Thinking about quitting this hobby.

[DPrime]

Actually, though I have no intention of quitting this hobby (as long as I can remember, I've always collected 1/6), a few years back I made a decision to concetrate my collection.

-First, I will never, EVER, buy a PF
-Second, I only buy if I really, REALLY love the franchise (so for example, no Pirates for me)
-Third, I try not to be a repeat costumer: 1 Pred or 1 Alien is enough. After that, they're all the same with different accessories
-Four, I don't purchase secondary characters (no Sarah Connor or T1000 or New Goblin for me)
-Five, budget it: I used to buy 1/6, DVDs and CDs. I've stopped buying CDs 10 years ago. Saves money and room.
-Six, never consider 1/6 as investment, they're just toys and only have an appeal for fellow collectors. Others laugh at it or are uninterested at best. Anyway prices will drop when something better hits the market.

Now of course, that what I strive to do and there are exceptions for licences I really like but I try to respect these rules as much as I can...

I've been following these very same guidelines, actually!

Although I must say that I do consider "investment potential" when it comes to 1/6th especially. For example, I've pretty much done away with Star Wars, other than vintage Kenner 3 3/4" figures. They will ALWAYS come out with a better version down the road, so at this point, why bother? I'm only keeping my Sideshow exclusive Vader (he's good enough even if Hot Toys makes one - he's not ever going to NOT look like Vader, like, for example, Luke or Han).

If I'm on the fence about a certain Hot Toys property, however, I might get a figure knowing that if I change my mind down the road, I might be able to sell it for double or more what I paid. Nothing wrong with that. Depends on the license and/or character, of course, but a lot of these may never get better 1/6 releases...

 

[intothevoid]

I have a question for you, Mr. Hopefully he's learnt a lesson Guy. Today when you're driving, take a look over to the guy driving in the next lane, and for a second imagine the guy driving next to you is your little friend from this forum. How would you feel driving next to him with your family in the car?

Forgive me but I do tend to err on the side of believing that people can learn from their mistakes. It's part of being human.

If you've going to go on the extreme and assume the worst you will live in fear. That can't be a nice thing

To answer your question - I don't drive

 

[IrishJedi]

How are you possibly able to do this in this age of online preorders and Ebay?

Simple... I pay for everything with a Check Card.

Within the past 5-6 years I have completely learned how to live within my means. Thankfully, I make a good income so I don't have to quit the hobby. But if I was not as fortunate, I would. As I said quality of life and lack of stress >> any collectible.

I own my possessions, not the other way around (which unfortunately afflicts many in this hobby).

 

[theghostinside]

All i have to say is this. If you cannot afford it dont buy it. If your in debt over something its technically not even yours anyway.

 

[The Ternes]

Sounds like you're getting quite a bit of support from everyone on this, and I'd hate to see someone else quit doing what they love due to financial circumstances. Without going into too much detail here, I have to spend a lot of money on medication every month, and recently found myself not buying the meds I needed to stay healthy so I could afford games, DVDs, and this collecting hobby. Then I got into a very serious car accident, because I hadn't been taking those meds.





Now I heard it all! Not buying medications to stay healthy, so you could afford games, DVD's and collecting $200+ dolls and then to top it off you have a serious car crash because you didn't take your meds

The FREAKS on here may say, that's ok, you now have Batman89 and the Joker on preorder, you're now doing great, I don't look at it like that, you could have killed someone in that car crash, and your local newscaster's report would have been, Joe Putz killed a family of 5 today, when he was driving without taking his medication, he told police at the scene that he lost control of his four thousand pound automobile because he couldn't afford his medications anymore, when asked why he couldn't afford his medications? the suspect said, because he had to buy video games, DVD's and $200+ dolls, which the suspect calls action figures. He is know looking at life in prison. On a positive note he has Batman89 and the Joker Hot Toys on preorder, they well be delivered to cell block D.

You know I really won't to say some other things, but I don't want to get banned off the site. The thought of you driving again is very sad.

