Anyone else re-evaluating their collection?
 

Before you read the rest of this, understand that it’s not one of those “I’m quittin’ the hobby” style posts. It’s also ridiculously long (even a bit non-sensical at times. YAY!!!)

First off, beginning in the early ‘90s ‘til recently, I’ve been a huge collector of a lot of different things: Comic books, Star wars toys, Most any Marvel / DC figure line, Transformers, G.I. Joes, etc. Well, in the last couplea’ years, the perfect storm hit.

Comic books got prohibitively expensive. I don’t have the numbers, but I know the reason I have such luxuries as food, clothing and shelter is because I no longer collect comic books. Plus, the stories were getting redundant, with writing that was, with few exceptions, not that great; and I could barely stand to look at a lot of the art.

So, comics, I pretty much quit cold turkey.

I was excited to see the Star Wars prequels way back when, and even got a bunch of the figures the day they were released. For me, the movies were pretty disappointing, and the toys didn’t even have the playability of the G.I. Joes I had back in ‘86.

I’ve always loved Yoda, and have a decent collection of the little guy. Other than him, I might pick up a Star Wars figure here or there, but that’s mostly for LBCs. I’ll probably always keep the guys from the original trilogy, though.

Marvel / DC toys have always been decent. Nothin’ great, but decent - until Marvel Legends, that is. Since MLs have been around, I’ve never really seen the point of picking up a DC figure. Before them, I picked up the Total Justice line, and the Batman figures from the two Keaton movies; but Marvel Legends made it a whole new ballgame. Toy Biz was great for MLs; I don’t think Hasbro’s ever done ‘em right, though. But now, we’ve got the Marvel Universe 3 3/4” line, and all my MLs are lookin’ pretty obsolete. But even with MU and the new Wolverine line, I’m still gettin’ pretty choosy.

Transformers have been my greatest collecting “heartbreak” these last few years. I’m not one of those people that can’t accept change. I can deal with it, I just want it to be change I like :D That typed, I LOVED me some Beast Wars! I thought the nods to my old school TFs were cool, and to this day see the show as the best TF fiction out there. The early toys were kinda’ “meh”, but when TransMetals hit, they were fantastic; and I bought ‘em in droves.

Then Beast Machines hit.

I thought Beast Machines was SO bad, both toy and show-wise, that I tried to quit TFs altogether.

RID was okay. I loved bein’ back to cars, Prime, Scourge, and the Autobot Bros., but over-all, I really wasn’t as impressed as I’d hoped to be.

Armada came later and I hated the show, and felt the same way a lot of other people did about what we thought of as the “Playskool” look of the toys. But then I went back: picked up some Armada toys. Whereas I was a completist before, however, I was now avoiding repaints.

Then Energon hit. I think Energon is where I first realized I really had a “problem”. I was picking up toys I KNEW I wouldn’t / didn’t like just so I could get the “whole collection” (minus repaints). Energon had a few decent figs, but most were, in a word, horrible.

On the plus side, it was during Energon that I got MP Optimus Prime; still my fave TF.

I was incredibly wary of Cybertron. The show had nice graphics / animation, but I was never a big fan of it. The toys were a huge improvement over the past few lines, though. Again, I excluded repaints from my collecting, but still got the whole line; an admittedly fantastic one (I truly think it’s the best TF line ever), but the whole line nonetheless.

I could go on forever about Transformers. The long and short of it is, since Cybertron, I’ve only really been interested in Classics and Universe, and I’m lookin’ at those as being pretty cheap over-all. And the insanely expensive Thundercracker and Skywarp exclusives leave a bad taste in my mouth to this day - it was the first sign of my feeling abandoned by a brand I’d enjoyed incredibly since 1984.

As for the movie toys: well, they’re an example of change I DON’T like, but I still bought the stinkin’ things (but just the ones in the movie, this time). And the movie itself killed a lot for me (besides what I see as bad design by the artists on said movie). There was no need for “Happy time” or Bumblebee’s peeing. I saw those as insults to the brand, and realized this was no longer my Transformers.

