I'm just curious. I know that they are much maligned for having prices that are too high, but I have never heard of them having bad business practices or ripping people off. Lately, though, I have seen many of their auctions get very few bids or not sell at all, even when the prices seemed reasonable. Is it just people avoiding the reserves, or do some of us avoid their auctions altogether for whatever reason.

Brian is an aquired taste. He has good stuff but is usually well over priced. That leaves bad enough taste for most people that they avoid him completely.

But he does a lot of business. He has a lot of stock. And if you wait and look, you can find some good deals in there.

Ya thats the biggest pet pieve with people but in my opinion you pay for what you get and his quality is always nice. I think i bought off him a long time ago and a lot of times if the person doesn't advertise again I forget to be honest. I mostly search ebay for specific things and not by seller

He had a Rattler 4wd and I put in the min bid. $10 shipping but there was other stuff with it. I probably should have bid higher but I am rapidly hitting my limit (G)

his prices keep me away, don't even look at his stuff cus I know its over priced

This was actually pretty well priced. $14.99 min bid and was won for $15.49. Alone I have seen them get double that many times.

He's too deer, so I don't even bother looking. But I heard from others that the stuff he ship is of excellent quality.

The only time I buy from him is when it's something I can't find anywhere else, and I have a lot of money to throw away. But he does always have quality goods, as others have said.

I dealt with him years ago.....His quality is not consistant....I bought a bag of o-rings and hose and he way overcharged for shipping....He now charges for his catalog and sells AFA items.....I refuse to buy from Brian's overpriced Toys

Yup same story here. His prices are sky high. He'll prolly offer (in most cases) very good quality but still. If you buy it off of ebay from a high feedback seller, you have as much chance as when buying from him. And you'll be paying much less.

Brian'sT also seems to be aggressively expanding his stock as of late. In the past couple weeks, I've lost a dozen or auctions to him at the sniping stage. It's infuriating cause I know I'll see those pieces on his site at ludicrous prices or back up for sale with preposterous reserves.

It's also irritating to see MOC figures I've sold to him advertised in his catalog at 2-3x what he paid. I don't know who's paying those prices.

Exactly. He's selling stuff that's for sure but I really don't understand who'd pay 400$ for a cobra de aco. 150$ scores you an excellent complete one on ebay!

He's a good guy. And his MISB stuff is actually sealed box, not just sealed contents, which is how sellers most often misrepresent.

I just feel like he's somehow gotten access to my bidding/watching page for which auctions to snipe.

Brian'sT also seems to be aggressively expanding his stock as of late. In the past couple weeks, I've lost a dozen or auctions to him at the sniping stage. It's infuriating cause I know I'll see those pieces on his site at ludicrous prices or back up for sale with preposterous reserves.

It's also irritating to see MOC figures I've sold to him advertised in his catalog at 2-3x what he paid. I don't know who's paying those prices.

Sniping:
Sniping can be really lame, especially if you get sniped for 5 cents in the last few seconds. But face it, if you put in an absolute maximum bid and you loose it because you get sniped, you did not loose the auction due to sniping, but due to the fact you placed a lower bid. Sometimes when item is at 5.00 USD I will place a 20.00 USD bid, because I am willing to pay that amount. If I get sniped then tough luck. It was my maximum price. Most of the times I don't loose due to this method. Most snipers try to snipe you with a 5.51 USD bid during the last seconds, but then my autobid will autobyebye them! :D

Effect of sniping is relatively small:
Auction is at 6.00, I place maximum for 10.00, auction then goes to 6.50. In last minute somebody tries to snipes me with a 7.51 bid. Sniping fails and he loses, I get item for 8.01, because my maximum bid was higher. If in last minute 10.05 bid is placed. Then I loose and item will be sold for 10.05. OK, I lost due to sneaky sniping, but is it wrong? No, highest bid wins.

Don't get me wrong. I know the feeling getting sniped. Getting sniped for 5 cents feels $&*$#@*(&*!!! :mad:

Re-selling:
If it irritates you he is selling it for 2-3x your price, you should have sold at higher prices. That's just the way the game is played! You asked a price and he accepted, a deal is a deal. What he does next is his game. If he overprices items and gets stuck with them, it is HIS problem.

