JediDefender.com Forums
Community => Watto's Junk Yard => Topic started by: Brian on July 28, 2005, 01:14 PM
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This can deal with Star Wars in particular, or overall collecting interests...so I thought it might be best here. I've noticed lately with many of us here on the forums that it seems like there has been a lot of thinning out of collections, selling off items, general "need to keep things in check" type of comments, and even some people dropping various collecting lines. Some of it might be the movies ending, some of it might be many of us reaching the age or point in life where we don't have the money or space for it, or maybe interests have just shifted. I've noticed that some people have moved away from "toys" into higher end stuff, which is an area I'd like to get into someday...if I ever have any money ;). Have any of you just gotten to the point where you are looking at everything and thinking "wow, that's a lot of
crap stuff"? Do you have to buy stuff and then put it right into storage, hoping to put it out some day? What are your plans for your future collecting?
I know for me, I've really been trying to keep things more in check. There are a number of areas (both SW and non-SW) that I'm interested in collecting, but to be honest, I just don't have the budget for it overall. Plus, the space. I've been able, for the most part so far, to display the majority of my Star Wars collection...but some of that, as well as other interests have already had to stay packed away. I think I'll always be collecting Star Wars in some fashion, and will probably be with the 3 3/4" line until the end...unless it really gets to be all repacks or stuff I don't need/care about. Outside of Star Wars, I've tried to limit it to one other area of interest (currently collecting anyways, I have other "past" lines)...and usually in a smaller buying scale compared to Star Wars. With some minor exceptions, I've been able to do that (Marvel/DC Superheroes...or "Superheroes" to have it as one category :P). Anyways, I'm rambling on now, but is anyone else scaling back (or thinking about it), limiting their various "lines", giving up things altogether, or just keep on plugging along? I guess lucky for Star Wars collectors (or collectors in general) there are so many lines out there now, in so many different price areas, that you can really alter what you want to collect and make it fit your budget and interests. Just curious what my fellow collectors have been thinking lately.
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The ARC-170 is what finally motivated me to "cull the wheat from the chaff" so to speak. I love the ship, but I was running out of room so rapidly once ROTS hit, that this one huge toy was the breaking point. Some things just had to go.
A lot of it stemmed from me picking stuff up without thinking it through first (I'm still trying to figure out why I bought the Gungan Assault Cannon from Episode I), but some of it involved things that had since been duplicated/bettered in the line (the POTF2 X-Wing and Landspeeder, for example). I decided that from ROTS on, I was only going to concentrate on things that were in the films (and/or the Clone Wars cartoon) in the 4" and Unleashed lines, the occasional Boba Fett and/or Slave I item, and everything else must go.
The problem I've run into is as a single guy living in a small apartment, I don't have a lot of room for this stuff. Hence the vast majority of my collection (mainly vehicles and playsets) are housed in my childhood bedroom a few hours away. That kind of sucks, since I have all this cool stuff and I can't even look at it all that often. :-\
I went through something similar about four years ago when I sold the vast majority of my complete SW Lego collection on the RS forums. I just remember looking at it, and saying, "Why do I have all this stuff?" and getting rid of it practically overnight. I'm sure I made a lot of people happy, and that's all that really matters to me. Frankly, I'd rather give the stuff away to someone who really wants/needs/can use it than to try to get some money out of it.
But yeah, with the increasing length of the line overall, I just felt like it was time to concentrate on what really interests me and not what I think is cool at any given moment.
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"Why do I have all this stuff?"
A question that comes up about once/twice a year for me. Usually, I choose a few things to cull out and sell and that usually gives me a bit more cash to spend on new things and a bit more space to display it all.
I think the only real "mass exodus" of product I had was shortly after the launch of Episode 1 when I realized there was no way on earth I could keep up with everything - either financially or spatially. That's when I nerfed everything except for the 3.75" stuff - I got rid of everything else: bend-ems, 12", action fleet, etc).
Recently, in preparation of Episode 3 junk, I sold off a bunch of my excess army builders. I kinda realized that while 50 Stormtroopers looks cool, I didn't really need that many and could get by with 12. Same thing with the rest of the Army figs, culled them from 20-100 each to about 2-6 each (clones, Gungans, Droids, etc.).
I also culled out and sold off most of my "repeat" ships - having one Yellow Jedi Starfighter is OK, I don't need the Red, the Green, the Blue, etc. I convinced myself it's OK to only have 1 Gunship and not the other 2 paint variants, and the same goes for A-Wings or X-Wings, etc etc etc. From here on out, I'm only going to pick up a re-hash vehicle if it includes a tempting enough pack-in figure.
With both sales, I made some cash that I rolled into buying more Ep3 stuff and it also freed up a lot of room in the closet (ships) and the shelves (army builders).
Right now, I'm currently overhauling my "Star Wars" room - adding some shelving and re-organizing a bit now that RotS is in a cool-down phase. Hopefully, when all is said and done with the re-org, I'll be happy with what I have and can skip the "Why do I have all this stuff?" that I normally have in the fall. ;)
Jeff
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I can relate.
My problem stems in regret. Everytime I sell something, I wish I hadn't. Case in point, non animated CW items.
I sold the complete set and then came to the realization that I liked half the line (bonus clone troopers, 3 packs, Durge, etc.)
So then I end up buying half of the crap back (at more expensive prices, mind you).
I guess in the end, I'm just better off taking the stuff I'm "iffy" about and throwing them in the closet or in a box and letting my son have the **** when I'm dead and buried.
He can either sell the assload of toys or reminisce about his great old man by keeping it!
