JediDefender.com Forums
Community => Watto's Junk Yard => Topic started by: Brian on August 12, 2003, 03:34 PM
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I wasn't sure if this belonged here or in the Other Toy section, or even in the Saga section....but it kind of covers a number of lines. My question deals with the packaging...boxes, cards, etc. Do you keep it? If so, do you keep it all, some of it, only certain lines...or why do you (or do you not) keep it? Personally, I have kept the majority of my packaging....card backs (only ones that have different backs), no bubbles, ship and beast boxes (but flattened)...but, I'm not exactly sure why I keep them. Until we are able to move to a different house, my wife and I are kind of running out of space to even display my collection, let alone keep the packages. I suppose I should just throw them all away, not much reason to keep them, but for some reason I just don't. What do you do with your packaging? Just curious to see some thoughts and opinions. Thanks :).
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I usually just throw away the package because I have no room for it. Then again I'm mostly a carded collector so I have a very little amount of things to open (300 figures around).
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I keep cardbacks for some reason as well as inserts, bubbles go in the trash...so do ship boxes and the like I just can't keep it all. I like looking through the card abcks from time to time...
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The carded collection obviously keeps the packaging... :P
But for the loose collection, I keep everything except the bubbles. I slice the bubble off with a knife, and hang on to the cardback and the insert. I even go so far as to remove any stickers (like: "Lightsaber Slashing Action") from the bubbles first, and then stick them onto the front of the card that I'm keeping. Yeah - I've got issues alright... ::)
So if it's clear plastic, it goes. Anything other than that goes into my loose card or loose insert collection! 8)
I did the exact same thing (fortunately) as a little kid with the vintage line. I still have ALL of the original cardbacks, sans bubbles. Unfortunately, I hacked off those UPCs on most of them, which detracts from their nice look just a bit... But hell, it got me cool FREE stuff, right?! :-*
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I keep everything except the bubbles. No need to keep those, but I have tons of cardbacks all over the place.
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For the Muppet line I keep all card backs because each one has info on that Muppet. Other lines I keep one card per wave if it can be used as a checklist. I also keep any cards that have instructions or that are a necessary visual guide on assembling the figure (tech armor Batman for example)
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I dont know why I keep the garbage, but it's all in my closet. :-\
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I keep cardbacks, inserts, ship boxes, playset boxes, and 12" boxes. Much like OCB, I enjoy looking through various cardbacks (whenever the mood strikes).
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Thanks for the comments so far everyone, glad to hear I'm not the only one who keeps this stuff. That's the main reason I keep it as well, just to look through them from time to time...from the Saga line I've always kept those bubble inserts as well, just thinking they could be used for a display or something too. I don't know, we've got the room now, so I guess I'll keep everything until we don't :).
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from SW I save the little insert pictures from characters I like, and of course the JMP. I also save the cardbacks so I know what accessories come with what whenever I will have to pack stuff up to move in the future. 12" Boxes I keep because I have a feeling one of these days I might repack them to display them incase I run out of shelf space...
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The only things that I've been able to throw away so far have been the cardboard inserts from the non-window box vehicle boxes, if that makes any sense. I've only thrown those away so I could flatten the boxes.
But everything else, I've kept. Cardbacks, bubbles, etc. I don't know why. I wish I could bring myself to throw all that junk away, because that's what it is--junk--but I just can't. I just can't throw anything that has a Star Wars logo plastered on it in the trash, for some reason.
Maybe I'll try and start with the bubbles. They're taking up a bunch of room.
And, then again, maybe not.
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I started saving packaging back in the day when Kenner had mail away premiums. Never knowing when or how many proofs of purchase I'd need, I kept all my cardbacks and some of the boxes.
I've been keeping the packaging ever since out of habit. But since my recent move into a new home, I'm seriously re-evaluating this practice and considering breaking with tradition. While keeping some packaging did make it safer to move my toys, it was infinitely more tedious to repackage them for the trip.
Most likely, when I have an opportunity to unpack, I'll keep the blasted Jedi Master Points and throw everything else away. My wife will be thrilled and hopefully I'll have discovered a way to have toys AND some extra space again.
