How To Beat Collecting Addiction.

[potato]

The economy has already turned me into a one dimensional collector and now has me asking myself “do I really need this?”

Economy is one thing but i believe space is the main issue. Dont you wish capsule tech is real?

 

[potato]

True, and it will also have a lot of people hoovering up collections

There will be new collectors while the old ones fadeaway. This is why the market is targeting pop culture instead of nostalgia (except star wars rebel scums still fighting strong).

 

[potato]

In my old house I focused on collecting and kind of deciding on my interests. In my 2nd (hopefully final) home I have a much larger area and have focused on displaying everything right. As that is taking shape and reaching the ending point I'll fill out some empty spots and call it a day. I'm beyond happy with what I have.

Think about it. What you gonna do if you have to sell one of the house? I would have no space and rather ditch them than selling them off since they are far away and i can only move some of them.

 

[potato]

I’m exactly in the same boat.
After 10 years of collecting, I feel it’s time to slow (stop?).
Too many boxes, too much money spent, I begin to be tired and nervous about that.
Don’t want to buy anything for the moment except a decent 89 Batwing.
The Joost’s one is way too big and expensive for me.

It is an addiction that will strike back with a vengeance (once you have enough $$$)

 

[Rondesmo]

Yeah maybe you’re right but after a dozen years of collecting I feel something close to « satiated ».
I mean I was lucky enough to collect my wishlist during a window where everything was cheaper than nowadays.
I’m even more in the boat of unloading and cure my collection to a small amount of pieces rather than accumulate.

it's as if my head were coming out of water or a daydream after an inflammatory period of neurotic accumulation of all the classics of my childhood.
I have the feeling that the acme point has been reached and that I will be much less inclined to exceed the psychological price that I have decided to set for myself.
the only freedom I now allow myself is Batman 89, my flagship license.

 

[Asta]

I didn't have to beat the collecting addiction, because it beat me. Didn't see that coming at all.

It didn't hit me over the head with a baseball bat. I think it's been sneaking up and putting something in my coffee over the last six months or so, gradually killing my interest in a lot of pop culture. Hence there are large numbers of pre-orders I'd have jumped on before which now leave me feeling comfortably numb.




A quote from the Andor trailer was particularly salient:

"Wouldn't you rather give it all to something real?"


My 1/6 collecting began around 1999 when I discovered there were various companies making figures to a much higher level than the Action Man/GI Joe etc I played with as a child, or the Kenner/Hasbro Star Wars 12" I collected later.

I was drawn to real world military figures before discovering Sideshow Star Wars, at which point my 1/6 collecting expanded. Then I discovered Hot Toys, and they gradually took over my obsession until I reached the stage where I decided to shed most of the military figures.

With Hot Toys the world of 1/6 exploded with all the third party companies, and I was like a kid in a candy store.

Eventually all that candy can start to make you sick without you really noticing. My appetite therefore evolved and I'm back to where I was in 1999, craving 'real world' figures that actually mean something to me, rather than stuffing my face with endless junk food like Marvel, Star Wars or DC.

I haven't had to struggle to focus, because it's happened quite naturally over time.

If this were an alcoholics anonymous meeting I could declare with full sincerity that I hadn't touched a drop in almost a whole month.

My last pre-order was in July and I'm finding it very easy to resist any temptations thrown at me since. It's very liberating.

 

[Asta]

I wondered if I'd posted in this thread before, and I did once back in May 2017:

That much still holds true.

However, the very next post was prophetic:

Give it a few years the excitement of owning everything under the sun will where off and you will be much more selective. Also, nobody has infinite space to store these things, as you run out of space it will force you to be more selective.

It used to be hard being selective, to focus only on things that hold meaning rather than buying anything and everything just because it looked good.

I have figures that some people regard as 'grails', such as Hot Toys' Yondu, but he does nothing for me. I have no interest in him whatsoever, nor with any of my Guardians of the Galaxy (apart from Rocket).

The other week I rearranged some of my Detolf shelves to make more room in prominent places for WWII displays. Yondu and the others ended up on a high shelf out of the way, more as safe storage so I didn't have to box them back up.

I still like the two Rockets so they got put on proper display.

 

[Chambea1114]

I didn't have to beat the collecting addiction, because it beat me. Didn't see that coming at all.

It didn't hit me over the head with a baseball bat. I think it's been sneaking up and putting something in my coffee over the last six months or so, gradually killing my interest in a lot of pop culture. Hence there are large numbers of pre-orders I'd have jumped on before which now leave me feeling comfortably numb.




