Great points so far and a great thread. I'm very grateful for my collection and all the folks that have helped me along the way (you know who you are)! My buying has slowed down allot and I had to cut my collection in half a few months back. I'm becoming pretty focused. I get excited to see friends score cool stuff! There are TONS of great stuff coming out and I love seeing the new folks MAKING toys!
i am grateful more for this community then just the toys i have made alot of great friends on here and i am happy that all of you guys no me and that i am here for the right reasons... i love these toys and this community
haha, that is totally me... i'm 28 and i still have shirts from middle school/high school. just recently i started to recycle them and buying some new clothes. still need to go through more though.
You know I have been thinking lot about this. Im not embarrassed that I spend to much money on toys. I work 40+hours a weeks. It feels like I spend all my money on food and bills. Toys are the ONLY thing I still have to show for all the hard work I do. But.... I still need to buy some new clothes,
Totally. Living vicariously through others, heh. And I recently picked up some clay and messed around sculpting something, and I can completely see and feel the "high" from this. Making your own stuff it so cool. Especially when your like Man, I wish they would make this!" Well, go ahead and make it! It's definitely something I want to get into more. It soo cool to make your own sculpt and put it on your shelf or desk. And I love see fan-art. More please! Some killer artist on this board! Keep it coming! But yeah, after my post yesterday, I still check here every hour, and the Bay this morning. It is my escape, inspiration, entertainment, and hobby. I love toys. What can I say.
Agreed. I'm often asked why? And I say why not? It's something I love, enjoy, and if I wasn't spending it on these I'd waste on other frivolous purchases. The only argument I can make against is saving and having a nice nest egg. Toys are more fun As far as clothes? That's what b-days and x-mas are for right?
I appreciate you bringing this up, Phil, and it’s been great to read everyone else’s comments. I have heard variations on this idea from long-time collectors of all stripes: collecting is a marathon, not a sprint. I think it’s safe to say that we are involved in a hobby in which it’s particularly challenging to apply that idea- limited runs, high prices, often boggling resale prices and great, great work coming at us from so many producers all at once- but it can be done. Again and again, I’ve had to learn to appreciate what I have… but I’m getting a bit better at it every time. Back when I had my massive Gara-collection, I took great pleasure in it- it provided me with a superb daily dose of aesthetic appreciation. Keeping the collection strictly narrowed to Garamon and Pygmon gave me a toy hunting focus that was very manageable, time and money-wise. I am hopeful that my Gara-collection will one day be as awesomely full and diverse as it once was, but I am happy now to take it much more slowly. Having said that, since I really got back into buying after taking a long break in 2009, I haven’t much been able to keep strictly to Garamon/Pygmon… there is just too much amazing shit out there that really speaks to me. What has evolved for me, though, is sort of a “Temporary Exhibit/Permanent Collection” mindset. I only buy what really moves me, and what I really want to see/handle in person… but many of these things I buy knowing in my heart that I probably won’t keep them more than a year… and I’m fine with that. I try to keep these items at a relatively low ratio to my Gara-collecting, and I’m usually able to get most of my money back on them when I re-sell... what I don't get back, I look at as a sort of borrowing fee (and most of the time it feels worthwhile). I have to wonder, though: how would this part of my buying be affected if I had any local jp toy-collecting friends, and was able to visit with their collections? For example, the CCP Twintail I bought last winter: FANTASTIC toy, CCP does great work and I love supporting them, and I really wanted to experience that one in person… but had I been able to hang with it at someone else’s house… I’m not sure I would have felt like I needed to buy it. I’m sure many of you in NYC/LA/SF etc may appreciate this thought… you lucky bastards. The other thing is- and it gets said & supported a lot here, but is worth reiterating in this convo- PLAY WITH YOUR GODDAMN TOYS. Handle ‘em, re-arrange ‘em, take/draw/paint pics of ‘em, hide ‘em, bring ‘em to the bar or restaurant, cut ‘em up, mash ‘em up, paint ‘em, share ‘em… they are MEANT for all of this. One thing that gives me great satisfaction is coming up with totally customized ways to display in my home. I’ve just completed work on a large wall-mounted “floating mountain” for my living room (and it looks freaking wonderful w/ the 15 or so toys I’ve placed on it) , and have just begun to create custom wall sconce-style displays for each Atelier G-1 Pygmon color version. Have fun. If the toys you actually have right now are not injecting a significant dose of fun stimulation into your life, you’re doing it wrong. Without fun, this is just another way for us to be stressfully stuck on the illusory treadmill of “never enough” consumerism.