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I keep the inserts, trash the bubbles, and card backs. For Boxs I cut out the JMP's, and ditch the rest. No room in...my...room.
Kevin
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I keep the figure cardbacks the rest I throw away. I use to keep all vehicle and beast boxes then one day I just tossed them. I have no use for them as an open collector.
I know a guy here in Indy he opens all his stuff but keeps every bit of packaging. I have no idea why but he does. It fills a big area of his garage.
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I used to keep all that stuff, especially the cardbacks. It just got to bothersome and it took alot of space to store that stuff. Being a loose collector, if I really like the packaging on a certain figure, I'll just buy a duplicate to keep carded.
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Resurrecting an old topic/question of mine. Have any of you changed your stance with packaging, or does it continue to pile up in your rooms, closets, etc. I've been trying to re-assess things with the large amount of ROTS/Star Wars product coming up in the next few months, and figuring out if I should/could get rid of anything. I don't keep all packaging, but a fair amount. I'm primarily a loose collector, but usually end up keeping all cardbacks that are different (without bubbles), and often flatten and keep the vehicle/beast/etc. boxes as well. I've tried not to let this trickle over into anything else I've picked up from other lines, although I do have most of my Marvel Legends cardbacks. Like I mentioned before, I'm not really sure why I keep it, but I do. For example, here are some of the things I have stored away in closets or rubbermaid tubs:
Basic Figure Cardbacks - No bubbles (cut them off with exacto knife), purged the POTF2, Episode I, and POTJ cards for the most part, but kept some samples of each. I think I have most, if not all, of my Saga, OTC, Clone Wars, and other recent cardbacks. I haven't thrown anything away from the preview wave figures I've picked up. I also keep the inserts when applicable.
Galactic Heroes Cardbacks - Not sure why I've kept these, other than I liked the look of the packaging to start with. I have them all, and just recently got rid of the bubbles. I do keep the inserts from these as well, for the artwork.
Unleashed - Same here basically, keeping the cardbacks and inserts. I think these are some of the cardbacks I will always keep, due to the nice artwork on each one. I had always intended to use the cardbacks as a backdrop behind the individual figures, once I got them set up how I wanted, but that hasn't happened yet. I'd likely keep these if I kept any.
Ships/Beasts - I have most of these boxes flattened out and stores together in one big bunch in a basement closet. My wife hates them and would very much see them go to the dumpster. It might be heading that way, because I never "get them out" to look at them, or do anything else with them.
Most everything else is along the same lines. If they are different from one another (meaning either the fronts are character/wave specific, or the backs have different "other figures" pictured, I usually end up keeping the cardbacks. I have thrown out all bubbles from the cards, and keep the inserts. I keep the vehicle boxes, and figure out a way to flatten them all. Those seem to take up the most room, and I don't know for sure why I keep them, I guess I think I'll want them someday. Anyways, does anyone else have this "problem"? If you collect loose, do you keep the "crap" anyways? :)
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I only keep the basic Star Wars figure cards and inserts. I throw away everything else from this line and any other line I collect.
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Aha! So it's NOT just me! :)
For orange POTF2, Shadows of the Empire, and some of the green card POTF2, I cut out those photo/bio/stat card things (I've still got a Ziploc of them) and chucked the packing. (I was 10 - 12 at the time.)
Starting somewhere in green POTF2 I got a little more "serious" as a collector and started saving the stuff. I keep the cards and bubbles (though occasionally disassociated from one another), the inserts, the boxes, and the majority of the trays. But I don't necessarily keep all of the tape and twisties and things (who do ya think I am--Colman? :P).
I rationalize it by telling myself I may someday want to put the figures back in for storage or moving or .... ?? Mostly it's because I can't bear to part with it, and by now some of the older ones like green POTF2 have acquired a nostalgic value of their own in my eyes.
At one point the Jedi Master points were another factor, but more and more it looks like those will never get used. :'(
Side note: since I can't shake the feeling this whole SW action figure hobby is almost over* I'm toying with the idea of collecting one carded figure from each line (orange, SOTE, Episode I, OTC and so on) for archival purposes. If I was going all the way I'd want a few carded vintage as well, but not on my budget!
