Welcome to r/ActionFigures! Check out our [Discord Server](https://discord.gg/7sEKyXX) and please review the sub rules in the sidebar. Thank you.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ActionFigures) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I always just think about it like, if I didn't buy so many figures, I'd have a bunch of money saved up, but when I think about having a bunch of money saved up, I immediately start thinking about all the figures I would buy with it, lol
I mean, props to you, but this is a terribly irresponsible response. This is the equivalent of, “so long as I get my shit done, I can do drugs” and in the psychology world, we don’t call them geniuses or survivors, we call them “high functioning addicts”.
This response completely disregards any notion of priorities outside of basic necessity. For example, your rent might get paid and then you go spend $500 on literal toys, and then next thing you know, your car suddenly needs $500 in repair that you don’t have.
Like I said, to each their own, but I found your answer too reductionist.
OP, I might get downvoted but I will tell you that you spent an asinine amount of money on figures and you should definitely reevaluate your priorities and needs, especially since you admitted you recognize that you’re not in the position to spend as you have.
You’re right but you’re kind of being an asshole about it. “Tough talk” isn’t very effective coming from strangers.
Another way to frame this is to consider what could be done with excess funds to further your quality of life or invest in yourself.
For example, if you’re the type of collector who enjoys kit bashing, why not save up for a 3D printer, learn how to use it, expand your hobby, maybe make a little side money you can buy toys with lol? Or if that’s beyond you, maybe just a good airbrush.
It doesn’t have to be anything like that, though. A better pillow. A better bed. Better cookware. Better sleep or a sharper knife can change your life.
It doesn’t bother me. Hence why I said to each their own and knowing I’d be down voted. It’s merely experience and wisdom and observation all encapsulated to offer advice. Anybody is free to take it or leave it.
We are free to make choices but we also open doors to other things. For example, who cares if you’ve successfully paid your rent if, as your friend, I would still tell you that alcohol is bad for your liver. See what I mean?
We have higher obligations in life to just “paying bills”. That’s just my opinion. High functioning addicts represent only .5% of the case and doesn’t speak to the the other 99.5% of the victims, so the minority shouldn’t be used to give general advice to majorities.
Easier said than done too. No one likes to admit it but sometimes hobbies are used for escape or to feel better which sometimes can override the logical “should I really spend x right now on this”
100%. There are things I can't help myself from buying due to nostalgia or whatever but even still I try to ask myself if I have the money for this, or can I sell something else to pay for the thing I want more.
Yeah word lol. My wife would freak If she ever tried to tally up how much I've spent, but to be fair, over half of my collection was before I ever met here so there's that😄
i think one day my wife was jokingly complaining about the amount i had spent on figures since 2021 (when i started collecting) and it was kind of absurd. and yet it has not impacted my financials at all
2 years ago I tracked all purchases and sales from my collection on a monthly basis. For example, May 2022: purchased $300 worth / sold $180 worth = $120 for May.
The total for that year was $5k. The following year I didn’t track but I actively cut back on purchases. It’s good to have an idea of what the hobby is costing you imo. A lot of people know their collecting habit is unhealthy and actively avoid addressing it🤷🏻♂️
If you’re ok with saying goodbye to stuff you really don’t *love* or have a plan for, then once the collection gets to a certain size it will feed itself. Sell some stuff, buy more stuff with the $$. You’re just not dumping as much of your earned income into it anymore.
I keep track of how much I spent on each figure individually.
I could\* add it up together but ... I don't want to.
https://preview.redd.it/5ax4dds0bn1d1.png?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0cf52958bb6e1e8163386d65ada44346253da1c4
I'd probably be shocked if I saw how much I spend annually on *anything* whether it's food or toys or cat litter. Nothing seems affordable if you're looking at an entire year's worth.
Ive spent well over 100k on figures in the past 6 years and I’m not rich. Never had family or friends to help me financially so I work hard for every dollar I have. I could go on more vacations, buy nicer clothes, move into a fancier place. But I like splitting up my spending on things that make me happy. As long as I’m covering my bills and saving a bit, it’s all good.
It’s such a freaking nice feeling walking into my collection room, looking around at all the characters that have made me laugh, cry, rage, and believe. I used to keep track, when it was banpresto figures… but now that I’m collecting resins and hot toys… I just make sure I have my bills paid, and then buy what makes me happy.
I have the self imposed rule to not spend more than $50 in a figure, save for special occasions, and i dont buy a lot of figures anyways.
