What did you give up for this?

[Customikey]

A lot of us have elected to sell pieces of our collection or give up other hobbies to pay for this Sideshow Sickness.

I put it out there: What did you give up to continue collecting Sideshow?

I sold off my old Star Wars collection, comic books, and am actively selling my customs to fund this hobby. I gave up collecting just about everything else. I don't think I've bought any non-Sideshow collectibles since the Vader FX lightsaber and the Neca Balrog pre-order.

Not that I regret it for a moment. I'm just interested to see what all everyone else has eschewed in favor of Sideshow's product, and what particular product was the turning point for you where you said, "That's it, from now on I'm a Sideshow Freak."

For me, it was Red Death. I fell in love when I saw him displayed in a case next to Murder Legendre, Renfield, and Bela the Gypsy in Forbidden Planet NYC. After seeing him, I went back the next day and picked him and the Silver Screen Phantom to display together.

 

[SolidLiquidFox]

I sold a lot of collectible that I had when some of the SS stuff was coming out to me a few months ago. My Master Replicas Luke ANH EE #38 is the one that stands out the most. I was also fortunate to receive extra 2nd plaques for it from MR so those went up on ebay.

Comics, DVDs and recently my Batman Black and White Risso statue went up in anticipation of receiving some Macross items, Sideshow Anakin 12" and both gray and green HulkVsSpidey dioramas.

 

[Josette]

Well, mine would probably be better phrased as "What did I give up for 12 inch figures?" because I don't limit myself to strictly Sideshow.

That said, I've sold quite a bit of things to focus on them. Star Wars was the first thing I started collecting and I had a variety of things - smaller figures, ships, promotional items, etc.... I sold all of it. I don't own any SW today. I had a lot of smaller (6 inch, 8 inch, etc) movie and television show figures, and I sold all of them too. I even sold some of my dvds in my movie collection (ones I never watched more than once). I pass on things daily that I would have bought a few years ago.

There was no particular piece that turned me into a 12 inch freak because I've always loved that scale ever since I was a child. This might seem funny to some, but I used to name my Barbies after my favorite characters and pretend they were those characters - even at seven and eight, I was craving 12 inch figures of my favorite characters!

The only things I've not sold for figures is my Dark Shadows collection. I'm a DS freak, and I have several vintage items from the '60s & other pieces that I would never part with and I'm always on the lookout for DS stuff.

 

[Michael Crawford]

Well, there was that kidney that mom needed...but you really need to have your priorities, you know? I'm sure she understood.

 

[The ill Jedi]

For myself, mainly I have sold off a bunch of stuff that I had been hording and was just sitting there collecting dust. Marvel Legends 6" Figs., some statues (Jim Lee Hush Batman hurt the most), Mcfarlane figures (Matrix, Spawn) and some of my PSP games that I no longer played. I anticipate selling off quite a bit more to fuel this addiction known as Sideshow; I don't know that I have necessarily given anything up, I am just smarter with my buying decisions now knowing that any money I spend could be used to get something new from Sideshow.

 

[SolidLiquidFox]

Well, there was that kidney that mom needed...but you really need to have your priorities, you know? I'm sure she understood.

She is in a better place now.

 

[Darth Loki]

My independence. Kept my girlfriend around to pay half the rent and utilities so I could afford my toys.

Just kidding hon, I love you.

 

[x-Mcfreak]

Alot of McFarlane, hence the name x-Mcfreak. Toy Biz Marvel legends. I'm selling all my mib stuff on ebay now. Then I am going to start selling the loose stuff.

 

[occulum]

My independence. Kept my girlfriend around to pay half the rent and utilities so I could afford my toys.

Just kidding hon, I love you.

Alot of McFarlane, hence the name x-Mcfreak. Toy Biz Marvel legends. I'm selling all my mib stuff on ebay now. Then I am going to start selling the loose stuff.

a few years ago I gave a coworker 2 39gal trash bags full of unopened McToys to give to his son for XMas just to clear up some space.
and was more than happy to do so to make room for more SS product

 

[EVILFACE]

Sold a few small GIJoes to get a head start on the tidal wave

 

[MiskatonicNick]

This might seem funny to some, but I used to name my Barbies after my favorite characters and pretend they were those characters - even at seven and eight, I was craving 12 inch figures of my favorite characters!

lol, yes... been there, done that (albeit with my old Palitoy Action Men) which is why I was so over the moon with the announcement of Product Enterprise's Tom Baker/Doctor Who figure; always wanted him as a kind (the Mego back then was either over- or under- scaled for my other toys).

