The collectible market feels like it's dying...

[Collector Freak]

... .... ...

 

[galactiboy]

I think it depends on what you collect... I've moved more into 1/6 figures lately and there seems to be a pretty good amount of quality figures being made, but in different scales like 8" I don't think its the same case.

 

[EVILFACE]

Depends on what you collect, who makes it and how many is made.

1/6th is all I care about.

 

[TOE]

not for me. I collect both 12" figures and Moore Statues and buy some commisioned kits. So....nope for me.

 

[TheObsoleteMan]

The 1/6 and statue markets seem to be booming right now, the collectible action figure market is on life support though. I think that's due partly to the natural progression of those of us who started out buying $10 McFarlane type action figures moving to more high end areas of collecting. Also, a lot of the small chain stores like Suncoast have either stopped carrying collectibles or have simply closed down, leaving the collectibles market as a virtually online only experience.

 

[pjam]

Doesn't it?

Well, look who's back...

This is probably the biggest year in history for 1/6 figures, can't really comment on statues or smaller scale figs...

And new sixth scale genres such as Rock/Music Legends and Sports figures haven't really scratched the surface yet...

 

[Agent0028]

If its dying, I'm glad I wasn't around for the peak, way too much of my money goes into this hobby.

 

[MisterToyNYC]

Doesn't it?

Well, it seems like a lot of people here seem to disagree. May I ask what makes you feel like it's dying?

Eric

RED PLANET TOYS
www.redplanettoys.com

 

[Darklord Dave]

I think the market for high end collectibles is on an upswing. More companies are getting into it. I think the 1/6th military is in a huge downswing, but licensed product is pretty stable with SSC and HT, even Medicom doing some great stuff that's getting people interested.

So to answer the question - no.

 

[Josette]

When it comes to items you can buy in a regular store, then yes, I can see where you're coming from. I don't buy anything in regular stores anymore because I only collect 12 inch and most of those are higher end figures.

High end items seem to be the big thing now.

 

[gambit]

If it's dying, I would even want it to suffer more because I am also collecting GG and some bowen stuff and it is forcing my wallet so much at this time.

 

[DarkArtist81]

When it comes to items you can buy in a regular store, then yes, I can see where you're coming from. I don't buy anything in regular stores anymore because I only collect 12 inch and most of those are higher end figures.

High end items seem to be the big thing now.

Agreed.... I think that the smaller figures are not as hot as they used to be, now it seems to be more specialty...high end collectibles. I know I used to buy a lot of that stuff and now I just collect SSC, Bowen and GG stuff.

Every now and again I splurge and get a HT or Medicom figure though... but that's about all the branching out I can afford.

 

[doesitmatter]

Yeah mass market has been shrinking for years. That's why there is a collectible market.


A lot of companies have fallen but the ones that remained have become stronger.

 

[dekadentdave]

1:6 sclae licensing is booming but that's only because companies like Sideshow spent many years in their infancy manufacturing non-licensed items like western and historical/military figures in order to build their company up to the point they could afford some bigger licenses for film and TV like Twilight Zone, Outer Limits, James Bond and Planet of the Apes and showcasing what they were capable of in order to win the really big licenses like Star Wars and Lord of the Rings and now Terminator. The potential has always been there for someone to produce high quality collectible 1:6 figures but it was a long road in the process of getting to that point. Hasbro had the Star Wars license for 10 years and they just blew it. Look at the crap they made. Sure, they had a few good things like a Taun-Taun and a Dewback that were impressive but they just crapped out figures like G.I. Joe. Sideshow had been lobbying for years and finally Hasbro saw the potential for a company that specialized in that area to take over. Thank God.

 

[sladesuperagent]

Originally posted by galactiboy
I think it depends on what you collect... I've moved more into 1/6 figures lately and there seems to be a pretty good amount of quality figures being made, but in different scales like 8" I don't think its the same case.

Remember the smell at Children's Palace? I'm really glad I do.

Like everyone else has been saying, the 1/6 scale market is thriving, and from what I seem to understand, so is the statue, bust, and prop market (I don't collect these things). I'd be willing to bet 90%, ney, 98% of this stuff is bought online.

The department store stuff is very much weezing hard on a ventilator and has been for years. Remember the stores you used to buy figures at? I bought almost my entire first 6 series of Simpsons figures at Ames. Remember looking for stuff at EB or Media Play (owned by Suncoast, also R.I.P.)? The problem here partially is Walmart b/c they're killing the little companies and it's only a matter of time for TRU and KB to close all their doors. So, yes, I think this area of the collectable toy market is dying for us older collectors, and a majority of this stuff is going to the kids. But I think that's ok with me. I started collecting hard in 1992. That's when this new company was doing figures for the X-men Universe and this great comic called "Spawn" was getting it's own company for it's toys. 14 years later--it's all pretty worthless. That's an indication of how the market peaked for the low end, $6 toy and now the high end figures have become the better investment.

And also, who wants to pay $9.99 to ship a $5.99 toy?

 

[darth dypshyt]

Yeah, it depends on what line you are collecting, be it Star Wars or LOTR, which I think have been going gangbusters over the last 3-4 years..Star Wars even longer!...
But, lines like POTA and even Buffy, I think, are slowing dying.

It also depends on what company you support/buy from also...

I think the guys at Sideshow have had pretty big smiles on their faces, and $$$ in their eyes, in the last 4-5 years...RIGHT GUYS???

I don't reckon they think the Collectable market is "dying".

And, neither do I.

 

[dekadentdave]

There will always be a demand for high quality licensed collectibles however I feel strongly that it is becoming a niche market that is generation specific. Case-in-point, I think licenses such as Planet of the Apes suffered from weak sales for two reasons: 1. Production numbers were too high on the initial series 2. Appeals mostly to generation-specific collectors. I loved the Apes movies but to be honest I didn't really "discover" this line until about the time Sideshow announced it was dead, then I started collecting it like gangbusters. I had been collecting Bond up until that point and now Star Wars is killing me. Licenses that are current and hot appeal mainly to the younger generation (yes, I'm generalizing here) but for me, I never got into shows like Angel or Buffy so those licenses don't appeal to me but movies and TV from the 60's, 70's, and 80's I collect because they have substantial sentimental value to me personally.

 

[Michael Crawford]

Nope, quite the opposite. The collectible action figure etc. market is booming.

Now the retailers, well, they've dried up. At least the brick and mortar stores, and anyone with a brain saw that coming miles away. Where once there were lots of stores carrying collectible figures, most are now gone. But for the most part, they're gone gone due to the overall climate of retail.

This has caused a shakeup in the collectibles world, with a lot fewer companies. But those companies are cranking out product to meet demand, and the online retailers are doing great right now. There's so much stuff hitting these days that even doing four reviews a week, I can't even hope to come close to keeping up. In the last month we've had new:

South Park
Family Guy
Hellboy
The Batman
DCSH
Marvel Legends
Corpse Bride
Sigma 6
Cult Classics 4
NMBC
Spider-Man
and tons of product from Sideshow, Gentle Giant, and DC Direct

There's still plenty of product getting produced, and from the way the online retailers are doing, it appears to be selling well too. The change in the retail has made it impossible for some smaller companies to survive, and we haven't seen the end of that shakeout yet, but the collectibles market is still there.

 

[Boba Fett]

Personally, I don't think it's dying. I'm seeing a lot of good things coming out from GG, SS, and Medicom that is draining my wallet right now.

 

[Josette]

High end collectibles aren't dying, but it seems like everything else is.