Cutting back in 08?

[Brian]

Wow, after reading through the 411 rumors for next year, its really going to be a tough year to cut back.  Lots of great figures and comic packs, plus rumors of both an AT-TE and Falcon.  I was hoping to cut back next year, and might just have to, depending on finances - but this is truly a time where I'm going to have to consider passing on some other things to be able to afford what I really want.  It might be time to sell some more stuff too to make room (and money) for these things.  It sounds like its shaping up to be another banner year.

[Darth_Anton]

I'll be able to make the hard cut with the CW line. I'll be selective in what I buy and not keep anything boxed any more. Will definitely pick up everything OT and be very discriminatory toward everything EU.

As I mentioned before, finishing out the 30AV packaging will be my biggest decision.

[Artoo]

I'm focusing on Troopers, Main Characters I don't have & cool back-round characters.

My man focus is probably going to be Indy.

[jedi_master_sal]

Well, I just decided yesterday to stop collecting Galactic heroes and won't start collecting the might muggs, so that clamps down on some of the budget right there. I'll take a serious look at Titaniums too as I'm getting VERY tired of all of the repaints. So I'll prolly just do movie ones from here on, with a rare exception.

But, dang, it's the, Year of the Vehicle, for SW collecting.

It will be expensive in that regard for those of us who collect them. Between the AT-TE, AT-AP, and Falcon, that's $500 right there for me. By a quick estimate, I'm halving my 2007 SW budget in half for 2008 which means, I'll have only $3K to spend on SW. So just those 3 ships are taking a huge chunk out of the budget.

Then there's the whole Build-a-Figure thing. Thirty figs to complete a huge droid? That better be one hellafied droid and something we WANT.  I actually hope it's NOT the Homing Spider droid or Tank droid as I want multiples of those but don't want to buy extra unwanted figures to get them. I'm hoping for it to be the load-lifter, but think it's going to be the flying droid w/platform seen ferrying 3PO about after he fell onto the platform.

-Sal

[Morgbug]

I'm growing ever less interested in Hasbro's stuff.  It's volume overkill that's done it for me.  Getting out of carded stuff, maybe back in 2004 or so, made it a lot easier.  I'm buying stuff I like mostly but haven't really skipped much this year I'm afraid. 

I do like the clone wars line of stuff, but will have to see what comes and whether I plan on buying much of that.  EU/PT is always a crapshoot for me as I'm less inclined that way but I still buy the stuff.  OT stuff is usually a given for me, especially filling out Cantina and Jabba's palace stuff.  But repacks for the most part are a pass. 

Ships, playsets, etc. are an easy pass as are many of the sublines like Galactic Heroes, Unleashed and whatever else may come out.  I'm not suggesting they're bad products, I've just no interest or have lost interest in them is all. The ships themselves are great, but eat too much space. 

And I've always been too diverse with too many lines going on, so scaling back has been going on for a while now, at the same time as I pick up more crap elsewhere

[CHEWIE]

Just wondering... for those of you running out of space, what do you do with the older figures that have new sculpts? 

For instance, how many of you replace these -



With these -

[jedi_master_sal]

I still have all of my old crap. I'd like to sell it off, but my fiancee wants me to keep it for "posterity." That being said, I also know they won't garner much on the secondary market, so they aren't worth my time to try and sell. I'll never just pitch them out though.

Unfortunately you can't easily donate these either as organizations want NEW stuff rather than "recycled" toys.

So I just have to bear with storing them away.

[Oboewan]

Hmm.... idear just popped into the ol' noggin here.   You can just create your own evolution displays... line up all releases of a certain figure from Vintage to TAC and beyond!   I think I've just put all my POTF2 stuff in a plastic box in the closet at the moment.

[CHEWIE]

My old stuff usually goes towards custom fodder or I give them to kids.

[Morgbug]

I keep the original POTF2 stuff.  It looks horrible relative to new stuff, so I pick up the newer versions but it's so cheesy as to be neo-modern vintage in nature.  It's when I started collecting so I'm happy to keep it.  I'll thin some intermediary POTF2 and later stuff out when I get it all on display to find I have 47 farmboy Luke's around, but the original He-Man style POTF2 stuff stays regardless. 

[Desfiy]

Well like I said I dont collect the old stuff (old stuff I mean before TSC, now saying that I am after a few rare items from SAGA but thats it and a Yoda from the VOTC line), I dont mean Vintage (thats a completely different thing).

So I only collect the new stuff so my point is I dont have the problem you guys have of do I get the new sculpt even though I already have this one, I dont have it so my choice is simple I get it if it looks good, if it looks totally pathetic then I dont touch it, I dont have a General Lando Calarissian in my collection or a Bespin Lando Calarissian not because I couldnt get one far from it, its the fact is that I didn't like the sculpt on it, so I am choose about what I pick up.

I dont need to buy every figure when I see it, I look for the best bargain possible, and buy the cheapest when possible, if it means I have to wait a year or two before I get that figure then I wait a year or two I know eventually I will get it.

So theres no biggie to me, this year I have picked up every figure I wanted and havent really spent that much, in reality compared to how much I have spent in the past when I first started out collecting the very first time when I needed every figure there and then, and damn the rent, food and electricity because I wanted the figure.

Now I have this collecting craze under control and I get more enjoyment out of it, getting figures when I want to get them not the other way round.

[evenflow]

I am very much considering dropping the galactic heroes. After hearing the rumors of so many new sets, it may just be time to end it. I am happy with what we have and really do not see the need for many more. I think that if they release an Amanaman i would pick that up but other than that i think i am done with them.

[Nicklab]

I saw a number of army builders today.  Namely the 7th Legion Clones and Rebel Vanguards.  And I passed.  It used to be that I would scoop up all of them, and build some substantial armies.  Now, I'll get them when I can.

And I also saw the Mighty Muggs for the first time today.  I think they're pretty cool.  But am I going to get them?  That's unclear right now.

[Pete_Fett]

I already cut back to a degree this year - I don't pick up any more than four of any army builder to open. So at most I get 5 (one MOC, four openers) of any one figure. With all of the re-releases and re-paints, I might drop my army builders down to only 3 (one MOC, 2 to open) of each. I know my wife would be happy with that choice.

As far as next year goes, I love it when Hasbro spends resources on stuff like the Might Muggs - they are an EASY pass for me.

If I'm not impressed with the Droid Factory stuff, I'm probably going to be able to drop things down to only picking up 2 (one MOC, one opener) of each non-army builder. But like this year with the coins, if I want two of each wave's BAF then I'm going to maintain my current level of 3 (one MOC, two openers) of each figure. Getting 3 of every figure might even push me towards only getting 3 of each army builder too.

[Darth_Ice]

Just wondering... for those of you running out of space, what do you do with the older figures that have new sculpts? 

For instance, how many of you replace these -


I actually found a POTF Han at my Local TRUS! What is strange is that store opened about 8 years ago, far past the time where someone could have stashed the figure. I think someone donated it to the Toys for Tots, they had an event going on today.
With these -