Collecting is an addiction, prove me wrong.

Discussion in 'Whatever' started by MyVinylVeins, Dec 10, 2019.

  1. doomboy

    doomboy Addicted

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    Collecting is an addiction, prove me wrong.
    I am compelled to surround myself at home with objects that inspire and intrigue both myself and hopefully my visitors.
    My collection has a function beyond material self gratification.
    There is no downside so it's not an addiction for me.
    Unlike cigarettes,coffee,crack and chocolate cake ;)
     
  2. Brooklyn_Vinyl

    Brooklyn_Vinyl Line of Credit

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    Collecting is an addiction, prove me wrong.
    [​IMG]

    I can quit sofubi whenever I want, I just don't want to.
     
  3. MyVinylVeins

    MyVinylVeins Toy Prince

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    Collecting is an addiction, prove me wrong.
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  4. badteethcomics

    badteethcomics Post Pimp

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    Collecting is an addiction, prove me wrong.
    I'm addicted to blind bags and I don't even know what the fuck they are because nobody will give me a goddamn straight answer :( please lord jesus Christ I just want to know what is blind bag
     
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  5. nothisisluke

    nothisisluke Toy Prince

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    Collecting is an addiction, prove me wrong.
    I agree with what everyone has said about the "buy everything" phase, and I went through it a couple years ago. But I'd add something, which is that the need I felt to buy something became compounded if I felt I found a good deal. Auction ending on eBay for a toy I don't really give a shit about but I know the market well enough to know it's a good deal? I'd buy it for no reason. That was what got me in trouble.

    I've since passed that stage and I'm really beginning to appreciate sofubi more because of it. I'm clarifying the lines between "oh that's a cool looking toy" and "I'd like to own that toy." Because the Venn diagram of those two things is not a perfect circle. There are tons of toys that I can appreciate aesthetically but I've learned to let go of that gotta have it gut reaction. The only part of my collection that resembles hoarding is my sofubi folder of saved posts on Instagram, that thing is getting out of hand.
     
  6. JoeMan

    JoeMan Mini Boss

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    Collecting is an addiction, prove me wrong.
    Urban dictionary said it’s when you wait til your partner is asleep and it’s dark and you tea bag them. But they are half asleep and can’t see, so they just think you are lovingly caressing their forehead, but In Reality you just blind bagged them.

     
  7. badteethcomics

    badteethcomics Post Pimp

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    Collecting is an addiction, prove me wrong.
    Oh @JoeMan I thought that was just my Beanie Baby collection saying goodnight while I sleep. You like how the toys come alive in Toy Story when the lights go off
     
  8. MyVinylVeins

    MyVinylVeins Toy Prince

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    Collecting is an addiction, prove me wrong.
    @nothisisluke - 100% same lol my photo collection is out of control.
     
  9. MyVinylVeins

    MyVinylVeins Toy Prince

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    Collecting is an addiction, prove me wrong.
     
  10. xSuicide Squadx

    xSuicide Squadx Super Deformed

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    Collecting is an addiction, prove me wrong.
    This is exactly where I’m at. For me, personally, I’d be at the “addiction” level if I was compromising bills or responsibilities for collecting, which I’ve never done, even during my initial “gotta have it all” phase. If I can’t get it, I can’t get it. My response to that fact is null in a “tough shit” sense, but everything comes back around eventually. I am, however, heavily dedicated to a handful of artists. So even though I’ve dwindled it down quite a bit to the likes of Splurrt, Paul Kaiju, Headlock, Bounty Hunter, Secret Base and a couple others, I am still rather fanatic about getting my hands on as much of the aforementioned as I can. So I do still have A LOT of shit with just those, on top of the other artists I sparsely collect. But I still have room and I’m not broke or worried about bills.

    This doesn’t mean it can’t be a problem, or isn’t for a lot of collectors, toys or otherwise. I think there’s a fine line from when it’s fun to hunt and collect, to when you’re stressing and getting anxiety over missing shit.
     
