Mattel Disney Pixar Diecast CARS: The Value of Open & The Value of Sealed
Kari C. asked an interesting question about what would be more valuable – CARS cards that are sealed or CARS & cards opened … and of course, the general and quickest inclination would be to answer – sealed.
Which is generally correct but CARS presents an interesting and usual set of further circumstances that might affect its future value.
First, you might want to read this post.
The problem with sealed is of course, in today’s marketplace, there are thousands of “complete” sealed sets because unlike 40 years ago, people today buy them as display as well as opening them to play with so there are always sealed sets available.
So, let’s start with the simple answer of today. As many of you have been reading along with our “field guide” to CARS, there have been 5 distinct releases for the singles: Desert Art 12, Desert Art 16, Supercharged, World of CARS & Race O Rama.
The original 12 stand as its own unique release and the “original” line of any collectible is generally considered worthwhile to collect sealed and CARS is no real exception. The one other note of interest is that no CAR has really been retired … sure, along the way they have corrected/fixed some releases so the “incorrect” one is no longer being produced but many were produced in the hundreds of thousands if not millions in the case of Lightning McQueen, it’s hardly like finding an original one-of-a-kind art and as such, while you might generate a little more interest with a opened Lightning McQueen from 2006, clearly a sealed LM from the Desert Art 12 series will garner more interest & monetary return.
So, right now, many of other CARS lines in a complete form – whether sealed or opened is not going to generate a huge amount of interest or immediate return because the same CARS are continually being re-issued and not retired. Of course, at the time you were buying them, how were you to know? 🙂 Though because of the CHASE scenario, there are now CARS that purportedly will not be re-released EVER as singles again. Are they precluded from every being re-released? No, but they will not in theory be back as singles … so there are now more CARS not returning as singles …
For instance, Lightning McQueen with Bumper Stickers, the first ever CARS Chase car. Perhaps not much interest today but a year from now? Two years from now as people realize they cannot find him anymore? Or when CARS 2 comes out – a new generation of collectors will come on board … and then what is an appropriate rate of return for you? Right now, CARS will pretty much trump any “so-called legitimate” financial instrument … but what is the right rate of return for you? matching inflation plus a little – one thing you can factor is the percentage increase but really, how many CARS can you hoard or stock? You can always buy 1,000 shares of something … owning 1,000 of one CAR is not easy nor necessarily profitable – though on the other hand, you have its display value or even play value. As long as you do not crash them up, people might actually be MORE willing to buy an open set because they too want to play with it and if they have to pay too much, why would they buy it sealed when it might “pain” them to open it 🙂 but since you’ve already opened it … it’s probably a much easier sell to sell 40 opened CARS than the SUPERCHARGED set sealed of 41 CARS because it is cheaper and they don’t feel they might be “blowing it” by opening a set that could mysteriously skyrocket in value sealed 🙂
That’s the one thing you always have with sealed, the person buying it has two options – not opening them or opening them but the question that only you can answer is if it’s “fun” FOR YOU to collect them unopened.
Another factor with CARS is the sheer size of each new release series – from 12 to 16 to 41 to 97 to ? AND that’s NOT counting doubles and exclusives and so forth … so the sheer size is daunting for a new collector. Or simple logistics … even if you were willing to accept very little profit, selling the Supercharged series would be about $160 … a pretty big chunk for someone just starting out … when sure, there are a few CARS within the line (on card) at a higher value but Supercharged Hamm? Not really rare and easy to piece together.
And when CARS 2 comes out in 2011, what will the line be like then? Sure, people will want to go back and get characters not in CARS2 … will they want an entire series or just pick and choose? If Dale Jr appears, he’ll definitely be sporting #88 – will #8 Dale Jr be retired or simply moved to the “classics flashback” line? No one knows – of course, this is presuming CARS2 is not a bad movie … of course, Pixar’s track record is great but anything is possible … so the ultimate answer is hard to say because how long will you wait before selling? And what is the value you place on what you’re selling?
So, there really is no definitive answer as you don’t have to look hard at CARS that sell for no return while others opened will sell for $50 (Blu Ray McQueen) … or do you sell high and then re-buy low like the recent DJ run? Whether you’re collecting for an investment, for fun or to sell & trade along the way – ultimately, it will be your selling skills that make the difference. But like being at the casino, some will win, some will lose and it’s a draw for others.
| « Choking Squirrels in the Great Depression … Um, Not a Euphemism … | Mattel Disney Pixar Diecast CARS: Collect the One … Thy Name McQueen » |
metroxing
17 March 2009
Advertising, collecting, diecast, Film, Marketing, Mattel Disney Pixar CARS, Retail, Toys, TV, Uncategorized
27 Comments
This is a old post but I have to put my 2 cents in ! I started collecting at 8 with hot wheels and I did both open and keep some in Blister, but I wish I would have kept more in Blister. I know that Blister is the best, a good example is Snot Rod in graffiti Blister or Flea & Flick Supercharged with U.S. label or try to find a Finn Mic on the straight card back. I feel this is a great chance to get cool cars and keep them so my kids kids can see the real thing like when gramps got it off the shelves. I know it is hard for people to think ahead 50 years, but WOW then hot wheels will be 100.
Very interesting! Thank you for commenting on an older story like this one and bringing it into the foray again. I wasn’t collecting when it was first posted and would no doubt have missed it altogether if you hadn’t brought it up.
I really enjoyed reading this post. I buy Cars for my 3 year old with no thought about what will increase in value, or what I should keep in packaging. Everything is out and played with, and the only Cars I look for when I go shopping are ones he doesn’t already have.
