Collecting and the falling dollar

[Joshy]

Probably be spending less on transformers, but more due to the fact it will make my primary hobby more expensive... (competitive 4wding) as theres no local buying option and average purchase prices are well beyond transformer prices

[Empirion]

The other side effect for me and I imagine others is work as we import the falling Aus dollar against the US and in my case Korean won means less scope for pay increases Vs a rising cost of living leave less left over for transformers. ahh the joys of being an adult lol

[GoktimusPrime]

Yeah but as an adult with a job and disposable income, collecting is still a lot easier even against a falling dollar as opposed to being a kid with limited income. Also, these days there are online stores that allow you to pre-order toys months before they come out ... allowing you to slowly save up your money during that intervening time. Plus most online stores give you discounts when you pre-order too!

[BigTransformerTrev]

At least the Yen has been falling too so it's not too bad ordering from Japan as opposed to the USA

[prjkt]

My collecting had already been winding down, as I got into it only a few years back, I've been electing through ebay and other sites for some older classics verse figures. I've since got most of the ones I want, maybe missing 5 in total? So I'm really just saving up/buying current and new release figures.

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

0.80 or thereabouts is where i expect it to be. We've been spoilt these last few years when it has been a lot higher, but tend to forget what is was like in 1998/9/00/01/02 & 03.

(it never really stopped us during the last plunge - if anything, the stronger dollar in the last few years just meant those of us who got back into collecting during the expensive US50-70c Beast Wars to Cybertron era, were more likely to splurge because the weak dollar was "normal" for us for so many years - those who came in later during the US90-110c era are going to feel the pain more though, because that was the "normal" rate to them)

Agreed here. I spent a lot of money importing the Galaxy Force, so really felt the pain when I was first into importing, iirc the aud/yen was at about $1 would get you 65 yen. Mostly now that I think about it, I've been more concerned about the yen over the US dollar. But after sitting out the low US/AUD rate at times, as long as the AUD sticks aroun 80 US, I'll be pretty happy!

our wonderful British pound is better than your colonial currency... )

Ha ha ha! points to you for that!

[DELTAprime]

Since the first wave of AB TF's are out here for $10 each and I'm still waiting on them at BBTS I've decided to get them from work (provided we find our stock before Big Bad gets theres). The price works out about the same thanks to the Aussie dollar.

I've always wanted to buy local but the range not price keeps me from buying local. No place locally to get Takara Generations/Legends and Hasbro Generations. I am considering if I can afford TRU's over inflated prices for TT MP's, but also I don't have a local TRU so I'd have to order online anyway, so why not just buy from Japan and get it way cheaper and earlier.

If ALL Combiner Wars figures (not just one wave of deluxes) show up locally I'll consider getting any Hasbro figures I want locally.

(By local I mean at a store local to me)