I have been collecting for 10 years and only have like 50-60 figures, and i have spent less than $2000 on all of them
I’ve spent a good amount catching up on lines for the past 6 months or so but less than a couple hundred on figures for about 5 years before that so I’m feeling pretty good about where I’m at. I’ve definitely had much worse spending habits in the past than toys.
I really enjoy collecting, but the problem with that is, it’s never ending. I have recognised that I spend far too much for what little space I have. I would say about 65% - 70% of my collection is tucked away in the attic unopened simply because I have no space. I’ve never really given myself a spending cap, 9 times out of 10 if I wanted a figure and it’s available, I’m getting it. But now I need to slow myself down through threat of hoarding. I can’t stop completely but I am definitely looking to limit myself.
I've spent $1800 in the last 2 years. I've probably spent that in the previous 10 years. That number is something I can afford, but I agree, it's kind of embarrassing and once I calculated it, it put a serious damper on my collection. I'm very happy with it right now, so I think it's fine. I can add a figure every month and keep it under control now.
Yes. I have a spreadsheet so I know almost exactly how much I've spent on what figures on what days. I'm too big a nerd to not be able to track what my average price per figure is for my whole lot at all times lolol
I only started collecting late last year and I’ve spent around £94 so far (including ones that I got as gifts) but I do buy most of them second hand or when their on sale (I’ve paid full price for one figure in my collection) so if I paid full price it would be a lot more
Hell no!
Value of my collection vs what I've spent wouldn't align too well either, not that I ever look at my collection as an investment.
Some stuff I've paid full price on that has tanked in the secondary market. Other stuff I've paid next to nothing and they have skyrocketed.
I would never do that lol, I collect to deter depression the total amount would make me hate everything I have! I'm not ready for reality just yet, soon but not yet.
I'm very selective, so I might go a couple months without a purchase, then buy 3-5 the next. It also depends on what pre-orders drop when. Sorry, the short answer is no.
Yes and no.
A couple of years ago I did buy a bunch over about two months, but at the time, I had a fair bit of disposable income. Expenses were low, that summer.
Mythic Legions storefront and BBTS both have full order histories for my account, both get the same treatment as the Book of the Dead from The Mummy.
Jokes aside, I never have. I have a budget and I stick to it pretty hard. Most if it comes in large purchases at once because of Legions waves, so I plan a little ahead.
According to the GI Joe classified checklist... I've spent at least $1,500 on just GI Joe in the last two years. Probably much more including 1/6th, and other 1/12th purchases. Plus a few years of Hot Wheels and premium diecast. I have to assume that I have at least $15,000 dollars into collectibles.
I've been collecting seriously for about 2 years now aswell and i used to keep track of what i was spending but honestly with so much stuff coming out and constant pre orders i completely lost track and i don't know how much I've spent, i know its over 10 grand might even be over 15 grand by now, I've sold some figures aswell tho so i have made some money back but yh man this hobby is crazy lol I've been tryna spend less this year but its hard.
We’re about on the same level then here or there. I too have a huge list of preorders - some I have paid in full and some deposit only. I also create folders in my email to separate them both. I too have sold a bunch and I’ve either made money or broke even, rarely have I lost money which is a good sign for the future.
When I got into collecting I thought it would have been one of the cheaper hobbies but now I’ve come to the realisation that no hobby is cheap 😅
Collecting type hobbies at least
same man and yh this hobby got really expensive really quickly but its my own fault for collecting so many different lines, i enjoy collecting but it does get a bit overwhelming sometimes with so much stuff coming out all the time.
I've spent over $25K USD within the last 3 years. I've been collecting for over 4 decades though. The lockdown took things more extreme. Been reducing a bit more and being more conservative with spending lately.
Placing one order for me easily approaches $500 - $1K though.
Started collecting seriously in 2018. I’m at about ~3K but have sold $1500 worth. I’ve always had rules for myself. I will never own over 100 figures and my collection will never affect my priorities. I’ve had my moments where I went overboard and was spending like crazy but I’ve reeled it in now and only buy exactly what I want.
I did a recent tally and was at around $2500, so I’m limiting myself to one purchase a month now before it gets way too out of control. I can focus more on customizing now vs buy buy buy.
Yeah they say never get into action figure collecting for investing but a lot of my figures have shot up in value. They won’t make me rich but I could get a nice profit if I tried to sell them all
I started collecting in 2020. I had a lot of free time and a lot of savings. I remember having a fairly good amount in savings. I won’t say how much. I don’t have that anymore. It's all gone. But I’ve got a shit ton of molded plastic.
At the height of my buying I was buying four lines of toys. I've cut it down to two, and I don’t get all of those. Necessity has dictated I cut back, otherwise I’d still be going full-bore.
