Anyone else been priced out of this hobby?

[choopie]

I haven't been priced out of the market, but I'm choosing not to spend the higher price point on most collectibles because I feel that generally they aren't worth the asking price...especially after knowing what the prices used to be and how the quality of the pieces hasn't improved any after the price hikes.

I barely impulse buy anymore and I stick to a "wants" list, which is rapidly dwindling. I'm on my way out of this hobby with a nice movie memorabilia collection that I'll enjoy for years to come. Continuing to buy at these prices is just not sustainable.

 

[DPrime]

but the US Dollar is still the world's reserve currency....and it is still the Dominant factor (for now) in the currency trade.China holds ALOT of US Debt....The reason for China's economic rise is because WE PRODUCE NOTHING and (most) everything is produced overseas for CHEAP labor

Well, it's not the ONLY reason. You can't have a country of well over a billion people with an extremely strong work ethic living in poverty forever. It was bound to happen to some degree, no matter what the US and the rest of the wealthy Western democracies did.

 

[COSMOSTARX]

Edging near the end of my collecting hobby soon.

I only started collecting around the time I joined this site and stuff has shot up pretty significantly in pricing.

 

[teemu]

Well, it's not the ONLY reason. You can't have a country of well over a billion people with an extremely strong work ethic living in poverty forever. It was bound to happen to some degree, no matter what the US and the rest of the wealthy Western democracies did.

regardless,the Powers that be will KEEP poverty stricken countries the same.China flourishes because the US gave majority of manufacturing jobs to them (again,we produce barely anything) while China also holds alot of US Debt

Also,which is why we have POVERTY here in the USA...(46 million americans on food stamps)

The point is,The American dollar has lost its purchasing power which is why we have HIGHER prices and costs more to produce.That is an absolute FACT!

How wonderful it is to have the Federal Reserve print up endless money and then buy real assests with it,while the average person has to work and bust his arse for worthless pieces of paper.It's just one big ponzie scheme over and over.

 

[KBA]

I almost was priced out of this hobby, but I quickly realized if I slowed my roll on purchases, I could still stay and enjoy that fresh smell of new plastic and polystone. And so I have. Some of my favorite pros of the sucky price hikes:

+ I have to be more selective across the board. I love that I can't have all the coolest stuff and must pick and choose between dearly loved children. Making the hard choices makes collecting, and my collection, interesting.

+ I've had to focus my collection. I never liked the idea of sticking to a particular character, theme, or scale, but since determining it was something I needed to do, I've really come to appreciate it. I still love seeing collections on this board that look like a dyslexic granny''s patchwork knitting in terms of cohesiveness: it's a beautiful thing, but I'm okay sticking to theme.

+ For one of the few rare times in my life, I'm voting with my dollars. It feels empowering even if my refusal to buy normally automatic purchases has miniscule impact.

+ My limited display, and storage, space isn't so cramped. Before when I bought whatever tickled my fancy, my shelves were about to snap, the collectibles were elbowing each other for space, and brown shippers were lining up outside the door to get into the storage closet. 'Less is more' gives everything some much needed breathing room.

So while it sucks paying more than we have to, I think it's made a more refined, critical collector out of me.

 

[KillingYouGuy]

I am down to just a couple of new figures a year, really cannot afford even that, but can't seem to let it go...

 

[NataN]

I remember when I had to choose family over the collection, took a deep look inside, asked what was more important in my life and got my priorities straight. * looks at batman collection * *smiles*

 

[Solarsailor]

Funnily enough the price hikes have done something strange to me. I've actually upped my spending for better quality pieces with more presence and sold off all of my Hot Toys.

Before I would by 2 or 3 Hot Toys, now I'm PO'ing things like the Dark Rider or Sauron. So less but more expensive pieces.

I think once Hot Toys hit the $300 mark my brain did the math and decided that I'm better off going full ball on really really nice pieces than wasting my money on overpriced action men dolls in fancy boxes.

Shame really because they were cool. Just not $300 cool.

 

[a-dev]

I'm an action figure man all the way. So if I'm not collecting them due to ridiculously high prices I won't be collecting anything.

 

[creature4000]

I was good and limited my collection to only specific things.. However the news of Star Wars has me planning to expand!

Prices are not that bad if you limit yourself. Last few years I've only spend about $600 per year. Poor QC by SS helps too!

 

[mojo customz]

regardless,the Powers that be will KEEP poverty stricken countries the same.China flourishes because the US gave majority of manufacturing jobs to them (again,we produce barely anything) while China also holds alot of US Debt

Also,which is why we have POVERTY here in the USA...(46 million americans on food stamps)

The point is,The American dollar has lost its purchasing power which is why we have HIGHER prices and costs more to produce.That is an absolute FACT!