to those of you that can still fit into your junior high/HS cloths damn narrowing my collecting habits down has definately made me appreciate/enjoy things more,if I'm not jumping on everything I find, I have the money for the things I really want when they come up, I like to have some diversity in my collection but ADD is no longer an option for my displays
I've learned this lesson the hard way as well. I managed to spend just under 4k in 2 months and have crashed back to reality. I kept justifying it by thinking back to the days I collected shoes and the absurd amount i would spend then - figuring I could just sell off some of my shoes and all would be fine. Thanks to the economy - that was not the case. I love the toys i have- trimmed it down and plan on sticking to my ever shrinking want list. IMO all hobbies require a plan to keep the fun abundant.
To Everybody, your posts have been great. I'm glad this is stimulating some good conversation... When I posted it, I wasn't posting it because I was leaving the hobby or anything, (I'm not going anywhere) but rather because lately I've been finding myself too obsessed with this hobby... Just being a little too hung up on it all, you know? And missing out on the fun aspects of it and to a degree in real life. And it stopped being a hobby, and more like an obsession. Like I find myself getting... not upset, but bummed out, when I see something released that I missed or can't get or can't afford. And that's no good. And that's where I'm going to try to modify my behavior. I'm just going to take a step back and enjoy what I do have, and the good fortune I've had here- For instance, the marbled pushead Skullwing from SDCC and last November: While I may not have complete set like some of the folks here, I was super lucky enough to be able to get one from the anniversary show in November. And if that's the only one I ever get, then I'm ok with it because its a super awesome toy. I got a wonderful hookup from a boardie and I will never forget it. And to the folks who managed to get full sets or multiple pieces or whatever- be thankful you have the means to pull that off- whether its connections, or just a job that gives you enough extra spending cash to buy them all on the secondary market or whatever. Don't take it for granted. Me, I'm just going to relax a bit, take it easy and enjoy my toys. Phil That being said, if anyone has any unpainted/marbled skullwings- hit me up!
Thanks for the post Phil, I have really been taking it to heart. In my little over one year of JP vinyl collecting I think i have put together a decent collection of toys. I have been trying for months to slow down but every time I think I am succeeding, something great or cheap pops up. Most of all I am trying to fight the "if I don't buy it now, I will have to track it down and pay more" urges. They seem to be the hardest to resist. The truth is though, I have plenty of great toys to enjoy and keep me smiling. I still would never pass on an Ollie, Boss or one of the things that elude me but I am going to start sitting back and letting releases go by. The hard part is I want to keep watch on the BST for Ollies and such but not buy anything else on gut reaction. I'm just going to have to keep working on it. I will enter MVH, PK and NNN lotteries and if I happen to win I will happily spend some dough. Otherwise I am going to try and stick to my guns and just enjoy what I have. I have one major trade to finish up and then I feel I can begin to wind down for a while. It's been great trying to acquire these toys but I should have just as much fun owning them or I am doing something wrong. Thanks for all the posts, it's good to know I'm not struggling alone.
When my brother and I were in high school, he used to collect these mage knight toys.. they're kind of like lord of the rings but with original characters. They came with those bases you use to actually play strategy games with. Well, he'd buy them and immediately rip them off the base, because he didn't give a shit about the game, but more about the beauty of the figure. I swear, he played the shit out of them up until he left for the IDF. I was so embarrassed for him at the time, but now I get it. 6 years later I'm the one amassing toys and making whoosh bam! sounds when no one is looking.
this, i love. one of my big questions lately has been "how poseable is it?" me getting back into film photography has done wonders for upping the average daily playtime with my collection. and the more likely i am to get a wide variety of shots out of a toy, the better! (and i, too, am guilty of making fight sounds and voices with my toys. for some reason, all my rangeas have british accents... )
You should get them little monocles and top hats. The friends are the most important thing that has come from this habit... er hobby. I've met some interesting people and look forward to meeting more.
I've been thinking about slowing down a lot lately.. This hobby is a big distraction, especially with secondhand sites that update constantly each day.. You never know when a piece that you've been hunting for will pop up. I should be working on my own stuff but I have found myself coming back to certain sites several times a day and the For Sale forum here 'just in case something pops up'. I'm attached to everything in my collection but I think it's time to get rid of some of it and start saving some money - there have been weeks where I'm sure some homeless people have more funds in their bank accounts! These toys are great but there's no way to ever be satisfied, new releases are so frequent and then you add the piles and piles of releases from over the past couple of decades. It's never ending! After saying this I know that I am jinxing myself because chances are something I have been waiting for will pop up tomorrow.. Super Fest is only a few weeks away This thread is important though. I'd love to see more discussion here about how you guys have balanced out your spending/collecting over the years.
