Author Topic: How Much of Your Collection(s) Do You Display?  (Read 6997 times)

Offline Brian

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How Much of Your Collection(s) Do You Display?
« on: March 1, 2004, 01:03 PM »
This encompasses both Star Wars and any other lines/props, etc. that anyone might collect, so I hope that this is the right place for this.  For awhile, i was finally able to have the majority of my stuff displayed (thanks to some new shelving), although my vintage Star Wars stuff is still packed away.  However, space is becoming an issue again, so I have started to look at stuff that might be able to be packed away for now.  Anyways, I was curious how much of your collection(s) you are able to display, and if you can't display it all, how you decide on what gets put away.  I guess one example of things I have been doing, if there has been a superior sculpt/figure offered in the modern lines (POTJ/Saga), I have packed away the same figure's POTF2 counterpart (mostly the buff versions).  I am also considering packing away my small (6 figure) Marvel Legends collection, as well as possibly some Episode I stuff.  I finally this weekend got around to pitching a little bit of my boxes from Star Wars stuff, and flattening out all the rest that I could, to free up some space in our storage tubs for anything I might need to pack away.  The space I have to display stuff just isn't large enough I guess.  I was just wondering what some of you do, or have done.

Offline Morgbug

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Re: How Much of Your Collection(s) Do You Display?
« Reply #1 on: March 1, 2004, 01:51 PM »
Well.....

I started to get stuff out in a big way this summer, but then we started talking about moving, so....

Maybe 200-250 loose figures, vintage to present, are displayed on three 12" x 8' shelves.  Also out are my loose Riddell helmets, unleashed, 12" figs, Kubricks and Epic Force figures.  On a different shelf (top of a bookshelf actually) are my loose Action Fleet vehicles.  Another shelf houses my Marvel Legends and one lone displayed Sportspick.  That's all that is out at home.  All the rest (vehicles, more figs, carded figs, other stuff) is all tucked away until we resolve the  moving issue.  

At work all of my non-variant goalies (McFarlane Sportspick) are displayed in front of the journals on two shelves.  ON top of three storage cabinets are some minimal Star Wars items (Vader gum head, Maul head) Marian Hossa and Teemu Selanne figs plus a minimate Spock.  My Simpsons stuff (17 Homers, Braineeze Homer, two Burns, vacation Flanders, Hank Scorpio, THOH1-3) are displayed.  

I've said it before but no one wants to see SW stuff on display.  Everyone loves the goalies.  The Simpsons are tolerated, but barely.  

Unfortunately my office also houses all my trade stuff, of which there is currently way too many McFarlane Sportspicks.  I'm trying to unload them, but just so much disinterest in the line currently.  Too much hockey, not enough football.  Still, it will go soon, I hope.
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Offline Mikey D

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Re: How Much of Your Collection(s) Do You Display?
« Reply #2 on: March 2, 2004, 06:59 AM »
Right now - no where near what I have amassed over the years.  Just every vehicle (boxed) from POTJ on sitting on top of my book shelves, Unleashed and Marvel Legends on assorted shelves (in front of the books), vintage BK glasses on another shelf on another book shelf and the Lego versions of the Gunship, AT-TE, Millenium Falcon and UCS TIE Interceptor.  I also have the Hasbro Gunship on top of the book shelf that houses the glasses and some of the Lego.

In the living room on the bottom shelf of the entertainment center is the UCS Yoda and Lego AT-AT.  Other that those, everything else is packed away in a closet just waiting to be moved.

But soon, all my collection will be boxed up and moved to a new location.  The offer we had in on a house got accepted, inspection was yesterday and closing is at the end of the month.  After a little TLC and upgrades, all of my collection (I hope) will be displayed in a newly finished basement for all to stare at in awe ;D
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Offline Scott

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Re: How Much of Your Collection(s) Do You Display?
« Reply #3 on: March 2, 2004, 09:31 AM »
Right now, I have all of it except all of the ships and vehicles from SW.

I'm thinking though of putting all of the Simpsons Playsets away and trying to get all of the figs on 2 shelves...I'm sort of shoving Marvel Legends and LOTR on a pretty cramped space and they need to branch out a little, I'm also thinking of putting MOTU away for a while.  If the toy line is done, and the collection I want is incomplete thanks to Mattel, I see no need to display the collection.

Not sure what to do on the ships though, hanging from the ceiling was an idea for a while but there are way too many

Offline Boba Binks

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Re: How Much of Your Collection(s) Do You Display?
« Reply #4 on: March 2, 2004, 12:17 PM »
For my Star Wars I have all the POTF2-Present figures and ships on display. All Vintage Figs, and many other misc items. Vintage ships and playsets are packed away. I then have some Misc. SW stuff packed away as well.

