Falling behind with my collection.

Why is that?

I thought that Smyth's would get the Survivor Series set so I was in no hurry and was going to play the long game until the prices dropped especially for the Shawn Michaels figure. But they aren't getting Survivor Series it seems.
There was a loophole with this Legends Elite deal. It hasn't really helped UK collectors, it has just taken other sets off the table that we were used to get in its place. So when I learned that they probably aren't getting the Legends Greatest Hits series either I will have to get whatever offer I can get online and so I have to speed through both sets instead of going at a leisurely pace like I expected to.

An issue that I have had recently is that once I get a new figure, I don't appreciate it for more than an hour before im putting it away and thinking about the next figure and the next set to make the overall collection feel more completed.

I've found what helps with that is displaying the figure so you can see it. If it sits in the bin out of sight it's kinda meh.

But yeah, I find sometimes the hunt is more fun than the end result of owning the figure.

Yes I know what you mean.
This is where I don't agree with people like Mr "gotta get a deal"!
When you are relying on figures to be put at a lower price to have a chance to be able to get them, someone like him takes this off the table just because he came across it first and the price was too good to pass up on even though he already has six of them. I don't see the purpose of getting six of the same figures just because you "gotta get a deal" and then going online to showcase it just because you need to fill up five seconds of content.

Sort of. I used to be like this until like a year and a half ago and realized that some purchases were impulse buys. Now, with the lack of talent and just less interest in collecting overall, I've come to the conclusion that I needed to be a bit wiser with my spending. I just focus on collecting figures that mean something to me. It makes easier for me to figure out what I want and not have to fork over my collection for a fraction of the cost and collect dust on my shelf. I also believe we're in a period where we've gotten most talent in terms of Legends done without new signings, so that might slow things down a bit for those who like retro guys. A few years back, I was excited to get the main roster and Legends, but now just strictly Monday Night Wars and favorite wrestlers. I have no interest or remember 98% of the current generic roster.

prices increases, poor availability of product at retail aka walmart, recession, inflation, fuel price increases

I think that about covers it right ?

Oh and the wwe mattel team totally oblivious to all the things i mentioned before.

I'm the opposite. My interest in wrestling figures has gone down tremendously over the past couple of years and I'm barely buying anything any more.

This except that mattel releasing things at a rapid pace is best since wrestling is probably the hottest entity right now. At least this way when it stops we can't say that they didn't try. As long as the quality stays high. The price point in the end is causing us all to hesitate when we see these figures in the wild. The problem with the exclusives is that they don't end up at ollies so when they are gone they are gone. In short buy it if you see it or regret it afterwards

I mainly find myself in that position when I plan on buying items at retail..... and then never see them.

Next thing I know, they're nowhere to be found & costing double to track down.

These days if it's something I REALLY want, I just order it.