Hobby Life in the big 2025

Hobby Life in 2025

by: Isaac Chavez

Collecting figures in 2025 has become both a passionate hobby and a financial challenge. Due to increased global tariffs and trade restrictions, especially on goods imported from major manufacturing hubs like China and Japan, prices for action figures, statues, and collectibles have surged significantly. Many collectors now find themselves paying double—or even triple—the original retail price, not to mention the added costs of shipping and import duties. Limited-edition releases sell out instantly, driving up demand in the resale market where scalpers thrive. For dedicated fans, keeping up with new releases requires careful budgeting, international savvy, and sometimes, a willingness to make tough choices. What was once a fun, accessible pastime has evolved into a high-stakes game of patience, strategy, and deep pockets.

As a dedicated S.H.Figuarts collector, the rising costs and tariffs in 2025 have hit me hard. What used to be a fun and manageable hobby has turned into a stressful and expensive pursuit. Figures that once cost around $60–$70 are now pushing well over $100 after shipping, customs fees, and inflated reseller prices. Pre-orders sell out instantly, and importing directly from Japan feels like a gamble with unpredictable duties and delays. It’s frustrating because I’ve been collecting for years, and now I have to skip releases I would’ve bought in a heartbeat just a couple of years ago. The joy of adding new pieces to my collection is still there, but it’s often overshadowed by the financial strain and the anxiety of missing out.

On top of the financial pressure, the emotional toll has started to weigh on me. S.H.Figuarts has always been more than just plastic on a shelf—it’s a connection to the characters and stories I love, a form of self-expression and nostalgia. But now, every new release comes with a sense of dread: Can I even afford this? Will it sell out in seconds? I find myself constantly refreshing pages, watching drop times like a hawk, and competing with bots and resellers just for a chance to pay a premium. Sometimes I wonder if it’s even worth it anymore. The community is feeling it too—there’s more frustration than excitement in collector forums, and the hobby feels less accessible for newcomers. Still, I try to hold onto the pieces I do have. Each figure is a reminder of the passion that got me into this in the first place, and despite everything, that passion hasn’t gone away. It’s not just figures and collectibles that are being affected—this wave of rising costs and tariffs is hitting every kind of hobby. Whether it’s model kits, trading cards, video games, musical instruments, or even crafting supplies, prices for hobby-related items have skyrocketed across the board. For anyone who’s passionate about their interests, it feels like everything is behind a paywall now. Materials that used to be affordable are now luxury items, and consumers are getting hit from every angle: inflated shipping fees, import taxes, limited stock, and resellers driving up prices even more. Hobbies are supposed to be a way to unwind, connect, and find joy—but in 2025, they’re starting to feel like a privilege reserved for those who can afford to keep up. It’s disheartening to see something that once brought comfort and creativity become a source of financial stress, not just for figure collectors like me, but for anyone trying to hold on to the things they love. 

S.H.Figuarts and toy photography have honestly become one of my favorite forms of art. There’s just something really cool about taking a figure, posing it just right, setting up a little scene, and making it look like a moment straight out of an anime or movie. It’s not just collecting for me—it’s about creating. I love messing around with lighting, backgrounds, angles, and trying to capture that perfect shot. It’s super fun and lets me be creative in a way that feels personal and satisfying.

But man, it’s getting harder to enjoy it like I used to. With prices going way up because of tariffs and shipping and everything else, just getting a single figure feels like a big deal now. I can’t afford to grab every new release like I used to, and sometimes I have to pass on figures I really want because it’s just too expensive. It kinda kills the vibe when you’ve got all these photo ideas in your head but can’t get the figures to make them happen. I still love it, and I’m not planning to stop, but it sucks how expensive it’s become just to enjoy a hobby and art form I care so much about.

Of course, you don’t have to spend a ton of money to enjoy your hobbies—there are always ways to be creative with what you’ve got. But in my case, it kinda sucks. With S.H.Figuarts and toy photography, new figures are a big part of what keeps things fresh and exciting. Each one brings new poses, new characters, new photo ideas. So when I can’t afford the latest releases because they’re too expensive thanks to tariffs, shipping, and all that, it honestly takes some of the fun out of it. I still love doing it and make the most of the collection I have, but sometimes it feels like I’m stuck watching from the sidelines while everyone else is getting the new stuff. 

One of the biggest things that’s been ruining the fun lately is the prices—and especially the scalpers. It’s already tough dealing with the rising costs from tariffs and shipping, but then you add in people who buy up all the stock just to resell it at crazy high prices, and it just makes everything worse. You see a figure go up for pre-order, and it’s gone in seconds. Then right after, it’s already on eBay or some resale site for double or triple the price. It honestly kills the excitement. Instead of being hyped for a new release, I feel stressed and annoyed, knowing I probably won’t be able to get it without overpaying. It feels like the hobby’s shifted from being about collecting what you love to racing bots and resellers just to get a fair chance. And yeah, I still try to enjoy it, but when prices are that wild and scalpers are everywhere, it takes a lot of the joy out of it.