Are you a "closet" Star Wars fan or collector?

[JediMAC]

I ran this question by another board a while back, but I figured I'd find out where all my fellow JD'ers stand on the subject...  

So how many of you haven't exactly "outted" yourselves as a die-hard Star Wars fan and/or collector to some or all of the people that you know (friends, family, co-workers, etc.)?

As for me, my family and in-laws are pretty well aware of my obsessive compulsive Star Wars disorder, but really only my wife is fully aware of how insanely large the collecting portion of that disorder truly runs.  I'd hide it from her too if I could just figure out how, but those dang storage bills and ever-growing stacks of boxes in our house just give it away every time!

I've only let a couple of my very closest friends in on my "little secret", but still generally don't let them know the full extent of it.  Most of my friends really have no idea though.  That goes for most of my co-workers and various other acquaintances as well.  A few of them know there's a mild level of interest, but not total "fanboy" status and psycho collector by any means.  I've generally had the majority of my collection stored away due to lack of space to date, so no one's ever really seen it other than my wife.  I even told the great majority of people that I was going out to Indianapolis last April for a wedding, and not the C2 25th Anniversary SW convention.  

I guess I've always been one of those sports/beer/women/cars/tools kind of guys (please no sexist flaming  ), and rabid Star Wars fandom doesn't exactly fit in with my "persona" or crowd so much.  I assume many of you will probably tell me that I should have more self-confidence and to just be myself - Star Wars and all, or that my friends (or I) must be too shallow if they can't accept me for "the complete package" of who I am.  Perhaps you'd be right on both accounts to an extent.

What got me pondering this issue was that my wife and I are neck deep into our house hunting right now (as you've probably seen me ranting about), and in this future house I plan on finally unleashing the fury that is JediMAC's Star Wars collection (speaking in third person here, I know)!  I've been designing my lavish Star Wars room(s) for quite a while in my head, and now that it is finally going to happen (I think), I started wondering what I'm going to do when people come over to visit us...  Just lock up the Star Wars room, or completely "out" myself right then and there on the spot by giving them a peek into my alter-ego?

Hmm... I'm seriously leaning towards the "outting" of myself, solely because I don't think I could contain myself and not show off my collection after all of the time and hard work (and $) that I've put into attaining it, and the more hard work I'll be putting into setting it all up and displaying it (I'm thinking MUSEUM here).  I'm sure some of my friends might be pretty surprised to see the collection, but I know that it wouldn't really affect anything as far as our friendships go, when all is said and done.

Though I LOVE my Star Wars hobby/addiction, I guess it really just boils down to me feeling a little self-conscious about being a 32 year old man who collects toys, and a whole lot of them at that...

So how about you, what's your story? "Out", or "still in the closet"?

[Angry Ewok]

I'm openly a Star Wars fan... I don't where any shirts or anything but I do where the boxers ( ), I think my fans find it funny or even lame that I'm a fan, but I don't really care.

[JediMAC]

I think my fans find it funny or even lame that I'm a fan, but I don't really care.

Uh...  Your fans Brad?  You famous or something?  Do you have a Fan Club that I could sign up for too?!?   Will you be offering any cool Silver Edition figures of yourself to your Fan Club members?     Boy, I had no idea all this time that a had a celebrity collecting buddy...     Cool!

[Angry Ewok]

There's not an official Fan Club just yet, but I figure it won't be long before there's one or two...  

[Boba Binks]

Oh Hell! The entire internet world knows me so it is hard for me not to be in the closet. Funny! This goes not only for my Star Wars and toy collecting but in my real life too!  

Yes I do own some shirts but I do not wear them, just collect them.

But when I am asked by a stranger in public or whatnot like what are my hobbies, things I like to do, ect. I do not beat around the bush. I tell them the truth that yes, I do collect some action figures and toys and tell them about my life, what I do, ect. Most people are like WOW! COOL! but then there are a few who think that I am a geek. Well if it makes me a geek then I am proud to be a geek.  

[Chris]

I agree with you David. Star Wars collecting is my hobby and it makes me happy- that is all that is to it. I won't lie to anyone about it, there is no reason to. If you "don't like" me because I collect Star Wars or run this site (etc), that is your problem and makes me wonder about "you".

Everyone has their "thing"- whatever makes you happy.

[jadesfire]

Everyone knows all about my collection here.   My children (and my hubby) have had to suffer through each movie because I would be featured in the paper, on the local TV station & on the radio since it seems like even the smallest towns try to get caught up in all the hype and I am the only one who proclaims my "addiction".  I've had the Walmart greeters actually wait for me to come in so they could tell me that new stuff was stocked the previous night!  I guess in a small town it's hard to keep secrets anyways and since my license plate does say "Ms Jedi" the cats pretty much out of the bag.

Now if you ask my family...well, I know when a teacher makes any reference at all to star wars in any way, the entire class expects my kids to know the answer.  And my husband has taken a lot of good natured ribbing on tagging along with me to conventions and he's always asked if he's sleeping with Chewie yet (as if he'd ever let me put star wars bedding on the bed...I know my limits!! ).  Maybe they would have liked me to tone it down some but....

[Scott]

My family knows, some of my extended family knows and everyone who has come over to the new house in the past few months and has stepped down into my plastic display shrine always has the same reaction

"Oh my God Scott, I knew you were a fan but this is crazy"

And maybe it is a little crazy, well maybe a lot crazy but I really enjoy everything about this hobby and the people I have met and friends that I have made.  That part people don't see and I wish they could cause that's the best part about collecting.  For me at least

[Morgbug]

Matt, you big chicken.

