The Magic Number

[DeltaForceChung]

Guillermo Del Toro has a second house for all of his collection and Michael Crawford built his own collection building which is pretty amazing …

http://www.mwctoys.com/ciopcc-home.htm

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Ego and dedication rolled into one that shows how serious one takes collecting.

 

[choombaz]

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Ego and dedication rolled into one that shows how serious one takes collecting.

Hey if I had the money I would do it too. Dust proofing, security, full on museum, the works. GDT knows how to show off a collection btw. Truly amazing house. I think he has two additional houses now.

 

[potato]

Ain't that the truth. Honestly, I feel that you should be a completionist with very, very few things in general. Otherwise you're just setting yourself up for cluterring and wasted money when you look back a couple of years later. I tried to plug some holes in my videogame collection a while back, and when all was said and done I was upwards of 500€ deep. Some of them got lost and I have to rebuy them too, so there's that as well...

I had a completionist attitude in a much smaller scale years back, and when I got done and looked back, it was a waste of money. I'm trying to avoid it here.


Wew! I imagine it's not all HTs, there's troop builders in there and the such, right? I have neither the space nor the cash for such an extensive collection, but I'm trying to keep my expectations and wishful thinkings bellow the 100 mark. With the rising prices, it's going to be even tougher, so I don't want to overextend myself with things that aren't absolutely "necessary".

In such hobbies it's all about finding what you really like and sticking with them, if not exclusively at least mostly.

500deep is nothing. A ps5 cost that much.

 

[potato]

I have a sprawling collection that is in 2 separate phases: 1997-2008 and 2015-present. The first phase contains lots of carded figures like Spawn and Simpsons. Stored in double bankers boxes in my basement for now. My 1/6 collecting started around 2015 for me and easily tops 100 figures by now, most still in the shipper and packed carefully.

I moved cross country last year and had an aspiration of tightening up my collection. However, that was contingent on the size of the house we would buy in our new town, which holds my collection better than before, but is pretty much at capacity now, and no real space to display any figures.

In retrospect, I aways collected for the future, thinking "one day I will have space for this" or "II need to find the perfect spot for X figure" or"If I don't buy this now, the prices will soon make it unobtainable". Actually, I think now is the perfect time to take stock of one's collection, as the market seems to be at a lull, shipping prices will only be going up, etc

What happened betwwen 2008-2015. You missed out the peak of 1/6.

 

[Victοr]

500deep is nothing. A ps5 cost that much.

500 here, 500 there, it adds up. Especially when I've not seriously gamed in close to a decade, so it was just my completionism taking over. I collect too many things these days. Hell, a single Omni goes for ~100€ now, and most big comic franchises have multiple ones. I'm at around 1K just for the FF.

 

[MyenShi]

I started 1:6 with Sideshow Star Wars and Hot Toys Iron Man back in 2011. Statues a little before that with Sideshow PFs and LSBs. Star Wars replicas several years prior to that with MR and EFX, and then RS a little after.

I’ve always tried to maintain some semblances of discipline by staying within focuses and only buying things that mean something to me, but that’s not always easy to stick to. I’ve refocused several times as new lines have come out or companies have changed.

I bought almost everything Hot Toys Marvel and DC until they started Star Wars. Eventually it got to a point where I just wanted to focus on Star Wars which has always been my priority.

So I sold off everything Marvel and DC. Felt good at the time to downsize. Especially large items like the Tumbler, ‘89 Batmobile (which was a fun challenge to ship), and the Iron Man Hall of Armor.

I also got out of statues completely since they were taking up so much space to both display and store the boxes. I felt it was between two of 1:1, 1:6, and statues and there was no way I was going to get rid of 1:1 replicas or 1:6 figures.

It’s both easier and a little challenging having Star Wars as a sole focus. I try to stick to just replicas (primarily lineage helmets and some scale models), 1:6 figures, and some 3.75” purchases within that but there’s always just so much cool stuff coming out. I’ve broken my focus a few times for a couple of statues here and there.

I have more 1:6 figures at one time than I ever have, even at the height of having Marvel and DC on top of Star Wars. Mostly because I’m a trooper focused collector and have a lot of troopers. I don’t know if there’s a magic number, but I know I’ll likely slow down as they tick off figures from the OT and PT/TCW.

