Hamilton collectors struggle as Trump tariffs tank local toy industry

Those who trade in “collectibles” are being forced to change how they do business and where they buy from, as they feel the effects of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

Unlike the bigger scale tariffs affecting the Canadian steel and auto-sectors, buying and selling collectibles, like toys and Pokémon cards, costs significantly more now than before Trump was president.

Hamilton’s Dave Fawcett holds the Guinness World Record for his Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle collection, but his shopping has been “sewered” by tariffs.

“I have over 5,000 items in the collection now, at this point were, luckily mostly curated before Trump took over,” said Fawcett.

“I’ve had to pay $23 – 30 import fees on things that were $20 items, so it really deters getting products from the U.S. for the collection, and just search for products here in Canada,” said Fawcett.

Unfortunately, the selection for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles memorabilia north of the border is weak.

WATCH MORE: Hamilton man sets Guinness World Record for massive Ninja Turtles collection

“A lot of the stuff that I collect, like the merchandise, a lot of it wasn’t released in Canada,” said Fawcett. “You know, the creators of the Ninja Turtles were in the U.S. — they got a lot more different merchandise and stuff.”

Even places that sell collectables are being “Hulk-smashed” by tariffs.

“We run the ICE collectibles site, which is an auction site – we sell through eBay,” said Walter Durajlija, the owner of Big B Comics on Upper James Street in Hamilton. “Shipped most of our items, buyers are from the states, so we’ve had to adjust and not put toys up. We’ve actually stopped selling toys on the auction, because they’re made in China, mostly.”

Durajlija says a rule change at the U.S. border in August is causing even more problems than the tariffs.

“Items going into the States that were under $800 — they didn’t have to be cleared by customs or duty, but now those items are cleared by customs or duty, so even if it’s a non-tariffed item, like an old comic book, the buyer still has to pay $22 or $18 to get the item into the country to clear the border,” said Durajlija.

This is leading to fewer customers south of the border, where Trump is the “Master of the Universe.”

Fawcett isn’t going to stop collecting. He says he’ll just be pickier about what he buys, and when possible, he’ll shop on eBay.ca, instead of eBay.com.

WATCH MORE: Local businesses say Canada’s 2025 budget offers little relief from tariffs