It's simple for me because I just won't pay significantly above retail for anything. I don't care how bad I want a toy I refuse to fill someone else's pockets other then the people who are making and selling it in the first place or someone here selling it for what it cost originally. That puts a huge limit on what I can get which for me is a good thing. It forces patience and keeps new hyped stuff out of reach for me, though it is rare I want any of that anyway. What makes it really easy is thrift store shopping sprees. I take 25 bucks cash and nothing else and hit a few thrift stores every few weeks. It's a blast and I always get lots of toys though most of the vinyl I find is knockoff blow molded stuff I still love it. Buying toys is pretty easy when you don't want the same stuff everyone else does. Gets even easier when you can appreciate just looking at toys and really enjoy them without having to own them yourself. Often just the fact that wonderful toys exist and I get to see pictures of them is enough to make me happy regardless of the fact I will never try to obtain them.
This sums it up for me. I get a ton of joy just seeing what is out there and what people are doing with their toys. My favorite threads here are the "show off your collection" threads so I can live vicariously through other collectors. Having two kids and living in a Brooklyn apartment also creates its own natural limitations. At this point my collection is extremely focused with what/who I collect that it's a no brainer for me to buy something when it comes up because it tends not to come up very often. Also as many have said, I play and travel with my toys as much as possible to maximize my appreciation for them.
My rules for collecting are simple... 1. Don't dip into the emergency bank account. Ever. 2. If it's above retail, it's not worth it. 3. If you don't LOVE love it, it's not worth the money. 4. You can't have everything you want. 5. If you THINK you LOVE love something, browse pictures for a month or so and see if you still feel that way. This leaves me with a small collection of stuff I really like, and that I enjoy seeing every day when I wake up. Sure, I've missed tons of awesome toys on eBay/BST/Manda... Sure, I've had to pass up opportunities to buy things that I'll probably never see for sale again... But I'd like to think that my toy-collecting hasn't hit full-blown "you need rehab" status, and at the end of the day I don't feel any guilt, and I love what I do have. I also love to occasionally pick up one of my toys for a quick photo snap, and when I go on vacation I always take a toy with me... Makes for some fun photo ops and is a fun way to appreciate your collection.
For me, the whole cost and doubt over whether I could justify these purchases just stopped me from even getting into it for years. Budget has always been a major factor for me when I did start collecting in earnest and I definitely console myself quite often when I see enormous collections full of toys that I want by telling myself that "they don't appreciate the struggle" I know, I know. Truth is, I'd love to have a massive stream of money or credit to piss away on toys but I care too much about my sanity to chase money. I'm happy with what I have and continue to be.
And this ladies and gentlemen is the reason I frequent these boards. It's nice to find like minded people. Also I've found not giving In and owning shelving units has helped. As the toys are banished to my bedside table and it's basically how many I can fit. The rest goes into storage. This is my only outlet for toy related talk. I'm pretty sure my friends and work colleagues assume when I say I collect toys. I sit in the basement brushing the hair of a my little pony toy whilst rubbing my nipples or something.
I think a lot of people still here after 2-3 years will go through a shift in their collecting mentality. I purchased dozens of toys in my first year collecting, spent hours each week scouring the internet for toys and checking this site at least 3-4 times a day. These days I'll be lucky to purchase 5 toys in a year, I cant remember the last time I looked at the secondary market for toys and I'll be lucky to check this site or even post more than a few times a week. With all that said I'm not any less excited by toys just far more in tune with what I like and much more realistic about how much money I throw at these lovely little objects.
I've been collecting for a short period, and in that time, tried to set limits upon my spending by buying toys of a specific color only. As tastes matured and shifted over time, I've sold off lots of toys, and used that money to fuel other purchases. I try to budget all "fun" purchases (toys, comics, art, etc.) and that means my collection is still quite small as living on a student's salary is not as cool as it sounds. It helps that I am not interested in most of the hyped releases, and simply refuse to spend stupid/silly amounts of money on anything. It takes away most of the stress and douchey flipper drama others encounter. Limited display space means I have a rotating display and it's odd to buy something cool only to throw it in a storage bin.
I know some of you who originally posted in this thread in 2011 are still here. Updates, thoughts? Four years is enough time to reflect and see if there's been significant changes in how you collect.
