I really don’t collect action figures anymore. I recently sold off all of my Star Wars figures, and well before that, I ditched most of my comic book figures, too. They were taking up a lot of space, but the primary reason I stopped was cost.

When I was a kid, I could usually pick up an action figure or two with my weekly allowance. They were cheap back then, and not always in terms of manufacturing. They also seemed to come with a lot more accessories, and they actually had action features and more articulation. And the more expensive ones, like the Transformers series? Those were definitely worth saving up for, as they were bigger and better than everything else.

Nowadays, it’s a wonder kids can afford basic figures anymore. Even after adjusting for inflation, today’s figures are preposterously overpriced when you look at what’s actually in the package.

For example, I picked up a few Green Lantern movie toys a few weeks back, which I freely admit I bought just for the included power rings. The basic action figure line consists of toys around 4″ tall, about the same size as a Star Wars or G.I. Joe action figure. And like those other two brands, they retail for $8 or $9, which is fucking ridiculous. The figures are barely articulated, only come with one or two accessories, and you’re expected to shell out nearly a ten spot for them? That really pisses in the fishbowl. Imagine being a parent who needs to buy a stack of ‘em for their kids!

Things get far worse when you get to action figures aimed at the “adult collector.” No, not porn figures, you sick bastards. I’m talking about the larger, often heavily detailed figures smartly aimed at older collectors, who may not even remove them from the packaging. I understand that the cost to produce these figures is naturally higher, but retail pricing around $17 to $20 per figure is not uncommon. They rarely come with accessories, and if they do, it’s usually because the figure absolutely requires it to be accurate; Starman isn’t the same without his Cosmic Rod. (Stop snickering.)

The owner of my local comic book shop hates that he has to charge so much for these figures, but he has little choice. Especially when it comes to comic book shop exclusives (like much of the DC Direct line), he stands to lose a lot of money if he drops the price. Meanwhile, the mass market stuff is just out there to make a quick buck, but it shouldn’t be at the price of kids’ hard-earned cash.

I was hunting around for Star Trek ship models the other day (yes, I’m a loser like that), and discovered something truly depressing. Toy stores, and other “big box” stores that have a large toy department, simply do not sell plastic model kits anymore.

How fucking sad is that?

When I was a kid, toy stores were filled with model kits. We did have a hobby store or two in town, and that’s where you’d naturally find a lot more, plus a wider selection of paints, glues, and so forth. Regardless, I had no trouble buying a model car, airplane, or spaceship down at Kay Bee Toys, especially since they were often cheaper there. Nowadays? Forget it.

I think a majority of today’s kids just couldn’t be bothered to enjoy something that takes time, patience, and diligence. That, and many of them aren’t fond of what could be considered “classic” toys. Model kits are interactive, but not in the way modern kids would expect or want.

There’s a massive hobby store in the town where I work, and I can buy all of my model supplies there. The model kit section is thankfully very extensive, and once in a great while, I do see kids there. Still, it’s disheartening to see most young folks lacking interest in this hobby, and toy stores completely ignoring it as a result.

After much annoying deliberation, I’ve decided to move my remaining LEGO® models into storage. 99% of the ones currently on display are Star Wars models, and while they look great, they’re taking up space I require for other nefarious purposes. The top third of my bookshelf is filled with models, as is the top of the hutch on my desk. As I own an massive amount of books, freeing up shelves to store them is probably a good idea.

The other reason is that the models are a pain in the ass to dust. They’re made of ABS plastic, which is a dust magnet to begin with, and my apartment is carpeted, which only makes things worse. I vacuum the floors once a week, but it’s still an uphill battle. I’ve been using Swiffer dusters once a month to clean the models, which is a pretty good solution…but dust still manages to collect in the cracks and other hard-to-reach places. Compressed air can get that, but I really don’t feel like attacking my models with an air can for a few hours every month. I do not have that kind of time or patience.

One model that will not be going into storage is this massive statue of General Grievous. I have no idea how I’d safely pack that one up, and disassembly is out of the question; it took me nearly three hours to build it in the first place!