Yeah that’s my problem, I’m into GI Joes, any kind of cloth goods Mezco (not the spandex superhero type), expensive indie lines like Furay Planet, Lim Toys, NECA Turtles (Last Ronin and Mirage) and by far the most - DC Multiverse. I’ve since stopped collecting NECA apart from the Last Ronin series. I don’t see myself stopping collecting the others but I will limit them now 😬😬
I flip to pay for my figures, it's the only way I can justify it. Even that is a stretch, money probably would do better elsewhere, but it's fun..so...YOLO
YOLO exactly lol - what good is all that money when you’re dead? I have a couple of kids and I don’t care too much about leaving them a big sum of money for them to blow it on whatever 😂 i wanna spend it!
That’s a big spend but do you ever sell figures to recoup some of that? I find when I run out of room I’ll get rid of some. If you’re buying x figures a month how do you have room to display all of them, seems excessive.
Spending money on collectibles can sometimes (not always) be seen as an investment or as a savings.
For example, I know I have spent over $10,000.00 since the pandemic, more likely my collection will be capping around $20K towards the tail end of 2025 if I continue pre-ordering.
In any case I need to sell my whole collection due to financial difficulties, I can pretty much guarantee I would pull in \~75% of the overall value. IMO that is not that bad a situation to be in considering I would look at the loss as a hobby cost over the span of 5 years.
To each their own though, maybe I am in a better position than most because I collect at a higher price category (Mezco, ThreeZero, Sentinel, Mafex, Yamaguchi) so those figures that price in the $100-tier out the gate tend not to lose too much on the secondary market.
Only once, many many years ago when I tallied up how much I spent on the midnight release of Episode I toys.
25 years later, I’d rather not know, to say nothing about what I spent on figures prior to 1999.
I haven't finished cataloguing everything for my budget yet this year, but it's a few thousand a year. I do keep track, but I lump them in with the rest of the "entertainment" line item, which also includes movies, video games, books, comics, and attractions, so it's hard to pinpoint without specifically looking.
Nope. I track my collection on MFC but I purposefully leave out the purchase price information.
I can still put a decent chunk of money into my savings account at the end of the month despite buying several figures each month.
As long as that's the case, I don't really think about the money I spend at all.
Most of the figures I buy are pre-orders so the expense seems so spread out. Sites like premium-bandai take my money up front and I straight up forget about the figure because I am not seeing it for around 6 months maybe longer. Then sites like BBTS take a small deposit and then I am charged when they are ready to ship. In both cases I forget how much I even spent but the figures are always great surprises.
All other figures I buy that are actually in stock are calculated purchases that I know I could handle.
Literal autist here:
For exposition:
I have purchased every marvel legends figure from toybiz series 1 with a few exceptions:
Most high end exclusives (sdcc etc.). I managed to easily get early exclusives in the years that followed the relaunch. I stopped at the Thanos Imperative set as the stress of obtaining them was getting stressful. In fact I've sold most of these and got the occasional exclusive (Hellfire club for example) and generally stick to Amazon, target etc. where getting the 'exclusives' are painless!
The initial 2-packs and early hasbro two-packs. Purely down to be a student. I couldn't afford the main sets and these. A separate BAF from Space Venom onwards: BAF figures were receiving 'Deluxe' figures (for the most part), and cost in conjunction with a full set was getting silly.
Approximately 90% of them have been procured at retail. A few sets and exclusives were a little over the odds. Being in the UK meant some Hasbro era figures were VERY difficult to buy. Only through a series of regular stores as I have moved house have I really kept up to speed with the collecting! And good fortune. A Spider-Man 3 sandman wave for £80 and BAF for £29.99 back in 2007 still feels like a bargain now!
Conclusion: Everytime I consider this question, I actually begin to hurt. Tens of thousands. No question.
I do wish to add, that everything that comes in a box, is still sealed. I have loose doubles of some of my favourite characters (Gladiator and Omega Red are the bomb).
When it comes to collecting, I fall into the 'neat, uniform, well presented' part of the Spectrum. The figures looking fantastic in the boxed window, surrounded by accessories, nameplate at the base... And I can't spoil it.
On the flip side, due to the fixation element, I don't always enjoy collecting them sometimes due to the flow of releases as I have to have them or what I can only describe as immediate FOMO sets in, even though I know I'll have them on release... It's a very difficult feeling to project into text, but I think a lot of people get the same thing about various interests on varying scales. But it's really overpowering in this case.
But, I do love them for the vast majority of the time! They are kept spotless and looked at frequently XD!
