2025: What Are You Collecting?

[McMetal]

Looking forward to a shifting focus this year. Toys have dominated the discretionary spending the past 18 months, but I'm ready to jump back into the other collectibles I have been ignoring.

1) STAR WARS: Sticking with the TCW line again strictly this year. I was able to resist the lure of TVC last year, and I was also able to close out 98% of my Vintage needs, so hopefully this means less spending all around this year. Not planning on any forays into GG, Sideshow, etc. so I'm good there. Maybe this will be the year I bite the bullet and go all-out on the Droids/Ewoks lines.

2) OTHER TOYS: At some point, I want to complete my modern and vintage Micronauts collection. The time might be right. Mulling the vintage BSG stuff as well, as I had it all as a kid. And I still need that damn Cloverfield toy!

3) COMICS: Trying to stay away from new stuff, although Metalocalypse is very tempting, but I still have some old titles to fill out...have really been getting busy with the Darkchylde variant covers recently, as the film has finally been green-lit for John Carpenter. Still trying to pick up those last couple of FF's I need to, although this gets harder and harder as time goes by.

4) DVD's: The smallest slice of my discretionary spending pie. Here's hoping it stays that way, although the transition to Blu-Ray has bumped up the prices quite a bit. Maybe OT or PT on Blue ray this year?

5) CD's: Just waaaay too many to count now, well over 200 on my want list. For every new thing I buy, they seem to re-issue something I already have with bonus tracks so I end up having to buy it again. Man, I hate that trend.

[Morgbug]

Not much it would seem. 

Star Wars
Hasbro - just OT stuff and at that things I want to update that are significant improvements over what I have.  I'm still thinking of scaling back to the vintage figures and their best modern counterpart.  But I'll probably also include a few themed displays as well - death star arrival, cantina, Jabba's palace and a smattering of others.  Otherwise I'm mostly in scale back/sell mode on this stuff.  Depending on what comes out and the price I'm probably looking at 25-50 figures max (and realistically about 10-20) this year while hopefully unloading about 500 or so.  Not planning on any vehicles or playsets either. 

Gentle Giant - can't see myself ever buying another bust at retail.  Has there been anything, aside from a PGM exclusive or 'chase' bust that has sold for regular retail on Ebay in the last couple of years if you had any amount of patience?  I've scaled back to OT/McQuarrie only and the OT stuff is limited to Imperials for the most part.  Can't see much coming that I want in that area that hasn't already been made. 
As for the animated maquettes, with my recent purchase of Leia and Palpatine I'm as up to date as I want to be.  I'll contemplate the Han Carbonite for a while and if I get the paypal funds high enough and I'm bored I'd be in for that. 

Other stuff?  Don't know but doubt I'll buy much.  I'm very seriously considering getting rid of my carded and boxed vintage stuff.  The driver for that being an unwillingness to pay $200+ for the remaining 12 backs I need to complete that part of the collection.  The ESB carded stuff has a serious dent in it and the ROTJ is reasonable enough but I don't really have the space for all of it anyway so I think I might sell while the fires are hot.  I'll probably keep a subset of the figures though as I really like my trilogos and wouldn't mind hanging onto the ESB carded snowtrooper.  (yes, I know, Hoth stormtrooper)

Marvel Universe I'm on board with but selectively so.  Almost all the Legends are gone now and hopefully all will be in the next couple of months.  As for DC stuff I'll keep the larger scale for now because the smaller stuff sucks so badly.  I'm going to scale back on that as well. 

Still want a few higher end items, notably a good life size Vader helmet and an OT Obi Wan Master Replicas hilt.  I'd like to get the latter for under $500 but that seems unlikely lately.  Also wouldn't mind a Sideshow premium format Mr. Spock.  Possibly a James Bond as well. 

Kubricks suddenly became troublesome with the last AT-ST driver going for over $500 as of writing this.  It's a pity because I was hopiong they'd run through the whole vintage line but with a key figure like that being so pricey I'm not sure I'll ever swallow that price to finish the collection.  Honestly I think I can say that if I'd scored an AT-ST figure in one of my boxes I'd probably be selling it right now.  $500 for a single modern version of somethinig is just plain stoopid.    And that means I'm unlikely to complete the Kubrick collection.  Maybe time to sell that off? 

