Great finds in unexpected places !

ja33 · **Posted:** Sun Aug 03, 2014 12:15 am

So....My wife insisted on a trip today to a shopping mall about 90 minutes away, so that we could look at furniture - yawn....I reluctantly agreed to go....and I then immediately checked my phone for gaming stores in the area, in the hopes of perhaps finding some long lost hidden models....I've probably hit over a two dozen stores all over the US in the last few months, looking for old Metal LOTR blisters, and haven't had too much luck at all.

Well, it must've been my lucky day, as I did find a store...and what to my wondering eyes did appear - Erkenbrand, ft & mtd...AND Eorl the Young, ft & mtd...Both Metal ! Both NIB ! And both of them just sitting there quietly, looking lonely on a random hook in a random store, exactly as they probably have been sitting there for the last 10 years !

Two of my most sought after models - each of them selling for crazy prices on ebay these days - and now both are mine, having been added to my ever-growing collection for their original sticker price ! Today was a very good day !!

Perhaps some of you out there have similar stories to share ?

First Ager Smith · **Posted:** Sun Aug 03, 2014 8:06 am

So did you let your wife get a new couch? lol

J.R. · **Posted:** Sun Aug 03, 2014 9:52 am

I have similar stories, I bought an old box form a store owner who was not willing to sort everything lotr out, since no one bought it. So I bought al metal blisters with 80% discount..
It gives me back childish 'present opening/unwrapping' feelings, walking into a game store and cheking it out, only to find some wonderfull collection of blisters hidden somewhere behind new games...

Nice to read it, and I indeed wonder, was your wife also succesfull ?

Iluminatos13 · **Posted:** Sun Aug 03, 2014 5:08 pm

Ι recently visited my local shop. I never really looked if it had any lotr since I am new, but it was a revelation. I picked up
1 box of 20 F uruks.
1 box of 24 mGoblins.
1 Mines of Moria starter set.
1 set of metal Goblin captains x2.
All for 30 euros since I traded my mtg cards, if these were bought from GW it would have costed me... a lot

It also has some metals and I don't know which to pick...
-Named Nazguls foot and mounted.
-Buhrdur (metal)
-Legolas foot and mounted.
-Shagrat And Gorbat (don't remember if that's what they are called)
-Rivendel Gandalf.
-Some metal easterling commanders.
And some more boxes of x24... I thinks its rohan warriors... All in all excellent finds

imrail · **Joined:** Tue Aug 18, 2009 7:24 pm **Posts:** 666

Yesterday I had a great deal that was unexpected.
There was a store at Castlefest (a big Dutch festival) and they sold the Hobbit box set for €40,-.

Sacrilege83 · **Posted:** Mon Aug 04, 2014 8:13 am

... and so after that very special day ja33 never questioned his wife again on going outside looking for drapes.

I found a 50% off fire sale on Gamesworkshop products long ago in a Multimags, wide range. Almost bought the whole shelf.

ja33 · **Posted:** Mon Aug 04, 2014 2:41 pm

Just so everyone can rest easy - we did find a new Sectional Couch, but we're waiting 2 more weeks until the tax free weekend to buy it

If was difficult to preach fiscal responsibility to the wife when I had just dropped $50 on a couple of OOP Miniatures !

Sacrilege83 · **Posted:** Mon Aug 04, 2014 4:00 pm

Hope you told her it was an investment.

Arborious · **Joined:** Mon Mar 05, 2012 2:30 am **Posts:** 1

Great find sir. Being a fellow Boston dweller I too have scoured most of the stores in and around the city for deals and models I am interested in collecting. Grabbing that occassional forgotten 24 pack for the old price was my last buy. Were there any other items left and would you be willing to share which store it was?

Gene Parmesan · **Posted:** Wed Sep 10, 2014 8:00 pm

When I got back into the hobby around 2 years ago the local independent store found a few blisters behind some shelves. Sold me Haldir, Celeborn and 3 High Elves for €10. I sometimes get lucky on a local small ads website.

commanderkaiser · **Posted:** Sat Oct 18, 2014 9:21 pm

Bit of a nerco I know.

But my best find was a Mines of Moria complete starter box set. It came into a charity shop I Volunteer at. Noticed it in the back room out of the corner of my eye, all I could see was the blue of the box and I thought I know that blue.