A quote from the Andor trailer was particularly salient:

"Wouldn't you rather give it all to something real?"


My 1/6 collecting began around 1999 when I discovered there were various companies making figures to a much higher level than the Action Man/GI Joe etc I played with as a child, or the Kenner/Hasbro Star Wars 12" I collected later.

I was drawn to real world military figures before discovering Sideshow Star Wars, at which point my 1/6 collecting expanded. Then I discovered Hot Toys, and they gradually took over my obsession until I reached the stage where I decided to shed most of the military figures.

With Hot Toys the world of 1/6 exploded with all the third party companies, and I was like a kid in a candy store.

Eventually all that candy can start to make you sick without you really noticing. My appetite therefore evolved and I'm back to where I was in 1999, craving 'real world' figures that actually mean something to me, rather than stuffing my face with endless junk food like Marvel, Star Wars or DC.

I haven't had to struggle to focus, because it's happened quite naturally over time.

If this were an alcoholics anonymous meeting I could declare with full sincerity that I hadn't touched a drop in almost a whole month.

My last pre-order was in July and I'm finding it very easy to resist any temptations thrown at me since. It's very liberating.

Literally me, honestly spot on with everything said and I'm back to collecting Military/historic figures now.

 

[Stryker2011]

The best way is to get off forums like this one — so you don’t ever come into contact with New Product listings. Stay away from all of it.

 

[Asta]

The best way is to get off forums like this one — so you don’t ever come into contact with New Product listings. Stay away from all of it.

 

[generalszabo]

I didn't have to beat the collecting addiction, because it beat me. Didn't see that coming at all.

It didn't hit me over the head with a baseball bat. I think it's been sneaking up and putting something in my coffee over the last six months or so, gradually killing my interest in a lot of pop culture. Hence there are large numbers of pre-orders I'd have jumped on before which now leave me feeling comfortably numb.




A quote from the Andor trailer was particularly salient:

"Wouldn't you rather give it all to something real?"


My 1/6 collecting began around 1999 when I discovered there were various companies making figures to a much higher level than the Action Man/GI Joe etc I played with as a child, or the Kenner/Hasbro Star Wars 12" I collected later.

I was drawn to real world military figures before discovering Sideshow Star Wars, at which point my 1/6 collecting expanded. Then I discovered Hot Toys, and they gradually took over my obsession until I reached the stage where I decided to shed most of the military figures.

With Hot Toys the world of 1/6 exploded with all the third party companies, and I was like a kid in a candy store.

Eventually all that candy can start to make you sick without you really noticing. My appetite therefore evolved and I'm back to where I was in 1999, craving 'real world' figures that actually mean something to me, rather than stuffing my face with endless junk food like Marvel, Star Wars or DC.

I haven't had to struggle to focus, because it's happened quite naturally over time.

If this were an alcoholics anonymous meeting I could declare with full sincerity that I hadn't touched a drop in almost a whole month.

My last pre-order was in July and I'm finding it very easy to resist any temptations thrown at me since. It's very liberating.

Sounds like where I want to be someday, in terms of turning down pre orders. I can see myself selling everything eventually, and completely quitting cold turkey lol

When I pass on a new statue now it is a liberating feeling, I do need something else to fill my Internet browsing time with. Sometimes it's just habit, I have a spare minute and I come on here. Hype builds for a new piece, and it looks attractive to me. Time to break the cycle... one day

 

[ZE_501]

It was fairly recently that my interest in 1/6th started waning. More like nosediving. Still not 100% sure what happened, but I've really been digging the "one-piece collection" I have going on to encapsulate everything (see thread "There Can Be Only One").

With the possible rise of Inart and apparent reaction of Hot Toys I've noticed things seem to be getting interesting again, but I don't think I'll ever have more than a handful of 1/6th again, if that. I've recently seen some really great offerings but no "Must have that on the shelf" offerings as of yet -- in spite of spending time here. I think 1/6th is more spectator sport for me these days.

 

[Asta]

Sounds like where I want to be someday, in terms of turning down pre orders. I can see myself selling everything eventually, and completely quitting cold turkey lol

When I pass on a new statue now it is a liberating feeling, I do need something else to fill my Internet browsing time with. Sometimes it's just habit, I have a spare minute and I come on here. Hype builds for a new piece, and it looks attractive to me. Time to break the cycle... one day

There was a period a few years back when every few days another of my pre-orders was coming into stock, so once they went out for delivery I was receiving a new 1/6 figure every few days. The novelty wore off fast, and the arrivals no longer felt special.

In a similar vein I think that losing appetite will mean that the things I pre-order will be more anticipated, and mean more when I have them in hand.

