The MLP Arena
Pony Talk => Pony Corral => Topic started by: hathorcat on February 04, 2012, 08:54:23 AM
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Is it just me or are some of the "common" ponies showing up less and less for sale?....I mean this mainly with G1....
Only a few years ago when I was still on the look out for a lot of ponies, I could type into ebay "Seashell" and I would get at least half a dozen listings...now I only ever get 2 or 3...
I know there are some ponies which will always have lots for sale [poor old Peachy] but I just feel as though its not just hard to finds that are hard to find but more and more commons that seem to be a little more illusive
Is this just me?
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Could just be eBay sucks. People trying to sell elsewhere or selling in lots.
Have seen more ponies popping up on eCrater.
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I'm having this problem too! Some ponies I am looking for at the moment used to be ten a penny on ebay but now they come up once, maybe twice a month and always go for more than I expect (and am willing to pay) :( Shows how scarce G1's are getting as time goes on!
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I've noticed it somewhat too...
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Common ponies can't stay common forever. =( (which is why I hate to see G1s that could easily be salvaged be customized >.<) Also, it seems more and more people are beginning to collect. That could be part of it!
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I've often wondered if G1's will start becoming rarer. Most kids that had G1 ponies will be in their 20's/30's and over the last 10 years parents will had been cleaning out attics etc. when the kids left home or went to university and so I just figured that the there will come a time when the supply runs a little dry.
Many more people are collecting now too so I can see there being alot of demand for fewer ponies...
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Is G1 Applejack really worth $17 consistantly? I paid way less for Hopscotch, and she's not even from the US...
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They are getting harder to find. That sucks.
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That's no surprise, the day will come when all childhood ponies that were stored in the attic have been found and sold on ebay...
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Yep I would definitely agree, esp considering I put a nice Seashell on ebay the other day starting at 99p and she ended at over £17! I was very happy of course but quite surprised also.
In the past 5 yrs or so since I joined the pony community I have definitely found it increasingly difficult to come across G1 at charity shops and car boots/flea markets. I agree that the supply seems to be running lower than previously. It could def be to do with mroe ppl collecting also.
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On the note of even finding G1's out shopping, I found out at my local goodwill the other day that most all ponies they get go straight to goodwills ebay store, and aren't supposed to be put out in the toy aisle... Which means even getting good deals, no matter what the pony, is getting harder. And with all the child safety laws out there now, it scares me to think how many G1's thrift shops might just be throwing out. D:
The more years that pass, the less ponies there will be, I suppose. Especially when we have issues like cancer and regrind. ):
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Is G1 Applejack really worth $17 consistantly? I paid way less for Hopscotch, and she's not even from the US...
After I replied to this thread I realised I've not seen an G1 Applejack for ages!
Out of interest what other ponies are people noticing that are dwindling in numbers?
I know you don't see Honeycomb around alot...
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Bubbles!!!! I have been looking for a minty Bubbles for about 4 months now and I am yet to come across one at a good price and in good condition! I really dont ever remember her being so illusive to track down!
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I concur about Bubbles! I've been hunting for a nice one too.
But yeah, I think G1 ponies are definitely becoming rarer to find as time goes on. Not only because the secondhand supply is drying up, but also because there are more collectors hanging onto them.
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Yes the pony pond is drying up a little...
And yes there are more collectors these days with FiM, but a lot of new "collectors" are only in it for the time being when another gets their fancy....and then they going to sell their collections and that meens more ponies for the die hard collectors!!
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Bubbles!!!! I have been looking for a minty Bubbles for about 4 months now and I am yet to come across one at a good price and in good condition! I really dont ever remember her being so illusive to track down!
yes, definitely bubbles! i've been looking for one since october of 2010. luckily i just got a very nice looking one for $4 :)
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I hardly ever see a nice Minty either...
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And sometimes a nice Butterscotch as well can be a toughy to find...
