Here is something that I think about from time to time.
As a kid, there was nothing you could have said to me that would have kept me from ripping the bubble, cardback to shreds in order to get to the figure. So how is it that we have a good deal of MOC/MIB items out there?
Older kids into the series who “collected” them MOC even back then? Old store stock that was never sold?
What do you guys think?
I think a lot of it that’s in that condition is old store stock, personally.
Like you, as a kid I had neither the foresight nor will to preserve any of it!
Yep, most of the stuff is old store stock forgotten in warehouses. Other times its a present that was forgotten about. Some people did collect back then. I know this lady whose husband collected every single vintage toy. You name it, they had it.
i’m amazed daily just looking on eBay. there’s things that I can’t imagine anyone would have that’s a 50 year old toy, much less a 20 year old Thundercat. it’s gotta be 99% pure luck imo that stuff stays the way they came from the factory.
Toys back then were produced in much much larger quantities than today, hence there was alot of unsold stock.
Yep I agree. Back then home gaming was in it’s infancy, but now it’s huge with the X-Box, Wii etc… which have had a major impact on toy sales (such as action figures) Back then they were the must have items, but these days they have tough competition. I would certainly lean to the fact that production was certainly higher back then. Which would enevitably lead to unsold stock.
I’d say 90% of the boxed/carded pieces are all unsold stock. Now and again I’ve run into sellers who had kept them in the loft (mostly unwanted/unsent gifts)