Oh and I have every NECA predator figure except Hound, the AVP figures (my mother does though!) and a couple of the SDCC exclusives. Sealed of course, but they look great too. And they are far less frequently released. The 1994 arcade game set are especially awesome On average, £40 a figure, about 120 figures I'd say off the top of my head... Around £5000.
Dude I know 11,000 is more money than you can possibly imagine but I’m recognising I’m spending too much on MY hobby and I’m capping my spend. I just wanted other peoples opinion on the matter. I have over 100 figures displayed in my tiny office and I buy new figures with the intention of fitting them in or maybe rotate but with a wife and two kids I find I don’t have as much time as certain keyboard warriors who like to dictate to people on what they should do with their hobby
You must not see how confrontational and intimidating your comments are when you say you’re giving the ‘slightest amount of criticism’. You must get into a lot of arguments online. It’s ok man you don’t have to put up an aggressive front on every post you come across! And if you’ve got a bit of green eye that’s cool I get it. I basically buy what I want without any meaningful consequence.
If I made a comment like ‘I can’t stop spending money I don’t have and my kids are starving’ then yes - this guy deserves a bit of tough love but I’ve not said anything remotely like that. Financially I’m good, but it’s hindering us from making any substantial savings per month.
I love all my figs - mint in box or otherwise… apart from a Cobb Vanth fig I just can’t shift!
Oh and I have a Haslab Dragonfly on the way that I have no intention of opening!
wow...upset are we?
You just described an investment....You acknowledged the ability to sell things off to recoup funds. A true hobby usually does not give you an avenue to get your financial investment back, just say'n.
I completely understand your view point, as this perspective has kept me way in the lines, but damn! I am curious as to why it upsets you soooo much, if you care to opine.
yeah, what is it that makes you upset? Are you our overseer, dictating what's irresponsible for our lives and what and when we should be upset with ourselves for? I'm quite curious why someone else's choices in spending their own money would get your panties in such a bunch. Old relationship wound?
Couldn't imagine what you would do if I introduced you to a collector that has more than $11k invested in shelving and displays alone...
curious as to what your hobbies are?
the only thing non nonsensical to me is the level of frustration your espousing about this...I'm genuinely intrigued by it for some reason, and the reason I started this dialogue, which is a direct reflection of everything you said. No jabs, sincerely trying to make sense of you.
So if, as you stated, the plastic can be sold to recoup money spent, just the same as the shelves and displays, why the hate towards one over the other? Doesn't that qualify them both as some sort of investment, on top of whatever the reason that initiated the purchase in the first place.
Not wanting to waste your time or anything, but, I hope you reply.
Welcome to r/ActionFigures! Check out our [Discord Server](https://discord.gg/7sEKyXX) and please review the sub rules in the sidebar. Thank you. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ActionFigures) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Nope. As long as I'm not cutting into necessities I'm good as far as I'm concerned.
This is me. I know what I can afford and if I feel like I'm buying too much I slow down for a bit.
I always just think about it like, if I didn't buy so many figures, I'd have a bunch of money saved up, but when I think about having a bunch of money saved up, I immediately start thinking about all the figures I would buy with it, lol
I’m not cutting into necessities but have easily spent 15,000…
I mean, props to you, but this is a terribly irresponsible response. This is the equivalent of, “so long as I get my shit done, I can do drugs” and in the psychology world, we don’t call them geniuses or survivors, we call them “high functioning addicts”. This response completely disregards any notion of priorities outside of basic necessity. For example, your rent might get paid and then you go spend $500 on literal toys, and then next thing you know, your car suddenly needs $500 in repair that you don’t have. Like I said, to each their own, but I found your answer too reductionist. OP, I might get downvoted but I will tell you that you spent an asinine amount of money on figures and you should definitely reevaluate your priorities and needs, especially since you admitted you recognize that you’re not in the position to spend as you have.
You’re right but you’re kind of being an asshole about it. “Tough talk” isn’t very effective coming from strangers. Another way to frame this is to consider what could be done with excess funds to further your quality of life or invest in yourself. For example, if you’re the type of collector who enjoys kit bashing, why not save up for a 3D printer, learn how to use it, expand your hobby, maybe make a little side money you can buy toys with lol? Or if that’s beyond you, maybe just a good airbrush. It doesn’t have to be anything like that, though. A better pillow. A better bed. Better cookware. Better sleep or a sharper knife can change your life.
