Collection End Game?

[Remembermyname]

Much luck my friend.

 

[mediame]

Speaking only for myself, the idea of doing this for much longer without an end in sight seems... worrisome..

Sad to me even.

Ideally I'd like to be finished within a few years time.

The thing with collecting is it's a slippery slope. And it's really grown to encapsulate more of my life than I ever intended it to. Having to plan, years ahead of time, for something as basic as a 1/6 scale plastic figure.. sometimes it can feel as though I'm bound to this hobby.

Does that make it a hobby anymore? Is it a compulsion? An addiction? Can I resist it when I want to?

And it's not just the planning. But the time, attention, and money being spent (sometimes impulsively and irresponsibly), not to mention all the headaches.. the scammers.. the scumbags you deal with. It stops being fun, and becomes overwhelming.

Of course there's a great deal of passion underlying it. But it doesn't always feel like unwrapping a Christmas present. I've been there myself, where I'd open a box, and I'd feel absolutely indifferent, or worse, disappointed, regretful, or confused as to why I bought the figure in the first place.

FOMO is a real thing, and it's also a *****.

Gentleman. That's a sign to slow down, reflect, and reevaluate. Set a clear vision for your collection. What you're looking to get out of it, and whether or not, it can ever be enough.

I'm approaching my endgame. I know my top 5, 7, or 10, and what I'd keep with me if I had to purge all the rest.

But now I have a different compulsion. To improve what I already have. A desire to have the best, and that's also a problem. Because perfection is unattainable, and you have to know where to draw the line. That's why I don't (but with exception) bother with third party or Hot Toys anymore. If they leave something to be desired, I'd be setting myself a trap. I'd rather not have it.

I don't do "placeholders". I try my best to abstain from reluctant purchases.

I have a BTTF Marty still in its box to remind me. I didn't follow through with doc. I didn't buy that Begins figure until I set my sights on customizing. But it's just not sustainable.

Completely agree with everything you said. This is also the reason the thought of new versions coming out drives me crazy. I want to lock down my display spaces with the best available quality without having to drop thousands for individual custom figures.

 

[Remembermyname]

It must feel real good when the hamster gets off the wheel but the wheel is always there.

When I finally get off it, the wheel the cage the whole damn thing is going.

 

[Raνen]

 

[Remembermyname]

Yes, my dark passenger agrees too.

 

[BACON!]

While no one in this thread specifically mentioned it, the idea of a collection tapering off to no new acquisitions over time seems like a real possibility. In 20 years, I will be in my 70's and no way will be collecting more of these stupid things.

But I can continue to enjoy what I have. Not gonna let anything go

 

[Remembermyname]

I go with that sentiment my friend and I am further along the trail.

 

[wormlander]

But now I have a different compulsion. To improve what I already have. A desire to have the best, and that's also a problem. Because perfection is unattainable, and you have to know where to draw the line.

I've changed my focus more and more towards customizing through the years, and nowadays I'm almost exclusively buying figures that I know I want to update. I'm much more invested in the projects and how much fun I'll have doing it than I am about collecting and displaying stuff. Since I don't have all the materials or tools needed for every project, I'm chosing what to buy based on what I already know I can "fix", or if it's something that requires an entirely new skill I'm interested in learning. The level of detail needed to be content with the finished product will inevitably increase as we learn more about what it is we're trying to replicate. This is why I personally use a fairly large chunk of intuition and memory induced "images" to inform my artistic decisions. I want the characters to look how I remember them, even if it means skipping over a few screen accuracies here and there. With that said; every single one of my figures are naturally 100% "perfect"