Bigwig value

[Pauly22 11]

Hi, I've got the possibility of buying one, owners not decided for sure but I've no idea what I should even be paying/offering it's been built but never been run.

I haven't seen it myself, but if it checks out ok, what's going to be a rough value?

Thanks Paul.

[Wez-li 1790]

Rough (with technigold) £70-100

Decent/restored runner £150-200

Complete, with box & instructions £200-250+

Boxed complete new built £300+

Nib £450-500+

All values imo

[kasparov 71]

That's about right with value, these things really hold value well..

[beefmuffin 1156]

You should pay $30 for it, then sell it to me. I'll give you $60, because I'm just that cool.

[Nitomor 2122]

Yeah, and tell him to make his mind up quick before the re re arrives this year and it becomes worthless

[Wez-li 1790]

Yeah, and tell him to make his mind up quick before the re re arrives this year and it becomes worthless

What's a re re?

[Pauly22 11]

That's. He's told me there's no box. But built and never used.

I don't want to buy it then a re re comes out as its bound to drop in value.

I've only got three tamiya rc cars and there all the basic and cheap ones so I've no idea on the more rarer models. Thanks. Will see what happens when I see the guy.

Thanks for the help.

[Hibernaculum 935]

That's. He's told me there's no box. But built and never used.

I don't want to buy it then a re re comes out as its bound to drop in value.

I've only got three tamiya rc cars and there all the basic and cheap ones so I've no idea on the more rarer models. Thanks. Will see what happens when I see the guy.

Thanks for the help.

2 cents...

The value of originals do dip after a reissue, but longer term they recover, simply because nothing can ever replace an original.

The Internet has given rise to an unprecedented era of toy collecting. This came hot on the heels of the best era of toys in human history - the 1980s - when toys were played with by kids, not adult collectors, leaving very few in good (or new) condition. Put those two things together, and we have quite a unique situation. A perfect storm, in which 1980s toys have become highly coveted in a very short space of time. There's now a very sharp focus on the "1980s original" of everything toy related these days.

So if you want an original, don't be too deterred by changes in value (unless you plan to sell it right after buying it), as I think the future is bright for all original 1980s stuff, including Tamiyas. FWIW, I have only had more people (not less) contact me in recent years, searching for original 80s items.

[Wandy 1563]

I am quite surprised to see how much Bigwigs are fetching. Even beaten up examples fetch big money. I still think that the buggy only has a small band of enthusiasts though, and if Tamiya re-release it the value of originals will plummet.

[Percymon 2185]

I agree Andy - I was quite surprised with the final price on mine ca 6-8 months ago (ditto the Hotshot 2 sold at the same time). Prices do seem strong still, with projects selling for £100, used examples in fair condition £150.

[Wandy 1563]

Yep. Just had a quick look on ebay and a Hotshot 2 in comparable condition seems to fetch far less. Quite surprising really as the HS2 has just as many difficult to find parts as a Bigwig.

[kasparov 71]

The Bigwig was the 10th anniversary edition with a unique design and cool sounding name.

Hotshot 2 has many similar variants of the shot series so less applealing I guess.

In Australia the bigwig is fetching excellent prices.

[EddScott 134]

Isn't a BigWig re-release conspicuous by it's absence?

Would have thought it would be re-released by now. Having said that, so too the Astute

[scoobybooster 290]

The high prices a Bigwig can still fetch nowadays surprises me even more when i consider the fact that these are far from being rare. Still many around.

[Wandy 1563]

£622 for a NIB? Really?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TAMIYA-1986-BIGWIG-KIT-58057-NEW-IN-BOX-MEGA-RARE-MINT-CONDITION-ONE-OFF-/152026392394?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&nma=true&si=hoKBoH48JueVjb6qjwtuIttVCpA%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

[Wez-li 1790]

£622 for a NIB? Really?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TAMIYA-1986-BIGWIG-KIT-58057-NEW-IN-BOX-MEGA-RARE-MINT-CONDITION-ONE-OFF-/152026392394?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&nma=true&si=hoKBoH48JueVjb6qjwtuIttVCpA%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

I've bought 1:1 cars for less than that...

[Nitomor 2122]

I was watching that, what a truly lovely item, I wouldn't have gone to that much, not with the potential threat of a re re in a few months, but for collectors of originals it's a great and rare find. Someone will be very happy.

[Wandy 1563]

I was watching that, what a truly lovely item, I wouldn't have gone to that much, not with the potential threat of a re re in a few months, but for collectors of originals it's a great and rare find. Someone will be very happy.

It was a nice example, certainly, but £622 worth of nice? It was described as being "mint" yet the box lid has patina, bowing and fraying. The Technigold blister is also damaged. I would describe it's condition as "excellent", but no more than that.

Still though, as the old saying goes, an item is only worth what someone is prepared to pay for it.

Bigwig values have certainly come a long way since I sold a NIB for £200 around 10 years ago though. Goes without saying that is one of my biggest regrets whilst involved in this hobby.

[kasparov 71]

Andy that Bigwig NiB final price is not surprising at all. And Id easily pay that amount for something in that condition.

