How do you guys afford this hobby

[Darth Mitchell]

I begun with collecting when I was 17 (will become 20 in July) and began with some of the Star Wars 12" figures.

Now 2,5 years later I have:
- 16 Star Wars 12" figures (Vader, Palps with Throne, Yoda, Ben, Greedo, Bib, Bespin Luke & Han, Sith and Jedi ROTS Anakin, Qui-Gon, ROTS Obi-Wan, Praji, Piett, Stormie and Orange Sandtrooper)
- 2 Diorama's (Diplomatic Mission, It's not a cave)
- Comander Cody LSB
- The recent Stormtrooper PF
- eFX TESB Stormtrooper (Stunt) helmet
- Master Replica's Darth Vader ANH Force FX
- GG Boss Bust
- 2 Kotobukiya Statues (Bespin Luke & Snowtrooper)
- Some books (The Making of Star Wars, The Making of TESB, Star Wars year by Year, The SW Vault, The Complete Encyclopedia, Death Troopers and 4 Dutch Star Wars books)

ON PRE-ORDER
- eFX Darth Vader limited Edition ANH Helmet
- SS Boba Fett 1:6

And a lot of toy's, Hasbro action figures McDonalds goodies etc.

So not a really impressive collection. But I think it's fair for a poor student with not much money. And my secret? Just have a job at a supermarket and save most of the money from that

 

[Bo Shrek]

Since January 2011 I have been into Hot Toys. Previous to this I have been collecting the 3 3/4" to 7" scale since 1995. I recently moved and during the packing stage I had realized that I had boxes and boxes full of loose and out of date figures I knew I would never display again. I am married with children and a mortgage so dipping into our “Home Budget” to purchase Hot Toys figures was not a option. I decided to sell these loose figures and other things that I thought would have value and make some money. To date I have used this money to purchase T-600, T1 T 800, T 1000, Berserker and Tracker Predators, Sweeny Todd, Indiana Jones and Jack Sparrow. There is still money in the funds to purchase three more HT release.

I have to admit it is difficult when you have over $700 cash in your hand and you tell yourself that you are going to blow this on action figures. But I justify this by saying it is recycled money. It was money used to buy figures and it is the same money buying figures again. And let’s put it into perspective it is not one lump sum of money I made. It is $15 dollars here, $40 there etc. I just save it and don’t spend it. Jack Sparrow took a year from initial pictures to in hand. Anyone can sell $200 + of there things in this time.

My wife does not mind because the money is not out of our savings!!!

Cheers!!!

 

[BuffyGirl]

There isn't much being made that I want.

If only I had that problem. But this year ssc has pumped out way too much that I actually do want.

 

[NCC-1701 no bloody ABCorD]

I begun with collecting when I was 17 (will become 20 in July) and began with some of the Star Wars 12" figures.

Now 2,5 years later I have:
- 16 Star Wars 12" figures (Vader, Palps with Throne, Yoda, Ben, Greedo, Bib, Bespin Luke & Han, Sith and Jedi ROTS Anakin, Qui-Gon, ROTS Obi-Wan, Praji, Piett, Stormie and Orange Sandtrooper)
- 2 Diorama's (Diplomatic Mission, It's not a cave)
- Comander Cody LSB
- The recent Stormtrooper PF
- eFX TESB Stormtrooper (Stunt) helmet
- Master Replica's Darth Vader ANH Force FX
- GG Boss Bust
- 2 Kotobukiya Statues (Bespin Luke & Snowtrooper)
- Some books (The Making of Star Wars, The Making of TESB, Star Wars year by Year, The SW Vault, The Complete Encyclopedia, Death Troopers and 4 Dutch Star Wars books)

ON PRE-ORDER
- eFX Darth Vader limited Edition ANH Helmet
- SS Boba Fett 1:6

And a lot of toy's, Hasbro action figures McDonalds goodies etc.

So not a really impressive collection. But I think it's fair for a poor student with not much money. And my secret? Just have a job at a supermarket and save most of the money from that

Currently I only have:

• 1/350 Master Replicas Star Trek TOS Enterprise (by far, my favorite piece in my collection)
• 1/6 Statue HCG Cpt. Kirk (seated in his chair)
• 1/6 Figure Dragon Apollo 11 Neil Armstrong Astronaut
• 1/48 Dragon Apollo 11 Lunar Module
• Five or Six 1/18 Diecast Cars
• Four 1/72 Dragon Diecast modern jets
• Eight or so 1/72 Dragon tanks/armor/Humvee/jeep


ON ORDER:

• 1/6 Statue HCG Mr. Spock Exclusive
• 1/4 Statue HCG Cpt. Kirk (with phaser in hand)


WANT:

• 1/6 (or preferably 1/4) HT or Enterbay Statue RoboCop
• 1/4 Statue HCG REA Alice
• 1/4 Prem Statue SS Creature From the Black Lagoon