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I've been pretty selective about what I buy. There's usually 1 or 2 figures in every wave, that I just don't think has a nice likeness, or good sculpt, and I just leave it on the pegs. For the first 2 years maybe 1995-97 I was a complete carded collector, and a complete loose collector. Now my focus has shifted. I buy some main characters, but I do not buy every R2D2, Luke, and 3P0 that comes out. I do not need 25 loose R2's. Do I need that 30th sculpt of Darth Vader? Don't think so. I do not need Greedo's 4th reissue. I am an army builder. Troopers, warriors, aliens, I have as many as 150 of certain army builders. I am not into silver, hologram, lava, and exclusive figures at all, never have been, never will be. I'd say I currently buy 75% of the figures Hasbro releases: massive armies, very little ********.
I also collect baseball cards. Currently I'm building the 2005 Bowman set including the complete set, and all jersey, bat, autograph, and throwback cards. Now there is a challenge.
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I keep myself in check (barely) by only collecting certain lines.
I keep it to just Regular Basic figures/vehicles, Unleashed, Lego, and 12"
But I buy multiples of lots of that stuff - everything in and out of the package (sans vehicles/boxed stuff) and so on. It makes for a very crowded room.
I desperately want to collect movie/horror figures - but have no space for it whatsoever.
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Awww, it's just like old times.
Posts by ruiner, Dressel and Zod - right in a row.
A tear has been shed.
:'(
*******.
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I cut vehicles and Deluxe down to me buying only what I enjoy...
Where I've accumulated "too much stuff" the most though is customizing fodder... Bins, upon bins, upon bins... Plastic bits and pieces... sprues/trees that held model parts on them... keys from dead keyboards... bits and pieces of cheap toys/playsets... shells/pieces from vintage Star Wars and GIJoes stuff... a bin of duplicates and triplicates (or more) of various modern SW figures... It's unreal.
My other area of "too much stuff" is 1:18 planes. I'm just not as into them as armor and stuff, but the sheer lack of armor and stuff drove me to buy planes that I ultimately don't want... Well I do want them, but I have absolutely nowhere to store/disaply them. THey're awkward, BIG, and just cumbersome items. If I thought I'd get my $ back (or better) I'd sell them I think... I know like my P-38 isn't terribly valuable though, nor the Winter Stuka... Impulse buys biting me in the ass I guess.
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Awww, it's just like old times.
Posts by ruiner, Dressel and Zod - right in a row.
A tear has been shed.
:'(
*******.
Ha ha, not as many exclamation points or parroting from I Like Yoda though :D
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Thoughts?
I find myself asking this same question every time I walk down into the collection room I haven't worked on in awhile. It's in a perpetual state of "someday". Sometimes I just see it as a bunch of wasted money sitting in a big pile.
Sometimes (and I feel really guilty about this) I look at it and think "I should just sell this crap and give up this hobby".
I buy the stuff because I envision opening it and setting it up but then I only open a few choice figures and I leave the rest in their Target bags waiting to be opened. It's been like this ever since I moved. I haven't been opening anything really. When I do, it feels like a chore.
The only line I seem to be opening immediately is my Gentle Giant stuff. Sometimes I think I'll stop collecting everything else, but I really LIKE the figures. Or at least the idea of them.
Hmmmmm.
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I'm in the 'Someday' mode, too. It's starting to get to me. I have WAY too much now, more than my little space can handle, and even my patience, really. I was at Target yesterday looking at all this new stuff, Evolutions and so on, and I thought, "I don't have anywhere to put it." So I left it all. I'd never done that before.
I'm pretty much limited to figures and the one or two deluxes/ships/etc. that I really like, like the Wookie Flyer. I'm planning to try and organize it all here soon, but I've done that before. ::)
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It works out nicely for me, since I'm just revving into full gear as others are cutting back, so I've been able to pick up older stuff for cheap--such as catching up on items I wanted long ago but couldn't afford and/or find.
I live at home with my parents (hey I'm 19, cut me some slack :P) so space is an issue. I already have SW crap strewn all over the house and it's only getting worse. Although I'm almost exclusively an opener, some of my recent acquisitions are staying in package for the near future, since I'm out of display shelf space if I did open them. :(
I don't recall ever selling or giving away any of my collection. Being a non-completist, I choose my purchases pretty carefully, and thus I don't have to regret lots of impulse purchases. Although I do have plenty of times when I step back to look at the big picture and go, "What the [expletive] am I doing this for??"
I've barely dabbled in other lines (2 Armies of Middle-earth guys, 1 Planet of the Apes ape, 1 Star Trek Klingon, 1 Predator, eagerly eyeing the upcoming Narnia toys, etc.) due to lack of space and not even being able to keep up with my SW wants.
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I've always told myself that I have too much stuff (not just SW, but much of my collectibles). I really think that when I get a place of my own, some of the misc. junk I have needs to go or I'll have very little room left to live in. But as relating to SW, I don't show many signs of slowing down, though money will be an issue eventually ...
:-\
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A timely question for me, Brian.
I'm at the point where I'm in my usual post-movie/anti-Hasbro funk. Up in Canada we start to see the end of product arriving locally around this time post movie. That fosters a bit of the funk but this time around it seems more directly coupled with the Hasbro rehashorama. Granted there are some really neat items coming out, but their collective mentality seems to be lacking. Regardless that ends up with me questioning why I have all this crap, what to do about it, should I buy more?
This is compounded by the fact we are currently (well, we've paid, but construction hasn't begun) building a new house. My Star Wars room will be in the basement, but we've been advised by the builder and the flooring people to leave the basement for a year before finishing it to let the moisture come out of the concrete (anyone know if this is a load of crap?). That means I'm looking at around 18 months with my collection stored. More importantly, I'm buying stuff just to box it up. That's a combination of depressing and seemingly pointless, considering most things drop in price these days after a period of time.
I guess I've pared down the collection quite a bit: I'm largely out of McFarlane stuff (though the NBA legends were really cool) for the most part - I can't think of anything I want to buy now that I have Khabibulin. I'll probably unload a little more of that stuff as well, but on the bright side hockey is back so interest in the figures should go up some as well.
