what is the best deal you ever got on a monster toy

[werewolfwoman]

Back in the good old days, I got some garage sale-type deals on loose toys.  I remember picking up a few loose AHIs and Megos for really cheap, like a few bucks each.  I got a loose Kenner Alien with the dome and the upper half of the tongue for a few bucks.  Someone gifted me a loose Mego red-haired Dracula, but I don't think gifts count in this discussion. 

In recent years, I've been able to find old Topstone masks for very cheap.  That's partly because I'm the only idiot out there looking for them.  But for a lot of my good ones, like the 50s Caveman, Mummy, Pirate, Devil, I only paid a few bucks each.  But then there have been others that I've paid for in blood, so it all evens out.

When the subject of "best toy buys" comes up, the first thing I always think of is finding the Thriller Graveyard Gang figures at Children's Palace for 98 cents each.  I bought all they had, 57 of them.  I sold one or two sets per year, with the last couple selling for around $200 per set.

you can totally include gifts, i just asked which was the preference the gift or the hunt? but presents completely count. and as fare as great gifts last Christmas my bother gave me a teenage werewolf 12" figure, that i never would have been able to get myself due to the price it was awesome.

[marsattacks666]

The best deal I ever got on a monster toy was last year at a garage/yard sale. It was a AHI Mummy.
Somewhere in the UMA universe I posted it.

While driving this weekend, looking at a few garage/yard sales. My wife and i stopped to look, we noticed a few toys in many boxes. I looked through the boxes that i thought were toy worthy, nothing. A yard-sale bust. I was about to leave, but my wife was looking at other boxes, mostly barbies. A woman, on the prowl looking for GEM dolls. When, by the power of "GRAYSKULL" she holds up an AHI Mummy, Wow!!!! I couldn't believe my eyes. The price,  cheap.                                                         

[Monsternutt]

The best deal I ever got was a Remco Mini Monster Case for $20 bucks. It was near mint no tears or rips. Got it on ebay.

[Opera Ghost]

Was not really looking for it, but found a 6' Mad Monster poster at a flea market, folded, for $18!

[jimm]

Would have to be a sealed aurora glow in the dark Creature kit for 5 bucks at a model car swap a few years back, couldn't believe it!

[bigbud]

Maybe my best find was at a random garage sale stop several years ago. A large cardboard box with 13 of the original Aurora monster kits in it for $10......they were all built, and painted, but over the years I have come to really admire the somewhat crude, but honest and innocent  paint jobs on them.  Bud

[bigbud]

Ah! Toy best-deal stories! How can you have just one? Since I'm with friends here's another........I got to know the owner of a local train store. He was also into Disney, a mutual interest, so we talked often. One day I walk in and he says "hey, I'm not interested in this, but maybe you are", and hands me an index card with a lady's name, number, and the the words "Great Garloo" on it. I'm not sure he even knew what a Great Garloo was, but I sure did! I said, yea, thanks and lit out of there as politely as possible. Been looking for a Great Garloo for years. I called the lady and she wanted $300. I told her that didn't sound unreasonable if he was in good condition. I drove right over. Garloo was mint in his original box and even had the original foam between his arms and shoulders (most often missing or deteriorated). The lady told me she had worked at a local orphanage that had been visited by Louis Marx himself on a trip through KC. Sometime after his visit an entire pallet of toys arrived at the orphanage courtesy of Mr. Marx. The one toy none of the children wanted anything to do with was the Great Garloo. He was too scary! So this lady took him home and he had set on her closet shelf only to be brought out on occasion to entertain her grandchildren. Super story, and I have no reason to doubt her. I grabbed Garloo up and he's lived with me for many years...........one strange thing happened during this purchase.........even though I had rushed home, called the lady, and drove immediately over, she had received a call just after mine offering to best any price I might offer. She told the caller that she would stick with the price she had quoted me. Pretty honest and honorable lady! Never figured out what that was about, but possibly my train store owner had second thoughts and tried to get there ahead of me.  Don't throw the leftovers to the sharks if you're still hungry!    Bud

[poseablemonster]

She probably went to more than one store to sell it and someone else passed her number on to another interested buyer.