I won’t feel as motivated to army build new troopers as much as I will OT Troopers and TCW specific Clones.

Or at least that’s what I tell myself.

 

[Victοr]

I started 1:6 with Sideshow Star Wars and Hot Toys Iron Man back in 2011. Statues a little before that with Sideshow PFs and LSBs. Star Wars replicas several years prior to that with MR and EFX, and then RS a little after.

I’ve always tried to maintain some semblances of discipline by staying within focuses and only buying things that mean something to me, but that’s not always easy to stick to. I’ve refocused several times as new lines have come out or companies have changed.

I bought almost everything Hot Toys Marvel and DC until they started Star Wars. Eventually it got to a point where I just wanted to focus on Star Wars which has always been my priority.

So I sold off everything Marvel and DC. Felt good at the time to downsize. Especially large items like the Tumbler, ‘89 Batmobile (which was a fun challenge to ship), and the Iron Man Hall of Armor.

I also got out of statues completely since they were taking up so much space to both display and store the boxes. I felt it was between two of 1:1, 1:6, and statues and there was no way I was going to get rid of 1:1 replicas or 1:6 figures.

It’s both easier and a little challenging having Star Wars as a sole focus. I try to stick to just replicas (primarily lineage helmets and some scale models), 1:6 figures, and some 3.75” purchases within that but there’s always just so much cool stuff coming out. I’ve broken my focus a few times for a couple of statues here and there.

I have more 1:6 figures at one time than I ever have, even at the height of having Marvel and DC on top of Star Wars. Mostly because I’m a trooper focused collector and have a lot of troopers. I don’t know if there’s a magic number, but I know I’ll likely slow down as they tick off figures from the OT and PT/TCW.

I won’t feel as motivated to army build new troopers as much as I will OT Troopers and TCW specific Clones.

Or at least that’s what I tell myself.

I could never focus on just one thing myself. I tire of franchises easily and find it easier to remember specific bits. It's why I have very, very few specific favourites; it's all in flux for me.

I do commend you for finding what you genuinely like and sticking to it though. I feel you on that bit about buying only the ones that mean something to you. Too often we get carried away and buy things because they look cool or we just "like" them, but then it all starts crowding and the pieces we genuinely love lose their emotional value. Between current prices and the InArt "revolution" in the medium, I find myself leaning towards a more curated view of collecting myself.

 

[Bri]

I do not have a strict number, but I suppose I wouldn't go above 32. I have four detolfs and would never want to display more than two figures per shelf. Granted, I doubt that I will ever reach that many figures anyway. I notice that if I start getting a sizable collection, which for me is like 15 figures, I start to get anxious about it. Then I end up selling some of them.

Right now, I have 4 figures on display, 2 of which I would consider core pieces in my collection - ones that I would never want to sell off. The type of collector I am now is way different than the one that started over a decade a go. I used to be all about quantity, but now I'm focused on quality of the figure/likeness and how much I like the character and/or actor. Everything gets customized in someway now (usually rooted hair) or is itself a fully customized figure.

I suppose my ultimate goal is to have a small, curated collection of figures that are of the highest quality.

 

[Victοr]

I do not have a strict number, but I suppose I wouldn't go above 32. I have four detolfs and would never want to display more than two figures per shelf. Granted, I doubt that I will ever reach that many figures anyway. I notice that if I start getting a sizable collection, which for me is like 15 figures, I start to get anxious about it. Then I end up selling some of them.

Right now, I have 4 figures on display, 2 of which I would consider core pieces in my collection - ones that I would never want to sell off. The type of collector I am now is way different than the one that started over a decade a go.

I myself begun by cataloguing every character that was relevant in every single IP I liked/had engaged with, and then started cutting. 500 became 400 which became 300 and so on and so forth until I'm now around 1/5th of that and going lower. It was never a realistic proposal, but I enjoyed trimming the names and making it all more coherent. As it stands I'm planning based on some moducases I have my eye on, but considering how I want to set them up, it might be years before I even get to display even one "theme".

