I don't know how to start this-

There's so much coming out so fast, and its an expensive hobby. I don't know how some of you guys and girls manage, but I know I can't keep up with all the crazy toys that get fall into our categories of interest... I was just thinking about this, because I saw a few things I liked on the BST, as well as an ebay auction for a sweet piece I would love to own, meanwhile there's at least 4 made-to-order preorders open right now that I'm trying to drum up money for, all the while I have to save for NYCC... and that's not even mentioning stuff released in Japan or on Japanese storefronts.. I want so much, but while I'm gainfully employed, I am by no means a rich man- I live on a budget, and there's not a whole lot of wiggle in the budget. My collection is small compared to what I've seen from a lot of folks, and if I want something new, it usually means selling something I already have... Anyways the point of this ramble is that I am going to try to stop- not stop collecting, but I'm going to stop the whole "gotta get them all" mentality I find myself in more often then not. I'm going to stop and really appreciate my collection. Like I said, its not huge, but I've been very lucky to come across (with a lot of help) a few very special pieces; and when you have to sell something to buy something new, you find that your collection gets boiled down a bit to your absolute favorite stuff- There's not many pieces I'd part with right now, and if I did it would have to be for something else I was really looking for.

So yeah, I'm going to slow down- I'm going to enjoy what I have, not fret about what I don't or can't get (I think I'll fret about those GID marble Skullwings a bit...) If you're in a similar situation though, I suggest you do the same. And if you're one of the folks who has the resources to have massive collections, or a contact that can get you the newest limited release or whatever- I hope you appreciate your good fortune, because I'm sure there's a lot of folks who wish they could be in your shoes.

take it easy everybody,
Phil

way ahead of you, phil
i used to love picking up pieces left and right.
seeing my collection grow was awesome.
even though i had to sell some stuff i already had to buy something new,
i always felt like my collection was getting better, more focused. and it was.
but then life hit, and had to let go of some stuff.
that was REALLY hard to do.
but the whole "gotta have" mentallity left with it, and i'm way more passive about awesome toys now,
which is a good thing since there are so many amazing toys, yet not much money.
i am i guess still a completist, but it's only on one line though.
a line that has slowed down a lot since it's first few releases... thankfully.
gives me more time to appreciate what i have, yet still has me searching!


shameless plug... if you have any of the unpainted zombies on my want list in my sig, hit me up!

I agree, I am trying to stick with only HPs by the original artist of my favorite sculpts for now. There are too many production runs for me to collect, so completion is impossible. I'm trying to stop myself from jumping on every sale on the BST and only stick to my wants list, otherwise I will go both broke and insane

Just need to find a HP full-size Deathra and possibly a HP Bemon and I will be set for a while...

I hear ya Phil. I am sure many of us on this board can relate; though, looking at people's collections, and buying activity, maybe we are in the minority. Sure, I work, and it isn't exactly easy either, but I sure as heck don't make a living at it. This hobby is really too expensive for me, but I'll confess, is an addiction, and probably one I would have an easier life without. Luckily I have never been a completeist for anything, but seeing great toys pass by all the time (especially lately) is heartbreaking. The really pricey stuff doesn't even phase me though, as it is so far beyond my limit. I long for the day when I can start digging myself out from my ever compounding debt, even marginally. But if that continues to be delayed, I might just have to resign myself to a massive clearout entirely. For the moment, I am trying to maintain focus in my buying, when it is possible, and thinking of any other ways to drum up some cash.

Just wanted to add that, despite the depressing nature of this post, I want to say thanks to all the boardies who have helped me out immensely with information and generous sales. The community here is fantastic (so just be a bunch of jerks already so I can get out! )

Start collecting pictures like I do! They're free.
They do take some time to find, especially the vintage toys.
The best are the random stuff that pops up on YJA here and there.
But yea, totally agree with a lot of your points.

I'm tired of KC again. It's time for another break.

I'm right there with ya! When my wife lost her job a couple years ago I all but stopped buying toys. And even though she's been employed for about a year now I still haven't really increased my purchases. I think I probably buy about 6 toys a year.
My collection isn't large by most measures - but I still think about pairing it back. Problem is I don't have any more toys that I feel "meh" about - well, aside from a couple that have so little value I'd rather keep them than sell them for the pittance they'd fetch. But I suppose if money/space weren't an issue there are a lot of toys I'd love to buy - but so many other things take priority over toys.

This is definitely a hard/expensive hobby to keep up with. Especially with the economy being what it is- and with the plethora of amazing new toys and companies right now. Seems like you are taking a very healthy new approach to your collecting and that is commendable.

I did the same for a bit and it was a nice break. But I have reverted back to the dark side as of late.

