Is there an actual price guide for Transformers?

[sideswipes brother]

Im thinking of making a big purchase in the coming weeks for a MISB G1 Tf. Prices on Ebay for basically the same figures in same condition fluctuate greatly. Is there an actual price guide for Tfs which can more accurately determine a base price?

[Demonac]

Your best guide would be to look at the completed listings on eBay.

[1orion2many]

Good luck with that minefield with so many illegal copies floating around these days. I know there are ways to tell them from the originals but it's a lot of work to collect the G1's now.

[sideswipes brother]

Your best guide would be to look at the completed listings on eBay.

I am looking on Ebay. But as i said the prices vary greatly. For example lets take a MISB Sunstreaker. One will be AFA graded 80 and sell for $1000. Another will be 80 also and sell for $700. Why the price difference?

I guess it just comes down to buyer demand and what we will pay.

[Demonac]

You also need to factor in where the item is located & who the seller is.

[Jetfire in the sky]

Any item that is sold at auction is worth exactly what it sells for on the day.

If you watch and study specific items then for sure you will see items sell for varying prices. When it comes to G1 I have watched e-bay like a hawk for over a decade and some things amaze me either how cheap they go for or how expensive.
A funny example was a Grimlock sometime ago, listed at say $50 and didn't sell, seller relists item and it goes for $70 - $80. So one could say it wasn't even worth $50 but then two weeks later its value is higher.
I missed out on an MIB Blurr a few days ago which went for less than $30 Do a quick search on e-bay now and nothing will be under $100 as BIN. Thats the way things go with auctions.
Really it comes down to what you think an item is worth, I personally think Perceptor MIB is pretty cool and should be worth more than what he goes for on e-bay but he consistently sells for $50 - $80. A guy had a Black Zarak with Make an Offer, I think I went to $1300 and he still wouldn't sell it to me, next thing I see it went for $1350 So that was the value he put on it, I missed out

[BigTransformerTrev]

I found the following book very helpful:

http://www.amazon.com/Transformers-I.../dp/0896894452


However this book was printed about a decade ago now so while it was a great help to me then, it may be less so to you now. However it is still a good guide to how rare some figures are and if you were to increase all the prices in it by say 40 to 50% it may still be a useful tool It gives prices of Loose vs MISB as well.

I also still find it a useful tool for knowing what accessories/weapons/parts should come with each toy. There were quite a few G1 toys I bought before getting this book where the seller said it was complete but I found out later was missing many of its accessories.

[Sinnertwin]

I found the following book very helpful:

http://www.amazon.com/Transformers-I.../dp/0896894452

My copy's falling apart
A very useful reference tool.

[Sharky]

ebay is its own machine entirely

Lee's Toy Review is not a bad magazine that has basic values for toys in it older issues have done "price guides" for the various tf lines, should give you a basic market value

local comic stores should stock it or able to order it in.

[Jetfire in the sky]

I found the following book very helpful:

http://www.amazon.com/Transformers-I.../dp/0896894452

Got it on Kindle on Friday, very good reference, would have been nice if old mate took the time to dust half the toys before photographing.