Quitting/putting collecting on pause

[JakeEkiss]

Fam... that's clinical depression.

....

....

I may need to amend my previous theories to add in one I forgot.

 

[altcunningham]

I do want to second Fearless Leader above:

In general, a lot of this discussion the past month or so can be attributed to depression. And that makes a lot of sense because there's been a lot going on in 2025. 2025 was like five 2020s.

So if you do think that's you, do know that you're supported here, because I think the most important thing on that topic is getting rid of the stigma and taboo.

 

[Damien]

Yeah, to put a finer point on that; If you're depressed right now it's probably not because something is wrong with your brain so much as because something is right with your eyeballs.

I think it's also worth noting that $110 isn't that much anymore. Outside of consumer goods, which seem cheaper than ever, you aren't getting far on $110. Good luck finding a hotel room for $110.

I imagine a part of the problem is that, in terms of our lifetime, the current point of inflation we're at happened SO fast. When you can look at two action figures you bought a single year apart and one of them is 15% more, and you know no one got a 15% raise, it starts to hit you really hard that none of this makes any sense. It's not sustainable. And that is a creeping problem in your brain because it's not just about what you're paying now. You start thinking about what you'll have to pay later. Mattel is picking the DC license back up and I have serious misgivings about allowing myself to get interested because how fucking much are these figures going to cost by the time they start getting to characters I like?
And that puts a damper on the entire collection because I start looking at it as entirely unsustainable unless the collection is already complete. I love my Joes, but between inflation and an arbitrarily changing exchange rate, a line that started 5 years ago at about 23 dollars per figure at full price is now 37-39 dollars per figure at full price. In five years. That's a SIXTY PERCENT price hike. FIrst of all, every business person on earth that defends that as 'inflation' can fuck off into the sun. But following that logic, if they don't get to my favorite character for another five years, am I looking at 60 dollars to get that one figure? If that's the direction we're going, and there's no real reason to think it isn't, then it almost makes more sense to get out -now- because what am I even building this collection toward?

 

[Reno]

Inflation is a runaway train, but it's easy to understand it. I won't try to speak for other parts of the country, but pre-COVID where I live fast food and retail jobs paid like $8 per hour. They pay more than twice that now just 5 years later.

Now, don't misinterpret what I'm trying to say. No one should be making only $8 per hour for any job. I'm just saying that has a direct impact on pricing of goods in a couple of different ways. First the businesses have to raise their prices to offset those increased labor costs and second those working those low wage jobs now had more money to put into circulation... and the poorest paid tend to spend 100% of what they make (because they have to) unlike the higher paid who tend to save a higher portion of their earnings.

From the pricing of goods side, businesses are always going to maximize their earnings by pricing their goods at that most beneficial equilibrium profitability point, that's just good business. There's a sweet spot to determine the best profit level based upon quantity sold and profit per item. The goal is always to produce the right quantity and sell at the right price to maximize profits. Even if they produce too much or too little, or price too high or too low then they lose out on profits for their shareholders so they have huge incentive to get that right. Earlier in my career I worked in a market research position for a Fortune 500 financial services company and this was a big part of my job while I was there.

 

[RicksNerdLife]

I feel that. I blame the economic fuckery. It's a constant stop/start.

Oh, that was certainly part of the tirade this individual had that I left out.

We go through so many economic upswings and, like now, massive downturns. We are constantly reminded of our place with the economic disparity. Even when we are doing "okay", we are shown time and time again that we will never be "great".

We are existing during technological advances at lightspeed.

We live during the time of constant, in your face social comparison.

We live during "once in a lifetime" events that seem to happen every few years. 9/11, COVID, etc.

She goes into this in such a way that has made me stop and think.

Give it a watch when you get a sec. I really think that this relates to how so many of us are feeling. And it certainly hammers home that it's NOT *YOU*.

We are collectively all feeling this.

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8yg4Jq8/

 

[canprime]

In regards to time and aging I have a line from Star Trek: Generations that comes back to mind from time to time. It came back to mind today reading these posts (and coming up on 52 in a couple weeks).

(Paraphrasing)

Picard: I realized there are fewer days ahead of me than behind me.


I think all the factors we have been posting are valid and equally important. I also think something like line fatigue is a big factor. By fatigue I mean a line gets too long in the tooth and starts to repeat itself and those of us who have been going along all these years can start to see there is little point to staying on the treadmill for minor upgrades to figures. Classified has been lucky in that Joe has not ever had a 6" line with classic ARAH designs. So it can feel a bit more fresh.

