Collecting can be expensive, but it doesn't have to be. Depends on what you collect. Things like stamps, coins and bottle caps aren't really expensive unless you're buying vintage stuff. But then the same can be said for toys. I buy most of my Transformers while they're still current and pay regular retail prices or less for them. This helps to make the hobby considerably more affordable compared to say waiting several years (or decades) until the toy becomes hard to find and you're paying inflated prices on the secondary market -- in which case you're often no longer paying for the actual value of the toy, but for the scarcity. My general philosophy w/ TF collecting is "buy now or cry later."Originally Posted by Kapryiath
It doesn't always work in my favour though -- sometimes the value of toys actually depreciates which means that you would've saved money getting it later rather than sooner. Like Jetwing Optimus Prime -- I bought it last year for $150, but now it's selling for $99 -- could've saved myself $51 if I'd waited a year. A lot of times a toy will sell for inflated prices when first released, then retailers slowly lower the price... it's what Paulbot calls "impatience tax" which I think is a good term... and I sometimes end up paying it. Like I paid $23 for TF Prime RiD Ratchet, now Big W has them for $18!
But cheaper hobbies would probably be non-collecting ones, such as sports, performing arts (e.g. singing, dancing), photography, papercraft, scrapbooking, cooking, gardening, fishkeeping, reading etc. -- of course, it depends on how far you get into the hobby -- any one of those hobbies can become expensive if you go hardcore enough.
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