Pretty much everyone I know, knows of my obsession.  Many except for a few, and the people at work, aren't quite aware of the extent.  None the less, all are aware I am a severe geek.  One guy thinks it's a complete waste of money, which is correct, but who cares, it makes me happy.  

Non-work friends have seen some of it.  The room is not currently in progress, but there's no hiding it.  From the helmet on the monitor (and playskool biker scout and Vader) to Ephant Mon on the printer to the unleashed on the bookshelf.  The Vader standup and the R2 on the floor plus the 150 open figures.  Can't really miss it if you come into the room.  

Work people are all too aware and get tremendously dissappointed I don't come dressed for Halloween.  For about 18 months now there have been 1-6 boxes showing up per week for me, so it would be silly to hide it.  But it isn't all that accepted.  They love my Simpsons stuff and go crazy when I put a new McFarlane goalie up, but the SW stuff is so so in terms of reactions.  A new guy started last year that loves star wars as well and I pretty much hooked him into collecting.  So far, just blue boxed stuff (SAGA) but I'm working on my padawan.  Good to have another geek around.  

Best man at my wedding has a six year old into McFarlane stuff and a four year old into Star Wars.  Uncle Brent is a pretty cool guy in their eyes.  He's my regular golfing buddy, so he knows I'm not totally nuts.  

I've been a collector forever.  From childhood with GI Joes through bottle caps to cards to comics to Star Wars and bugs, I collect, therefore I am.  

[Darth Kenobi]

All of my familiy knows about me being a collector but I think only a handfull know how much stuff I have in it.  My coworkers know that I'm a fan of the movies and I think a few have known about my collections.  I really don't care what people think about my hobby, some people collect beer bottles (why I don't know) while I collect star wars stuff.

[Mikey D]

[Stands up]

Hi, I'm Mikey D and I'm a Star Wars geek


The wife tolerates it and my immediate family knows (most, however, were surprised at how much I had when they came up for my wedding and I showed them.  And 95% of it is packed away in a closet.  All I did was slide the door open and their jaws dropped).  Most of my friends know but don't probably know the extent of it.  My co-workers know as I get my on-line orders delivered to work and have a few figures on my desk.

Now, if you saw me walking down the street, would you know I'm a fanatic.  Probably not.  I only wore the few T-shirts I own to opening nights of TPM and AOTC.  Its not that I'm trying to hide my hobby, I really feel Star Wars T-shirts is not appropriate dress apparel.  I don't know why I feel that way as I'll tell anyone who asks about my hobby and will be proud to show it off any chance I'll get, by T-shirts is a no no IMO.

Any you know the weird part, I won't wear a T-shirt but I will get a tatoo.  Think about that for a minute  

[MisterPL]

I'm out. Out out out. I have toys at work, including the framed "From Ackbar to Zuckuss" poster on my office wall.

As a Star Wars licensee, it's probably expected that I have a few knick-knacks around the office, but when people look at the poster and ask, "Do you have any of those figures?" and I reply, "Yes, all of them, and then some," you can smell the fear as they backpedal toward the door.

The only Star Wars related apparel I wear out is a denim jacket with the Lucasfilm Ltd. logo embossed on the back, a souvenir from a trip to The Ranch.

Every time a Star Wars movie comes out my wife gets sympathy cards from her family. She's great about the disorder though. We're looking for a house and she wants to make sure I have enough space to display - not store, display - my collection. The way she sees it, I could be spending our money on far worse things.

My friends know, my family even shops for me, and lately we've had quite a few people come off the street to see our apartment (which our landlord has up for sale) and their jaws drop as soon as they see "the studio." The only problem is that these civilians invariably tell my wife to sell it on eBay so we can move to Beverly Hills. Stupid civilians.  

Bottom line, it's a hobby. It's not model trains, it's not NASCAR, but it's just as much fun for me and there's no harm in it. So long as I'm providing for my family, there's no shame in it.

(And Matt, if you ever go to the Super Bowl, PLEASE don't tell anyone. Tell them you're going to a wedding or something instead. I'd hate for people to think you were one of those rowdy, naked, body-painting, armchair football fanatics who loots the streets whether your teams wins or not. )

[chuckles]

For the most part, I am out about my collection. My family knows about it and have seen it all displayed in one of our rooms at home. Most of my closer relatives know about it too, and many of them have seen the room also. They just stand there in the room with that expression of disbelief on their faces as they shake there heads and mutter "Oh..my...god". But they like it so it's all good.

Co-workers, that's a different story. No one here knows anything about it. I don't go around bringing it up in conversation but since no one has asked me anything about my hobbies either, I can't exactly be accused of hiding it or lieing about it either. But if asked, I'd "probably" tell them.  

[Reconsgt]

Well I am "out" as well. My family knows that I am a collector. They think its fine and don't really say much about it. The wife supports my collecting for the most part as long as all the bills are paid and she has money to do her thing. My co workers know I get into SW but I don't think they know the full extent of my collecting. They know that I also get into costuming and keep hinting for me to wear my armor for halloween. I may one of these years but I wouldn't feel to comfortable wearing it all day at work.

[Snively Bandar]

Mostly still in the closet for me.  My family has always known, and I had to ease my girlfriend into it ever so slowly when we first started dating a couple years ago, but she's fully in the know now.  But as for my friends and coworkers, I mostly don't say much about it in front of them.  Several of them know that I'm a fan of the movies (but not the true extent), but I think I've only shown the collecting habit just a smidgeon to one friend, and that's it so far.

I'm a little self conscious at my adult age too, I guess.  I think eventually most people will find out when I display more of my collection in the future, but for now I guess I haven't really outted myself much either.