Well the good thing is disaster was averted and hopefully he's learnt his lesson and won't ever skip meds again

Well first of all, let me say that in rereading my statement, I skipped over the most vital piece of info, that I make around $1600 a month at my job, and I'm paying $1400 a month for meds, *after* primary insurance covers them. Then I have to send in a form and an explanation of benefits so that my secondary insurance can cover some of the cost. Until I reach my deductible, they only partially cover the payment, and it takes about 2 weeks for the check to show up in the mail. In the meantime, I have that $200 to live off. My rent is $390, secondary insurance coverage is over $240 per month, and car insurance is around $30 per month. And all that is before I've bought any food for myself. I was still on one of my medications, the cheaper one thats around $180 per month, almost strictly so I could afford to eat. The whole CD/DVD/HT thing was basically an added "bonus" of not having to spend all of my income just so I could do it again the next month. I was just treading water and sick of it. I can't get cheaper meds because epilepsy is very specific, and even switching to generics can be risky, and gov't. assistance is out of the question since I make more than $15,000 per year, and I have insurance at work, even though the insurance is absolute BS.

Now, having said all that, do you think I'm particularly excited to get behind the wheel again? Because I'm not. Tomorrow(9/13) is actually the first day that I'm "medically cleared" to drive, since it's been 3 months since the accident without an incident. I likely won't be getting in that car for a while though. Unfortunately, I'll have to eventually as winters in ND generally eliminate walking anywhere as an option, and the public transit system sucks where I live. To give you an idea, if I wanted to ride the bus to work, I'd have to leave the house about 90 minutes before work so I could walk the 8 blocks to the nearest bus stop in potentially below 0 weather, wait for the bus, ride it to the stop that's closest to work, which is about half a mile from my place of employment, and then walk to work. I don't know if you've ever been outside when it's -20 degrees, but it's not fun.

So yeah, I've learned my lesson. Waking up inside of a car with three EMTs trying to get you out kind of does that. I've gotten some help from my parents with meds until I can save up enough to carry that cost every month, and I've been able to put a little away so that I can still eat on a regular basis and have some fun. I wanted to have a life of my own that wasn't ruled strictly by money. So sue me.

 

[mmurrer]

Rule 1. Don't get into or stay in debt because of this hobby.

This is a luxury. Buy what you can, keep what you can.


Sell if you need to. Break free from the completist mentality.


It's a prison. Eventually you'll have figures you don't really care for but have to keep the collection complete.


That is NO FUN. And you'll eventually run out of space.


Ask yourself, if there was a fire and you could only save 10 figures, which would it be?

I'd go from there.

Quoted for truth.

 

[Frankenstein1]

My wife only allows me to have one cabinet that I can fill up. I get one of each of my favorite characters. If one comes along that I like better, I will sell the old one and bring in the new.

 

[laudel7]

My rule of thumb is simply if I don't have cash on hand, I don't get it.
Nothing in my current collection is something I owe on. When that processing notice hits, if the money is not in the account, I cancel it.
I have given up a few pieces I really wanted, but that's the only way to handle it IMO.

Being debt free is such a great feeling and as I'm sure you know, once you get sucked into that hole, it's a mother to get out.

When I was in college I got approached by Visa and Mastercard reps in the school bookstore (why do the schools let them in!!??) and I signed right up for credit cards. I never missed a payment but both were always maxed out and it wasn't until about 10 years later that I was able to get them paid off. And what did I have to show for it? Nothing that was worth the stress of debt.

I think the best way to deal with this kind of issue is not necesarily to go cold turkey, but to know your limits and stick with them. So what if you have Mark 1-5 and not 6, at the end of the day it's plastic and rubber that looks pretty, it's not worth the headache if it puts you in a bad place.

Well said

 

[CelticPredator]

Im thinkin about moving back to the kiddie crap...

