Hi, its Lee Jones. I know what I am asking is not about trading cards but please does anyone have a COMPLETE list of every Lord of the Rings collectors plate ever produced that you can send me. Thanks. Lee.

Can't really help you with that one. I would imagine the list would be massive if you consider the numbers of manufacturers that do/did make collectible plates, that there are always multiple series of plates from each, that LotR merchandise is released domestically and internationally, and the number of years and films to cover. However collectible plates are a hobby just like cards and it's fine to talk about them on Card Talk. There are always many cross over collectors for all sorts of stuff.

It's funny that you should bring up the subject of collectible plates, as I was just going through quite a few that had belonged to someone else. I found Monroe plates, Gone With the Wind plates, Sports Star plates, a Dolly Parton plate, Young and the Restless plates, and even a couple of Star Wars plates. Most were bought late 80's early 90's. So I looked them up on eBay.

I couldn't believe that the original retail price paid on a 30-year-old "limited and numbered" collectible was two and three times what an average condition one is worth now. Talk about a market that fell apart.

I'm sure that there are exceptions, and that some super rare plates might be valuable to the expert collector, but every $40 retail plate I looked up is $15 on ebay. Every limited edition was made in 5,000 or 10,000 firings and everybody seems to have kept them for decades. How they continue to make new collectible plates, when there is so little demand for old collectible plates of good quality, is beyond me.

quote:

Originally posted by Raven:
It's funny that you should bring up the subject of collectible plates, as I was just going through quite a few that had belonged to someone else. I found Monroe plates, Gone With the Wind plates, Sports Star plates, a Dolly Parton plate, Young and the Restless plates, and even a couple of Star Wars plates. Most were bought late 80's early 90's. So I looked them up on eBay.

I couldn't believe that the original retail price paid on a 30-year-old "limited and numbered" collectible was two and three times what an average condition one is worth now. Talk about a market that fell apart.

I'm sure that there are exceptions, and that some super rare plates might be valuable to the expert collector, but every $40 retail plate I looked up is $15 on ebay. Every limited edition was made in 5,000 or 10,000 firings and everybody seems to have kept them for decades. How they continue to make new collectible plates, when there is so little demand for old collectible plates of good quality, is beyond me.

Unfortunately, I can't help Leejones77 as I've never been a plate collector. Though I do have a small quantity courtesy of my late mother.

With regard to prices, this has been covered a few times on a number of BBC Antiques programmes. It is quite common for limited edition plates, figures and similar items to remain at the original prices or even drop in value. The main problem being that they are limited editions and only generally sell to collectors in the first place who keep them in pristine condition. They never increase in value, or only rarely, as they never become harder to find and the people who might buy them already bought the original release.

I have a limited edition King Kong replica armature in my collection that cost me something like £350 when first released. I might get slightly more than I paid if I tried to sell it today...but not much. 500 were made and they have all been looked after

There is still a market for things like this as people are interested in the subjects and, unless they do the research, still believe that they will become much more valuable in later years as they are 'Limited Editions'. Unfortunately, it is the things that are made in vast quantities that get discarded and scrapped and so become genuinely scarce that tend to increase in value. That's one of the reasons early trading cards and comics have become so valuable. They were completely disposable to most of the people that bought them when they first appeared

Yes, agree with all you say. Prior to there being an internet marketplace, a limited edition of 10,000 copies could actually be hard to find in any given location. Those were the days when collectors ran from store to store in a frenzy to pick up some latest fad and prices could skyrocket. But once collectibles went online, all those people who thought they had some rare item that would appreciate over time discovered that it was just the opposite.

Also, there is the general problem that mainstream titles in any collectible can get stale or fall out of favor with current buyers. I can't imagine that there is a lot of interest in "Gone with the Wind" plates anymore, as an example.

Kevin and Raven. I couldn't agree with you more!! Frankly, the same is occurring, as I type, with the majority of these ultra-Limited Edition trading cards being pumped out by the manufacturers. Unfortunately, my fellow card collectors will be the ones holding the proverbial bag in the future as has already started to happen.

Right, people bought plates not necessarily because they liked them and wanted to display them (take up a lot of space) but they figured they would pack them away for that great day in the future when they could cash out at considerable profit. Unfortunately, buyers back then have learned these days that their perfect plates aren't worth what they paid so many are now taking what they can get.

A few days ago, I learned what's valuable when I called a local collectibles store to see what they were buying. I'll preface this with the fact that the store deals mostly in vintage toys so that's their focus. The guy was mostly interested in 70's and older and he made a point of talking about figures. He had no interest in any cards from the 90's or more recent. I told him I had some Star Wars Poster Monthlies (those late 70's-early 80's fold-outs that had magazine articles on one side and a full poster on the other) and he said everyone who had those saved them so they'd only be interested in ones in great condition and he wouldn't pay that much for them. Well, that sounds something like what we're saying about the collectible plates.

I know those Star Wars Poster Monthlies were selling for about $15-20 with shipping on Ebay a couple of years ago because I bought an upgrade in that range for one of the ESB ones I used to pin to my wall in my room. It looks like you might get a slightly better deal now especially if you're buying more than one. I'd probably have to sell for $3-5each and the storeowner would want just the best couple of them. At that price, I might as well keep them.

