Collection End Game?

shells075 said:

A couple of years ago, I was like I dont want to get rid of this figure or that figure for such and such a reason. Now I'm just picking up figs and saying ' You're finding a new home '

Click to expand...

I miss selling stuff. But the market now, I'd rather just put the figures I don't want in my closet and let them deteriorate instead of selling them for 1/3 of what I paid.

Maybe I can just rotate figures. Have a shelf dedicated to new figures only, and when I run out of room I'll put some in storage until I want to look at them again. I do that with my NECA 1/4 and 7 inch horror figures, I display them the whole month of October and after Halloween they go under my bed until the following October. But they are plastic so they won't deteriorate like most of the 1/6 hot toys I would put away.

ScoobyDoo said:

I miss selling stuff. But the market now, I'd rather just put the figures I don't want in my closet and let them deteriorate instead of selling them for 1/3 of what I paid.

Maybe I can just rotate figures. Have a shelf dedicated to new figures only, and when I run out of room I'll put some in storage until I want to look at them again. I do that with my NECA 1/4 and 7 inch horror figures, I display them the whole month of October and after Halloween they go under my bed until the following October. But they are plastic so they won't deteriorate like most of the 1/6 hot toys I would put away.

Click to expand...

Yeah the bottom has seemingly fallen out of the second hand market in 1/6 a bit. Prices on new figures still keep going up though. Maybe people are just not so keen on second hand figures especially when we are seeing a lot older older figures being re-released to a higher standard.

potato said:

werk harder. clearly the doll makers have moved up in the society ladder while you are left behind.

Click to expand...

Absolutely... I need to work harder, clearly.

I set a rules day one of
Deciding on HT as a collection.

1: One wall, not a room full of 1/6. I have a large man cave , but it has many different items in it, posters , statues , photos, games and guitars. it's a media man cave , not JUST a dolly spot,

2. Each detolf will max out at 3 figures per shelf, cause anymore looks cluttered to my eyes.(the exception is my zombie shelf. Thats crowded on purpose to look like a horde)

3. IF I want a NEW figure, and no room exists , someone must go.

4. The wall can handle 7 detolf total, so that's 84 total. Thats the end game.

Thats it...no more ? Collection done , but malleable,

xipotec said:

I set a rules day one of
Deciding on HT as a collection.

1: One wall, not a room full of 1/6. I have a large man cave , but it has many different items in it, posters , statues , photos, games and guitars. it's a media man cave , not JUST a dolly spot,

2. Each detolf will max out at 3 figures per shelf, cause anymore looks cluttered to my eyes.(the exception is my zombie shelf. Thats crowded on purpose to look like a horde)

3. IF I want a NEW figure, and no room exists , someone must go.

4. The wall can handle 7 detolf total, so that's 84 total. Thats the end game.

Thats it...no more ? Collection done , but malleable,

Click to expand...

Someone must go is a good waste management approach.

Sold off a third of figures and I just focus on vehicles and dioramas for my own remaining figures. I did get into photography and eventually going to get a 3D printer and make cool little props for figure photography. I am more with the mindset of enjoying what I have. Enhance the existing collection, props, display etc.. that’s where I’m at.

ScoobyDoo said:

I miss selling stuff. But the market now, I'd rather just put the figures I don't want in my closet and let them deteriorate instead of selling them for 1/3 of what I paid.

Maybe I can just rotate figures. Have a shelf dedicated to new figures only, and when I run out of room I'll put some in storage until I want to look at them again. I do that with my NECA 1/4 and 7 inch horror figures, I display them the whole month of October and after Halloween they go under my bed until the following October. But they are plastic so they won't deteriorate like most of the 1/6 hot toys I would put away.

Click to expand...

bad news. plastic do deteriorate esp soft plastic like the ones on mcfarlane and neca though neca plastic is harder. once the plastic starts to do this the joints becomes stuck and have to be extra careful loosen the joints.

shells075 said:

Yeah the bottom has seemingly fallen out of the second hand market in 1/6 a bit. Prices on new figures still keep going up though. Maybe people are just not so keen on second hand figures especially when we are seeing a lot older older figures being re-released to a higher standard.

Click to expand...

depends which figures. i still have the portal and dead space sealed on blister their value holds up but the batteries inside have probably corroded but what can we do about it without removing them from package?