Hot Toys needs to get out of the $300 price range....:

 

[NewGoblin23]

My wife only allows me to have one cabinet that I can fill up. I get one of each of my favorite characters. If one comes along that I like better, I will sell the old one and bring in the new.

Thats pretty much what ive stuck to. I have two shelves and once they fill up, thats it. If I want another figure, I need to sell one of the figures on the shelf or just not buy the figure. They take up too much space, cost too much money, and I do love them but they aren't a necessity, I dont NEED 1/6 figures.

I consider myself pretty lucky to be able to not only afford two shelves worth (about 4 or 5 figures), but the fact that I can afford even ONE of these figures is why I consider myself lucky. I know there are collectors out there who stick to 6 inch figures and 3 3/4 inch figures because they simply cant afford 1/6 figures (I used to be one of those guys). Now I just prioritize. I used to be a completist, got every figure from a line, but now I realized I dont need all that to represent my love for a movie or character. I can just have that one Batman, and don't need to buy 5 Jokers, the Tumbler, and a bunch of customs and I still know that I love the Batman films.

I think alot of people think its hard to get rid of these figures and they just cant do it. I used to think like that but then I decided to actually do it, and I hardly ever think about the figures I sold. When I sold all my Jokers, it was hard at the time but literally a week later I never even thought about it anymore. People need to just prioritize, sell what they dont need, and save some money.

 

[prefused]

there are exactly 2 kinds of people who go into debt because of collecting - hoarders and idiots. it's kinda better to be a hoarder because there's a support community set up for it and you can get over it, but there's no guarantee you won't relapse. if you're an idiot, you'll just have to get really used to hearing the term "burden of the state" and try to make the best of it. however, neither lifestyle is sustainable and both will end with you losing everything eventually.

a good way to avoid the problem altogether is to be super ____ retentive about what and why you collect. for instance, i mostly collect 1:6 and 1:4 scale stuff from movies, and the occasional 1:1 prop if it's cool enough. i used to collect comic and videogame figures/statues too, but that gets out of hand quickly for me for some reason (*cough*completeism*cough*). so i stopped. if the self-control route doesn't work for you, being lazy also helps - i'm only willing to buy what i can fit in my custom built display case wall. the rest of the house is off limits and i don't feel like building another one. if neither of those work for you, it's best to move on and find a cheaper/less-space-demanding hobby.

 

[hunnipot85]

Actually, though I have no intention of quitting this hobby (as long as I can remember, I've always collected 1/6), a few years back I made a decision to concetrate my collection.

-First, I will never, EVER, buy a PF
-Second, I only buy if I really, REALLY love the franchise (so for example, no Pirates for me)
-Third, I try not to be a repeat costumer: 1 Pred or 1 Alien is enough. After that, they're all the same with different accessories
-Four, I don't purchase secondary characters (no Sarah Connor or T1000 or New Goblin for me)
-Five, budget it: I used to buy 1/6, DVDs and CDs. I've stopped buying CDs 10 years ago. Saves money and room.
-Six, never consider 1/6 as investment, they're just toys and only have an appeal for fellow collectors. Others laugh at it or are uninterested at best. Anyway prices will drop when something better hits the market.

Now of course, that what I strive to do and there are exceptions for licences I really like but I try to respect these rules as much as I can...

What's wrong with PFs? Hot Toys prices are getting almost as expensive as those.

 

[HataFoLife]

Look, there's no need to get out of the hobby just because you had a little accident. There's nothing worse than quitting wasting money on stuff just because you had one little incident. People have accident's all the time, it's natural. But there are some ways you can continue to collect while living a rich lifestyle.

1. Start checking your local newspaper for supermarket ads with coupons. Specifically, cat brand cat food. Not only is cat food cheaper than canned tuna, the variety companies offer in terms of different flavors is more than enough to give you variety in life. You can pick up cans of cat food for 25-30 cents cheaper than a can of tuna with the coupons and after you eat it for a week, you'll have a nice and shiny coat.