However lines like SW, ML and TF have been pumping out the same figures/characters in the same scales (roughly) for so long that they have repeated, and slightly upgraded, so many figures/characters that it really does feel like you are buying the same figure for a higher price at times. That lends itself to line fatigue.

I also think about how long some of these hobbies/brands can last. There will always be new (younger) fans for any hobby/brand, but eventually even the strongest brands fade to a much more niche interest. For something like action figures that is particularly interesting. Big companies like Hasbro and Mattel won't keep making stuff when the interest fades as evidenced by most brands (GI Joe, ML, SW) which have all taken a "hiatus" over the years. And that is during the golden age of collecting, so what happens when our generation ages out (dies) and, generously, the remaining fandom is halved?

 

[joshsquash729]

Oof. That's something I think about all the time anymore, especially around my fav holidays- Halloween and Christmas. I keep trying to chase that high I had as a kid, where everything felt magical; but I'm realizing more and more that that world, and that version of me, just doesn't exist anymore. It's a hell of a lesson to learn, and certainly despressing.

I think that's why I focused heavily on nostalgia for a while- collecting the things I never got or had to sell to make ends meet for my family. Now that I've mostly gotten all those things I missed or missed out on, it's a lot of future proofing. The nostalgia may be gone, but the joy is still there; even moreso after I make space for new things and feel excited about where to put it. The money aspect sucks; some may argue that anything over $0 is too much to spend on toys, but I do so happily. It's damn near the only thing I have even a modicum of control over in these crazy times, which is also why, I think, it feels even more frustrating when things sell out before you can order them or you have difficulty finding it- it feels like you've lost the last thing you have control over, and that dopamine is being held from you by forces outside your control.

It also makes sense, but is still funny/interesting to note, that as I get my anxiety/depression/trauma under control more and more, the need to absolutely positively have everything I have my eye on starts to dwindle a bit. I'm cool waiting or, worse comes to worse, not having it at all.

 

[Xavion2025]

Fam... that's clinical depression.

That’s a very insightful observation as I’ve battled depression since I was 13 (which is 46 years for those following along at home). I’ve become so adept at managing it, especially over the last 15 years, that I sometimes don’t recognize it for what it is.

I did stop taking meds back in March (under medical supervision) to make another attempt at getting my sleep apnea under control. I was successful this time, but between finally getting a good night’s sleep, losing 30 pounds, and simply aging, my body chemistry seems to have changed. I’m just now finding the right balance of meds which thankfully seems to be down to an average dose of Lexipro. I also cut out caffeine the last couple of weeks. I just don’t need stimulants any more like I did when I wasn’t sleeping well.

There are other factors at work here as well. I will always remember 2025 as the year when “someday” became a series of very specific time frames. “Someday we’ll be grandparents.” “Someday we’ll retire.” Someday we’ll downsize and move closer the kids.” These are all blessings and milestones that you hope to reach heading into your 60s, but at the same time, I’ve always been very “young” for my age. I’m having a difficult time reconciling the two.

So going back to my original example of not being motivated to ship my Pile of Loot, I think TheSameIdiot is right. I have been depressed a good part of the year, and I’m just now realizing that.

I think collecting has also become a much more finite proposition for me with all of these significant life changes on the horizon. For over 25 years, my only criteria for purchasing figures was “Do I want it?” and “Can I afford it?”. Now it’s more like “Is this really what I should be doing right now?” That question will take the fun out of just about anything.

There were so many other great points made on the thread as well. We have an amazing community of people here. We really do.

 

[RicksNerdLife]

I have noticed that, myself.

My anxiety is high, buy, buy, buy.

When I have it under control, nope. Money stays in the account.

 

[Xavion2025]

It also makes sense, but is still funny/interesting to note, that as I get my anxiety/depression/trauma under control more and more, the need to absolutely positively have everything I have my eye on starts to dwindle a bit. I'm cool waiting or, worse comes to worse, not having it at all.

I have noticed that, myself.

My anxiety is high, buy, buy, buy.

When I have it under control, nope. Money stays in the account.

I have a whole new level of appreciation for those who battle anxiety on a regular basis. I had a rare bout with it a few weeks ago, and it’s a bitch, especially first thing in the morning with that damn Cortisol Awakening Response.

 

[jayjonah]

I can relate, I've been depressed for a very long time. I want get into the details of the trauma I endured. It was from my junior high days though. Plus me retiring from the military and going to war several times didn't help either with the things I saw and experienced. I know if I finally go see someone about it, they will want to prescribe some meds for me but I only take meds when it is life or death for me. I'm not taking any pharmaceutical meds to readjust my mind. I deal with it in my own way through meditation, exercise and herbs.