Occasional die cast cars I like will get purchased and I'm still hoping McFarlane does a Kirby Puckett sportspick.  Beyond that I'm scaling back pretty much. 

I did enter a new area of collecting but with well defined goals.  I want auto'd hockey pucks from Teemu Selanne, Bobby Hull, Bobby Orr and Paul Henderson.  I've already got the Hull puck and will wait and see with the others on Ebay.  I also picked up a couple of nice autographed pictures of Bobby Orr off Ebay as well but that's all I needed for the basement. Most of the cash and effort these days is going into that part of the house rather than collecting.

[Brian]

Thought I'd give this topic a bump with Toy Fair behind us now, and we have a little better idea of what is on the way for 2011.

My list will stay pretty much the same, although as prices continue to rise, I'll be getting even more selective with many lines.  Otherwise, it mainly stays with Star Wars and superheroes, much as it always has for me.

Star Wars
TVC - Likely all OT figures, select PT figures and EU stuff.  I'll always stick with the OT stuff, but I'm getting more selective with everything else as prices continue to climb.

CW - I've always been selective here, but probably even more so this year.  I've pretty much dropped vehicles from this, aside from some of the deluxe/mini rig type stuff here and there.

Marvel and DC
Marvel Universe - Pick and choose, trying to decide what to do with this line with the return of Legends on the horizon.  The figures (and comic/multipacks) look pretty nice though.  Maybe the odd Spidey line figure too, if they ever get any of those villains to retail around here.

Marvel Legends - Probably in for some at least, once it returns.

Movie Stuff - Probably a few Cap and Thor figures, continuing with Spidey and Avengers next year.

DCUC - Continuing to pick and choose, although there are a couple waves that I might get entirely again this year.  Otherwise, trying to slow down here.

Other DC - Green Lantern Classics, probably GL Movie Masters (at least Hal, Kilowog), and probably some of that Batman Legacy line whenever that is supposed to start up.

Other than that, I do have a 2011 sub for MOTUC, but this will probably be the last year for that.  Nice stuff, but something has to go for space and budget reasons.  Possibly an odd Joe or TF figure here or there, but that is probably about it.  I often pick up the odd-ball Spidey collectible to add to my Spidey collection, but you never know when that will be, just depends what I see.

[ruiner]

All Masters Classics and SW Vintage (OT only).

[spiderpumpkin]

GI Joe only. 
Mainly Lowlight, Skystriker, Techno Viper, Sci-Fi, 30th Storm Shadow and a few others. 
Passing on the Joecon set except for a Cobra De Aco if I find one for cheap.

[Crackbrick]

I'll get a few of the new Vintage...can't buy them all.

cb

[Morgbug]

I'm thinking about getting psychological help so I can stop collecting toys.   

[Greg]

And I still need that damn Cloverfield toy!

Good luck on that one man! I've seen them go for as much as $500, if you can find them. To think that a Hasbro made toy could go for that much... I'm really kicking myself for only getting one.

As for what I'm collecting in 2011:
Star Wars
TVC - Picking and choosing, which ultimately means getting everything. I'm planning to army build the new clones, and even some Utapau and Storm Troopers if Hasbro rectifies the yellowing issue.

Clone Wars - Probably everything, plus multiples of the army builders.

Vehicles - I'll probably get the Turbo Speeder and Tri-Fighter. Not sure if I'll continue buying multiples of vehicles. The Attack Shuttle is a must for me. I'll definitely try to get two so I can have one in "ship mode" and the other in "playset mode."

G.I. Joe
Probably scaling back on this. I got the whole POC line from last year, and I definitely have some buyers regret. I'll definitely be picking and choosing. Garbage like Sci-Fi and Crazy Legs should've been left in the 80's. The jet looks really cool though, and I might have to add one to my collection.

