This Week in Anime

How Many Figures Do You Earn Annually?

Coop
Chris, do you ever see your buddies posting while they're at a Transformers convention, and then feel such strong FOMO that you end up ordering a figure for yourself? But once you start looking at prices, you think, "Maybe I should reconsider this idea unless I find an actual deal." Whether they be robots (in and out of disguise), horse girls, or model kits, these collectibles have been ASTROnomically expensive TOYs as of late.

And overlap they often do.

And even with those illegal tariffs swatted down by the United States Supreme Court, a certain Mr. Potato Head is still hellbent on making them happen. But rotting potatoes slowly reconstructed with plastic aside, 2026 is an equally fascinating and frustrating time to be a toy collector—if you can still reasonably afford it that is.

Man, old Figma prices were something else. Back in the late aughts to early 2010s, you could nab a S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider Kuuga, figma Saber, or a Revoltech Revy for no more than US$35 before shipping.

Crazy to think that was almost twenty years ago. And to your point on Samus, I nabbed the Figma of her Other M incarnation for US$45 sometime around 2014. That was considered pricy at the time because I found a wholesale imported copy at a local mall, but that was still WAY less than any of Samus's suited variations produced since then.

Hell, everyone's "favorite" incarnation of Samus has an upcoming Chogokin coming out for nearly US$300 at most US retailers.

Dude, I sold mine AGES ago and wish I still had her...even with the janky joint cuts. Refrains like that regularly come to mind whenever I look back at that era of collecting for me.

But for every Revy (or Generations Drift), I'm glad for the figures I did hold on to—like the Bome statues I bought on a lark while in high school. They've got a certain sort of character you rarely see nowadays. Not to mention that most people aren't buying figures willy-nilly anymore, with a handful of excellent exceptions that is.

So, does that make her cardboard box an "Aniplex jail"?

A huge factor for me when it comes to collecting my favorite character is this: how often do they get merch? With Gunbuster's Noriko, for instance, the figures are few and far between. So, I have more than a few Norikos (most of them probably) hanging around.

And at one time, I had that Rio:bone Buster Machine 7 too…

If you could only see the pained look on my face when I last looked up her going rate these days.

Model kits have seen a similar price hike as of late, but they're still a cheaper option than most fully assembled figures. Aoshima's Ingram Unit 1 kit comes to mind as a great expensive figure alternative—not as robust as one of Bandai's Master Grades, but just as large.

But on the topic of specifically Rio:bone alternatives, I love this little Canti...despite the less-than-fantastic line of figures he hails from.

Regardless of the quality, off-putting eyes, and scalper situation around Pops, they're generally the most affordable option for the average Joe anime fan. And while I haven't bought one since Canti in like 2019, I understand why folks go to the line for its character spread and price. Like a 16-year-old who wants a figure of their favorite isn't exactly going to be rolling around in money.

There's also a particular company on the rise with their own (occasionally) stylized, high-quality, and stupidly affordable model kits in multiple sizes—Blokees. Saint Seiya, Naruto, Hatsune Miku, Marvel Rivals, Eva, Transformers... Blokees is going hard on every property they can get their hands on, but refusing to compromise on quality along the way. Be it fun little blind box mini figures or more complicated kits that stand toe-to-toe with Bandai's offerings.

I hope so too! From their Ultraman and tokusatsu offerings, I get the impression that Blokees is looking to court a much wider international market than we might be used to as collectors. As if what we've enjoyed on the Transformers-side of things, was just a happy accident—we're not their real market.

It's a boon on Blokees' end as well that they're fairly speedy with their releases. From what I can tell, you won't have to wait a year, as is often the case with modern-day Figma and higher-end Bandai products. For example, I pre-ordered MAFEX Rogue in March of 2024, shortly after I finished up X-Men '97. I cancelled my order due to those tariff troubles, but I was dumbfounded when I recently discovered that she came out this past March—TWO YEARS LATER.

Rogue's an extreme example, but I've become fed up with preorder waits any longer than a few months. It's probably necessary given the cost of materials, but seriously. Just imagine the extra month and change added on to that wait if you bought Rogue from a domestic retailer.

Ooooooooof.

In sharp contrast to all that, the last time I preordered a figure (which I really don't do anymore, given THE WORLD) was a relatively timely experience. It was also for a figure that blew me away, considering it was only US$30.

Banpresto's recent take on Tamamo Cross (and her gluttonous counterpart by extension) really feels like the company rising to the current economic moment. With her massive size and quality, Tama-chan comes off as a step up from the idea of prize figures being cheap and so-so. Then again, I've come to realize that prize figures on the whole have been pretty nice for a good while now. Depending on the character, that's more than enough for me. Same for an old friend of mine (a more casual fan) who turned to a prize figure of All Might as a "affordable yet solid enough" option, just so he could have an All Might.

Like any theme park, a week at the pop-up parade is hella expensive.

I've also noticed that in more rural-ish areas, the more traditionally nerdy game and comic shops carrying anime figures have often ended up sending their stock to the clearance bin—especially the more niche characters like Lalah here and the Lupin gang. In fact, there've been sightings of recent anime S.H. Figuarts releases and other prize figures at stores like Ross and Marshalls.

Playing clearance chicken is more or less how I've been able to afford getting back into Transformers...in addition to a couple nice gifts here and there. And as you said, playing that game is even more complicated with potential tariffs and rising shipping costs involved.

I quite like finding myself a deal from time to time, and with that said, Galvatron here reminds me of something. There's also been something of a shift in collecting of all stripes, putting emphasis on how much you spent on a toy rather than how much you wanted it or enjoyed it. I've noticed this with manga on occasion, too, especially with the social media brain chemicals in play. From what we've talked about your time at TFcon last month, it sounds like a bit of "bragging about how much I spent" was going on. Hooting and hollering about a deal is one thing, but this? Seems incongruent with the current economics of it all.

You've reminded me of the legendary US$5 Super Robot Chogokin Might Gaine HLJ had over a decade ago... There's another purge regret.

You know, the money part of it all reminds me of something my dad asked me back when I started collecting Transformers: "Can you eat it?" Given the economic realities we're currently living with, it's something that's been on my mind a lot. However, we do all know that one robot aficionado who'll think long and hard about eating their favorite robot.

I mentioned this way back when we chatted about Blu-rays and DVDs, but I can't recommend this series of talks by Internet Personality Vangelus enough. He really thrusts deep into the core of the messy, mushy brain meat and chemicals of this topic.

Yes, that line sounded suggestive on purpose.

But to finally Blast Off to this conversation's conclusion, collecting is, again, more frustrating and fascinating than ever before. Your passion for a certain character, the desire for some finger junk food (like the engineering in Transformers on occasion), and the budget you have to work with just keep intersecting with each other. And that last string is all the more important now that people are starting to be priced out of getting a small treat for themselves every so often.

Oh, Blokees, how I look forward to cracking open a cold case of Transformers Galaxy Version with the boys at a con one day. Because, like anime, figures are always better with friends. This post is sponsored by the many Transformers Chris has sent me over the past year.

Huh, funny how that turned out.