But, the reason that I most enjoyed this post is that I collect Barbies and I was reading this and inserting “Barbie” for “Cars” and names of specific dolls for specific lines of Cars. The prevailing advice on a Barbie board I belong to is to “collect what you love” because even if something is going for 5 times retail right now, it doesn’t mean it will stay that way.
That is so true! About 15 years ago I was collecting Barbie’s and prices were great; now I can’t even get $20 for a doll I paid $75 for back then.
One set opened and “loved” and one set sealed; that’s how we do it. This gets prety challenging at times! Two seperate checklists running, but so far we have managed to stay on top of it. The opened set gets played with a lot. My son and I like to recreate scenes from the movie (I have even thought of buying extras of the same car, like the 3 Marcos, to make it more realistic!) The carded set is about as completist as I care to go. I only will add a car/card to the collection if there is a definite difference, like the “new” snipe thing; however, we are running out of room! My ulimate goal is to someday display our entire collection in plexiglass diplays, to include over 300 Ford Mustangs, but that is still a dream. The only thing that we do not have that I regret not buying is the MSOS. I was out to sea when it went up for sale, so I missed that one. Maybe someday….
Haha! 3 Marcos. I thought the same thing the other day while watching the movie. But I only have 1. Looks like I need to get me two more of them! Not to mention he is one of my favorite characters – many in my family are involved in the aerospace industry. Two have built many parts for the F-22 raptor… anyway, this is way off topic now! 3 Marcos it is!
We open, and keep a few of the harder to find sealed – chase, kmart cars, etc. Wish I could have 3 sets like TJH-AZ!!! That would be awesome, but entirely too much money for us right now.
I am really pining for a Speedway set.. but can’t fork up the $2500 for the only one on eBay! Yikes!!
Kind of off-topic here, but does everyone have 3 Marco’s? Is everyone as canon as I?
(MET: There were rumors of a jet 3-pack … but nothing listed as of yet).
I DO…….
I want to know what the names of the other 2 jet fighters are! And yes, I have 3 Marcos, plus the open one on display.
(MET: One is Coriander Widetrack)
lol I am glad she finally made the cut
Makes it hard to get two when they only put one in a case, like Impound Wingo! I do the same thing, one to open, one stays sealed.
I do both. Buy two of each. Open one up and keep the other sealed. Thing is that it does add up financially! LOL 😀
We are openers as well. After my son lost Sally in the commissary last year I started getting 2 of each Car; in case he lost one then I’d have a back-up. We don’t let them bring toys into the store anymore so now the second Car just gets packed away with the other sealed Cars. When my boys are adults and decide they want to take all their Cars they can decide who gets the opened and who gets the sealed Cars. I only got one Speedway of the South set so that’ll be a battle!
We don’t want them fighting over the SOS set, so I’ll be glad to take that off your hands for a reasonable price!
You’d do that for me? What a pal 🙂
Ditto rpag. 1 set is opened for my son to play with (o.k., my son and I) and 2 sealed sets for later. I think it’s the fact that the same cars continue to get released that levels the value between opened and sealed. Once a car has not been available for awhile, maybe even many years, then a N.I.B. will be worth more than an opened one in mint condition, but only by an amount determined by demand. The “value” will only be established once the cars are out of production.
opener and sealed. I buy one for my son to play with and one for me to keep in package. I also buy a third set of chase cars and exclusives. we will see in a few years I guess.
For some unknown reason, opened always seems to do better than sealed on ebay. Even ‘played with’ will give a sealed single a run for its money.
I found that mint on card was too high maintenance. As I looked at the cars they would fall off the shelf, bit like trying to find hidden gems on the pegs, most of them end up on the store floor 🙂
opener…….
I guess a completist would say “to not to”….
Totally an opener. However, I am keeping one of every Chase car in the box, because IF Mattel stays true to its word and doesn’t re-release them again, they will definitely have some value in the future. But it doesn’t really matter, because I don’t collect Cars for value.
OPEN EM’ ALL!!! Free those beautiful hunks of metal and plastic from their plastic and paper prisons!!!
I started with a bunch unopened, but then I figured WTH…….. How can I truly enjoy the real genius and art behind these things!?!?
Besides a car that zooms across your desk goes much faster than one that is imprisoned in it’s packaging 🙂
I keep all mine sealed, except for Mater and the few SOS racers I have.
I don’t expect many of them to gain much value, as there will always be plenty of each on the aftermarket. Even the Speedway of the South will plateau and slip in value. But the value is not why I collect them anyways.
I agree with you on this one all the way except I have always been an unashamed opener. I really think that because of Mattel re-releasing cars in so many formats, most sets will not hold much value. Couple that with the cult following is not that big, yet (no, I’m not trying to put us down.).
Then you have the issue that nowadays toyline collectors are much more common. Star Wars was one of the first lines of merchandise to hold a value and since then merchandise is available for everything and in a range of forms just like cars.
For me the real value is how much joy do get out of them? finding that elusive Elvis, Hauler or Ramone? buying some spares to watch your son bash them together? and simply picking them up and admiring them for their beauty? to me that is $10 well spent anyday.
DJ loose or DJ carded, are getting close to the same price, checking completed sales on ebay. Impound DJ or regular DJ, looks like regular DJ is holding his own.
Mets post is good food for thought.
First?
Nope… I’m such a nub.. =P
1st – no way – never done it before – I’m an opener – got them all but a couple – but I had to go back and get the sealed desert series set as it makes me sqwirm to watch my son smash the opened cars together.