2. Get a bag of Skittles or tic-tacs if you don't like Skittles, I personally prefer Skittles just because they come in a variety of colors, but they all taste the same. It's like having a rainbow explosion of candy in my mouth and if you put enough in your mouth, it can combine to make a superball of Skittles that after you swallow it, feels like a big basketball passed through you. You know what, get Skittles, not tic-tacs. Tic-tacs are terrible and they have too many flavors. I can never decide what to get at the store, so I end up getting a bag of Skittles. The classic red bag is the best, none of those new flavors the young kids are getting. So after you get the red bag of skittles and make sure it's red, that's very important put them in water so they all turn white. mix them with your actual medication so they all look the same. taking into consideration the placebo effect, you're guaranteed to function normally after you take the medicine.

3. Now if you're still low on cash and you got a fixing for some toysing, there's one other thing you can get. You know all those credit card applications you get in the mail? Gather them up in a nice pile and open them up. Now, when you apply for them, make sure you use a classy name that shows class and wealth. I'd go with Sir John Williamson Longbottom IV, make sure you put IV so it shows you've come from a long line of Longbottoms. If you want some backstory, Longbottom IV cames from long line of industrious people. They originally came over on the Mayflower and established shop as wooden wheel makers. Business was rough at first as the Indians had the better corn flask wheel. But after the Longbottoms spread the rugs with cooties on it, they took over the wheel business and established themselves as the premiere wheel makers of that time. During WWI, Longbottom III decided to get into the bootlegging business. He teamed up with Crime Boss Baby Face Manziotti to take control of the Southern bootlegging business. They were running over 2,000 pounds of barrels of bootleg corn whiskey away from the coppers, you see. The business was lucrative and after Prohibition ended, so did the business, but by now Longbottom had become very rich indeed. Longbottom III, during the late 50's had invested heavily into Cuba and their rising water ship business. When the Cuban Missile Crisis happened, he lost the business as well as his small fortune. He passed on that ill fated legacy to you, Longbottom the IV, where is why you are applying for a credit card today. Your dad made that mistake of teaming up with the wrong country and lost the family fortune. Although you get some money monthly from some stocks he invested in the 70's, everyone needs a little more money to spend on toys now and then. So after you fill out the applications, putting down the Longbottom IV name, put your occupation as "Superman Millionaire" and your address as "1234 Penny Pinch Lane" so they know that you are responsible and live in a frugal part of the country. After 3-5 weeks, you'll get approved and now you're off to enjoy the great riches of the toy collecting world!


Now, if you follow these three simple steps, you can manage to not only live like a modest king, but you will also have the money to splurge on toys. Toys are number 1, everything else is just whatever afterwards.

 

[Y4NK33 PL4N3T]

^^ 11 posts in and already writing a trolling essay.

 

[freestylex06x]

hot toys has me by the balls because batman is the only title that i have to collect but they churn out batman figures like tootsie rolls. i gave up on predators, superman, pirates, and a few iron men, but i have to get all the batman figures.

 

[Y4NK33 PL4N3T]

hot toys has me by the balls because batman is the only title that i have to collect but they churn out batman figures like tootsie rolls. i gave up on predators, superman, pirates, and a few iron men, but i have to get all the batman figures.

and lucky for you HT has decided to churn out 2 Batmobiles and the Batpod!

 

[hunnipot85]

Yep and I'm pretty sure next year you'll see TDKR Batman, Bane and Catwoman at a minimum. Probably BR Penguin and Catwoman too.

 

[papa-alpha-charlie]

I think about quitting everyday. then I see some toy I can't live without.

feelsbadman.jpg

 

[The Ternes]

Look, there's no need to get out of the hobby just because you had a little accident. There's nothing worse than quitting wasting money on stuff just because you had one little incident. People have accident's all the time, it's natural. But there are some ways you can continue to collect while living a rich lifestyle.

