How do you think your toy collecting habits will change in the next year(s)?

[Barbecue17]

Over the past few months, I've really noticed some changes in my toy buying trends. Some of them have been based on personal choices but others have come as a response to the current state of toys/ action figures. Just curious how others have seen their collecting habits change or how you anticipate they will change in the next few years?


~ I find myself less and less interested in mass market lines: Due to increased prices, poor distribution, and just less interesting product, I rarely find anything I'm interested in buying from regular retail stores like Target, Wal-Mart, and Toys R Us. 3 3/4 lines have just jumped up so much in price while diminshing in quality. I've always been a hardcore G.I. Joe fan, and the new Retaliation line leaves me cold. The Avengers line feels "been there, done that." Star Wars has priced itself out of my interest. Other than possibly the Movie Masters, Mattel's DKR line does nothing for me. Hitting the toy aisle is no longer that interesting.

~I find myself more interested in independant offerings While I haven't taken the dive on all of these lines, products like the Outlandish Mini Figure Guys, Spy Monkey stuff, Glyos, and other small companies definitely have my attention. They seem to be filled with the creativity and excitement that so many great lines used to have.

~I'm willing to pay more to get more I've never been big on 1/6th scale toys, but lately I have been interested in them. While Hot Toys, Triad, Sideshow, and other 1/6th lines rarely come in below the $100 mark (and sometimes upwards of the $200 mark) I am finding that I'd rather spend a large amount of money on one quality product that impresses me than a wave or two of mass market releases. I've bought some Dead Cell figures from Triad and a Hot Toys RE Alice and have loved them. Heck, while I'm not looking forward to a MOTUC price increase, I'd rather buy one of those figures (if well done) than 2 of anything else out there.

~I find myself buying more older toys Being bored with a lot of what is available currently, I've been going back and buying older toylines that didn't survive my childhood or that I missed out on. Lately I've been picking up some Gundam figures that I really wanted in college, but never could afford. Amazing to think these were hanging on Wal-Mart pegs at one time! They're beautiful. I finished my N2 toys Frazetta statues collection. I've bagged a great deal of vintage TMNT stuff. Typically, these things are so much cheaper than new stuff and there's less pressure to buy it before the price jumps.

[Benedict Judas Hel]

How do you think your toy collecting habits will change in the next year(s)?

Not much...

[wyldman11]

My collecting has always been based on if I liked something. It looks like Thundercats is going to tank, TMNT Classics I will get but that's limited, there are a few Monster High I want this year, Marvel I mostly done for me, DC probably coming to a close picking up only a few of the Classics stuff, Doctor Who just need to finish off my Doctors maybe another character or two here and there (WHERE IS RORY???).

So based on that, so my collection will be probably be picking up older things as more and more new product is just too expensive or nothing I like.

[FAKER II]

Just about the only new toy line I haven't got burned out on is Transformers. I will continue to collect any new Transformers based on classic characters. I also hope to track down many of the Beast Wars II figures I'm missing.

Aside from transformers, I’ve been getting more and more burned out with new toy lines (I’ve just about had it with MOTUC and their loose ankles) and foresee myself focusing more on vintage 80’s toys.

[wolfsfang]

I will probably stop collecting altogether

[MegaGearMax]

Probably not, unlike there is something else that comes out that I have an interest in.

Masters of the Universe Classics is still going strong.
DC Universe Classics is now online until 2013, so there are no retail headaches (except for the last 4 figures).
Marvel Universe is still going strong.
Transformers Fall of Cybertron will hit in the fall.

ThunderCats 4" might be dead.
Street Fighter broke out of package in Wave 1, so I quit that line.
Mega Man looks like it was cancelled.

I don't know about TMNT Classics. I'll have to see what the non-turtle characters look like such as Rocksteady, Bebop, Shredder, Krang, etc. It might sound backwards, but I think the NECA TMNT can't be beat.

[Thatman]

I'm phasing out. I'll stick with MOTUC and DCUC as long as they last. I'll continue to buy the DCD Arkham City figures, I will finish off the JLU line, and I will continue to cherry pick movie figs and Marvel and Monsters Minimates while they last, but that's about it. I'm actually selling off a large amount of my stuff as it is.