In order to have a continuous theme, I figured I'd get one Obi-Wan from every line. Not every Obi-Wan in each line, mind you, but simply one on orange card, one from Saga, etc.
The only snag is that there's no Obi-Wan in the SOTE line. One possibility is to substitute Dash Rendar, since if you squint he looks vaguely like a young Obi-Wan. ;) Still mulling that one over.
*(sure it'll hobble along for a few or several more years, but it's on its way out, and I see this immense ROTS blitz as a "see how much we can milk the collectors before the end" last gasp)
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Of the figures I've opened over the years (mostly from the SAGA line), I've kept the cards, inserts, and still have the boxes from the 2 vehicles I've got. I've always had this habit though and have quite a collection of cards from most other toy lines I've collected.
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A new year...starting fresh....has anyone else been giving more thought to any packaging or extra "junk" you've been keeping around? I come back to this topic a lot, but with the deluge of ROTS stuff last year, it just added to the problem, and I'm thinking about doing something again. Last time I purged the packaging stuff, I just kept cardbacks that were "different" from each other, which ended up being all of them with the more recent lines (ROTS, Saga, OTC). The other stuff (POTF2, POTJ, Episode I) has pretty much been junked except for a few here and there. Now I've got a big rubbermaid (well, 1 1/2 really) full of what amounts to a bunch of cardboard. My wife asks me why I keep it, and I ask myself the same thing, and I guess I'm not entirely sure. I do like to be able to go and look at them sometimes, but I'm not sure if it is worth the space that it takes up. Space is definitely becoming an issue with the actual collection, and I could be utilizing the "cardboard space" better. Have any of you just junked it all, do you keep specific ones, or do you still keep everything? I'm trying to decide what to do next, and was curious what some of you have decided over the years.
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I've been collecting loose and carded figures and had been keeping the packaging from the loose figures I opened. Then I said: "Self, you're being a dumbass. Throw it out. If you want to look at it, grab your carded figure."
Now obviously, not everyone is as lucky stupid obsessive to have a loose and carded set, but I realized that most cards are just plain boring when there's no figure attached to them. So to the garbage it goes.
Although, I sure wish I'd been smart enough to cut my Unleashed packaging carefully and kept it. The art on those cards is amazing -- if they ever release a poster, I'll be buying one.
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Although, I sure wish I'd been smart enough to cut my Unleashed packaging carefully and kept it. The art on those cards is amazing -- if they ever release a poster, I'll be buying one.
Excellent point Jesse, that is one set of cardbacks that I'll definitely be keeping. I was trying to figure out a way to display them together, because they just look so nice. I'd like to see a poster form of these too...nice idea.
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Has anyone changed their stance on keeping packaging or done any purging lately? I threw out some more packaging recently, but still have way more than I need. At this point, I have all the basic figure cardbacks from OTC to present, as well as the ship boxes (flattened) and a few other miscellaneous boxes. I really am not sure why I'm keeping them, again, and I'm starting to consider throwing more away. I think I'd like to keep the OTC/TSC, and definitely VOTC/VTSC, cardbacks - but beyond that I'm not sure at this point. Do I really need the box from Obi-Wan's starfighter? At this point I have a whole rubbermaid (and space behind it) filled with boxes, and it does seem a bit silly. I know my wife thinks I'm nuts to keep it :). Do any of you still keep the packaging, or maybe just a sample of each line? Do you keep the vehicle/misc. packaging? Obviously if you are a carded collector, you have that, but I don't really collect that way - outside of a carded Han/Chewie set and the VOTC/VTSC figures - so I'm considering whether I really need to keep the cardbacks or not.
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I keep packaging, but I know I shouldn't. I also know that it has to do with the fact that I wanted to keep all my SW boxes back in '78, tried, but lost out to my Parent's who got rid of most of them.
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I toss all the figure packaging. Actually, I recycle it all, plastic separated from cardboard. Anything that came in a box has its box kept though.
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I have been feverishly working on my Star Wars room for the last couple of weeks. I was determined to get it done.
I opened hundreds and hundreds of figures, ended up being three 90 gallon recycling bins and probably 20 plastic hefty bags of packaging that I have to store in my garage and send out to the garbage man over the next few weeks. One of my friends who lives in a condo has a big dumpster, so he took 5 or 10 bags there for me.