The box was a bit bashed and it was opened but everything was there plus more. There was a tin of the moria dice plus the khazard dum book and an extra box of goblins on top of all the stuff that is supposed to be in there.

I don't think it had really been used either, looked like someone clipped everything out and that's it nothing was glued at all just slotted together.

Gandlaf the Grey · **Posted:** Tue Oct 21, 2014 6:54 pm

commanderkaiser wrote:

Bit of a nerco I know.

But my best find was a Mines of Moria complete starter box set. It came into a charity shop I Volunteer at. Noticed it in the back room out of the corner of my eye, all I could see was the blue of the box and I thought I know that blue.

The box was a bit bashed and it was opened but everything was there plus more. There was a tin of the moria dice plus the khazard dum book and an extra box of goblins on top of all the stuff that is supposed to be in there.

I don't think it had really been used either, looked like someone clipped everything out and that's it nothing was glued at all just slotted together.

I hope you paid a fair price.

Armandhammer · **Posted:** Wed Oct 22, 2014 8:10 pm

ja33 wrote:

I then immediately checked my phone for gaming stores in the area, in the hopes of perhaps finding some long lost hidden models....I've probably hit over a two dozen stores all over the US in the last few months, looking for old Metal LOTR blisters, and haven't had too much luck at all.

Yes, it's a wonderful feeling running into old metal blisters!

My best experience was I found at least 3 Scouring of the Shire box sets along with a Golfimbul blister in the corner of a hobby store.

It was disgusting picking them up because they were covered in dust, but man, was it worth it. :lol:

LordoftheBrownRing · **Posted:** Fri Oct 31, 2014 2:51 am

Not the same story but over the past year Ive known a local guy whos going to other games these days.

Hes sold me easily thousands of dollars worth of things retail value for hundreds. No exact number but Id say for every dollar I spent, it'd be worth about $2.50-$4.00 retail and thats not counting stuff thats oop that would go for even more on ebay.....I just stacked up on Corsair Arbalesters, Black Numenoreans, and Half trolls along with several metal ringwraiths Shadowlord Dark Marshall the Betrayer, a complete hobbit army with all the heros and around 70 hobbits.....um......and literally a giant box of Dwarves with Khazads and Irons numbering in the mid twenties all metal. About 8 vault warden teams, and 4 ballistas, all the heros, and a bunch of command pieces, etc.

Before I got a huge Harad gondor and fiefdoms set off him all metals.

Store wise though around here, theres jack. Most old hobby stores were run out of business or never sold GW stuff because of their business practices.

Constantine · **Posted:** Sat Nov 01, 2014 4:16 pm

Which store in Boston was that? I have phoned a couple near Boston and neither had any blisters left.

aelfwine · **Joined:** Sat Aug 22, 2009 12:23 am **Posts:** 508

Never really stumbled on such finds, though I know they are out there. I don't go into many game shops, and the more successful ones in Canada are pretty ruthless non-moving stock. Alas.

However, I will say that I managed to get and stay in this hobby on very little money by virtue of lots of people's parents (or uncles) selling badly painted miniatures on ebay after someone got bored. For many years, I had this big jar in the bathroom constantly filled with figures, all in their vile chemical bath, layers of rubbish paint sloughing off, bit by bit.

I miss those days. The old impulse: GW is too expensive, I'll check ebay no longer applies.

Sacrilege83 · **Posted:** Thu Jul 02, 2015 3:40 am

Warhammer related. Very happy I bought a Dwarf army for $350 which what should retail for $1500 including tax. Mostly unused, and metal! 251 dwarfs! Kijiji and facebook groups are best!

Eoher · **Posted:** Thu Jul 02, 2015 8:01 pm

I stopped by a local Hobby Town USA when I was out here (MT, I lived in NE at the time) looking for apartment just over a year ago. Found a bunch of stuff at cost. I called my buddy to see if he wanted anything. Picked up a mordor troll, box of orcs, a balrog, maybe a few other things for us. I thought it was the best thing ever.

I ended up moving right next to this store so I walked over to pick up some paints. The owner remembered me and ended up GIVING me another mordor troll, hunter orcs on fell wargs, the trolls, a box of WoMT, and the War of the Ring rulebook.

Apparantly his GW rep told him to return everything but the Hobbit starter box. Since it was already written off as a lose to him he gave it to me! Needless to say I keep buying supplies from the guy to show my support.

Great finds in unexpected places !

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