Collection End Game?

[Stryker2011]

It’ll end when I die.

 

[potato]

50 has been in my rear view for more than a couple years now. I started shifting gears awhile back. I asked myself "Why am I still doing this, when I have plenty of this stuff now?" The answer was another question "Is it just because it's what I have always done?" I have chilled considerably since then. For me this started with Universal Monsters. Sideshow's hey day with Universal put me back into kid mode (think Aurora monster models). I have passed on more items than I have purchased in the last 10 years, that's for sure.

Will it ever end? Can't say. Maybe once I get to the point where its a burden rather than a fun hobby. We're a gettin' there......

you know just last year i though i finally figured out why senior folks are outdated. they listen to old music, watch old movies, drive old cars and even keep wearing their old clothings.

now that i have ran out of space, in terms of real estate, computer storage space, and my memory cant catch up with all the latest stuffs (they really churning out new stuffs everyday compared to a decade ago where you get new games maybe once every 2 weeks instead of everyday), i realize most folks just did not have what it takes to continue chasing stuffs so have to settle with what they have.

i mean when you are retired you arent gonna toss all your clothings out and get new ones coz most average retired folks no longer have extra income to splash and the clothes they have still good. They dont have enough time to watch the vhs/ld that they have accumulated that has become obsolete, or cassettes and cds they spent big money collecting, and their brain is now filled with whatever they already accumulated over the decades that they do not have the extra space or energy to follow the current trends. this is why most folks are outdated because they already felt content with what they have.

but you sir seems different. i salute you. your game will never end.

 

[LyndaMonicaWatson]

I just started off, so I can't say for sure. I can give some advice for those who are bored though.

I've always been against the idea that you can only love what you grew up with, as it implies there's a point in life where you're allowed to stop growing as a person.

New experiences are what make life worth living, so there's no reason to stop trying new things. Media that I was in love with as a child has almost completely rotated out of my interest, and that has happened multiple times even at the age of 33.

If things have become stale, watch some more silly shows you would have liked as a child. Something that you dismiss at a glace as an adult may be a childish guilty pleasure if you sit down and watch it.

A limit to your collection only happens when you realize you need something new to do. Support modern creators, and leave the old ones behind.

There's no need to part with the things you already own, but draw that line in the sand and don't buy anything more from those old series you're attached to.

Some companies survive purely on people who can't let go, and that's not something you should feed.

 

[potato]

I just started off, so I can't say for sure. I can give some advice for those who are bored though.

I've always been against the idea that you can only love what you grew up with, as it implies there's a point in life where you're allowed to stop growing as a person.

New experiences are what make life worth living, so there's no reason to stop trying new things. Media that I was in love with as a child has almost completely rotated out of my interest, and that has happened multiple times even at the age of 33.

If things have become stale, watch some more silly shows you would have liked as a child. Something that you dismiss at a glace as an adult may be a childish guilty pleasure if you sit down and watch it.

A limit to your collection only happens when you realize you need something new to do. Support modern creators, and leave the old ones behind.

There's no need to part with the things you already own, but draw that line in the sand and don't buy anything more from those old series you're attached to.

Some companies survive purely on people who can't let go, and that's not something you should feed.

well read my post above. most people stuck with the old stuffs because their house and mind already full, and while you can try offload those dated physical objects for maybe a few pennies you cant just delete your memory to accommodate new stuffs, especially when you already stuck with it for so many years the though of finding new stuffs that are good would be overwhelming.

imagine stop listening to new songs for 2 decades, finally got bored of the old music and looking for new ones, well you have 2 decades of song to play catch up, unless you know someone knowledgeable in music and can figure out what kind of music you looking for.

everytime i hear a nice song on radio i try to google it, which brings me to the discog page of the musicians or band and i look at the top charting singles and start from there and it can be overwhelming for some famous artists. and guess what, despite only looking at their top 20 charted songs it can be alot, by the time i am done getting those songs i start listening to them, and usually out of maybe 20 songs only 3-5 suits my taste, and this could take few hours just for 1 artist or band. so i am kinda tempted to just stop doing this and just go back to my old music lol.

latest bands i just discovered are men i trust & Khruangbin.

it is easy when you have a guide, but not from mtv mainstream, but someone who has similar music taste as you which can be hard to find.

 

[potato]

The whole Big Chief thing has really turned me off. So, on the whole, I am right on course.

well since Big chief is gone i decided it is more fun to revisit old outdated dollies and give them a facelift, or head & bodylift should i say.

my old sideshows getting upgrades 1 by 1 as i dig them out from the box since no one wants them for more than $30.

right now only buying head and bodies and few suits and maybe full figures for parts. still adds up to some good money my own shirt cost less than a doll suit.

