Collectibles markets can be very tricky. One interesting example is diecast toy cars. Now, I collected Matchbox cars when I was a kid, and built a massive and comprehensive collection. Matchbox cars were produced in England starting in 1953. Other companies made more expensive toys (Corgi, Dinky), or less expensive toys (Tootsietoy), but Matchbox owned the middle ground of the toy car market.
But in 1968, Mattel Hot Wheels came on the scene. Very quickly Hot Wheels dominated the market with their faster wheels and shiny metallic colors. Matchbox responded with Superfast cars, but they never recovered their glory days in the market. Even today, stores tend to stock more Hot Wheels than Matchbox.
Being very brand loyal, I hated Hot Wheels. I didn't like the new Superfast models and I thought the newer designs were getting increasingly silly. And while I eventually sold my Matchbox collection for a down payment on a house, I remained antagonistic to this American upstart.
Today, one can still buy new Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars for $0.99 at most retail outlets. But the collector markets for the two are radically different. Pre-Superfast Matchbox cars continue to hold or increase their value. Mint in box examples can get $10 to $50, and much more for rarer models. Even the early Superfast models can get much more than their original price.
The market for Hot Wheels, however, while much larger is also much fussier. With a few exceptions, the only Hot Wheels that generate high prices from collectors are the "red line" cars. These are easily identified by the red circle on the tires. Red lines were only made into the mid-1970's. Hot Wheels without a red line generate very little interest at estate sales. We typically give them and Beanie Babies away to kids visiting our sales.
So, in a way, my loyalty to Matchbox cars has been vindicated. I actually just started buying Matchbox cars again. At $0.99, I just can't pass up that connection to my childhood.