Every so often a collectibles listing appears that makes you do a double-take at the math, and a lot of 40 Transformers figures currently on eBay is exactly that. Priced at $20,000 for the whole collection — which includes multiple Optimus Prime and Soundwave figures from the original Generation 1 run — it looks, at first glance, like a lot of money. Look at what the individual pieces can fetch, though, and $20,000 starts to seem almost reasonable.
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The reason comes down to how much collectors will pay for G1 figures on their own. A graded G1 Soundwave recently drew bids of $9,000 (around $11,250 with buyer’s premium) at auction, and top-condition examples have sold for well into five figures, while boxed G1 Optimus Primes have gone for tens of thousands for the best-preserved pieces. If even a couple of the Primes and Soundwaves in this lot were to grade well, they could theoretically recoup a large chunk of the $20,000 outlay very quickly, leaving over 30 figures still to be sold.
The Condition Can Tranform This Set into a Goldmine
Of course, that back-of-the-envelope math only works if the toys are actually in the shape a buyer is hoping for, and that is the whole game with vintage Transformers. Value swings enormously depending on whether a figure is loose or boxed, complete with its accessories, free of stickers and creasing, and clean enough to earn a high grade. Professional grading also costs money and time, and there is no guarantee a figure comes back with the number needed to justify the investment. Anyone thinking this could be a get rich quick scheme should really see it as the opposite, as it could be just as easy to miss the mark and end up losing money if you don’t know what you are looking for.
For those who do, the wider market offers plenty of encouragement. The G1 line has become genuine highly sought collectors items, headlined by a record-breaking Megatron that sold for $133,435 and rarities like a G1 Optimus Prime whose Pepsi sticker adds around $35,000 to its value. Even a single 41-year-old Transformers gift set has changed hands for over $20,000 — roughly the price being asked here for forty figures at once.
Whether this particular bundle turns out to be a bargain or a gamble depends entirely on the condition of what is inside it, and the only way you could do that would be to have a personal inspection of the items. In a market where the rarest single G1 pieces can outvalue a car, the idea of picking up forty in one go — Optimus Primes and Soundwaves included — is the kind of thing that makes a collector’s ears prick up, even at $20,000.
For those who are not quite ready to take a gamble of this size on the possibility of being able to sell the figures for more money as separate lots, there are plenty cheaper alternatives out there. However, the listing here does claim that many of the items included are “mint in box” and that really does suggest that the collection could be perfect for those will a little time on their hands to break up the set and resell any that they don’t want to personally keep for themselves.
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