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  11. Smotemotem

    Smotemotem Toy Prince

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    Collecting is an addiction, prove me wrong.
    I just want to convince you guys that you have a Kumon addiction, so maybe I can win the next lottery.

    @nothisisluke - You did youtube for a while, right? Did that add to the pressure to make more purchases? Or did time researching/filming/editing help you break away from some of the bad habits that can come with collecting?
     
  12. MyVinylVeins

    MyVinylVeins Toy Prince

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    Collecting is an addiction, prove me wrong.
    @xSuicide Squadx - when I was collecting vintage toys, my addiction wasn’t just about the toys, it was the hunt. Going to flea markets/ garage sales and coming home with a whole granny cart full. I got great deals which made it more exciting. There was nothing like digging through a box of crap and coming out with a treasure. Strolling around the flea with Castle Greyskull and bag full of transformers, my little pony’s and thunder cats, spilling over the top. I would have, literal, dreams of finding garbage bags filled... I loved checking out eBay and collecting photos of my favorite toys...sofubi is a bit different though. Being that these aren’t mass produced and it’s a niche market, you don’t come across these things at the flea, you’re lucky if you pay retail rather then some crazy aftermarket prices. Due to personal reasons I really can’t afford much rn so I stick to micros and some cheaper, larger sculpts when I find something I really like. It’s rare I come across one that I can grab within my means. Addiction can take hold in many ways... some can’t help but buy everything they want, others fullfill their needs by searching online for photos or deals... sometimes it’s some combination of all of these things... there are varying degrees when it comes to collecting, it’s when it starts to effect your life in a harmful way that it becomes a major issue. We all get bit by that bug sometimes though...
     
    Last edited: Dec 11, 2019
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  13. xSuicide Squadx

    xSuicide Squadx Super Deformed

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    Collecting is an addiction, prove me wrong.
    @MyVinylVeins Similar to your flea market adventures I felt the same during my three trips to Japan. Their shops are filled to the brim and it makes searching an absolute task and hunt in the funnest sense. I stood in front of one case in Mandarake Shibuya for almost 45 minutes looking through every single nook and cranny on each shelf. It makes finding gems that much more gratifying.

    On another personal outlook aspect of the addicting part, I feel like people willing to throw high, and sometimes any, dollar amount at toys shows a bit of an issue. People messaging me asking if I think $800+ is too much to spend on something that was between $120 and $250 retail is something of a feening mindset, though I have zero qualms with them taking the swing. I’ve been called an idiot in jest for spending $120 on Obake Dogs before, hence the personal opinion preface. It’s difficult to tell, though. There’s collectors that can frequently kill thousands of dollars on multiples and multiples of toys, or they can drop a relatively high amount on the occasional one or two they’re hunting.
     
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  14. ungawa222

    ungawa222 Mini Boss

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    Collecting is an addiction, prove me wrong.
    (Glenn opens a blind bag, pulls out tiny knife, scoffs): "That's not a knoyf!"

    (Glenn opens second blind bag, pulls out machete, beams): "That's a knoyf!"

    (Glenn falls in love with and marries his co-star, Linda Kozlowski)
     
    Last edited: Dec 10, 2019
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  15. nothisisluke

    nothisisluke Toy Prince

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    Collecting is an addiction, prove me wrong.
    I did YouTube for a while, and still do at a highly reduced pace. Dcon haul video coming soon. But yeah I've always felt that I'd be able to make more videos if I had more disposable income to spend on more toys. That's why I'm thinking of doing more videos in the future highlighting pieces and portions of my collection that I'm already proud of and could talk about for a little moment. Sort of like artist spotlight episodes or something.
     
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  16. nico000

    nico000 Toy Prince

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    Collecting is an addiction, prove me wrong.
    @doomboy Same !
    Used to be crazy silkscreen books, the likes of ones edited by LeDernierCri and now it’s ... crazy silkscreen books, paintings, photographs and sofubi. The books take more dedication to look at and i am the only one looking at them. But the stuffs I put on my walls and shelves, everyone can see.
    The first time I got sofubi displayed at home, it felt like some sort of ‘outing’. Showing the ‘world’ what kind of strange stuffs I am attracted to.