How wonderful it is to have the Federal Reserve print up endless money and then buy real assests with it,while the average person has to work and bust his arse for worthless pieces of paper.It's just one big ponzie scheme over and over.

whats also a fact and most do not know is that the federal reserve is a private co and nothing to do with the goverment......
they print these papers and we pay the interest in gold......again just the interest,,,,,not the princple.....freggin true gangsters--------------

 

[Uncanny Web-Slinger]

I almost was priced out of this hobby, but I quickly realized if I slowed my roll on purchases, I could still stay and enjoy that fresh smell of new plastic and polystone. And so I have. Some of my favorite pros of the sucky price hikes:

+ I have to be more selective across the board. I love that I can't have all the coolest stuff and must pick and choose between dearly loved children. Making the hard choices makes collecting, and my collection, interesting.

+ I've had to focus my collection. I never liked the idea of sticking to a particular character, theme, or scale, but since determining it was something I needed to do, I've really come to appreciate it. I still love seeing collections on this board that look like a dyslexic granny''s patchwork knitting in terms of cohesiveness: it's a beautiful thing, but I'm okay sticking to theme.

+ For one of the few rare times in my life, I'm voting with my dollars. It feels empowering even if my refusal to buy normally automatic purchases has miniscule impact.

+ My limited display, and storage, space isn't so cramped. Before when I bought whatever tickled my fancy, my shelves were about to snap, the collectibles were elbowing each other for space, and brown shippers were lining up outside the door to get into the storage closet. 'Less is more' gives everything some much needed breathing room.

So while it sucks paying more than we have to, I think it's made a more refined, critical collector out of me.

_______

How many of those who stop collecting keep the collection they've built?

I've often seen posts if people who have sold off everything when they quit buying more.

Is the hobby perpetual to the majority? Meaning if you no longer buy new ones you don't keep what you already have.

 

[a-dev]

_______

How many of those who stop collecting keep the collection they've built?

I've often seen posts if people who have sold off everything when they quit buying more.

Is the hobby perpetual to the majority? Meaning if you no longer buy new ones you don't keep what you already have.

If I knew for a fact I wouldn't be able to buy any more figures, and cool new ones were still coming out, it would make my collection feel incomplete and that might bother me.

I can't be sure because I haven't faced that situation yet but its a possibility. One way of dealing with that would be to sell everything. Pretty extreme but one never knows. There was a time I thought I'd never sell anything at all.

 

[Solarsailor]

_______

How many of those who stop collecting keep the collection they've built?

I've often seen posts if people who have sold off everything when they quit buying more.

Is the hobby perpetual to the majority? Meaning if you no longer buy new ones you don't keep what you already have.

I know I'm not in this boat because I still have my old collections from 10 years back of different things (comics, toys, masks etc). Just slimmed down to the ones I really loved.

I think if you're a real collector, you'll always appreciate and collect the things you love and keep them (financially permitting).

I personally think if you feel like you're missing out or your collection feels incomplete so you must sell it, you've probably got some kind of physiological barrier/problem and it's not the actual items you crave, it's the process of gathering them.

 

[ngeluaku]

only collect 1/6 figures from the video games helps me a lot

 

[teemu]

whats also a fact and most do not know is that the federal reserve is a private co and nothing to do with the goverment......
they print these papers and we pay the interest in gold......again just the interest,,,,,not the princple.....freggin true gangsters--------------

Yep! but most people don't care.As long as they can spend those Dollars,they will never open their eyes

End the Fed....and then allow the Government to print/produce honest money (which is then truely backed by Gold and Silver)

 

[a-dev]

I know I'm not in this boat because I still have my old collections from 10 years back of different things (comics, toys, masks etc). Just slimmed down to the ones I really loved.

I think if you're a real collector, you'll always appreciate and collect the things you love and keep them (financially permitting).

I personally think if you feel like you're missing out or your collection feels incomplete so you must sell it, you've probably got some kind of physiological barrier/problem and it's not the actual items you crave, it's the process of gathering them.

Financially permitting I would definitely keep my collection. Financially permitting I wouldn't have to worry about missing new stuff either. Finances will ultimately decide the matter one way or another.

 

[KBA]

_______

How many of those who stop collecting keep the collection they've built?

I've often seen posts if people who have sold off everything when they quit buying more.

Is the hobby perpetual to the majority? Meaning if you no longer buy new ones you don't keep what you already have.

That's an interesting question. For me, when I quit collecting replica light saber hilts from Starwars, I sold off everyone but my favorite. If I look back to when I collected comic cards, I never sold a thing —granted that was when I was a wee little boy who would never even think of selling anything.

 

[Fremen]

I had to drop Hot Toys in favor of statues. They've made it really easy to do with the huge ES, high prices and mostly, the respins.

I only pick up of couple of them here and there now. I'm statues mostly and I've really had to cut down on those as well.

 

[NataN]

so hot toys is making huge edition sizes how do we know this to be a fact? they don't disclose numbers?