And again don't get me wrong. I myself sold items for too low prices later to see them being sold at much higher prices. Yep I have slapped my own face for it!

sniping:
I'm not complaining about 'sniping' as a practice. I understand that with proxy bidding, there's no reason to complain about sniping. I'm complaining about this deeeeep pocketed guy going for the same thing I am over and over. I just feel totally outgunned. When like 10 auctions in a row I'm interested in close with me as second high bidder behind www.brianstoys.com and the 3rd place bidder way behind us in the distance, it's really irritating.

re-selling:
I'm totally fine with the prices he paid me. He paid me market-realistic prices. I was just echoing the sentiment of previous posts that his prices are too high. There's stuff I sold to him months ago up on his site and in his catalog that, if sold in auctions, would probably get just about what he paid for them. I'm just curious if anyone actually buys from him directly. At auction, his prices are, of course, fair.

When I first got back into collecting, I bought several items from brianstoys. A few were good deals (I think I got one loose C-9 1982 solid tread mobat for like 15 bucks), but I also paid way too much for other items, and now their prices are just astronomically high.

Got a catalogue from brianstoys the other day and I was comparing the "buy prices" to their "sell prices." Well, I love capitalism, but that doesn't mean that I will throw money away. Example: He has his '83 Cobra Troopers and Officers listed for between 30 and 35 bucks. As far as I am concerned, that is 10 to 15 dollars too high. Add in shipping, and we have a very expensive figure. I just bought a couple of Cobra Officers from BIGFAN for 22 bucks each w/ free s&h, so I would say that brianstoys has lost me.

I will say that I do like to collect those realistic gi joe statues (such as the "Sherman Tank", or the "Out of Harm's Way"), and I will buy those from brianstoys, b/c the price and shipping seems right for these items, and brianstoys always packages well.

My wife also bought my flagg from brianstoys last year, and it was as described and the price was actually very reasonable (in this case, we knew that we could return it if not as described, and we knew that brianstoys would package the flagg very well).

Last thing I will say about brianstoys is that they have always been easy to deal with if I was dissatisfied with my order. If something was wrong with the order, I just called them, shipped the item back (in one case, it was a Mamba that was described as C-9, but arrived missing its engine cowling), and they gave me store credit with reimbursment for shipping - so, my opinion is that brianstoys is an honest establishment, but too pricey for figures. - MA2

Never bought from him off the site or out of the catalog. That's just dumb to do more often than not. I have won an auction or two but I try to avoid giving more money to those people as often as possible since they like to gouge collectors. However, if there's something I want for a price that's not over what I personally think the item's worth and they have it up for auction when I'm looking to get it, I'll bid.

I don't know about them charging for catalogs. I got one of those stupid things just a week or so ago and I for sure didn't pay for it.

To bigjjohn I know how you feel about being bid by the same people over and over. I used to get mad but after a while you realize they are just collectors like you trying to get the more popular items. I search certain keywords every night and when it comes time to bid I see a lot of the same people over and over. Its not that we are trying to outdo each other its just that we both want the same style items. Something to consider is this. I buy big groups of loose stuff for a few that I need, if you ever need something in particular out of a lot then try writing to the person who won it to see if thwy are going to piece it out. I have sold that way to a few guys already just to be helpful since I only need a few pieces.

I use Brianstoys occasionally. It's not like he's ripping you off, the costs are stated right up front, and if you want to pay them, go for it. If not, don't. I've never had any problems when I have bought things from them.

Lately I've bought some Funskool Devilfish, some Star Wars figures (those were around $2-3), and the occasional new item just because of the speed and convenience (but I check all my other sources first).

I have never bought from him myself but at least he is honest. A lot better than plasticdreams. Whom I have not bought from either. AS for seeing the same person put-bid me time and again I hear you. Also like thunt4 I see the same people alot of the time. In fact I try not to outbid anyone here on the board unless I really really want it. I see thunt a lot and pass on them. But I will tell y'all one thing. I may not go no hold's bar on 82/83 cobra officer's and soldiers but if the price is low I am going to go upto my set buy price for them. Same thing with SNAKE armor.

The experience I have had with buying from them was a good one, but the prices do kind of steer me away as well. Brianstoys was actually the first online store I bought from before I learned about GIJOEHQ. :D

I've bought from Brians Toys a lot, and have never been dissapointed. I bought a 97 TRU Thunderbolt, MISP, for $125 which is about how much it goes for on ebay (at least the auctions I saw). I agree, his prices are hi, but sometimes he gets items that have taken me forever to track down, and I just can't pass up the convience of buying from him. Also, he always ships ASAP and I know he isn't out to rip anyone off.