 

[potato]

I started my collection back in 2009. Now nearly 15 years and close to 300 figures later I get the sense that things are starting to wind down. Its amazing how much has changed since then. Back then I was a kid who had to weigh each purchase carefully. Back when spending even $100 was a big deal, and often I could get a Hot Toys figure close to that with some bargain hunting. So much has changed since then.

I divide my collecting essentially into two parts. Legacy characters from older movies/shows, and new figures. Both seem to be wrapping up.

After next year ill have all of the classic Star Wars, Back to the Future, and Lord of the Rings characters I want. I may occasionally upgrade as figure tech improves.

And on the newer side, I think its fair to say that the Superhero genre's best days are behind it. Even the mighty MCU seems to be winding down, and I don't feel a need to collect a figure from every movie anymore. Hell, I don't feel a need to even watch every movie anymore.

It also helps that I am running out of room for new figures. Already my collection literally has its own room, and I can't fit many more detolfs. Its kind of sad knowing that my time collecting 1/6 has more days behind it than ahead of it, but times change and so must I. Think of all the new cool stuff I can do that I currently spend looking at figures online.

are you going for artisan anakin lol.

 

[pixletwin]

For the first time since 2007 i had no 1:6 for Christmas. The end game for me begins.

 

[potato]

For the first time since 2007 i had no 1:6 for Christmas. The end game for me begins.

it's just 1 day. you can still get 1 in the next 364 days.

 

[Dino_Ranger_White]

I have an "end game" for my Marvel collection... just about there, honestly.
After spending a bunch to get to where I am at, I am a handful of preorders away from being done.
About 20 Hot Toys, 2 Statues and I think I am good.

- Queen Studios Thor Bust
- Queen Studios Mark VII Bust

- Hot Toys Friendly Neighborhood Spidey (Regular)
- Hot Toys Friendly Neighborhood Spidey (DX)
- Hot Toys Final Swing Spidey (Regular)
- Hot Toys Final Swing Spidey (DX)
- Hot Toys Upgraded Suit Goblin
- Hot Toys Morbius
- Hot Toys Mantis
- Hot Toys Gorr
- Hot Toys Valkyrie
- Hot Toys Mighty Thor (Jane)
- Hot Toys Kang
- Hot Toys Scarlet Witch (MoM - DX)
- Hot Toys Scarlet Witch (Artisan)
- Hot Toys Wolverine (1973 DX)
- Hot Toys Mark VI with Gantry
- Hot Toys She Hulk
- Hot Toys Daredevil
- Hot Toys Buzz Lightyear (DX)

There are a few autographs I still want in my collection, but otherwise I am happy with what I have.
Space is finite, and I don't have much of anything left that I would want to "rotate out" to replace in my collection.

Something would have to blow me away in order to preorder anything else now... and even that list is pretty small.

 

[glocke12]

I have been soul searching the nearer I get to 50 years old and I have realized that once I hit 50 I will pretty much be done with collecting 1:6 figures. Most of the characters I love have been made. I have a hard time imagining myself sustaining the excitement from preorder to placement on my shelves. Beside the odd figure here and there, 50 is feeling like the right time for me to focus on doing things rather than collecting them.

Anyone else in a similar situation?

Opposite boat here.

I am 56 and just got involved in this hobby last year.

Up until this past May I was going out and doing a lot. Gigs with bands, NYC from Bucks County PA almost twice a week for a few years for other music things. Then back issues occurred which required surgery and a re-evaluation of my life and living circumstance.

In a nutshell, while I was laid up I realized I no longer had the drive or interest to do the music stuff, especially gigs that were an hour away and involved 5-8 hour blocks of time when you factor in travel and I also realized I am at an age where I need to think about downsizing and getting rid of crap from hobbies that have come and gone.

As a result I really have no interest in leaving home other than going to work and the odd meetup with a friend for a drink or whatever. Any energy or free time I have has to go into making moves to get rid of crap and downsize.

The 1/6 figure stuff is fun and interesting for now and is a good hobby for those quiet Sunday afternoons.

 

[potato]

Opposite boat here.

I am 56 and just got involved in this hobby last year.

Up until this past May I was going out and doing a lot. Gigs with bands, NYC from Bucks County PA almost twice a week for a few years for other music things. Then back issues occurred which required surgery and a re-evaluation of my life and living circumstance.

