can you still enjoy the hobby without buying

i think im going to stop buying or looking to buy and try enjoy what ive amassed over 20 years of collecting next year. il probably still look you cant not after 20 years but not as much. truth be told the prices have got of hand and there more collectors now and most stuff has got out of my price range. i am pleased with my buys this year. i may even dabble in a custom again i quite enjoyed doing a modified luke hoth and look at more oddball stuff.

I still enjoy the hobby and don't buy a lot, only bought a few pieces this year, mostly minirigs as they can still be found for a decent price boxed, I also buy modern and enjoy aspects of both.

Interesting question Chris.
My buying activity has slowed down in recent years due to inflated prices and because it is becoming harder to find the pieces I'm after. However, I keep looking. In some ways this makes the few purchases I do make a little more special due to the time invested in finding them.
If I had to stop collecting, I would enjoy the pieces I have (especially the ones from my childhood) and would still want to be involved in the social side of the hobby as it's played a big part in my life for many years. I also enjoy learning and helping to educate other collectors.

I think if you ad the word "much?" to the end of that question, then the answer is probably yes.

That being said; forums, podcasts, even certain businesses, offer ways to be involved without the spending.

I just used the library here as it was meant to be used, that thing didn't build itself.

i can , but its always more fun for me to actively search . alot of my foreign variants may be missing weapons along with some of my kenner variants although i have at least one of everyone complete "kenner " wise so im always looking for the odd weapon here and there . ive also gotten into coo stamp variants so theres that . the great thing for me with this hobby is theres always something . even if your not looking to spend . im a much happier collector when i have stuff coming although i am quite happy with what ive gotten over my lifetime so far so while i can enjoy it i enjoy it much more when im actively purchasing or making deals . lets be hnoest none of us have millions to burn and this stuff aint getting cheaoer , thats for sure

I just wanted to dust off this thread because I have had some extremely noticeable changes in my buying habits. I suppose that's a common occurrence for most collectors that they but moreover the first couple years. Lately, I get more enjoyment out of the social aspect of it. Meeting up with the Ontario Collectors Club and having Clint somewhat nearby is pretty cool. AND being involved here and more recently with the Vintage Rebellion Podcast, helping them with their social media lately has been really fun.

I'm still buying but its more expensive items much less frequently rather than mid-priced items ALL THE TIME.

I'm hearing you Chris. I haven't bought anything for a couple of years. I love my collection but I love the friends I've made in the hobby much more. Tantive and some FB groups keep me connected.

I'll definitely start buying again at some point though.

Definitely more enjoyment from the social part of the hobby, in the last few years.

I enjoy making customs, and trying to find the really hard to find Canadian & French Canadian stuff (not always the expensive items).

Funny now that I’ve stopped collecting for a while I can honestly say yes. If I was being honest a number of years ago I’d think not as much as when I’m actually searching purchasing and being more active . These days besides lurking lol on my favorite forum I just search eBay and laugh at how much many prices have calmed down . It’s refreshing to see for sure . So yes yes I can

I think my contribution can fit into this thread. I haven't bought much of anything for a couple of years now I think. However, I'm still actively collecting .... good images of vintage stuff! It's for filling out the Star Wars Tracker image database, but it keeps me in tune with the hobby and engaged. And it doesn't cost me a cent! So yes, you can still enjoy the hobby without buying

For me, buying IS the hobby. The films are ok at times, wonderful at some others and deplorable at most occasions: the figures are what have got me hooked still : D
But I don't buy vintage: I prefer the newer sculpts: much more screen-accurate, better articulation. It's a shame that the prices have gone overboard, though.