Palisades figures - why are some more valuable than others?

[Hartley]

Hello all, sorry if this has already been done to death on here but can anyone explain to me why some of the regular (non-variant, non-exclusive) figures are so valuable while others can be found for peanuts?

It doesn't seem to be related to the quality of the figures, as although Zoot (one of the most expensive) is a stunning model, I think it's widely accepted that Uncle Deadly is too, and you can buy him for $5 on Amazon.com (unfortunately for me, shipping to the UK makes it not worthwhile). OK, Uncle Deadly is a fairly obscure character, but then so is Lips, and he's another high-value figure!

Is it because they made fewer of some of the characters? It seems strange if that's the case, as Waldorf and Statler seem to be quite valuable, and you'd think Palisades would have made plenty of them knowing they'd be almost as popular as Kermit or Piggy, both of which are easy to find for next to nothing.

Can anyone explain?

 

[Greenlantern999]

I wish I knew! I have purchased the Jim Henson figure and the Super Grover figure for less then I can touch a regular Zoot for. On top of that the prices are all over, I saw a Zoot go for (and missed it) $40 bucks MOC but "buy it now"s are well over $200! All I want is a loose one but no one has one they want to part with. Drives me bananas! Although this most of the big ticket figures I just had to wait it out I hope it's the same for Zoot.

 

[Luke]

They made much less of some series, and some exclusives. Plus some were available at mass retail and some weren't so were harder to find.

 

[frogboy4]

Timing, quantity, marketing and character faves all played a role in the success of the figures. Some of the best sculpts like Beauregard, Uncle Deadly, Sweetums, Mega Gonzo, Clifford, Johnny Fiama, were slow sellers and still are. I think having a Kermit available regularly carded with every series would have juiced the sales of some of the hangers-on. Fans got tired of multiple Kermits, but more average collectors will buy another Muppet character is there's a Kermit beside it in the same series.

 

[crazy chris]

at two different times in my life i was avid buyer and seller of the palisades muppet figures... first back in their hayday...when they were first starting out...and then again recently...

one thing i will say is... dont read to much into those "buy it now" prices you see floating around ebay... i watch those guys relist OVER and OVER...and never move... its usually just specialty toy stores who put the item on ebay...biding their time til someone comes in their shop who isnt savvy and will pay that...

i was able to get my hands on several LIPS figures for 15 each...lol...i about passed out... and then sold them easily for between 80-100 each on ebay...

amazon prices are the high mark for just about everything.... they have the backstage playset at a solid 500 dollars... when in reality...a decent ebay auction will usually get you one for about 300... the auctions are rare though...u have to keep an eye out!

but back to your question....as mentioned above... palisades seemed to always have one figure per series that had smaller releases... not sure how this helped them as a company... apparently it didnt...since they went out of business...but it sure worked wonders for the collectors and dealers...

and lips was released in the final series before the demise of the company...and was virtually non existent as a retail release...

cc

 

[momble]

I didnt know that about the lips figure but you're right about the timing. I just happened to pop into a local sci-fi toy shop as I was passing to find all 3 versions of him just sitting on the shelf for £13 each (was a while back tho)

 

[rexcrk]

I was fortunate in that I jumped into the Palisades line before it became too obscure... around the time series 4 was released (it was the Samuel Arrow figure that pushed me over the edge into collecting the line, he's a gorgeous toy!).

I was able to get most of the series 1-3 figures for good prices, except Zoot, I paid almost $100 for him MOC but it was worth it to complete the collection. And I also got most the exclusives for good deals. So now I have a complete set minus some of the repaints and some of the exclusives.

 

[beakerfan76]

The one thing I can think of is either character recognition or rarity.

For character recognition, some of the more well known characters flew off the shelves before lesser known guys did. Then again, Zoot didn't exactly hog the spotlight, and he is the most sought after of all the Palisades figures, but then again, Beaker and Swedish Chef, two very popular guys, have their playsets reach high prices.

As for rarity, this is where Zoot fits in. I heard the series he was in was the least produced for the line, hence why others like Scooter are pricey as well.