To those who are considering quiting or breaking, a possible "methadone" to your situation MIGHT be collecting cheaper toys. When I say that I mean used, older, figures NOT kaiju but still related to these toys. I try to get a month or 2 of just flea market and thrift store finds. It's cheaper, gets me outa the house, and it all still goes with this stuff, and then I'm pumped to come back and buy some more vinyl figures to match up. Examples: Madballs, TMNT figures, MOTU, vintage (used/cheap) Star Wars, etc.
I was wondering what was up with your signature. You sure? SB just came out with a new Obake dog head...
BD -- That's actually how I started collecting, when I was a kid. I still do have lots of that stuff and have always been picking it up here and there even while on the sofubi addiction. Collections of that type of stuff are infinitely more interesting to me than vinyl. Joe -- Yea, I like the new Goner head, was thinking about picking it up at some point soon, actually. Any Fink nod is cool with me.
/\ mmm - this item on the MIGHT list is causing more collecting!!! since pre-ordering the Jumbo Trooper and going through a Star Wars toy nostalgia thing I've dug out all my old SW toys and am now hunting a few vintage 12" and some of the rarer standard size figures I don't have! Never really considered full on quitting but I need to thin out, would love to make room on my shelving for the boxes of SW i have stashed away!
Very interesting reading here...like a lot of the other guys, I use toy collecting as an inspiration for artwork related stuff. There's just so much creativity in these figures. Over the years I've only collected a few things...punk vinyl, GI Joes and Japanese toys. The one constant has been Japanese toys. I sold most all of my GI Joes and sadly a large part of my punk records...I really regret that. Lately I've been finding and buying specific things from my childhood. The other day I bought a Disney magazine I had as a 5 year old. Looking at it brought back really odd, vivid memories. It's amazing the things you can find on a site like flickr, no matter how obscure. As long as I have the means to buy them, I'll never quit buying kaiju.
I love ABC! Always Be Collecting! I've collected things since I was a toddler. I had over 1,000 elephants in my bedroom as a kid. I sometimes think I stopped collecting, but never really do, as I've got about 5-10 collections going at once most of the time. Yesterday Skylar and I spent almost a whole day organizing stuff that had nothing to do with toys, yet I had hundreds of each of them. Pins, Magazines, Travel Brochures, Records. Even when I'm not buying toys, I'm buying something to add to my collections. For better or worse, collecting is in my blood. I love it 99% of the time. The 1% I think about quitting is when Its time to dust or move.
I prefer to look at it all as "filling up empty space" vs. "collecting" I don't define myself by it then, and it's really more truthful. I just see dead space and think "I need something with 1 big eye ball or slime dripping from it there!"
I never owned many personal expensive things, aside from a car, before I started collecting toys. I find myself frequently grappling with feelings of greed and jealousy. It's a totally new experience for me, and I don't like it one bit. So yeah, I've been thinking of throwing in the towel. I think the folks that use toys as inspiration for art, etc. probably have the best reason to collect. I can barely draw, so that's pretty much unavailable to me. I do feel really sad when I look at my cabinet and imagine all the beauty gone. That's some confusing shit.
ihave always collect stuff even as a kid i was the one that bought two of everything one to keep in the package one to play with my friend came over the other night and i was telling yah i still have all my variant x-men from the 90s then broke a bunch of them them also broke out the thousands of comic crap ,cells , cards uncut sheets rare mail aways that i have just stored since i was little i have probally read about none of these comics to i just straight like to collect stuff (i feel like that hoarder show) though i didn open a spawn violator wich make me feel really good not like any of that stuff is worth much anymore especially with the price we pay for some of this stuff i just cant get rid of it its the nostaliga of it i remember when there where comic store and opening packs of flair cards and getting that rare chase card i think that what i love of collecting its alll about the hunt and finding that key piece or completing someone you want any actually i have started doing that with old video games from my youth(so if you have any old sega snes gamecube 64 let me know) trying to start a Barkade
I have a question folk everyone in relation to this- When does it stop being "collecting" and when does it become hoarding, or stock-piling? I have more toys then I can display in my home. My collection of Japanese vinyl is small. But I have totes and totes of Star Wars, Transformers , "designer toys", LEGO, misc toys, GI Joe, etc... Occassionally I change my displays around a bit, to highlight different things, but thats maybe once a year if that. Like I said, I own more Transformers toys then I know what to do with, but some haven't seen the light of day in years but I still wouldn't part with them. Same with my LEGO collection. I feel less like a collector and more like a pack rat when I think about things like this. Maybe then I entertain the idea that some day I'll open my own toy store/museum, and I'll have a place to have everything out on display. How do you think about collecting more then you can adequately display? What about the overflow? Sell to make room for new stuff, or just box it back up? Kelvo mentioned sticking to one detolf, I wish I could do the same.
Ah! I used to rationalize my toy collecting by using the rare pieces as display at my store. But I think I've been buying more since I sold it, and the end effect was half/half as for clients being impressed/trying to convince me to sell the pieces. I've long had the project to open an indie music archive library - which means I've stockpiled thousands and thousands of records and cds. But I'm growing older, the project has taken a step back due to family obligations, and I know physical formats are doomed in the more or less short term. The more I wait, the less value this all has. And it does take a lot of space and makes it hell to move. But just listing everything would take months, so it lies in boxes... Collecting is irrational. It's a rich man's pleasure (or it should be, because if you stop eating because of your collecting, you've got a problem). I justify it because it gives me happiness. When it stops to, I'll carefully consider whether it might start to again at some point or not, and I'll hopefully have the strength to sell it or the space to store it. The last thing I want to do is start hunting back for all that stuff in 15 years out of nostalgia.