And I don’t view any of that as a sense of entitlement; I view it as a sense of disgust. I’m disgusted by a brand I’d loved for so long.

Then, there’s G.I. Joe.

I pretty much quit Joe around ‘89. I didn’t see design I liked figure or vehicle-wise (I’m in the realism over sci-fi camp), and had enough “cool” Joes where I didn’t really have to give it a second thought. When TRU brought them back, I thought they looked like crap and stayed away. Then, with Joe vs. Cobra and Spy Troops, I collected the whole stinkin’ line, figure-wise. And I didn’t like most of them at all.

Venom vs. Valor came, and then Sigma 6, and I was prepared to forget about Joe all over again. Then the 25th hit.

The 25th is everything I could ask for in a Joe line. I’m usually astounded by what Hasbro sends our way, though think they should be beaten for the endless re-paints. But, I’m even going through the 25th and realizing a lot of what I have is for completeness’ sake. I have no room in my collection for things like Nemesis Enforcer, Serpentor, or a horribly-designed Falcon. I don’t have room for a ton of CCs, SSs, Dukes, SEs and Destros, but I’ve still got ‘em. Or Tiger Force and Python Patrol...

I guess the long and short of this poorly written, late-night, wanna-be essay, is that I’m gettin’ pickier. I’m definitely beginning to see what people mean when they say things that seem to mean, “a small collection is a happy one”.

Of course, I’ll still be army-building, just not “10 COBRA Flints” type army-building :D

Have fun, everyone!!!

the first step is admitting you have a problem.... :p I have always been on a budget when it comes to toys, so I have to be picky. I only get stuff that I really like. I dont really care what line its from. I just have to like it. So, I will probably never stop, because I get lots of enjoyment and "happy time" opening" a new toy that I got because I really want it and I think its cool. I would never buy something that I know I am going to hate or buy something for completeness or to just have it. Im running out of room as it is and I cant afford to get junk I dont really want. But those stores better stock up when I win the lottery, cuz I am gonna go in there and get every storm trooper and every semi realistic army type vehicle in the place, also all the cool looking gundams, and those new action figures from the video games, and lots of other stuff that I cant buy now.

I understand fully what you're saying Dave. Priorities change, other things become more important, and you move on. Back in the 80's I was a completist, I had to have at least one of everything, even if I didn't particularly like it. Then when things started to go neon in the early 90's, I got to the point where I decided there was no way I was going to buy stupidly coloured or designed toys that I would never have a use for (like you, I'm firmly in the "realism" camp).
Then when the TRU exclusives came out later in the 90's, I thought they were okay and happily bought them all.
After that came the dreaded T-crotch, which drove me away from Joe toys altogether. I spent my "Joe" money on other things like Nascar die cast models, video games, and got back into my long-time hobby of collecting Civil War relics.
When the new sculpt stuff hit it took me a little while to get into them, but Hasbro improved them over time and today I count many of them amongst my favourite figures.
Now, you know my thoughts on the 25th figures, so there's no need to go there. Obviously I don't but them, spending my money instead on convention stuff (until this year, anyway!), foreign exclusives, and some selected army building. But I have to say, even if I did like the 25th figs, there's no way I'd be spending money on the endless repaints of the same half dozen characters over and over (way to kill the line, Hasbro!).
The movie stuff hasn't grabbed my interest, so I'll just continue along picking up the odd nice piece here and there, and spending my disposable cash on my other hobbies.

I think that the first rule is that the collection exist for you, its not you that exist for the collection.
Collecting or any hobby really is something that people do to relax their minds sort of yoga for the brain. I only buy figures that I think look cool or that will be usefull in dio stories

This is what happens if your collection takes control!

I'd sooner buy a repaint of a figure I like than take a chance on a new one that looks iffy. Of course, that has a lot to do with the inconsistenty of Star Wars and GI JOE these days.