 

[Irwin_Fletcher4]

To afford this hobby/addiction I get up every monday at 3am drive 280 km to the airport . Fly for 1 hour and with the timezone change i land just in time for morning rush hour. Then i lift, sort , band, and install steel frames until friday. Then I fly back, drive home and enjoy my collection until Monday. The flights, travel time and hotels are paid for but it's the Time sacrafice that allows me to afford this. oh wait,,, i still can't really afford this

 

[gdb]

I paint heads for fellow Freaks.

https://sideshowcollectors.com/forums/showthread.php?t=51271

 

[carbo-fation]

The only figures I've purchased these past 7 months are HT Supes and Bats. Everything else is custom. As EF pointed out, there aren't many figures out there that I want. The ones I've wanted for so long have been completed in forms of customs.

 

[Uncanny Web-Slinger]

I invented a time machine in 2035, travelled to the mid nineties and invested in Apple, i then created an imaginary long lost relative to give my time duplicate the profits for collectibles without corrupting the time stream with knowledge of his future.

Just don't tell him.

 

[Irwin_Fletcher4]

I invented a time machine in 2035, travelled to the mid nineties and invested in Apple, i then created an imaginary long lost relative to give my time duplicate the profits for collectibles without corrupting the time stream with knowledge of his future.

Just don't tell him.

That's about as likely as screen doors on a battleship..

 

[tcollector]

I'm married with kids. I've given up sledding and season tickets to different local sports. I don't golf or hit the bars anymore. This is my one "hobby" so if I spend 3k +/- per year so what. I spent that and more when I was doing those other things. Plus you have to have fun and get enjoyment out of things and this just happens to be mine.

 

[akbakb]

I think that as people get older, the problem is not "lack of money" anymore. Take someone like me who has a girlfriend and an apartment together for example. "Space" and "Permission" are the real problems for me, money is not really an issue.

 

[UltraMarknus]

It becomes very difficult to justify this hobby when you have a wife, kids and debt. I afford it with good old buy and sell. I also try my damndest to hide incoming parcels. It's sad but it's life.

I. Also make sure no money comes out of the bank account for toys.

 

[jye4ever]

Married
Kid
Mortgage
Collect like a mad man
Broke
Live

 

[karamazov80]

Honestly been getting tougher for me to get stuff recently for whatever reason. Seems like living expenses keep going up, income not changing, so something's gotta give. I think a major purge of stuff might be forthcoming soon, as well as even a major change in my collecting habits unless I decide to change careers or something.

 

[intothevoid]

Married
Kid
Mortgage
Collect like a mad man
Broke
Live

Truth

 

[tommyh84]

I'm so glad I'm not the only one who has to hide their new collectables from their other half, it's like I'm 15 again hiding my porn and cigarettes from my parents

 

[dxdave]

I have been collecting since I was 7 waaaaay back in 1977. Started with Star Wars and most 80's action figures lines until I discovered chasing skirts after Return of the Jedi came out.

Went hardcore into the 90's comic book rage having collected certain books since 1982.....

Speed forward to the 90's when I met my wife. She met me as a baseball card, comic book collector and understood my hunting habit for the mid-90's Toy Biz X-Men and Kenner Batman stuff. It was a second childhood for me!

Collected pretty heavily through Star Trek Playmates and Hasbro Star Wars after the OT re-release and the prequels came along. Had to have one in the package and one out for display.....

Then, came the Gentle Giant and Sideshow lines....stayed true to only Star Wars and only bought the Grievous and Fett PF's and only the LE Fett helmet and a few props, but not yet addicted. (chuckle)

Picked up the Scar Predator from HT and was in awe of it's beauty....probably the most I ever spent for a non-SW item.

Star Wars bug wound down and a buddy of mine interested me into other lines of the 1/6 stuff. Created some (translation: too much) debt and now am selling off many of my Hasbro dupes and old packaged stuff to finance the 1/6 lines....which now, my galaxy has broadened beyond Star Wars to anything and eveything that pleases my eyeballs.

An addiction? Hell no...been doing this since 1977 and I ain't hooked.

 

[jye4ever]

Honestly been getting tougher for me to get stuff recently for whatever reason. Seems like living expenses keep going up, income not changing, so something's gotta give. I think a major purge of stuff might be forthcoming soon, as well as even a major change in my collecting habits unless I decide to change careers or something.

Truth

 

[sixxshooter]

I'm 38 years old and have a very good job . I'm married with no kids . I don't go out to bars anymore and never fly .that means no expensive vacations . This affords me extra funds for my collectibles . I will say that room is the main concern . I have to choose which ones get the most shelf space and sell the rest .

 

[karamazov80]

no kids

That's a biggie. There's probably $1.5K a month here at least that goes straight into baby in this household.