Thoughts about collecting and not collecting....

[Shai]

AFTER DROPPING THE 12'',NOW I'M CONSIDERING DROPPING EVERYTHING EXCEPT FOR HULK STATUES.I'LL STILL BUY EVERYTHING HULK THOUGH...SIDESHOW,BOWEN,HARD HERO RENDITION OF THE JADE GIANT...AND THAT WILL BE IT...

THIS HOBBY IS GETTING TOO EXPENSIVE RIGHT NOW...YOU REALLY GOTTA FOCUS ON STUFF YOU REALLY LIKE,NOT STUFF EVERYONE WANTS ON THESE BOARDS.

 

[PosterBoyKelly]

Just gotta pick and choose. I focus on Star Wars, BUT only OT. I dropped the SS 12" totally, unless something blows me away. Than from outside that box I just really need to love it. I have RAH Spider-Man, my 1 Marvel piece (until Cap) I have 13" Shazam my 1 DC piece (ever?) it's just a matter of "how much do I really like it?"

I also learned I don't need themes. If I get 1 Alien figure, i don't need them all. Star Wars is my only theme, everything else is random and a case by case basis. It's a matter of self-control and actually thinking about how much you like something. It took me a while (and a lot of money) to get to this here, but you figure out your own groove. 1 rule I can't break: NO COMPLETIST. It's too hard and too expensive no matter what it is. The life of a completist is 1 I don't envy.

 

[DarkArtist81]

Yeah... I've recently made a huge decision... I went through my collection and eliminated those I didn't really care about, started to think about which figures I absolutely needed and which I felt could go. My home is far too small and my fiance can only take so much before she snaps. So I'm cutting a lot of it out. Selling Jabba and co.... selling a few of my SW guys... Selling my Demon Freddy.....

I even went in on my SSC account and cancelled a ton of orders I had coming down the pipe. I just have to prioritize and make sure I have room before I hit the order button.

 

[Darth Madden]

Just gotta pick and choose. I focus on Star Wars, BUT only OT. I dropped the SS 12" totally, unless something blows me away. Than from outside that box I just really need to love it. I have RAH Spider-Man, my 1 Marvel piece (until Cap) I have 13" Shazam my 1 DC piece (ever?) it's just a matter of "how much do I really like it?"

I also learned I don't need themes. If I get 1 Alien figure, i don't need them all. Star Wars is my only theme, everything else is random and a case by case basis. It's a matter of self-control and actually thinking about how much you like something. It took me a while (and a lot of money) to get to this here, but you figure out your own groove. 1 rule I can't break: NO COMPLETIST. It's too hard and too expensive no matter what it is. The life of a completist is 1 I don't envy.

I gave up the completist idea a long time ago.. and I'm glad I did. Before I would have bought the troopers, Plo and chess table just because it was Star Wars even though they didn't interest me at all... and afterwords I would be mad at myself for getting them. So now I will stick to the OT figs that I like and any other individual figs I like (I just got a Final Battle Scarface thats pretty cool) but in no way will I ever try to get an entire line again.

 

[LOTRFan]

I have been collecting only select Universal Monster and General Interest PFs for a while now, and the LOTR and Star Wars lines - I don't do PT so that hasn't been too hard to stay up on; and LOTR well ....

 

[Nitro]

I sold whatever toy collection I had (about 11 boxes worth) that I had downstairs (packed up) in the basement last year. I don't regret any of it. It was for the better.

Like alot of you, there was always a certain rush to buy the next collectible to say "hey, look at this...look how many I have." man, was i stupid. I stopped collecting toys and moved on to bigger things. Now I only have a few carefully picked out Star Wars PF's, Jaws Maquette, and a MR Kermit and I am completely happy and love my new collection out on display.

My new thing is buy only what I really (really) like, but I have to have a specific place to put it. If I ever think that I'm ever going to have thoughts of getting rid of that item like a did with my toy collection...then I pass it up and let somebody else buy it....

 

[gambit]

the best part in collecting is sellingm buying new items with the funds and re-shaping your collection imo.

I am selling my items from time to time to renew and keep my hobby interest at high level. Space is another concern as well.

 

[Bonehead15]

THIS HOBBY IS GETTING TOO EXPENSIVE RIGHT NOW...YOU REALLY GOTTA FOCUS ON STUFF YOU REALLY LIKE,NOT STUFF EVERYONE WANTS ON THESE BOARDS.

Well said Shai.

 

[The Josh]

Yeah, I've pretty much cut Marvel out. I want several items from it but I simply cant. The same goes with the LSB and the 1:1 SW Busts. GG isn't getting much from me outside the Clones and the Fellowship from their LOTR lines.

SS 1:6 lines from LOTR and SW will be getting the predominant amount of my money. The PF lines I will be selective on as well just due to space and money.

Sometimes cutting back is what you have to do in order to have more in the long run.

 

[Icemizer]

Its very hard to stay disciplined in this collecting world we live in. Thankfully the items I have pared down to are not draining my budget very quickly right now. Still getting the PF Marvel figures, A few of the Comiquettes that interest me, and the Adam Hughes Line from SS. I pick up a few busts from Bowen every year at the Chicago wizard con, mostly just female sculpts, and finally the love of my collecting life, Star Trek items.

The straw that had me cut back, Master Replicas Enterprise. An amazing piece to be sure but where to put it and it sure did cost a lot.

 

[Ryanfromindiana]

I totally see where you all are coming from. It is so easy to get drawn in to buying everything that's appealing to you on a whim, and then in another year a better version comes along and the next thing you know you have 10 "definative" Moleman statues. I've really decided to only get the real "holy crap" pieces that really appeal to me and start to move the rest out. My mb's and statues that I just have to have are already on their way out. I could also see the shame on my girlfriends face when I kept telling the movers to be extra careful with my 30 longboxes of comics lol. Having said that.....God I love my PF Hulk Why is this stuff like crack?

:emperor

 

[Darth Waller]

It seems like I go through this every 8-12 months as I look back on what I've bought. I'm at a point again where I feel like I should just stop, but since it's the 30th anniversary of Star Wars, I just don't know if I want to miss out on what gets announced this year. I'm pretty much OT right now with the exception of the occasional PT purchase (Maul 12"), but even these can take up quite a bit of room.

 

[pixletwin]

As much as I love LOTR I have had to restrain myself from purchasing Frodo PF and Lurtz. I have also let great LOTR 1:6 deals go by because I just know I can't handle it right now. Its always a good thing to step back and simplify, no matter what the situation is. These things are supposed to enhance life, not complicate it.

It is SW 1:6 for me (and even then I have no illusion of being a completionist).


oh and PF Elvis.