Greetings,
I have only bought two figures from Brian's, both Star Wars figures, and I bought them in person at Star Wars Celebration II in 2002. I haggled the price down on a loose and carded figure late on the final day. I was happy with the prices and the quality, having seen them in person, was great.

I very rarely look at their web site, however, because every time I have, or have received a catalog from them, they were so overpriced that I dismissed them. They are usually the last place I'll look for anything and even when I have found things there when everyone else was sold out, I still didn't buy them. The only issue I take with their web site is that they don't always picture the exact item you are buying...so be sure to ask plenty of questions.

From everything I've read and like others have said here, they do a good job, they are just expensive. They're upfront about their prices so if you don't want to pay what they are asking, don't. Personally, I don't buy from them but that's just my decision.

E...

I avoid him. He is the biggest scalper on the internet in my opinion.

I live in the same state as Brian and even I avoid him.

If he had a store front, I might be willing to check out the items because I could inspect them first hand, but IMHO, his prices are high and his shipping can be pretty insane.

I once saw an auction for 20 filecards with no bid's at $5, then I saw he wanted $20 shipping for them and I quickly understood why. Then I called to check and I got some dope who picked up the phone, thought the shipping was high, but said he didn't know anything about it and to let the auction close with no bids. Then they would relist it and fix the problem. Funny thing, they relisted it and the shipping still was $20.

Anyhow, I look at his auctions when I'm just hunting around and I keep an eye on them, but I rarely bid.

I hate those "reserve not met" prices too. That just turns me off from even bidding.

Anyhow, I'm sure he's got really good items and quaility stuff, but too rich for my blood.

Tanner

The experience I have had with buying from them was a good one, but the prices do kind of steer me away as well. Brianstoys was actually the first online store I bought from before I learned about GIJOEHQ. :D
Ditto. I initially went to brianstoys b/c their advertising is so effective... then I stumbled across gijoehq and now try to avoid brianstoys. If HQ doesn't have an item at the time you are browsing, you can ask Curtis, and he will find it - or most items eventually seem to just show up on his site - plus his prices are incredibly low - he is kind of like like Wal-Mart - except he doesn't suck.

I avoid him. He is the biggest scalper on the internet in my opinion.

I just wonder how he acutally makes money with the extremely high prices he has. He has good stuff, but his prices are just WAY too high.

I'll stick with Curt and HQ any day of the week and twice on Sundays.

there are two reasons why i stay away from his site
the prices and services


i got on of his catalogs in the mail and he wanted 12 dollars to 14 dollars for valor/venom wave 1 and 2 figures

the packed older figures where way to much for c8 and c7 figures

his stuff is high and his shipping charge for one lose figure is 6.00 and 2.00 handling fee.so i just stay away form that the only way they get the hint hit the wallet.

I've only bought from them a couple times and they were nice enough and graded accurately. My problem with them and all of the other power toy sellers is that they are helping to artificially inflate the prices of the toys we all cherish. (now of course I am jealous of all their buying power but that just goes without saying).
They have the buying power to grab up basically every JOE they want and if you watch ebay you can see them do it. Now they are of course in the market to make money but as a power dealer and someone in the toy business I think they have a bit of responsibility to help and stabilize the market as well. If they buy every JOE on ebay and then mark them up by %200% then it is really only hurting the market as it is putting the toys all in just a few dealers hands, creating artificial price levels, and so forth.
Perfect example would be an AFA85 snakeeyes (2D) that just sold on ebay and they won it. I can see marking it up appropriately but to immediately put it up on their site for over $1000 just puts a bad taste in my mouth. I realize everyone may want to make a profit but.... The situation with just about all carded figures is due to this sort of thing. JOES on card simply arent' all that rare, If you seriously work at it and take your time you can get any JOE you want over a period of time and most likely not pay the crazy prices. Their are of course some exceptions (explosion backs, swivel stalker, etc) but just the basic stuff you can get. Firefly selling for thousands is a clear example--yeah, he's popular but there are plenty out there and paying over $1000 for them just because dealers think they can charge it is crazy.
At any rate, I suppose the power ultimately lies with the buyers as eventually when all those pieces are still in stock maybe they will understand that they are hurting the market more than helping it. Problem is to some collectors money simply isn't an issue and they will pay those ridiculous prices simply to get the piece and not have to spend time worrying or looking through auctions. I think this is what those dealers cater to actually.
The market is interesting and I'd love to hear from others as to their thoughts. I find it incredible that JOES have basically tripled in valued in less than two years and that were seeing AFA 85 common JOES sell for more than say 12 back Star Wars figures that are much much harder to come by in mint condition. Eventually the pricing on JOES MOC will have to taper as collectibles don't really become collectible when not a soul can afford to buy them anymore.