Marvel
Captain America - Probably a movie Cap, comic WW2 Cap, Winter Soldier, and Crossbones for now. Getting other movie figures depends on what is available and how much I like the movie.

Thor - Not as excited about this line. I'm sure I'll get a Thor or two after seeing the movie.

[McMetal]

Maybe this will be the year I bite the bullet and go all-out on the Droids/Ewoks lines. 

Damn, they got me. I bit the bullet and decided to go for a carded EWOKS collection. I'm halfway there after this weekend. Still debating a loose/carded DROIDS collection. Most of them are still fairly affordable, but it has to be all or nothing...eesh.

I also finally tracked down the SDCC exclusive Metalocalypse figures...these have all but disappeared even from eBay.

[Crackbrick]

Where did you find the metalocalypse Toys?
What are they going for now?

cb

[501ST]

'Only now at the end do you understand."

I hope it never ends alas it shall but until then riding the wave I am....

[McMetal]

Where did you find the metalocalypse Toys?
What are they going for now?

cb

eBay...the auction was for $70 I believe but I used the Buy It Now feature to snag them for $85. I think that was a good call as these sets have all but disappeared from eBay and I foresaw the bidding going well over 100 bucks. This is the first set I have seen up for about 6 months or so. A year ago when there were multiples floating around out there I never saw them for less than $60.

I am a huge fan of the show, the music, pretty much everyone involved with that project, so this had been on my list forever. It was a good get - the figures are excellent likenesses for the most part and although they are somewhat lacking in articulation, they display beautifully alongside my Dethklok Kid Robot figures and the two Dethklok statues from the other SDCC.

 ps - just checked and BBTS has this set in stock for $79.99 I believe.

[Brian]

Figured it was about the time to bump this up again.  Things can always change once Toy Fair rolls around, but as of now what is everyone looking to collect in 2012?  For me, I've continued to try (sometimes with difficulty) to streamline each year.  I'll be sticking with a lot of familiar stuff, and dropping a few things as well.  Overall, primarily sticking to Star Wars and Marvel from here on out, with LEGO getting more of my attention all the time.

Continuing on...

Star Wars - Likely all of the Vintage Collection figures, new/updated OT vehicles, and maybe a few PT vehicles/etc. if they are nicely done (like the Naboo Starfighter).  Probably a few of the few new Clone Wars figures, and possibly a Movie Hero figure here or there, depending on how that line progresses.

Marvel - I've kept up on most of the MU figures, and will probably continue.  I'll come to a crossroads this year with the return of Legends, which I know I won't be able to stay away from either.  For now I'll probably collect both, depending if the budget can handle it.  I'll likely pick up some of the movie stuff from both Amazing Spider-Man and the Avengers too.

Cutting back/dropping.....

DC - Not that the stuff isn't great, but the "end" of DCUC is a decent stopping point for me.  I'll continue on with any Batman-universe things that catch my eye, and the odd figure here or there from the new DC line (Larfleeze, etc.)  Possibly a couple Dark Knight Rises figures from the Movie Masters line, we'll see.

MOTUC - Again, great figures, but I just don't have the space anymore and would rather not be tied into $30 or more each month for these.  I've got most of what I want, and I'll probably try to pick up a few individual ones if I can (Stinkor, Fisto, and if they get to Ram Man, etc. later)

GI Joe - Nice stuff here too, but pretty happy overall with my 25th/30th Joes collection.  Maybe an odd figure here or there too, but not much probably.

Lines gaining interest....

LEGO - I've gotten a few Star Wars items this year, and really like them.  I know it is a slippery slope with these things, so we'll see.  With them picking up the Marvel and DC licenses, along with the Hobbit, it could start to get awfully tempting.

I'll pay attention to see what kind of toy line comes with the Hobbit, and if it is well done I could bite there too.  Otherwise, I'll basically be sticking to Star Wars (primarily TVC), and Marvel stuff in 2012.