A lot of Jeff's ideas are hitting home right now and I may start paring down the Hasbro side of things. I've been shifting to higher end stuff like Master Replicas, Gentle Giant and Kubricks for a while now. They tend to take more space to display, but they also have a little more classy feel to them. While that's true, there's a bit of arrogance in that statement and I should clarify I really love the 3 3/4" scale. But again, so frustrating for so many reasons - difficulty keeping up, regrettable purchases (anything Jar Jar for example), questionable Hasbro mentality.
Probably the most interesting aspect though is the collectors challenge. Not that I think that was an especially great idea, but it certainly has been informative. The sheer volume of money I've spent in the last 18 months is fairly mindboggling. I can think of so many other places where that money would provide a better return, some more interesting stuff, trips for the family on an annual basis rather than every other year. I really shouldn't be spending that much money, to put it as bluntly as possible. Part of that can be addressed by spending smarter (eg. Kubrick master case and sell spares or buy entire set on ebay) but most of it should be addressed by simply spending less. I think to some degree I'm reaching that point. I'm trying to get less of stuff. I'm trying to not have so many multiples of figures (though I guiltily admit I've been bad with army builders again). I'm reducing the numbers of lines I've been collecting (aren't those DC Direct figures cool ::)). I'm sort of failing in a somewhat miserable fashion, but I am trying.
I think for Star Wars the end of the movies will reduce significantly my expenditures on this stuff. I always knew I'd stick it out through the prequels. I don't think any TV series' or other stuff can really change the downturn I'm facing in collecting. I just don't think that I can sustain this economically (well, I can, but it isn't prudent).
Space is something I haven't addressed really. I had a room, that was probably big enough and I should have a room again that will be about 12x13, so plenty big. But between posters, 600 action figures, cardboard displays, busts, helmets, sabers and ships, it may not be enough. But I know I'm not getting more either ;) I think I have a pretty good handle on what I want for the near future (~1 year) so it should be manageable. I just think I'll have to get rid of some more stuff to make more room. :-\
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All I do is go to stores and report what I find, these days. I never buy to keep anymore, just to send to others who can't get there all the time. :-\
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Yeah, I really don't know what to do with my stuff. I would like to clear out some space. But like others have said I will regret selling it. Then I think about just opening a whole bunch of carded stuff for more space. But my wife and other friends think it's stupid to open them. I should sell them if I want to open them is their cry. Well I don't want to sell that badly. So, it just sits in a box someplace and I get to take them out everyone once in a rare while when the wife is gone. LOL!
I will most likely just continue to get figures that interest me and maybe open them or not. One day when I did my family can sell the stuff or pitch it or whatever.
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I realize that I, too, have to start being more selective in what I buy. I am packing up to move and almost every tote I go through, I think WTF?? Did I really need twenty-two star wars toothbrushes?? :-\
I could cry to think how much food I wasted (not to mention cash) just to get every fast food premium item from '99 (more than one in almost all cases) plus baggies, boxes, posters, window clings....I think I was insane.
All of this has to come with me to Ohio for now but once I start to unpack there, most of that stuff will need to find a new home. The killer in all this is we need to find a house that has a finished "great room" so I can display everything I am keeping like the way I have it now.
I think my husband needs a medal of some sort in all this...maybe I'll give him that nice shiny gold one from Master Replica ;).
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If I got rid of my carded collection, I'd be golden, methinks. I used to have everything seperated out by line (even the McFarlane figures) but to save space, I packed most everything together. Vintage and modern MOTU reside in the same tote, as does vintage and modern GI Joe. LOTR takes up two totes. ML and McFarlane are in a couple of other totes as well, carefully packed so they don't break just sitting there.
The vehicles from SW, GI Joe, and MOTU are stored in about four totes, but there's also the Hasbro sabers and guns, disassembled Unleashed, 12", and stuff like that packed with them.
What I need is to find a better way to store my loose SW figures. I have like ten small plastic sweaterboxes (at least that's what it says on the side) seperated out thusly: The movies, Stormtroopers, Clones, smaller weapons/accessories, and large accessories. I do want to keep these seperated by film, so I think I'll just get some bigger boxes for those.
If I parted with the carded stuff, I'd have a lot more room, but I busted my ass to get some of those figures, so I'm not sure I'm willing to part with them. I know I'd get a pretty penny for the half-moon LOTR stuff though. Most of it's from the TTT segment, which seems to the most popular on ebay.
Since most of this isn't on display, I don't have to worry that much. It will come into consideration when I buy a house about displaying this. At this point there's just too much to display it all, even if you had a mansion, and if you did, it's unlikely you'd choose to decorate it with little plastic toys.
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Without getting ito great detail, I'm in the same boat as a lot of you guys. 10 years worth of plastic adds up. I'm actuall starting to reach the limit, so even I'm interessted to see how it turns out.
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A few months ago I realised that the spare room which held my 500 or so modern MOCs was starting to look really stupid. The generic nature of the cards meant I found it so hard to focus on any particular item. And basically I had no more space for the endless lines. The final straw was the ROTS line which I HATE carded. So my collection has been pretty much cut down to next to nothing...although I’m aware that an outsider would still call it excessive ;)
Currently I have:
30 vintage Palitoy MOCs, mostly ROTJ and TL but all c8+ with clear bubbles. This is my main line of collecting and makes me feel like I’m seven years old again.
The 12 VOTC figures carded.
Holo ROTS Yoda carded.
15 AFA-graded modern figures...I love the cases. Some variations and the odd exclusive such as Silver Vader and Sacul.
25 HTF modern figures from Ep1 to Saga
60 loose figures from the modern lines, mostly OT but also nearly all the clones released in recent years. I display these in a glass cabinet.