1. Start checking your local newspaper for supermarket ads with coupons. Specifically, cat brand cat food. Not only is cat food cheaper than canned tuna, the variety companies offer in terms of different flavors is more than enough to give you variety in life. You can pick up cans of cat food for 25-30 cents cheaper than a can of tuna with the coupons and after you eat it for a week, you'll have a nice and shiny coat.

2. Get a bag of Skittles or tic-tacs if you don't like Skittles, I personally prefer Skittles just because they come in a variety of colors, but they all taste the same. It's like having a rainbow explosion of candy in my mouth and if you put enough in your mouth, it can combine to make a superball of Skittles that after you swallow it, feels like a big basketball passed through you. You know what, get Skittles, not tic-tacs. Tic-tacs are terrible and they have too many flavors. I can never decide what to get at the store, so I end up getting a bag of Skittles. The classic red bag is the best, none of those new flavors the young kids are getting. So after you get the red bag of skittles and make sure it's red, that's very important put them in water so they all turn white. mix them with your actual medication so they all look the same. taking into consideration the placebo effect, you're guaranteed to function normally after you take the medicine.

3. Now if you're still low on cash and you got a fixing for some toysing, there's one other thing you can get. You know all those credit card applications you get in the mail? Gather them up in a nice pile and open them up. Now, when you apply for them, make sure you use a classy name that shows class and wealth. I'd go with Sir John Williamson Longbottom IV, make sure you put IV so it shows you've come from a long line of Longbottoms. If you want some backstory, Longbottom IV cames from long line of industrious people. They originally came over on the Mayflower and established shop as wooden wheel makers. Business was rough at first as the Indians had the better corn flask wheel. But after the Longbottoms spread the rugs with cooties on it, they took over the wheel business and established themselves as the premiere wheel makers of that time. During WWI, Longbottom III decided to get into the bootlegging business. He teamed up with Crime Boss Baby Face Manziotti to take control of the Southern bootlegging business. They were running over 2,000 pounds of barrels of bootleg corn whiskey away from the coppers, you see. The business was lucrative and after Prohibition ended, so did the business, but by now Longbottom had become very rich indeed. Longbottom III, during the late 50's had invested heavily into Cuba and their rising water ship business. When the Cuban Missile Crisis happened, he lost the business as well as his small fortune. He passed on that ill fated legacy to you, Longbottom the IV, where is why you are applying for a credit card today. Your dad made that mistake of teaming up with the wrong country and lost the family fortune. Although you get some money monthly from some stocks he invested in the 70's, everyone needs a little more money to spend on toys now and then. So after you fill out the applications, putting down the Longbottom IV name, put your occupation as "Superman Millionaire" and your address as "1234 Penny Pinch Lane" so they know that you are responsible and live in a frugal part of the country. After 3-5 weeks, you'll get approved and now you're off to enjoy the great riches of the toy collecting world!


Now, if you follow these three simple steps, you can manage to not only live like a modest king, but you will also have the money to splurge on toys. Toys are number 1, everything else is just whatever afterwards.

Well played. If only it were that easy. Trolling aside, I do feel it should be noted that I never had any intention of getting out of this hobby, just finding different means to fund it. I only collect Batman currently, and have thought about branching out, but there's no way I could afford that until I'm at a job that pays at least $15 per hour. But then there's Blu-Rays and DVD's to consider, a decent camera, food, other necessities... life would be so much easier if I just had unlimited free money.

 

[balboa1976]

Well played. If only it were that easy. Trolling aside, I do feel it should be noted that I never had any intention of getting out of this hobby, just finding different means to fund it. I only collect Batman currently, and have thought about branching out, but there's no way I could afford that until I'm at a job that pays at least $15 per hour. But then there's Blu-Rays and DVD's to consider, a decent camera, food, other necessities... life would be so much easier if I just had unlimited free money.

The Ternes, forget about DVD's, video games and Hot Toys, your priority should be to find a way to get the hell out of Bismarck ND. Below zero temps, I don't know how you do it?

When I think of you, I envision the Cohen brothers film Fargo. Not a lot of activities to do there I bet.