I think all of you make good points.

My personal collections have always been limited, except for now. I officially started collecting (not counting toys that were played with) when the Transformers Alternators line came out... that was the only time I ever collected to complete, and that ended when they released Optimus Prime as a pick-up truck. Since then I have collected 25th Joes, some Spytroops/VvV, and very few JvC. I also randomly collect anything that looks cool, or that I feel fits into my Joeverse.

My 25th collection alone numbers at over 400 figures, including repaints, doubles, and of course army building. I know from here on out it will only grow with both the movie and more Resolute figures being released. I still collect the original Joe vehicles for my "green" repaints or the Cobra vehicles for my "black" repaints.

Point is my collecting days of anything but GI Joe are numbered, I myself have decided to sell my Clone Trooper army of 98 figures. Half of which has already been sold on Ebay, and the other half is up now for auctions selling in groups of 5 figures.

I don't think I will ever stop collection, but I know I will limit collecting.

I always say I'll be picky about stuff, but I end up not being that way. It seems whenever I do my MOC stuff, I end up selling it off!

I draw to explain to a lot of people, I only buy 1 toyline. I cater to only 1. I only collect one. That's GI Joe. I don't have a budget to do Star Wars and Marvel and and and. At the same time, I don't know what I'd do with that stuff. People ask me to join their toy websites but I just don't in the end because I only do GI Joe therefore, I only need a few sites. Even then, I don't visit the JBL much anymore and rely on people HERE to clue me in on what's going on.

I found quickly on the JBL, people would say, "You should totally get this, it's awesome!" and then a week later after I get it, I'm saying (in luke skywalker voice), "What a piece of junk!"

The Splitfire, Quickfire, Tigershark (or was it TigerHawk?), just a lot of stuff. Even that Joe Snow vehicle didn't get me jiggy with it even tho I had two of 'em. Learn to be picky? Not quite cuz I was still buying stuff JUST IN CASE I needed it for later on. By VvV, I was trying to be picky. I never did get a Coil Crusher. Never got the removable helmet CC and a few others.

25A hit and I decided I'd get one of everything. And then I started a MOC collection. :\ I was game for single packs and was pretty... relax about comic packs and even the special 7-pack sets (arctic and desert, command 3 packs, etc). I really like the look of the single MOCs. They look great. I'm also staying away from the Hall of Heroes too. Is that picky enough? (Have yet to buy a blue ninja but that's for MOC purposes.)

Yet, I DO buy other toylines. My reasoning? For the DIOs! For the stories! Microman (Transformations), Spiderman's Lizard duder (TF), Alien Racers (TF & Island), McFarlane's CyberUnits (Island) and a few other random toys here and there. I have a bunch of Microman figures now (as does DeathAtMidnite!) simply cuz they ARE pretty nifty.

By staying faithful to just one line, I'm figuring I can save a lot of $$$ and can always focus on the stories.


I don't know where I stand on the Resolute figures. I like 'em but if I can make some versions w/o going that route, word. Like Roadblock and Gung Ho. I'm considering on how to do a Resolute version.

Movie figures... I'll be buying mainly Joes to use. I'd like a Scarlet is actual military garb (same w/ CoverGirl). Their Breaker will end up my DialTone, y'know? Staying away from the Cobra side tho.





The story AFTER DoomsDay Machine will bring in a toy or two from another line just for kicks. ;)

I've always been picky with what I buy, but even so, I still re-evaluate once in a while. I'm into Transformers, G.I. Joe, Marvel Legends, some DC Direct, some SOTA Street Fighter figs, and some of the Masters of the Universe figs from the 2002 (?) re-launch. Plus I read comics, and I pick up other various things that catch my eye here and there (DVDs/Blu-Ray discs, artwork -- posters, lithographs, etc., as well as many, many comic book trade paperbacks and graphic novels). So since I'm spread so thin, I have to be picky!

