Has the thrill gone ?

[Jeremiah]

Now that it seems figures are becoming a world economy has the thrill gone.

New figure drops and boom 100.00 or more

Does anyone else feel like it was exciting when it was less popular long time figure fans. Now its mostly just repaints of the same guys constant complaining of what hands they came with or the head is slightly to small. The scalpers now turning this into a livable income source.

I remember getting 200 figures on a single trade for a psp. Now its like 3 figures for a ps5.

Im not done collecting but it has become a little stressful due to the new found popularity

Any thoughts ??

[marklud]

Pre-order everything that isn't an exclusive on Ringside. I get all of the stuff before everyone else on my front steps and it always ends up around $30 apiece. I've never had to pay a crazy amount for a current figure thanks to RSC.

[~*Young $ Money*~]

Yeah it’s pretty annoying. I can’t tell you the last time I actually bought a figure in store. Everything is online. Kind of takes the fun out of it. Also like you said, a lot of the same guys being repainted or redone over and over kills enjoyment for me. I like new names. Resellers are crazy with the Prices also. I feel like if i dont pre order I’m screwed. I also am not quitting but it def makes me think twice sometimes

[Deleted]

The thrill for me is not being on back-order3 at RSC. So if I can get a fig early I'm very happy.

[rkmo: Autonomous Meat Shield]

The consistently awful retail presence is hurting it.

Having products being released thru one exclusive outlet or another is hurting it.

The constant need to scour online sources for a figure at reasonable prices is hurting it.

The feeling that locking up an item right at PO stage is the only way to secure something you want is hurting it.

The fact that more players are now out there creating desirable merchandise is hurting it.

The paranoia all this fosters is hurting it.

Then throw all this in the midst of a pandemic.

[WCWThunderRosa]

I don’t think it’s popularity. I don’t want to gatekeep collecting. The problem is investor type dudes who just want in for the money. Plus the age old scalpers who got worse over time

[PJ]

No it may be more frustrating because of the prices but I am still managing to get the figures I want for retail ether from Amazon or Target/WalMart. And if it’s a figure I must have I preorder it like I always do.

[LA Times]

Horrible. Toys R Us is gone, Walmart and Target who arent toy stores have a duopoly on the mass retail market, scalpers are buying up everything and making a killing off of it. All of this is going to end up alienating longtime collectors. Unfortunately, I dont see a 90s comics or Beanie Babies style market crash anytime soon.

[Mongo Bears]

I used to be able to get anything I wanted without having to go to secondary market. Recently I’ve missed out and still don’t have chase valentine and dod mark henry. Now I’m worried about finding silver m$m when that set hits

[y13]

It’s not what it once was, that’s for sure. Covid caused me to get back into collecting since I needed something to keep me sane. For the most part, if there’s anything I want, I just preorder it. I’ll peg some items as stuff I’d get IF I ever saw it at retail. That new Legends DiBiase for instance. I like it but if I can’t get it, I’m ok with that (I preordered Taker from that set).

There’s been some instances where I did see stuff on the shelf I had already preordered and received. But I can’t even gamble anymore. More times than not, there’s nothing on the shelf at Target. I don’t have a WalMart close enough to me to check on the regular.

[boz1515]

I will say I am happy to see Target taking steps to eliminate scalpers from preordering their entire stock all at once. That to me is good sign that someone is hearing the consumers on that issue.

Personally I'd like to see Mattel go out and sign more Legends to figure deals. I (like many of you) have been in it for long enough that I don't need 10 of each guy because I'll eventually run out of room. I'd like Ken Patera, Hercules, Haku, Fuji, Slick, etc., not more of the same guys in different colored tights.

[Medieval]

The thrill still continues for me. Maybe one day it won't but I'm enjoying the line just as much as I always have.

[stc13]

Yes and no. It's been a good while since there has been a WWE figure that legitimately excited me. I remember being super psyched when we saw renders for Harlem Heat or Tatanka. I just don't have the same excitement, and the Mattel line feels stale with so many repaints and trying to squeeze more money from the same figures. Even figures I've wanted for ages like Blondes Austin or 90's Lawler just felt very flat for me.

So in that regard, Mattel is getting less of my money than ever. But we're also in a really fun time to be a figure collector. AEW, Marvel, Star Wars, GI Joe, and MMPR are all putting out amazing figures, and quite honestly Mattel's work is starting to feel stale and dated in comparison. So I try to look at the whole picture. And on the whole, I'm buying more figures than ever, and specialty retailers have made it possible to buy what I want for close to retail and have it dropped at my doorstep.