The store has some 60's-90's cards for sale but I get the feeling they might have picked those up as part of lots so they wouldn't ordinarily buy cards to resell.

quote:

Originally posted by Kevin F:

quote:

Originally posted by Raven:
It's funny that you should bring up the subject of collectible plates, as I was just going through quite a few that had belonged to someone else. I found Monroe plates, Gone With the Wind plates, Sports Star plates, a Dolly Parton plate, Young and the Restless plates, and even a couple of Star Wars plates. Most were bought late 80's early 90's. So I looked them up on eBay.

I couldn't believe that the original retail price paid on a 30-year-old "limited and numbered" collectible was two and three times what an average condition one is worth now. Talk about a market that fell apart.

I'm sure that there are exceptions, and that some super rare plates might be valuable to the expert collector, but every $40 retail plate I looked up is $15 on ebay. Every limited edition was made in 5,000 or 10,000 firings and everybody seems to have kept them for decades. How they continue to make new collectible plates, when there is so little demand for old collectible plates of good quality, is beyond me.

Unfortunately, I can't help Leejones77 as I've never been a plate collector. Though I do have a small quantity courtesy of my late mother.

With regard to prices, this has been covered a few times on a number of BBC Antiques programmes. It is quite common for limited edition plates, figures and similar items to remain at the original prices or even drop in value. The main problem being that they are limited editions and only generally sell to collectors in the first place who keep them in pristine condition. They never increase in value, or only rarely, as they never become harder to find and the people who might buy them already bought the original release.

I have a limited edition King Kong replica armature in my collection that cost me something like £350 when first released. I might get slightly more than I paid if I tried to sell it today...but not much. 500 were made and they have all been looked after

There is still a market for things like this as people are interested in the subjects and, unless they do the research, still believe that they will become much more valuable in later years as they are 'Limited Editions'. Unfortunately, it is the things that are made in vast quantities that get discarded and scrapped and so become genuinely scarce that tend to increase in value. That's one of the reasons early trading cards and comics have become so valuable. They were completely disposable to most of the people that bought them when they first appeared

quote:

Originally posted by catskilleagle:

A few days ago, I learned what's valuable when I called a local collectibles store to see what they were buying.

Can you say beanie babies boys n girls??

The problem with local collectible stores is they need to ride with what is currently hot plus they need to buy low and sell high. There is not a lot of room for value speculation because storage is money. As long time collectors we have seen the definition of valuable change like the wind.....especially over the past few years.

I agree with you that plates suck up too much space and was impractical for my traveling lifestyle even if I had the desire. Then again, I don't get how some collectors have as many action figures as they do without needing to buy another house. Seems to me that if ya gotta rent a storage unit for your collection the purpose of the hobby is getting lost somewhere and the value is dropping with every monthly payment.

quote:

Originally posted by mykdude:
I agree with you that plates suck up too much space and was impractical for my traveling lifestyle even if I had the desire. Then again, I don't get how some collectors have as many action figures as they do without needing to buy another house. Seems to me that if ya gotta rent a storage unit for your collection the purpose of the hobby is getting lost somewhere and the value is dropping with every monthly payment.

Yes, but that's the trouble with all hobbies. You can only display a certain number of anything and then the rest has to be stored out of sight somewhere. The advantage of collectibles like cards, stamps and coins is that they are small and can be put in binders for easier access. But even binders have to be piled somewhere.

I love the higher end figures and have picked up a few, but those must be shown to be appreciated, so how many can you have? There is that old tale about how, when you own too many nice things, all your possessions really own you instead. With hobbies, I think that becomes true for a lot of collectors.

Yeah, but people get into a bind. They need more storage space after some years of collecting but they might not have an extra room just for their hobby. On shows like "American Pickers" and "Collector's Call," we see people with a room devoted to displaying their items or even a whole building especially if they live in a rural area and have some land. In the city, your options can be limited so you might have to rent a storage space. It's an extra monthly expense but many collectors aren't thinking about the numbers even down the road anyway. Their collection doesn't have a purpose. It's not an investment. It's just all the fun stuff they've been able to gather so far.

quote:

Originally posted by mykdude:

quote:

Originally posted by catskilleagle:

A few days ago, I learned what's valuable when I called a local collectibles store to see what they were buying.

I agree with you that plates suck up too much space and was impractical for my traveling lifestyle even if I had the desire. Then again, I don't get how some collectors have as many action figures as they do without needing to buy another house. Seems to me that if ya gotta rent a storage unit for your collection the purpose of the hobby is getting lost somewhere and the value is dropping with every monthly payment.

I was recently watching one of those shows you mentioned, and the guy was appraising some military memorabilia in Nevada, of all places. It was an old 1700s era musket, I believe.

The guy sent the merchandise to an "expert" to have the item repaired.

The expert's office was located 5 minutes from my house here in New Jersey. I've driven by the building 1000 times and never realized what was inside. A military memorabilia repair place.

True story !

Yeah, there are specialists out there who repair and/or restore a variety of collectibles. It's a variation of the art restorer who cleans and fixes improperly stored paintings that are stained by dirt or dust or have suffered minor damage. He might charge hundreds of dollars but the artwork increases in value by at least a few thousand.

quote:

Originally posted by David R:
I was recently watching one of those shows you mentioned, and the guy was appraising some military memorabilia in Nevada, of all places. It was an old 1700s era musket, I believe.

The guy sent the merchandise to an "expert" to have the item repaired.

The expert's office was located 5 minutes from my house here in New Jersey. I've driven by the building 1000 times and never realized what was inside. A military memorabilia repair place.

True story !

quote:

Originally posted by catskilleagle:
Yeah, but people get into a bind.

Yeah, it can be a fine line between American Pickers and Hoarders.