Action figure prices: how high is too high? What would make you quit?

[Loki]

For standard 1/6 HT figures, $300's my limit. For statues, I can't see myself spending more than $500 per piece, whether they're foreign imports or not (I just feel like I'm getting more ripped-off in that case, because the shipping and other charges are absurd!). Once those limits are surpassed for good, I'm done.

 

[melkorjunior]

For me it's less a matter of price and more a matter of filling the holes in my collection. I have about 20 Hot Toys superheroes and villains on my shelves right now and there are certain characters I'm still waiting for (like Wonder Woman and Doctor Strange) who I will definitely buy as long as the quality is high. But once I have one version of a character, that's it. So once I have Wonder Woman from BvS, I won't need any more Wonder Woman figures. And at the moment I have very nearly all the superheroes I'll ever need. The number of characters I'm still willing to buy from Hot Toys' upcoming Marvel and DC lines is probably down to less than ten now.

Space is another issue. I devote four shelves of my bookcases to Hot Toys. (Yes, I put my figures on shelves. No bestas, or whatever those ikea cases are called.) That's it, because I collect other stuff too. I figure about ten more Hot Toys figures and the shelves will be nicely filled with every superhero and supervillain I could ever want.

 

[Gipetto0812]

I'm already slowly starting to quit. There are lines that I'm down to collect but even then, it won't be the whole line. like I'm in for the complete DCCU that started with MOS. I'll carry that on but even then, I won't be getting every single character release. And if HT releases any more Depp figures, I'll get those too. But I will pay what needs to be payed for the characters I want that feel like must haves.

Outside of that, a few custom figures here and there (which are always expensive) and some statues. But there really hasn't been anything so far that's been a must have in a long time for a long time for me.

 

[K07]

$200 was too much for me back when I got into this hobby. I think the only non-custom figure I've spent more than $200 for was the Toy Fair Batman Begins exclusive. Why'd I break my rule? Because the first release was selling for hundreds and hundreds and I really wanted that figure for my collection! I think it was $220 or something and it seemed a reasonable increase in price to pay. The customs I have range from costing me $100-$220 a piece.

 

[Megacolor]

I remember back in 2003 when I saw MP -01 Prime at Walmart for $100…I was like WOW that’s a lot of money for a figure… So I passed on him. Funny thing is about a year later I picked up the Takara version that had the trailer and paid $250 for it. That what started me in this game. I picked up all the G1 stuff because that where my love for Transformers was at. Then I stared getting into Hot Toys and my 1st figure was MK1 War Machine which I paid $160 shipped for.

Now that prices sky rocketing over $230. I’d cut back a lot on the whole collecting game. I only pick up things that I really want. In 2016 I think I will only pick up like 3 HT figures if they go on a sale discount. If not no big deal.

 

[cobratrooper11]

i am not sure, i think 150...but i might go to 200, and even then it is very unlikely except for marty who i still need to grab!

 

[Stryker2011]

Well, looking at the Star Ace Hagrid thread, I'd say a threshold for not collecting a particular figure has been reached for a lot of people. If that were to become the norm for most figures, I'd have to say, THAT is where I'd be out. These are just toys after all.

 

[jadekite22]

I look at the new, all-plastic Play Arts Kai action figure prices and man they can't be seriously charging $200 for those.

When I first started, it took a great deal of justification to plunk down $200 for the DX06. I thought paying $250 for the DX11 would be my limit. Now I don't even flinch spending $300 or more for the right 1/6 figure.

I guess It's how you justify the purchase in relation to what you think you can afford. Someone might have PO'd those yucky $200 Play Arts Kai figures by now and he or she is completely happy with that.

I might spend my SS reward points on the Lara Croft PAK. I think the video game-based figures they've done, like Metal Gear and Arkham City, are far superior to the movie ones and justify the cheaper prices one can find them for on eBay or elsewhere. $200 is definitely crazy, but I haven't seen any for that price (I'm fairly new to the high-end toy market.)

 

[willocrew]

I pulled the hand brakes on my 1/6 collecting when prices hit $250 for a basic figure.

It wasn't too long ago it was $150 for a quality 1/6 toy.

 

[ebor]

Yup, not paying the price asked for Hagrid.

 

[Cota805]

2016 will be the year 1/12 scale figs (specifically Mezco) begin to take a bite out of the Hot Toys money grab.
Many collectors will be content with a 6in figure as long as it has a premium feel similar to HT at a $70ish price.

 

[Synth]

It depends of the figure. The higher the price; the more picky I get. If a line like Marvel Legends increase to $30, I will only buy the main characters I am most familiar with. As far as prices go, I don't have any set boundaries. If I want something bad enough, it becomes affordable through saving up although I have a very hard time paying high aftermarket prices and rarely do so. I don't own any Hot Toys because of the $200+ price and I read about the realistic skin degrading which makes me not want to get one. I do drool over the pictures. The Hot Toys are so amazingly detailed! I am very conflicted about them.
I didn't collect the S.H. Figuarts DragonBall figures initially because of their high price. There was no way I would spend $50 on a 6" figure back in 2010.
A few years ago I changed my mind after seeing more SDCC footage. They are amazing figures. I set up a plan to sell off many of my extra and higher end figures and started to collect them. I have several Figuarts series now and a few Figma's. When I can afford to do so; I try to get every release that I like asap because of the crazy price increases.

 

[Plastic Bateman]

I've found myself spending a lot less on Hot Toys figures lately and a lot more on higher-end six-inch figures. It's not so much the price of the HT releases that's putting me off, rather I either don't see the quality (visible casting seams on the Batman Returns cowl/facemask? Seriously?), or in the case of Marvel, there's always a better Captain America or Iron Man just over the horizon. There's a handful of older and more recent HT releases I consider 'essential' and will pick up in due course, like the BD Robocop/Murphy two-pack, but for anything like Marvel characters I'm waiting for Infinity War to be done and dusted, then I'll hunt down whichever figures from whichever movies I think look the best after the fact.

I've bought a lot of the recent SH Figuarts releases like Star Wars characters, Bruce Lee, etc. I've been thoroughly enjoying Mezco's One:12 output and look forward to their next year of releases. Really the only company that makes me question if I really want to spend the money they're asking on figures is Sentinel - yet I keep doing so, albeit reluctantly Their Metamorforce Dancouga is where I draw the line though, as much as I love that show and that mech, $300 (plus a further $150 if you wanted Black Wing to complete it) for an eight-inch toy was just ridiculous.