Author Topic: Army Building or Hoarding?  (Read 24259 times)

Offline Reid

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Re: Army Building or Hoarding?
« Reply #45 on: March 25, 2006, 07:54 PM »
I'm an Army Buider. I collect Clones and Stormtroopers by the Hundreds. It takes time to build Armies that Large at retail price, so I wake up early and hit every Target and Walmart on my way to work every morning. 

I'm glad I don't live in Lake Worth FL.

 :P

Offline Jim

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Re: Army Building or Hoarding?
« Reply #46 on: March 25, 2006, 08:31 PM »
Yeah I did not appreciate that end remark by Fritz.  That shows little respect IMO.  Let me point out where you are wrong. And when I say wrong I mean 100% wrong.

1.  I work a job from 6AM til 6PM with no 24 hour Stores, so hitting a store first    thing in the morning or late at night is not an option.

2.  Most stores are a considerable drive for me.

3.  People here who have families will understand that this hobby, collecting is second after your family.  Try supporting a family of 4 on one income in Massachusetts.  One of the most expensive states to live in.  And dont get me wrong, I would never want to leave here. 

4.  The whiny remark was way out of line IMO.  You are either too young to understand why you are wrong or dont have the responsibilites like others on these forums.  Just my 2 cents. 

Offline CHEWIE

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Re: Army Building or Hoarding?
« Reply #47 on: March 25, 2006, 08:43 PM »
Well I totally agree that supporting family comes way before a hobby, completely agree with that.  I guess with the amount of time some of us spend on the forums, some of us think that everyone that posts here a lot goes through the same hunting rituals.  But at the same time I don't think it's fair to get mad at someone who does have time for the toy runs.  I think most, if not all of us here have made a comment or two that we didn't really mean and don't think anyone should hold a grudge over a comment. 

Fritz mostly posts in the customizing section and is a very, very nice guy.  For those those that don't know him you'll probably say come in here more often to this section, but I'd say the same to you, come on in the customizing section some more too.   :)

 :P

Offline Nicklab

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Re: Army Building or Hoarding?
« Reply #48 on: March 26, 2006, 11:11 PM »
95 Utapau Clones, huh?  Considering the figure has only been out for a month or so, I think we can safely call this hoarding.

I'm an army builder.  I understand the methodology and the motives.  You want to have a pretty good sized unit of Clones, Stormtroopers or Battle Droids to have in some kind of formation.  But 95 Utapau Clones?  That's more than I'll ever own.  I think I have 8 open right now, and it's almost overwhelming my small Utapau diorama.  I'll probably max out at 10 of these.

The point here is that you've got to be reasonable about this kind of collecting.  Exercise some good judgement.  Restraint is not a bad thing, either.
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Offline Famine

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Re: Army Building or Hoarding?
« Reply #49 on: March 26, 2006, 11:54 PM »
The point here is that you've got to be reasonable about this kind of collecting.  Exercise some good judgement.  Restraint is not a bad thing, either.


Your version of reasonable and restraint must be different than mine.

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Offline exjedi

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Re: Army Building or Hoarding?
« Reply #50 on: March 26, 2006, 11:57 PM »
95 Utapau Clones, huh?  Considering the figure has only been out for a month or so, I think we can safely call this hoarding.

I'm an army builder.  I understand the methodology and the motives.  You want to have a pretty good sized unit of Clones, Stormtroopers or Battle Droids to have in some kind of formation.  But 95 Utapau Clones?  That's more than I'll ever own.  I think I have 8 open right now, and it's almost overwhelming my small Utapau diorama.  I'll probably max out at 10 of these.

The point here is that you've got to be reasonable about this kind of collecting.  Exercise some good judgement.  Restraint is not a bad thing, either.

I am an Army Builder as well, don't know how the **** anyone managed to get 95 of the Utapau Clones already, but I agree that should take more than a couple weeks to build something up to that level.

I catch plenty of **** from people that get really pissed off at me for having so many of the same figure and there has been so much comparison of Army builders to scalpers that it is really starting to get out of hand.   I can understand the FU attitude some people have had towards others that are offended by their collecting habits.  I can also understand being the guy that hasn't found jack for weeks, then you go online and see some jag-bag gloating about how plentiful the figures have been in his area.  