[Greg]

Well, I'm quite disappointed with myself for 2011... I definitely didn't keep to what I posted back in February. If anyone is curious as to just how badly I strayed, I updated my previous post in bold:

As for what I'm collecting in 2011:
Star Wars
TVC - Picking and choosing, which ultimately means getting everything. I'm planning to army build the new clones, and even some Utapau and Storm Troopers if Hasbro rectifies the yellowing issue. Ended up with every new 2011 TVC figure, plus most of the Revenge wave repacks; army built rebels, stormies, and clones

Clone Wars - Probably everything, plus multiples of the army builders. Well, I stuck to getting everything... 

Vehicles - I'll probably get the Turbo Speeder and Tri-Fighter. Not sure if I'll continue buying multiples of vehicles. The Attack Shuttle is a must for me. I'll definitely try to get two so I can have one in "ship mode" and the other in "playset mode." For the most part I stuck to multiples of generic ships... two Droid Gunships, four AV-7 cannons, etc. I did get both of my Republic Shuttles for around $50, so that makes me feel better

G.I. Joe
Probably scaling back on this. I got the whole POC line from last year, and I definitely have some buyers regret. I'll definitely be picking and choosing. Garbage like Sci-Fi and Crazy Legs should've been left in the 80's. The jet looks really cool though, and I might have to add one to my collection. "Picking and choosing"... Hahaha! I ended up completing the Pursuit of Cobra Collection and I'm mostly current on the 30th line. I increased the army building, even to the point of getting multiple vehicles

Marvel
Captain America - Probably a movie Cap, comic WW2 Cap, Winter Soldier, and Crossbones for now. Getting other movie figures depends on what is available and how much I like the movie. I kinda stuck close to this one. I got the figures I listed above, plus a Hydra trooper and a couple of extra (and cheap) comic Caps

Thor - Not as excited about this line. I'm sure I'll get a Thor or two after seeing the movie. I got more figures than I wanted to from this line, so I'm trying to sell them off. I plan to keep only one Thor

Anyway, here's what I'll probably be collecting in 2012:

Star Wars:
TVC: Probably one of every figure. I would love to army build the battle droid en masse, plus a few Naboo soldiers and pilots. In addition I plan to get the AT-AP and JSF repacks.

TPM: I'll get the new figures, plus extra Gungans. Vehicles (pods, AATs, Naboo Fighters, etc.) are definites. I'm on the fence for the deluxe sets. No Movie Heros, no repacks.

Clone Wars: One of everything, plus some army building of the ROTS-style clone. It should be easy (and cheap) enough to keep up with Clone Wars next year.

GI Joe
30th Anniversary: I'll finish off this line with waves three and four, and hopefully army build the zombies and Renegades Cobra soldiers. I also want to get the BBTS 7-packs.

Retaliation: I'm planning to want a lot of the movie toys, so if they end up being unappealing that will make my wallet very happy. Firefly, Snake Eyes, Roadblock, and Zartan figures will be a must, even if they aren't great.

Marvel:
Avengers: I'll pick and choose these guys. Black Widow, Loki, Hulk, and Hawkeye in the 3 3/4 scale are must haves. I might get Cap and Thor, but I'll probably pass on Iron Man. If figures of Coulson and Nick Fury get made, I would love to have them.

Here's what will be extremely tempting:

Lego: The LOTR sets will be super hard to resist. I'm sure the price tags will help me avoid them, but if I break and get a small set I'll probably collapse and get most of that line.

Walking Dead: I love the show, but the price and scale aren't my thing. It was hard to pass on the comic figures this year, and I'm sure it will be even more difficult to pass on the TV figures in January.

misc 3 3/4" figures: I already got a handful of Crysis 2 action figures this year, and I have never played the game. With toys from Ghost Recon, SOCOM, and The Hobbit on the horizon, I'm sure I'll cave on several extra action figures I shouldn't be buying.

[Ben]

This is the year I've decided to buy a house, so I'll be lucky if I can just keep up with GI Joe. I really like the TPM stuff next year, but I really feel that I bought it all 12 years ago. And it'll be an added luxury if I can pick up any MOTUC figures. Guess it's a wait and see attitude for me.