I simply had to stop because I was running out of decent display possibilities and I do not want to buy a toy and then store it somewhere (I know some of you do but I want to see and show of what I have ). And I have not sold anything. I just cannot

this hobby is expensive... no doubt about it.

but there are more expensive hobbies out there.

and worse things that one can waste money on: drugs, gambling, etc.

statements like these make me feel less guilty & pushes me forward

sometimes i reflect on my collection and can't help but wonder how foolish I have been spending so much hard earned money on plastic toys majority of which are in storage. not to mention also countless hours spent in the line, shows, events, online etc.

With the exception of two 2 month breaks I've been meaning to slow down/stop for going on 2 years now. I always keep telling myself OK I'll get these few toys I've been looking for awhile and then stop for a bit, but it never seems to happen. Some vintage repros will come out, butanohana will release a bunch of stuff I want, a lottery will appear for something you know will be 3 times that price after it's over in the secondary market. Reasonable thinking but when you keep justifying every purchase and make as little as I do, the voices in your head keep getting louder. My only saving grace is that I very little expenses except rent/food /utilities. I ride a bike. I have no car payments, mortgage payments, insurance, kids etc etc. BUT I do see some of these things in my immediate future and I can't keep putting them off forever for the sake of toys. My g/f even has relented from hating my toys to saying "You know Chris if you would just budget your money better you would not end up with $5 in your bank account and when you wanted that rare toy you'd have the money!" After years of work (and maxing out my available space) I can't see selling off either. Every toy means something, somehow. There was work (albeit fun) involved finding or purchasing them.

This past week I spent more than I ever have (I usually max 150-175 for toys) for an Anraku purchase. My reasoning was I just had a $300 vinyl record sale and the usual "Well when am I going to find this cheap after years of searching and I can finally rest on Anraku?" I really do see the writing on the wall though. My toy collection might have to be a time capsule in my life for a period of time. Not done by a long shot but maybe just time to enjoy the fruits of 4.5 years of labor?

Part of my problem is that imho, the bigger the collection the better. I like looking at and am always far more impressed by large collections of many (hundreds) figures of all different sizes and makers than anything else. Plover, for example, had one of my favorite collections I've ever seen for this reason, a huge tightly packed mob of all shapes and sizes. It's to the point where I get a little grossed out when someone's "collection" is made up only of $400+ figures of the same sculpt or maker, all HPs, 1-off, small run sort of releases of the toy of the hour. It just seems more like a celebration of hype and the person's insider status than genuine love for kaiju or sofubi. I don't want to display my cheapo B-Club repros any less than my Anraku, I really mean it.

Of course, this leads to me having a fair amount of awesome toys I wish I could look at every day packed up in boxes, with me having to simply stick to my belief that, "Someday you will have enough space to display ALL your toys, and it will be amazing". Hopefully this actually happens someday!

I recently "forced" myself to appreciating what I have.
Money and space led my to this, I'll admit.
There is so many great toys out there, it's hard to resist sometimes but I realized that once you've passed on something you really want, it's easier to give up on stuff subsequently.
... I hope Toy Karma 3 won't slay me !

statements like that make me feel way less guilty as well, although lately I've actually lost almost all guilt I have for buying toys. Especially when I have a terrible day and just sit and look at my collection and go, "yeaaa... ". As long as youre taking care of your priorities then it's all good. Some people spend a fuck-ton of money on cars or watches etc, way more than we ever will on toys. But lately with this preorder trend and the fact that I'm into way too many makers and sculpts it is getting very hard to keep up. I have managed to ween all my "meh" stuff out as of late, but now I have nothing I'd wanna sell... good luck with the new mentality Pike! I'm kindof trying to do like a half assed version of what you wanna do

My collection has changed so much over the last 4-5 years so what's the point? Even some collections I really didn't want to sell off, I had to--and you know what? it's not that bad at all. In fact, I hardly miss any of it and forgot I even had it after a while. I'm selling most of my stuff and adding/keeping a few favorite pieces (and half the reason is because I won't get what I want for them, so I just won't bother right now.) There's no way to be satisfied in this hobby and the money I've spent is ridiculous. I'm just focusing on one thing I like (tokoji) and entering a lottery or two if I can swing it because it's kind of fun. I don't really get excited about what's new anymore. There's ALWAYS something new and it's ALWAYS "amazing". and if I stop collecting and come back 5yrs from now, all the "amazing" pieces will be on the BST for 15 bucks and whatever is new will be "amazing". It's weird. there's no end to it and it only takes up space and cost lots of money and keeps me glued to the screen instead of doing my own thing or doing something more meaningful to me. I just feel that I wasted too much. it became an addiction and I hate that. I'm just over it I guess. I like the hobby, I think the works are cool, the people are cool, but after a few years when I had a cabinet FULL of stuff, I was like "wow, $8,000 (and counting) just sitting on a shelf and all I'm doing is spending more money." They start to look more like colorful anchors than toys after a while.