I am not finding the Coruscant wave because of scalpers or Army builders.  I am not finding the figures becasue the stores are only getting in 1 case of 12 figures every week.  It's a damn distribution problem, plain and simple.   Trust me, if there were enough items being produced in the first place, we would be complaining about how jammed the pegs are and wondering how in the hell the stores are going to get rid of them all before the next wave starts shipping.

Collectors piss & moan when there are too many figures out there and cry foul in every direction when there is not enough.  The Army Builder thing is way overblown as well as the panic over scalpers.  Instead of bitching about it online and pointing the finger at each other as the reason why we can't find a Commander Cody or Clone Trooper, we need to spend as much time bitching to Hasbro and Retail outlets that are causing the mayhem in the first place...
« Last Edit: March 26, 2006, 11:58 PM by exjedi »

Offline Darth Slothus

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Re: Army Building or Hoarding?
« Reply #51 on: March 27, 2006, 12:10 AM »

 Because he works two jobs - real life and collecting.  He seems very dedicated to both of them. 
 :P

What? He gets paid to collect as a second job? I don't understand what you meant here Chewie.... :-\

I can understand that real life is a job though. Definately a tough one the more kids you have! ;)

Offline Jesse James

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Re: Army Building or Hoarding?
« Reply #52 on: March 27, 2006, 12:48 AM »
Guys, let's keep calm heads in this thread...

First, I have to agree with some of the posters Fritz that either what you said was being taken out of the context you intended it, or you were being a little rude with your wording...

"Lazy" and all that?  I think that's harsh.  I army build, I earn what I obtain too, but at the same time I think people need to keep the frame of mind that collecting isn't a "me me me" hobby if you're involved in communities like here at JediDefender or elsewhere too...  You should try, if possible, to look out for your friends in the hobby and not have the attitude that "You can have the scraps I leave you".  I mean, don't you think the way you worded that comes off a tad bit snobbish at best?  Even if it wasn't directed at anyone in this thread, which as mod here I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt there...

If it was pointed at anyone here, I really don't want to see that in the future.  I didn't agree with the original posters points about army builders...  To me, 95 figures is your right if you find them fair and square, and if you're a part of collecting and not scalping you're a welcome member of the collecting community. 

At the same time, I'd like to think most of the guys around these boards would've found 95 figures and shared some of them with local friends or friends online, whatever... 

Anyway, as noted I'm giving the benefit of the doubt with exactly how Fritzkrieg said what he did...  I don't think anyone in this thread has said they hate army builders or what they do...  Loathe the guy that posted the picture of 95 at Rebelscum perhaps, but not hating anyone IN THIS THREAD, and I don't think Fritzkrieg then was directing his hostility towards anyone.

At the same time I'm asking that we rethink what we're typing sometimes before we hit the "Post" button too...  It's easy to be in the targeted group.  When people can't find one, it's not always because they're lazy or whatnot...  I know that despite my best efforts around here I can't find much of anything nor can my local friends, so that's not laziness on our part, it's simply that this area doesn't have as much right now.  Hell our WM stores dont' even have pegs for figures, so that's a whole outlet gone from Pittsburgh right now...  Hardly lazy then.

And also, I'm an army builder, I build HUGE armies into the hundreds too...  To me it's part of what makes me happy, but at the same time I like to try to help at least a couple people out if I can...  Sometimes I give up something I really would rather keep, sometimes I keep everything I have (I've never sold a VOTC Stormie for instance), but at the end of the day I do like to pay the hobby back and I think everyone should try to do that some too...  Help a friend, help a stranger, whatever, but helping out someone to get ONE of something you have 250+ of isn't necessarilly a bad concept.

