The Great 2005 Collector's Challenge

[Rob]

Okay - I'm in this year.  I've got all my reciepts and will add them up periodically.  Rough Estimate, off the top of my head, not including tax:

Animated Clone Wars figures $6.00 x 13 = $78.00
POTC Cantina Wave - $7.00 x 6 = $42.00
Clearance 12" VOTC - 2 x $7.24 = $14.48
Clearance Lego Millenium Falcon - 1 x $55.00 = $55.00
Clearance Lego Mini's - 2 x $1.73 = $3.46
Clearance Lego Mini's - 1 x $2.00 = $2.00
Clearance Lego Cantina Set - 1 x $10.00 = $10.00
Clearance Lego X-Wing - 1 x $10.00 = $10.00
Clearance Cloud Car Pilots - 6 x $2.00 = $12.00
Clearance Hoth Trooper - 1 x $1.18 = $1.18
Clearance VOTC Stormtroopers - 6 x $7.00 = $42.00
Clearance VOTC Stormtroopers (Walmart) - 4 x $5.00 = $20.00
Misc Clearance OTC - 15 x $2.00 = $30.00
Unleashed Aura Siing - 1 x $15.00 = $15.00
Sneak Preview Wave - 8 x $6.00 = $48.00
Darth Maul with Sith Speeder - 1 x $5.00 = $5.00
Darth Maul Deluxe (E1) - 1 x $0.50 = $0.50
Loose Action Fleet X-Wing - 1 x $1.00 = $1.00
Loose Action Fleet Misc - 3 x $3.00 = $9.00

Rough Total 3 weeks into the year:    $398.62

Also, if I just spent 85 dollars on shelving - specifically for my star wars collection, with another 75$ or so to go, does that count? 

[Darth Kenobi]

Hopefully I can stay on this this year. 
Janary:
19th  Preview Wave Set $25.46 

[Diddly]

1/21

$79.43
EE Exclusive Clone Trooper 4 Packs (Clean White, and Clean Dirty)

$29.75
2 VOTC Stormtroopers from OMGCNFO.com

[JoshEEE]

So, in order to stick with my 3500 estimate, I have to spend less than 291 a month.

So far this month I've already blown about 280.  Talk about getting in under the wire. 

[Mikey D]

Since I don't think I'm buying anything today, here's my January total, both for Star Wars and Other:

Star Wars:
                                              
1/4/2005        GH Jawa/Tusken & Lando/Skiff Guard                  $12.58
1/4/2005        Calender                                                  $6.83
1/6/2005        Series 1 Kubrick                                                  $60.00
1/10/2005     Lando Calrissian Kubrick                                  $14.91
1/13/2005     GH Jawa/Tusken, Lando/Skiff Guard, Luke / Gamorreon Guard (for trade)    $18.87
1/13/2005   GH Luke / Gamorrean Guard    $6.29
1/17/2005   Kubrick TRU 5 pack exclusive    $62.00
1/19/2005   Target Leia and cup set / Cash (for trade)    $7.60
1/25/2005   Lego X-wing (Dagabah)    $26.25
1/25/2005   ROTS Lego Jedi Fighter & Vulture Droid    $20.99
1/26/2005   Kubrick series 3 Han Solo chase    $15.45
1/27/2005   "JL" Display cases x2 (for Kubrick)    $12.58
1/27/2005   Kubrick speeder bike set    $76.49
1/30/2005   Lego Cantina set    $17.85
1/30/2005   "JL" Display cases x4 (for Kubrick)    $25.16
      
   Star Wars January Total    $383.85


Other:
1/13/2005   ML Iceman and Black Widow    $16.78
1/24/2005   Sinister six box set    $53.36
1/24/2005   Cash (for trade)    $19.00
1/25/2005   ML Apocalypse    $12.95
1/27/2005   Superposeable Spider-man    $7.34
      
   Other January Total    $109.43

Total for month: $493.28

[Jeff]

Last day of the month, time to ring everything up...

03-Jan-05    6x Kubrick Figures (Sesame Street S1/Animated Batman)
03-Jan-05    3x Kubrick Figures (Movie Batman)
05-Jan-05    3x Clone Wars Animated Figures (ARC, Ani, Grev)
18-Jan-05    3x Galactic Heroes 2-packs (Tatooine Wave)
21-Jan-05    1x Batman Kubrick (Azrael)
24-Jan-05    1x Post-OTC SW Basic Figures (2005-#9 Luke)
25-Jan-05    4x RotS Sneak Preview Figures (1x each)
28-Jan-05    4x RotS Sneak Preview Figures (1x each)

Star Wars: $104.83
Other:  $86.68

January 2005 Total:   $191.51 with tax/shipping

Woo.  Big month thanks to finding the Sneak Preview figures early, as well as catching up on some missing Kubricks that I "needed'.  Hopefully with all the Preview wave under my belt, Feb and March will be slow.  Just $20 for Ani's Starfighter and the occasional eBay Kubrick or two. 

