While doing my usual pursuing of Youtube videos, I came across the below video from creator, Quarter Flips. In the video, he opens a box he packed up two years ago with random items, and the purpose of doing so was to see if the items inside would have any form of increased value.
Upon opening the box, I could immediately tell that the items inside were not only pure junk, but would have minimal if no value at this point. As I watched, Quarter Flips also came to the same conclusion.
However, the bigger question I found myself asking was, "Why on Earth would anyone even think these items would retain any sort of value, let alone in a mere two years?" All of these items are probably still sitting on a clearance shelf somewhere across the US, or at minimum, have been shuffled off to Ollies where they're continuing to collect dust.
I don't know, maybe I just thought it was a basic enough premise to understand. The only reason collectibles are so valuable these days is because Generation X has a very keen desire for nostalgia from their childhoods. The unfortunate downside to this is that there's an offset of supply and demand. Hypothetically, for every ten people who want to replace their 1982 He-Man figure from their childhood, there are only five available. Now couple that in with people who want said figure mint, carded, or complete, and that statistic drops even lower. That's just basics of collectibles and reselling.
Meanwhile, toys of "today" only seem to resonate with Gen X, and in that regard, only very specific ones. Typically, those are the ones that harken back to their childhood, such as Masters of the Universe Origins, or build on it, such as G.I. Joe Classified or Marvel Legends. Your average Gen X isn't buying Descendent dolls. On the other hand, nor are the kids of today.
Today's generation isn't interested in toys. They're plugged in to social media, and other forms of electronic devices. Most of this seems driven by 1) their lack of attachment to physical items, 2) the general poverty level of most young adults, and 3) their desire for life experiences over materialism. The point being, they're not buying this stuff, and they're not going to.
Meanwhile your average Gen X'r is getting older by the day, and our priorities are shifting. We're moving closed to the horizon of retirement (if that's even possible with how much we spend vs. save), and not necessarily adding to our collections. In some cases, we are actually trying to downsize because we don't want them to be a burden on our loved ones.
This in turn causes another problem, which will ultimately become the reality of all of these collectibles. The market is getting over saturated, and with so much available, but no buyers, the prices are going to start dropping drastically. That 12 back carded Luke Skywalker that you paid $10,000.00 for will suddenly be worth a few hundred, and maybe it will sell to that one random Millennial or Gen Z who picked up the collector bug from their mom or dad.
All I'm saying is that it's no surprise that the items in the above video were relatively worthless, and for anyone holding on to their toys, comics, etc., thinking they're going to see a return with profit, don't expect this. That door is closing fast.
What Generation X will leave behind is one heck of a landfill of useless plastic and paper. I hope the recycling plants are ready for us.
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