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On the note of even finding G1's out shopping, I found out at my local goodwill the other day that most all ponies they get go straight to goodwills ebay store, and aren't supposed to be put out in the toy aisle... Which means even getting good deals, no matter what the pony, is getting harder. And with all the child safety laws out there now, it scares me to think how many G1's thrift shops might just be throwing out. D:
The more years that pass, the less ponies there will be, I suppose. Especially when we have issues like cancer and regrind. ):
In my state Good Will can not sell toys, anything they get is supposed to shipped out of state or overseas.
It happens with any item, right now there is an influx of new collectors who are going to make a market tighter. Plus when the economy is bad and with ebay's fees getting higher less dealers are likely to list things that cost them more to sell.
At some point there shall be less, but then older collectors will lose interest or need to sell and there will be periods of influx.
The same will happen with G2's and G3's as time goes on. They are no longer in production and sooner or later they too shall be hard to find. Hard as that is to believe right now.
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I've definitely found it with G2s. I sold a few lots a couple years back with a dozen or so ponies in and they were lucky toi sell at 99p. Should have hung on to them - especially as I collect them now too! *kicks self*.
I remember going to bootsales fifteen years ago and there were gluts of G1s all over the place. *kicks self again!*
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I agree too
You see far less G1's at bootsales and charity shops now, and there's some ponies I always thought quite common that you hardly see.
Have you all noticed too that only about a quarter of the listings on Ebay are actually auctions now? Most of them are (in my opinion) madly overpriced BIN listings.
I need 3 twins to finish my sets, and have been scouring ebay for over a year, and posted here but cannot get them. I refuse to pay $30-$40 peer twin on BIN listings. (If anyone wants to sell or trade Big Top, Peeks or Milkweed please let me know!)
S xx
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Well, for me, a lot of supposedly common ponies I've never found, like most of the CP ponies (thankfully I have some childhood ones), Seashell, most of the early unicorns, the rainbow ponies...the only truly common ones for me have always been Peachy, Cotton Candy, Heartthob, and a few others.
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With the advent of Friendhip is Magic, people are discovering the "origins" if you will of My Little pony. So more people are starting up their G1 collections more than likely, starting with those good 'ol common ponies. Are we honestly surprised? I can't say I am...The discovery of one good thing leads to another. I found Pullips thanks to the Dollhouse on the Arena, and I would have never found those without being a pony collector first :3 So yeah, I'm really not surprised ^^;
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New collectors also = increasing interest in older gens.
With Ebay so so popular and people seeing gold in everything "old," antique stores and Goodwills, etc are harder to find ponies at. It makes the hunt that more thrilling though.
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I do think it's becoming harder to find g1s; I haven't found a g1 in months at the thrift store compared to other years where I'd usually find at least one/month. Part of it has to be that there's just more collectors around due to FiM and I think there are more sellers going straight to ebay. And because of age, I suspect that there are just less going around, unfortunately.
Is G1 Applejack really worth $17 consistantly? I paid way less for Hopscotch, and she's not even from the US...
I suspect Applejack in particular is seeing a spike in popularity because of the character in FiM. :)
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Applejack is DEFINITELY getting harder to find because of FiM.
I'm going to assume the same might be for Twilight, Surprise, Posey, Firefly, and Sparkler.
Infact, I only found out about Surprise when I realized what ponies the FiM girls were based on/originally going to be. Before that I just liked a handful of G1's that I'd stumbled across...
Then surprise won my heart, and FiM is to blame. xD
So I think all six of these little ponies are more sought after right now. :)
And ohhhh man, I hear you all on Bubbles. I'm just glad I managed to snag her for a good price. A good price that was stiiiilll more than I usually like to pay for ponies.
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I definitely agree with G1 becoming a bit more difficult to find. However, in the case of Ebay, I think there is just less people selling there now. I've had better transactions here on the Arena with much less headache. Ebay eats me up with fees, so instead of complaining, I just don't like to sell there anymore unless I have a hard time getting stuff to move here. I finally got my hands on a Dream Beauty from ebay that'd I'd been seeking for AGES from ebay. But I think that was pure luck. I haven't actually seen ponies at thrift stores in quite some time though.
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Oh man and I don't even have a G1 yet. :(
I better get on the ball...
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I honestly think it could be because people that had G1 ponies during their childhood are getting into adulthood now. Their old ponies could be forgotten in their parents' attics for years, or even thrown away because of their age and condition (likely dirty).
