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A husband who cuts back on his children’s education and household expenses while obsessively collecting high-priced figurines has drawn sharp criticism online.
Recently, a desperate post titled “Husband Who Collects Figures” appeared on the Korean online forum Nate Pann.
The poster says her husband collects figures that cost well over 1,000,000 KRW (about $750) each. This month alone he bought five figures averaging roughly 1,200,000 KRW (about $900) apiece, spending approximately 6,000,000 KRW (about $4,500). Such outlays could severely strain an ordinary household budget.
His behavior has made matters worse. He tells the children there isn’t money for what they need, yet he readily spends on his own collection.
When his wife asked him to stop—citing the need to build joint savings and prioritize the children’s care—he defended himself by saying he doesn’t drink or smoke daily like others, so he just spends that money all at once. He maintains his spending is on par with others and not excessive, leaving the couple stuck at an impasse.
Online commenters responded with anger at what they called his irresponsible money management. Many called the argument that “it’s fine because he doesn’t drink or smoke” classic gaslighting. Others wrote that claiming there’s no money for the kids but money for toys is not something a father should say, and that needing to move because the collection is taking over the home sounds pathological. One commenter sympathized with the poster, noting that if the wife could secretly sell the figures without him noticing, the house has already turned into a storage unit.
Some observers say the husband has crossed the line between a hobby and harmful behavior. Hobbies should remain within a family’s discretionary budget, they note; collecting at the expense of the family can resemble an addiction. Buying expensive items while neglecting children’s basic needs, many argued, suggests he has abandoned his responsibilities as the household head. The poster said the growing collection has made their home cramped and left her wondering whether they need to move.
Experts warn that conflicts centered on spending for hobbies can become a decisive driver of family discord if they persist.
When a couple’s financial agreement collapses, one partner’s unilateral extravagance can erode trust to the point of no return. The poster says she’s so desperate she’s considered secretly selling her husband’s figures on Danggeun Market (a Korean secondhand marketplace), but he does not seem to recognize that his behavior is problematic, and she sees no sign of a resolution.
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