The pandemic put a crimp in my doll collecting. Not only did it take away my substitute-teacher job, and my parents… it took away both my doll-collecting funds and my ability to go to a store that sold toys. Toys-R-Us went away permanently.
But I celebrated both my survival of the pandemic and the Marvel Cinematic Universe surviving it by buying all their movie-themed action figures that only cost twenty dollars or less. The Black Panther cost $10, Dr. Strange and Wanda the Scarlet Witch came in the same box for $19.99.
I also go to Goodwill, ReSale, and other junk shops to buy discarded, broken, and abused toys that can be restored and made almost as good as new. (Although none of these required any repairs, and both Aquaman and the Flash were still in store boxes in December of 2021,)
Some of these come from the Walmart clearance aisle. You get them cheap there, often because, like the Rock playing Black Adam, their movie bombed and nobody wanted the toy but me. Or they were from a really old movie, or, like the Prince Namor figure from Wakanda Forever, they were just a character nobody wanted to buy.
And some characters get popular, then got ignored, and then became popular again recently. Hence, Batman meets Lady Bug from Miraculous.
Doll collecting is fun. And it is hard obsessive habit to kill. I know this because the pandemic tried and failed.
Catch a Falling Star 