What pieces have you found the most difficult to acquire? Or at least find a decent price?

Not how hard was it to get a Sky Patrol Sky Raven, but how hard is it to get the air brake for said Sky Raven?

This is not about how hard it is to find new stuff in the store because of scalpers and horders, or restocking issues, or how Hasbro doesn't know how to distribute their products or any of that. This is about the older pieces in your collection (or newly acquired incomplete vintage items) that you're trying to complete.

Lift Ticket and Heavy Metal's mic, Hard Top and Keel Haul's pistol and Sky Mate's boomerang are among the hardest pieces in the history of the line to come by, but what has been the hardest for you?

I've got three vintage FANGs, all of which are missing the red thing that goes around the engine, I've found all of one on eBay...for $15.00

I'd been trying to find the black accessories for Lady Jaye v2, but found it cheaper to buy a second figure than to buy the pieces separately.

The cover for the gun on the vintage CLAW

The rubber piece that holds the SNAKE armor together

Took me forever to find Serpentor's cape

The springs that the retract the rear landing gear doors on a SkyStriker

_________________

Storm Shadow v.1 nunchucks(sp.) and bow (not broken that is).

_________________

The mf-ing missile box for my Night Ray. It falls into this weird catagory where it's not hard to find a Night Ray body with it already attached, but it is VERY hard to find on its own. And my Night Ray didn't come with it. I spent over a year begging on every Joe message board and scouring ebay until finally, FINALLY I found one on the corner of a giant parts lot on ebay. Unfortunately, the lot was huge and had lots of rare parts, so I knew it was going to go for giant money, so I messaged the seller and made a cash offer ($15, plus shipping), and he accepted. Still the longest and hardest I've worked for a part.

_________________

i'm still wishing i can my hands on a Hardtop figure.

Here's a list we came up with a few years ago based on a similar topic.

Accessories - http://wiki.joecustoms.com/wiki/Hard_to ... ccessories

Vehicle parts - http://wiki.joecustoms.com/wiki/Hard_to ... icle_Parts

_________________

I had a hell of a time finding mauler pieces to complete a second one.

As well as the exhaust for a hurricane.

_________________

It took me a while to find the engine cover for the tow vehicle that came with the Flagg. For figures, I tried outfitting all my Tunnel Rat's with his orginal gear and the flashlights are always the hardest thing to track down. I just bought a lot of complete ones and sold off the stuff I didn't need. Also, my NF Repeater has been without a backpack forever now. I held off on buying one a long time ago and prices for NF stuff keeps on increasing every year. I'm glad I bought all my NF Repeater torsos and NF Psyche-Out legs for LBC's way back when, since it's kind of cost prohibitive to do it these days.

For more recent stuff, I've been trying to horde as many rifles that came with VvV Shipwreck v.9, but they never show up in bulk lots from Chinese sellers on eBay. It's perfect for vintage and modern-era figs.

_________________

Snake Eyes skull necklace, can't find any for a decent price

_________________

I'm surprised by how many hard to find parts I do have. Mostly on stuff I got new, or at least a long time ago.
Something that still haunts me is the naked leg Zartan. I only have thigh armor on for my (carded) Funskool and Comic Pack versions. I should probably just make my own mics for Lift Ticket and Heavy Metal, cause I don't see that happenin'.

_________________

Night force vehicle parts in general. But specifically I had a hard time with the rear deck guns for the Night Ray. I couldn't find them unbroken. So I bought broken ones and fixed them with a little ingenuity. The Night Boomer canopy is also a hard one.

_________________

I actually didn't have any trouble with the rear deck guns on the Night Ray (or the search light lens, but that's just because one fell out of the Night Ray shell I bought). I do imagine the Boomer canopy is a pain to find, though. And for awhile I was searching for Night Striker fan assembly pieces, which were impossible to find unbroken.

_________________

Finding a Steel Brigade backpack with the crosses in the back (a la Airborne's pack) is nearly impossible.

I've never thought the Mauler tow rope was all that hard to track down, but the prices they sell for seem to contradict that.

Finding small parts for ultra rare vehicles like the MSV gas cans is also basically a pipe dream these days, too.

_________________