I don't regret dumping completism because I was keeping so many of my figures for the wrong reasons. I looked at each item individually to decide if I still wanted it. I know that feelings can change but to be honest, I've had pretty much every figure carded and loose since 1999 and I've had plenty of time to decide which items I actually want in my collection.
I've also gone off my LOTR figures so they might be the next to go!
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I do collect SW's figures but I don't really have that big of a collection, yet. Plus, got to have money!!! I collect snow globes mostly and I am running out of room. I have soooo much stuff in general that I've had to pack most of it in the closet until I can get a cabinet to put them in. I love to display my stuff for everybody who comes to my house to see and I can't wait to be able to do that. :) Soon, I hope!
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When we redid our basement, all of my stuff went in to semi permanent storage
Earlier this year I probably had around 16-18 Rubbermaid Totes full of stuff consiting mainly of:
Simpsons (3 tubs)
Other Figures (1 tub)
M.A.S.K. (2 tubs)
LOTR (1 tub)
Marvel (1 tub)
Kubricks and Minimates (1 tub)
Star Wars Vehicles, Beasts and Playsets (2 Tubs)
Star Wars Loose 3-3/4 Figures (5 tubs)
Plus one of those Kitchen Pantry Things full of Carded/Boxed stuff and a few shelves full of similar
I think I've succesfully got it down to around 13 tubs...
I'm not sure what I'll do with everything yet. I've been thinking of selling the Simpsons, I've been thinking of selling the M.A.S.K. and I've also thought about selling large portions of the 3-3/4 stuff. Who really needs 18 Darth Vaders? Who needs 13 Luke X-Wing pilots for customs I'll never get to do?
I know I could use the money for our new house. I know our new house will probably not have all of the hidden storage spots that the old one seemed to have
Of the stuff I have sold, say last year, for the most part it was turned right back around for new stuff. Lately, I haven't done that, its been going to our bank account and I feel a lot more satisfied by doing that.
So, long story short, I think I've finally started to kick the habit a little. And its a good thing to me. I think I'll collect the 3-3/4" stuff until the cows come home. But I think the idea of buying vehicles and beasts and other stuff has long been extinguished. So has completionism for the most part.
If my kids dig the Sesame Street Line (I still haven't opened the Grover I got yet)...I think I'll get into that. Marvel Legends and LOTR isn't really doing it for me too much anymore. Simpsons is dead.
All of the nagging and complaining from my wife probably finally got to me, plus the accident and everything that has happened this year. Its been a time of much soul searching and reflection and I feel good doing what I have been doing.
The only real downside to thinning the herd is the time involved in doing so. It takes so much dang time to sell stuff around the boards and on eBay. I hate doing it...but I'm also starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel :P
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Let me know if you are going to part with that MASK stuff. I'd be interested in some/all of it depending on how much/what you have.
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Can do Jayson ;)
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Any boxed MASK stuff?
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Yeah, nothing sealed though, but I do have quite a few boxes
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It seems like we've had a few people here getting to the point where there was just too much stuff, and are either changing focuses, getting out altogether, or at least considering where they want to go from here with their collections. I have been fortunate enough to have the majority of my stuff displayed in our office (Star Wars, Marvel, DC, handful of LOTR/misc stuff), but I'm getting to the point now where its feeling too "full" in there. I'm considering what to maybe stop collecting, what to pack up, or maybe even what to sell. I'm considering packing up things like the Burger King Toys, Prequel Trilogy vehicles (or many of them), and maybe chucking some more of the packaging/boxes I've kept (which is a whole other issue). It kind of bothers me to have stuff and not be displaying it, but at the same time I like the neater display look where it isn't quite so overwhelming - and also envy some of you who have been able to cut back or even get out. I think I'll always collect the Star Wars 3 3/4" figures in some capacity, and there are other interests as well (Spider-Man, some comic stuff), but I'm starting to reconsider what is really going to be displayed in here. I don't need our little office to be puking toys :P. Anyways, just curious if anyone else has changed up their display, their collecting, or just thinking about options for the future. The Star Wars collecting has been a long ride, and a lot of stuff - it seems like sooner or later, unless you are someone like Sansweet, you're going to run out of space for things.
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I've been on a major "stuff" purge lately. Not necessarily collections -- just "stuff". With everything that's happened in the past year or so, especially the past few weeks with Shannon, I feel the need to clear out the clutter in my life. The easiest way to accomplish that is to get rid of the excess stuff we really don't need and to pass it on. It feels really good, actually. Even the four year old keeps bringing me his things that he wants to "give to the kids from the hurricane".
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I would love to quit collecting certain products but either cant determine what to stop or when I do quit/sell stuff I end up buying the stuff back at a higher price :-[ I gave up army building about a year ago when financially we were strapped and I got laid off. Then I found a much better job with more disposable income and have concentrated on nothing but catching back up on my army building figs. This time I only army build droids, imperials, rebels and clones. Before it was everything. But with no room available to display at the moment I am looking at boxes upon boxes of loose army builders ??? I had to have them but dont know where to put them. Its a never ending problem we all have. I would like to cut back on my carded figs too but since most are complete numbered runs, I would hate to break them up. But at over 600 MOC figs I really dont have the space to continue or should continue.
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I've been on a major "stuff" purge lately. Not necessarily collections -- just "stuff". With everything that's happened in the past year or so, especially the past few weeks with Shannon, I feel the need to clear out the clutter in my life. The easiest way to accomplish that is to get rid of the excess stuff we really don't need and to pass it on. It feels really good, actually. Even the four year old keeps bringing me his things that he wants to "give to the kids from the hurricane".
