The InArt Nazgûl is the first time in a long time I'm really hesitating getting a figure that I really want because of the price, so I definitely can identify with the overall sentiment here.
Having said that, I'm definitely not priced out of the hobby. In fact, I have more figures on pre-order now than ever in my 18 years of 1:6 collecting.
But the thing is, that number is 6. I think the reason I can't identify with most of you is that my collecting approach has always been what some of you describe now as "winding down".
I started 1:6 when I was fresh out of high school starting college (18 years ago), so I couldn't afford more than 1 figure per year, which I had to save up for. After college, once I got a full-time job working I had more disposable income, but I liked to travel. Then my (now) wife and I started saving up to buy a house. Then we had a daughter and had to start paying daycare.
So while my income and disposable income grew over the years, I always tried to restrain myself from buying more than 2-3 figures per year, focusing only on my absolute favorite ones.
Now I'm at a point where I feel I can buy some more figures without having to make concessions in other parts of my life. So while the prices keep increasing, the difference is not that large when you only buy a handful per year.
And regarding value for money, I do still feel it's there. The figures now are light-years ahead of what they were 15 years ago. Even 10 year old figures are mostly outdated IMO, and I hardly have any left in my collection. Then again, I've always been an extreme quality over quantity kind of guy.
Yup, I still really enjoy the art which makes it difficult to completely move on, but I’m starting to be more content being an onlooker than a consumer the more and more I think about it, at least when it comes to 1/6 scale. I’d rather just buy less but spend a little more on the more important characters
That's something that has sustained me a lot over the years.
Compared to the amount of figures I buy, the time I spent reading about this hobby and looking at pictures is waaaay out of proportion.