I went back and looked at this thread and although we answered the young man's question who started the thread, we probably appear to him like doom and gloom.
Let's not forget plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose (the more things change, the more they remain the same)
New collectors, be they young or old, are the future of the hobby. Yes, things may be a trifle expensive but I'm sure that when I started collecting back in those halcyon days of 2005, things may have looked expensive to experienced collectors of that time.
I may be accused of being Pollyana-esque, but instead of accentuating the negative, let's accentuate the positive: wonderfully sculpted figures from K & C and many other manufacturers and lots of choices, from both retired and current figures. Let's not forget it's "toy" soldiers so I think we need to focus on the good things (as well as the more realistic things in life). When you come home from a hard day in the business world or a busy day at school, to look at your little men is to lose yourself in history and enjoyment.