Dankelzaga

I thought there was a brick and mortar Brian's toys somewhere in the state (WI)? Maybe I mis-remember what I read somewhere at sometime though?

They have the buying power to grab up basically every JOE they want and if you watch ebay you can see them do it. Now they are of course in the market to make money but as a power dealer and someone in the toy business I think they have a bit of responsibility to help and stabilize the market as well. If they buy every JOE on ebay and then mark them up by %200% then it is really only hurting the market as it is putting the toys all in just a few dealers hands, creating artificial price levels, and so forth.
Perfect example would be an AFA85 snakeeyes (2D) that just sold on ebay and they won it. I can see marking it up appropriately but to immediately put it up on their site for over $1000 just puts a bad taste in my mouth. I realize everyone may want to make a profit but.... The situation with just about all carded figures is due to this sort of thing. JOES on card simply arent' all that rare, If you seriously work at it and take your time you can get any JOE you want over a period of time and most likely not pay the crazy prices. Their are of course some exceptions (explosion backs, swivel stalker, etc) but just the basic stuff you can get. Firefly selling for thousands is a clear example--yeah, he's popular but there are plenty out there and paying over $1000 for them just because dealers think they can charge it is crazy.
At any rate, I suppose the power ultimately lies with the buyers as eventually when all those pieces are still in stock maybe they will understand that they are hurting the market more than helping it. Problem is to some collectors money simply isn't an issue and they will pay those ridiculous prices simply to get the piece and not have to spend time worrying or looking through auctions. I think this is what those dealers cater to actually.
The market is interesting and I'd love to hear from others as to their thoughts. I find it incredible that JOES have basically tripled in valued in less than two years and that were seeing AFA 85 common JOES sell for more than say 12 back Star Wars figures that are much much harder to come by in mint condition. Eventually the pricing on JOES MOC will have to taper as collectibles don't really become collectible when not a soul can afford to buy them anymore.

Dankelzaga

The never-ending AFA debate aside, I don't see how a seller can buy up all the available figures (I assume they do this by paying more than anyone else) and then artificially inflating the value by marking them up. One of three things is happening here:
1. They have somehow tapped a market that does not use ebay, hence a "good deal" for them may be significantly higher than some of us would pay
2. People are buying from them to be assured of the quality of the item they are getting without having the patience to wait, search, or be disappointed.
or 3. They are buying all the available figures by paying more than others are willing, then marking them up, and they won't sell. If you didn't drop $800 for a MOC Snake Eyes on ebay, then you won't pay $1000 from a website. This will force them out of business eventually, but they don't seem to be doing badly to me.

I guess that there is the alternative of someone passing on a figure at $800 because it is too much, then after searching fruitlessly for a while deciding they will pay the $1000.

I also think that this market price increase probably has a lot more to do with MOC figures (that I don't buy many of) than loose figures. My personal findings are that loose figure prices, with the exception of a few figures and the "high-end" army builders, have gone way down in the last 2-4 years. I thought I got a good deal finding a CC v1 for $24 and a SE v1 for $20 (both swivel arm). I have since sold both of those figure for less than that. Of course, people will pay $25 for a broken Cobra Officer now, but overall I think prices have decreased as more people "find" collections now that Joe is more popular.