Now I have maybe a shelf of stuff. (it's funny...that's all I wanted when I started this hobby. a shelf of toys and then to move on.) it's cool and it's not the focal point of my existence anymore. Hell, they aren't even displayed openly. I collect Tokoji, but I don't feel like a "collector" with all the other shit everywhere too (and collecting Tokoji is slow going). It was just a downward spiral for me. I'm glad I got it out of my system when I did. I guess it's just not for me anymore.

the folks here are great. the toys...I can do without. Going to keep 3-4 RxH toys, Tokoji and Gorilla Ju. Hopefully score a 4-eyed Nag I like. done.

and I'll probably just give the RxH to my former roommate's daughter when I've had enough.

-g

Pike, I give you major props for coming out and say this.
This is a constant battle I fight in my head. The "One More toy! Just One More!"
I also have even tried to justified it with the whole "Well if I just splurge and get the few remaining toys I want on my Want List, then I can take a break". But I keep searching. Checking eBay everyday. Even YJA, and tease myself with auctions (US dollars to JPY totally prevent me from even thinking of purchasing). Or constantly adding new "grails" to my list. And sometimes when I finally blow a spitwad of money of that grail, having it in hand isn't the same, or not worth it.
I have never been a completest. I am a man of one sculpt, one color. And I am more into specific artist, which narrows down my purchases tremendously.
But I have also found myself in that "Buy this awesome toy. Wait, a new toy I want, ok, sell the one I just bought, and so I can buy that!" Rinse and repeat.
And I won't lie, I have re-bought many toys I have owned before. And now I beginning to realize that is ridiculous.
And maybe it is the up-spring of new makers combine with the crap economy. It's hard to keep up or keep purchasing. There is not a toy I HAVE to have, they are all wants.

So now I have been slowly putting the toy collecting to rest/on the backburner. I want to get back into other hobbies I have left behind (video games, comic books, art, and movies). Get back some of that time I constantly spend from checking the boards every hour, ebay ever day, and thinking about what toy I want next. Enjoying what I have. And what I have left I enjoy MORE than the giant collection I used to have. With the few remaining I have, it somehow give those few guys you own more character. And if you "play" with them, take them out and snap some pictures every now and then, it prolongs that toy and gives you that much more appreciation for the guy.
That is something that always amazed me- how some people take multiple picture of the same figure as if it was their only toy. I think that's so awesome. To enjoy the few guys in your collection, and appreciate what you have. It gives it so much more meaning, personality, and ultimately, appreciation for just that one toy.

I always go back to what Brian Flynn said in an interview a while back.



So enough with my ramblings. But this felt good to get out, and great to see I'm not alone.
All in all- Toys Rock.

I wish I had spent so many hours in shows and lines, that seems like fun.

In the grand scheme of things, maybe I've spent 5k on this over 4 years, I have an uncle who's spent more than that numerous times on individual comic books-including Amazing Fantasy 15, posters, original art, He probably has a million dollars in shit and now unemployed, has been letting stuff go on e-bay for the last few years to get by.

This is a pretty small community, and most of us probably have the same kind of disposable income, some a little more, but like ToyBot said, there are collectors out there who won't hesitate to drop thousands and thousands on items they want, I'm not saying that's healthy or wise. just saying there are much more expensive things out there than toys. Movie memorabilla, golden/silver comics, art, cars, motorcycles, design, high fashion, etc.

But I've never collected super heavy, try to limit myself to $100 a month, sometimes I go over, but lately I've really liked buying smaller toys, standard kaiju is just too big and expensive, takes up too much space, there are some I love and will make an exception for, But to me if a new toy is less than $50 and I love it, that's what I'm into, and lately I've been following that attitude with the toys I make.

I have had to tone down my purchases as well. I just asked my GF to marry me and I have to save for a wedding. I have to agree with kirkland. I know lots of folks that spend so much more than I do (listen to me justifying my purchases) on clothes, going out to eat, drugs, travel.... Shit every time I go out to eat I spend 30-40 bucks that I will never see again (not true...I will see it the next morning) I dont buy clothes ,I need to tho, Im still wearing clothes I got in HS and Im 33. I think the thing that keeps me from buying these new toys is that they sell out before I can. When I first started collecting I was like I must have that!!!! Now Im like If it happens its ment to be. Keep your head up phil. At leased you have a place like this, with people who know what you feeling

yes. we've all learned to live with the disease.

Damn, talk about dedication!

Maybe we should change this thread title to "SB Support Group" or "TCA: Toy Collectors Anonymous"

If it was online and I knew where to find it, this is where I would post the clip from Toypunks where Carl talks about the American dream.

I got the ball rolling with a lot of luck, a few purchases I couldn't not make and now I can't stop. One of my worries is... that if I don't grab the things I like now, I might not be able to find them in the future, or they will be too inflated.

Or, that when one day I do have the money to get what I want, there won't be anything worth getting. I hope that's not true.

so does this mean we're breaking up?

Not unless you have Anraku for me please.