Your thoughts on the state of the hobby...

[thisweaksname]

I was wondering if any fellow boarders have decided to cut back on spending for action figures or if the selection of certain figures over others have become a greater concern. Case in point today I was in my local TRU and saw a few new figures... overall I was blown back by the higher prices on the figures...

DC Universe 3" figures (Shazam, Guy Gardner, etc) 6.99 a piece!!
Hasbro Hulk Legends $14.99 a piece!!!!
Batman Movie Master figures 11.49!

It wasn't that long ago that you could buy a Toy Biz Marvel Legend that came with a great sculpt, articulation, build a figure piece, and a comic book for 6.99-7.99 and now we have figures on the market for the exact same price at half the size, with no accessories! (DC Universe 3" figures) Is Hasbro really attempting to tell us that their take on Hulk is $14.99 worthy? That is nearly double the price of what the old ML's used to cost a couple of years ago and $5 more than what they charged for their first couple runs of Marvel Legends the past year or so! Look at all the new mcFarlane stuff out their... have the figures shrunk? Every figure is either short or designed with a "hunch" (in order to strategically use less plastic)

I don't know about you... but its incredibly frustrating when I want to buy Hellboy 2 toys and they are $14.99 a piece and series 1 (which is damn near identical in sculpting) carried a price tag of 7.99-9.99

I haven't bought anything in months because the prices are outrageous and finding what you truly do want is another quirk! DC Universe, Marvel Legends, Hulk Legends, DC Movie Masters are all MIA!

[Fiasco]

Buy SW Figs. They're worth it. ;)

[Trunks3540]

SW and Marvel Legends are what I cut down on. I'm still jumping on the whole Halo series (I'm paying $30-$40 for some figures). But I pick and choose on the rest. And I only buy MM for the Batman stuff. They made what, 5 figures, so the $12 isn't too bad. But for ML I'm skipping the whole Fing Fang Foom set, cause they are $15, and only ones I'm gonna be getting for upcoming sets are ones I really want. Punisher (and the variant knock on wood), Astonishing Beast, Ben Riley SM, Ultimate War Machine, and Vision since I missed him the first time around, and prolly most of the 2 packs. And for SW I'll buy anything with a lightsaber and most of the clone troopers, but I'm tired of buying repacked Anakins and Obi Wans, or things that had 2 seconds in the movie, or ******ed sub characters, and other outfits for Padme. If it looks cool, or has a nice backround, I'll get it. And I want more of the EU stuff then the movie stuff nowadays. I remember when it was $4.50 for a SW figure, and $6 for a ML figure. I used to try and get the whole set. But now it's not worth it (the Halo stuff prolly isn't either but I'm obsessed with Halo so yea).

[WhO Iz THiZ Iz]

the state of collecting trully does suck.

[Ed Gein]

I've cut back due to lack of cool stuff. I bought McFarlane's fantasy/zodiac lines and Spawn. And apparently I'll only be buying Spawn and the sporadic movie figure from McFarlane from now on since all other in-house lines are shut down. I'm keeping up on the good stuff from NECA and I'm buying the occasional statue here and there. But I welcome a lull in production of cool stuff because I need to slow down due to the prices. If there's nothing to buy though, the choice is made for me.

[thespawnx]

i have changed my focus to higher end collectibles, high end stuff is getting better in term of sculpting, paint apps, design and higher quality whereas low-end (mcf, neca, hasbro) stuff are shrunk and less interesting...getting worse on packaging. but the price is going up.

[Spliff]

the sixth-scale hobby is treating me veeeeeeeeeeeeeery well. :D

[tatoman2525]

I have definately cut back a bit and will continue to do so, especially McFarlane figs. I really do not see anything that interests me from TMP currently. I do not care for any upcoming lines except for Spawn series 36 which will be released late 2009. Halo? Don't care for the line anymore. I never even played the game and picked up the first series because the figures were different from the usual McFarlane items and there weren't so many exclusives. However, I got really turned off by all the exclusives from the second series and all those yet to come for future series. With the way the gas prices are at the current moment, I personally do not feel like wasting time and gas driving around all sorts of different retailers in order to get 1 exclusive:p Besides, I don't care for the line. I'm not one on these hardcore gamers. For those of you who love the figures and series, more power to you:)
Prices have also become (somewhat) of an issue. Even though the cost of certain figures have risen recently, it does not affect me too much (yet). I do not collect much Marvel Legends, just occassionally here and there. I haven't jumped on the DK bandwagon, so those prices don't affect me, either. I'm actually taking time to catch up on filling some empty holes in my collection by purchasing some classic figures. Other items of purchase that I am concentrating more on these days are busts. Yeah they're a little pricey, but it's not my budget that has changed. It's the items and the quantity that I'm buying. Also (I almost feel hypocritical admiting), I have steadily been purchasing more Neca items than the usual:o They have stepped it up a bit recently, even though their sculpting techniques aren't as advanced as TMP:p. These items I am paying retail (and a price increase), but I guess it evens out since I'm not purchasing as many other items.

[Panhead UK]

I think we've never had it so good in terms of selection and licences, but the cost of figures does seem to be getting higher and higher, new DC direct stuff in the UK is about £10-14 for a 6incher, not easy to be able to afford whole lines.

[thisweaksname]

bump!

[bigassbuzz]

comic-con 2008 record attendance.

more license-rich properties from hollywood in 2008 than ever before.

some lines warm pegs...
but some go poof instantly ( like halo ;) and the admittedly overpriced hulk legends)

spawn has always been a niche, and remains so

guitar hero logos can be found in about 35% of the stores in a mall in some way shape or form. Radio shack, bookstores, game stores, already in toy stores as lame handheld games and such. So as much as I dislike the idea of GH figs, they might be McCash...
Halo was.
I suspected big success for halo3 figs when I saw a full size master chief cutout in every walmart as a promo for fricken MT DEW!!!! That's crossover media hits en masse. Then the TV ad tie ins etc etc etc...

prices increasing does indeed suck, though.