If I ever stop enjoy it then I'll sell everything, or if it was a case of eating vs a cabient of toys. I think really so long as you live within your means and aren't dr-frauding your employer, stealing or only using credit cards then collecting anything is healthy. In that you get to meet a lot of like minded people and as I have made some good friends I otherwise might not have met.
I am at a weird place in my collecting progression. I can't tell if I am tired of collecting, or if I am just at peace with my collection. A little of both, I suppose. Maybe my recent acquisition of a couple of toys that were haunting me for years helped this along. Sometimes I think I would be just as happy with a complete archive of photographs of my collection, as I would with the items themselves. Part of the enjoyment for me is knowing that I had things like the EXO MMs at one point, handled them, photographed them, and then passed them on to another collector.
Is there a way to bookmark or save a thread on this board? There's some really good points here - commenting to read through it all later tonight after work..
Hah. Old thread, here’s my update after almost 9 years- I’ve still got loads of toys in storage, mainly LEGO and random stuff. My collection took a hit a little over 5 years ago, when some real life stuff knocked me on my ass... When the choice is toys or rent and keeping my family safe it’s remarkable how easy the choice is. There are definitely some pieces I miss or regret selling, but most of the stuff that i parted with I don’t ever give a second thought. Good news is the collection is growing again, I’m almost 2 detolfs full of soft vinyl these days. I am a bit more focused then I was, but also my tastes have changed. I don’t chase much, if I miss something so be it... there will be more toy releases. I’m not so hung up on rarity or self imposed rules to my collecting or whats “hot” right now... In the 10+ years I’ve been fortunate to acquire some person grail items and that makes me happy. I just wish in general new releases weren’t so damned expensive... but there are still plenty of folks putting out neat toys at reasonable prices. I don’t see myself quitting anytime soon.
Thanks for the update @hellopike - it's funny reading entries by yourself and others from almost 10 years ago and seeing where people ended up. Some form of quitting or at least a severe cutdown in my sofubi collection has been on my mind constantly for the past year or so - but it's also extremely difficult to make decisions when I go through my tubs to find things to offload. Like you said, I've also sold things that I wish I had in my collection still, however once they were sold I really didn't think about them too much. No big regrets there. At this stage of my collection, 6 or 7 years in - I feel like it has been finely curated. It's just a matter of fact that the sofubi scene has so many awesome toys by so many amazing artists - most of us just don't have the space to accommodate everything that we have acquired and have a taste for. I would really like to spend more of my time away from hunting on Mandarake and YJA - I feel like a significant chunk of this past decade has been spent chasing toys and sitting in front of a computer screen or on my phone. Of course, I wouldn't have been able to score some awesome toys if I hadn't have put the time in. Creeping up towards being 40 - I feel like I should really be spending more time working on art, hanging out with old buddies etc etc. Maybe time for a little break from the toy game... especially while there's so much fodder for the fugliest toys thread at the moment
this thread is a gem, its fun to read my internal struggle in some else's words. Very glad to read I'm not the only one. Life will eventually kick you in the face- going thru it now. So tough to go check out the sales thread and see so many toys i want and not be able to pull the trigger. Hoping for greener pastures this summer. i'll give ya'lll a 10 year recap!
Great thread to bring back, since it formed a little before I found my way to sb. The thought of buying a house has been on my mind for quite some time, and I think to myself, damn if I just sold all these toys I’d have a good down Payment haha. But honestly the thought of moving into a home without my collection is a sad thought. Trimming and focusing your collection is key to reminding you why you keep buying this stuff. Keep it fresh and don’t let it drain your bank account.
Thank you for resurrecting this topic! I'd be curious to hear back from those who posted 9 years ago. Must be like reading your diary entry to yourself! What has changed in your toy collecting outlook, all of these years? How has your focus changed? How much of your collection is actually out on display? I've been collecting toys (as an adult) in some way shape or form for over 14 years. Started out with handmade Uglydolls and some general releases, but stopped, when SunMin stopped making them. Then launched into some American vinyl (Woodring, Biskup, Taxali), then on to Vintage, Buta, and Anraku, concentrating on cuteness . Today it's mostly buta, vintage, and cuteness, slowing down the pace and being more finicky, as space gets taken up. At this point, i'd say 20% is being displayed p.s. reading Chris's entry was particularly poignant. He was a lover of toys with a discerning and extensive collection, and did not waver even at the end of days. A shame that it can't be displyed in a toy museum for everyone to enjoy. Hats off to you Chris, you are still remembered, and very much appreciated for all of your contributions, even and especially the grumpy ones!
It certainly should! I think it's great for everyone to reevaluate what they collect and why and even how. Most of us got toys as kids and grew up putting art on our walls with thumb tacs so collecting art toys as adults just makes sense. The hard part is making sure it is still a positive experience now. Not overextending ourselves financially or getting bitter and angry when there are things we miss out on. And collecting what actually makes US happy INDIVIDUALLY as opposed to chasing what will get worthless instagram hearts and strings of emojis. My toys make me happy. They aren't the most important things in my life nor are they the only thing that brings me happiness but they do matter to me quite a bit. Every now and then I go through my collection and trim off what I don't feel attached to anymore but each year I learn to buy less things that I wouldn't want to keep forever. Last year I only bought two toys I changed my mind about keeping. This year hopefully that number is zero. Collecting toys you truly appreciate and doing it within your means is fun.