Simpsons - I have just the figures on display.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turltes -  I have all of my vintage TMNT figus on display while the ships, playsets, ect are packed away.
This also goes for the second release of TMNT and the current TMNT lines.

Lord of the Rings - I have all my figs on display.
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Offline SiteC

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Re: How Much of Your Collection(s) Do You Display?
« Reply #5 on: March 3, 2004, 10:29 PM »
My figure room is still in progress, and as such, some things are displayed, others are not, a quick rundown:

Star Wars:  
Unleashed, 12" - On shelves in figure room
Busts, 3" Figures - Curio Cabinet in Bedroom
Vehicles - Hanging from ceiling in fig room

Jurassic Park:
Large dinosaurs - on shelf in figure room
Smaller dinos, vehicles and humans -  packed in rubbermaid tubs

Buffy:
Busts & Figures - on shelf in fig room

Alien/Pred:
Figures - on shelf in fig room

Austin Powers:
figures -On shelf below A/P in fig. room

LOTR:
Figures - on shelf below A/P & AP

Eventually I plan to have a new curio for just my busts and statues, and HTF/Breakable items

I have a store display case I plan to put all my JP items in, and a new shelf is going up for my LOTR collection.  It just takes time to get things done..hopefully soon I can have it all setup...

Offline Brian

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Re: How Much of Your Collection(s) Do You Display?
« Reply #6 on: June 7, 2004, 03:19 PM »
Thought I'd check in again to see how everyone's displays (or future displays) are coming along.  We recently moved, and I got the chance to get things out and put them up again this weekend.  I am displaying my collection(s) in our office, and took the doors off of the closet in there and put my shelving up in that closet.  Those hold my POTF2-POTJ-Episode I-Saga and hopefully future OTC figures.  I have some ships displayed too, although not too organized yet since there isn't enough room.

I have my Unleashed displayed on the top of our desk, as well as a movie Spidey and the parachute Spidey from the Classics line.  On top of our desktop computer tower I have the talking Yoda and an extra loose 25th anny. Han/Chewie.  On a small shelf within the desk, I have some vintage BK glasses (and an R2 mug from applause) on display.  There is also a little area with the four Spidey minimates on display.  I also have a bookshelf set up which holds the POTJ B-Wing (that thing doesn't fit anywhere else!), the Cartoon Clone Wars figs on the top, with the OT Playskool SW, boxed 25th Anniversary sets, the Target Obi-Wan glass, Trash Compactor Screen Scene, Adventure Kermit, my two LOTR figures, and my Marvel Legends figures (5 of them).  On the bottom, I have placed prequel ships (Slave I, Jedi Starfighter, Anakin/Zam speeders).

To be honest, it is kind of hard to keep everything out on display, and I have been considering packing a few things up (still haven't found room for Gunship or all of the ships yet).  Do any of you ever consider doing this?  Sometimes these are reasons I consider collecting just OT and limiting PT stuff to save space.  Then again, the ships are really what are tough to find space for.  Plus, I'd like to expand (a little) my collections of LOTR and Marvel Legends/Spider-Man.  Do any of you consider selling/purging parts of your collection, only displaying specialized things, or any other displaying options?  I'd be glad to hear them.  I really want to enjoy my collection, but I'm a person that doesn't want it to get looking "cluttered", if you know what I mean.  What do you do (or think about doing)?

Offline Morgbug

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Re: How Much of Your Collection(s) Do You Display?
« Reply #7 on: June 7, 2004, 03:35 PM »
Well Brian, if you're going to purge/sell, get ready.  I'd say your only chance to even come remotely close to getting your money back will be next year.  I still can't get over how the prices of items dropped 6-8 months after Episode II came out.  Guys were dumping stuff left, right and center at that time.  Made for some great bargains.  By contrast, in  the months preceding that movie's release, prices were comparably higher and demand was there.  

We're still looking at moving, maybe in the next six months so not much point in putting anything out right now.  I have maybe 20-25% of my collection out, at most.  Ships are indeed a pain and I only have an AT-ST on display, everything else is in tubs.  Have enough stuff in my office right now to fill another tub :-X
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Offline Brian

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Re: How Much of Your Collection(s) Do You Display?
« Reply #8 on: June 7, 2004, 03:41 PM »
I know what you mean Brent, ships seem to be the worst.  I don't think I could ever go and sell anything I have...especially Star Wars....but packing some up has become an option.  Its just nice to have as much on display as possible, but if it really starts to become an issue, some of the PT stuff might get packed away for awhile.  For now I'm ok (except for a few ships that can't make it out for now), but after some more time (especially after Episode III and if I am able to pick up more LOTR or Marvel stuff), I'm going to have to figure something else out.  Maybe just display the real favorites, or best of the best :).

