Has This Ever Happened to You?

[Brian]

Do you ever find that you end up taking certain figure lines further than you originally intended?  For example, when I first got back into Star Wars collecting, it was around the time of Episode I...at the time I thought I'd just pick up a few figures (Obi Wan, Maul, 3PO, R2, Yoda, Qui-Gon), but I ended up diving in and getting not all...but well over 30 from that line.  Around that same time I also picked up the Commtech Han and Luke, thinking they were pretty cool, and I just thought I'd pick up the main characters...now a few years later my collection is littered with Amanaman, Duro, BoShek, etc., and anyone else I can find .  With my vintage Star Wars collecting it was just going to be the ones I had as a kid (around 20 or so probably), but now I find myself trying to get a complete loose collection.  Also, with other toy lines (why I originally posted this here), I find myself wanting at first to just pick up a figure or two...but then changing my mind and thinking I need more.  First it was Marvel Legends...just Wolverine I thought...then I saw Beast, and also got Gambit and Magneto...and now want all the X-men releases in the future.  Next it was MOTU, first it was just He-Man (and maybe Skeletor), then it was all the ones I had as a kid only, now I'm thinking I'd like to get all of the regular figures (without exclusives, variants).  I've also been on the fence with LOTR for some time.  First I thought, just a Smeagol and maybe a Legolas...now I'm thinking about picking up the 9-pack, a Smeagol, and a few of the ROTK figures if I see them.  Sometimes I'm scared to start a line because I know I'll end up wanting lots of it .  Has anyone else had experiences like this?

[JediMAC]

That seems to be a common theme with toy collectors mosnab.  It's like the Pringles chips theme - once you pop, you can't stop!  

I think many/most of us toy collectors have a slight degree of OCD running through our veins that perpetuates the need to buy more/all of any particular toyline that we even take a sniff at!  That's why I've held off from ever picking up even one single figure from ANY other toy line other than SW.  I just know that if I get one, I'll have to eventually get them ALL, and that's just something that sends shivers down my spine, when I think of how obsessive compulsive I am with the SW line(s) already...

I dig the Muppets line (and playsets), the Armies of Middle Earth line for LOTR, some of the other vintage toy lines, and other random new lines I come across in the toy aisles.  But I've learned that no matter how enticing they might be, I just need to turn and walk/run away from the immediately!

It's the same with anything that's collectible really.  I love Great White sharks, so my wife and family would occassionally give me little Great White shark goodies, from staplers to shot glasses, whatever.  As soon as I realized it was quickly becoming another "collection" that I would undoubtedly not have room for (especially after almost buying an $800 real Megaladon tooth), I told everyone to layoff giving me the Great White "stuff", so I could stop that growing collection dead in it's tracks.

It's hard enough deciding if I should move into another subset of SW collecting, be it Kubricks, Code 3, Legos, Action Fleet, etc.  Can't buy just one.  Gotta have 'em all!  Many a tough battle with my will power to lay off, I tells ya'!  And in the case of SW, I rarely win that battle...  

[Morgbug]

Yep, I'm in that boat

Problem is sometimes I decide to get out of a particular line, in whole or in part.   In about the last year I've gone from being a completeist to being pretty selective (well, for me anyway).  I'm currently wrestling with how much of the clone wars line to collect.  Lots of clone trooper packs out there but I never intended to build a huge army, because I'm guessing they will evolve further in Ep III and not be the same.  That would mean a third army,which in most respects is fine, but....

As far as getting out of a line goes, McFarlane hockey is one I got into, got most everything available short of the repaints (I do have the goalies and would still like an Avs Bourque) but I'm dumping most of my regular and variants of the skaters.  Good news is I'm not taking much of a loss other than the shipping I paid in trades and these still generate some good interest.  I've sold some and traded others, but most toy lines aren't that good.  

I initially passed on ML, but now I'm in deep.  I have been selective though, passing on Toad, first Hulk, Human Torch, Namor and Ghost Rider.  Pretty controlled for me.  Of course I do have all the available versions of Daredevil to make up for it as well as trench coat thing, ripped shirt Hulk and all the chase figures save no mask wolverine, accursed demon that it is.  

I just got my zipline Batman stuff today, so I now have the Superman from that series, Joker, Robin and the zipline basic version of Bats.  I should be able to restrain myself on that one.  

The only thing keeping me from LOTR minis is the need for a new home computer....