[Gasport]

Terrific thread and absolutely MAGICAL story there, Bud...Glad Garloo found himself a good home!

[AHI Creature]

Awesome story Bud, what year was that and where are the photos of the Garloo?  I remember Garloo from the late 60s maybe, a kid down the block had one and of course it ended up burned to death then decapitated with a golf club.  Fast Fwd to 1983 my football teamate had on in his garage and I said hay man this thing is cool, and I cleaned and fixed the battery leak destroyed batt compartment and got it working again.  It was pretty cool but I don't remember what happened to it, garage sale probably. 

Anyway, to get back to the topic at hand = MERRY CHRISTMAS to me!!! I scored my beast deal maybe ever on ebay a few nights ago, let's just say I got a mislisted collectible for $21 that should easily have sold for $150+ if anyone else would have found it.  Only 1 other bidder, I was cheering as the auction closed!!! I am going to follow the old rule of don't say anything about a great auction till you have it in hand, but I will post some photos when it arrives and you guys are going to love what I got!

Happy Monster Kid Holidays!!

[ramsey37]

Years ago, Yahoo used to have an auction site similar to eBay. I once picked up a lot of four 70's action figures there for $20.00. I got a Mego Spider-Man, a Mego Hulk, and two Tomland figures, the Fly and the Yeti. All four were complete and in good shape.
George

[Unknown Primate]

I got a request to post some pics of my $5.00 Mummy I mentioned in this thread, so here it is:

It looks dirty to me, so I tried to clean it up - no dirt or grime came off it, so I guess it's as clean as it's going to be.






So, what do I have here?

[darkmonkeygod]

It looks dirty to me, so I tried to clean it up - no dirt or grime came off it, so I guess it's as clean as it's going to be.

Yep, that's he he should look.

So, what do I have here?

A great example of a Bend 'Em that has been increasingly hard to fine over the last decade, and subsequently rising in price. How are he wires? Are you selling it? Regardless, congrats on great find.

[AHI Creature]

I got a request to post some pics of my $5.00 Mummy I mentioned in this thread, so here it is:

It looks dirty to me, so I tried to clean it up - no dirt or grime came off it, so I guess it's as clean as it's going to be.






So, what do I have here?

What you have is an AWESOME and incredibly rare mummy! The paint job is perfect -that's exactly how that figure is supposed to look.  The "nose rub" white spot is typical on any that are still around.  Are the wires intact?   I truly think the mummy bend em is the rarest of the AHI figures, not necessarily the highest priced, but the hardest to find.  Maybe one a year comes up on Ebay.  (See my thread below from Sept 2009 for a wealth of info on this figure)

http://www.universalmonsterarmy.com/forum/index.php?topic=5909.msg95328#msg95328

In my opinion, you could easily sell your mummy with those photos on Ebay for $250, maybe more

Congratulations, it is a great AHI mummy bend em.  A truly amazing score.

[Unknown Primate]

Great!  Sounds like I did well, for once!  Bought it around 6 years ago.  It didn't have a price on it and I hadn't really started collecting seriously yet.  My nephew was with me and talked me into buying it.  I asked the dude running the booth how much he wanted for it - he said 8 bucks - I told him I had 5 and he said, "Sold!"

The wires seem fine - very tight & firm (yes, I'm still talking about The Mummy).  The only imperfection I see is the spot below his left knee, although it still feels like rubber and not wire.  He has an even smaller area like that on his head.  The rest looks great.

Haven't really thought about selling it, even though I could really use the bread,  .  It's kinda weird, there are several "grails" I'd rather have in my collection, but knowing how slim the chances are of me ever affording another Mummy - well, you know ...  We'll see though.  I'm definitely not above considering offers.

Either way, AHI Creature, thanks for alerting me to this - I really appreciate your input!  You too, darkmonkeygod - thanks for commenting!