In a nutshell, while I was laid up I realized I no longer had the drive or interest to do the music stuff, especially gigs that were an hour away and involved 5-8 hour blocks of time when you factor in travel and I also realized I am at an age where I need to think about downsizing and getting rid of crap from hobbies that have come and gone.

As a result I really have no interest in leaving home other than going to work and the odd meetup with a friend for a drink or whatever. Any energy or free time I have has to go into making moves to get rid of crap and downsize.

The 1/6 figure stuff is fun and interesting for now and is a good hobby for those quiet Sunday afternoons.

other than music what other craps are you getting rid of to make room for new hobby?

 

[glocke12]

other than music what other craps are you getting rid of to make room for new hobby?

oh boy...you asked so here we go.

Firearms: Ive always been into guns and around 1994 went full ****** with it once I discovered mil-surp weapons and I ended up acquiring " many " battle rifles, starting with Swedish mausers and eventually I had the goal of having at least one example of the major players from WWII.. That devolved into pretty much getting my hands on anything that looked decent, was interesting, and was shootable. Of Course that path led to M1 Garands and making sure I had one of each manufacturer, because you know, thats what a collector does! I won't elaborate further on firearms here since its a public forum and I consider it a security issue, so I'll just say " I like guns ". I even had am FFL for a period of time.

At this point though I don't enjoy shooting as much, punching holes in paper is what im limited to for the most part and 40 years of doing that is enough.

Than there is all the reloading stuff I have, presses, components, etc.

I was also heavily into backpacking for awhile so there is camping gear that dates back to the 90s, some pretty damn nice knives, and other stuff.

Photography was a huge interest for a period of time. I took it pretty seriously and bought some high end lenses and bodies that no longer see use...and with cell phone cameras being what they are I doubt those lenses will ever see the light of day again by me.

I was a voracious reader at one point so there are dozens of books here I need to part with, as well as hundreds of CD's and albums I need to figure out what to do with. Those are all staying, the CDs are digitized but I like having the original copies. I just need to figure out a way to store them efficiently.

There is the music stuff also. It was a huge, central part of my life for decades and as a result I have many basses, amps, cabinets, etc. I need to go through and sell. thats no small task and is a huge PITA. It's unfortunate that interest and desire to play has left me, but I think I just got to a point where " the juice wasn't worth the squeeze ". In other words I wasn't getting out of it what I wanted to or thought I should be and as mentioned before it was a huge time sink. IN the six months before my surgery I was basically looking at it as a way to socialize and nothing more.

Ultimately I think I want to end up in a small condo with nothing more than a bed, sofa, tv and a nice stereo with a turntable. Easy to move if I want or need to, and not a lot of crap to go through for whatever relative cleans up after me when im gone.

the 1/6 figures I've collected won't fit into a space like that, but for now its a good hobby for me in my downtime on weekends. I've had my eyes on them for years now, and decided to buy one a little more than a year ago (DAM Toys Alpha Gunner), and that led me down a rabbit hole I never thought I'd go down so now I own roughly a dozen, many of which are German military (including party leaders). I certainly don't subscribe to Nazi party \ideology, I just think the figures are neat and interesting and frankly I like the uniforms. Sadly those are things most won't understand so they will not be put on display in an area where people will see them.

 

[potato]

oh boy...you asked so here we go.

Firearms: Ive always been into guns and around 1994 went full ****** with it once I discovered mil-surp weapons and I ended up acquiring " many " battle rifles, starting with Swedish mausers and eventually I had the goal of having at least one example of the major players from WWII.. That devolved into pretty much getting my hands on anything that looked decent, was interesting, and was shootable. Of Course that path led to M1 Garands and making sure I had one of each manufacturer, because you know, thats what a collector does! I won't elaborate further on firearms here since its a public forum and I consider it a security issue, so I'll just say " I like guns ". I even had am FFL for a period of time.

At this point though I don't enjoy shooting as much, punching holes in paper is what im limited to for the most part and 40 years of doing that is enough.

Than there is all the reloading stuff I have, presses, components, etc.

I was also heavily into backpacking for awhile so there is camping gear that dates back to the 90s, some pretty damn nice knives, and other stuff.

Photography was a huge interest for a period of time. I took it pretty seriously and bought some high end lenses and bodies that no longer see use...and with cell phone cameras being what they are I doubt those lenses will ever see the light of day again by me.

I was a voracious reader at one point so there are dozens of books here I need to part with, as well as hundreds of CD's and albums I need to figure out what to do with. Those are all staying, the CDs are digitized but I like having the original copies. I just need to figure out a way to store them efficiently.

