3rd Party: Expensive choice

[herooftheday316]

Originally Posted by Dragon Knight

It sucks when you have intersts that explands multiple lines:
S.H.Figuarts, Kamen Rider, Super Sentai, Figma, Revoltech, Gunpla, there's always going to be SOMETHING coming out that you want...

But I agree...collecting third party items can HURT sometimes.

I can't even imagine what that is like. I sometimes have issues following Transformers... to follow all that? Wow!

I think what also scares me is the bubble bursting. Every week, not only is there new stuff coming up but entire new companies. It feels like only a matter of time until HasTak gets reactionary. When that happens, one can only assume they will shut them all down, not just the ones that jump over the line from IP infringement to outright Copyright violation.
It really feels like a matter of time.
I am sure there are advantages and it helps to keep certain fans interested when there are lulls in the regular line-up. But we might hit a tipping point soon where this is no longer incentive enough to keep it going. I think this is especially dangerous if 3rd party starts making products that was HasTak has plans to make. If it stays out in the realm of stuff they would not make any way (probably due to cost) I think HasTak will be a little more forgiving. When a company decides to make a Victory Saber just as HasTak is working on R&D that is when sparks will fly.
UltraMarknus, I sure hope you don’t leave the fandom. You’re a nice guy and we need the most of those possible : D. That being said, the only way to fight back is to be clear in what you want and what you don’t and not let anything sway your decision.

[herooftheday316]

Originally Posted by Goaliebot

I can barely afford to keep up with *some* of what Hasbro puts out at retail... I can't even touch the 3rd party stuff and I don't collect MISB G1 stuff or anything like that. I'm a deal and bargain hunter - I loathe paying full retail price for things, but love getting them on sale.

And it isn't that I don't make a good salary - I do, but Wife, 3 kids (and kids are insanely expensive to raise), a house, 2 cars, occasional family vacations, all the bills, taxes, etc... those things eat up 99% of my salary easily, leaving very little to spend on plastic crack.

So I hold to three lines in the sand to make collecting barely affordable:

1) No completist-ism.
2) No MISB
2) No 3rd Party

So far these lines hold my collecting at "OUCH" rather than "Oh God we're going to lose the house".

So no $600 Devy for me, sadly. I'd love one, but $600 is almost a mortgage payment!

I guess this is the most important thing. Priorities. I assume (hope maybe) that I allow myself to spend higher amounts for certain things because I am quite simply able to, at the moment. Once life starts catching up, and I am paying for this and that I know that 3rd party company worries will be pretty low on my list lol.

[Omegatron]

Yes they are expensive and I've certainly had to make some choices, I simply can't validate spending the money on everything I want. That being said this is simply standard economics in practice. Someone asked the question "I wonder if TF fans will pay a premium for figures they can't get through Hasbro/ Takara?". The answer was obviously "yes", so now a lot of other people have jumped into the pool and we're currently in the process of finding out just what the market will bear. Prices will eventually rise high enough that producers loose money because the fan's won't buy. I think in the next couple of years we'll find out what kind of quality/ price point makes money and what doesn't and things will settle down.

Probably not helping this much are the insane resale prices on ebay. Producers are probably asking themselves, if fans will pay three times as much on the secondary market, why they don't just raise their prices when they make these things and get the profits themselves. I hope ebay prices are NOT indicative of what the market will actually bear.

Just my two cents.

[Pascal]

3rd party companies should start working on original products instead of HasTak's intellectual properties. Could be risky though, characters you don't relate to might not sell as well no matter how good the engineering could be. I would probably still be interested; after all, I collect transforming toys from shows I've never seen.

[trizeo]

I feel the pinch as well! But the 3rd party peeps are filling the void in my collection that Hasbro or Takara CANNOT! The latest pains was shelling out for FP Superion but him along with all my other 3rd party purchases were again filling a void the big boys could not. Are they worth it? for the price no but for the "feeling" YES! I would to pay just the regular prices of $15 for a deluxe n' so forth but this is now the world we live in wherein it depends who comes out with the best product will get the money. I personally will continue to use 3rd party peeps to fill in the gaps in my collection here and there but knowing that once in a while the big boys pull through.

[STI 2NV]

I'm finding it easier at the moment to jump onto the 3rd party slew of toys coming through here at the moment. The only official toys lines out right now are DOTM and Kreo, both of which hold no intrest with me. I picked up MP-rodimus but other than him the last official figs ive picked up new were the pcc/generations/rts. If this 3rd party 3-5 figs a month continues it will become harder once Prime toys are released and generations start up again.

[RageD]

I made the mistake of selling off my collection once and I won't do that again. I go through phases, but currently I only collect items, both Hasbro and 3rd party that appeared in the original cartoon and movie. I don't buy in box and I don't buy doubles. By limiting the collection like that, I currently am about 99% caught up so now when new stuff comes out I can pick it up.

I think the trick to avoiding collector burnout is setting a realistic goal and limiting yourself to that.

[Janitor]

+1

I'm also starting to experience 3rd party fatigue at the moment. Even though I only collect three lines primarily (G1 or G1-esque), I'm damn near ready to hit the wall. With each line:

1) G1, vintage or reissues. Expensive enough as it is, trying to collect all the toys that had characters that appeared in the toon/86 movie (Eff you, 1987!!)
I try and toss in a few 3rd party items here and there: Ironhide/Ratchet heads, Spike/Daniel, Quints, etc.

2) MPs. Glad they churn these out at a snail's pace, doesn't help when I buy both Japanese & NA versions of Grimlock & Rodimus tho. Still on the fence with the Igear $eekers, that's over $300 before shipping! I'd get all three or none, no exceptions.

3) CHUG. Ah yes, either the best or worst thing to coincide with my entrance into the TF hobby...probably both. Mirrors my G1 criteria (if the character appeared in the toon). The 3rd party stuff is REALLY starting to hit my wallet hard! Already own the FP Superion/Bruticus/Ultra Magnus/Rodimus upgrades, Warbot, Igear Arcee, Kup heads, Hardhead upgrade...
Potential future purchases: MT Devastator, the three Insecticons, rumoured Sixshot & Predacons (?)

Originally Posted by UltraMarknus

As much as I love Transformers, I can see myself walking away from collecting soon.

Exactly how I'm feeling right now.

[shockwing]

right now, I have no intrest in hasbro but the deluxe TFprime starscream, looks awsome. so I am getting more 3rd party stuff but like the city commander I dont have the ultra magnus thats required and that is expensive when you find it.
and the insecticons look great but not my favourite character but anything from fansproject I have is well enginered and fun to transform.

luckily I am not old enough to live on my own and living under my parents income. but from hearing you guys opinion, you older ones living on your own or have families make collecting look defficult and thats what makes me precautions

[CTO15]

Originally Posted by RageD

I made the mistake of selling off my collection once and I won't do that again. I go through phases, but currently I only collect items, both Hasbro and 3rd party that appeared in the original cartoon and movie. I don't buy in box and I don't buy doubles. By limiting the collection like that, I currently am about 99% caught up so now when new stuff comes out I can pick it up.

I think the trick to avoiding collector burnout is setting a realistic goal and limiting yourself to that.

This is my strategy as well. Only classics and movie figures (that only appear on screen and are on sale)

I do pick up the 3rd party stuff, but only if it adds to my current collection.

Since I also collect marvel figure (universe, legends, hot toys) there is no room for deviation