Juno's guide to collecting animatronics stuff (on a budget*)!
As you may have been able to tell, I like animatronics- and I collect things related to them! I've been a fan for about a year and a half, and have been collecting for just under the same amount of time. I've been able to build up a relatively impressive collection, and posting about it online often gets me asked questions like "how did you get that?" or "how do I get my own?" It's a question I'm eager to answer, but the character limits a lot of social medias have restrict me from giving a thorough answer! So I've decided it might be easier for everyone involved to dump all my knowledge into a webpage I can do whatever I want with- and then link back to it whenever someone asks lol. Which is what this is!
Disclaimer before we get started: I am definitely not an authority and I don't entirely consider myself an expert on this stuff! I've also been in a very lucky position during my past year of collecting- I had a job while still living with my parents, so I had a lot of disposable income to afford the most expensive parts of my collection.
Step 1: Have money
*While I try to get the best prices for everything I collect, inevitably some very big things are still going to be several thousand dollars at the least. While the amount of money a given person is able to spend varies, I'd like to think that anything I've bought is still possible for anyone to get, with enough time and dedication to saving up for it. That said, I'd still suggest someone who's new to collecting start with something smaller and more affordable!
Step 2: Find what you want
If you're new to collecting, I'd get on eBay and scroll through the current listings- just search "chuck e cheese" or whatever other broad term. Use this as a chance to window shop! I wouldn't recommend buying something right away (unless you already know exactly what you want), but I like to browse listings and take mental notes on what I'd like to own in the future. This also works as an opportunity to:
Step 3: Learn the market
The most important thing to learn if you're collecting on a budget (or for any collector, really) is to learn how to avoid overpaying for stuff! If you have a friend who knows about this stuff, they can probably give you an idea of how much a given thing should be worth, but I developed this on my own just from osmosis and from scanning listings often enough. Here's some commonly sought after items and how much I estimate they're worth:
- RAE Dolls (80s, not the Budsies plushes): ~$100 each. Be willing to compromise a little on the quality of these- accessories and clothing go missing easily. That said, I've been able to find most of my dolls with their clothing, and all have been less than $100 for me. If you're eyeing a listing that has everything on the doll for up to $150, I personally wouldn't pay it, but I think this is still a relatively reasonable price (though of course the cheaper the better).
- CEC Employee Pins: ~$25. The newer it is, the cheaper it should be- enamel pins shouldn't be any more than ~$15. Vintage pinback buttons from PTT are worth around $25. There are some particularly rare PTT pins that feature characters like the Beagles that go for much more- I don't think these are worth the hundreds I've seen them for, but I wouldn't be able to guess exactly how much I think they're worth. Use your best judgement!
- CEC Plushes: ~$25-$45. PTT ones tend to be in the $40 range, while Avenger ones are in the $20 range. Rockstar merch in general shouldn't go for much at all, given it's still being produced and sold in CECs. There are also a handful of rare plushes that will inevitably cost more, but these are sorta case by case.
- Tokens: Never more than a single digit price. Most modern CEC tokens aren't going to be worth more than like, $3, while PTT and Showbiz ones might go for ~$5 at the most (and I should stress, at the most.) I've also seen a Zapp's token or two floating around for like, $100- I don't know how much those are worth but they're definitely not worth that much. I don't know if I've ever seen BBWL tokens or tickets being resold, but I imagine they might start popping up since BBWL has discontinued their custom tokens- I imagine these would also probably cost ~$3.
- RAE Masks: Aaron sells these new and unpainted for $300, and he seems to be the only place to reliably get a decent new mask (unless you're able to get in touch with someone else in the fandom who makes masks). Used masks show up very rarely on eBay from what I've seen, but I got my Looney Bird mask for around $175 after shipping- this might have also been a mild overpayment lol.
Keep in mind, these are the average prices I've seen for these items- you can almost always get these items for cheaper than the prices I've listed here. And the resale market changes all the time! These items might get cheaper overall as time passes.
What about non-merch?
Non-merch being anything from a CEC/SPP that isn't intended to be sold- bots, wall art, carpeting, signage, etc. These don't go on sale nearly as often as regular merch, and prices vary a lot depending on the item and its rarity. Sometimes an item is rare because it's super valuable! Sometimes it's rare because no one wants it. This doesn't stop a lot of people from acting like all non-merch is worth a fortune (I'll never forget the time someone listed an empty cardboard box for marinara sauce packets for $50... and then someone actually bought it). With most non-merch, my best advice is to use your best judgement! How valuable something is can influence how much you want it, but it's also normal to want something that isn't sought after at all- I fished 6 panels of carpeting out of a CEC dumpster once just because I thought it was cool- I doubt many other people feel the same way lol.