And definitely, please, don't gloat when it's obviously bothersome...  It's looking for trouble really.  That's what the guy at Rebelscum did and the point of the thread (to me) more than anything.  He posted the picture as a big middle finger to a LOT of people who aren't having an easy time in the hobby.  That's just not cool beans.  Thoughtfulness is cool and all that crap. :)
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Offline CHEWIE

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Re: Army Building or Hoarding?
« Reply #53 on: March 27, 2006, 02:06 AM »

 Because he works two jobs - real life and collecting.  He seems very dedicated to both of them. 
 :P

What? He gets paid to collect as a second job? I don't understand what you meant here Chewie.... :-\

I can understand that real life is a job though. Definately a tough one the more kids you have! ;)

Slothus, you know what I mean - for some of us, collecting is like a second job.  For real life, I meant whatever his career is.  For collecting, I mean that it can be work to find what you want in non-movie years, especially for us army builders and those of us that buy a lot of extras for custom fodder.  That's all I meant.

 :P

Offline Darth Slothus

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Re: Army Building or Hoarding?
« Reply #54 on: March 27, 2006, 02:20 AM »
Ok, thanks then Chewie..I was having trouble wondering how he could get all that with 2 real jobs going.

Offline Spectre

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Re: Army Building or Hoarding?
« Reply #55 on: March 27, 2006, 03:01 AM »
This thread just makes me glad that I don't like or collect Clones! ;)  I've been able to get just about everything I have been looking for this year (and most years) thast way :D

To keep this a bit more on-topic: I strongly disagree with the army building = hoarding sentiment, simply because sometimes you actually need alot of a particular figure for whatever reason you collect them (unless they are still carded, with no intent to open, then it's haording ;) ).

Lord knows I have alot of figures, but even I have to admit after seeing that pic, that amassing 95 of a particular character, especially a fairly hard to find one at that, over so short a time is a bit nuts in my opinion.

Just take into account the sheer logistics of it (I'm a logistics analyst by trade ;) )- all of the running around, trying to beat other collectors or scalpers to stores, gas burned running all over looking for toys, monetary output, time involved, low availability of particular item, possibility of having to commit immoral/unethical acts to get said toys, etc., etc., etc.

It's staggering! And actually, if you REALLY get down to the bare nuts and bolts of it, not worth the effort involved considering that the end result of all that energy/time/money spent is just a pile of plastic toys, not improving your/others' way of life or standard of living, not making anyone else happy, not doing anything of "true" import, just a pile of toys.

Here's what I have to wonder:

Does owning a ton of little plastic men that others are having difficulty finding bring him actual "joy"?

Does this individual spend ANY time doing anything else but collecting?

Where does his money come from? (he doesn't seem to have the time to actually work if he's running all over grabbing up toys)

Does he have a wife or kids? And, more importantly, would any wife actually stand for that type of (seemingly) wasteful time management or lack of attention given to her/the kids?

Is he trying to compensate for a "shortcoming"? ;)



Sure, I build decent-sized armies, not as big as some peoples', but alot bigger than most. I think I top out at 160 of any particular figure (standard Stormtroopers), but here's the key thing, they are made up of all the versions available throughout the life of the line (POTF2 through current), not all the most recent version. You get alittle variety in their appearance that way (and you don't end up in the poor house from re-buying hundreds of figures everytime a "better" version comes along ;) ). And I have amassed them since 1995, not just in the last month.

I also used to buy tons of figures for customizing fodder. In the past, I've cleared out entire pegwalls of common figures for use in customs, freeing up valuable space for newer waves to come in. I don't feel that made me a hoarder, especially as I usually did this after the figures had been clogging the pegs for at least a few months. I don't do this anymore simply because there are more important things to spend my money on (girlfriend, rent, car insurance, groceries, etc.). The same goes for my toy runs, I used to go every day, now I go maybe once a week, life takes priority over little plastic people.

Even my customizing takes a back seat to real life. In years past, I'd complete 5 or more figures or a decent-sized vehicle each week, now I only really pop out one figure a week, if I get the time (I have not posted anything new in 2 weeks because I'm working on a massive Super Secret project that I want to debut all at once when the entire thing is finished, most likely the end of next month/early May). I'll occasionally do customizing marathons if I have the spare time and energy (see my 2 most recent entries in my "The Brotherhood Of The Serpent" line! 6 figures in one and 3 in the other!), but those marathons come further and further apart lately as I just can't justify devoting massive amounts of time/energy to a hobby anymore when there are other things that need to take priority.
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Offline Clone Commander

