Reality Television And The Antiques And Collectibles Trade Part III: The Impact Continues

February 10, 2015

In this article I will continue the discussion on the overall effect that reality television has had on the antiques and collectibles market. In my last article, titled "Reality Television and the Antiques and Collectibles Trade Part II: The Impact," I discussed two shows in particular and the immediate effect these shows had on the markets they represent. This article will look at two more shows and their effect on the trade and will be followed up with a fourth and final article concluding this series. We begin with a look at "Toy Hunter" and how it changed the way we view vintage toys.
When "Toy Hunter" premiered on the Travel Channel in August of 2012 it caught most enthusiasts off guard. Despite heavy promotional advertising that premiered weeks before the first episode, most toy enthusiasts were not expecting a reality-based television show devoted to such a niche, yet popular collectible. Even though a lot of Internet toy collecting forums had already leaked details that the show was in the works, few thought it would actually see the light of day.
In previous articles I have commented heavily on "Toy Hunter" but a quick summary of the show is still warranted. "Toy Hunter" followed veteran toy dealer Jordan Hembrough as he traveled the globe in search of rare and valuable toys from the past several decades. Most of his finds favored modern-era toys produced in the 1970s and ’80s with a strong emphasis on Star Wars and subsequent ’80s toy lines produced by Hasbro and Mattel. There was little focus on antique toys as most of Jordan's clients were Gen X'ers looking to recapture their youth. The show premiered to rave reviews, but continued to garner ongoing criticism for its thin plot lines and somewhat unrealistic requests that placed Jordan in interesting predicaments. The show was unfortunately canceled after the third season with various reasons being cited, but reruns still continue to enjoy air time both in the United States and in some international markets where it continues to be extremely popular.
Before "Toy Hunter" premiered few individuals outside the antiques and collectibles market considered vintage toys to be a valid alternate investment. Ironically, it was also in 2012 that George Lucas would announce the sale of the coveted Star Wars franchise to the Disney Corporation. This put Star Wars back into the spotlight as Disney announced the immediate work on the next Star Wars film scheduled to be released on Friday, Dec. 18, 2015. At that time the producers of "Toy Hunter" were already showing various vintage Star Wars toys and their increasingly high secondary market values. The Star Wars line was one of the first toy lines to experience massive price increases, both because of the announcement from Disney and the consistent showing of secondary market values on shows like "Toy Hunter." As a result, highly coveted action figures and related vintage toys steadily started to increase in value. The effect was immediate on Internet auction sites like eBay where obscure pieces like the limited vinyl cape Jawa action figure started to attract bidders outside of the overall toy collecting community for its so called “investment” potential. As "Toy Hunter" progressed other popular and obscure toy lines were shown in great detail, along with some of the original vintage television commercials that accompanied these toy lines. This served to only whet the appetites for collectors and nostalgia seekers even more. Vintage Generation One Transformers, Master of the Universe, G.I. Joe, and MASK toy lines became even more sought after, with a lot of graded and certified toys by AFA (Action Figure Authority) leading the way. Even newer toy lines from the late 1980s and early 1990s were affected, with Playmates original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures becoming highly sought after, along with the original line of Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers.
Even at the bottom end of the market reasonably priced loose and used vintage toys sold quickly at most flea markets and antique malls. Most of these finds were quickly resold on eBay to an even larger roster of growing collectors. Internet forums discussed the speculative craze in depth and financial news stations like CNBC did multiple reports on the possible investment element of vintage toys. Suddenly collecting toys was cool again. Media attention increased across the board with reports of various vintage toys being sold for five figures and higher. The market was no longer kept in the shadows and now noncollectors were watching the show along with enthusiasts.
Unfortunately, by the end of 2014 it was announced that "Toy Hunter" would not be returning. One of the reasons cited was that Jordan Hembrough's contract with the Travel Channel was up. This gave a lot of fans hope that the show would return in some other form. As of this time, nothing new has yet to be formally announced, but Jordan has hinted that he does have other projects in the works. Ironically, even without the excitement of another season, "Toy Hunter" can easily be watched online or through various other means. The show has continued to bring new fans into the hobby and this trend does not appear to be slowing down anytime soon. Prices of vintage Star Wars toys and related vintage toy lines have never been higher and most experts agree that they have yet to fully peak.
Aside from "Toy Hunter," no commentary on the effect of reality television would ever be complete without mentioning "Pawn Stars." The show premiered in 2010 on the History channel and quickly reignited the reality television genre devoted to the overall antiques and collectibles market. "Pawn Stars" is credited not only with changing how individuals think about the average pawn shop, but also about capitalism in general. Unlike "American Pickers," the show didn't face much criticism from viewers claiming that the show was taking advantage of consumers. This was most likely due to the inclusion of the owner's ability to "phone in an expert" to get a second opinion on the perceived value of the item in question. Ironically, this alone has changed the way individuals collectively think about pawn shops in general, with several isolated reports of unhappy patrons upset that their local pawn shop doesn't have an appraiser in historic artifacts on speed dial. While most consumers think of a pawn shop as a dark and gloomy place somewhere in the seedy part of town that sells jewelry, used electronics, and precious metals, "Pawn Stars" succeeded in attempting to change these misconceptions by showing lots of unique and historically important artifacts brought in by average patrons just looking to sell. "Pawn Stars" helped reignite the secondary market for antiques and collectibles by exposing the average viewer to doses of the trade in short intervals. This excited noncollectors almost as much as most regular enthusiasts.
Unfortunately, reality television's effect on the antiques and collectibles trade has not come without some controversy. In my next and final article on this topic I will discuss the issues and concerns this has had on longtime collectors and enthusiasts within the trade and will look at where the overall genre is headed. Until then, I wish you all well!

 

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