Is that what we are? I may look like Buddha, but I sure don't feel like him...

Can't wait for the Ape's to drop.....need some change of face in my Trooper troop.......and where the space ship????.....drop it already....

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

I'm not an idiot because I spend exorbitant amounts of money on toys. I'm an idiot for so many other reasons.

Please elaborate how collecting objects is inherently immature...

^^ask roger not me

edited stupid quote code...

Curious. I got no impression that anyone was implying that. By all means, disagree with me! I won't lose any sleep...in fact, I like differing opinions [except those about moe...HA!!...sorry--TBDX joke!].

Anyway, I'm not trying to offend anyone by calling us all "idiots"...I'm trying to point out the fatal flaw in the anti-Space-Troopers-due-to-cost argument. To call a particular expensive, numerically-underproduced piece of painted rotocast vinyl stupid, while being a collector of extremely similar expensive, numerically-underproduced pieces of painted rotocast vinyl is...illogical.

Show any random person on the street or anyone you work with the toys we collect. I'll bet they think we're absolutely bonkers for the money we spend on these things....and I'll further bet they won't discriminate between Space Troopers and RxH minis.

I'm not getting involoved on the rest of this argument/discussion/whatever, but that's pretty true. As far as a lot of people outside of all this are concerned, there's no difference between Medicom VCD, Bemon, Hasbro Mighty Muggs or Kid Robot junk.

Oh, I agree. I often feel stupid for spending $60 on a 5" toy - and there really shouldn't be much difference between a Space Trooper and a SB or RxH figure. But for some reason it feels to me that there is a world of difference. I dunno why. Maybe because the Space Trooper does such a good job of harkening back to the days of $2 cheap-o sci-fi toys? Whereas SB/RxH/whatever are obviously "boutique" and unique. I dunno if that's it exactly - but there's something that tells me that SB is more worthy of charging $60. That said, I LIKE most Space Troopers more than I like most SB stuff! So yeah, I'm definitely an idiot!

I think I feel this way towards the troopers because I've seen them before in packs of twenty at bootleg swap meets for 1 dollar.


and I dont collect rxh minis either



Either way...so glad you aren't going to lose sleep over this. Really.


EDIT: NT and I seem to be on the similar wavelengths on this one. and I was never arguing against the perception of this hobby being immature or ludicrous to outsiders. I just think that to bring it up when discussing toys on a toy forum is somewhat redundant and not a valid counter-point. That being said you're an idiot amongst the idiots to collect space troopers

Ah, but it's not just "objects", they're toys. Call 'em art, call 'em whatever...they're still toys. The fact that they are created for and marketed to adults, just means that someone figured out a way to make money selling toys to adults. Not that I'm complaining, mind you...

No, you haven't.

You really should have picked those up and flipped.

I mean a t the lowest...you would make $800-1000 per pack-o-troopers.

yes I have, but I'm not going to divulge my secrets.

CB - dreaming about it and waking up in a cold sweat doesn't count.........

I'm graciously bowing out of this discussion.





xo

So....goddammit....what about the HYYYYYYYPE?

I think its dead. It has to be. Especially if Troopers are being found in bulk on the cheap.

Fuck S7. Tomorrow morning.......I'm heading to Costco hunting for Space Troopers.

(and those cheddar goldfish)



nooch

You know how I finally understood my collection? When I was thinking about people buying "virtual" gifts for people on Facebook and such. I mean, I'm paying a dollar for a limited edition "icon" on Facebook? WTF?! But guess what? People do it. Because for that moment and for the time they've spent getting it for someone it made them feel good. Ditto with ringtones. Who buys them? Apparently more than I ever thought even though most anyone can download MIDI or MP3 files and convert them.

People pay for the experience nowadays. Not the product. Well not everyone, but given a choice that's what it comes down to.

For example, I can get a $4 beer down the block from me, but I walk 10 minutes away and for $6 I get the same beer but the place is not a dump.

Ditto with museums. I could spend $20 and get a book of art that I might flip through a few times. Or for $20 I can be in a museum and see the original art right there. Or even movies. I'd rather see a few movies on the big screen every few years in revivals than pay $10 and watch it in my living room. Unless I own a theater my living room will never be a theater.

For me, I collect vintage and repro Microman/Micronaut items because that's something I like from my childhood and there's simply no place I could ever walk into to see these things. So I've basically made my own museum of things I like.

So if I come up to someone on the street and tell them I collect these things, they might roll their eyes... But who cares? Technically speaking I've met people who laughed at me when I lived in the midwest for (get this) buying Vietnamese food from a street cart. Or even in NYC when I bought mid-eastern food from a vendor near Rockefeller Center.

The point is people who would laugh at you buying this stuff might have something "crazy" they spend stupid money on. I knew a guy who was proud he knew a guy who owned a club in Chelsea and let him in and let him get "table service" for $200 a bottle instead of $500. Personally, thought that guy was an idiot. But whatever.

You know what will dispel people's ideas about what collecting or buying things is like? Just work in retail on some level for at least 5 years. At first you'll think you're better than customers. And then you'll realize we're all pretty much the same.

Blah, blah, blah...

^^ great post

Master Hillsy gets it.

All true. It really is "enter name of niche/obsession here". That said, it doesn't stop us from thinking were better than THAT niche over there. I'd also like to think the majority of people here don't give a sweet rat's patootie what other people think of their collections. I enjoy my collection SO much right now, even though there are few I know that can enjoy it like I do. One of my buddies just shakes his head at my "Godzilla toys". That's okay though...he spends thousands on RC cars.

Of course, my hobby is cooler.

And I don't REALLY know that a rat's patootie is all that sweet.

Yeah it's obsessions. But alls I gots to say is this: I understand why oil has a value due to it's utility. Can someone explain to me validly why gold is so damned valuable?

Really chew on that a bit before you respond.

I mean, I've donated blood that saves lives and helps people. Gold is a shiny rock and I have to pay for it if I want it.

Gold has a long history of desirability in uncertain times that historical value become more relevant. Gold is valauble because people have been confirming its value for centuries.

Today gold primarily acts as an indicator of liquidity. The more liquidity the higher the price of gold. For the for the first time in most of our lives a rising price of gold will indicate improving economic conditions. A strange world indeed.