Seen this Error AHI Frankenstein on ebay tonight. Seems pricey but who knows depending on someones dedication.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/AHI-MEGO-FANS-ERROR-CARD-FRANKENSTEIN-KRESGE-ON-MUMMY-CARD-MONSTER-UNIVERSAL-/300737481210?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item460559c9fa (http://www.ebay.com/itm/AHI-MEGO-FANS-ERROR-CARD-FRANKENSTEIN-KRESGE-ON-MUMMY-CARD-MONSTER-UNIVERSAL-/300737481210?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item460559c9fa)
In my experience, most monster and figure collectors don't put a premium on "errors" like that. Variants, yes. The Mego red head Dracula or blue hair Frankenstein, for instance. These are factory anomalies that happened for various reasons and are rare to see.
The whole "error" thing started with coin, currency, and stamp collectors. A great deal of care is used to make sure these items which are produced under strict control and have a very high level of oversight to prevent errors from being issued. When one slips out, like the famous stamp with the upside down biplane, it's a rarely seen thing. On the other hand, AHI didn't use much care in making sure errors didn't reach the market. If the Mummy card was put on a Frankenstein figure, even if it were seen by an employee, they probably would not repackage it. If the store received it, they would not send it back. If a kid saw it, they'd know which monster it was and not care. The great effort to prevent errors from going out is not in place in the toy manufacturing world, especially not in the 70's and at AHI. The different variations in the figures don't represent a marketing plan (OK, they bought the Frankenstein with the flesh hands flat against the side of his thighs, now let's produce a Frankenstein with green hands and palms facing backward so they'll buy both!), this type of interest in collecting children's toys simply did not exist at the time. It was about lowering manufacturing costs, or replacing a broken mold with whatever is easiest/cheapest to make more.
It may be worth that to someone, but I doubt it. In fact, I think most toy collectors would prefer their Frankenstein figure to be on a Frankenstein card, and be willing to pay less for a Frankenstein on a Mummy card. But if someone is interested in collecting AHI errors, they have a lot of opportunity, and can probably amass quite an extensive collection of them.
I suspect that most or all of the people who would be interested in buying this toy would do it out of a perception of value, rather than out of nostalgia-based monster and/or figure collecting. This means their target customer is probably an "investor", and at that price, there isn't much room for the "investment" go grow in value.
Maybe the seller will find a wealthy person who had a Frankenstein on a Mummy card as a child, left it there because they were enamored with the "mistake", and became separated from it over the years, and wants badly to have it again. I wish them the best of luck!
I am always suspicious of errors. Goes back to my early comic collecting days. Had a guy try to sell me a comic as being a very valuable error because the cover didn't match the interior pages. I didn't have to look hard to see that someone had removed the staples and inserted the wrong interior and then re-stapled the comic......
Quote from: Toy Ranch on July 12, 2012, 09:07:22 AM
In my experience, most monster and figure collectors don't put a premium on "errors" like that. Variants, yes. The Mego red head Dracula or blue hair Frankenstein, for instance. These are factory anomalies that happened for various reasons and are rare to see.
The whole "error" thing started with coin, currency, and stamp collectors. A great deal of care is used to make sure these items which are produced under strict control and have a very high level of oversight to prevent errors from being issued. When one slips out, like the famous stamp with the upside down biplane, it's a rarely seen thing. On the other hand, AHI didn't use much care in making sure errors didn't reach the market. If the Mummy card was put on a Frankenstein figure, even if it were seen by an employee, they probably would not repackage it. If the store received it, they would not send it back. If a kid saw it, they'd know which monster it was and not care. The great effort to prevent errors from going out is not in place in the toy manufacturing world, especially not in the 70's and at AHI. The different variations in the figures don't represent a marketing plan (OK, they bought the Frankenstein with the flesh hands flat against the side of his thighs, now let's produce a Frankenstein with green hands and palms facing backward so they'll buy both!), this type of interest in collecting children's toys simply did not exist at the time. It was about lowering manufacturing costs, or replacing a broken mold with whatever is easiest/cheapest to make more.
It may be worth that to someone, but I doubt it. In fact, I think most toy collectors would prefer their Frankenstein figure to be on a Frankenstein card, and be willing to pay less for a Frankenstein on a Mummy card. But if someone is interested in collecting AHI errors, they have a lot of opportunity, and can probably amass quite an extensive collection of them.