Obviously a lot of ponies are still donated and sold, but I think as time goes on things like these get scattered and kind of phase out. You just don't find many old toys in thrift shops anymore, even generic.
Just my thinking. :huh:
-Em
P.S.
Common ponies can't stay common forever. =( (which is why I hate to see G1s that could easily be salvaged be customized >.<) Also, it seems more and more people are beginning to collect. That could be part of it!
I completely agree. While I love customs, the "baits" sometimes used are clearly not so... >_<
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Also back in the day, Bubbles was still a little bit higher than most G1 early ponies.
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I'm back into G1s after four years of not collecting and can't seem to win an auction, they're all going for so much. The rare-ish ponies I'm after seem to have doubled in price. I'm looking to replace a regrind-afflicted Night Glider and have seen auctions up to $42 for her. That's even more than I paid for a faded-hair Tornado in 2007. O.o
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I've seen that with Masquerade. :(
Dying to get my hands on her again since I believe I had her when I was a child. Saw her listed last night for $11.99, figured I'd buy her in the morning. Nope, she sold hours after being listed. She's listed really infrequently, so I'm mad at myself for not jumping at the chance. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that a nice one is listed again.
Also Applejack, auggghh. It's definitely FiM making her G1 counterpart so popular, but every Nirvana Applejack I see is gone as quickly as it appeared.
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With the advent of Friendhip is Magic, people are discovering the "origins" if you will of My Little pony. So more people are starting up their G1 collections more than likely, starting with those good 'ol common ponies. Are we honestly surprised? I can't say I am...The discovery of one good thing leads to another. I found Pullips thanks to the Dollhouse on the Arena, and I would have never found those without being a pony collector first :3 So yeah, I'm really not surprised ^^;
I was thinking this same thing. Alot of first starting collectors are most likely going to start with the earliest ponies. I started seriously collecting about 9 years ago when the G1 season 1 TV series came out on box set. I got it and watched it and wanted to find my old ponies but that wasn't enough. So I got on ebay to find more and I first started collecting the ponies from the show. Which used to be real common. And I too have noticed their numbers seem to be dwindling.
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Okay, my pony luck is much better then I thought, I met a lady who sells G3's and her daughter us getting rid of her G1's. She wants $10 for the adults and $5 for the babies, but I got some ponies that are near mint. Applejack and Flat foot Butterscotch are two of them. I am very greatful for my pony luck. :)
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Umm, YES. I've been saying this for years. I started collecting around 1999. At that time my sister and I could go to flea markets and come home with bags and bags of ponies. Many of these are now considered very rare. We found 2 mimics, tons of BB's, pearly babies, etc. Much of the now HTF part of my collection was found this way and we weren't spending a lot on them.
On the bright side, I figure if I outlive all the other collectors I'll get ALL the ponies eventually. I am a VERY patient person . . .
:)
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I see the same thing happening. Ebay has also changed so I blame it as well. But I do feel like there are less people selling vintage ponies on ebay. There used to be people out there that would buy huge lots or just buy everything from tag sales and sell them piece meal online (sometimes with ugly curls :PI think that is why there isnt as many individual ponies sold.
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Wow, being an older hard core G1 collector, I litterally have a couple 1000 of them so I have 5-6 of many of the more common ponies like AJ and a few nice Bubbles etc... Some even in my bait bin. After reading this thread it really makes me want to go through the few hundred bait ponies and pluck out the nicer ones that I never really got around to customizing. I even pulled out a Masquerade the other day while I was making some G4 versions of her and seriously couldn't remember why I put her in my bait bin:/ She just had a couple super faint blue stains on her but was otherwise too pretty customize.
I've just always had so many from buying huge lots to get my rarer ponies/upgrades, that I never really stopped to think of some of these ponies as uncommon because they aren't to me. But it has been increasingly hard to find minty ponies, especially any that have glitter symbols.