Its difficult finding examples like this close to mint these days, so when one comes up it fetches a fair bit.

Remember that these nibs are becoming more and more rare, Im sure the bigwig nib I sold last year was built so that's one less nib in the world which means fewer remaining, it will get to a point where there are only a few left and at that point will be worth quite a bit, if you think 620 gbp i alot Somone offered me their nib bigwig for 1000gbp, I declined:)

[Nitomor 2122]

I would probably have built it also, so the box in perfect condition wouldn't have been a big issue for me, but I wouldn't have paid anything like that amount for the same reason. All the time it started with a £4xx I could have been tempted. I'm still hoping a rere is around the corner, if not then BigWig values will rise further especially for unbuilt kits like that, it really is time warp material.

The same seller had some lovely auctions, great opportunity for lots of people to take a step back in time. I was tempted with the relatively cheaper FAV just to sample some true 80's magic but that too soared at the end.

Good to see the hobby is alive and well!

[Hibernaculum 935]

Not surprised about the Bigwig price here either.

There are few things less consistent in the world of toy collecting than the price of vintage R/C cars I know of kits of the same car, that have sold for $600 and $1600, within a few months of each other.

I used to think there was a "set price" for everything as well, but there really isn't. At best there is a fairly wide range, within which anything is possible. There's the low hanging fruit, but there's also the buyers who will stop at nothing, and to whom a few extra hundred is really nothing. There are all types of people out there.

The reason for this is simple: it's a hobby with a very low rate of examples. There are hundreds of vintage action figures being traded all the time, which means values for every condition level of those are easier to pin down. But when you might only see one NIB Bigwig appear on eBay every few months, that's not "lots of Bigwigs". It's so few that it barely makes any sense to record them as data samples. Especially when most casual buyers don't invest any real time following eBay for more than a day here and there, before complaining that they can't find what they want.

Believe me, most people out there are paying nowhere near the level of attention to trends and prices as you guys here on TC.

Over time I think prices will only become even less consistent, as fewer vintage kits are listed for sale.

My 2c anyway.

Cheers,

H.

[Wandy 1563]

Not surprised about the Bigwig price here either.

There are few things less consistent in the world of toy collecting than the price of vintage R/C cars I know of kits of the same car, that have sold for $600 and $1600, within a few months of each other.

I used to think there was a "set price" for everything as well, but there really isn't. At best there is a fairly wide range, within which anything is possible. There's the low hanging fruit, but there's also the buyers who will stop at nothing, and to whom a few extra hundred is really nothing. There are all types of people out there.

The reason for this is simple: it's a hobby with a very low rate of examples. There are hundreds of vintage action figures being traded all the time, which means values for every condition level of those are easier to pin down. But when you might only see one NIB Bigwig appear on eBay every few months, that's not "lots of Bigwigs". It's so few that it barely makes any sense to record them as data samples. Especially when most casual buyers don't invest any real time following eBay for more than a day here and there, before complaining that they can't find what they want.

Believe me, most people out there are paying nowhere near the level of attention to trends and prices as you guys here on TC.

Over time I think prices will only become even less consistent, as fewer vintage kits are listed for sale.

My 2c anyway.

Cheers,

H.

Yeah Rob, you are probably correct in what you say there...but I still think the prices that some of these are fetching are bonkers....and the descriptions that the sellers are giving are somewhat, shall we say, optimistic?

Consider this one... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Tamiya-Bigwig-With-Acoms-Techniplus-/182013225651?hash=item2a60d56ab3%3Ag%3AYO4AAOSwFqJWs1qy&nma=true&si=3ckQNkwhftnJEyi3o0l0nz7C8AM%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557 ...the seller reckons it has only been "lightly" used. Ahem, check out photo number 5....and it "sold" for £387. Without a Technigold fitted either.

Call me cynical, but I think that a fair bit of shill bidding went on in that one. And I notice that no feedback was ever left for the seller. Hmmm.....

[Nitomor 2122]

Shill bidding is a pet hate of mine, was watching a hilux earlier, all of a sudden a bid placed at the beginning of the week is ahead of everyone else with zero feedback score next to it. So many people probably get suckered into paying over the odds, I don't believe that was the case with the BigWig but it happens all the time, probably suits ebay to turn a blind eye as they will make more commission!

[Percymon 2185]

Shill bidding is a pet hate of mine, was watching a hilux earlier, all of a sudden a bid placed at the beginning of the week is ahead of everyone else with zero feedback score next to it. So many people probably get suckered into paying over the odds, I don't believe that was the case with the BigWig but it happens all the time, probably suits ebay to turn a blind eye as they will make more commission!

The zero bidder was nowhere near the final sale price, other fought it out to finish 40% above. Could have been genuine bid, or just the seller protecting their sale price ?

[Wooders28 4874]

Ebay prices depends on who happens to see it.

I sold my good/excellent condition ultima for £90,then a week later a rough one with a bent chassis went for £130 (ish,if I remember right).

I bought a bigwig after wanting to own one as a kid,and tbh, (sorry to upset folk) I didn't think it was anything special,so sold it.