    However, I do see that when I feel down, not only am I going to all my substances of choice, I am also buying more stuffs and spending more time online. I am an addict polymorph. Give me all the way to stay away from myself. Never got to a point where I really put my health or wealth in danger though. Only negatives are an increasing sense of anxiety, isolation and general ‘malaise’, which stops whenever I get back to what I do to not be an addict anymore (reaching out to friends, forcing myself to move, etc).

    [(some) confusing typo edited]
     
    Last edited: Dec 11, 2019
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  17. Mr Fox

    Mr Fox Addicted

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    Collecting is an addiction, prove me wrong.
    I collect mechanical vintage watches... mainly stuff from the 60s and 70s... not older than that.

    There are, of course, forums dedicated to horology and watch collecting; on one of the busiest, you notice a disturbing trend if you observe closely enough.

    The sales forum is very busy and items move onto the second page within eight hours on an average day. Items range from a sub-$50 Vostok to $20,000 + mega-bling 'Look-at-Me Small Country Dictator Limited Edition'. Whilst some items sit and gather dust, watches that are fairly priced tend to sell quite quickly. No surprises there!

    What is surprising, and what I mentioned you only notice if you pay attention, is that on a semi-regular basis, addicted collectors will buy an item from a seller and then re-list it before they have received it in the post! Call it post purchase dissonance, call it buyers remorse, call it what you want but I believe it speaks to the addiction mentioned in this thread.

    Sometimes you get the impression that they've bought the item, so that they can proclaim "mine!" like a big game hunter stalking prey... perhaps playing to both ego and belief that conspicuous acquisition builds status within the community? On other occasions, it feels like people are so desperate to add to their collection that they'll do it without working out how they'll pay for the item; therefore, once the buying frenzy has subsided the reality of 'how am I going to pay for this?' dawns on them. In these cases, you'll often hear the justification on the sales thread of 'I need to balance the books' or 'I have a rule of one in and one out and this needs to go.' There will be a myriad of other reasons as to why things get listed before they have even arrived and, at a minimum, the person has lost the post cost they've paid but you'll sometimes even see the item priced lower, just to sell it on rapidly. Whatever the reason, it speaks to poor impulse control, at best, and, at worst, an addiction.

    I tend to take a pragmatic approach and reason that unless my collecting is negatively impacting my life (socially, financially, emotionally), then it isn't an issue. The moment I can't pay bills because I've bought art, vinyl or a watch OR I won't leave the house because I don't want to miss a sales post or the end of an auction OR I get enraged, belligerent and depressed because I've not won the lottery for a piece that I'd like, I would need to consider the choices I was making, recognise that it was a potentially destructive addiction, and take positive steps to change.

    Each to their own but these are just things - wonderful things but material things nonetheless - the moment they stop bringing joy is the moment I hope people have the clarity to re-evaluate their relationship with them. However, I do believe that there is a clear distinction between a positive, but perhaps obsessive, hobby and a negative addiction.
     
    Last edited: Dec 11, 2019
  18. Mr Fox

    Mr Fox Addicted

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    Collecting is an addiction, prove me wrong.


    I think the hunt is a huge part of the fun of collecting niche items. No matter what it is, the thrill of finding something you've been looking for, often for a long time, is a massive buzz. The downside to this, and I've experienced this on more than a few occasions, is that once you'd found the item, it isn't as amazing as you'd hoped; thus the hunt is more interesting, enjoyable and fulfilling than the actual item itself.

    Fear not, on these occasions, we do what all good 'functioning' addicts do, set the tractor beam onto another piece of unobtainium and get back on the hamster wheel of search. :mrgreen:
     
  19. Michael Beverage

    Michael Beverage Line of Credit

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    Collecting is an addiction, prove me wrong.
    Ah yes...a testicular sleep mask if you will.