Finally, my purchasing of LEGO® sets is also going on hiatus. Aside from the obvious expense, I simply don’t have the space to display any more models! I’ve had to put plenty of them in storage before because of this, and it’s well past time I just stop feeding the vicious cycle for a while. This isn’t the end of my LEGO® fandom, fear not. Plenty of my non-Star Wars LEGO® kits are already in storage, and once I get a house, condo, or other larger living space, I fully plan to build a workshop for this sort of thing in the basement. I’ll build one hell of a diorama down there! (Including a city with a railroad, but I must complete my real model railroad first.) I’m sure I’ll get back into it in the future — I tend to rediscover my interests every few years or so — but for now, I could use a break.

A notable exception might be the collectible minifigures, as those take up very little space. (Not to mention that collecting them is highly addictive.)

(Note: Most model railroaders would never call their hobby a “toy,” and while I certainly agree, I’ve still filed this post under the Toys category, because it just wouldn’t fit in any of the other categories.)

I’ve been involved in the model railroad hobby for about six years now; I didn’t work on my trains or layout that much over the past few years, but I’ve recently jumped back in full throttle. While it’s certainly a enjoyable pastime, model railroading does have its drawbacks. A big one is the matter of space: it’s more fun to build bigger and bigger layouts, but if you live in an apartment (like me!) or other small space, this simply isn’t feasible.

The largest strike that model railroading has against it is the one I’ll be bitching about today: the price. Most hobbies aren’t cheap, but model railroading tends to skyrocket in price very quickly, even for small layouts. It’s obvious from the start that you need to buy a lot of supplies even to construct a small layout, and while most of the items needed are relatively inexpensive (ground foam, paint, adhesives, smaller buildings, et cetera), the two most important parts of the railroad are the real money-burners: the track and the locomotives.

Now, track pieces on average don’t cost a lot of money. But remember…you need a lot of track, even when just getting started! Plus, special pieces like turnouts and crossings ramp up the price considerably. I have a small layout that fits on a drafting table, and my track cost nearly $300!

On to locomotives. A quality diesel locomotive retails for around $100-150. I’ve gotten mine for a lot less on eBay and at model train shows, but even paying half of the manufacturer’s suggest retail price is a lot when you start to add things up. If you like steam engines (who doesn’t?), then your costs just doubled, at the very least. Oh, and if you want Digital Command Control (DCC) for your locomotives…well, that’s an added premium, ranging anywhere from $25 to $200 on top of the original price!

Now you understand why building my layout has taken many years. It’s still not done, and I imagine it’ll take me quite some time to finish it. Fortunately, I enjoy working on little pieces here and there, and my bank account thanks me for it.

I’ve spoken with many veteran modelers, and they’re just as frustrated by the high prices as are newcomers like mysel. Not only does it put a serious dent their wallets (and if they’re retirees, it’s even worse!), but it turns away a lot of people who might’ve otherwise been interested in the hobby!

It doesn’t look like costs are going to level out or drop any time soon, and that’s a damned shame. Plenty of hobbyists have made their frustrations known to the manufacturers, but it just doesn’t seem to have much of an effect.

While wandering through the local mall during my lunch break the other day, I happened to pass by a temporary store that was selling a wide variety of gifts. I noticed that many of them could be classified as “children’s toys of the past,” even though they were brand new, modern items. For example, there were electronic fire engines, monster trucks, tanks, helicopters, and so on.

Why do I call them toys of the past? Because I think that if most children got one of those light-up vehicles for their birthday or under the tree for Christmas, they’d be disappointed.

Personally, I loved that sort of thing growing up. Big electronic vehicles to play with made many a Saturday afternoon fly by in my younger days (though I never had a fire engine; I was more of a train guy).

Kids today are far too focused on video games, the Internet, and other interactive media to be satisfied by such “simple” toys. You might be able to get away with it with a preschooler, but after that, you’re risking whining, complaints, and derision. It’s almost too much to ask for a kid to have an imagination anymore.