What's funny is that G.I. Joe has always been a secondary or even tertiary interest for me after Marvel Comics and Transformers. I was actually kind of relieved when it looked like the line was ending after the DTC era, because I hadn't even been all that satisfied with the stuff I'd been picking up. But then the 25th line started, and I've been Joe crazy for the past couple of years! Overall, it's still a lesser interest to me than Marvel and Transformers, but it's made up a huge chunk of my toy-buying habits simply because I love the figures so much! But even the 25th has now reached a point where there are really only a few figures left that I really want anyway. Once they round out the entire 1982-85 lineup (which they're surprisingly close to doing considering the line is less than two years old), anything else will be "take it or leave it" as far as I'm concerned.

On the other hand, although I'm a huge fan of the Transformers, it's more because I love the characters and the mythos than the toys or the concept. I've never followed all the various Transformers TV-based lines. I really only like G1-style stuff. I bought nearly all the Alternators/Binaltech figures, and I've been picking up most of the Classics, but other than those and the occasional Japanese exclusive or Masterpiece, that's about it. I'm really only interested in TFs that are based on the ones I had as a child, so the newer stuff (Armada/Cybertron/Energon, Movie, Animated, etc.) doesn't do much for me (although I am a huge fan of Beast Wars, but mostly just the show as opposed to the toys). And with Classics going on hiatus again to make way for the next movie line, I won't be buying any Transformers for some time.

Also, Marvel Legends seems to be coming to an end, and I have no interest in starting a Marvel collection all over again with the new 3.75" scale guys (though they look really neat!), so I'm stopping those. Oh, and don't get me started on Marvel Comics! They are gradually driving me away, and at the rate I've been dropping titles, it won't be long before my Marvel purchases reach a lifetime low.

As for the other stuff I named above -- the MotU re-launch died shortly after it started, and I have no interest in the new MotU Classics, so I'm not doing those (although, if they'd started with those instead of the re-launch, I'd've been all over them!). And I finally have my collection of all the Street Fighter II "World Warriors," so no more S.F. figs for me (except I will almost always buy a Chun-Li, regardless of line or scale!). And DC Direct is an extreme rarity. I like some of the new DC Universe Classics, but not enough to actually buy any (though I've been tempted to assemble a JLA since they make all the key players except for Martian Manhunter).

Anyway, I think that covers it. Did I just say anything? I'm not even sure! Basically, I've always been a "pick and choose" kind of collector, and lately I've been scaling back my collecting a lot -- but more because lines are ending or I'm losing interest, as opposed to it being for financial reasons (though my wallet really appreciates it anyway!!).

To be honest, with all these lines dying or going on hiatus, and my own voluntary cutting back of my comic book purchases, I've almost been looking for new toys to buy! I love the Clone Wars cartoon, so I'm strongly considering grabbing some of those figures here and there (mainly just the main characters and all the Jedi), but we'll see. I just can't bring myself to pay $7.99 for those things (even though I will gladly pay that price for a G.I. Joe figure I want).

I think like Trench Viper, you have to buy only the things that you like, that you think they are cool or fits in your style. I never buy a toy only for having the complete wave/line of it, and if I have some figure I don't specially like it is because it has come in a lot that there was other figures I liked very much. If I don't the figure or I customize or I re-sell it.

My collections are mainly; GI Joe, Masters of the Universe 200X and some vintage, Marvel Legends, DC Direct, Star Wars and any cool figure that gets in my way! (without counting all my 1/72 soldiers, tanks & planes).

Reevaluating Collection
 

After buying about 100 25th style joes and all the Transformer Voyager stuff I'm getting to the point where I'm almost at the end. I've been working on making Russian soldiers which will appear here soon. I have about 10 that i made. Three are Red Star variants, 4 are Spetnanz Afghanistan variants and 3 are winter Russians. I made a Daina out of Lady jaye. Some are good some suck. I'll try to get a camera to show you. Also ordered the World peacekeeper personell Carrier and painted it gray. Too bad i don't have October Guard figures cuz I was dumb enough to give them to GS