advantage....still theres trends and minor companies take their surges....education and trends make you a better collector...if you use the id books as value setters you would lose everytime...there is several niches ...i consider myself a west virginia companies collector and the alleys and ravenswoods have risen in value the peltier and christensens (high end machine mades) have becoime hard to get anywhere close to what some people have bought them for in the 90s...several of them traded for hundreds ...now they can be had at less than half of the value....even today i see em on ebay not sellin for a fraction of what they used to bring....i think rare is found out to not be so rare...but theres people with deep pockets that ran up the value and now that the economy has crashed a little if you want top dollar or recover your investment you be cryin like the bennie babies ....

 

[OldSowBreath]

35mm cameras (unless ultra high-end like Hasselblad, etc.) I can buy them cheap, but can barely give them away. Ditto hand held digital vhs, vhc cameras.

I like to buy Lionel and other brand trains, but I'm seeing a steady decrease in value unless they're rare. Market saturation. Of course, this may pick up before Christmas.
Baseball cards. The market is over saturated. The main ones that still do well are Mantle, Ruth, Ty Cobb, and the 1910-1911 T206 series (Cobb, Wagner, Lajoie, Mathewson, etc.) Obviously many exceptions in this category, but usually only the rookie cards will have real value.

 

[OldSowBreath]

Oh, and I forgot - vintage clocks in general. Seem to be down across the board. Always exceptions, of course.

 

[clovis97]

I like to buy Lionel and other brand trains, but I'm seeing a steady decrease in value unless they're rare. Market saturation. Of course, this may pick up before Christmas.

I am a Lionel guy too, and have noticed the drop in prices.

One thing that I've noticed is that Lionel seems to be very cyclical with specific items. For instance a 50 gang cars were selling for crazy money for a few months, and then the bottom fell out of it. I decided I wanted a 132 or 133 station, and those had been super cheap. I wanted a pristine station in an OB, and for whatever reason, all the 132 and 133 stations seemed to skyrocket in value. I started looking for a 2344 NYC set; those too had bottomed out, but shot back up before I could find a nice matching set. I'd like to find an original 2245 B unit to replace the scratched one I have. One month, they seem to be cheap, and the next month, you can't find a good one for less that $200. Same goes for the Wabash O engines, 2367 and 2339's were dead dog cheap for a while, and then spiked in a huge way.

I'm still looking for a nice 2056 in a good box. Sure glad I didn't pay $285 for one I saw at a train show back in '05. I almost bought one that day, got the cash out of my wallet, and then balked....and am thankful that I did!!!

 

[cyberdan]

Oh, and I forgot - vintage clocks in general. Seem to be down across the board. Always exceptions, of course.

I saw a real nice clock as i drove by a yardsale two days ago. Probably a mantel clock, lots of marquetry. I actually drove up and parked the wrong direction got out and even saw the winding key in front of it. I hadn't asked the price yet, I picked it up and opened the back door to take a peek at the movement. I closed the door and got in my car and left.

Guess what i saw? AAA battery ;( clock works.

 

[Produce Guy]

About 5 years ago I picked up 2 Coleman 2 burner propane stoves and 3 Family size tents at a garage sale for $25,for everything.The tents were almost brand new,and one of the stoves came in home made wooden box,padded.I donated them to my sons old scout troop,and later that year someone from their troop sent me a real nice popcorn tin from some mail order catolog.