I certainly agree FIM is to blame for the huge spike in people interested in G1s, but it also renued my love for ponies as well. I can leave the community for a year at a time, but I always seem to find my way back:)
As for selling on ebay, it's such a crap shoot these days or has been the last few years that I am still weary of putting my ponies up. But having seen the horrible quality ponies that people seem to think are worth $100 for, my nicely taken care of ones might actually do well, but I'm saving them for the pony fair this year.
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I have been in the pony collecting game since the 90's and it has been interesting to see the eb and flow. When I started, not many people were selling on online sites so ponies cost a pretty penny. Then the ebay craze took over and you could get more common G1s for much much less. Plus you could find them easily at garage sales and thrift stores. Enter the G3s and then ponies took off with a vengence, price spikes everywhere. People saw this happening and started listing ponies so there was an over abundance so prices dropped once again. Then ebay started restructuring fees and so forth. Less people listed ponies and tah dah..a price hike. The boycott didn't last long and soon people began selling and prices dropped. Then enter G4s---oh my goodness! That has been a shocker as I watch homemade plushies go for amazingly high prices. However, due to the economy over the past few years people didn't have as much money to spend so I really do believe people are hanging on to their ponies. I think they are out there to own but right now---it is just a dip and people scared to list. Watch what happens...because common ponies are now going for so much more people will slowly start listing them again. It will drive the market back to a reasonable price. It is like when someone lists a mimic and it goes for an ungodly amount then suddenly the next week there are 8 listed. People just want what the pony is "worth". I have a bunch of lots up on ebay right now of more common G1s and they seem to be doing well. One lot has apple jack, bowtie, bubbles, seashell and so forth. I am selling off my entire collection and am almost done but I do wait for the drops in ponies on ebay before I list. Trust me...they will resurface. I have seen this happen for years...
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Wow! I haven't looked up ponies on Ebay in a long time. I'm fairly content with my G1 collection. There's a few more I'd like to get, but I'm in no real hurry to find them.
I did get a HUGE shock this week when I was at Goodwill. I found a bag that was a mix of G3 and G1 accessories! There was even a NBT sandbox in the bag! That one was well worth the $5.99 price tag. But there was another bag of fakies and G3/G3.5 McDonald's ponies. That one was not worth the $5.99 price tag. BUT one of the McDonald's ponies was wearing a G1 Baby necklace. I knew it wasn't logical to pay $6 just for that necklace.... But I couldn't make myself put it back. So in the cart it went.
sailorstitch
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Either people are selling them more in lots or keeping their ponies more often.
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I've noticed the same thing. I've nearly stopped checking out eBay altogether. Maybe two years ago, I'd go through the listings on British eBay and find about a dozen auctions I was interested in. These days, I'm lucky to find one or two. There are fewer auctions for G1s, and those which are there go way too high for my liking. Well, it's better for my bank account that way.
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Could be. There are, of course, a finite number of these toys, and it really all depends on how many new collectors there are as opposed to those letting go of what they have. And, of course, those being customized... which I approve of only as a last resort for the baitiest of baity ponies.
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Wow, I never really thought of this. I also have armies. Trying to get accessories/HTF ponies in lots I ended up with so many doubles. I'll clean them up, let them dry and if they're in good (close to NM shape) pack them with the rest. I really have no idea which applejack, or bubbles will be on display until I crack open boxes and and take a close look.
I think it has a lot to do with ebay. People know ponies are worth something, so they arn't getting rid of collections to dealers on a scale like before, or want to much $$ that it's simply not worth anyone buying to resell on ebay. Plus, since ebay revamped I noticed a big shift away from vintage toy sellers. With the fees as they are, a lot of inexpensive items just arn't worth the time and fees listing. They were still mass produced and I don't think anyone should worry about finding some of these ponies. Maybe it means you have to be a bit patient, but applejacks and bowties will always come up NM, and there will be those auctions others miss.
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Oh man, now I feel bad for being an Applejack-crazy newbie making the commons harder to get for all you established folk!
I definitely think part of it is likely to be that the new show has generated a lot of new interest in G1s. Lots of newly ignited nostalgia and rekindled interest in childhood toys (every time I get a new box of ponies there's always one that makes me go "Oh my GAWD, I remember this one!"). I imagine there are a lot of people out there like me who are new collectors that discovered or rediscovered ponies with FiM and of course, we start off with easily affordable common ponies we can buy in batches. I know I've acquired... hmmm, must be close to 100 ponies in a few months and most of them have been pretty common ones (and I grab an Applejack every time I get the chance to get her with a lot).