Step 4: Broaden your horizons
I talk about eBay a lot because it's the selling site most people are familiar with, and as such is the place most people are probably going to look and/or list first. But it also might behoove you to check out sources other than the most obvious one- it can help you avoid scammers/overpriced listings, find things for much cheaper than usual, or avoid something getting snatched up before you get to it. I also like to use Mercari, but I've seen others use sites like OfferUp, Facebook Marketplace, and Craigslist to find listings. The more "local" of a source it is, the longer it'll probably take for new listings to show up- but you're also more likely to find people selling things for dirt cheap, because they're unaware of the fandom and don't know how much something they own could be worth. If this sounds worth it to you, I'd suggest trying it! I'd also like to stress the importance of other people in the fandom- if you're new to the fandom or to collecting, it's very likely you don't have any "connections" per se, which is fine! Some Discord servers (mine included) have forum channels dedicated to buying/selling/trading items. If you're super serious about collecting, it can help to know other collectors who often prefer to do private sales (which are often cheaper than what you'll find on sites like eBay). But I should stress, please do not try to befriend anyone in the fandom just because you want something out of them. I promise you, they will be able to tell. Instead, I encourage you to get involved in the fandom and make friends naturally! In time, it might lead you to making "cool" friends, too.
Step 5: Be diligant and vigilant
While you can just go on eBay right this second and purchase the first thing that catches your eye, you're probably going to end up paying more money than you needed to, or recieve something that's not quite of the quality you were hoping it to be. Be patient! This is the single most important thing to keep in mind when collecting. If you're on the fence about a listing, consider holding off for a better deal. If you're looking for something specific, check your sources often! You'll want to be the first person in line for the item you've got your eye on. With enough time and patience, you can get anything you're looking to buy, in good quality, for a good price. Of course, it's unlikely you'll find something vintage in perfect condition (and if you do, the seller has probably jacked up the price to match). Sacrifices will inevitably have to be made, but you'll almost always be able to find your ideal item in a quality you'll at least be satisfied with personally. Consider setting your expectations for your ideal item (ie: if you're looking for a RAE doll, does it matter if they have their clothes? Their accessories? Is it okay if Mitzi's hair is matted or missing? What are you willing to mend or replace yourself?) Nothing will be perfect, but with reasonable expectations, you'll always be able to come away with something you're satisfied with.
Obligatory section on bots and walkarounds:
Bots and walkarounds are some of the least frequent appearances on public sites. RAE bots come in very limited numbers, and CEC strongly discourages the selling of non-merch. These two are also the most likely to have scams attached to them- if you see someone listing a bot for super cheap, it's almost certainly a scam (I've never seen one of these listings not be a scam, even). Prices also vary a lot based on what type of bot it is, what the condition is, and what it comes with besides the mech. While I don't have solid estimates for these, here's some notes to keep in mind:
- Cyberamics are the cheapest bots, and probably best for a first-time bot owner. This is because they have the least amount of movements and require less air to run! So if something breaks or you need to restore the bot entirely, it'll probably cost you less to do on a cyber than any other bot.
- Similarly, consider the cost of restoration. A lot of bots, especially those from CEC, are pulled out of dumpsters from remodeling stores who have to destroy the bots, or have otherwise been sitting around to rot for a long period of time. My Helen bot came restored already, which contributed to her price. If you don't have a restored bot, you can either have your bot sent out to be restored by someone else (probably more expensive) or restore it yourself (less expensive, but requires learning a lot and you risk making mistakes).
- Some bots will come with everything you need to run it except a controller. Some bots will be restored mechanically, but are missing some or all of their cosmetics. Some bots will only be a bare mech with nothing else. The more a bot comes with, the more it's going to cost- but finding the rest of the parts you need might cost even more over time.
- Walkarounds also often are sold in parts- the head is sold separate from the gloves, which are sold separate from the shoes and the pants and so on. It'll probably cost you more in the long run to assemble your walkaround over time, but it'll probably also take longer to find a walkaround being sold with all its parts at once. Consider the balance between these things if you're interested in getting your own!
- Studio C bots I believe cost the most since they're the most advanced (at least the 32m's are, less sure about 16m's), and RAE bots tend to vary depending on the character, since some have more movements than others.
- For reference, my Avenger walkaround cost $3500, including shipping, and my Helen cost $5000 with free pickup. (I think the price I paid for Helen was pretty worth it given she came fully restored and with cosmetics, but I bet you could probably get the same bot for cheaper if you wanted.) My perception is that a RAE bot that's only the mech should ideally be around $6k, but RAE bots have been listed for a lot more than that recently (coughs at Aaron's $17,000 cosmeticless Beach Bear...) So we may have to collectively sit out on buying RAE bots until their prices go back to normal.
That's more or less it on my advice! TL;DR: Ideally have more than just eBay as a source, check your sources often, and while some things are bound to get expensive, never compromise on the price. Don't be afraid to send sellers offers and barther for a lower price, I personally tend to stay away from auctions, etc... past what I've already written, a lot of the work is just learning how to get "good" at eBay, lol. Be patient and diligent, and you'll have a solid collection before you know it!
If you still have questions, feel free to DM me at whatever place you had me link this to you from. (And if you found this page naturally, my social medias are on the homepage and my about page.) Just keep in mind, I probably won't answer if you just send "hi" without any elaboration, and I'm not going to answer stuff like "should I buy this" with links to listings- I can't answer that for you, you'll just have to use your best judgement! Other than that, I'm a pretty open book, so don't be afraid to ask if you want to know more about anything I've written here. Thanks for reading!