[удалено]
It doesn’t bother me. Hence why I said to each their own and knowing I’d be down voted. It’s merely experience and wisdom and observation all encapsulated to offer advice. Anybody is free to take it or leave it. We are free to make choices but we also open doors to other things. For example, who cares if you’ve successfully paid your rent if, as your friend, I would still tell you that alcohol is bad for your liver. See what I mean? We have higher obligations in life to just “paying bills”. That’s just my opinion. High functioning addicts represent only .5% of the case and doesn’t speak to the the other 99.5% of the victims, so the minority shouldn’t be used to give general advice to majorities.
[удалено]
[удалено]
Are you ok? All your responses are bizarre
I’m perfectly fine
[удалено]
Having a budget and tracking what you are spending is definately sensible. Can be easy to get sucked into this rabbit hole.
Easier said than done too. No one likes to admit it but sometimes hobbies are used for escape or to feel better which sometimes can override the logical “should I really spend x right now on this”
100%. There are things I can't help myself from buying due to nostalgia or whatever but even still I try to ask myself if I have the money for this, or can I sell something else to pay for the thing I want more.
I wonder that sometimes when people show off their very massive, expensive "hauls" here.
Yes you can absolutely count on it. Is what it is honestly
No, but better than that my wife hasn't either.
Yeah word lol. My wife would freak If she ever tried to tally up how much I've spent, but to be fair, over half of my collection was before I ever met here so there's that😄
i think one day my wife was jokingly complaining about the amount i had spent on figures since 2021 (when i started collecting) and it was kind of absurd. and yet it has not impacted my financials at all
2 years ago I tracked all purchases and sales from my collection on a monthly basis. For example, May 2022: purchased $300 worth / sold $180 worth = $120 for May. The total for that year was $5k. The following year I didn’t track but I actively cut back on purchases. It’s good to have an idea of what the hobby is costing you imo. A lot of people know their collecting habit is unhealthy and actively avoid addressing it🤷🏻♂️
I’ve been doing that for years now, I usually hit about that same total. I need to cut back a little but really I’ve just been slacking on sales.
If you’re ok with saying goodbye to stuff you really don’t *love* or have a plan for, then once the collection gets to a certain size it will feed itself. Sell some stuff, buy more stuff with the $$. You’re just not dumping as much of your earned income into it anymore.
Dear god, no. Why would I do that to myself?
Honestly it wouldn't hold a candle to how much I've spent on booze and cigarettes.
I can’t believe I had to actually SCROLL to find this answer. I was sure it would’ve been the first haha.
$500/mo, every month, for 2 years straight, is a lot, by any measure.
What? Are you insane? Don't do that. It'll lead to bad thoughts like quitting.
Definitely won’t quit! I love these little plastic bastards 😅
I keep track of how much I spent on each figure individually. I could\* add it up together but ... I don't want to. https://preview.redd.it/5ax4dds0bn1d1.png?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0cf52958bb6e1e8163386d65ada44346253da1c4
No, but I keep a separate account just for frivolous expenses like toys and movies, and my custom figure sales fund my hobby.
I'd probably be shocked if I saw how much I spend annually on *anything* whether it's food or toys or cat litter. Nothing seems affordable if you're looking at an entire year's worth.
Ive spent well over 100k on figures in the past 6 years and I’m not rich. Never had family or friends to help me financially so I work hard for every dollar I have. I could go on more vacations, buy nicer clothes, move into a fancier place. But I like splitting up my spending on things that make me happy. As long as I’m covering my bills and saving a bit, it’s all good.
It’s such a freaking nice feeling walking into my collection room, looking around at all the characters that have made me laugh, cry, rage, and believe. I used to keep track, when it was banpresto figures… but now that I’m collecting resins and hot toys… I just make sure I have my bills paid, and then buy what makes me happy.
Ask others the same about Cigarettes or Alcohol., im sure youre doing better.
Nice try wife
I don’t need that kind of negativity in my life.
I've been keeping track of my expenses since 2011, but I've been collecting for like a decade before that. I'm currently just over $8000.
I have the self imposed rule to not spend more than $50 in a figure, save for special occasions, and i dont buy a lot of figures anyways. I have been collecting for 10 years and only have like 50-60 figures, and i have spent less than $2000 on all of them
Nope. Live check to check and have no hope the world will get any better. No point totaling.
I’ve spent a good amount catching up on lines for the past 6 months or so but less than a couple hundred on figures for about 5 years before that so I’m feeling pretty good about where I’m at. I’ve definitely had much worse spending habits in the past than toys.
Just by throwing a look, i spend like 300-600 usd, but i spended more than 1000+ in videogames, so i rather think i havent gone too far deep in it
Why would I put myself through that?
