Strong Dollar Has Killed My Hobby

[willocrew]

Yes, "overpriced" is actually the issue rather than fluctuations in interest or exchange rates. It doesn't matter how much I'm saving on my mortgage, these things have become more expensive than I think they're worth. I'm swallowing the cost of over-priced Star Wars figures because they fill the last hole in my modest collection. Beyond that my 1/6 spending will trickle down to one or two figures a year.

The last hot toys I bought was the MKiv iron man... Ages ago.

I gotta say the Star Wars line has been the single biggest temptation by hot toys in a long time for me. But then I realised the cost of getting vader, x2 Storm troopers, Han solo and chewbacca, obi wan and an certainty down the road a luke and the two droids. Talking about $2000 worth of toys...sort of put me off.

I think I might go hunt down those 6 inch blAck series Star Wars figures instead. At least I won't be afraid to leave them in dynamic poses.

 

[chris rankin]

When I think of all the money I have spent on this hobby and what else I could have bought for the money its crazy. I have spent around 20,000 euros just on hottoys alone but if I was not in Europe that figure would be a lot lower.

 

[Lejuan]

Of course that's a lot of money, but only you can be the judge of whether you got your money's worth out of them.

My collection is in my office. It has made my work days that little bit more pleasurable for the past 6 years. I can tell you what that cost in dollar terms, but not how much it's been worth in other ways.

An unfavourable exchange rate is a bummer no doubt. But all it means is that your statue or figure budget is reduced by 10-20%. I'd guess for most folks that amounts to one or two statues or figures per year. And if it amounts to more than that, then you're doing pretty well anyway.

 

[SAB]

They're only savings by virtue of interest rates trending down. Putting money back onto the mortgage is always a good move given that it reduces the principal. Or, with an interest rate of around 4-5%, one would be better advised to pay off any credit card debt with an interest rate of around 13-14%. That's not really my point. My point is that high doll prices is, for anyone with a mortgage, offset by low interest rates. If anyone wants to be really responsible about it, they should stop using any savings for buying non-essentials altogether.

I agree ...though obviously Blitzway 1/3 Bruce Lee statues are essentials ... Like air

 

[chris rankin]

Of course that's a lot of money, but only you can be the judge of whether you got your money's worth out of them.

My collection is in my office. It has made my work days that little bit more pleasurable for the past 6 years. I can tell you what that cost in dollar terms, but not how much it's been worth in other ways.

An unfavourable exchange rate is a bummer no doubt. But all it means is that your statue or figure budget is reduced by 10-20%. I'd guess for most folks that amounts to one or two statues or figures per year. And if it amounts to more than that, then you're doing pretty well anyway.

Don't get me wrong I love my collection and am thankful every day for it and I have seriously toned it down since I first started. I try to concentrate on certain things and don't deviate from that, so in a way this has kind of helped as my budget is a lot less than it was.

 

[jkno]

On these kinds of items there are three categories they can fit into: Wants, Needs and Life Sustaining Requirements.

I think I've said this before but here it is again - why is hard to be a Romanian collector:

- very few people understand your hobby
- problems with paypal (they ask Eastern Europeans to open US Bank accounts or limit the amount of money one can send/receive through paypal)
- problems with ebay (because of paypal and because of Global Shipping Program ebay launched to "help" international customers get items from US sellers who don't want to ship internationally and then get their stuff damaged by the third party shipping their stuff)
- huge shipping quotes because of international transport costs
- 24% VAT tax
- budgetary salaries lowered by 25% due to crisis, this measure affecting all teachers, doctors, police, etc.
- customs charges (they tax the shipping cost too, thus like a tax on a tax)
- problems with people thinking everyone from Eastern Europe is a thief
- foreign shops that don't ship to Romania
- no sci-fi or comic conventions (we can't even think of a Star Wars convention yet)
- no Star Wars toys/collectibles or rarely a few Star Wars toys/collectibles in local stores
- 99% of the trades/buying are happening outside the country


That being said I'm glad that with all the international issues and costs: VAT, customs taxes, import taxes, international shipping cost I was able to make the collection I wanted. And still able to get the items I want. It is hard but I do my best to spend my hard earned money on the items I really want.

 

[Jabba]

I am on japanese or HK market now. No way ill order from USA (done it 2-3 times only) until $ is that strong and shipping is to much from states.
I am from Europe also so I know what JKNO talking about. I buy 4-5 figures at year but this year is crazy from HT Star Wars line. Think Ill will get
around 10 figures this year. 3 is allready down.

 

[Harajuku]

The stron dollar is a reral pain in the... When I buy stuff now I sometimes feel like I'm foolish in paying what I do now compared to when stuff where 25-30% cheaper. Still I keep buying stuff. The real killer is the shipping. If it wasn't for that I would have much more stuff.

 

[chris rankin]

The stron dollar is a reral pain in the... When I buy stuff now I sometimes feel like I'm foolish in paying what I do now compared to when stuff where 25-30% cheaper. Still I keep buying stuff. The real killer is the shipping. If it wasn't for that I would have much more stuff.

I hate the shipping as they calculate the fees with the shipping added, it's made worse when you see sideshow shipping for free but we don't even get a discount on shipping never mind getting it for free.

 

[cylon]

yep...i'm just a spectator these days

 

[Vitus]

I used to sell more to overseas... I guess this is why it has slowed down.

 

[holtrax]

long gone are the days where I could spend 30 euro and get an item for nearly 50 us dollars. Ahhh memories...

 

[chris rankin]

I used to sell more to overseas... I guess this is why it has slowed down.

I used to buy more from overseas but not anymore.