Price hikes are the norm for any hobby, it just seems as though (1) this was a pretty sudden, sizable hike and (2) you don’t seem to get as much bang for your buck in terms of accessories, etc. This figure, plus tax and Sideshow’s shipping would put it at roughly half the price of a Hulkbuster at retail. The higher prices on the standard figures I don’t mind as much, because at least HT is starting to include the cardboard background scenery with some figures (Doc Strange, Daredevil, the lighted one for Black Panther v2, etc), which is pretty cool, and the accessory count is usually good, so that’s fine with me.
Also, whether you get it depends on your collection. If you collect all the armors or have duplicate versions of the same character, then it may sting a bit but you’re still going to get it. Me personally, I rarely get doubles unless they are distinct/special enough. I’m fine with having the Mk.46 be “the” Iron Man in my collection, but the Hulkbuster is it’s own entity, not “just another suit”. I’m fine with my v1 Avengers Hulk, didn’t need to spend $300+ for the AoU version which was basically the same thing with a lighter skin tone & new pants. But Gladiator Hulk is different enough that it was worth preordering.
It also depends on how well you love the movie in question, and whether you want all of “those” characters to best represent the experience you had at that film. Ultimately, with the high price on this IW armor, I don’t think the completionist fan base will be affected in terms of sales numbers. But I’d imagine that a good majority of the discretionary buyers who have a bit more self control on what they purchase (and let’s face it, completionists don’t have much self control. Been there, done that lol) will be passing on this, IMO.