There is the music stuff also. It was a huge, central part of my life for decades and as a result I have many basses, amps, cabinets, etc. I need to go through and sell. thats no small task and is a huge PITA. It's unfortunate that interest and desire to play has left me, but I think I just got to a point where " the juice wasn't worth the squeeze ". In other words I wasn't getting out of it what I wanted to or thought I should be and as mentioned before it was a huge time sink. IN the six months before my surgery I was basically looking at it as a way to socialize and nothing more.

Ultimately I think I want to end up in a small condo with nothing more than a bed, sofa, tv and a nice stereo with a turntable. Easy to move if I want or need to, and not a lot of crap to go through for whatever relative cleans up after me when im gone.

the 1/6 figures I've collected won't fit into a space like that, but for now its a good hobby for me in my downtime on weekends. I've had my eyes on them for years now, and decided to buy one a little more than a year ago (DAM Toys Alpha Gunner), and that led me down a rabbit hole I never thought I'd go down so now I own roughly a dozen, many of which are German military (including party leaders). I certainly don't subscribe to Nazi party \ideology, I just think the figures are neat and interesting and frankly I like the uniforms. Sadly those are things most won't understand so they will not be put on display in an area where people will see them.

heres my take. keep what you like, and most importantly the ones you find useful. maybe keep a mauser best if it's the original german mauser, if you dont have it use the money you got from firearm sales and get a complete set. keep the modern firearms that can be useful in the upcoming events. if you have a MG42 or MG34 i would keep them.

for the reloading tools keep the reliable and easy to use/repair and sell the rest or keep them in a storage. you will need them in the upcoming events too.

for books if you already read them and have the ebooks you maybe donate them to public library, schools or community. keep a few that maybe useful like survivor, medical/medicine, wild forage stuffs that may help during the upcoming events assuming utility will be down gadget usage will be limited.

as for cds, since you digitalized them a good way to save space is to remove the casing and keep them in cd sleeves. do note the clear plastic on the sleeves will degrade over time so make sure the discs are isolated between covers and backings. some cd uses unique casing i would keep those. for normal casings you can save more space dismantling it and stacking them part by part. toss those damaged or heavily scratched ones. the disc goes somewhere inside the home while casing go to some storage.

for camping stuffs, can never have enough for upcoming events. i would start to pack them up into few bags and keep them on standby. maybe load them onto a spare truck if you have one in the garage. for those excess maybe put them in storage.

as for photography, maybe keep 1 set for nostalgia the one you used alot. then keep a set of the best equipments you have and lenses. sell off the rest. camera stuffs require environment control. since you wanna stay home and you picking up the hobby a good set of photography equipment will keep you busy and you can start sharing the results with us.

for musical stuffs. i am not into music i know you need different guitars and setup for the desired sound. so cant help you here. maybe sell off the extras.

if you consider a condo, get it for where you stay but keep the house. the house will be useful in the upcoming events.

and while you at it if you can start farming, solar power, self water supply it would be good.

 

[glocke12]

heres my take. keep what you like, and most importantly the ones you find useful. maybe keep a mauser best if it's the original german mauser, if you dont have it use the money you got from firearm sales and get a complete set. keep the modern firearms that can be useful in the upcoming events. if you have a MG42 or MG34 i would keep them.

for the reloading tools keep the reliable and easy to use/repair and sell the rest or keep them in a storage. you will need them in the upcoming events too.

for books if you already read them and have the ebooks you maybe donate them to public library, schools or community. keep a few that maybe useful like survivor, medical/medicine, wild forage stuffs that may help during the upcoming events assuming utility will be down gadget usage will be limited.

as for cds, since you digitalized them a good way to save space is to remove the casing and keep them in cd sleeves. do note the clear plastic on the sleeves will degrade over time so make sure the discs are isolated between covers and backings. some cd uses unique casing i would keep those. for normal casings you can save more space dismantling it and stacking them part by part. toss those damaged or heavily scratched ones. the disc goes somewhere inside the home while casing go to some storage.

for camping stuffs, can never have enough for upcoming events. i would start to pack them up into few bags and keep them on standby. maybe load them onto a spare truck if you have one in the garage. for those excess maybe put them in storage.

as for photography, maybe keep 1 set for nostalgia the one you used alot. then keep a set of the best equipments you have and lenses. sell off the rest. camera stuffs require environment control. since you wanna stay home and you picking up the hobby a good set of photography equipment will keep you busy and you can start sharing the results with us.

for musical stuffs. i am not into music i know you need different guitars and setup for the desired sound. so cant help you here. maybe sell off the extras.

if you consider a condo, get it for where you stay but keep the house. the house will be useful in the upcoming events.

and while you at it if you can start farming, solar power, self water supply it would be good.

sadly owning a house and condo isn't possible. My current home requires repairs I cannot afford, and there is also roughly 10k in dead ash trees that needs to come down. Its literally too much from a physical and financial standpoint. I've never been into living in a place with a shared wall, but these days the more I think about it, a " minimalist " way of living in a low maintenance place thats closer to town is something that sounds more appealing.