I used to be all about quantity, but now I'm focused on quality of the figure/likeness and how much I like the character and/or actor. Everything gets customized in someway now (usually rooted hair) or is itself a fully customized figure.

I suppose my ultimate goal is to have a small, curated collection of figures that are of the highest quality.

This too. I myself have set up some new rules, in that unless the figure's ~80% soft goods, there's a headsculpt, and it's an actor/actress I like/find handsome/beautiful, I'm not buying it. I got into the hobby for the realistic sculpts and the fabrics. Now most MCU designs are this awful, dull pleather and they're getting more and more random Z-Listers every day. I want mini Jude Laws and Eva Greens on my shelf, not homelyguys and gals in boring plastic clothing.

Quality is far more important thatn quantity, that's a fact. I'm not even a Pennywise fan but the sheer craftsmanship of the new InArt figure turned me off the upcoming plasticky MCU HT instantly. And I'm a guy who grew up with capes and most of my wants would come from there. And yet I just won't do it. The Strange figures are exactly what I'm looking for, and as an Ironfan I have a soft sport for armours. But all the pleathery tacticool nonsense like the Visions and the such leave me completely cold.

 

[Bri]

I myself begun by cataloguing every character that was relevant in every single IP I liked/had engaged with, and then started cutting. 500 became 400 which became 300 and so on and so forth until I'm now around 1/5th of that and going lower. It was never a realistic proposal, but I enjoyed trimming the names and making it all more coherent. As it stands I'm planning based on some moducases I have my eye on, but considering how I want to set them up, it might be years before I even get to display even one "theme".

I can't even imagine having a list going up to that many. Phew, that sounds incredibly overwhelming. Congrats on being able to cut that down to a much more curated list of potential characters you'd like to have represented within your collection.

As I said in the other thread, you 'themed' displays sound awesome. I can definitely see how that's going to take up to years to get even one section done, but it will so be worth it in the end.

This too. I myself have set up some new rules, in that unless the figure's ~80% soft goods, there's a headsculpt, and it's an actor/actress I like/find handsome/beautiful, I'm not buying it. I got into the hobby for the realistic sculpts and the fabrics. Now most MCU designs are this awful, dull pleather and they're getting more and more random Z-Listers every day. I want mini Jude Laws and Eva Greens on my shelf, not homelyguys and gals in boring plastic clothing.

Quality is far more important thatn quantity, that's a fact. I'm not even a Pennywise fan but the sheer craftsmanship of the new InArt figure turned me off the upcoming plasticky MCU HT instantly. And I'm a guy who grew up with capes and most of my wants would come from there. And yet I just won't do it. The Strange figures are exactly what I'm looking for, and as an Ironfan I have a soft sport for armours. But all the pleathery tacticool nonsense like the Visions and the such leave me completely cold.

I got into the hobby for mostly photography's sake, which is where the need for realism and being able to articulate them comes into play for me - I'm a portrait photographer at heart. I'm with you on the 80% soft goods part for sure and it is killing me that the HT Moon Knight isn't that at all. Like, I absolutely need that figure, but I so strongly dislike the plastic-y look of it.

Another thing that can limit my collection is the use of a non-seamless neck. Oooh boy, does it drive me crazy. There are very few exceptions to the rule of me buying a figure with a separated neck and sculpt, the hair has to be long enough to hide it. I've even taken to liking custom sculpts that have a bit of the collar bone and chest area sculpted.

Man, that InArt Pennywise looks absolutely stunning. I have no monetary stakes in the game as I'm not interested, but I'm truly hoping for a final production piece that matches that. If so, just think of the possibilities that InArt could bring to the 1/6th game. However, I am excited for that Ledger Joker. I'm dying for the seamless arms they've done - I want that for all my figures.

 

[Victοr]

I can't even imagine having a list going up to that many. Phew, that sounds incredibly overwhelming. Congrats on being able to cut that down to a much more curated list of potential characters you'd like to have represented within your collection.