I suspect that most or all of the people who would be interested in buying this toy would do it out of a perception of value, rather than out of nostalgia-based monster and/or figure collecting. This means their target customer is probably an "investor", and at that price, there isn't much room for the "investment" go grow in value.
Maybe the seller will find a wealthy person who had a Frankenstein on a Mummy card as a child, left it there because they were enamored with the "mistake", and became separated from it over the years, and wants badly to have it again. I wish them the best of luck!
I agree. Unless it's a cool variant I'm not interested. And with a company like AHI there is probally a lot. But hey someone may think it's worth that but not me.lol!
The error makes it less desirable in my eyes.
Quote from: raycastile on July 12, 2012, 10:27:36 AM
The error makes it less desirable in my eyes.
Me, too. More scarce, perhaps - but I wouldn't want it.
Quote from: poseablemonster on July 14, 2012, 06:00:57 PM
Me, too. More scarce, perhaps - but I wouldn't want it.
I'm like that too unless the error is cool and this is nothing special to me but I bet there are AHI collectors that will dig it.
Quote from: bigbud on July 12, 2012, 09:15:47 AM
I am always suspicious of errors. Goes back to my early comic collecting days. Had a guy try to sell me a comic as being a very valuable error because the cover didn't match the interior pages. I didn't have to look hard to see that someone had removed the staples and inserted the wrong interior and then re-stapled the comic......
Everytime I see something like this, I think somebody just slipped a different figure in the plastic and sealed it back up. I am a very trusting collector. ;)
Errors with figures are a tricky thing. I have a few Error TNA Wrestling figures I found in stores for cheap. For most MOC collectors, they're worthless. For loose collectors, it doesn't matter. For collectors of Error figures though, they love them. It just depends if you can target the demographic that likes them. I think they're neat, but they're not something I'd go out of my way to get.
Although I did buy a DST Minimate pack (Frankenstein & Dracula) that said Monster & Dr. Frankenstein. I just got that cause I wanted the figs though :P
Hell, if I'm paying that kind of money, it had better be in the right card.
Quote from: raycastile on July 12, 2012, 10:27:36 AM
The error makes it less desirable in my eyes.
Not realizing that was the mistake baseball card dealers made when Topps, Fleer and Donruss flooded the market with errors in their haste to beat each other onto store shelves in the eighties. Unlike the situation that existed for stamps, baseball card collectors just didn't want error cards. With no demand for these intrinsically worthless items, they stayed just that - worthless.
;)
I think the only way you could realistically get this kind of money is if it was a creature on that card. Otherwise this is about a big a value as those upside down toybiz Spider-Man figures cluttering my crawlspace.
I'd much rather have the Creature on his own card.
I could actually care less about ANY packaging. Why pay hundreds, perhaps thousands more for a carded or boxed figure over the cost of a mint loose one? I want the toy, not the cardboard.
Quote from: Type3Toys on July 19, 2012, 11:42:22 AM
I could actually care less about ANY packaging. Why pay hundreds, perhaps thousands more for a carded or boxed figure over the cost of a mint loose one? I want the toy, not the cardboard.
It holds more value because it is in better condition. Not to mention the box or carding can hold just as much sentimental (or even intrinsic) value. Or in some cases, it just looks cooler lol
Not to mention, the Creature's paint starts to fall off the second it leaves the package. Try to find a loose one with decent paint left.
Quote from: Dr. Blasko on July 19, 2012, 12:08:01 PM
It holds more value because it is in better condition. Not to mention the box or carding can hold just as much sentimental (or even intrinsic) value. Or in some cases, it just looks cooler lol
I agree! That's why I like packaging as well.
8)
Quote from: Dr. Blasko on July 19, 2012, 12:08:01 PM
It holds more value because it is in better condition. Not to mention the box or carding can hold just as much sentimental (or even intrinsic) value. Or in some cases, it just looks cooler lol
Na. I would rather pick up a loose figure in excellent shape and pick up a repro box or card. I mean, figure loose $100, same figure carded $300. That means that card cost $200. Cant justify that no matter how cool it looks, it would look the same on a reproduction card to me. Please dont get me wrong, the 70's monster packaging art is fantastic! But, to each his own and I have nothing but respect to those who are willing and can afford to buy MOC figures.
I would agree, but all the loose ones I've seen are missing soooo much paint.
like almost everything I take it how I can get it.lol!