Comparing Our Hobby w. Others

[IMJ]

This is a convo that began on the Advanced Iron forums which was initially regarding the Hot Toys merchandise and their price point. I thought I would bring this up here for some discussion. A comment I made there sort of frames the whole discussion (you guys will get the point).

And here's another point for everyone to think about:

You could buy a 500+ year old book that is a true artifact of the past, survived centuries to find itself in your care, and has true widespread financial, literary and historical value with an original print run of maybe 1,000 with only 100 surviving copies on Earth for about 500 bucks.

Or you could buy the new Hulkbuster statue from Sideshow for the same amount of money.

Seriously, that's how I view this stuff more and more.

I'm not slamming the hobby at large - anyone who has seen my collection of Iron Man and More knows that I'm with you. But I am slamming the increasing greed and enthusiast-milking by many of the manufactures of these things out there.

I'd like diversity and variety for the hobby, but $500.00 statues? $1000+ full size statues? 6" action figures with a $16 price point during a time when petroleum is killing the country? What are we doing here, people?

[superman-prime]

ya thats kinda sad but id buy the book as well, Ive never spent that on any statue

[toddyboy]

simple economics, plain and simple.

[robb77]

ya thats kinda sad but id buy the book as well, Ive never spent that on any statue

ditto

[siren3-4]

This is a convo that began on the Advanced Iron forums which was initially regarding the Hot Toys merchandise and their price point. I thought I would bring this up here for some discussion. A comment I made there sort of frames the whole discussion (you guys will get the point).

And here's another point for everyone to think about:

You could buy a 500+ year old book that is a true artifact of the past, survived centuries to find itself in your care, and has true widespread financial, literary and historical value with an original print run of maybe 1,000 with only 100 surviving copies on Earth for about 500 bucks.

Or you could buy the new Hulkbuster statue from Sideshow for the same amount of money.

Seriously, that's how I view this stuff more and more.

I'm not slamming the hobby at large - anyone who has seen my collection of Iron Man and More knows that I'm with you. But I am slamming the increasing greed and enthusiast-milking by many of the manufactures of these things out there.

I'd like diversity and variety for the hobby, but $500.00 statues? $1000+ full size statues? 6" action figures with a $16 price point during a time when petroleum is killing the country? What are we doing here, people?

The high cost (seemingly high anyway) of statues kept me away for quite a while . . . but as I was an avid comic collector I started to think about why I was spending money so willingly on one thing and was so hesitant about the other . . .

After giving in, I found that the $500 Spider-Man comic that was tucked away in a box and I would pull out to look at and admire once every month or two was not giving me the same satisfaction as the $600 1:4 scale Hulk statue . . .

I am taking investment out of the picture (in this case I sold the statue for far more than the comic but that really isn't the point) so I found that, for me, I got much more value for my money with the statues.

I love having a rare book on my shelf but it does not have the presence and ability to take over a room, as soon as you walk in, as some of these statues do. I've never had someone walk into my office and see that rare book spine and say "Wow" . . . I have had people floored by the sideshow Thor and Hulk statues. But even putting others feelings and reactions aside . . . I walk into, or even by, my office and get immediate satisfaction over my purchases . . .

I have sold most of my comic collection and I remember them . . and I am sad about not having them . . but the statues I have had to sell recently have left an obvious gaping hole in my office and my collection . . . I cannot help but pine for them . . .

RIP:(in loving memory of what my office used to look like)














I miss you all more than any comic I have ever sold . . .