I think your definitely right in the fact that it is only the MOC stuff that has shown these incredible increases. Loose stuff has pretty much stayed the same with very slight increases over the year. Of course there are exceptions to every trend but on average I think it holds true.
I certainly don't think any of these dealers are "wrong" per se, as it is their business and no different than any other in the "buy low-sell high" mantra. It would just seem to me that a business would be better off selling there products at a slightly inflated price with an emphasis on customer service in order to gain repeat customers and leads for future purchases.
MOC JOE collectors are extremely fickle. I've seen the same figures back and forth on ebay over the years and many of the same buyers, selling, buying back, and reselling carded figures all the time. Same with the high rollers who will buy up everything they can get their hands on only to sell them all off a couple years later. If one of these dealers could establish themselves as "the" dealer to sell to they would do so much not only for their business but the collector identity as a whole. I often hate having ebay as my only outlet for sales on my carded stuff. If I could could get dealers to offer me say %85 of what I could get on ebay I would always sell to them just to make it easier on myself. Problem is...you ask most dealers (not all as there are some that are good) if they want to buy your collection and they offer you a ridiculous amount of money knowing full well they will in turn sell it for 4 times what they paid you for it. Bah, at any rate....any other thoughts out there as the whole collectible inflation rate thing has interested me for year. Must be a economics major out there who can put a good spin on it :)

dankelzaga

I just feel totally outgunned. When like 10 auctions in a row I'm interested in close with me as second high bidder behind www.brianstoys.com and the 3rd place bidder way behind us in the distance, it's really irritating.

Fully agree. Of course it is survival of the fittest, but it does get irritating. :mad:

I get outgunned all the time by the same people, but every once in a while
I score a point. If I miss out as a result of a bid sniper, I'm ticked for
a little while and then I realize that i'll probably see a similar lot soon.
Frustrating? Sure. Part of the hunt? Absolutely. I can't shoot big game
without encroaching on another hunter's territory, and if I fall asleep
when the prize is in sight, I lose. But I also have their ID's, and if I see
a part I really need, I email them and ask if they need it. They're
usually very cooperative and don't gouge too badly.

With Brian's Toys items for sale, I'm comfortable with the
quality and return policy. I've bought an item or two from them,
and I couldn't ask for better service. I don't mind paying higher
prices for great condition and great guarantees. I don't agree with
the whole AFA thing resulting in skyrocketing prices, but that's
a different thread and people are welcome to do as they wish.
Likewise, if someone wants to spend $50 on a CCC, when someone
has posted that they're available at KayBee for $15, that's
their money to burn. I just love it when Brian jettisons his junk,
though. The cheapest auctions are those which involve lines he
doesn't really care about.

To sum it up: I like his rep and his service. I'm not a big fan of
his prices, but if someone wants to pay them, so be it.

Peace,
Pat

Hes a good reputable dealer with prices through the roof. Its that simple.

The short answer to this question is 'no', because he is still in business. The majority of collectors know what the market values of toys are. Some buy because they don't want to wait for a better deal, and they know it is good quality stuff. My personal opinion is that he is a big scalper, so I avoid him.

i delt with him once from ebay
well i was happy witht he 2 lots of parts

just i see his little news thing that comes out and all i can say is ouch

i would never paythe prices he is wanting and i know he is getting them for alot cheaper then ebay.

so if you must you must but i honestly would not buy from him direct.

I have sold a lot of stuff to Brian, to him directly, or through his Joe guy, named Brent I think. He bought a ton of stuff from several dealers at the joe show.

It is a catch 22 that he is kinda in, along with a lot of other really big mag dealers with a lot of stock and overhead. In order to service the customer base he has built, and pay all of his employees, and be able to keep growing, and to afford the insane ads he posts in like every mag, he needs to charge high prices (even so, I feel some are pretty nuts). At times, it can just be seen as pushing the market, especially on rarer items, but he does it on 80% of his items across the board. Then, those high prices turn off the average buyer, so his sales go down. He has to buy aggressively to corner the market to some degree (an impossibility due to the massive volume of Joe items available)and keep charging more. Then he can fall back on availablility and quality. He can say he always has items in stock and they are in top notch shape. I have had this conversation with more than one of the bigger dealers, it seems to work for them, some have been in business for like 20 years.

I have sold a lot of stuff to some of the higher end mag dealers, and I can say they do pay for quality. I can remember a time (pretty recently) when Brian's toys was keeping virtually every smaller dealer I know afloat. When they were in financial trouble, they hit his SW buy list, pull a few boxes of stuff, send it in and get a check. I did it myself sometimes. There was a time I owed a buddy money, and didn't have it. He came rummaging through my toys to find stuff to sell to Brian to get the cash I owed him LOL. He moved my entire MOTU inventory that way, and got paid off in the process.