[Dr Kain]

They are changing a lot. I used to collect 2 of every new Transformers figure, but now, I am only buy one of each, and have been opening those ones instead of keeping them unopened. Plus, I am only buying specific characters now instead of all of the characters.

Same goes for GI Joe. I used to buy 2 of each, but now, it varies upon character. If they are based off the old design, I will still get two, but outside of that or they look down right amazing, one is all I need.

Even my interest in buying video game figures has changed. I now only want stuff from Square's toy line, and that is pretty much just from their Metal Gear Solid and God of War figures. I don't even care about their Final Fantasy line and have been putting eveything FF related on ebay.

My interest in DCU is low now that the series is pretty much done. At this point, I am not even certain I will bother doing another subscription, especially if they are going to charge $45 for oversized figures that are not really oversized.

Finally, we come to MOTUC. I still really want to keep getting two of each, I really do. But if the prices go up too much, I'm either going to have to cut that down to only one of each or become a cherry picker. I don't want to do that, as I am a completionist, but the rising costs are making wonder if it is even worth it.

In fact, I used to collect anything and everything I could if I liked the series no matter what. Now, however, I have pretty much streamlined it down to He-Man, Transformers, GI Joe, and DCU, with the occassional Sentai, Godzilla, One Piece, or video game figure. Toy collecting is just getting way too expensive while employment wages are remaining stagnat. No one is paying to meet the rising costs of the economic conditions. Even my movie collecting habbits have changed to the point that I am selling off every movie I own that I don't watch at least once a year and am only going to buy specific movies.

[BCreviews4628]

I will probably stop collecting altogether

Yeah I already have.

[Nemisythe]

I don't do many lines as per maybe just when I see a really terrific sculpt I may be tempted, but for full collections: I'm going with MOTU til the end!!!

[Phil.Pastel]

I don't see myself buying toys much longer. I'll either return to collecting vintage video games or find something else to collect.

Space is actually a major factor. There isn't even room to display all the stuff that I have now. I don't have a spot to display grayskull or snake mtn. They're just kind of hidden away in one corner, with most of the motu vehicles hidden away in the other corner.

I would collect SW at retail, but there isn't room to display them. And I don't see what is the point of buying stuff and then storing it away in boxes.

[Dice]

I'm gonna buy more but it will be different types of toy merchandise. Rather than figs I'm finding myself wanting different types of collectibles that have my vintage toylines on them.

[He-Dad]

I stopped collecting star wars all together unless something really jumps out at me. (those new target exclusive Emperor/Darth Maul and Darth Vader/Anakin packs are tempting). I started the vintage MOTU and am almost done. I've branched into MOTUC but I'm REALLY selective and don't see having too large a collection (unless they do alot more Filmation). As far as other toy lines, just get what my kid is into (right now he likes skylanders, motu, and TNMT which I've been finding for .50 a piece at the flea market). I don't see me collecting too many more toys unless something spectacular comes along.

[TrimmTrabb]

I will stick with collecting anything MOTU that's around the 6" scale.
I will be much less likely to cherry pick purchases form other major mass market lines. Although, I'm tempted by those TMNT Classics.
I will be more and more supportive of independent toymakers and artists.

[Alexx]

I know I'm going to try to slow down, or SELL THINGS. My god it's so hard to root through stuff and sell them. I'd probably slow it down and continue to sell stuff if I could manage it. If I sold things at a regular pace them I could continue my interest in toys in general. I've always loved seeing what they come up with - new innovations and whatnot. I just can't afford to keep buying the interesting little side things, and I certainly don't have the room.

So basically I'd like to make more room, and slow down the amount. I know that may happen no matter what if the prices keep increasing like this. Like G.I. Joes....they are trying some things to cut costs, but then they RAISE the price by three bucks. I don't understand that....I figure if you're cutting costs it's so that they can keep it at the same price, but then they raise it....in any case, that may kill it for me. I'm not getting paid any more than I was, so I won't be able to keep that up.

