Diversity vs. Symmetry

I'm getting ready for a cross-country move so all my toys are out. As a result I’ve noticed that my collecting over the past year has focused on multiples of the same few sculpts. I'm not sure how I feel about this yet. I'm trying to work out if i'm bored and stuck (and should let some go) or if I should congratulate myself for maintaining focus.

Also, I'm wondering if this is a personality thing? - what distinguishes a collector who strives for proportion and balance in their collection from a collector who just wants variety and fun?

Do you prefer eclectic collections of diversity or is seeing a focused collection of sculpts where it's at?

 

I only collect sculpts and Paul Kaiju stuff. Regardless of how many or colors or the lack thereof. If it's a sculpt I like, I will try to get it. As for the PK stuff, I enjoy his sculpting a lot and thats the reason I collect it, his style is consistent across his line, whereas others diverge from toy to toy they produce.

 

I am all about eclectic, huge collections of different sculpts. There are so many great sofubi toys out there, I don't understand why I would want to collect just a few, when I can have hundreds of different and amazing sculpts that are all special in their own way for different reasons. This is one reason I ended up being GID only; most figures end up getting a GID version, and if there isn't one, well I guess The Toy Gods didn't want me to have one. Plus I love the sensory overload of looking at a huge collection of crammed shelves where you always notice something different every time you look at it WAY more than neatly spaced out repetitions of sculpts sitting in a lit case which sometimes honestly seems a little pretentious to me.

I do have a few exceptions, Dokuroman (x3) because I like the different colors of GID vinyl they have been released in, and Emupaiya's Ecchi and Heater (x4 each) because they are some of my absolute favorites, plus take up a relatively small amount of shelf space for their size. I'll probably end up with some multiples of Uamou in doublecast or painted GID versions as well, I just love that little guy.

 

Are symmetry & psychosis the same?

 

Going against the grain I generally shoot for maximum diversity of paint apps and base colours across a limited range of sculpts (primarily fight size) but also enjoy collecting various sculpts from the same manufacturer to represent different aspects of that particular sculptor/maker/line.

I can appreciate why guys like the chaotic multiple sculpt, anything goes style of collecting but personally prefer a more organised and symmetrical approach . . . more a museum archive and less crazy Japanese toystore cabinet.

Each to their own . . . but everyone else is wrong!

 

I only collect what I like across the board. I love Secret Base and I love Cure Toys. But there's only certain sculpts and/or color variations I'll collect. I love Skull Bees and Skull Brains, but I kinda hate Zombie/Ghost fighters. I love Devil Boogie-Man, but not too big a fan of 0-1000. There's a lot of Secret Base colors variations I just find odd or unattractive, so I'm lucky to not have a completist mentality. Saves monies and helps my collection stay focused to my personal liking.

 

Being limited by a guideline is boring. I take it on a case by case basis. Sometimes its the colors sometimes its the sculpts for me. At the end of the day I just buy what I like regardless if I already own one of the sculpt or if makes me incomplete on something else.

 

When I started collecting it was all about multiples of the same, but I quickly realised that there we're versions I just didn't like that much.
I have a ton of multiples of both Gargamel Zags and Deathra's and will likely continue to build these small armies but still keep them to one shelf each of just my favourites. Everything else I collect it's just one version per toy I like but all my shelves are still grouped by toy maker and it's really just Butanohana, Zollmen, HS and a Misc shelf so I think I'm a bit of both.

 

^^^ Same here, when I first started collecting it was all about multiple colors of the same sculpt. Not to take anything away from that but I think that's just how it goes with many people at first. Your knowledge as to what's out there can be limited, and you stick to the few things you know you love. When you begin to figure out everything you spread it out. Still, there has to be something said for people who remain diligent and build an army of every version of one sculpt.

These days one might think I'm all about the 'japanese toy case' look and I have to admit there is real appeal with that, but I meticulously arrange my toys. There is no wherever there is room at all in my approach. Everything has a place based on old or new, gid or non gid, company, character, hell even texture.

 

I love packed shelves with as much as you can stuff in. I have cut myself down from collecting literally every toy that I wanted to focusing on just a couple makers and only the sculpts I like, it really makes spending a lot easier as I don't go crazy about releases I miss anymore. Also, I pass now on sculpts if I don't like the color, I used to never do that before. I've never been one for order, disorder has always been my preference.

 

I collect figures that appeal to me for different reasons - sculpt, paint, GID, etc...(even the header card ). When I see something I might like, I try and find out how many versions there are & then I pick 1-3 I like the most, regardless of rarity / value. If I can get one of those versions, I'm usually happy... So my collection is a variety of different figures (most often 1 of each type), each special in its own way. (But I do have favorites ).... If I'm lucky, I'll be able to collect 2-3 of a figure I really like... but there is always going to be a lot of variety here...

 

one version of a toy looks awfully lonely to me, so I prefer a theme with variations.
my favorites are often clear or translucent.

 

I always tell myself ONLY Balzac toys but then I veer off and get a few random pieces then I ask what the hell am I doing and go back to just Balzac. I have been buying more lately of other stuff. I guess i'm torn

 

Personally I am both Diverse and Symmetry at the same time.
My primary focus is I collect black specimen, both painted and unpainted, of nearly every line and every sculpt that i can get hold of. So this makes the collection somewhat diverse sculpt-wise but symmetry colourwise.
Then I collect one or two sculpts from different artists I support and go as deep as I possibly can. Therefore for some of my favourite sculpts, I have more than or close to 100 versions of the same sculpt. Now I try to stop after I hit 100 for each sculpt. This makes it diverse colour-wise and symmetry sculpt-wise

 

I'm completely random with my choices. If its Japanese and made of soft vinyl i will crowbar it into my collection somewhere. The only manufacturer i've really focused on is Bear Model.

With the amazing variety of sofubi out there i would find it too restricting to only collect a few different sculpts.

I have a few multiple colorways of some toys but after a while i feel i've got enough and move on, i've never been a completest and i'm glad because I imagine that can be quite stressful. I have to admit though, a few versions of the same toy can enhance its esthetic qualities and make it stand-out on the shelf.

 

I try to keep my collecting focused, as it's easier in terms of sanity and on my bank account.

I love seeing the same sculpt displayed with multiple paint apps. It's cool to see the transformation of the same figure based on the color scheme/paint app.

 

I like the stuffed shelf approach, with a mismatched lot of oddities.

 

I never intended to be a one company collector and I guess technically I am still not one. What I found though was that to often I picked up something I liked and sooner or later I would sell or trade it for something I had to have. I simply cut out that middle step and now focus on stuff I know I won't let go. It, at this point, is hurting my trade bait selection but I don't think it's right to grab stuff just to have trade bait. Besides Pus and Gargamel, I really only collect from this boards makers. MVH, PK, Splurt, BEAK, Michael Skattum, SONE and hopefully soon a sweet Krampus. If I like a sculpt enough to collect it then I want it in multiple color schemes, GID, clears and blanks. I'm sure some would say my collection was stronger before but who the hell cares. I do what makes me happy and time has made it clear what that is.