I'll make some general observations that I've picked up over years in the hobby. This won't quite apply specifically to you
@lordnastrond and your situation, as much as a very broad take on things. Also I'm not asking anyone to reveal their personal situation, finances, money value system, etc, etc.
1) Unstable living situation ( young people in college, people living with family but it's not a long term solution, people sharing an apartment with lots of other roommates that keep revolving, etc, etc)
- 5 high end figures max. Any collecting after that should be in clearance aisles in Big Box stores, things like that
2) Reasonable living situation with fracture points ( If things go into a spiral, someone here won't be homeless in 6 months, they've got an established career but projections for it look rougher or someone who is married and the slippery slope to divorce is coming eventually)
- 15 high end figures max. Maybe 1 or 2 vehicles of some kind.
3) Stable living situation / baseline necessities assured ( So like someone with a relatively secure government job, tenure, vested ( or retired) and a stable housing situation with no complex dependents/obligations, things of that nature)
- 40 high end figure max.
Some other thoughts
A) Based on some people I know who work for brands and some overseas dealers, just things I'm hearing in private, I'd cease all long term pre-orders period. That's my take, no one else has to agree with it. A lot of these brands are in pretty bad financial shape. Economic projections overall don't look good as well. If I have to pay right now, and it won't show up in at least three months, than I'd say to move on. I am NOT a fan of this new pseudo "crowd funding" gambit I'm seeing in the current hobby. But everyone's mileage is different to that situation.
B) If you choose to downsize your collection, do it by age 50. Something I learned from some vintage collectors is some waited too long, and their peer group started to die off, get into fixed income situations, or ended up in assisted living, or had to try to shed their collections so they weren't in the market. At age 55 and beyond, I would suggest people see that as a litmus point to accept what you have is what you'll always have until death.
C) War is coming. I won't get into it further than that. You can't load a Hot Toys Iron Man into a shotgun. You can't eat it if you are starving. This might not be a bad time to focus on more long term considerations for essentials and sort of space out the fun luxury items from the hobby ( I'm not suggesting anyone totally give up the hobby, just compartmentalize it given the landscape of the geopolitical current environment around us all)
If I was in your shoes, I'd make a list of the 40 figures you love the most. Then get rid of everything else. And if you want to add in a new figure, then you have to commit to shedding an older one to stay at the 40 ceiling. I don't believe, and I have never believed, that any single collector can truly enjoy more than 40 total figures at a time. After that, it's boxes stacked on more boxes and then stuff jammed into closets, attics, rental storage spaces, etc, etc.
Another suggestion I'd make is to schedule your hobby interaction. Meaning set aside 20 minutes a night to do some hobby stuff. Or a half hour three times a week. But something consistent and progressive. Doing that will curb FOMO. When you are building stuff and making stuff and fiddling around, you become more attuned to what you really like and how much you can handle, versus just stacking boxes on top of more boxes. If some people can't stay in the active hobby, I'd suggest getting out completely. 4 hours every 7 months working on a project leaves the only "fix" left as buying more "plastic crack"
So you don't have to follow these suggestions, but I'd suggest hard line boundaries, if you don't have them already. Rules that you informally keep for yourself, that sort of balance out this hobby with the rest of your life/rest of your obligations. Personally, I assess the practical size of someone's collection to their individual circumstances. Some people just need to be leaner and be more mobile and flexible. Some people are in different situations and can entrench more. "Let there be nothing in your life, have no attachments, that you cannot walk out on in thirty seconds flat, if you spot the heat around the corner"
Just some thoughts. You are a good poster and I enjoy your posts. I wish you well in whatever you choose. Good luck.