    I agree the thrill of the hunt and the desire to own something is really the driving force behind addictive behavior when it comes to collecting.

    @xSuicide Squadx Im pretty much in the same spot with collecting, I have a core of current toy lines I focus on and then there is the odd purchase. But then there is the amazing bottomless rabbit hole that is vintage...

    I find it tough to keep up with even only a handful of toy lines these days, time and resource-wise...if said makers are prolific and expensive, it can be tough even after you’ve really narrowed down your field of players.

    Patience is the key in this hobby. I can’t stress that enough. Even with tiny runs chances are you will get multiple shots at obtaining what you are looking for, if you are really dedicated to a particular line.
     
  20. MyVinylVeins

    MyVinylVeins Toy Prince

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    Collecting is an addiction, prove me wrong.
    @xSuicide Squadx - Ahhh a trip to Japan, a collectors dream come true or worst nightmare...maybe a little of both lol. To spend 45 mins in front of one case takes some serious patients but I get it. If the case had that much, I might lost in it and do the same. I would be waiting at the ass crack of dawn for the gates of that flea to unlock. Getting there as the venders were setting up was the best way to ensure a good haul. I'd hit EVERY vender before the day was threw and that strategy worked for me fairly often... As for dropping thousands on one figure...I could never, no matter how much I loved it...one, because I can't and two, because IDK if I, personally, could justify it. Sofubi is both toy and art, and, as an artist and avid toy collector, I love that about them but I collect them for their aseptic appeal and the way they make me feel, not investment or hype. I buy what speaks to me. They are hand sculpted and painted but their appeal, for me, leans more towards the toy aspect of them. They're fun and playful and so unique, they speak to the child in me, the part of me that never grew up...I feel like dropping that much would ruin the experience for me. It would taint it's wonder, I don't want my toys to be laced with adult issues...I don't want my toys to tell me I'm irresponsible and broke lol. I want them to tell me it's ok to be childlike, even at 38 :razz:. My collections are a reflection of who I am...and extension of myself in material form. High prices kill that wonder and childlike spark for me. I cringe at spending even $200, which is pretty standard for the larger sculpts...I'm not opposed to spending that, it is art too after all, but I'd have to buy those sparingly due to my situation. Its interesting...I collect sofubi, fine art and crystals and I've only ever had this impulsive "I WANT" attitude when it comes to toys...I wonder if its because they speak to that care free kid in me lol. I wont hunt down art and rocks like I do with toys...with those collections, its more like, I come across it and if I like and can afford it, I'll buy it...with fine art, sometimes I'll trade my original art with another artist....but it 's different with toys, always has been. I have folders of saved toy images...I guess you can say I collect photos too lol...and that helps me suppress my need to buy, although its a struggle sometimes...occasionally I'll come across a "trigger image",one that will send me on a witch hunt lol. I both love and hate that part of collecting. Thats the fuel to the fire, the part that gets you in trouble. When you find something you've wanted for a while and can't afford it or it isn't for sale, it hurts that much more. That said, If you can grab it, its a floating on clouds kinda high lol. Ahhhh the struggle is real.

    You can call me a functioning addict I suppose lol. I know the mentality and I know the various stages of a collecting addiction, which is why I made this thread. I should try to find resources to help people whose lives are adversely affected fr though.

    @Mr Fox @Michael Beverage - With the exception of the Japan experience, what I've written above could pertain to your comment as well =)

    @nico000 - It's when you try to pack your internal voids with material items, that you come up feeling empty. You aren't alone in this...many collectors fall into that trap. It's a bottomless rabbit hole and the deeper you fall, the harder it is to climb out. The hunt is huge thrill factor, finding a figure you love that you can grab, THAT is our white dragon so to speak, that is what we chase...so long as that thrill isn't substituting life or causing mental/ finical harm then ok, functioning addicts do exists. If you find yourself depressed and unable to live your life then its time to step back and do some reflecting. Reassess your priorities, toys should be fun not stressful :). I created this thread because I know the addition, I've never had it affect me financially because the thought of paying high prices ruins the experience for me and the experience is a huge part of what I crave. I only collect figures that give me "that feeling"...I don't collect for investment or hype. I have artist and sculpts that I tend to gravitate towards but I'm not fanatical about buying every last one...If it doesn't speak to me, Ill pass. Perhaps thats been my saving grace. Although I do spend a decent amount of time looking online, collecting photos and searching for something I can afford and love when I start feeling that itch...lately I have been buying smaller things but at a more frequent pace and I need to watch myself lol. Thats another trap, small things add up :shock:.
     
