after my son was born I cut back,when he started day care I cut even further back and with figures around 10 a pop I have become VERY slective, and price concouse the good nes is Cooper is three and soon will be at the action figure age

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I was already starting to slow down when figures got to the $6-7 range and as the prices increased faster than my paycheck I slowed down even more. I also was never a big customizer after the ARAH line (when it was so easy) but for a significant enough character in my Joeverse I will buy a figure or two (even from the after market) to make that character, but those are few and far between. Mostly when I get a figure now it is one for my Joeverse and not because of who they are in the Joe comics, shows (when there was one) or movies and really the only reason I got/get Joe figures is because they usually had better articulation and have a military theme. a few MU figures are in my Joeverse as well and a couple of heads from the movie lines have found their way onto Joe bodies. And when/if I can find the Avengers Hawkeye, Black Widow and Nick Fury movie versions I'll grab those (the only 3 Avengers figures I'm even looking for) but if I have to go to the after market for those and the price gets too high they will be staying with their seller (much like Zarana).
Anyway much like most folks on here, as the disposable income does not increase (or decreases) and the price per figure goes up, the amount of plastic representations of Joeverse characters will slow and then stagnate.

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I chose "I'd be more selective", which really, I already am. Additionally, I refuse to feed the hoarders and scalpers, even if I could afford to, which I cannot.

I rarely buy any new figures as it is, because of cost. I can't afford to buy multiple new figs and cut them up as it is. The last new figures I used for customs was VvV Bombstrike and Spytroop Zarana. I got into this as ARAH was winding down. $3 for new figures, and $1-$3 for swap meat figures on average. I was making as much as I am now, 15 years ago, and paying less on rent & car payments. This economy has me over a barrel.

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I quit buying Joes when the first movie came out, and once I get unpacked and organized I'm going to sell everything non-ARAH and a lot of vehicles. I just don't have the desire to keep them and don't have the space. They have all been in boxes for over a year, and I haven't missed them.

I've already become more selective but not so much for cost reasons as the actual product itself. The Retaliation figures are just a big step backward in my opinion. Reduced articulation is one factor but that's been harped on almost to the point of parody. The main thing for me is the design choices for this first wave of figures. Most don't match the source material (the film). The Cobra Trooper, normally a figure I'd be chasing down about 5 of for armybuilding, looks nothing like the Troopers in the trailers. As a regular Cobra Trooper they aren't even that appealing, especially following the POC/30th redesign. Same thing with the Joe Trooper. Yeah its a neat figure that comes with a crap ton of gear but its all in bright blue and the figure has next to no paint apps. And the named characters don't match their onscreen designs at all. Roadblock is close but he's in green camo instead of desert. And I don't know what the hell is going on with that Duke figure.

Anyway, I could sit here and dissect the Retaliation figures all day but that's not what this thread is about. Its about buying habits and what the future of the line holds for us. Personally I'm cutting way back. I'll probably get the core characters when the line relaunches next year but I don't see anything that will wow me back into being a near completist like I was up until a few months ago.

Instead I'm devoting my spending dollar towards the lines that are really making me stand up and take notice. Specifically the 12" stuff from Sideshow and Hot Toys. For me, and my income, these are the better value for what I want in my collection. I'm still keeping some of my 1:18 collection and picking up the few odds and ends here and there but for the most part I'm shifting to the higher end collectibles and leaving the little Joes on the pegs.

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I stopped buying 1/18th figures all togther. It is always so hard to find them where I live. The wal-mart actually had a few of the new movie figs, Zartan, Black Cobra Commander, a few road blocks, and a storm shadow, but the $10 price made me wince and walk on by. I was still surprised to actually see them on the pegs though. I'm devoting more of my toy money to lego. My daughter and I are building and playing together, and I can actually find what I want easily. Their website is super friendly, shipping is still fair, and I like their VIP awards. I've actually been trying to figure out how to sell most of my vehicles locally. They take up so much room, and they're just sitting around collecting dust. I need more room for lego. LOL.

I just nabbed 7 Renegades figs (Duke, Scarlett, Ripcord, Tunnel Rat, with multiples of the first two) for $2.80 each on clearance at Kroger. Had been watching them go down in price every couple days and finally scored a really nice fodder lot as a result.

While I am guilty of buying figures at $10 when I like them, I really do try to supplement as much as possible with these kind of bargain buys. My favorite ebay seller from a few years back is gone, but I used to get big lots at a time there also, for an average of $2-$3 per figure. That is where it evens out for me, and I suspect always will.

But, and there's always a but, I understand the difference between buying for fodder and buying to collect. I do not envy the pure collectors at this point.

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I have no option but to buy less at retail because there is less at retail. But as far as the customizing aspect of it goes, I can't answer the poll. The way things are heading I will be doing a lot more of it. I still have my own fodder bins, new construction and o-ring as well. If there is nothing at retail to add to my collection, I will create something to add to my collection.

Like drbindy did, there will be fodder here and there if you keep looking. I will be happy to go back and make some things I have wanted for a while.

It is like we are celebrating the 95-2001 era. Woo hoo!

That is actually a great point. Perhaps it's looking too much for the silver lining. But I've also seen it made before elsewhere that customizing stands to gain quite a bit of prominence once again, if there is a serious lack of new product to buy. The chance to get creative again and make use of extra figs I've stashed away over the last 5 years (rather than constantly spending to buy newer base figures) has some appeal to me.

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I buy what I feel I can't help but buy. A list of what Hasbro made I had to take home:

DG Duke
DG Cobra Officer
Retaliation Cobra Soldier

So, I don't really have much to complain about. If they make something I want, I buy it. If they don't, I don't. Pretty easy.

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Wouldn't impact my collecting, since I really stopped collecting current Joes years ago. I'm just an "enthusiast" at best now.