The first post makes a good point, though! I do find myself looking to the independent toys more and more, because you can see more of a direct correlation between cost and the product you're obtaining. That, and the new independant toys are relating to the toy collectors nowadays, because they're being made by toy collectors. They just get it; simple ideas, fun to mess with, and usually a great ability to mix parts.

So I guess that's how things will change: slower buying, kill off a lot of the old collection, pay more attention to independent toys, and then ignore all that and keep doing what I'm doing because I'm terrible at changing habits.

[Brad2dbone]

Other than Motu I mostly collect vicariously through my kids. These days I enjoy getting them all of the figures from their favorite lines more than collecting for myself. That trend should continue until they aren't interested in toys.

[Stratos*Major]

~ I find myself less and less interested in mass market lines: Due to increased prices, poor distribution, and just less interesting product, I rarely find anything I'm interested in buying from regular retail stores like Target, Wal-Mart, and Toys R Us. 3 3/4 lines have just jumped up so much in price while diminshing in quality. I've always been a hardcore G.I. Joe fan, and the new Retaliation line leaves me cold. The Avengers line feels "been there, done that." Star Wars has priced itself out of my interest. Other than possibly the Movie Masters, Mattel's DKR line does nothing for me. Hitting the toy aisle is no longer that interesting.

~I find myself more interested in independant offerings While I haven't taken the dive on all of these lines, products like the Outlandish Mini Figure Guys, Spy Monkey stuff, Glyos, and other small companies definitely have my attention. They seem to be filled with the creativity and excitement that so many great lines used to have.

~I'm willing to pay more to get more I've never been big on 1/6th scale toys, but lately I have been interested in them. While Hot Toys, Triad, Sideshow, and other 1/6th lines rarely come in below the $100 mark (and sometimes upwards of the $200 mark) I am finding that I'd rather spend a large amount of money on one quality product that impresses me than a wave or two of mass market releases. I've bought some Dead Cell figures from Triad and a Hot Toys RE Alice and have loved them. Heck, while I'm not looking forward to a MOTUC price increase, I'd rather buy one of those figures (if well done) than 2 of anything else out there.

~I find myself buying more older toys Being bored with a lot of what is available currently, I've been going back and buying older toylines that didn't survive my childhood or that I missed out on. Lately I've been picking up some Gundam figures that I really wanted in college, but never could afford. Amazing to think these were hanging on Wal-Mart pegs at one time! They're beautiful. I finished my N2 toys Frazetta statues collection. I've bagged a great deal of vintage TMNT stuff. Typically, these things are so much cheaper than new stuff and there's less pressure to buy it before the price jumps.

Exactly!

Now I don't have to type as much.

I find myself more attracted to fewer higher quality toys. I just got my first Hot Toy Figure...and FREAKING AWESOMES. Never mind the fact I could buy X amount of any retail figure. The quality of it FAR surpasses any retail figure.

The only mass retail line I am/was interested in was Thundercats 8" Classics I am down with the 6" Classics also. Monster High. Without a doubt Lego will always be a favorite of mine. Oh & minimates (but only X-Men). I'll be down with the Walking Dead and Battle Beasts!

Older toys yes yes and yes. The best toys are always (IMO) going to be the ones where memories lay.

[Barbecue17]

Doctor Who just need to finish off my Doctors maybe another character or two here and there (WHERE IS RORY???).

I was loving the Doctor Who series, but Character Options has really dropped the ball with the line. So many bizarre redos and repaints and a refusal to do a main character (and companion) like Rory. I'll pick up a River at some point, but that's about the only thing out there that interests me. Besides, the figures get really expensive here in the states.

Marvel Universe is still going strong.

The price jump on these really put the breaks on for my love of the line. I started by buying whatever characters interested me, then went to only Jim Lee Era X-men and A-list characters, then had to get out of the game.

I'll continue to buy the DCD Arkham City figures

I have the newest wave on the way, but I had a chance to see them in person at my LCS. They are fantastic! DC Direct, while not releasing the variety of product they have in years past, still releases really nice stuff. The Arkham City series 3 looks great, but I really hope we get a Talia at some point!

