Do you like Rare and Exclusive Figures?

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

Done.

[Sim]

I can accept that idea at face value , but the problem is ....most do the very same thing every day with their collections and do not give it a thought. Consider the limited favorite pieces being released...or the ultra rare chase figures from Dinotales, or the entire Sideshow line for example. It goes on every day and in nearly every single line of dinosaur figures produced and it just seems hypocritical to suggest it is somehow out of line here.Figures are constantly being intentionally under-produced and people pay higher prices knowing and counting on that very concept.
  Might be a good point to split this entire idea off from the thread, it seems to be off topic and somewhat a dis-service to Dans intended topic.

I think in prehistoric animal figure lines exclusive pieces happen most in lines that aren't toys.  I don't think there are any Wild Safari, Carnegie or CollectA figures that are exclusives.  Some people pay higher prices for exclusive pieces but this doesn't make it any less obnoxious or mean people like it.  I remember comments of disappointment on this forum at the price needed to obtain exclusive figures.  I've also read posts on here where people have said they haven't gotten that Dinotales, Favorite, etc. figure because of it being exclusive and thus too expensive to obtain.  I believe you meant it as a positive suggestion amargasaurus, although I get the feeling more people would prefer figures not being made exclusive and thus being less expensive to obtain - I definitely feel this way!

I agree with Patrx's views on this, he explained it very well.

The trouble with that sort of thing, in my view, is the concept of manufactured rarity. If something is rare because it can't be mass-produced, or is simply old and no longer made, there's nothing to be done about it; that's just rarity. It can be annoying, but it's inevitable to some degree.
But when something is deliberately manufactured in small quantities just for "collectors' value", that's just an obnoxious gimmick to me. It's not as though the model would mean more to me because it's uncommon or whatever, it's just a hoop to jump through.

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

I think we honestly have nothing left but manufactured rarity. In today's world it's so easy to get things, with the internet and such. We are getting instant gratification and no hunting or saving up for anything anymore. It's pretty much destroying the collector's atmosphere.  My dad and his friends loved trading baseball cards when they little..when one of them opened a pack to find a really rare card it was a highlight of their childhood. Other kids would then trade them for it or work to buy many more packs to try and find one.  Why do that now when you can sit in your house and go on ebay and buy one. I think it diminishes the emotional attachment we have. So rare and hard to get figures do play a part in that..though that is not what it is all about.

[stargatedalek]

An exclusive colour variant for a boxed set is something that I think would be a good plan, but an entirely unique sculpt available only in boxed sets is admittedly a bit of a slap in the face. The boxed set idea itself is definitely a good one, and I know I would probably prefer to purchase the line in such a way (presumably saving a little bit over buying each individually, as boxed sets normally are).

[Daspletodave]

Rare and exclusive are not necessarily the same thing. Take the original Battat dinosaurs - they were originally quite inexpensive and widely distributed. Then they stopped making them. Ten years later they are considered rare and valuable - because collectors still want them and can't get them except on EBAY - so the sellers can ask ridiculous prices for them. That will abruptly change with the re-release, and the figures will no longer be rare or valuable.
In the case of the Favorite and Bullyland "museum specials" - they are considered exclusive and rare, though not valuable (if you lived in Germany or Japan you could pick them up quite cheaply). But because they are issued in small numbers they are "rare". Since they were done for a certain museum, they are "exclusive". Most likely the museum and manufacturer negotiated the exact number of models to be made. They probably made a guess as to how many they could reasonably sell at a decent price. Afterall, no one wants to be stuck with "overstock" that they have to get rid of at fire-sale prices. But in these cases the manufacturer is not limiting the supply just to "give us the middle finger" as someone put it. It's a business. And if you really want it, you can find a way to get it.

[mpchi]

An example I can think of is Papo's Brown Running T-Rex. I sure want to own one as I like it a lot more than the green version. But definitely hate the fact that it was an exclusive for a certain store at the time and made it close to impossible to find one. For those lucky few that got it, sure they won't mind it is an exclusive as they have a rare piece in their hands. But for the majority that would love to own one but couldn't, all the exclusiveness on the release is nothing but headache.

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

An example I can think of is Papo's Brown Running T-Rex. I sure want to own one as I like it a lot more than the green version. But definitely hate the fact that it was an exclusive for a certain store at the time and made it close to impossible to find one. For those lucky few that got it, sure they won't mind it is an exclusive as they have a rare piece in their hands. But for the majority that would love to own one but couldn't, all the exclusiveness on the release is nothing but headache.

You have to consider the hunt part of the journey. You don't take road trips only focused on the destination...well you shouldn't I believe.  The day you actually find one via a trade, good deal, ect..won't the wait/effort make it more worthwhile to you?   I know it does to me. Recall the saying..easy come easy go. I feel if I put more work into something the rewards will be all the sweeter whatever the goal.

[Sim]

I think we honestly have nothing left but manufactured rarity. In today's world it's so easy to get things, with the internet and such. We are getting instant gratification and no hunting or saving up for anything anymore. It's pretty much destroying the collector's atmosphere.  My dad and his friends loved trading baseball cards when they little..when one of them opened a pack to find a really rare card it was a highlight of their childhood. Other kids would then trade them for it or work to buy many more packs to try and find one.  Why do that now when you can sit in your house and go on ebay and buy one. I think it diminishes the emotional attachment we have. So rare and hard to get figures do play a part in that..though that is not what it is all about.

I don't feel this way.  Now, I don't buy a lot (compared to most collectors I think), and I only buy what I want.  I really like what I get and it has great value to me.  Hunting an item or saving up for it doesn't affect how much I like or value it.  Time and money is important and I don't want to spend either excessively.