Advice on collecting

Hey everyone,
I want to get a collection of thundercats and mutants action figures but not really sure what to look for or even if prices are good or outrageous. I just want one of each character. I did a search on ebay but totally confused. Any help is very appreciated

IMO, I would start with the most expensive/hard to find figures like Jaga, Bengali, Pumyra, Driller, Astral Moat Monster, Stinger...Thundercats have continued to go up in price over the years. They will only get more expensive in the future.

Then I would go after the Berbils. not as expensive, but harder to come by. and then go for the obscure characters like Capt. Shiner, Snowman, safari joe, Mongor.

I would wait till last to get the core characters, as they are always plentiful and easy to come by. Also if you want complete figures, some of the weapons can be a little expensive. Search ebay, message boards and join some toy facebook groups. good luck!

Thank you

you asked about pricing, I forget to mention.

For the hard to find figures, expect to pay $100+ each for most. Pumyra (without weapon) can go for about $75, Jaga (Complete) around $100, Bengali around $100, Driller anwhere from $150-$200, Astral Moat Monster about $150-$200, Stinger (without wings) anywhere from $50-$150. thats in complete/good condition.

for a complete/good condition for everyone else you're looking at about $30-$45 each. I have seen heavily played with Lion-O's with an Asking price of like $45, then other times I have seen a great condition Lion-O for like $20. The Berbils can go for around $40-$50 each. Also, what I have just mentioned is on the high end of pricing. meaning you can go out right now and buy these figures at those prices all day long. but if you're on a budget or want to save money, you can find better prices.

"William Graves, post: 116040, member: 26072" said:

Hey everyone,
I want to get a collection of thundercats and mutants action figures but not really sure what to look for or even if prices are good or outrageous. I just want one of each character. I did a search on ebay but totally confused. Any help is very appreciated

I agree with some of what ninja cat said. However personally I think you should make a list of the characters you want as you might not ant a full collection. And just concentrate on getting them one at a time. Like ninja cat said concentrate on the harder to find figures you are after as the easier to come by characters can be got any time and quite cheaply.
I really regret selling my collection and am thinking of getting them back someday.

Go big and collect the MOC ones
Get a big loan out...buy 1 of each and watch the prices soar in years to come....a brilliant investment+you only live once :-)

Thanks. I am on a budget and raising a toddler solo so I may be at this for a long time since some of these are expensive to me lol

"William Graves, post: 116085, member: 26072" said:

Thanks. I am on a budget and raising a toddler solo so I may be at this for a long time since some of these are expensive to me lol

Collecting is an expensive hobby as other things take priority. My collecting budget is very limited at present so I only by the odd thing I really want if it isn't too expensive.

I started buying MOC Thundercats figures back in 2004. Since then, they've become so outrageously expensive, collecting loose figures would be the most economical route. But I'd stick to getting the figures you want most and keep an eye out for bargains. They do pop up occasionally. Scour ebay, check craigslist, check some online stores, post your want list on the forums and what you're willing to pay for those figures (do a search on ebay for sold thundercats to get an idea of what they're going for and use that as a measuring stick of what your gut says you're willing to pay for them). Eventually, you'll start to build a collection. And lastly, if you're not against it, people do make very affordable, good looking reproduction weapons - that'll save you a lot of cash...as long as you don't mind that they're repros. The figures are affordable (for the most part). The weapons get really pricey. Don't be afraid to purchase weapons and figures separately.

Thank you. You've all gave me a lot ro consider

What do you all think of buying in lots? Also how hard is it to put together a figure if I get it in pieces?

Lots are a great place to start. Finding the weapons can be tough, but eventually you'll find them. There are quite a few people in here that have 5+ of the same loose figure (some collect variants, some have bought a few big lots, some like having multiples). Whatever you find makes you happy, you should pursue. As long as it's within budget haha.

The most important thing is to have fun doing it. After all, it's a hobby, not a job.

"William Graves, post: 116096, member: 26072" said:

What do you all think of buying in lots? Also how hard is it to put together a figure if I get it in pieces?

Lots are great, and you can usually get a pretty good price. if you dont have naything, I would look for a lot to get many figures knocked out. but further down the line when you have most everything you want, buying a lot doesnt make a whole lot of sense for a few pieces, then you have to try and resell the rest. The only downside to a lot is you have to settle for condition of the pieces, not like buying individually, you can wait for the right condition, price, etc...

I found this page. It list all figures from 1985-87. Can someone tell me if its a complete list. Thank you all for your help

http://www.toyarchive.com/Thundercats/Figures/Figures.html

"William Graves, post: 116096, member: 26072" said:

What do you all think of buying in lots? Also how hard is it to put together a figure if I get it in pieces?

I've collected most of the figures loose over the last few years. some figures I got complete and cheap since they weren't the popular ones. I got a complete Hachiman for a pound, and Rataro complete for about three. Buying lots helped a lot as you can get a load of figures for what people might be charging for one complete figure. Grab all the accessories and figures in acceptable condition and resell the rest. I've found that people seem quite willing to sell a decent figure or a loose accessory for much less than the eBay shops want to sell a complete figure. The most expensive loose figure I got was Bengali, make sure you shop around for him as many of them are in bad shape, or come with repro weapons. Vehicles are good to put together too. I got 3 broken tanks and between them had enough parts to put together a nice complete one, or much less than I'd have paid for one outright. Some MOC "bargains" do pop up every now and then too. I got a MOC driller for less than 150 pounds, someone found a box of them in a warehouse and was selling them off. Not bad when the loose fig can go between 100-120.

One last thing. If you think you've spotted a really good deal, go for it. I've missed a few things through hesitation. Missed out on a MOC berbil for 24 quid!

What if I find one complete but in pieces due to a broke tab inside the body...how hard would it be to fix it

"William Graves, post: 116107, member: 26072" said:

What if I find one complete but in pieces due to a broke tab inside the body...how hard would it be to fix it

You mean for a tank? I would just get a few until you have all the opening panels and tracks complete and stick them on the main body you have that's in the best condition.

Not a tank. One of the characters

"William Graves, post: 116114, member: 26072" said:

Not a tank. One of the characters

If a figure is in pieces or has a broken tab I'd skip it. Not worth the hassle trying to fix it when another will no doubt pop up again. the most I'd accept would be a snapped off trigger for the arm mechanism. If the figure was perfect but I couldn't use the arms, it's no bother for display. If there are bits rattling inside then I'd pass.

"William Graves, post: 116102, member: 26072" said:

I found this page. It list all figures from 1985-87. Can someone tell me if its a complete list. Thank you all for your help

http://www.toyarchive.com/Thundercats/Figures/Figures.html

Yeah that's pretty much all the figures. If you want more info on all the figures (variations, accessories etc.) and info on the vehicles and other accessories as well then check out this: http://thundercats-ho.wikia.com/wiki/LJN_Toys

As for advice on starting a collection, I'd pretty much iterate what others have said here. I'd suggest you start with buying a "lot/batch" of figures and/or accessories. It's a good way to start as you get a bunch of figures in one go, often they have accessories and sometimes a vehicle as well. And also as a lot, the price of the individual items will always be less than if you were to buy a single item. Then you can start hunting for the ones that are missing. All the best and do post pics of your collection once you start it. :)