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Re: Army Building or Hoarding?
« Reply #56 on: March 27, 2006, 04:22 AM »
Why do I get the feeling evberybody is at eachothers throats?   :P

I think if people want to go nuts on spending spree's on Clone Troopers ect. than let them, its not exectly doing anybody any harm exept for telling hasbro that they need to release more army builders.
Besides theres more where that has come from and we've all still got a good whole year to army build so we all might as well try if we want to.
I dont see why you guys are so made about 95 clones.
I meen I agree its a ridiculous amount but still he has the time and the money so let him go nuts!  :-\

Well it is questionable how he amassed this "army" of clones but then again some people are extreme collectors and they put thier soul into it. (If thats possible but you know what I meen, people have to have a hobby! :P)

Quote
Does owning a ton of little plastic men that others are having difficulty finding bring him actual "joy"?

I suppose so?

Quote
Sure, I build decent-sized armies, not as big as some peoples', but alot bigger than most. I think I top out at 160 of any particular figure (standard Stormtroopers), but here's the key thing, they are made up of all the versions available throughout the life of the line (POTF2 through current), not all the most recent version. You get alittle variety in their appearance that way (and you don't end up in the poor house from re-buying hundreds of figures everytime a "better" version comes along  ). And I have amassed them since 1995, not just in the last month.

I also used to buy tons of figures for customizing fodder. In the past, I've cleared out entire pegwalls of common figures for use in customs, freeing up valuable space for newer waves to come in. I don't feel that made me a hoarder, especially as I usually did this after the figures had been clogging the pegs for at least a few months. I don't do this anymore simply because there are more important things to spend my money on (girlfriend, rent, car insurance, groceries, etc.). The same goes for my toy runs, I used to go every day, now I go maybe once a week, life takes priority over little plastic people.

Even my customizing takes a back seat to real life. In years past, I'd complete 5 or more figures or a decent-sized vehicle each week, now I only really pop out one figure a week, if I get the time (I have not posted anything new in 2 weeks because I'm working on a massive Super Secret project that I want to debut all at once when the entire thing is finished, most likely the end of next month/early May). I'll occasionally do customizing marathons if I have the spare time and energy (see my 2 most recent entries in my "The Brotherhood Of The Serpent" line! 6 figures in one and 3 in the other!), but those marathons come further and further apart lately as I just can't justify devoting massive amounts of time/energy to a hobby anymore when there are other things that need to take priority.


Hmmm...that is great advice spectre!  :o


Well really life takes first priority but then again it depends on your life itself not everybody leads he same life...what if hes secretly a multimillionaire  :P !?!?!?

Meh, let the people have fun with thier toys!  :)

Afterall they are only plastic soldiers!  :P

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Offline Sentinel

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Re: Army Building or Hoarding?
« Reply #57 on: March 27, 2006, 08:16 AM »
I think that if the figure is common then hey, army build all you want, however, if it is not so common, such as Cody or U Clone, then leave some there for the collectors to find and don't hoard it. ;)
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Offline Darth_Anton

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Re: Army Building or Hoarding?
« Reply #58 on: March 27, 2006, 09:27 AM »
I think that if the figure is common then hey, army build all you want, however, if it is not so common, such as Cody or U Clone, then leave some there for the collectors to find and don't hoard it. ;)

What makes Cody of the U Clone less common than the others? They make just as many, if not more of those than the others.
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Offline Dressel Rebel

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Re: Army Building or Hoarding?
« Reply #59 on: March 27, 2006, 09:46 AM »

What makes Cody of the U Clone less common than the others?

Popularity causing increased sales can have the same effect on availability as an item being short-produced.  Not every collector collects every figure, but apparently between the clone popularity and the army building aspect most collectors pick these two up, the same end result happens - you don't see the figure on the pegs as much.

If you want to wretch, take a look at the eBay results when you enter "Commander Cody" into their search engine.  There are over 600 Cody figures listed there for sale with an average first bid of $12 or more.  Additionally, Cody is almost always packaged with 1-4 Utapau clones in the eBay auction, and in many cases numbers higher than that.

But what I've learned is that in the end, one way or the other, you'll get your figures.
« Last Edit: March 27, 2006, 09:47 AM by Dressel Rebel »
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