See, now it's pieces like this that make me wish I didn't collect anything at all. Not because of the collecting aspect of the issue, but the fact that it turns every person on the boards into a complete and total *******. For whatever reason, nobody can accept how anybody else collects stuff, and it immediately becomes a total ****fest, especially over at Rebelscum, which is why I never go over to that hell hole anymore.
So I'm an avid completist, and I want EVERYTHING in a given line, and I consider this Sandtrooper to be a part of the overall bust line and therefore would like to obtain one. Big ******' deal! Why does that have to affect everyone else's life so dramatically? Some people view the piece as a "promo" or "gift" or whatever, while others see that it's got a 200 unit production run and is going to be available on eBay in small numbers eventually, so they feel it's "obtainable" and therefore part of the line. Why is that so completely insane and offensive? I don't freak out over the folks who don't consider it a part of the line. Hell, that's perfectly fine with me - it's their opinion. So why can't the converse of that work at all?
How many vintage Vlix figures are still in existence? Do you think there's vintage collectors out there that are upset their collections are incomplete 'cause they're still missing that little nugget? Sure. Not worth screaming and yelling at the guys because they feel that way. Yeah, not necessarily an apples to apples comparison there, but relatively speaking number wise, it's not that far off.
Just makes me seriously ill to see how intolerant so many people are of digesting others opinions and collecting habits. It's a personal thing, so different people see it different ways. Why can't folks just respect that, toss their viewpoint in, and just be done with it. Seeing the comments (over at RS) about hardcore completists being total idiots who should just get out of collecting is just asinine.
As for Mike and Phil showing off their Sandtrooper busts, I don't see any big deal to that at all. They run Star Wars collecting news sites, so they'd be remiss to just shove that beautiful piece under the rug to avoid upsetting anyone. I didn't take it at all that they were saying "I've got one and you don't, so nah, nah, nah, nah, nah!" Nor am I overly jealous of or feeling resentful towards them - just as jealous as I'd be for any other piece I'm missing from any of my collections. I don't get upset at Jared for showing me his Freeze Frame Weequay figure. It's a cool piece, and should be enjoyed. Jealous of him 'cause he's got one and I don't? Just a tad, but that's human nature. Just like seeing a guy drive by in a Ferrari. Sure, you'd love to have one too, but you don't have to resent the guy who does have it...
Anyway, most of this rant is directed towards the crap in the 'Scum thread. Just annoyed with all the narrow minded, disrespectful collectors out there, who need to talk **** to anyone and everyone who doesn't see things the same way that they do...
I want one of these Sandtrooper busts. Hopefully you guys can live with that. But if the thought of me wanting one sends you into a tizzy, I profusely apologize.
**end rant**