The only boxes I saved were Gentle Giant, just in case I ever move. I also saved Koto and Sideshow, but I think I'll eventually recycle those too.
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For the Muppet line I keep all card backs because each one has info on that Muppet. Other lines I keep one card per wave if it can be used as a checklist. I also keep any cards that have instructions or that are a necessary visual guide on assembling the figure (tech armor Batman for example)
This is the route I go. I keep cardbacks that contain bios (Muppets, TNA Wrestling), checklists (Jakks WWE or Marvel Legends since Canadian carding lacks the bio), or handy visuals/instructions.
I do have some packaging I've kept because it looked cool or for some reason that only made sense at the time.
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Just bringing this up again as the closet in our office fills with more boxes. I tend to just keep the cardbacks from the figures, which isnt' too tough to store, but I have also kept some boxes and flattened them out (from vehicles/etc.). This year, it seems like so many of the boxed products have nice backdrops in there that can almost be used in display. However, I don't have the room to display them right now, so in a pile they go. For example, I used the interior from the box from the Rogue 2 snowspeeder to display it in, and it works pretty well. I still have the Dagobah X-wing boxed up, but would like to open that up as well, and hopefully use the interior of that. However, in the closet I have the empty boxes from the Tusken/Bantha BP, the Tantive IV BP, the Ilum BP, and the Imperial Officers set. I guess I just kept them thinking I might use the backdrop (or in the Officers set, the makeshift table). Does anyone else do this, or do you just trash these things? It would probably be better for me to throw the majority of them away, but for some reason I just haven't done that yet.
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I bin all the plastic and the cardboard is shredded and goes into the compost bin.
Very occasionally I have kept a backdrop for photo purposes. Cantina bar and the Sandcrawler backdrop are two that I can think of....
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I used to keep all that stuff. Now i am actually in a bit of a dilemma. I am trying to find a nice display case for the statues and dont know what to do with those boxes. Any advice?
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Storage for the boxes is tough - I just started collecting GG Mini Busts and they're stacking up quick. I've got them all crammed into the top shelves of my closet, but pretty soon I'm looking to make space for them up above our bathroom where the A/C compressor is.
As for card backs and all that junk, I saved them for the first 11 years I collected. I had a huge box full of them. Last year I recycled them all and never regretted it one bit. Nowadays I recycle as much of it as I can and trash the rest.
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I was going through the rubbermaid bins recently, and thought about this again. My wife likes me to keep all of my "crap" in one room, our office. So, in the closet, I have two rubbermaid bins beneath some shelves holding vehicles right now - one has miscellaneous loose figures that have been retired from the displays, and other stuff like that. The other rubbermaid holds basically packaging. Cardbacks, a few boxes (evolutions boxes and some others), and a few other things. What has been taking up the majority of the room in there though is the VOTC/VTSC clamshells (the tape sealed ones) from the ones I opened up. I like to keep these, thinking it might save me the trouble of picking up Star Cases should I ever want to use any for the few carded figures I keep. Does anyone else keep these? If so, how do you store them? I'm thinking about getting permission to stash them elsewhere in the house, because they take up a lot of room. Do you throw these away, or keep them, or re-use them in any way? Man, so much crap :).
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can you stack the clams like the star case?. i had to use my guest house to keep my newer stuff. my vintage is the only thing i keep in the house. my advise buy another house and live there, just visit the wife every night to handle "business".
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I'm an opener. But, IF I ever find any TAC I may keep the carback. There probably the best packaging Hasbro has ever done. I also like how big the bubble is, reminds me of the days when I collected Palisades stuff.
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Tonight I was moving some stuff around and ended up unpacking more of my Star Wars things. I was opening some Sideshow statues, and yes...saving the boxes.
These boxes take up HUGE amounts of room, but because these items are worth hundreds each, it seems like I should totally save the box. If I move, it seems like the best way to protect the piece, sorta like the Gentle Giant stuff.
Anything made by Hasbro though, boxes go right into the recycling.