At the moment I have orders that I could easily do without, so am having to try and find reasons why I should keep them.

There's also the sense that when you already have so much, there's less new offerings to tempt you. I used to buy all kinds of random 1/6, and they're the kind that get remade over and over by new companies. There's no point in buying an improved version of something that already scratched an itch years ago, and usually at half the price of the updated versions.

I try to give new life to the older 1/6 that I bought on a whim, to rebuild and repurpose them as part of other series that I do still care about. It's easier with certain types, but when you have characters who can't be mistaken for anything but themselves they become a bit like dead weight (e.g., The Guardians of the Galaxy, Captain America). I no longer sell any of my 1/6 since regretting shedding my WWII collection, as I think they may be useful as parts for something one day. Plus selling is a hassle.

 

[medicomsucks]

I think may be a year ago i thought it would be nice to have 0 preorders with sideshow. its beyond nice and well into liberation.

Now i can see a few reviews nefore buying and even then i hesitate. The scout and speeder for example though I will probably get it. at least now I feel like I'm not saying yes to something 2 years away.

Now it seems there is more pressure to preorder 3rd party figures simply because their availability is less certain.

 

[Mr.NoCredit]

My collection is mostly characters from books I read or video games I play. Most of the figures I have are customs I built and very few boxed figures. There are a couple of figures from movies but very few. Hot Toys is so behind the curve any more. A new movie comes out, then Hot Toys announces a figure from that film with a release date years after the fact. I waited something like a couple of years after “Alita” was released to get her figure. I cared enough to wait that one out but it’s a rare occasion. I watch a movie come out. Then all the hype. Then the figure releases late and within a few short months those “boxed” figures start showing up here for sale. The hype wore off fast. The figure cost was almost $300 and the interest isn’t there any more so they end up getting put here and eBay a lot. Makes me kinda laugh and glad to know it’s all just a money game.. Good luck and happy collecting.

 

[choombaz]

How to beat collecting addiction? I was told to write a little emotional story about your potential purchase and why you had to have it. Really helps.

 

[LiamNeesons112]

How to beat collecting addiction? I was told to write a little emotional story about your potential purchase and why you had to have it. Really helps.

I like this. From here on out, I am writing haikus for every one of my preorders.

Depressing nighttime
I long for InArt Batman
See my wallet die

 

[Sixth Scale Man]

For me it’s a combo of increasing prices and a glut of figures from movies or shows that really haven’t gelled with me. In this current state of pop culture, streaming services and corporations, it’s all about the next shiny version of something that used to mean something. Gotta keep those franchises ticking over! So my interest has dropped off considerably.
I was also lucky to start collecting when prices were easier to manage and Disney didn’t own everything, so my Star Wars collection is about done. My Marvel stuff selectively covers the dream run of the first 3 phases.
So apart from some LOTR and Star Trek TWOK, my purchases are gonna be much more sporadic.

 

[Artoo]

This sums it up for me too, you've said it perfectly.

I didn't have to beat the collecting addiction, because it beat me. Didn't see that coming at all.

It didn't hit me over the head with a baseball bat. I think it's been sneaking up and putting something in my coffee over the last six months or so, gradually killing my interest in a lot of pop culture. Hence there are large numbers of pre-orders I'd have jumped on before which now leave me feeling comfortably numb.




A quote from the Andor trailer was particularly salient:

"Wouldn't you rather give it all to something real?"


My 1/6 collecting began around 1999 when I discovered there were various companies making figures to a much higher level than the Action Man/GI Joe etc I played with as a child, or the Kenner/Hasbro Star Wars 12" I collected later.

I was drawn to real world military figures before discovering Sideshow Star Wars, at which point my 1/6 collecting expanded. Then I discovered Hot Toys, and they gradually took over my obsession until I reached the stage where I decided to shed most of the military figures.

With Hot Toys the world of 1/6 exploded with all the third party companies, and I was like a kid in a candy store.

Eventually all that candy can start to make you sick without you really noticing. My appetite therefore evolved and I'm back to where I was in 1999, craving 'real world' figures that actually mean something to me, rather than stuffing my face with endless junk food like Marvel, Star Wars or DC.

I haven't had to struggle to focus, because it's happened quite naturally over time.

If this were an alcoholics anonymous meeting I could declare with full sincerity that I hadn't touched a drop in almost a whole month.

My last pre-order was in July and I'm finding it very easy to resist any temptations thrown at me since. It's very liberating.

 

[karamazov80]

Anyone here tried heroin? That could pretty quickly move away from the collection addition, in my opinion.