How to choose what to let go

[K07]

I've already decided where my 1:6 collection is headed in the future. 2 Detolfs. Whatever fits, I get. 2-3 figures per shelf and possibly something on top of them. All of my favorite properties. I only have 1 Detolf currently and it's not even filled, but I know what characters I will be after in the future.

And don't give up your Apes! I intend on keeping all of my Ape stuff from Mego to Hasbro to Medicom to Sideshow. Love them all. In fact I still check eBay now and then for a Forbidden Zone Taylor EX.

 

[Josette]

I have a TON of 1:6.
Or, <gasp> should I just go all in and sell ALL of it?

I definitely wouldn't do that. I know how much you love the POTA line, having been on this board for so many years now.

Of the things I've sold, the few Dark Shadows pieces I've parted with have been my biggest regrets, so since then I've not even looked towards my DS collection if I feel I need to downsize or could use some extra cash.

Honestly, the things I regret selling the least have been some of my Hot Toys figures.... The reason? Because besides Watchmen, they haven't had a liscense/property I've truly loved. For example, I had the first Dark Knight figures, and ended up selling them because while I think TDK is a masterpiece and adore it (as well as Begins), I realized I didn't really want to collect the property. I don't love Batman enough to spend hundreds of dollars on figures - not like I do Watchmen or Dark Shadows.

I fell out of love with Pirates because of the sequels, and so only kept my Jack figure. Sao Feng and Jones were sequel characters, and while I liked Will and Elizabeth I wasn't really attached to them because the figures were based on the sequels and Jack Sparrow can stand alone, anyway.

I kept my Mulder and Scully figures from X-Files but sold Doggett because M&S were X-Files to me. I've kept my Buffy figures because I own a set of the Scooby gang characters, but will never expand on it.

Hot Toys in general sucked me in because of the amazing quality of their stuff, but at the end of the day, I've chosen property/liscense over "it looks cool!" or "I like it". It has to be "I love the character/I love the movie" now for me.

There are so many beautiful statues and busts out there, too....but I don't own any of them because I don't love the property enough to justify the money spent on them.

I'm a single home owner now, working in a job where I barely get by - if there's something I want, I have to part with something else to make up the cash. When you're in that situation, you tend to become a lot more picky/focused on your collection. You start questioning if what you buy is worth the money you're giving up, and you start thinking about what other things you could put that money towards - it's much easier to tell what you truly love, and what you just like. And what you just like is what you sell/don't buy.

 

[Darkseed]

I just sold my first items last weekend. I can honestly say, it made me want to part with other items even though I sold pieces I wasn't necessarily ready to sell. I kept other pieces I wasn't ready to sell but eventually they will go as well. I made a choice to limit my licenses and I made extra cash in the process. Win - win.

Get the ball rolling and put some pieces up for sale, everything else takes care of iteself.

 

[barryo]

purging is good for the soul..............

 

[SnakeDoctor]

Just sell anything you have questions about. You can always buy stuff back if the regret becomes unbearable.

I frequent the forum, but actually only have 5 1:6 figures. And, honestly, only three of them are absolute must have's for me -- ROTLA Indy, Jack Bauer and DX Joker (I also have BR Joker and Two-Face). I'm considering getting a few more (Reeve Superman, DX Batman, Leonidas, Prison Break) ... and there are a couple I'd jump at if they ever released an Enterbay/HT quality version (John McClane, Tony Almeida, Jason Bourne, James Bond).

Other than that, I skip pretty much everything. Honestly, with figures that are $150+ ... if there's ever a question in my mind about getting it, I just skip it.

Either box and see what you miss, or sell and rebuy what you miss.

SnakeDoc

 

[ArmoredFoe]

...wow this thread is kind of sad in a way.

I'll admit though lately Ive been thinning out my collection also. I only have a few 1/6 guys now and most of my smaller toys and figures that arent worth much go to ebay and if they dont sell there I just dump them off at the good will or give them to my wife for kids to play where she teaches...that gets rid of the junk and things people arent willing to pay for.

As others have stated, once you start it will feel good to get rid of some of that stuff.

 

[King Darkness]

Is this the way you guys really feel?

Absolutely!

 

[LOTRFan]

This forum is a bane to anyone who lingers here, sell you stuff and move on with your life. You will be better for it.

If you do end up selling, you will need to leave this place immediately; it won't be long before you start up collecting again.

 

[preeny101]

Eh. I go through phases where I could care less about my collection but eventually, I always come back to it. I like to keep my 1/6 collection at about 85-100 max. Anymore than that, I start selling/giving away or parting out/disassembling for customs. My kids have inherited all of my Hasbro and Mcfarlane pieces. There are a few characters that are essential to me but anything else is fair game. My collection is in constant rotation. I think it's the nature of the hobby. As techniques improve and new releases come out, you'll always see something you want more ( we got 3 Jokers from 1 company in one year, each an improvement on the last), the trick is learning what you can do without. All in all, it's a pretty good problem to have.

 

[Josette]

Just sell anything you have questions about. You can always buy stuff back if the regret becomes unbearable.

In my experience, this NEVER works. If you truly don't want to sell an item, DON'T SELL IT, especially if you assume you'll be able to get it later.

9 out of 10 times you'll pay more the second time.