I've been having a similar change in attitude towards the crap I've accumulated in my life over the past several years, and have been working to shed a lot of it since I still refer to it as "my burden" as opposed to "my cool stuff". That includes old video games, laserdiscs, arcade games, electronics, and box upon box of random collectibles that aren't Star Wars related. I feel the need to be free from the less-than-important material goods in my life, of those things I no longer have sentimental or functional use for. It's a major task but with each thing I get rid of I seem to feel better. It's very liberating.
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I think I've finally reached the point of "Too Much Stuff". I recently aquired approximatley 60 or so SPAWN figures and sets, and once I've moved all 3 massive boxs in to my bedroom, I had little to spare. Fast forward to yesterday when I moved my computer from the office in to my bedroom as well.
Much to crowded.
Kevin
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I've reached critical mass as well, so a good 30-35% of my DVD library has made its way to eBay. Partially to fund my new HDTV, and somewhat because I just feel I had too many movies, a lot of which I could just rent for free, and some which don't merit owning.
Feels good to have empty rack space, should that "must have" movie come along.
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I reached this point several months ago but was too overwhelmed to do anything about it. Over the past two years, I've thinned out my collection, mainly Saga figures as I had been collecting every basic carded figure from 1995 onward. I had chosen to sell different pieces here and there and just make a little cash to fund more figures.
Then, my wife and I bought a house. I thought great, now I'll have the room I need. But as I was boxing the stuff up for the move, I started asking myself, why the hell do I have all of this. I don't really want it and it is just taking up a ton of space and doesn't do anything for me. I decided once we got moved, most of the collection was headed to eBay. I had over 80 clones and decided to keep about 20 and sell the rest. I'm also getting rid of most of the modern part of my Han Solo focus.
I have sold ships, 3 packs, custom figures, lots of loose figures, unleashed, and a number of other things. I have cut back to where my entire collection fits on one wall of my study. I still need to relist a few things that didn't sell in round one on eBay but that will happen when I return from vacation. I decided I would continue my vintage Han Solo focus and that would really be all I needed from SW. I'm also working on building BBI/Dragon military figures because these hold a special place in my heart...some of you know what I mean by saying that.
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Yep, add me to the list of "Too Much Stuff", way too much. I'm in the process of moving & it's just an overload. I have been collecting since mid 60's, lots of stuff I don't want to let some stuff go but it has to be done. Model kits that I will never build, books, magazines, comics etc...
Modern SW stuff, yep thinning it down big time. Just keeping what I really want. :-X
Nice to be part of the yearly toy show here, sure can pruge alot of stuff & what does not sell goes to the auction block. ;D
Man, a person can acumilate alot of stuff over the years... oy! :-\
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Moving is bad news. I packed it all up and continue to buy exclusively to put things in boxes. Went through everything last week and currently have a sizable pile for sale over at snowtroopers.
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I hit that "way too much" point a long time ago. I ended up selling a good bulk of my collection, partly from frustration but mostly because of space. I got a little sick of buying a figure only to have a "better" version be released a year or two later. I also couldn't keep up with all of the lines that I was interested in at that point so I kind of gave up on most of them. As time has gone on and I've become "wiser in my ways" so to speak with my collecting. I find my interests shifting more towards "collectibles" rather than just "toys". I'm really into the GG stuff now and have picked up the SS 12" line because of the quality they provide. I'll also pick up a Kotobukiya figure on occasion as well. I'm still really into the 3 3/4" line but try to pick and choose for the most part because I know they'll most likely be a better version show up sometime down the line. I did put this train of thought on hold briefly though because I really like they way the figures look in the new TSC packaging. I guess the cycle never ends completely....
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I have way too much stuff as well. The stuff I have on display has been "quarantined", in terms of growth, for now, but there's still a bunch of junk in boxes/Rubbermaids in my closet. Mainly old Lego sets, the Falcon, and old toys from when I was younger (Spider Man, Batman, Power Rangers, etc.). I'm seriously considering selling all the old stuff off for cheap. It's all "valuable" stuff, but it's all open and in played with condition. So I guess we'll have to see what happens.
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I pruned my carded collection, getting rid of every pre-Freeze Frame carded figure I had since Hasbro has updated all of those many times over. Next, I'm considering getting rid of the rest of the figures that have better, updated versions. I'll probably open and keep all the army builders.
I'd like to get rid of everything except the OTC/06 Saga and VOTC stuff, but I actually find myself unable to part with most POTJ, TPM, and 02-04 Saga figures. Weird.
I want to get rid of most of my old Toyfares. I suppose I could just chuck those in a recycling bin and be done with them.
Other than that, the collection still gets bigger, but not at the pace it did a couple years ago.
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My Star Wars room has been a room full of boxes since I moved into my new house in April.
This weekend, my wife and I decided to change that. First, she suggested we paint it, so we moved every box out of there. It took up half my living room and half my rec room, as well as two closets. When the painting is done, I still need to put up shelves before I can move the boxes back in there and start unpacking.
Even then, I look at these boxes and know there is NO way I can fit everything in that one room. I'm going to have to rotate displays, and store the stuff that's not on display somewhere (I don't know where yet).
I may have to sell some of this.....or get very creative about how I show it off. I'm out of room, big time.
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I'm in the same boat...although I'm not getting rid of anything. I'm just about moved in with my fiance and pretty much all the collection is in rubbermaid bins in the basement. She's a little shocked by how much stuff is in my collection. :D
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I've been continuing to give this some thought, as it looks like I'm going to have to really focus in on cutting back on things overall (when collecting, comics, and DVDs are all considered). I have been reading up/looking at the beginning years of the POTF2 line, because I wasn't really actively collecting then, and it seems like if the line was similar to that in regards to releases - it would make things easier. Of course, things can't be exactly that way anymore - because at the time it was the first modern versions of all of the characters, and they were only drawing from the OT movies. I just see how those years consisted anywhere from 12-30 figures per year, a handful of deluxe and vehicles/beasts, and that about covered things. The collecting budget could definitely handle more. I can see how many people started off with a carded and loose collection, when there is only 12 figures at first (and not knowing what is coming beyond that), its easier to keep up. Plus, there wasn't so many "games in town" so to speak, with all the different companies and lines - particularly higher end lines - like there is now.
