Can you believe the price of HULKBUSTER right now? Anything between £15 up to £50. Though there really doesn't seem to be a ceiling.
There has been an incredibly fast market move to create 'Rares', and everyone's on the bandwagon. This reminds me of the Star Wars figure phenomenon, or any action figure line to be honest, but at Hyperspeed. Though for once this doesn't seem to have been an intentional market move for profit. Mainly due to this being the second hand market, and Disney will make no profit from it.
I suppose in assessment HULKBUSTER has become the evivalent of Star Wars 'Yak Face' for several reasons. 1. He was in one of the last waves and people were slowing down their purchases. Also these figures were produced in fewer quantities than say Woody, Lone Ranger etc. 2. He is very desirable and one of the largest figures - So more plastic for your buck. and 3. Despite being impressive, he was a bit of a 'double' to Iron Man. So maybe people held off?
There are others who are holding value such as JACK SKELLINGTON, JUDY HOPPS, NEMO and DORY. And the crystals seem to be creeping back into peoples wish lists too as we all run out of new figures to collect
Where on the other end of the scale you have figures worth as little as 20p, Jack Sparrow, Black Widow, Holley Shiftwell et al.
So who'll be the next 'Rare'? You never can predict. Jack Skellington was maybe predictable, as he's not a 'traditional' Disney character, and not very desirable unless you're an Emo Goth'. But at the same time he has been around since 1.0 and was made and distributed in the same quantity as all the others in the line. Probably the most surprising 'Rare' then. - Judy Hopps? Why not so much with Nick Wylde then, are the girls more collectable than the boys? And will light FX soar in value as completists regret not getting them originally in fear of 'doubling up?' I myself am actually thinking now of getting the 'non' light FX, as I did the opposite.
Who knows. If we COULD predict we'd ALL be squirrelling away specific characters from toy lines to try to profit from later. but it's never that easy.