Offline DavidGQ

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Re: How Much of Your Collection(s) Do You Display?
« Reply #9 on: June 13, 2004, 12:42 AM »
Currently I display all my Sports Picks, Marvel Legends, and MOTU.  I also have a glass case that I display busts.  Hvae Ultrarama that display currrent SW figures.  

Offline Brian

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Re: How Much of Your Collection(s) Do You Display?
« Reply #10 on: November 1, 2006, 03:04 PM »
Kind of along the lines of this topic - so I just figured I would post it here.  Do any of you ever consider how long you will display your collection, or the majority of it?  My wife and I just got talking about this over the weekend, and she asked me basically if I'd still have all of this stuff out when I was 50, 60, and beyond.  I got to thinking about it, and was wondering what I would end up displaying as time goes on.  When I first started collecting, I never thought I would get in this deep with Star Wars, let alone some of the other stuff.  I always figured that some day things would be getting packed away, with just a little shelf or two to display some figures or a "focus".  Now I'm not sure.  I don't have plans on packing everything up anytime soon, but right now things are feeling a little like the walls are closing in in our office (where the collection resides), and I've considered scaling things down to display things a little less cluttered and a little more clean look.  I have almost everything I own on display now, but the things that are my primary displays are Star Wars and Spider-Man/Marvel.  I think I'd always keep at least a good assortment of Star Wars figures out (OT in particular), as well as the Spidey/Marvel Legends display (or at least the Spidey part of it).  Things like that, along with my movie posters and BK glasses, would probably be things I could see displaying for a long time to come.  I like my entire collection, but I will admit there is a part of me that is envious of people who have scaled back, or maybe just display a handful of items.  I read a post by Mikey the other day mentioning that he basically just collects the VOTC and astromechs after his 3 3/4" "purge", and thought how nice a display like that could look.  I don't know if I could ever purge that much stuff or not, but it just got me to thinking about this again.  So, how much of your collection do you display (or hope to eventually display) - and will you leave it out for years to come?

Offline Morgbug

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Re: How Much of Your Collection(s) Do You Display?
« Reply #11 on: November 1, 2006, 04:05 PM »
Kind of along the lines of this topic - so I just figured I would post it here.  Do any of you ever consider how long you will display your collection, or the majority of it?  My wife and I just got talking about this over the weekend, and she asked me basically if I'd still have all of this stuff out when I was 50, 60, and beyond. 

It weighs on my mind, but maybe more so because I'm a good 10 or so years older than many of the folks here and a lot more than that for others. 

It's interesting you bumped this up because it fits really well with my current thoughts.  My comments above seem to be correct as well in relation to ROTS as they were to AOTC and the pricing that follows.  Vintage has climbed, but modern is again in that purge state where stuff is really readily available and for very inexpensive prices. 

I expect we'll be in our house for at least 20 more years.  With building a room for all my junk I think I'm set for a while, but I've been really weighing what I do and don't want to keep for that time.  To that end I've been moving towards higher end [classier things to display - primarily Gentle Giant, Master Replicas, Code 3 and the like. 

I don't think I'm prepared to purge in the same fashion that Mikey did, but I've started to a degree.  I think I'd like to wean myself back down to having at most one of each figure from the 3.75" line and leave it at that.  No longer being a completeist and having shifted to loose rather than carded a number of years ago makes that easier.  The problem lies in my willingness to take a big hit in terms of what I get relative to what I paid for many of the items.  Scott mentioned this in the SW Kubrick forum that yes, things can be sold, but often for 1/6 of the retail price.  That's tough to swallow but also very realistic.  Comics taught me to have no expectation of return so I'm a bit prepared for it, but it's still somewhat unpleasant. 

With respect to the 'displayed' aspect of the question, not bloody much right now, but I knew that would happen and mentioned it above.  About a year from now is when I think I can reasonably expect to have a good proportion of my collection displayed.  Between now and then I'll probably purge it down to what I do and don't really want to keep.  That will be slow and painful, but I think in the end better. 

As for where it will be displayed, my intent is for everything to be in my room, save the vintage movie posters and the Code 3 3-D posters above them.  Those are interesting enough without being geeky that they'll pass in public areas.  Additionally my daughter will have friends over during the teenage years and they won't have a clue about value.  I fully intend to keep my Kubricks, GG, vintage stuff well away from sight. 