Brian's Toys is WAY overpriced on alot of items, but some are reasonable and now and then there is a good deal hiding in there. But gouged prices aside, I know he'll have an item in condition descriped, this is very important to me and is the biggest problem I run into buying thins. I also know he'll pack it nice and will possitively send it to me. Sometimes this stuff is worth a little extra. But his prices are more often then not over the top.

I bought an ebay lot off him once. It had a vamp and a few other items in there. In the description it said as is. I should have emailed him and got a better description before I bid but the item was ending soon. I got the vamp and the rollbars were busted. It was also placed so you could only see one half of it. When I took it out of the box, the green hubs inside 2 of the wheels were missing (the side that wasnt pictured). Would have been great if he took a picture of that other side and posted it! All in all it was a cheap auction so I wasnt greatly upset. Shame on me for not asking if the wheel hubs were in the tires!! The other items were in decent shape from what I can remember except for what I believe was pepsi spilled on the FLAK making it all sticky. It's a good bet he wont see anymore money coming from my paypal account.

I look at the stuff he is selling, but like most everyone else it is a bit too rich for my blood, especially when most of the time there is the same item a few listings down the line for less than half the price. I wouldn't know about the quality of his stuff because I have never gotten past price he sets on stuff to find out.

I did buy one thing from him, paid immediately through paypal, but he never left me positive feedback so therefor I will never buy from him again.

if so many people "complain" about his prices how can his shop still exists?
I guess there are enough people who are willing to pay for his prizes.

I won't buy from him myself. Not because of the guy behind it, but like most replyers to this thread, his prizes.

if so many people "complain" about his prices how can his shop still exists?
I guess there are enough people who are willing to pay for his prizes.


He is still around because

1. He has been around a long time and advertises a ton so he is very well known.

2. He has a lot of customers who either don't want to hunt for toys or live somewhere where they don't have access to the stuff.

I buy from him at Wizard World Chicago. It seems like if I cruise his space I can find something I want. For instance something like a SW POTF playpack is a great find no matter who the dealer is. And once I bought a Japanese plush Jawa from him - the thing is big and that way I didn't get soaked with shipping by ordering it from any online dealer.

I don't buy from him because his prices are crazy. Usually, I can buy the same package of figs from smalljoes for about $2-4 less then Brian's toys. However, he does have a huge stock, and as a retailer myself, I understand all the hidden costs (rent, employees, advertising, etc.) that smaller outfits don't have. I just have so much to spend on joes, so I avoid him. That being said, it's a free country and he can charge what he wants for his products. He must be doing something right as he is still in business.

One thing I have gotten wind of recently is that they (he has a lot of guys working for him so it might not be his fault) have a habit of undergrading everything they get, and don't always abide by their buy prices in bulk quantity. Several friends have told me that they will send a box based on the buy prices, only to have the price cut anywhere from 30-50% off what they were expecting based on the buy list. I understand some collectors might undergrade a bit, but it has been pretty consistent from several different people that i have heard this from. One friend filed something against them to get the full offer back, and apparently he won. They always have the option of having it returned to them, but the cost of returned shipping is theirs, and who is going to pay out to have it all shipped back, rather than take a check? I did a deal with him in person, and he was pretty cool (and cheap),but I would not do anything through the mail. Another totally nasty rumor I heard just the other day, and this is just a rumor, i have nothing to back it up, but someone told me they had heard of items returned wrecked when people don't take their offers. MIP items sliced open, crap like that. I really hope that is not true, but if it is, I would think it would have gotten out into the community more, and it is something I could see random guys that work for him doing or something. If he were more local and I could go and make deals with him in person, I would sell him more stuff I have extra of.

I have bought from Brian's in the past, not from the catalouge but at the convention. The prices at the con were all reasonable, as are most of the ebay auctions I have seen them run. The Catalouge prices however are a bit too steep for me for some things that I would like. It basically all comes down to how much you are willing to pay for an item.

He has a big operation, and he needs more "profit" to keep it afloat. I understand that, so I have no problem with his prices. That being said, I like to buy all of my stuff from:
www.bigsnowtradingco.com

The owner is good looking and a swell guy :)

Michael

The owner is good looking and a swell guy :)

Michael


Puke Puke Puke

The owner is good looking and a swell guy :)

Michael

Should we start calling you the Brad Pitt of GI Joes now?

