- I've had good experience with Replicarz and Wholesale Diecast Models (huge presence on eBay, too)
- Models are definitely more expensive now. I think the mainstream explanation is that labor costs went way up. No longer paying workers in China $1 a day or whatever.
- Some are definitely getting squeezed out of the hobby, due to skyrocketing costs.
- Resin models have a much larger presence today than 10 years ago. Some collectors are on the sidelines on resin because 1) no opening parts, 2) high cost of low production number resins. I stayed out of resin for a long time, but, once I opened that door with Otto models, the floodgates on a slew of others opened. There are many interesting subjects on the resin side, that are not made in diecast.
- Traditional hobby shops for high quality models have a minor presence today. Online, particularly eBay, shopping killed more traditional outlets. This is good and bad. Good because competition brought prices down. Bad because collectors no longer get to choose the model they get and cultivate a relationship with an actual person who will stand behind what they sell. I, for one, am tired of receiving broken/blemished models online.

All in all, though, I still get excited when something I've been waiting for comes out. It's still the next best thing to owning the real car to me. :)