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Cost would be obvious reason. Not enough people buying them to sustain the market. Its the problem all
toy figurines have, not enough 30 year old kids any more buying the toys. The products they are based on just aren't as good any more. Just ask Marvel why they stopping too.
My comment was more retorical.
It wasnt the desire by the shopper and more a shift by manufacturing for higher profits. Also the stores closed at the same time that all other retail stores started closing in malls. Its not just specialty shops, its everything. Malls all over the us and retail stand-a-lone stores are shuttering everywhere because of onlline shopping and box stores
Like hobby lobby and micheals killed local crafting store. Dicks killed local sporting goods, lowes and home depo are killing hardware stores, ect the list goes on and on. I just took an oil painting class from someone who's family owned a had a great hobbystore for 50+ years multi generational, and 20 years ago micheals opened and basically and put um out of business, because they couldnt match pricing as they pay less for the stock, that was right around the time the warhammer store at the mall closed. They were filled with people of all ages. Finally we are getting those stores back but the metal ones are gone, Its all reisin.
There is now a top gaming store a mile from me and a large one that can run 50 games another about 12 miles that can do about 20, that one has painting nights. Its people of all ages, after school/summer its younger, late night its older really it covers ages 8-80, but the later day majority are 20-50
here in new england i goto comic cons and there are people of all ages that go to them. Tons of young kids and teens and adults that are collectors.
There are multiple shows all over the state every month. Small local shows that get 500- 1k-2k people or more through the doors in a single day. And we have a couple big shows, like the one this week end that there are 50k people over the weekend. look up terrificon if your interested, 25+, vips, actors,artists, writers ect and hundreds of dealers.
as for the quality the new stuff, its way higher quality that the stuff from the 80s and it sells out all the time. check out hasbro pulse web site, theres. no lack of options (outside metal) I think you are not in touch with this market or pehaps where you live its just different. After all there is an entire world out there. Ebay also has a very thriving market for these things.
The good news is artisan shops are making a comeback, at least where i live quality items and an actual person that knows their stuff verse online box store crap. The entire market crashed and restructured by the opening of amazon and the Walmart/cosco take over, its taken time for the dust to settle. A few malls survived, a couple others are restructuring, a few other went under. But the entire retail structure was shaken up and it had to restrutucer.