When I first started back in collecting (vintage at first), I started by buying loose POTF2 figures - starting with the main guys. Then I started picking a few up at retail, and then buying some Episode I figures when the movie came out. The first time I got deeper into a line overall was with the POTJ line, which I collected almost in its entirety. Granted, I skipped a few figures and vehicles along the way, but I was basically able to get by on about an average of $30 a month for a collecting budget. Since then, things have ballooned not only with Star Wars but picking up other collectibles along the way. Now I try to keep it under $100. I know my wife didn't say a word about my spending when it was $30/month, but it comes up a lot more often now :). I can't say I don't agree though, because when I look at what I spend for a year (or month), it seems crazy at times. I think that's part of things too, I sort of miss the simpler times. I don't have to buy anything, but its nice when there isn't quite as much out there to tempt you :). Not that I'm complaining about all the nice product, but I'd be lying if I said there wasn't a part of me that liked the less cluttered, less releases, cheaper and simpler times.
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I basically feel the same as I did in my last post on here (last year), but I've started thinking about this lately. As much as I really still enjoy collecting, it is really becoming difficult to find the space for things (not to mention the budget). I still, at times, long for days like the POTF2 time where there weren't nearly as many figures/vehicles/etc. released in a year. Again, not that I have to buy anything, but if there was less to tempt, it would help a lot.
I realized the other day that with the last few things that I've picked up/ordered, I think I would have already had more figures than I did as a kid. Within the past couple weeks I've gotten the Battle of Hoth Ultimate BP, the Mando/Elite Forces sets from EE, and a few single carded figures as well (not to mention the exclusives and figures coming up). With a few sets, its already more figures than I ever had as a kid. Its funny how things change. I could probably stand to have the simpler outlook I did as a kid :). Anyways, I'm really getting to the point where I'm going to have to stop collecting some things - or pack some more stuff away. I've gotten away with having to pack fairly little away, aside from figures that have since been improved upon and a few vehicles from the prequels. Having a look at some of the collections on here that have a toned down, streamlined and clean look, it kind of makes me envious in some ways. Its always the same problem for me, too much stuff - not enough space. Of course, it didn't help any when I branched off of Star Wars into even more lines (Marvel Legends, LOTR, GI Joe, DC, etc.) That definitely doesn't aid in the whole space (or budget) issue.
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I could probably stand to have the simpler outlook I did as a kid :).
Truer words have never been spoken. When I was a kid, there was the Kenner line and that's it. Now I'm collecting numerous lines, maybe even nearing double digits (I don't want to think too hard about it).
Ah well, I always tell my wife I could spend my money on booze or crack instead, then I don't feel so bad. ;)
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You do spend it on booze ???
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I'm going thru the pain of this as well. I already have a whole room downstairs dedicated to SW, but it has overflowed into the rest of the downstairs as well. Serious point of contention between me and the Mrs. I would have a little more space if I didn't have Transformers and Marvel Legends in there, but I bet these take up less than 5% of my room. :-\
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It's an affliction that a lot SW collectors have in common: the plastic disease. It's the uncontrollable compulsion and urge to purchase anything stamped with a Star Wars logo. It leads to rooms filled with Star Wars crap someone probably wouldn't have bought if they were sober. I mean, is there really a need to pick up a dozen versions of Darth Vader? And Chewie? Did he ever change costumes throughout the trilogy?! And is there really a need to pick up figures of characters that had a nano-second of screen time? Limits, people. Limits. And control.
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meh....It's really sad when you buy a new figure, or a wave of new figures for that matter and just stick them in a box and send them off to storage to make room for the next batch of crap. Rinse...wash...repeat. That's been how I've been collecting SW toys since ROTS simply because I don't have room for any one line in my current living situation. All of these Target exclusives really just put me over the top this year - obviously the huge BP's don't help here.
I've been a carded/boxed collector since 01 up until halfway through Legends. All of these variations just really starting questioning my collecting habits. I'm on the fence about opening everything and selling half/most of my collection or just stopping all together and maybe picking this line up again in a few more years down the road. Mind you I also have Transformers, Robotech, M.A.S.K., GI Joe, and McFarlane stuff but most of those are all loose except for my Spawn/Matrix stuff.
Limits, people. Limits. And control.
Easier said than done with OCD my friend. :-\
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Just bumping up this old topic again. I got to thinking about this more again after finding the large winged TIE fighter at TRU over the weekend. I was happy to get this vehicle, as I had to pass on it on previous releases, and I think it will look nice alongside the new Falcon, and the larger scaled X-Wing (and other ships). I got it home and took it into our office/collection room and simply didn't have anywhere for it to go. It is going to lead to another re-arranging or packing away project, which seems to be more prevalent lately. For the most part, I've always been able to have pretty much everything on display - but that's starting to change after years of buying this stuff. I kind of hate the idea of just having things packed away in boxes, but it seems like many of us here have to do just that. I'm at that crossroads again of wondering what I should do. Getting more display space isn't likely (I'm probably lucky to have the room that I do), and things are getting maxed out in here. I've always liked the more clean/uncluttered look to a collection, and I'm getting further away from that all the time.