With many people like me doing the same it makes sense for certain "commons" to be less common for a while. I know I've been chasing a nice Bowtie for a while now but she (and, I've noticed, Gusty, though she seems to be a perennial favourite) always disappear before I even get a chance to send a PM or click "Buy it Now!". She always seems to be up there with Peachy in people's lists of top most common ponies, but I wouldn't have known it otherwise with all the trouble I've had getting a nice one. It will probably return somewhat to "normal" after a while once the hype over the new show dies down a bit and some of the new collectors lose interest and sell what they've acquired and others that stick around have already got their commons and only grab them for upgrades or armies.
But - like others have said - barring occasional amazing MIB treasure troves found in attics or untouched cases laying dormant in toy shop warehouses, there is a set number of G1s out there and there will be a certain level of attrition year to year, so they will ALL be becoming less common as time goes by. I've watched it happening for years in the collecting community of my other great love, Transformers. Toys that were common as dirt, even in good condition, just 8 or so years ago are now so difficult to find and even harder at a reasonable price.
This is why, personally, I think it's so important that as many ponies (and other vintage toys) as possible end up in the hands of collectors who will cherish and take care of them. Not just for yourselves but for... The Future™
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I dont think anyone should feel bad about being willing to pay for what they want and no one should ever feel bad about armies!!!!! Both of these are the joy of collecting....especially getting that illusive pony even if you have to pay a bit more.
I was just wondering if people thought demand might have tipped higher than supply for some ponies which used to have the reverse issue.
Shlugh you are so right! The weight of BINs to auctions [and crazy priced BINs at that] is definitely much much higher than it used to be!
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I've noticed that previous "HTF" and rarer ponies are showing up more frequently, though. I've seen plenty of Mimics, Red Roses, and 2nd year TAFs, to list a few, on eBay in the past couple years as well. But sometimes it has taken a month for me to see a Cherries Jubilee on eBay that I want, so I can see how people would rather sell more expensive things to keep up with eBay fees and such than the less expensive, "more of a hassle" items like a common SS North Star.
That's why I mainly buy from MLPArena because there are a lot more deals for ponies here- there seem to always be sellers who are selling what you are looking for, so the supply doesn't run out, the quality and prices for ponies are much better (and more realistic), and we are supporting our fellow collectors! ^_^
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I do agree that it's seems rare to come across a G1 in the thrift store. As for someone like me, at first my goal was to get all the G1 US ponies, but then as I started building up my herds, I decided I wasn't as keen on the later G1s, so I set out to finish certain groups.
I've taken some time off collecting, but now there are some that I still want to get - and yes it's getting hard to find decent prices for good condition ponies. Makes me wish I had bought some of the babies I needed back when you could pay $5 for a NM one, now I'm lucky to see anything under $10 for a "good" condition. *sigh*
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I remember hearing stories about how Perfume Puffs used to be loathed by the community. Can you imagine?!
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I guess because I commented about not really finding "common" ponies ever, I just found a Firefly, Blossom, Sprinkles, Moondancer, and Skyflier at the thrift store today....all ones I already have one of.
But that reminded me, if nothing else, I do still find Moondancer everywhere and have a small unintentional army of her that I can't seem to sell off...
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But that reminded me, if nothing else, I do still find Moondancer everywhere and have a small unintentional army of her that I can't seem to sell off...
You could always start giving them away to nice kids you know as gifts ;)
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I remember hearing stories about how Perfume Puffs used to be loathed by the community. Can you imagine?!
*Faint* Surely....not!!!
[it only took me 4 years to learn to like them]
Lol...Tuney - once you meet one in personal they are pretty adorable so like many I was easily converted.
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I adore them! I just find it odd hearing that many used to hate them, and some still do! I own 14 plus 3 customs! Now the prices for RR are so high!
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Yeah, I think they probably are. As the ponies get older and collectors buy them up, there will be fewer and fewer available.