Should we start calling you the Brad Pitt of GI Joes now?
Only if Brad Pitt was a southern used car salesman who doubles for a land manatee. He looks like a mutt, really.

Only if Brad Pitt was a southern used car salesman who doubles for a land manatee. He looks like a mutt, really.

LOL...wow thats harsh!

As for Brians toys, price alone keeps me away. I have no problem getting what I need elsewhere or just waiting.

LOL...wow thats harsh!

As for Brians toys, price alone keeps me away. I have no problem getting what I need elsewhere or just waiting.


Ehhh, I owe Snow a lot of cash...I can afford to be harsh.

Do you people realize his prices are not set in stone? I bought 5 AFA graded Joes from him and the total on his website was $500 and I asked if they could do better on them if I bought all 5 and they took $100 off the total so I got them for $400. All you got to do is ask. Also for the record they have lowered most of their vintage Joe prices from what they were 6 months ago.

Do you people realize his prices are not set in stone? I bought 5 AFA graded Joes from him and the total on his website was $500 and I asked if they could do better on them if I bought all 5 and they took $100 off the total so I got them for $400. All you got to do is ask. Also for the record they have lowered most of their vintage Joe prices from what they were 6 months ago.

They might not be 'set in stone' but they are very high. I think everybody agrees upon that. Yeah and if I'd sell five harder to sell pieces, I'd knock of 100$ a piece too, what's your point?

They might not be 'set in stone' but they are very high. I think everybody agrees upon that. Yeah and if I'd sell five harder to sell pieces, I'd knock of 100$ a piece too, what's your point?

Very high compared to what? What are you comparing their prices to? Are you one of those people that walk around with your little price guide saying since they want more than what the book says it is worth and that means it is overpriced. When did I mention I bought 5 harder to sell pieces? Just because they are AFA graded figures does not mean they are hard to sell as a matter of fact they were just recently listed on Brian's Toys website. They took 20% off of their asking price without much effort. To get 5 AFA85 graded vintage Joes for $80 a piece is a steal. So what exactly is your point?

I think people need to relax and chill out a bit.

At the end of the day the guy has decent service (well, in my transactions anyway), and everything I ordered got here okay. I don't think he overcharged me on shipping as well, which is a constant pain when dealing with some online stores. When I started out collecting again, and was leery of ebay, Brians Toys were a good place to start. He's expensive compared with a lot of places, but if he's the only place I can find something I'm not going to begrudge his mark-up. It's a big marketplace, and anyone who grossly overcharges isn't going to last that long.

Ahh. I have had this "Brian's Toys' prices" discussion with many a fellow collector prior to joining this board. Many of their prices are indeed too high--by any standard. However, in all proper fairness Brian's Toys is flexible on their prices to a surprising degree. Plus, I feel that there is a certain Darwinism in effect when you deal with them. These mentioned discounts go heavily for loyal customers and for those with larger, more expensive purchases. In the end the GI Joe toys are worth whatever someone is willing to pay for them. Remember also that the store wouldn't be in business if it wasn't making a profit from the transactions. Just my two cents.

Very high compared to what? What are you comparing their prices to? Are you one of those people that walk around with your little price guide saying since they want more than what the book says it is worth and that means it is overpriced. When did I mention I bought 5 harder to sell pieces? Just because they are AFA graded figures does not mean they are hard to sell as a matter of fact they were just recently listed on Brian's Toys website. They took 20% off of their asking price without much effort. To get 5 AFA85 graded vintage Joes for $80 a piece is a steal. So what exactly is your point?

Man you kill me :)


Anyway, think most of the people agree his prices are high, but his service is very good. Period.

I've personally met Brian a couple times and his guy that works for him that deals in Joes. They are both really nice and great to get along with. They pay well for stuff at shows and from looking at their site days after the shows, they seem to mark the stuff at double what they paid for it. They dont barter very much when buying and they always buy ALOT! Every show I've been to they drop 800 or more on our stuff and sometimes come back for seconds. I'm not sure who buys from them, everything I hear is the same as the posts above. Perhaps he has alot of overseas business, i'm not sure but he always has mad cash to drop at shows...