 

[SanShouXMA]

I would say get rid of whatever you're not enthusiastic about anymore, like most have said so far. Whatever doesn't make you tingle is what you should get rid of. I have a small collection, but I have sold off some. This is what I did. I was in need of some money so I went and looked at my collection. First off I tried selling off some of the loose ends such as bits and pieces. Then I went and spend 45 mins to an hour just going through my collection. I stood there and looked at each and every piece. I went through them and thought about what made me buy it and do I still get that, just arrived and excited feel. I went to my Bruce Lee figures and yes I was still in awe of those figures. Then my Batman and Superman then I got to my Medicom Wolverine. I was like. Ehhh whatever. So I decided to sell that. Then I did that with all of my figures which led me to sell 3 or 4 of them.

If you don't get collectors tingle then sell it.

 

[karamazov80]

Is this the way you guys really feel?

Yes. I genuinely wish that I had a more constructive hobby. Like feeding the homeless or sailing or playing the piano. But no. I collect toys. WTF?

 

[Nocturne]

But at the end of the day that makes you happy so why fight it.
We're not here for very long so why not indulge in what gives you pleasure.

 

[Legion]

Yes. I genuinely wish that I had a more constructive hobby. Like feeding the homeless or sailing or playing the piano. But no. I collect toys. WTF?

I get that from time to time as well. But I figure I can only be me and I like em so...

I don't let it interfere with my life as in I wouldnt spend money that I dont have on em so I dont see that its any harm really.

Eh. I go through phases where I could care less about my collection but eventually, I always come back to it.

Thats healthy imo. Whether you view them as playthings or ornaments (me) or whatever doesnt really matter as long as you keep things in perspective. Sometimes I dont even come on this site for a few weeks cos I'm just not bothered about toys for a while, other times its 50 posts in a day

 

[karamazov80]

But at the end of the day that makes you happy so why fight it.
We're not here for very long so why not indulge in what gives you pleasure.

I don't let it interfere with my life as in I wouldnt spend money that I dont have on em so I dont see that its any harm really.

Rationalizations!

Seriously though, I really like the damn things. That's why I collect them. Is it better than spending the money on hookers and cocaine? Well, maybe not. But the point is, life might be more fulfilling if the first thing I felt like doing in the morning was not checking to see if Hot Toys released any new info on the Chris Reeve Superman over night.

I'm happy with who I am, etc., but I sometimes feel my priorities ain't what they should be. If I could allow myself to sell off all my toys and to do something else, I probably would.

 

[ArmoredFoe]

Rationalizations!

Seriously though, I really like the damn things. That's why I collect them. Is it better than spending the money on hookers and cocaine? Well, maybe not. But the point is, life might be more fulfilling if the first thing I felt like doing in the morning was not checking to see if Hot Toys released any new info on the Chris Reeve Superman over night.

I'm happy with who I am, etc., but I sometimes feel my priorities ain't what they should be. If I could allow myself to sell off all my toys and to do something else, I probably would.

Im right there with ya man, I look at some of my other friends and there starting families or have great careers and doing well. Im doing good, but I also am not thinking about starting a family anytime soon and just sometimes I wish reading the news on the net didnt consist of what and when certain figures are going to be released. So again Im right there with you man. Remember to each there own and dont let it consume you.

 

[Wanderer]

Lets be honest collecting anything as a hobby has a major element of addiction attached. Gradually as my collection has grown to epic proportion, i'm realising its time to take a breath, step back and evaluate where this is going. I've by and large collected what i like in terms of characters and franchises but a few duds or non essential purchases have snuck in and i promised myself that wouldn't happen. I'm looking at the none essentials now and starting to thin it out. I've got to say selling one or two grails in my collection and making prophet has given me a bigger buzz than getting the latest release...

 

[Rock83]

Don`t let the hype over a toy affect you,because if it does you will spend money on them,just collect based on your own interests and what the toys represent.I collect figures/statues based on character importance,not the hype or how good they look.

Lately ive been thinking if all this is worth the money,and ive come to the conclusion that what`s keepers for life is worth getting.I am not the type that collect for fun and know i will sell half of it a year or two from now.80% of everything i collect i am 90% sure i will keep for the rest of my life,because they represent characters i idolized during my childhood.

 

[MarfMaster]

I'm with the "anti-completionist, collect only the characters that have emotional resonance with you" crowd. I've stayed true to this since I started collecting and my collection is small, but I'm very comfortable with it. I just wish I never started kitbashing

 

[preeny101]

Im right there with ya man, I look at some of my other friends and there starting families or have great careers and doing well. Im doing good, but I also am not thinking about starting a family anytime soon and just sometimes I wish reading the news on the net didnt consist of what and when certain figures are going to be released. So again Im right there with you man. Remember to each there own and dont let it consume you.

I think I was lucky in that I always collected here and there. Never anything at the level I'm at now until I had established my family and career. I don't feel this hobby takes anything away from my interpersonal relationships or other interests. This is my main hobby and I love the feeling I get when I see that item that brings back some nostalgia. Plus I get to share it with my kids and everyone who comes to my house loves my movie room because they enjoy the collectibles. I only buy what I can afford so no financial burden there. You definitely have to have other pursuits, though. For me, my ultimate grail is the lady I wake up with every morning.