[Nivro™]

[celflessness]

The world is changing for sure, and it's taken some of the heart out of it. The worldwide economy of selling online has made scalping a viable proposition. Retail stores are struggling and dying, even before lockdowns and pandemics. Buying toys has a different flavour. More practical, but less romantic than the old fashioned toy hunts from being a kid.

Give it twenty years and it'll change again. Folks who are kids now will be nostalgic for receiving toys in the mail instead of 3d printing everything, and fondly remembering eBay as a harmless website, and not the other unpleasantness.

[kennyw86v2]

When I started collecting, I bought almost exclusively mattel wwe. A few funko pops and a couple marvel legends spiderman.

Now I buy more marvel legends, mmpr, neca horror, mortal kombat than wwe. And I'd throw in world of Nintendo figures if more were made.

Wwe figures just dont do it for me anymore. I have a lot of rollins figures and every banks, bayley and carmella. Outside of them I have a very small roster of maybe 60 figures. And the only ones currently out I desperately need are KOR and Fish with the tag titles and Truth with the 24/7 title. I'm more excited for the upcoming jazwares UFC figures and star wars koska Reeves (sasha banks).

[cso]

The thrill has been gone for me. I could easily hit 3 wms and 3 targets on my way from work w enough time to cook dinner for the kiddos, but I just don't want to. I love everything about toys except the chase these days.

[Eric]

I don't think the thrill is gone for me, but it's not as thrilling as it was.

Part of the fun or enjoyment in collecting was going to a store, seeing figures on the rack, and taking them home with you. That just doesn't happen very much now. Combine resellers and Toys R Us closing, and it's less product for more buyers.

As a recent example, being completely unable to find the new Royal Rumble Elite Ultimate Warrior outside of eBay for three times retail is a bummer. Having to preorder or order online is one thing, because at least you get the figure, but flat-out being unable to get a figure is hard to take. I mean, it shouldn't be that difficult, right?

Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't feel like it used to take going every day, Monday through Friday, week after week, to Walmart and Target to find what you want. Now that seems to me to be what it takes. And that's still not working for me and that RR Warrior.

[Back to the Codyverse]

Scarcity in retail the last few years have sucked. I usually see the exclusives but it takes many empty trips most of the time. I try to stray from ordering due to paint and box condition etc but RSC’s great sales have saved me some trouble.

The retail exclusives are a pain in the ass tho. A real pain.

[zen411]

Jan 31, 2021 18:57:46 GMT -5 Eric said:

I don't think the thrill is gone for me, but it's not as thrilling as it was.

Part of the fun or enjoyment in collecting was going to a store, seeing figures on the rack, and taking them home with you. That just doesn't happen very much now. Combine resellers and Toys R Us closing, and it's less product for more buyers.

As a recent example, being completely unable to find the new Royal Rumble Elite Ultimate Warrior outside of eBay for three times retail is a bummer. Having to preorder or order online is one thing, because at least you get the figure, but flat-out being unable to get a figure is hard to take. I mean, it shouldn't be that difficult, right?

Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't feel like it used to take going every day, Monday through Friday, week after week, to Walmart and Target to find what you want. Now that seems to me to be what it takes. And that's still not working for me and that RR Warrior.

Man I couldn't have said it better myself. I have twelve targets within reasonable driving distance. In the last three weeks or so I have visited six of them often a few times a week and called others. In one occasion I got a back in stock email and called right away. They said they see they see they received it but couldn't locate the box. They ended up selling that night and I never saw it.

Twelve targets. Someone like me actively trying to purchase one toy over three weeks and no luck? Thats not right. I cant set up a cot at a target until the inventory arrives and someone stocks the shelf at a random time. I cant keep calling and asking employees. Either these aren't made in high enough quantity for demand or they should be available to purchase preorder or on rsc.

Steamboat fan takeover also being sketchy to find with no good explanation or announcement from mattel regarding amazon. Walmart canceling and mismanaging preorders for decade of domination and motwu.

It all sucks and it makes collecting a nightmare. Not fun. I have a full time job and a family and I cant stalk stores for these elusive figures. Somethings gotta give or it will lose a ton of true blue collectors.