I don't do many lines as per maybe just when I see a really terrific sculpt I may be tempted, but for full collections: I'm going with MOTU til the end!!! .

I feel the same way. I'm really getting to the point where I'm able to be less of a completist on lines I like and can pick up a single figure because I'm impressed with it. I really, really want to go all the way with MOTUC, however. May be the last line I do that with.

[vaderSW1]

Depending on how much the cost goes up on MOTUC, I may have to cut back or cut collecting altogether. I very much enjoy the MOTUC line and I will be heartbroken to give it up but my wife and son come first and if I don't have money to keep a roof over their heads, food on their plates, or clothes on their backs then I will do what I have to. $20 a figure is already quite high, I can't imagine having to spend $30 a figure.

[MOTU_Maniac]

Over the last month I have already started downsizing due to unexpected bills. That along with the increase in cost of many of the lines I like, I see myself spending much less time and money on toys. It's not necessarily what I want, but bills come first

[wyldman11]

I was loving the Doctor Who series, but Character Options has really dropped the ball with the line. So many bizarre redos and repaints and a refusal to do a main character (and companion) like Rory. I'll pick up a River at some point, but that's about the only thing out there that interests me. Besides, the figures get really expensive here in the states.

Yeah, I don't really see what they are doing I don't know if they have gone into maintenance mode or what. Even the classics stuff is really odd, they have several popular companions to release I would love a re-release of 1st and 2nd Doctors, and a single release of 8 (not buying a 13 Doctor set when that is all I need).

For some reason I recall Arthur Darvill saying in an interview they had done the rotoscoping already for the figure and he wasn't sure why it hadn't been released yet.

[MrRoboto]

~ I find myself less and less interested in mass market lines:

The only line i have real interest in is MotU Classics. I can see myself getting next years Club Eternia sub but then after that, i somehow doubt it. This line would have perfect for me if it began in 2004 and not at the tail end of 2008... I do have a Voltron sub but i can see myself parting with that sometime down the track. Almost regret getting it actually.

~ I find myself buying more older toys:

Well the only older ones i've actually almost 100% completed is the vintage MotU line. Need two more! I did have interest in M.A.S.K. but it's too expensive and i don't have room. Same for vintage TMNT (room issue) and Transformers (room issue, price etc...)

Honestly, i have goals in life that i want to achieve and those mean much more to me than figures. It's a great hobby to have currently but at the end of the day, i wanna look back in twenty years and and say to myself that i've lived life to the fullest and have no regrets than look back and say i have complete collections of whatever toy line and nothing else to show. Of course, i only say this in reference to myself and is not indicative of anyone or anything else whatsoever.

[Sky Breaker]

My interest in toys has been declining for years now, partially due to space issues, and partially due to the fact that I have no one to share my interests with outside the Internet. I don't seem to connect well with toy nerds, and the few people I know who love geeky things, well their interest doesn't extend past movies and the occasional comic.

The McFarlane was the first to go, and now I'm down to a few random MOC pieces, and my 200x/MOTUC collection. I have been eyeing up the Transformer MP line, however playing $70 for a plastic robot is a little much (though for resell purposes they are a wise choice), and since the new vintage TC line switched from a 8'' to 6'' format, I'm done with them too.

The only line I would even remotely consider collecting for nostalgia's sake is a Silverhawks line. That's it. I'm pretty much done.

[Southzen]

I will probably always buy GI Joe in one incarnation or another; it just looks like this year my retail purchases will be greatly shadowed by what I pick up at Joecon. MOTUC's price increase will likely lose me as a subscriber because I don't have to have them all. I've been payin more attention to LEGO, but not Star Wars (I'm bored with the property). I agree with of all that has been said for the most part; I dropped Marvel U along time ago along with Star Wars and sold it all on eBay. All of the new TMNT 4-5" figures have my attention. Price increases were likely to happen one day. Much of my spending comes from a trifecta of things: me going back to college for another degree, my daughters school tuition, and me wanting a new house and car.

