Half the fun of collecting

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LOL...my slippery slope is in the opposite direction ... I wound up cutting a lot of pieces I originally wanted because I didn't want to accumulate too much.

For the most part I stay away from contemporary stuff and focus on the nostalgic properties I haven't outgrown.

E.g. I loved Robotech as a kid, and still admire some of the design, but I wouldn't watch anything from that property at this point because my tastes have changed. So no Valkyries or Regults for me.

I enjoyed Nolan's Batman but it doesn't click with my childhood memories.

I can still sit down and enjoy Star Wars and it's from childhood, so I'm kinda suckered there; I just accept that the property is too deep and severely limit what I'll buy in that vein.

Still read Spider-Man comics from time to time and it's childhood memories too so *cha-ching* goes the register.


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I've always called it "the hunt". Finding what you want, looking and waiting for the right deal, officially buying it, getting that tracking number, the unboxing......it's half the fun alright.
 
.....For me its become a validation sticking point. The hobby has just gotten too expensive. I really have to LOVE something in order to pull the trigger. That's not to say that after my last remaining preorders are filled I won't ever buy anything again, ever. It's just my addiction is waning. I collect almost exclusively Star Wars 1/6th scale, and its just come down to the fact I cannot bring myself to spend almost $300.00 on one figure. Sure, I like the Hot Toys offerings, (Han, Chewie, Vader Obi-wan) but for the money, I'd just assume keep that cash in my checking account as opposed to on my growingly over-crowded shelves. After almost 20 years as an adult collector I've learned there will never be an 'ultimate' version of any character, so I'll just make do with the ones I've already paid for.
 
A hobby isn't meant to become a chore. If you don't find enjoyment with it any longer, then it's best to just move on.

I have my fair share of different collections, but it always comes down to the enjoyment factor and is the money worth it for me.

There is so much on the horizon that I want to have and from so many different lines. However I can't justify spending 10K on figures. That money can be used for other things, such as travelling, which I am right in the middle of doing now.

I think one problem for me is I can really get bored easily and my focus will change at the drop of a hat. Something I was really into 6 months ago, I may be completely over tomorrow. Spending $200+ on figures, for me really means I have to focus on things I have been interested in for quite some time.

At present I'm really into the hobby of collecting figures, but next year my interest might wane and something else will have my attention.

I guess the one good thing with buying collectibles is you can sell them off if your interests do change.


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I can just agree with everybody else. The "wanting" and looking for the collectible you want is almost more of the collecting than when you get it and display it. Some of my collectibles I don't even have room for (my movie props) and thay are just stored away :) So the time until you get the piece is more than half the fun. Remember how I thought "if I only had that one HT figure...." before I started collecting figures and statues... now it's never enough :)
 
This is one of the reasons I've decided to stop collecting figures. I like the idea of them more than actually owning them:lol
 
This is one of the reasons I've decided to stop collecting figures. I like the idea of them more than actually owning them:lol

This is the ultimate collecting zen state of mind. Cast your eyes over my collection of high end figures and statues and tell me what you think:

IMG_1013.JPG
 
This is the ultimate collecting zen state of mind. Cast your eyes over my collection of high end figures and statues and tell me what you think:

IMG_1013.JPG

I used to live in this hard loft space...it had steel cable suspending hardwood shelves in a brick alcove, strung taut between the floor and the 14 foot ceiling...I liked the look of the structure so much I left the shelves empty except for a small stereo.

It used to drive some of my more "object-friendly" friends nuts. I'm not quite *that* minimal these days. But I loved that empty space.


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Am I just weird or is half the fun of collecting finding/anticipating the next figure that you want? I love searching for the next figure to add to my collection and then researching it, watching Youtube video reviews, etc. Once I manage to track it down and buy it the excitement is checking the tracker as it comes in the mail. Once I get the figure I love opening it, getting the right pose and then displaying it in one of my detolfs. Once that's done it's on to the next one... :lol

Pursuit of happiness syndrome.

The idea is what brings you the joy, the actual item doesn't so you chase the next one hoping that that will fill the void.

I've gone through it myself. I'd get a collectible then not open it for weeks, I'd find the anticipation is more joyful than the collectible itself.

I've tried to cut back and spend more money on memories than items. It's hard but worth it
 
Pursuit of happiness syndrome.

The idea is what brings you the joy, the actual item doesn't so you chase the next one hoping that that will fill the void.

I've gone through it myself. I'd get a collectible then not open it for weeks, I'd find the anticipation is more joyful than the collectible itself.

I've tried to cut back and spend more money on memories than items. It's hard but worth it

i would say to satisfy ones greed in order to feel the joy more likely.
 
Am I just weird or is half the fun of collecting finding/anticipating the next figure that you want? I love searching for the next figure to add to my collection and then researching it, watching Youtube video reviews, etc. Once I manage to track it down and buy it the excitement is checking the tracker as it comes in the mail. Once I get the figure I love opening it, getting the right pose and then displaying it in one of my detolfs. Once that's done it's on to the next one... :lol


You are not weird you are one of us :lecture

one-of-us.gif




It's also enjoyable to admire the collectible when you have it. I've bought things that I left in storage for a long time. And every once in a while I remember I have those and check 'em out, and then I start to remember everything since the moment I decided I need it to the moment the mail man brought it home. To me that is part of the fun as well
 
This is my second go-round with toy collecting. 15 years ago, it was mostly McFarlane Movie Maniacs, Playmates Simpsons and The Muppets by Palisades. I used to keep one piece loose and another in the package. Eventually I moved in with my gf, got married, and put the collection in storage. I am hitting 1/6th scale hard now that we bought an apartment and I have some display space again, but I am really getting into the customizing aspect of the hobby, which I never really cared for the first time around. I also like the idea of creating dioramas with the figures, which I will start to do shortly, once I have the proper inventory ;)
 
This is the ultimate collecting zen state of mind. Cast your eyes over my collection of high end figures and statues and tell me what you think:

IMG_1013.JPG

What about the dust that might accumulate without a glass enclosure? oh my. haha.

Nostalgia plays a pretty strong role in what I collect but I've also learned to like other properties that I did not grow up with.

Anticipation, the pursuit and research is what keeps the hobby interesting. I've spent countless hours watching/reading reviews or perusing forums. But at some point I may get burnt out trying to collect them all.

I skipped most the Sideshow Star Wars 1/6 line because the quality was only so-so in my opinion. But when Hot Toys announced they had acquired the license to Star Wars and began releasing their first sculpts, I knew I might be in trouble with the sheer number characters those trilogies have to offer. I have to be selective in what I buy - collect only the essentials. Perhaps buy the main looks Luke Skywalker is known for (farmboy, black tunic) but skip the variants that HT will inevitably release that are nothing more than a different color or headsculpt switch (Stormtrooper Luke).
 
Pursuit of happiness syndrome.

The idea is what brings you the joy, the actual item doesn't so you chase the next one hoping that that will fill the void.

I've gone through it myself. I'd get a collectible then not open it for weeks, I'd find the anticipation is more joyful than the collectible itself.

I've tried to cut back and spend more money on memories than items. It's hard but worth it


I do this all the time , currently have 3 unopened figure just waiting for a tough week to open and enjoy them. I would add that I do get alot of happiness from seeing them in my cabinet and posing them as well.

I definitely make sure I am very selective about what I buy so I does not become something everyday and common. It stays special that way. 1-2 per year and only if they are really special sculpts to me.
 
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