If I'm predicting what I'll end up with it will be in a year from now, it'll probably be:

vintage loose collection
vintage carded collection
Gentle Giant product (busts, maquettes, statues, bustups)
Code 3 stuff - vehicles and 3-D posters
Master Replicas - helmets and FX sabers and hilts
modern loose collection
Marvel Legends
DC figures
Sportspicks, but those need to be significantly purged as well yet

I think all my vehicles are bound to go at some point :-\  Pretty much all the carded, non-vintage stuff I own will go, except maybe some things like Sacul, TFV and the VOTC stuff.  I can't even remember all of what I own. ::)
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Offline Madcow

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Re: How Much of Your Collection(s) Do You Display?
« Reply #12 on: November 3, 2006, 09:35 AM »
Up until last month I had a good 55% of my collection out for display. But now the wife and I are looking at yet another move (to a waaaaay smaller apt) so I have about 5% out of it now. I'm sadly to the point where i'm sooooo tired of having to rebox everything that I may just sell most of it. I won't be buying a house for a couple of years and the thought of leaving it boxed up til then just kills me...
« Last Edit: November 3, 2006, 09:37 AM by Madcow »

Offline Brian

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Re: How Much of Your Collection(s) Do You Display?
« Reply #13 on: January 15, 2007, 03:22 PM »
Just a little bump up on this topic - curious what those of you are displaying now, or intending to in the near future?  Since I started really collecting (99 or so), I've pretty much always been able to have my entire collection out and on display.  I started small, so it was no big deal, but obviously the collection has grown a fair amount since then.  I still have pretty much everything out on display, with some random figures/miscellaneous crap packed away - but the majority of it is still out.  With space becoming quite a premium, my preference for a "clean" looking display/set up, and now with a little one on the way later this year, I've really been considering packing some stuff away.  My wife says that if I'm packing it away, I just as well sell it - which in a way she probably has a point.  I kind of doubt I would sell too much, if anything, but I really am starting to think about what I want to do display-wise.

Right now, I have a couple display cases with glass sides/doors (cheapo, 3 feet tall or so) that hold the majority of my basic Star Wars figures.  They are both quite full, and quite a few older figures (POTF2, Episode I, and AOTC/Saga era stuff) going into storage bins.  Then, I have a bookshelf that holds a few SW ships, Galactic Heroes, Spider-Man and villains, the SW BK toys, and some books/TPBs/misc on the bottom.  I also have single shelfs that hold the VOTC/VTSC figures so far, and one with 9 LOTR figures.  I then have two large shelves that hold the Unleashed figures above our desk.  I've tried to keep the desk clear, but right now there are a few things scattered throughout. There are some shelves (small shelf within desk with vintage BK glasses, small shelf with misc. Spidey stuff, small shelf with animated Clone Wars figures), and on the top right now I have an Icons Spider-Man, Icons Variant Spider-Man, Black Costume Roto Spidey, 18" movie Spidey, and a Vader FX saber I got for Christmas.  Then I have a closet where I have shelving put up to hold the SW ships (and a few loose figures, usually that go "with" the ships), and the top of the closet holds the rest of the Marvel/DC figures, the Target SW glasses, and some carded figures tacked up to the walls inside.  There's also other things set on top of file cabinets, display cases, etc. throughout the room (tins, GG busts, Falcon Titanium, etc.)  Anyways, it just seems like a lot overall, and I'm figuring out what I want to display.

What is your collection looking like?  Do you have things in storage that are likely to stay there for awhile (or for good)?  If so, how do you decide what to display, what to pack up, etc.?  Do you have a space especially for your collection, or does it just reside somewhere that works out best (like me, its in our office).  Just curious what some of you do with your collections and displays.
« Last Edit: January 15, 2007, 03:35 PM by Brian »

Offline Brian

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Re: How Much of Your Collection(s) Do You Display?
« Reply #14 on: May 18, 2007, 12:14 PM »
Lately, I've really been getting to the point where things are getting crowded - and I don't like how it looks.  So, this past week I packed away the prequel ships to free up some shelf space.  I haven't gotten to the point where I'll sell them, but I just wanted to try something difference and be able to space things out a little more.  I'm still in the process of figuring out what to do.  I did have room on a bookshelf for the four Jedi Starfighters I have (Obi-Wan/Anakin/Mace/Vader), so those have stayed out for now.  Otherwise, I think from here on out I'm OT-only on ships and larger stuff like that, unless something in upcoming television series is really spiffy.  I just don't have the room for everything, and I don't like my shelves to look like a pile o' toys jammed together.  Things really accumulate over 5-10 (or more) years, especially when Star Wars is a gateway into other collectibles.