I get what you are saying about current events. Been there, prepped for that and have the food stuffs with a 20 year shelf life to show for it down in the basement lol...

If/when the current events show up, I've realized I'm far too lazy to become the local warlord I wanted to be...Instead Im going to go out with style with lots of hookers and blow.

Thanks for the tips on keeping/storing stuff. I'm really past the nostalgia and sentimental stage of things though and most of what I own I just basically consider " stuff " and I'm pretty over it at this point. I imagine I will keep a few things as mementos but other than that it just no longer makes sense for me to keep most of what I have. I won't be getting rid of thing overnight, but once a month I will take a close look at something and go " yeah, haven't touched that in 5-10 years, its going ".

 

[potato]

sadly owning a house and condo isn't possible. My current home requires repairs I cannot afford, and there is also roughly 10k in dead ash trees that needs to come down. Its literally too much from a physical and financial standpoint. I've never been into living in a place with a shared wall, but these days the more I think about it, a " minimalist " way of living in a low maintenance place thats closer to town is something that sounds more appealing.

I get what you are saying about current events. Been there, prepped for that and have the food stuffs with a 20 year shelf life to show for it down in the basement lol...

If/when the current events show up, I've realized I'm far too lazy to become the local warlord I wanted to be...Instead Im going to go out with style with lots of hookers and blow.

Thanks for the tips on keeping/storing stuff. I'm really past the nostalgia and sentimental stage of things though and most of what I own I just basically consider " stuff " and I'm pretty over it at this point. I imagine I will keep a few things as mementos but other than that it just no longer makes sense for me to keep most of what I have. I won't be getting rid of thing overnight, but once a month I will take a close look at something and go " yeah, haven't touched that in 5-10 years, its going ".

you going on the same path you did with the new 1/6 hobby. you dont need that many nazi figures. Hitler, Hilmer maybe 1 officer 2 field uniforms. wait til you get the jeep and bikes.

 

[glocke12]

you going on the same path you did with the new 1/6 hobby. you dont need that many nazi figures. Hitler, Hilmer maybe 1 officer 2 field uniforms. wait til you get the jeep and bikes.

Oh I realize that. I'm dialing it back at this point, and keeping the German/nazi figures to those that have some kind of historical context about them as much as possible. Honestly looking around at what I have, and the offerings that are out there I'm probably about done. I may pick up one or two WWII USGI figures to round things out but I already have a couple and frankly I just honestly don't find them as interesting as the German figures for whatever reason. I think I just find them to be too consistent from one to the next whereas the WWII German figures seem to have a bit more variety to them in terms of uniforms and weapons.

No jeeps or bikes. Thought about it, but thats a pretty expensive path and those things take up a huge amount of space. There's a remote control 1/6 Willys jeep on amazon I'd love to get and have fun with for a period of time but even thats not happening. My lawn is really just a huge muddy mess most of the year so it would get ruined in short order.

When it comes time to move I'll probably sell some of the 1/6 figures I have, but in reality I can probably fit most of what I have in two of those glass Ikea cabinets.

In any case it's been a fun hobby so far. I just wish I had the energy/motivation to take it a step further and get them situated in some interesting displays or dioramas. Sadly that takes energy I need to put towards making sure I get into work 5 days a week and get this place cleared out some.

 

[BACON!]

I have been systematically going through each boxed figure I have and making improvements to the paint/accessories/clothing etc. for virtually every figure I own. I realize in some cases that may bring the value down, but value of these toys does not really dictate my actions. I am still hoping one day to have a mega display area for all lmy toys and dioramas.

I am an audiophile in addition to being a 1/6 collector, and recently watched this video. It is of a man who customized everything about his stereo in search of the perfect sound. After he died, it went for pennies on the dollar.

Kinda feels like we have similar goals, even though I don't like how it will end up, yet am still headed in that direction.

 

[pixletwin]

Best post of this whole thread.

 

[ebor]

 

[jye4ever]

Buy very little so make sure you get what really really really moves you.

The less the better.

Big collections are cluttered and ugly.

You don’t need every Star Wars character ever made!