Forum Rules: Click Here! – Problem Registering: E-Mail ForEternia@gmail.com for help!
As much as I would like to see these toys made here in the United States, I just don't see it happening without severe increases in price.
Building the facilities to handle the amount of product being made is a huge undertaking in itself.
Throw in the cost of living in the U.S., on top of insurance and several benefits that workers in other countries only dream about, and you've got a recipe for very expensive toys after hiring the labor needed to keep up with production.
These figures are already getting more expensive by the year, and price hikes due to the tariff war likely means these prices will continue to rise - and very few will come back down.
If every single buyer becomes more selective in their collectibles purchases, then companies will not make enough profit to continue producing toys, thus the worst case scenario could unfold... and let's face it, toy buyers are getting older already. Many (I still won't say most) kids are into other things now.... mostly video games and smart devices that let them play with several hundred apps a day.
>>>The Power of the Good and the Way of the Magic!<<<
@ornclown It's not very engaging, is it? Are we witnessing the imminent demise of this hobby? Until now, I was the kind of adventurous collector who challenged inflated costs just to get the holy grail after a long chase. But facing the reality of eBay, on a daily basis, with manufacturers being directly impacted by these tariffs, is the final straw for me. I'm saddened to acknowledge this. You have no idea how petrified I am thinking about the imminent Motu 200X Mondo. Even though I planned to be picky, the task promises to be unbearable for my budget.
Maybe this is the detox we all need forced upon us to rid ourselves of our plastic crack addiction. I was starting to feel burnt out even before the unexpected tariffs came about. How many more years of collecting figures are we expected to put up with? I started collecting in a major way in 2010 with Classics, and have been going ever since, with multiple lines and brands. I never thought I'd be doing this for 15 fucking years straight. It's exhausting. In some ways I feel this hobby has enslaved me, and it takes funding away from other, more important things in life.
@durendal My unsolicited advice is to try and taper down your collecting to what you truly want. I used to be in on a few things, but I came to the conclusion that what I love most and also what started my love of figures was Masters of the Universe. As a result I pretty much only collect Masters of the Universe now as well as metalcore vinyl (but the vinyl takes up almost zero room and is usually only a handful a year). Additionally, I've tapered down even further to only look at Mondo MOTU and Tweeterhead MOTU. Had the Masterverse paint apps been more in line with Classics I think I would've gotten heavily invested, but luckily for me I wasn't too into what Mattel is doing. I'm even looking at offloading most of my other collectibles from the past because I don't have the space to keep pushing forward with MOTU and keep some of these older, less relevant things. Honestly, they're just sitting there collecting dust. Might as well try to make some money or give them to someone who would get some joy out of them.
There's been tons of cool products and lines that I've passed on because I wasn't die-hard passionate about them. Space is almost as important as your monetary budget and I like my collection to look classy instead of looking like a hoarders treasure trove. Sometimes I feel silly for being so invested in these hunks of plastic, but I do get a lot of enjoyment from looking at them and holding them. Its like a relic from a bygone era. Kids don't care about toys anymore and I always think to myself "what would your 7 year old self want you to do" if I'm on the fence about buying something. I think I have a pretty good grip on things (I skipped the Mondo Sky Sled and will be skipping She-Ra 2.0 and Swift Wind) and its nice to be connected to your childhood self, especially with how grim things look on the outside world sometimes.
@ornclown The other part aside from the factories, is who in America would want to work for the wages that would keep our action figures and other things that cheap? Surely the dude making a He-Man figure sold for $17 wouldn't be making that kind of money.
@hachiman Great point, after all, isn't that why a lot of manufacturing left the US in the first place? People aren't willing to put up with dead end factory jobs for peanuts like in poorer countries.
@durendal Yep... I mean hell, weekly minimum wage in this country is more than some people make in a year elsewhere...
>>>The Power of the Good and the Way of the Magic!<<<
Won't stop me buy cool stuff; but surely will be much more selective.
And to the subtopic: If someone has to close down if they can't affort to pay their worker a livable wage they should. I don't think anyone is talking about a wage that enables to rent a luxury mansion with stables, a pool and to support a family of five.
That is a little harsh. My uncle owned a small ice cream shop that employed local school kids and he couldn't pay much. He didn't get rich off it but it made him happy and broke his heart when he had to close it.
Come on man, it should be pretty obvious we are not talking about kids doing some easy free time job to add to their pocket money to get the lastest figure from mattel creations but adult 9-6 jobs 5/6 day a week that need to pay rent, water, power and fill a fridge + maybe feel occasionally like a free human beeing by affording a small leisure luxury every now and then like the lastest album from they favourite band or cool decorative action figures.