[HBCoffin]

Well, my answer will never be as simple as x amount of money. What I'm willing to spend on a toy depends on a multitude of factors...

• What does the toy mean to me? Will it become a valuable addition that coheres to my collection or will it stand alone? In the case of the latter, will it stand strong?

• How long have I desired the toy? Is it a newly developed fondness or have years gone by? In the case of the latter, has completing a purchase been delayed due to being indecisive, lack of funds, or lack of availability?

• What is my current budget? How much am I willing to allocate towards a single purchase ('cause I'm almost always debating between purchasing a variety of toys at any given time)?

• What does the toy mean to others (i.e. how is it valued on the secondary market)? Do I predict a rise or decline in value given the data I am able to compile? Should I need to part with it, will I get back what I put in? Will I be upset otherwise?

• How new is the toy? Was it released in the past few years or the 1970s? What was the retail price (if necessary, adjusted for inflation)?

• How rare is the toy? Was it a limited or standard release? Does one turn up every other week, or once every few years?

In the end I refuse to invest too much beyond the retail value of contemporary releases as prices have a tendency to fall just as quickly as they inflate due to hype.

I won't share numbers, but I will say the most money I've spent on a single toy has been something with serious history behind it.