Space tends to become an issue for any collector, regardless of location. Collectors get to the point where their collection gets to the point where they have to downsize. However, that line is much much smaller for the average Hong Kong collector. We are going to be going over what the cause of this issue is, as well as how it affects collectible sales in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Collectors Space Struggle is a very important issue, and we want to break it down for collectors worldwide.
The History of the Issue
In talking to Budget Stark, he laid out the issue in terms that make sense to someone not totally well versed in Hong Kong culture. The key issue is that Hong Kong is an exceedingly small area. It is roughly the size of New York, packed with around 7 million people living in it. Because of this, Hong Kong has extremely high living costs versus relatively small space.
The majority of people in Hong Kong live in flats that average around 130 square feet. Obviously that is not a space that is extremely conducive to displaying a large collection. For this reason, Budget Stark explained that statue collectors are very rare in Hong Kong just for the simple fact that most people do not have room for it.
For more collectors of one sixth collectibles, space is also an issue. In videos that I have seen online of collections, a lot of Hong Kong based collectors have shelving incorporated into furniture. This allows both functionality and display that is necessary to deal with the smaller spaces. Larger pieces like The Hot Toys Batmobile are built into coffee tables.
What this means for Collectible Sales
Hong Kong collectors do still buy figures, they manage to adapt and overcome space limitations to do what they love. Hong Kong still remains an extremely large market for collectibles, and as such you will find a variety of collectible stores. That said, the collectible stores also deal with their own space issues.
Collectible store owners typically pay high rent prices for extremely small spaces. According to Budget Stark, store owners pay thousands of dollars in rent money for spaces that are 100 to 150 square feet. This means that store owners must be just as creative as collectors in displaying their pieces, potentially even more so!
The key to the Hong Kong Collectors Space Struggle is space management. Collectors must make use of creative solutions in order to display the things that they are passionate about. Store owners must do the same thing in order to be able to sell the pieces. That being said, Hong Kong is a culturally rich and magnificent area. It is full of culture, history, and of course, tons of collectors! If you are a Hong Kong based collector, please feel free to share with us how you manage your collection!