Jeff

[Brian]

I won't be picking anything else up today, so I guess I can total things up for the month as well.  I ended up spending a lot more than I anticipated, with finding a few things at retail (and on Amazon) somewhat unexpectedly.  Should be a light couple of months here now though:

1/6/05 - GH Jawa and Tusken
1/6/05 - GH Luke and Gamorrean
1/6/05 - GH Lando and Skiff Guard
1/14/05 - Feltipern Trevagg
1/14/05 - Myo
1/15/05 - Mace Windu (used gift card)
1/21/05 - CW Animated Grievous (used gift card)
1/21/05 - CW Animated Anakin
1/25/05 - Preview Figure - General Grievous
1/25/05 - Preview Figure - R4-G9
1/25/05 - Preview Figure - Tion Medon
1/25/05 - Preview Figure - Wookiee Warrior (x2)

McFarlane Super-articulated Spider-Man (Spider-Man Classics)
Sandman (Spider-Man Classics)
Captain America - Ultimate (Marvel Legends)
Iceman (Marvel Legends)
Juggernaut (Marvel Legends)
Doc Ock (Marvel Legends)
Samwise Gamgee - Gates of Mordor (Lord of the Rings)

Total Star Wars (minus gift cards):$56.34

Total "Other":$52.60

Total for Month:$108.94

First time I've ever come close to spending the same on "other" stuff as I did on Star Wars.  That shouldn't happen again .  Feb/Mar should be some lighter times, maybe picking up a few more Wookiee Warriors, Anakin's fighter if I see it, and the CW Animated ARC and Clones if I see them.  Not much non-SW for a little bit at least, perhaps Fantastic Four boxset and/or a few individual Marvel figures if I see them at retail.

[Morgbug]

Since I don't think I'm buying anything today, here's my January total, both for Star Wars and Other:

Gentle Giant Han Stormtrooper bust?

[Mikey D]

Since I don't think I'm buying anything today, here's my January total, both for Star Wars and Other:

Gentle Giant Han Stormtrooper bust?

Nope.  Like I need another line to collect.

[Morgbug]

Holy crap, what a way to start

January total:  $$967.09

Thanks goodness I didn't win that VC Jawa

[Mikey D]

Quick question, Brent - should the $17 and change I spent today to ship your package count?  Most of your items were bought last year and anything I did buy this year I marked (for trade). 

Any thing I bought from ebay or online includes the shipping cost in it and any associated fees required ($3.25 for an international MO is bull****) to obtain such items.  But I figure trades all work out in the end, especially if it's one for one and didn't count shipping.  Of course, I only mailed two packages (yours and Ben's) this year so the costs aren't extravagant (yet).

[Morgbug]

Well I've been counting all my costs.   In a trade I count the cost of the item (unless I had it from a previous year, though that seems fairly rare, no one wants old crap anymore) and the cost of the shipping.  Realistically it is a cost of acquiring an item (s) so I think it should count. 

Ebay - winning bid amount and shipping and insurance if taken.
Trades - item cost if picked up during current year and shipping costs
Online purchase - cost and any shipping. 

For us it's worse (in CAnada that is) because we may still get dinged on the declared amount - $5 CAD fee plus 14% of the declared value   Stoopid communist country. 

All that said, it's pretty ballpark.  I probably should have reduced the amount last year because some of the items I picked up were just outright sold for cost and shipping, so not really fair to include them.  At the same time I know I missed a bunch of shipping costs and probably a few items, but they probably evened out in the end. 

My (and Dale's and other canuckleheads) total has an "unfair" advantage in this "competition" simply because our postal service sucks.  Example: Nick and I just made a trade.  I sent him a hockey variant, my shipping cost was $11.75 CAD.  He sent me two VOTC stormies and his shipping cost was $4.40 USD.  Again, stoopid communist country.  And to make sure it's clear, I don't think that's anything that needs to be rectified in terms of value.  Shipping in a trade is equal value regardless of the cost, it's not Nick's fault our system sucks and is expensive. 

I'm only trying to keep track of what I spent to acquire toys, so taxes, shipping all count.  If I could figure out gas, I'd put that in there too, but realistically I cannot. 

[Darth Kenobi]

GG Han in Stromtrooper Disguese $54.

Since I didn't do this last year  I have a question, if I'm selling stuff do I put that in as a credit (+) from the yearly total or not. 

[Mikey D]

For us it's worse (in CAnada that is) because we may still get dinged on the declared amount - $5 CAD fee plus 14% of the declared value   Stoopid communist country. 

Ouch.  I didn't know your fees were that much.  Next time I'll put a lower value on the form.  

I'll keep track of shipping from now on.

[Morgbug]

GG Han in Stromtrooper Disguese $54.

Since I didn't do this last year  I have a question, if I'm selling stuff do I put that in as a credit (+) from the yearly total or not. 

Another "depends" kind of question.  Say you stumbled on a no mask wolverine from series III of Marvel Legends and you paid $8 for it, then turned around and sold it for $250.  I'd claim the $8 in your spent but not the profit.  It ends up rather confusing. 

If you're selling stuff you bought in a previous year, well, it's fairly doubtful it would add up to much (unless you're sitting on 20 GG blue clone busts or something like that), so it probably will be negligible too. 

If you pick up some preview ROTS figures for someone and then sell them at cost, well that's a net zero. 

It's a shotgun approach, not a sniper.   What you miss in terms of + side you'll probably forget in terms of buying stuff.