This happened to comics also, but only expanded the industry.
I bailed from comics right around the $1.25 exodus and the fall of Valiant Comics. That era hailed an across the board increase in $$$$ expense for comics. Most went to $2 or higher. Since then it seems that every publisher has only increased the volume of titles. Biz is up??? Not sure.

Ramble mode-off. :rolleyes:

[F0RSAK3N]

I bailed from comics right around the $1.25 exodus and the fall of Valiant Comics.

Me too, when Valiant died I was broken up, but I have gotten back in somewhat since then. :cool:

[bigassbuzz]

XO manowar figures (bart sears version of course)
anyone?

[thisweaksname]

Yeah its not that the level of quality has gone down, or that there isn't more available than ever before... with all the new companies coming up and producing amazing figures - its great. It's just the combination of price, and availability that kills me. Seeing a new line coming out for example DC Universe series 3 but knowing that all my retail stores will continue to carry for awhile is dcu series 1 and when they finally get dcu series 3 it will be a case or two and 6 months later.

[Shamrock]

From what I understand, the Hulk series is so expensive because of both the rise in oil prices, and the size of the Build a figure and most of the figures in the series. Yeah, their earlier lines were $10, but with one big figure in the line at most, and a BAF that's hardly any bigger than a normal Hulk figure.. I hear it's supposed to be back down to $10 with the next series.

And I always say "never buy something from a store that only sells a specific product." At least without shopping around. Those 3" DC figures are $4.99 at Target. Oddly enough however, the Movie Masters are $12.99.

[scottbuckets]

I've been collecting 1/4 scale, 1/6 scale and full scale for the last few years... Its more expensive per piece but I definitely cut down the quantity. The larger or higher end items are getting better, IMO... It is a little saturated right now because of the market but I'm not complaining. Theres more to choose from.

The smaller figures, for me, we're great when I was a kid... But I tend to collect characters or pieces from movies that have made some type of impact or a memory in my life and they definitely have that ooohhh ahhhhh factor.

[Matches Malone]

I find it funny that some of you have diverted from buying one kind of toy to another because the other toy line is cheaper. Sounds to me like you're collecting for the sake of collecting, almost like pack rats, rather than having a passion for what you collect.

I've always been selective with what I buy, sticking to only what I have a passion for. Not just buying figures for the sake of being cool or adding it to a a collection. If I did otherwise, I'd run out of space faster than I could say "action figures." I find the lack of selection or lack of interest in a particular line a blessing in disguise. I can save a few bucks for something I really like down the road.

[bigassbuzz]

I tend to buy what is likely to appreciate in value
and doesn't embarrass me by totally sucking. (like muggs - sorry)

[WeaponXIII]

I'm buying way less...limiting my SW, G.I.Joe, Marvel, Misc. and even Halo...with plans of stopping G.I.joe once the 25th line switches to movie. Price is too high, quality on some has gone down *coughhalocough*. And I've been turning my focus on customizing characters I make up...and I get way more satisfaction from it. Although I also have to say that there is no better bang for your buck right now than G.I.joe and SW two-packs still at the $10 price mark...that's pretty much what's keeping me in the hobby right now.

[Viking Spawn]

Today, I only collect Halo and GOW figures...

Prices have gotten too high for toys and with gas prices still almost $4 a gallon, it limits my toy runs to the stores. Besides, I was running out of room to keep buying line after line.

Halo makes me happy... And that's all that matters to me. ;)

[Tablehead]

Light toy year for me-
I'm spending way less then usual, but it's because there's
not that much out (or coming out) that interests me-

Comics, books, movies & music are about the same~

[Wrestling Fan]

It's been a slow summer for me collecting wise, but that's because I'm saving up for university. I'm actually caught up on most lines I collect anyways, and the ones I'm not are just Superhero Squad and NECAs Harry Potter so I'm not too worried.

[Trunks3540]

I collect what I like. I actually am getting the more expensive stuff, and cutting down on the cheaper stuff. I used to get like everything out there. Batman cartoon figures and old school movie figures, GI Joe, SW, Old school X-Men, Star Trek, Marvel stuff in general, LotR, Toy Story... I can go on. But most of that stuff isn't made any more, and not too much new stuff interests me. I have 2 Indiana Jones figures, and I'll prolly get a few more of the more important characters from it, but I'm mainly in it for the ones I like most, Halo and X-Men, and anything EU, Jedi, or Bounty Hunter for SW.

[Chewlee]

From what I understand, the Hulk series is so expensive because of both the rise in oil prices, and the size of the Build a figure and most of the figures in the series. Yeah, their earlier lines were $10, but with one big figure in the line at most, and a BAF that's hardly any bigger than a normal Hulk figure.. I hear it's supposed to be back down to $10 with the next series.


I think this is the stupidest reason though, I mean we had a setinel BAF for 6.99 a figure, and it shot foom out of the water, and still does.

[jad717]

When I first started collecting figures, I would never have spent alot of money on them. I guess I was cheap. The longer I've been in it, the More i'm willing to spend. Like some other people have said, I kind of moved into the high end stuff. And actually, I tend to flow back and forth from figures to beer signs. I just happen to be on the figure side now.:o

[Shamrock]

I think this is the stupidest reason though, I mean we had a setinel BAF for 6.99 a figure, and it shot foom out of the water, and still does.
And that was a couple of years ago. Time changes prices, it sucks, but it does.