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I am so glad I am not the only one that keeps holding on to this packaging crap... I was thinking I had issues. Well I suppose I might, but if enough people have the same issue its just normal then... :P
I just made a post last night over at RS seeing if anyone wanted all my empty packages before I recycle them... (running out room...they gotta go...)
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Cardboard from Hasbro stuff: recycled.
Plastic from Hasbro stuff: recycled.
If it's inexpensive, the peripheral junk gets tossed.
Boxes from busts, maquettes, sabers, statues: stored. Like Rob's issue with the GG stuff, this eats up an absolute ton of space.
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I was listening to a podcast earlier this week (Star Wars Action News) and they were discussing the "keeping of boxes/packaging/junk" issue as well. I don't keep nearly all of it, and don't have a lot of the "higher end" stuff that many people here do (I can see why people would keep that), but at times it does seem silly to be keeping all of this stuff. I have a couple GG mini bust boxes, as well as the 12" Sideshow Han box, and some other miscellaneous boxes that I have packed away (in another box) and now stored in our garage (the Mrs. doesn't like it taking up space in the house, which I can understand). Then, in our office/collection room I have a rubbermaid that is basically packed full of cardbacks, a few boxes (evolutions), and a few miscellaneous things (Order 66 plastic cases). Then I have a number of vehicle/battle pack boxes flattened out and behind the rubbermaids. I did get rid of a number of cardbacks awhile back, and mainly have ones from the OTC/VOTC, TSC, and this year's TAC line. I do like to look at them sometimes, and figure that is why I keep them (to check them out in the future). Anyways, does anyone still keep their packaging stuff, or are you getting rid of more all the time?
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Just this weekend I rearranged all those gentle giant boxes - I spent 20 minutes up in my crawlspace moving them all to the back corner - as far out of the way as possible, but there if I ever need them.
Everything else still gets tossed though.
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Ah, updated thread. I updated my packaging too last year. I had kept boxes and boxes of carefully stacked empties in my attic, but finally just tossed them all in a dumpster. I saved a few in one box, and now I'm just keeping the backing and inserts like a lot of you guys. I slice the bubble off and get rid of the plastic. These cardbacks take up relatively room so its not that much of a hassle. I have them now in a few 10 x 13 envelopes. I imagine it would be easy to keep these in clear sleeves in a binder.
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I don't keep any packaging from figures except the cardbacks from the 'vintage' style figures (VOTC, VTSC). I do however keep all of the boxes for the ships and various higher end pieces for transportation/storage (2 Sideshow statues, 4 Gentle Giant Busts, 3 400% Kubricks, 3 Medicom RAH figures, etc).
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I keep all of my vasic and deluxe figure card backs, dating back to the POTF2 line. I have doubles of some - anything beyond 2-3 though and I toss them out. I also save the interior packaging from things like the Battle Packs or Cinema Scenes, but threw away all of their boxes about a year ago. I would love to have kept them, but I doubt I would ever use them for anything and space is at a premium for me, just like everyone else.
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One of the things I've started to (stupidly) hang onto are some of the battlepack "backgrounds". I haven't used any of them for anything, but I guess I think I will someday. That might be something that should just be tossed out though. I have kept some things from vehicles as well (Zev's Snowspeeder, Dagobah X-Wing, etc.), and some of those don't look too bad.
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One of the things I've started to (stupidly) hang onto are some of the battlepack "backgrounds". I haven't used any of them for anything, but I guess I think I will someday. That might be something that should just be tossed out though. I have kept some things from vehicles as well (Zev's Snowspeeder, Dagobah X-Wing, etc.), and some of those don't look too bad.
I'm holding on to the backgrounds from ships, BPs, Cinema Scenes, etc. as well, but I should probably just toss them. I've used a few for diorammas, but 95% of them are collecting dust. :-\
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I've been sorting through rubbermaid bins lately, both looking for stuff to sell off and also just condensing things down, and I really have kept/keep a lot of "crap". It seems you almost forgot what you have stored away until you look through things again. Anyways, I did toss a lot of inserts/backgrounds/cardbacks, but still hung onto more than I probably should have. Basically the same question as earlier, but do any of you (thinking of openers I guess) still keep any portions of the packaging? I think I'd always keep the cardbacks from the OTC/VOTC line, as I really liked those, but I also currently have stuff from the current line(s) that are out - depending on the time. I keep the inserts too right now (from the most recent line at the time), but I'm not entirely sure why. With all of the photo reference available online these days, I've often thought about just keeping a carded figure or two from each line and jetting the rest of the cardboard/paper stuff. I know it drives my wife crazy that I have a storage bin full of essentially "trash", and it does seem silly at times.