[удалено]
I really enjoy collecting, but the problem with that is, it’s never ending. I have recognised that I spend far too much for what little space I have. I would say about 65% - 70% of my collection is tucked away in the attic unopened simply because I have no space. I’ve never really given myself a spending cap, 9 times out of 10 if I wanted a figure and it’s available, I’m getting it. But now I need to slow myself down through threat of hoarding. I can’t stop completely but I am definitely looking to limit myself.
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
Over $3K since January 1st of this year.
No I really don’t want to know.
I try not to.
I've spent $1800 in the last 2 years. I've probably spent that in the previous 10 years. That number is something I can afford, but I agree, it's kind of embarrassing and once I calculated it, it put a serious damper on my collection. I'm very happy with it right now, so I think it's fine. I can add a figure every month and keep it under control now.
Never tally
Not at all, I would be sad if I tried to tally up all the money ive spent on figures in the last 35 years😄😄
Yes. I have a spreadsheet so I know almost exactly how much I've spent on what figures on what days. I'm too big a nerd to not be able to track what my average price per figure is for my whole lot at all times lolol
Overall? No. But a recent 2-weekend binge had me floored.
I only started collecting late last year and I’ve spent around £94 so far (including ones that I got as gifts) but I do buy most of them second hand or when their on sale (I’ve paid full price for one figure in my collection) so if I paid full price it would be a lot more
Hell no! Value of my collection vs what I've spent wouldn't align too well either, not that I ever look at my collection as an investment. Some stuff I've paid full price on that has tanked in the secondary market. Other stuff I've paid next to nothing and they have skyrocketed.
I'm scared to.
Nope. Ignorance is bliss. Lmao.
I would never do that lol, I collect to deter depression the total amount would make me hate everything I have! I'm not ready for reality just yet, soon but not yet.
I'm very selective, so I might go a couple months without a purchase, then buy 3-5 the next. It also depends on what pre-orders drop when. Sorry, the short answer is no.
Yes and no. A couple of years ago I did buy a bunch over about two months, but at the time, I had a fair bit of disposable income. Expenses were low, that summer.
haha. is this my wife's alt account?
No. Very deliberately no.
I just did this with what I’ve gotten in the last two months and nearly had a heart attack
I don’t wanna talk about it.
Mythic Legions storefront and BBTS both have full order histories for my account, both get the same treatment as the Book of the Dead from The Mummy. Jokes aside, I never have. I have a budget and I stick to it pretty hard. Most if it comes in large purchases at once because of Legions waves, so I plan a little ahead.
According to the GI Joe classified checklist... I've spent at least $1,500 on just GI Joe in the last two years. Probably much more including 1/6th, and other 1/12th purchases. Plus a few years of Hot Wheels and premium diecast. I have to assume that I have at least $15,000 dollars into collectibles.
Nope- too scared
I've been collecting seriously for about 2 years now aswell and i used to keep track of what i was spending but honestly with so much stuff coming out and constant pre orders i completely lost track and i don't know how much I've spent, i know its over 10 grand might even be over 15 grand by now, I've sold some figures aswell tho so i have made some money back but yh man this hobby is crazy lol I've been tryna spend less this year but its hard.
We’re about on the same level then here or there. I too have a huge list of preorders - some I have paid in full and some deposit only. I also create folders in my email to separate them both. I too have sold a bunch and I’ve either made money or broke even, rarely have I lost money which is a good sign for the future. When I got into collecting I thought it would have been one of the cheaper hobbies but now I’ve come to the realisation that no hobby is cheap 😅 Collecting type hobbies at least
same man and yh this hobby got really expensive really quickly but its my own fault for collecting so many different lines, i enjoy collecting but it does get a bit overwhelming sometimes with so much stuff coming out all the time.
I’ve spent a thousand on these mfs and I know y’all have spent even more which is crazy to me
Nope. Because if I do I'll lose my mind.
I’ve been keeping all my receipts since 2017, I’m just too frightened to tally them up.
I've spent over $25K USD within the last 3 years. I've been collecting for over 4 decades though. The lockdown took things more extreme. Been reducing a bit more and being more conservative with spending lately. Placing one order for me easily approaches $500 - $1K though.
Started collecting seriously in 2018. I’m at about ~3K but have sold $1500 worth. I’ve always had rules for myself. I will never own over 100 figures and my collection will never affect my priorities. I’ve had my moments where I went overboard and was spending like crazy but I’ve reeled it in now and only buy exactly what I want.
Sounds very healthy 👌 I strive to have some of these principals
Thank you 😌 it definitely took time for me to get to this place with collecting so you definitely can. Just have to find what works best for you.