The obvious solution is "buy less crap dummy", but sometimes that's easier said that done. Star Wars would be bad enough, but I've branched out into other lines over the years as well. It seems like that happens to many (most?) of us, and I'm impressed with those who can stick to one area (or even better, one line). Right now, in our office, I have various figures from Star Wars, Marvel Legends, DCUC, Indiana Jones, G.I. Joe, a couple Transformers, LOTR, 7" Unleashed, and other various items (SW glasses, GH, etc.) That's a bit crazy I suppose. Honestly, I think the vehicles take up the most room, but I really like those as well. I've thought about going OT only (at least with vehicles), but I don't know if I could part with some of the PT ones I really like (Gunship, ARC 170, Jedi Starfighters). Not to mention the neat stuff coming up with CW (AT-TE, V-19, etc.)
Anyways, I guess its the same ole situation, but sometimes it feels good to vent to those who understand. I sometimes think to non-collectors, the simple solution is "get rid of it and stop buying stuff", but its not always that easy it seems. Has the sheer amount of stuff (and how long the lines have gone on) brought you to avoid larger items, get rid of large chunks of your collections, or just packing most of it away at this point? The item I'm looking forward to more than anything for a long time, the BMF Falcon, is on the way and I have no idea where I will put it. Something has got to change, but its hard to know what to do. I'm just curious what some others have done, or are considering doing, at this point. Why should toys be this difficult to pack up and get rid of anyways :P?
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I was a carded completist for alot of years. Buy em. Put em away, a la the Raiders ending. Then after buying the 57th version of Darth Vader or Cantina Han Solo I realized that it wasn't fun anymore just to buy something for the sake of buying it. So, once the wife and I moved to a bigger place and had a large area to display everything, I made a decision to only collect certain things. I am a huge Clone Wars and EU fan, so I basically said that's all I will collect. Some Episode 2 and 3 figures, and the occasional OT figure. I sold the rest and now only buy certain era figures. And you know what? I'm alot happier now. The main thing to remember is to buy what you like and what you want. Not for the sake of buying it, but because you like it. If you are a completist, then by all means continue to do so. Collect for fun is the best motto I can say....
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i completely understand where your coming from. my collection is spread across 2 states, some in storage, some at parents house, and the more current stuff in my current place. lol.
In the past year i went complete opener after years of keeping everything carded. Also i try to not buy any multiple sculpts, and I'm even trying to cut down on picking up anymore main characters, Luke, r2, etc. Later this month i will be taking a trip to storage and will be sorting through my carded collection. Most of it i figure will be sold or traded.
I collect the basic line, the mighty muggs, sideshow 12", The GG Animated statues, and now the indy line. I've been tempted to start the marvel muggs, but i just remember how much stuff is coming at the end of July. I'll be picking up the at-te for sure as well as the animated clone war figures.
the BMF Falcon has me thinking about unloading my saga one from a few years ago. although I'm sure alot of people will be doing that so I'm not sure it will be worth it. lol.
I think the real trick is to try to collect what you enjoy the most without feeling like you have to be a completest. like said in previous posts "Easier said than done" :)
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Problem? What problem?
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v643/Morgbug/P1010962.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v643/Morgbug/P1010963.jpg)
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Mine's better....I have live tropical fish.
(http://www.jedidefender.com/hosted/minnesota/mikespace_old.jpg)
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The same damn shuttle box in both pics. What're the odds? :D
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The same damn shuttle box in both pics. What're the odds? :D
It must be fate :-*
I'll get some updated pics posted soon and that should really scare some of you into downsizing your collections. :-\
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Problem? What problem?
(http://www.sullivanclinton.com/gallery/albums/album04/Raiders_Of_The_Lost_Ark_Government_Warehouse2.jpg)
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Mine's better....I have live tropical fish.
(http://www.jedidefender.com/hosted/minnesota/mikespace_old.jpg)
In my quirky own way, I think a bunch of boxed SW toys ouzing out of storage unit is as impressive as a nicely displayed collection inside a hobby room. Imagine all the numerous cool toys in that unit! Toy heaven! Looks like you're running out of room, what are you going to do next? Don't forget to feed the fish. ;)
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:o
Wow.
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Wow! You guys take credit card debt to a whole new level! :o
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Yeah, I definitely don't have that much stuff either - and unfortunately we don't really have the basement set up to allow for that type of storage either (that would help). Plus, the day we rent a storage locker for my collection would probably be the day the Mrs. kicked me out. And, as to other comments, I'm not a completist - but its more a situation of just lots of
crap stuff building up over the years of collecting. Plus, like I said, it branched out from Star Wars to other areas as well. Trying to have it all out on display, in a somewhat medium to smaller sized room, it just makes it more difficult. Its going to be time to either (1) pack more away or (2) thin the herd and sell some stuff. I'm always envious of the collection displays around here that are nice and neat looking, and organized, and I want mine to look that way as well. The more stuff that is in there, the more difficult it gets to do that.
On a side note, our daughter is just about 11 months old now, so she's getting into everything. That's leading to a number of things taking a dive off of the bookshelves. I keep telling my wife that's why I need display cases for all of it, but I haven't quite sold that idea yet :P. I don't mind her messing with the stuff that isn't too small for her or breakable, but it is hard to keep things safe and nice looking.
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Wow! You guys take credit card debt to a whole new level! :o
Fairly presumptive of you. Zero credit card debt, but thanks for asking. ::)
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Wow! You guys take credit card debt to a whole new level! :o
Fairly presumptive of you. Zero credit card debt, but thanks for asking. ::)
Zero on my end :)
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Wow! You guys take credit card debt to a whole new level! :o
Fairly presumptive of you. Zero credit card debt, but thanks for asking. ::)
Zero on my end :)
That's the way it should be. But, I have a feeling that most don't live that way.
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I haven't been buying as much, partly because my DH does complain about it, and partly because it's very expensive and I feel that Hasbro has jerked us collectors around so much over the years.