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I've been sorting through rubbermaid bins lately, both looking for stuff to sell off and also just condensing things down, and I really have kept/keep a lot of "crap". It seems you almost forgot what you have stored away until you look through things again. Anyways, I did toss a lot of inserts/backgrounds/cardbacks, but still hung onto more than I probably should have. Basically the same question as earlier, but do any of you (thinking of openers I guess) still keep any portions of the packaging? I think I'd always keep the cardbacks from the OTC/VOTC line, as I really liked those, but I also currently have stuff from the current line(s) that are out - depending on the time. I keep the inserts too right now (from the most recent line at the time), but I'm not entirely sure why. With all of the photo reference available online these days, I've often thought about just keeping a carded figure or two from each line and jetting the rest of the cardboard/paper stuff. I know it drives my wife crazy that I have a storage bin full of essentially "trash", and it does seem silly at times.
All I can say to this is DITTO.
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At one point I used to keep the cardbacks for very special figures (which, to me, were any of the VOTC, VTSC, and TAC, plus one CW '03 Asajj Ventress card), but, for a reason I cannot fathom, I threw them away! All of them! Dammit.
These days now I keep the inserts, but that's only sometimes - mainly for mail-away promotions. Other than that, I just throw the cards away.
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I keep all cardbacks and inserts.
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So do I. ;D
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I try to keep one of each cardback and the insert if there's anything cool there. With releases like OTC it was basically just a UPC, so I tossed them.
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I try to keep one of each cardback and the insert if there's anything cool there. With releases like OTC it was basically just a UPC, so I tossed them.
So you keep the cardbacks and inserts for your loose collection? I thought you had one of everything carded as well ???
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My wife hates the fact that I keep any of that "trash" in the house (and in some ways, it does seem ridiculous), but I do a big purge about once a year as well. I'll likely always keep the VOTC/VTSC and upcoming Vintage Collection cardbacks - and right now have the OTC ones as well - but otherwise I usually just keep a sample or two of each and purge the rest. I often keep the "current" ones while I"m collecting the line (for example, I have the red cardbacks from Legacy and CW, but will likely purge those now that the new lines are starting again), but then clear them out once the next line comes about.
I have kept the boxes (flattened or downsized) from a number of vehicles, beasts, etc. (particularly OT ones), which take up a lot of room. I need to go through those again too. Aside from the vintage-esque stuff, which is sort of nostalgic since I don't have the packages from when I was a kid, I don't know that there really is a point for me to be keeping this stuff, as it is essentially trash. I used to keep all the inserts and that as well, but those have been getting purged too. Actually, I sort of prefer when they don't have inserts (like the vintage line).
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I spent time this week (over several days really) sorting through all the boxes, cardbacks, inserts, etc. that I've kept since I started collecting....and ended up pitching about 3/4 of it. As I looked at a lot of it, I was asking myself "why am I keeping this?". Sure, it is nice to dig out and look at once in awhile, but all that stuff is online these days anyways. Plus, I think the only lines I have "nostalgia" for outside of the vintage stuff is maybe the POTF2 stuff from the beginning (and to some extent POTJ, one of my favorite lines). I was surprised how many vehicle boxes, Galactic Heroes boxes, inserts, etc. that I still had around, and felt kind of silly when it was all piled up in our basement as I went through it. In the end, I just ended up keeping things that held that nostalgic spirit (25th Joe stuff, VOTC/VTSC/TVC cardbacks, MOTU Classics), and a few of the new-ish stuff that I like (OTC cardbacks, Marvel Universe, and some DCUC and ML stuff). I try to have at least one example of each line from Star Wars, and my Han carded collection pretty much covers that. Man, it was a lot of "trash" though.