How Much Did You Spend on Toys in 2008?

[Ji'dai]

I spent $4,006.14 on toys in 2008.

What did I collect this year?

Indiana Jones Toys: $1,958.30
Indiana Jones Media: $89.60
For hard-core, lifetime Indiana Jones fans like myself, 2008 was akin to 1995 for us hard-core, lifetime Star Wars fans. And just like the dawn of the modern SW era back in 1995, 2008 saw the mass-market release of the first Indy toys since 1982. I spent more money on Indiana Jones toys than any other toy line in 2008: $1,958.30. I bought 148 basic figures, 42 deluxe figures, 14 mail-away figures (including 4 ordered but awaiting delivery), 1 playset, 8 vehicles, 26 Adventure Hero packs, 1 board game, 27 Titaniums, and 5 twelve-inch figures (which includes the 12" Sideshow Indy). Many Indy purchases were made after retail prices dropped, especially on basic figure army builders. Recent clearance sales also yielded more vehicles, the playset, Adventure Heroes, a board game, and Titaniums. Not included in the toy total are three Indy (reference) books ($66.07) and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull DVD ($23.53).

LEGO: $1,284.42
I've been a LEGO fan since childhood, though I stopped collecting in the late 80s and only began again ten years ago, in 1998. My LEGO expenses for this year are second only to what I spent on Hasbro/Sideshow Indiana Jones. I purchased 31 sets this year and spent a grand total of $1,284.42. Although LEGO also has the Indy license and released some great Indiana Jones sets this year, I actually spent more money on my favorite LEGO theme, Town. I bought 6 Town sets and spent $402.02. I bought 14 Indiana Jones sets and spent $377.60. Star Wars was dominated by prequel-era Clone Wars sets so I lost interest in that theme. I only bought 4 Star Wars sets this year for a total of $187.48. I have a large LEGO Pirate collection; and nearly all the sets released between 1989-1996. So when new System Pirates sets came out in December, I had to have them. I spent $184.59 on 4 Pirates sets. I also bought 3 out-of-production Adventurer sets from 2003 on the secondary market for $132.73 in 2008. These three sets will go nicely with my Indy sets.

Star Wars: $362.06
Once my primary focus, Star Wars has mostly fallen off my collecting map since the OTC line in 2004. Sure, it still peaks sometimes, like with last year's great TAC line and it's McQuarrie figs, but for me, a 30 year veteran, I'm just in it for the obscure background character or the occasional fig that catches my eye these days. I generally pass on vehicles, playsets, multipacks, and just about anything prequel related. I like the Clone Wars animated line, though the lack of articulation often keeps me away. I spent $362.06 on Star Wars toys this year. I bought 49 basic figures, 3 comic packs, and 1 Evolutions set.

G.I. Joe: $262.17
Ever see toys you'd like to collect but just don't want to start another line? Well, I've thought that way about G.I. Joe 25th Anniversary figures since the first wave. If it wasn't for that damn lull in Indy collecting during the summer I probably would've just continued window-shopping Joes instead of buying them. I spent $262.17 on G.I. Joe this year. I bought 17 basic figures, 4 comic packs, and the 5 DVD battle packs. I like the figs a lot and enjoy looking at them on display, so I don't really regret getting what I did. I just don't have the space to display several different figure lines.

Miscellaneous Toys: $139.19
Miscellaneous Toys.... how mysterious. I spent $139.19 on 16 items from various toy lines. I bought 3 21st Century 1:18 military figures, 6 NECA Pirates of the Caribbean figures on clearance, 1 Futurama Bender figure, a Cabbage Patch Doll I gave away at Christmas, 4 Transformers Animated figures, and 1 Zizzle Pirates of the Caribbean clearanced playset.

Ancillary Costs: $188.36
This year I also began tracking the ancillary costs of collecting, which in my case, mainly consists of plastic storage containers for loose or boxed toys not on display. I purchased four 50-gal. Rubbermaid containers for toys and five 65-quart Sterlite totes that I use for comic storage. I also re-bagged much of my old comic collection this year, since I had to toss the old bags several years ago when I discovered an insect infestation. I consider that to be a one-time cost even though they recommend that collectors replace bags and boards every few years. I dunno about you, but that's just not gonna happen. I bought 700 polyethylene silver age size comic bags and 1,500 110-lb. card stock that I used for backer boards. The total cost of all these items was $188.36.

I don't keep track of gasoline costs; though that is a significant collector expense. I'll admit some trips were made solely for toy hunts. Still, I think most of my toy shopping is done while on necessary trips, or at least under the rationale "I'm driving by or near there anyway, so I'll stop and look."

Grand Total (Toys + Collecting Costs): $4,194.50
So the grand total for toys and ancillary collecting costs for 2008 was $4,194.50.

So, how much did YOU spend?

[bigbarada]

It's tough for me to tell just how much I've spent, since I don't really keep track of that kind of stuff. However, I did sell over $5000 worth of Star Wars stuff on Ebay last year and most of that I sold at a loss or just broke even. So, I know that I spent well over $5000 last year.

[CaptainSolo1138]

$0

[El Chuxter]

Too much, but not as much as in 2007, thank golly gee whillickers.

[Old Fossil]

I don't know how much I spent and I don't wanna know.

[Rocketboy]

Grand Total (Toys + Collecting Costs): $4,194.50

Sweet Jesus!
You could've bought a semi-decent used car (or a great down payment on one) for that!


I spent, at the most, $50 last year.

[Bel-Cam Jos]

Well, I guess I'll have to guesstimate...

SW figures: I think I bought around 40 figures from retail stores (averaging out at a higher price of maybe $6 a piece, that'd be about $250) and about 10 online (but these were about $15 each I think, so that's another $150).

Other SW items: can't think of any vehicles or other things I bought, since trading cards and music/video don't count. Only Clone Wars figures interested me.

Indy toys: I honestly can't recall if I bought any. I know I bought the Hallmark item (this is not a toy, it told me), the DVD, a 2-deck cards set, several books, but I think I avoided the temptation of toys (cool name for next film: Indiana Jones and the Temptation of Toys).

Lego: I might've bought a small set or two, so I'll go with $15.

Other: can't say there's anything else I buy.

Total: then I suppose it's around $450, maybe.

[TeeEye7]

About $200. The BMF was most of that total.

[UKWildcat]

$0

+1

[Mr. JabbaJohnL]

I don't know how much I spent and I don't wanna know.

Same here. It was a lot; certainly more than I expected. I got every SW basic figure in both realistic and animated lines, along with a few legends figures and anything else that was new (vehicles, multipacks, etc.). It was around $500 on the July 26 weekend with the Falcon, AT-TE, and tons of other goodies. The big release definitely came as a surprise, but a welcome one; same thing with the smaller-but-still-big items, which were occasionally of varying quality.

I got a few Indiana Jones things but not many; I still may get more if the figures hit $1 each or so.

I don't collect any figures aside from that.