[Howlor]

I had been steady for the last few years in getting everything new from MOTUC and DCUC, and a lot of the Ghostbusters and Star Wars lines, with a few outliers here and there. Now:

DCUC/All-Stars/Whatever is done at retail for the time being. I'm all caught up on them, aside from a few of the early exclusives that I had to pass on at the time and the upcoming (somehow) Young Justice Batman and Red Arrow that I'm, in all honesty, getting solely for the diorama bases. Club Infinite Earths has a whopping two figures that I had even the remotest of interest in (Flash and Poison Ivy). I don't see the sub being an interesting proposition in the future. I predict a Huntress in the 2013 sub being the sole figure of interest for me and, with the next retail push likely being the New 52 designs that I hate and the prices rising to absurd levels, I will probably be largely getting out of the DCUC business. I've never bought DC Direct (or whatever they're calling themselves now) and they don't fit with my Horsemen figures, so I won't be switching to them, either.

Ghostbusters was officially canned. I feel like I should have missed out on several must-haves, what with Stay Puft being the last thing that I bought and Dana/Zuul being the next thing I'll buy, but in reality they only biggie I missed was Vinz Clortho, and I can get him cheap. Vigo had an awful sculpt and wasn't essential to me anyway since he's only seen out of the painting for a minute or two. I want to be sad, but what am I mourning? Ray in a lab coat? Peter in a suit and tie? They dropped the ball big time on this line. Since their refusal to do 6" Real Ghostbusters means that I can only look to characters from the two movies, I'm only missing Gozer and the Terror Dogs, which I can get through other outlets later on.

Star Wars...ugh. don't even get me started. Massive distribution problems and constant recycling of characters and figures that have already been done ad nauseam have forced (huh-huh) me out of this one. I haven't bought a new figure in almost a year, and not really by choice. I just can't ever find the ones I'm looking for and it costs a fortune to get them on the secondary market. There's upcoming figures that look interesting, but since I already know I won't even be able to find 1/3 of them, I'm not even trying.

Then you have the little ones. Nothing's been said about the next 6" wave of Thundercats Classics and I'm betting that it's done. I can't say that I was overly impressed with them anyway. I'm kind of regretting buying them, to be honest. I've gotten the primary 3 3/4" movie versions of The Avengers so far. All I need is the upcoming Black Widow and Hawkeye, plus I've heard rumors of a Nick Fury and Phil Coulson/Maria Hill 2-pack. I don't see the point of continuing on beyond that. What I really wanted was the 6" Avengers, but those are Wal-Mart exclusives and none of the four reasonably close to me ever do the exclusives, so I might as well save my time, gas and money. TRU is doing a new import of Masterpiece Optimus Prime, this time with the trailer. I'm going to try for that since it's expected to be far, far less than importing the Japanese version, but I'm not holding my breath since none of the local TRUs have ever gotten the exclusive Masterpieces. The Evil Dead 2 line still has the Hero Ash and Henrietta coming, but after that? Who knows. It could be another Predator or Terminator, where NECA gets every last drop out of the license, or it could fizzle out after those two. I'm not getting my hopes up. Besides, other than Evil Ed I'm not sure who else I'd buy. The TMNT Classics looked great for about five minutes, but then I looked at my NECA B&W Turtles, and I kind of consider them my definitive Turtles. No need to go beyond those. I also had a desire to army build the Zombie Viper from G.I. Joe, but the only G.I Joe figures that any local Toys R Us' or Targets have are the same old Renegades versions of Cobra Commander and Tunnel Rat that have been hanging from those pegs for almost a year now. Seriously, no replenish, no restock. Just the same five or six figures. Meanwhile, I heard tales of those on the eastern half of the US finding the Zombie Viper in abundance. Hasbro and their spectacular distribution again.

That leaves me with MOTUC. I honestly haven't been a victim of the horrible QC that others have been and my faith isn't shattered. I'm in for at least 95% (don't care what anyone says, I still hate Vykron and there's no convincing me to buy him) as long as they're making them.

Basically, because of terrible distribution, horrible line management and ridiculously high costs, I'm down to one line. Honestly, after MOTUC ends I don't see myself continuing with the hobby. It's just not as fun as it used to be.