  21. ---NT---

    ---NT--- Prototype

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    Collecting is an addiction, prove me wrong.
    For those who feel the need to buy something NOW lest they never have the chance to buy it later:

    Think about all the toys you'd like in your collection.
    Now think about all the other non-toy things you'd like to buy someday.
    Hopefully it'll hit you that just because you missed ONE thing (or even ONE HUNDRED things), there are still MANY things you'd like to buy. And there will be MANY things in the future you will want to buy.
    You can't buy everything and there will ALWAYS be something (many somethings) you want that you CAN buy.

    If you still want that thing you missed out on in a year, or five years, then it's something worth hunting. But more than likely you'll have completely forgotten about it.

    I feel lucky that my first adult collecting came from the World of Springfield Simpsons toys. Early on I knew I was going to be a completist. They were cheap, they were released on a reliable schedule, and it would end at some point. But even with those constraints collecting WoS grew tiring towards the end - all the various Bart/Homer variants were boring, and the playsets took up too much space. So I let a few slip - not intentionally, I just wasn't able to find them on the shelves. I figured I'd get them off eBay. To this day I still need 2-3 (I can't remember if I have General Bart with the Treehouse playset or not), and I still intend on completing the collection. But having those 2-3 outstanding figures to still hunt is nice - a few times a year I look at eBay to see if I can get GID Nuclear Homer for a sweet deal, but I haven't pulled the trigger yet. Once it's complete it's over. Collecting is about the process - don't rush it.
     
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  22. ultrakaiju

    ultrakaiju Die-Cast Staff Member

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    Collecting is an addiction, prove me wrong.
    I am apparently an addict....to the use of proper spelling, punctuation, and grammar. And, without Bill or Oli here to rein stuff in, reading this thread I am left with that jonesing feeling for a good fix. Thank you for highlighting this addictive feeling I am experiencing.
     
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  23. Anti Social Andy

    Anti Social Andy Die-Cast

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    Collecting is an addiction, prove me wrong.
    The Mandarake cabinets are not what they once were. We were there last week and they had been picked pretty clean (new wave locusts and interbally in readiness for the new sofubi dedicated store) just they single small unit full of the same overhyped crap.
     
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  24. Mr Fox

    Mr Fox Addicted

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    Collecting is an addiction, prove me wrong.
    I agree with the sentiment of your post and the completist element of collecting is something that I am sure most people who have this sort of hobby can relate to; however, the one part that will always be a struggle (for me) is your last point.

    Whilst I agree that not rushing is both good advice and sensible, it is far easier said than done. With most large purchases, I have a rule where I make myself wait a month and then if I still want the item, I'll give into temptation (this applies mainly to gadgets, nice to have, not have to have items); however, when it comes to collecting, especially rare pieces, this logic goes out the window.

    For me, it is thrown out for two reasons: firstly, scarcity... I may not see that item again if it was low volume and high demand; secondly, chances are if I wait next time it surfaces, it will be at an even higher price. Perhaps this logic is flawed and perhaps this speaks to the addiction but the one thing I do struggle to do when it comes to the collecting of rare items is use my '30-day rule'.

    In my head, I just head the cheesy infommercial voice saying "buy now to avoid disappointment..."
     
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  25. skaldavsatanssol

    skaldavsatanssol Toy Prince

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    Collecting is an addiction, prove me wrong.
    I guess the real collecting was the friends we made along the way.
     
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