I did it to pass the time when trying to sleep or something to that effect. I'd bring to mind every significant comic storyline, videogame, movie franchise and so on, and then I'd pick the most important characters for each one, regardless of whether I cared for them or not. So you'd have 5 here, 10 there, then 30 X-Men and 50 Star Wars and so on and so forth. Afterwards I'd make some online collages when I had some time to kill, while eating dinner and having a flick on background or something. So the more I'd look at those collages which sort of represented a display, the more "bored" and overwhelmed I'd get with the idea of owning them all, so I'd start cutting down and down and down...

It was never a genuine wishlist. I've collected other lines before and went overboard in some cases, so I know that once the dust settles I'll regret many purchases if I don't stick to absolute favourites with little leeway. So that's what I'm doing now. I'm working with some rules, trying to keep them under a certain number and so on. It's better this way, as each figure is more unique and has a story. I've cut entire displays and reduced 10 and 20 names to 1 or 3.

What really does it for me is that some of my absolute favourites will never get a good high end representation, so it's a little "insulting" to me to spend that on much lesser wants, just to have more figures.

As I said in the other thread, you 'themed' displays sound awesome. I can definitely see how that's going to take up to years to get even one section done, but it will so be worth it in the end.

Yeah, I got the idea from watching a few collection vids, and seeing how crowded things got when one amassed too many of one line. Shelves upon shelves of SW figures, random Marvel characters next to each other and so on. It made me feel like I was looking less at a high end collection, and more of a Hasbro set up at Toy Fair. But then there were others more curated, with one or two characters from each franchise, a wide variety and so on, which looked more appealing to me. But maybe that's because I was never really enarmored with any one thing enough to go all-in, and just picked bits and pieces from each one, so my collecting style tends to that direction as well.

I got into the hobby for mostly photography's sake, which is where the need for realism and being able to articulate them comes into play for me - I'm a portrait photographer at heart. I'm with you on the 80% soft goods part for sure and it is killing me that the HT Moon Knight isn't that at all. Like, I absolutely need that figure, but I so strongly dislike the plastic-y look of it.

Exactly. I've had an MK on my list for ages, but I just can't justify the cash for that thing. It's why I'm waiting for a Mr. Knight, as that'll be a figure that will utilise the strenghts of the scale and not have any awful plastic sections ruin the clothing. For me there's no point in buying a 1/6th figure if there's no HS and it's not made mostly from soft goods. I have a Thanos because he was too important to my collecting to pass up, and I still feel like I bought a toy and prefer my Jack Sparrow to him. So I try to stay away from such figures.

Another thing that can limit my collection is the use of a non-seamless neck. Oooh boy, does it drive me crazy. There are very few exceptions to the rule of me buying a figure with a separated neck and sculpt, the hair has to be long enough to hide it. I've even taken to liking custom sculpts that have a bit of the collar bone and chest area sculpted.

Once I noticed it I found it hard to be able to look past it myself. I certainly prefer the sculpts with the neck, even if they hinder articulation a tad. It mostly irks me on the Spider-Man figures as it makes them look very action-figure-y instead of high end collectibles. I had 2099 & Batman Beyond on my list, but once I saw the 2099, with the weird neck and writs that break the realism, plus the fragility of the suit, and then realised that there'd never be a show accurate BB, I took them out. For me a design has to properly work within the paremeters of this particular scale and style for me to get it; otherwise I may as well go collect 20$ action figures or 800$ statues.

Man, that InArt Pennywise looks absolutely stunning. I have no monetary stakes in the game as I'm not interested, but I'm truly hoping for a final production piece that matches that. If so, just think of the possibilities that InArt could bring to the 1/6th game. However, I am excited for that Ledger Joker. I'm dying for the seamless arms they've done - I want that for all my figures.

Honestly after I saw the seamless arms I went "damn, I wish my Dam Godfather had them" so now I'm hoping InArt gets the license so that they'll make Michael and Vito (Deniro & Brando) with their style. Which means my 400€ Vito would be useless in such a case, but I could give it to my parents; it's a classic film and character. Bah, I'm wishlisting again, but that's the thing; InArt's made some pretty big strides in this hobby and if they live up to them, it'll be hard to go back to the more basic offerings. Which is yet another reason why I'm finding myself less and less interest in all the new capes and SW stuff.