Also, I'm frustrated, because when we bought this house in January, 2004, the large family room was supposed to be my Star Wars room. Four and a half years later, the tile is still stacked up in the corner, the walls are ripped down to the studs, my husband is using it as a workshop to complete a large project for a client, and his cat (the one that wants to kill me, plus he has feline leukemia so he can't be around our other cats) lives out there permanently now. So, I can't even go into my room to look at the toys that are boxed up out there. The dining room, bedroom and bedroom are filled with SW stuff. Our office, living room, bathroom and the cats' room all have SW stuff in there was well, so there's no room for anything else.
So anyway, the combination makes me think twice before buying anything new right now (although I still manage to pick up at least one toy or collectible a week, I think).
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my husband is using it as a workshop to complete a large project for a client, and his cat (the one that wants to kill me, plus he has feline leukemia so he can't be around our other cats) lives out there permanently now. So, I can't even go into my room to look at the toys that are boxed up out there.
I'd say - get rid of the cat. :)
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I'd say - get rid of the cat. :)
I'm not sure if that will work. ;) :D
The Cat Came Back (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNyqXsv4Ueo)
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That was great! Have you ever seen the Muppets version?
Muppets - the Cat Came Back (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Kj1Fsf9a2U)
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It's funny, I started this topic originally back in 2005, now we're closing in on 11years later and it is still an issue. I've been taking some time this week to actually find space for the Force Awakens stuff I've bought and it has me evaluating things again. I have actually been doing better lately with actually getting rid of stuff, selling off between 100 and 150 figures from various lines on eBay, but there is still a space crunch. Add to that the no end in sight situation of the movies, and it will continue to be an issue. I've narrowed a number of lines down ( done with things like Joe and He-Man), but added things like the 6" Black Series and the occasional LEGO set.
It can be tough because I'm not the type who likes to just have stuff in totes/bins, because I figure if it is sitting there, I just as well sell it. Also, I like the more "clean" look for display, which gets tough when you are displaying 100s of figures, plus vehicles and all that. Anyways, does anyone else have this struggle, or are you cutting back or stopping with a number of lines or areas of interest?
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Just out of curiosity, how well have the figures been selling on ebay? Did you get MSRP on them? I have thinking about selling my carded figures since they have been sitting in totes for years and years. I just figured I could probably never break even on them.
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Bumping up another oldie here. We were going through our garage this weekend and trying to condense/clean things out and this subject kind of came to the forefront again. One side of the garage is totes of our daughter’s old toys (she will be 13 next month), and the other is basically filled with totes of my stuff that I don’t have displayed. Now, I’ve gone through over the past 5-10 years and sold of quite a bit, but I’ve also continued buying in that time as well.
At this point I basically have at least a handful of figures (or in some cases, much more) from the following properties:
Star Wars
Marvel
DC
Masters of the Universe
GI Joe
Transformers
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
LEGO
Lord of the Rings
Not to mention the one or two off type things there as well. We had a Funko POP phase in our house, still some of those about. I have a couple Playmobil things (Ghostbusters Ecto 1 and DeLorean), and all of my prequel/CW/sequel vehicles and beasts are out there too.
I guess what I’m saying is.....still too much stuff! I really do enjoy it,but still struggle with how much is really enough of it all. Branching into 6” didn’t help things either, and as usual, focusing in on one franchise would help immensely. I think I’m going to be doing another purge here, but this one might have to be a bit deeper. I keep waiting for that “some day” when I’ll have this huge collecting area, but I know that isn’t coming. Anyone else still fighting the “stuff/junk” battle?
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We bought a new house a year ago. I chose the "nicer but slightly smaller" room than I had before. I also had to accept the dream giant toy display room is never coming. I sold some stuff when packing. I sold some stuff when unpacking. I keep purging more. And still not gonna have room. Then I have days long struggles to purge a few other things which makes almost no dent in it. That struggle then gives me no motivation to actually work on toy room as half the stuff I do needs to be redone as I realize it's not efficient enough, etc. I feel your pain.
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I'm with you. I have a huge storage room in the basement of my house that I've converted to a "Star Wars Room." I dabbled in a variety of other lines (Marvel, Transformers, etc), but the room is packed. That wouldn't be so bad, but I have another bedroom in the basement that I use as a staging area for inventory, opening packages, eventually selling and its crammed as well. Wish I could take a 2 week vacation from all responsibility and just move through it all.
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This seems to be a recurring story!
I've got a room in my basement dedicated to the collection. I've also got my tools and workbench in there. That's eventually going to be my prep area before stuff goes on the shelves. And I got the shelves up along with a lot of stuff on them. Plus I've got some tables set up for the bigger set pieces. But I still need to buy more brackets and shelves to full realize the space the way that I've envisioned it.
But like so many others, I'm dealing with LOTS and LOTS of boxes. They're in my collection room as well as my garage. The majority of it is Star Wars. Beyond that? There's some Marvel figures (3.75" and 6"), McFarlane Sports Picks, ToyBiz Lord Of The Rings, some Anime things (mostly Robotech / Macross) and some vintage GI Joe ARAH, Transformers, Super Powers, Secret Wars, etc. Over the past 3 years I've put a decent dent in selling things off. A lot of extras, things I didn't even look at, etc. I've made a pretty sizable dent in it. But the process of getting stuff catalogued, photographed and listed for sale takes time. And then you need to keep all of that organized and handy enough to ship out in a timely fashion when it sells. That being said, I still have more boxes in the collection room and not enough shelves on the walls to really get to displaying things in earnest.
For me it's about time - things with work and my personal life take precedence. And there's also the process of purging old household stuff just to have some room to work and get organized. I had been hoping to use my off days for that purpose this summer. But with COVID ruining a lot of people's plans, like day camp for the kiddo, I have to rethink my plans. This project is just going to take longer than expected.
And hopefully at some point THIS YEAR I want to be able to display my Sail Barge at last!