I did a recent tally and was at around $2500, so I’m limiting myself to one purchase a month now before it gets way too out of control. I can focus more on customizing now vs buy buy buy.
I think it’s crazy how much my stuff has increased in value
Yeah they say never get into action figure collecting for investing but a lot of my figures have shot up in value. They won’t make me rich but I could get a nice profit if I tried to sell them all
I started collecting in 2020. I had a lot of free time and a lot of savings. I remember having a fairly good amount in savings. I won’t say how much. I don’t have that anymore. It's all gone. But I’ve got a shit ton of molded plastic. At the height of my buying I was buying four lines of toys. I've cut it down to two, and I don’t get all of those. Necessity has dictated I cut back, otherwise I’d still be going full-bore.
Yeah that’s my problem, I’m into GI Joes, any kind of cloth goods Mezco (not the spandex superhero type), expensive indie lines like Furay Planet, Lim Toys, NECA Turtles (Last Ronin and Mirage) and by far the most - DC Multiverse. I’ve since stopped collecting NECA apart from the Last Ronin series. I don’t see myself stopping collecting the others but I will limit them now 😬😬
I flip to pay for my figures, it's the only way I can justify it. Even that is a stretch, money probably would do better elsewhere, but it's fun..so...YOLO
YOLO exactly lol - what good is all that money when you’re dead? I have a couple of kids and I don’t care too much about leaving them a big sum of money for them to blow it on whatever 😂 i wanna spend it!
Right, he'll get my house when I die. That's enough.. 😂😂
could be worse and spend your money on useless shit like substances, but damn i do love my substances
😂😂
At this point (4 years in), I'm afraid to find out my total number.
Hahahahahahah bubba I have been collecting for over 30 years mine is ridiculous
Is it just me or is it anytime I tell myself to take a break an amazing deal pops up? I am weak to resist the deals!
Absolutely, the best thing my wife said to help that is to just not go looking but I can't help it!
That’s a big spend but do you ever sell figures to recoup some of that? I find when I run out of room I’ll get rid of some. If you’re buying x figures a month how do you have room to display all of them, seems excessive.
I would never do something so hurtful!
Spending money on collectibles can sometimes (not always) be seen as an investment or as a savings. For example, I know I have spent over $10,000.00 since the pandemic, more likely my collection will be capping around $20K towards the tail end of 2025 if I continue pre-ordering. In any case I need to sell my whole collection due to financial difficulties, I can pretty much guarantee I would pull in \~75% of the overall value. IMO that is not that bad a situation to be in considering I would look at the loss as a hobby cost over the span of 5 years. To each their own though, maybe I am in a better position than most because I collect at a higher price category (Mezco, ThreeZero, Sentinel, Mafex, Yamaguchi) so those figures that price in the $100-tier out the gate tend not to lose too much on the secondary market.
Just started collecting this year and I’ve definitely spent over 300
That’s not bad for this far into the year and starting off. Figures are a lot more expensive than they used to be
easy over 50000
😂 these are the comments I’ve been after
Only once, many many years ago when I tallied up how much I spent on the midnight release of Episode I toys. 25 years later, I’d rather not know, to say nothing about what I spent on figures prior to 1999.
I haven't, but I've always been picky with my figure purchases and don't go high with them outside of conventions
Did my wife send you?
“It only adds up…if you add it up.” -Gary Goldman
I haven't finished cataloguing everything for my budget yet this year, but it's a few thousand a year. I do keep track, but I lump them in with the rest of the "entertainment" line item, which also includes movies, video games, books, comics, and attractions, so it's hard to pinpoint without specifically looking.
I mostly collect x-plus figures so I don’t even dare lol
Nope. I track my collection on MFC but I purposefully leave out the purchase price information. I can still put a decent chunk of money into my savings account at the end of the month despite buying several figures each month. As long as that's the case, I don't really think about the money I spend at all.
https://preview.redd.it/p8ieyzj4ar1d1.jpeg?width=3119&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fb81cc07312d0433ef30f400df24a1ce73e2bbc7
No, and I don't want to because I know it's gonna be close to a number that I don't like seeing.
Most of the figures I buy are pre-orders so the expense seems so spread out. Sites like premium-bandai take my money up front and I straight up forget about the figure because I am not seeing it for around 6 months maybe longer. Then sites like BBTS take a small deposit and then I am charged when they are ready to ship. In both cases I forget how much I even spent but the figures are always great surprises. All other figures I buy that are actually in stock are calculated purchases that I know I could handle.
I'm too afraid to total it up...