I'm another general 1/6th collector rather than just Sideshow - had to give up other scales of toy lines (which hurts when I see some of the new Takara micromen) though, for professional purposes, I still pick up the occasional other toy that catches my eye. Nothing's been sold yet though - I have the 'hoarder' gene and a large loft

Nick

 

[morbidaj]

I have a little spreadsheet that Ive done with all my pre-orders, their costs, the time they are expected to come out, and if push comes to shove, which ones Id cancel or sell off once they arrive.

I also have a list of all the sideshow figs I got last year to use as proof when my wife complains that Ive spent too much.. but honey, i purchased 15 figures last year, 17 this year really isnt a big deal!

As for selling, Ive collected alot of crap that I have been adding to a list. Many dvds that I will never watch of course.. sadly the prices of some dvds has just tanked. Fast and the Furious for example. I probably spent 18$ for this. I watched it twice. I dont think Ill watch it again, but it sells on average for 3$ on ebay?!

I do have some gems, like the extended cut of Almost Famous, it seems to fetch 30$+ so that will be half a sideshow starwars figure.

My wife just had her hair done to the tune of 100$, since I bring up the "we are even stevens" point, that earns me almost 2 sideshow figures!

 

[bcm77]

I suppose it would be Hasbro 3 3/4" stuff though I'd actually quit a couple of months before Sideshow announced they were going to be doing the Star Wars 12" figures. The timing was excellent for me as I was looking for something new to collect aside from Star Wars Kubricks and the first pics of the Sideshow Luke Skywalker got me into collecting Sideshow products and so far I've pre-ordered 4 of the Star Wars figures and the T-800 Terminator. I've also sold a lot of my Japanese wrestling figures to help pay off a chunk of my credit card so I can pre-order the next few Star Wars figures should they be characters I like.

 

[lcummins]

I have basically given up my Non-sports trading card collection and associated original art. I think of it as a hiatus and will return to it someday...

 

[creecher]

I gave my life for this stuff, well almost. I had no life, so I gave up any chance of saving any money, for what could I save for anyway with the little I have left over, for the joy that buying good product at an affordable price gives me.

 

[lcummins]

I gave my life for this stuff, well almost. I had no life, so I gave up any chance of saving any money, for what could I save for anyway with the little I have left over, for the joy that buying good product at an affordable price gives me.

You know Creech, I feel the same way sometimes! If I quit collecting, I could afford to buy a home, probably a big one to display collectibles. But then I wouldn't have any collectibles to display, so I wouldn't need a big home. Of course then I could afford the collectibles after all, and so forth and so on...

 

[tomandshell]

I stopped collecting guitars.

But it goes both ways--I also gave up my dream of having a Cave Troll by spending $1400 last month on a huge wooden playset from Costco for my kids. Took me two days to build it in my backyard, and my kids love it very much. It has four swings, a slide, a tire swing, a rock climbing wall, a rope ladder, monkey bars, etc. Now they have something to play with when they want to go outside. That money could have gone towards a Cave Troll, several PF figures, or the next 25 Star Wars 12" figures. But it was worth it when I saw the looks on their faces after it was finished and ready for them.

So there is a great deal of give and take in the world of collecting. Thankfully, I just paid off two cars, my student loans, and a few credit cards, so I have some money to redirect to my monthly Sideshow arrivals while still keeping the kids dressed and fed.

 

[Wor-Gar]

I sold my kids. Got a decent price. I can always make more.

 

[tomandshell]

I sold my kids. Got a decent price. I can always make more.

 

[creecher]

You know Creech, I feel the same way sometimes! If I quit collecting, I could afford to buy a home, probably a big one to display collectibles. But then I wouldn't have any collectibles to display, so I wouldn't need a big home. Of course then I could afford the collectibles after all, and so forth and so on...

Yes indeed Lonnie, that is my way of thinking. Sure, maybe I have spent $10,000 on collectibles, but what is that going to buy me? I don't have a car or home, so just saving wouldn't have gotten me far, over the years. At least every month or so I get to feel like a kid on his birthday.

Your right about needing a bigger place. That option is unconsiderable, so I am close to having to stop collecting altogether. Depressing it is.