Sometimes (not always) i've found the best part of collecting is the anticipation of the toy / object arriving. The waiting period. Sort of reminds me of the month before christmas or birthday.

what's the best part for you?

I think this is a very good question, with very good answers to choose from. I don't love the hunt all that much when it goes on for several years, but I do appreciate the figure more when I don't have it. Of course I appreciate it when I finally get it, but then he can kind of get lost in the mix.

Completing is great, but seems to be a never ending task, unless something does actually get retired or a company goes out of business.

So I picked display. I LOVE looking at my figures and since the display is always changing it never gets old.

I get too nervous waiting for something to arrive.

Too bad there's no talking crap option.

Painting!

I would say hunting as IMO it implies research and waiting. I think these three are the best and most important aspects of toy collecting. Finally receiving a toy is equally important (as I often have a completely different percpetion of the toy once I can actually hold it and have a close look at the sculpt, see how the colours react to light, feel the weight and smell that wonderful and probably intoxicating vinyl) but at the end of the day hunting stuff down is where a lot of the fun sits for me.
Hunting also implies talking to people, learning through personal exchange and often making friends.

The chicks, right???

Can we add talking shit, chicks, defiling, and flipping to the list please?

Gotta be the hunt. So many fond memories of small shops in Japan. Places that you need a local to show you. My friends had a vintage store off Osu Dori in Nagoya, right in the middle of about 7+ toy and garage kit stores. Good times man!

since there isn't a 'the feeling of disconnection from the nausea of modern life' choice.... i went with 'playing' since i always have to pick them up & also it best describes what these little monsters are up to in my head when i just sit and stare at my case.

Animator got it right.... Talking shit!!!! Love it, WINNING!!!!!!!

So that explains your bad breath

So does this mean you agree with me then???

^^^ I also like winning lotteries!

I really enjoy the thrill of the hunt which is probably why my green lantern collection has been kinda bumming me out lately (the hunt has been to easy and most things have been found). The hunt is the same reason i enjoy vinyl and looking for new music and records. But in this case i was torn between hunting and displaying because with toys displaying is fun but with vinyl toys i have a lot more fun with it then i ever did before. I even started making custom shelving in my house for my vinyl toys which is funny since i've never been motivated to to that before so i was torn between the two options... but in a way all of it is awesome thats why we do this thats why we are all here on this board... I love you guys!!!

For me it's a combo of researching,hunting and finding. I feel like in the past year I've toggled between buying new things and exploring the past. I've definitely re-fallen with vintage. The new toys keep getting churned out that it's getting a bit stagnant for me.

I think I love every aspect of toy collecting, minus the drama... Okay well sometimes the drama is hilarious but I'm having a hard time deciding whether I enjoy the hunt or the play the most. Its a great feeling when the toy you've been hunting for falls into your hands, and at the same time I love just taking my toys off of the shelf, simply holding them and fiddling with the different poses you could put them in, or taking them places for photo adventures! Another thing is admiring the whole craftsmanship it takes to make the toy, be it vinyl or resin! Think about how the creator sculpted it, chose vinyl and paint colors, and what his/her inspirations for the toy and/or colorway might have been.

I need to go on more photo ops with my toys. Like i did some really funny pics with the s7 kittyfire box not to long ago but nothing since then and that is the kind of playtime i need to help me relax a little.

Perfect post Winu!

While all parts are fun, the peak for me comes when I actually open the box and see the toy for the first time. The "rediscovering", "explaining the toy to interested parties" and "having my kids play with them" parts too.

I enjoy all the choices with the exception of completing I guess. I am not much of a completionist.

Had to pick unboxing as the best part for me. Pulling a much sought after toy out and holding it for the first time. Getting a first hand look at a treasure that was, up to that point, just an image on the web. The potent smell of newly opened vinyl or, sometimes even better, the smell of an old, vintage gem.

displaying is awesome, and extra so when it comes to vinyl figures. most of them stand like champs! my other side of collecting: old-school motu and motu ko's (or any type of "action figure" collecting in general), those aren't as fun on the displaying side. even those with semi-loose joints are annoying. you start your display in the back and work your way forward. you get about 3 or 4 layers deep and one in the backs leg joint gives out and its toy dominos! vinyl stuff is a different story, fight figures (which i mostly collect) don't have the feeble leg problem as my action figures. you actually can get in depth with your arrangements, trying things out and cluster-fucking them all around, without being worried to even go near certain figures, etc....

Inspiration, not as a reference, but being surrounded by the creativity of others is a main reason for my burgeoning collection. Sure there's a great feeling when you find something you've been searching for for a long time, but theirs nothing like setting down at a blank canvas surrounded by physical manifestation of ideas... With everything in the world becoming digital, it's really nice to hold something tangible in my hands at least once a day. The other day I was feeling a little down in the dumps, it was crappy outside, and I was just feeling blue, but for about 5 minutes the sun came shining in on my Bwana spoons Hedo Collection, and I immediately felt good again... Sometimes weird things can make us happy I guess.

Unboxing. The hunt is always important, and scoring that crucial piece online is a major rush. The anticipation builds as the piece is in transit and it is finally almost tangible, until finally that box arrives, and the excitement is palpable. Freeing a long-awaited score from the box is just the best rush, when that long awaited piece is finally in your hands.

hahahahah, damn right.

Now, when comes the worst thing about toy collecting list? Come to think of it, maybe it's just too shameful and we should just pretend like it doesn't exist. Yes, definitely, denial is the key

I picked displaying since I gotta live with these fucking things! The hunt and research wouldn't be done if I didn't want the toys to be displayed for relatives to hate. Also meeting some fine degenerates along the way is pretty nice