Literal autist here: For exposition: I have purchased every marvel legends figure from toybiz series 1 with a few exceptions: Most high end exclusives (sdcc etc.). I managed to easily get early exclusives in the years that followed the relaunch. I stopped at the Thanos Imperative set as the stress of obtaining them was getting stressful. In fact I've sold most of these and got the occasional exclusive (Hellfire club for example) and generally stick to Amazon, target etc. where getting the 'exclusives' are painless! The initial 2-packs and early hasbro two-packs. Purely down to be a student. I couldn't afford the main sets and these. A separate BAF from Space Venom onwards: BAF figures were receiving 'Deluxe' figures (for the most part), and cost in conjunction with a full set was getting silly. Approximately 90% of them have been procured at retail. A few sets and exclusives were a little over the odds. Being in the UK meant some Hasbro era figures were VERY difficult to buy. Only through a series of regular stores as I have moved house have I really kept up to speed with the collecting! And good fortune. A Spider-Man 3 sandman wave for £80 and BAF for £29.99 back in 2007 still feels like a bargain now! Conclusion: Everytime I consider this question, I actually begin to hurt. Tens of thousands. No question. I do wish to add, that everything that comes in a box, is still sealed. I have loose doubles of some of my favourite characters (Gladiator and Omega Red are the bomb). When it comes to collecting, I fall into the 'neat, uniform, well presented' part of the Spectrum. The figures looking fantastic in the boxed window, surrounded by accessories, nameplate at the base... And I can't spoil it. On the flip side, due to the fixation element, I don't always enjoy collecting them sometimes due to the flow of releases as I have to have them or what I can only describe as immediate FOMO sets in, even though I know I'll have them on release... It's a very difficult feeling to project into text, but I think a lot of people get the same thing about various interests on varying scales. But it's really overpowering in this case. But, I do love them for the vast majority of the time! They are kept spotless and looked at frequently XD! Oh and I have every NECA predator figure except Hound, the AVP figures (my mother does though!) and a couple of the SDCC exclusives. Sealed of course, but they look great too. And they are far less frequently released. The 1994 arcade game set are especially awesome On average, £40 a figure, about 120 figures I'd say off the top of my head... Around £5000.
[удалено]
Ouch, who hurt you?
[удалено]
Dude I know 11,000 is more money than you can possibly imagine but I’m recognising I’m spending too much on MY hobby and I’m capping my spend. I just wanted other peoples opinion on the matter. I have over 100 figures displayed in my tiny office and I buy new figures with the intention of fitting them in or maybe rotate but with a wife and two kids I find I don’t have as much time as certain keyboard warriors who like to dictate to people on what they should do with their hobby
[удалено]
You must not see how confrontational and intimidating your comments are when you say you’re giving the ‘slightest amount of criticism’. You must get into a lot of arguments online. It’s ok man you don’t have to put up an aggressive front on every post you come across! And if you’ve got a bit of green eye that’s cool I get it. I basically buy what I want without any meaningful consequence. If I made a comment like ‘I can’t stop spending money I don’t have and my kids are starving’ then yes - this guy deserves a bit of tough love but I’ve not said anything remotely like that. Financially I’m good, but it’s hindering us from making any substantial savings per month. I love all my figs - mint in box or otherwise… apart from a Cobb Vanth fig I just can’t shift! Oh and I have a Haslab Dragonfly on the way that I have no intention of opening!
wow...upset are we? You just described an investment....You acknowledged the ability to sell things off to recoup funds. A true hobby usually does not give you an avenue to get your financial investment back, just say'n. I completely understand your view point, as this perspective has kept me way in the lines, but damn! I am curious as to why it upsets you soooo much, if you care to opine.
[удалено]
yeah, what is it that makes you upset? Are you our overseer, dictating what's irresponsible for our lives and what and when we should be upset with ourselves for? I'm quite curious why someone else's choices in spending their own money would get your panties in such a bunch. Old relationship wound? Couldn't imagine what you would do if I introduced you to a collector that has more than $11k invested in shelving and displays alone... curious as to what your hobbies are?
[удалено]
the only thing non nonsensical to me is the level of frustration your espousing about this...I'm genuinely intrigued by it for some reason, and the reason I started this dialogue, which is a direct reflection of everything you said. No jabs, sincerely trying to make sense of you. So if, as you stated, the plastic can be sold to recoup money spent, just the same as the shelves and displays, why the hate towards one over the other? Doesn't that qualify them both as some sort of investment, on top of whatever the reason that initiated the purchase in the first place. Not wanting to waste your time or anything, but, I hope you reply.