 

[Xavion2025]

For myself, it's just the fun factor.

It is knowing that there are companies out there that are dropping bangers and that even though Hasbro, as example, has finally fulfilled a character roster slot that I've wanted my whole life, I already know the limits of that figure because it's a Hasbro product. And I know that even though it's an unlicensed figure, I'm having way more fun and getting way more enjoyment out of this third party figure just because it comes with a bunch of extra hands and ludicrous accessories.

That’s yet another element of it. Even though I don’t currently have an Astonishing Beast or Excalibur Rachel Summers in my collection, I don’t feel like I’m getting anything “new”. It’s all starting to become homogeneous. Like getting yet another widget but in a different color.

You know what would be new and exciting? A really good 1/12 scale Caitlin Fairchild figure. Love the current avatar!

The other thing is I am a but frustrated with the hobby in general - long running line seem to have no urgency in completing eras or factions (we joke about this for Legends but really, at times it is just frustrating that 20 years into the line that core teams are left incomplete - its kind of taking the customer for granted), many companies start a line that goes nowhere to the point it feels a bit like a risk to back them, and too many kickstarters or small lines drop the ball. We have a great variety of product to choose from but everything is a long game.

This is a constant source of frustration for me as well. My favorite Marvel Legends purchase…EVER…was the Alpha Flight multipack. This whole “If we complete teams too quickly, fans will lose interest!” thing is complete BS to me. I think it’s the complete opposite, and there will always be new teams to complete and/or upgrade.

I think it's a combination of our age (there's been so much product for so long that it doesn't feel as special anymore plus new priorities as we hit middle age) and the world being depressing sucking the joy out of even joyful things.

This…except I think I’m closer to exiting middle age.

 

[Damien]

Inflation is a runaway train, but it's easy to understand it.

To be fair, I understand it. It's just incredibly stupid and fake. We made it all up. We made up the entire economic system that destroys lives on a daily basis. We can change it whenever we want and just choose to keep living like this. That's the part I don't understand.
But either way, understanding how inflation works, and making your brain accept that two toys created two years apart that are otherwise exactly the same should have a 25% price difference is just something else, I think. You can intellectually recite the factors that made that happen and be like 'okay, that is just math and math doesn't lie' - but emotionally you're still like 'but it's not WORTH that much..'

And that is during the golden age of collecting, so what happens when our generation ages out (dies) and, generously, the remaining fandom is halved?

Toy collecting is definitely dying. You can read the room that all the toy companies know it. That's why during terrible economic downturns and huge upswings in costs, they're still cranking out more stuff than ever before. Gotta get us to buy it now while there's still an us to buy it, and worry about what they do without us when the time comes.

Oof. That's something I think about all the time anymore, especially around my fav holidays- Halloween and Christmas. I keep trying to chase that high I had as a kid, where everything felt magical; but I'm realizing more and more that that world, and that version of me, just doesn't exist anymore. It's a hell of a lesson to learn, and certainly despressing.

I have a solution for this: We gotta start playing with our toys again. I have a feeling not enough people actually take the time to ENJOY the stuff they have. Imagine if you bought a video game and then just started at the box on a shelf. Your brain knows that's not what that's there for.

“Is this really what I should be doing right now?” That question will take the fun out of just about anything

Fuckin' RIGHT? I'm noticing I'm doing the same thing. Looking at where we want to buy in 5 years, in 10 years, and in 20 years. And for me personally, when I start looking that far ahead I also tend to ask myself "how much of this stuff that I'm buying now will I even HAVE in 10 years.... how many action figures in my collection right now did I buy ten years AGO?" And that's when I really start to get down on myself for how impermanent my collections are. If I'm only ever buying stuff to look at for a while and then cycle off, why am I buying so much of it? Can't I be just as happy with one figure that I'm going to sell in 3 years instead of 70 figures I'm going to sell in 3 years?

Maybe the 'right thing to do right now' isn't, you may be surprised to learn, constantly buying stuff I know deep down will not stay with me for as long as the next pair of underwear I buy. Maybe that's just a ridiculous cycle to live in.

We have an amazing community of people here. We really do.

Seconded.

I have a whole new level of appreciation for those who battle anxiety on a regular basis. I had a rare bout with it a few weeks ago, and it’s a bitch, especially first thing in the morning with that damn Cortisol Awakening Response.

ADHD, man. It's a combo-hit of anxiety and needing external sources of dopamine. On my worst days, I can order a toy from Amazon for next day delivery and then drive to EB Games to buy a few Joes because 'tomorrow' isn't fast enough for that dopamine hit that I need to even keep functioning as a human being.