Are You Buying AFA from HTS???

I happened to take a look at HTS this morning to see if they had anything new in stock and found nothing to speak of. But I did see they now have even more AFA graded Joe figures. It looks like they have even started grading some of the leftovers from the previous waves. I'm wondering if this could actually be profitable for them. I can understand the profit they'd make on each unit would be substantially more, but is anybody actually buying these?

To see if anyone is buying 'em, wait a couple months and see if Hasbro is still doing it. If they are, then people are buying.

I'd say people are buying if they're offering older waves now.


Can you imagine the profit per figure they're hauling in on those?

Originally Posted by Troynos

...I'd say people are buying if they're offering older waves now...

Either that or HTS is trying to find ways to sell (cash in on) old stock that just sits otherwise.

As I mentioned, I realize they'd make beaucoup profit on each unit if they sell. I'm trying to figure out if us regular collectors have any attraction to these or if it's just the scalpers planning to evilbay them in the future.

I bought one of the AFA Python Crimson Guard. It was for a friend for christmas. I knew he wanted the fig, and that he likes to keep them carded. As silly as I think AFA is, I splurged to get him a nice gift.

I find it humorous how they want to try and sell a figure for 7-10x the retail value, while selling the regular retail figure as well.

HTS wants to maximize profit. they knmow a lot of collectors buy Joes, so it was a no brainer to sell grades figures. i would never buy one.

Originally Posted by CdtWeasel

...I find it humorous how they want to try and sell a figure for 7-10x the retail value, while selling the regular retail figure as well.

Apparently, from some of the shipping horror stories posted here, paying the extra might be the only way to get true MOC from HTS...

The profit depends on how much AFA is charging HTS to have their figures graded. If AFA is charging their regular rates for grading than HTS is making less than $5 per graded figure that they sell.

It's a brilliant financial move on the part of AFA to reach out to another collecting market. There are people who do collect AFA figures and the ones HTS has sold in the past have been selling. It started with a bunch of Wave 10-12 figures and many of them have sold out. The older figures with the 25th anniversary logo are going to be hot commodities once they are on the site for collectors.

I saw that the other day, that they're selling older wave figures that we all consider "Peg Warmers".

I think that if they don't sell in retail, you can't squeeze $50+ out of them by "AFA"ing them. Buzzer, Serpentor, Rock n Roll, V2 Roadblock, Python Patrol Trooper, Wild Bill, Vipers, Hooded CC... They're missing Jetpack Duke, God knows they have a bazillion of him laying around somewhere.

How much does AFA charge to grade their figures?

It costs Hasbro like $2-$3 to produce a figure. If they're only making $5 an AFA graded figure, that's like $40-$60 just to grade the figure?

Are you serious? That can't be right...

No way, no how.

AFA is a joke so I wouldn't buy anything graded by them anywhere.