People show up here, play nice/tough guy for a couple of months, and then they sell what seems to be entire collections off...

It's like where people's collections come to die...

No offense to some of the old school cats, that sell their stuff, I'm happy to buy stuff you don't want, and I feel fortunate to have the collection I have because of a lot of said people.

It just seems weird when someone becomes part of the community here, and then get's rid of everything that ties them to said community...

What's the drive?

Also I'm not trying to be judgmental, I just wonder why?

I think that some people go balls-out with the collecting, and then realize that they are now a few grand deeper in debt. Then they have a fire sale. Haha.

I don't know that it's a trend necessarily. Stick around, you'll see that pattern over and over again with some folks, as well as a few "old timers" who are constantly buying and selling based on current whims and tastes.

Some of the most sure and steady collectors don't really make a big public show of their collections. There are folks who have been members here for years who have spectacular collections, but so far as I'm aware haven't showed any comprehensive photos for a long time. In other words, what you see on the boards is the most active acquisition/liquidation as opposed to the less obvious, more discreet sort of purchases by people who hang on to their toys.

I had to sell off some really good stuff about a year ago because bills from my wife's cancer treatment just overpowered us and I needed cash fast. (Oh Stardust Ojo Rojo, I miss you so ) I've had to be really disciplined since then with my purchases, and almost always have to cannibalize/sell something from the collection to get something new.

Thats the way it goes... It's been like that for about the entirety of the time I've been here. There's the folkss who buy and sell based on whims, and there also trends.. Remember when RxH was the cats pajamas and not Nagx3?

Phil

The only trend I can detect is the usual backbiting, unfunny tight butthole people making random comments on what they think other people will respect them for. Its mostly just a lot of blah blah blah. Just like this comment. Collections come and go, people come and go. I've had so many of the exact same thing so many times, I want it-sell, it I want it-sell it. Keep it light, keep it fun, people come back around. Evom is a Dick!
R.

Jokes! 200th post. Sorry to hijack. A little rum and coke goes a long way. Now that you mention it I have seen a trend. Its toward the end......... thankfully.

I always find it hard to believe you just stop caring about your "passion" of collecting. i've tried to sell off ALL my toys a few times but then I always convince myself to keep a few. Then my collection just grows again. It's true toys come and go but it would be hard for me to just stop collecting

all the better for me.... more stuff I can pick up on the cheap.

Yeah I don't terribly mind it. Where else can you pick up a whole collection of dorome for half off

There are a LOT of reasons why people sell off their whole collection, and the reasons vary that's why it's hard to second guess why this happens. And in my opinion couldn't be just tied up to a perceived "trend".

In my more than 4 years on here, I have met some really great people who have spent a great deal of time to their collecting lives and, one day, have decided to part ways with some their most prized possessions. But some of them, took some time to think about letting go of their toys. This may happen after some months and maybe years of pondering on quitting SB, or giving up the hobby.

I notice that my own collecting hobby sometimes changes, I mean the level of drive to collecting changes depending how excited I get when a new release comes up. I also get the lows, when I reach to a point where I get tired of chasing some really hard to find toys and lay off for awhile, or sometimes even think of selling a chunk of it. But at this point , can't really think of letting them all go....at all.

This is how it has always been here. Frank Kozik was famous for selling off large bits of his collection, at least twice in late 2005 and 2006 while he was still here. Those were fun days.

____

Rum and coke? That is a nasty, fun combo. Haven't did that in years. Good to see some of us are enjoying ourselves while posting!

I sell off my whole collection regularly because I collect crap, get it all then there's nothing left to collect and I want something new and start again.
I sell it off cheap because people want bargains and won't pay full price for secondhand toys. I usually regret it, I especially regret selling off my Jumbo collection 10 years ago.

The only things I have ever sold are older western vinyls that I knew I would not regret parting with later. Plus, the money I could get for them (to fuel more YJA purchases) was too tempting.

Not sure how I will ever part with any of my Japanese vinyl collection. Too attached to all of it. I often wonder, how long before I end up on one of those Hoarding shows?

haha! only when KR is involved

Money...and I don't like having a lot of "things".

I whittled down my collection to one thing I really enjoy by an artist and sculptor I'm a big fan of. I still like the other stuff I used to collect, but this keeps it simple, and there aren't too many releases to keep up with. perfect for me. I'm having more fun doing non-collecting things. I look at all the stuff I collected before that's in storage bins and I just wish I could sell it all in one go. not doing a damn thing but taking up space.
I still drop by because I like looking at the pictures you guys take, and helping out/chatting when I can--and of course just in case something I'm looking for surfaces.

I have days when I walk into my studio and feel the crushing weight of my possessions, and want to sell off everything, but it usually goes away.

On the other hand, I have been thinking lately about selling off my jumbos and diecast toys, and focusing on a vintage vinyl collection...

This and This.

Once you've collected for a while you will see all the phases. In the end you realize that collecting is part of your personally. You can sell this and that but you will just use it to buy something else, even if its not toys.

I just keep narrowing it down, change this and that.

This is a part of me, I get a lot of joy out of the entire collecting community. From books to prints to toys. I even enjoy the selling and refocusing, some times it's refreshing.

A well balanced collection that only YOU can enjoy takes a long time, years. It can be overwhelming at first. It's impossible to buy everything and love it all. Your eventually going to refine your taste and sell off, maybe some, maybe all of it.

i totally agree i am currently going through a clean up phase. i sold a ton of hasbro and mattel action figures off and im trying to get my superhero toys down to just green lantern and flash so all the random batman figures and jokers over the years are gone now and so on and it helps to clean out the clutter. Plus with the way media is changing i have been slowly getting rid of my entire dvd collection except for the horror and b movie flicks... so no i dont own zoolander but i own hobo with a shotgun. its all about letting your tastes evolve and seeing where you end up.

Getting rid of Zoolander is sacrilege!! One of the best movies ever.

I don't know, I just keep adding. Very few toys leave my possession. I guess I only buy what I know I really like.

I'm sure it will be easy to find interested parties if you do decide to pursue this. (The PM button is just below. )

I've seen many collectors in the recent past convert modern vinyl to vintage. It seems to be a mini trend. I won't say its a maturation of tastes, because I still enjoy much modern stuff just as much. But as a diecast collector, vintage has long been my passion.

i haven't sold off everything... but after collecting for awhile, I understand why people do this

You've convinced me! I'm selling off my entire collection....