Bgnyc007 said:

Sold off a third of figures and I just focus on vehicles and dioramas for my own remaining figures. I did get into photography and eventually going to get a 3D printer and make cool little props for figure photography. I am more with the mindset of enjoying what I have. Enhance the existing collection, props, display etc.. that’s where I’m at.

Click to expand...

Not to derail the thread, but how was the learning curve, expense and availability of plans for that 3D printer?

I just took a look at my records.

I haven't received a figure since March.
I haven't ordered a figure since April.

Also just canceled Sabine, Hera, and Thrawn.

Mostly because nothing of interest to me has popped up.
I guess I really am winding down.

I think Hot toys is at their end game or the end of their catalog with all the reissues

xipotec said:

2. Each detolf will max out at 3 figures per shelf

3. IF I want a NEW figure, and no room exists , someone must go.

4. The wall can handle 7 detolf total, so that's 84 total. Thats the end game.

Click to expand...

This is a good plan.

I have one wall, with 5 detolfs. I could do 7, but I'm good with 5.

I've been rotating my figures for the last couple years. It works out well -- older stuff goes away for 6 months to a year, then feels fresh when it gets cycled back in.

I have trouble keeping all the shelves to just 3 figures -- which I agree looks better, and just 2 looks better still -- but some franchises I have 4 figures on the shelf. The one shelf that remains crowded is the ANH Star Wars heroes shelf because I want the 7 heroes together in a bunch.

pixletwin said:

I just took a look at my records.

I haven't received a figure since March.
I haven't ordered a figure since April.

Also just canceled Sabine, Hera, and Thrawn.

Mostly because nothing of interest to me has popped up.
I guess I really am winding down.

Click to expand...

Yeah same here, nothing interests me in the hobby anymore. Maybe this is me telling myself to get out the hobby. Tell a lie the Mussolini figure from 3Reich interests me, but I probably wont end up getting him.

Bgnyc007 said:

I think Hot toys is at their end game or the end of their catalog with all the reissues

Click to expand...

Marvel drying out
Star Wars non existent
Endless DC reboots
LOTR teetering
INART making moves

Its possible they are gonna start playing a game they've been winning by default for a decade or more. Its gonna be interesting to watch

pixletwin said:

I just took a look at my records.

I haven't received a figure since March.
I haven't ordered a figure since April.

Also just canceled Sabine, Hera, and Thrawn.

Mostly because nothing of interest to me has popped up.
I guess I really am winding down.

Click to expand...

This is my endgame too. When stuff doesn't interest me so I can quit and not feel like I'm missing out

I just put down the initial costs for a new home build and after its done I'll be getting a 2nd collectible space on top of my home office. In there once I have the figures I want from my favorite films and the extra ones in my office from my list I'll be done

Too many other hobbies now too. Steelbooks, vinyl, Funko, Iron Studios & Prime1 statues, games vintage and new, books and just got my 2nd motorcycle so I'll be happy to have one less thing eventually

Thankfully movies are getting less interesting as time goes on. Other than Dune, Batman there isn't much noteworthy films since 2020

pixletwin said:

I just took a look at my records.

I haven't received a figure since March.
I haven't ordered a figure since April.

Also just canceled Sabine, Hera, and Thrawn.

Mostly because nothing of interest to me has popped up.
I guess I really am winding down.

Click to expand...

thats less than 1 month. try harder

pixletwin said:

I just took a look at my records.

I haven't received a figure since March.
I haven't ordered a figure since April.

Also just canceled Sabine, Hera, and Thrawn.

Mostly because nothing of interest to me has popped up.
I guess I really am winding down.

Click to expand...

Much luck to you my friend, I suppose when is enough enough? There is always new temptation and we exist in a world of pre orders. As I see it collecting anything is about moderation and balance which is easy to speak of yet difficult to achieve.

To control the collecting thirst one option maybe to only purchase licensed figures.

Less is more.

What about the inevitable release of 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, etc. figures?

mediame said:

What about the inevitable release of 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, etc. figures?

Click to expand...

Yes that too.

I presently have two preorders and one ongoing kitbash project. The only figure testing my resolve is The Ghoul from Fallout.

Cold turkey is not easy, the problem is it should be.

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. And doing that for every figure is just not sustainable.

I know in my mind, I'm missing a battle damaged T2, an Alien, A classic Predator, and a Tobey Maguire Spider-Man. Andor would be a wonderful addition to my Star Wars collection. And Home Alone would be nice.

But I won't bite on anything less than GREAT.