Author Topic: Too Much Stuff?  (Read 13477 times)

Offline Brian

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Too Much Stuff?
« on: July 28, 2005, 01:14 PM »
This can deal with Star Wars in particular, or overall collecting interests...so I thought it might be best here.  I've noticed lately with many of us here on the forums that it seems like there has been a lot of thinning out of collections, selling off items, general "need to keep things in check" type of comments, and even some people dropping various collecting lines.  Some of it might be the movies ending, some of it might be many of us reaching the age or point in life where we don't have the money or space for it, or maybe interests have just shifted.  I've noticed that some people have moved away from "toys" into higher end stuff, which is an area I'd like to get into someday...if I ever have any money ;).  Have any of you just gotten to the point where you are looking at everything and thinking "wow, that's a lot of crap stuff"?  Do you have to buy stuff and then put it right into storage, hoping to put it out some day?  What are your plans for your future collecting?

I know for me, I've really been trying to keep things more in check.  There are a number of areas (both SW and non-SW) that I'm interested in collecting, but to be honest, I just don't have the budget for it overall.  Plus, the space.  I've been able, for the most part so far, to display the majority of my Star Wars collection...but some of that, as well as other interests have already had to stay packed away.  I think I'll always be collecting Star Wars in some fashion, and will probably be with the 3 3/4" line until the end...unless it really gets to be all repacks or stuff I don't need/care about.  Outside of Star Wars, I've tried to limit it to one other area of interest (currently collecting anyways, I have other "past" lines)...and usually in a smaller buying scale compared to Star Wars.  With some minor exceptions, I've been able to do that (Marvel/DC Superheroes...or "Superheroes" to have it as one category :P).  Anyways, I'm rambling on now, but is anyone else scaling back (or thinking about it), limiting their various "lines", giving up things altogether, or just keep on plugging along?  I guess lucky for Star Wars collectors (or collectors in general) there are so many lines out there now, in so many different price areas, that you can really alter what you want to collect and make it fit your budget and interests.  Just curious what my fellow collectors have been thinking lately.

Offline DoctorPadawan

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Re: Too Much Stuff?
« Reply #1 on: July 28, 2005, 01:30 PM »
The ARC-170 is what finally motivated me to "cull the wheat from the chaff" so to speak.  I love the ship, but I was running out of room so rapidly once ROTS hit, that this one huge toy was the breaking point.  Some things just had to go. 

A lot of it stemmed from me picking stuff up without thinking it through first (I'm still trying to figure out why I bought the Gungan Assault Cannon from Episode I), but some of it involved things that had since been duplicated/bettered in the line (the POTF2 X-Wing and Landspeeder, for example).  I decided that from ROTS on, I was only going to concentrate on things that were in the films (and/or the Clone Wars cartoon) in the 4" and Unleashed lines, the occasional Boba Fett and/or Slave I item, and everything else must go.

The problem I've run into is as a single guy living in a small apartment, I don't have a lot of room for this stuff.  Hence the vast majority of my collection (mainly vehicles and playsets) are housed in my childhood bedroom a few hours away.  That kind of sucks, since I have all this cool stuff and I can't even look at it all that often.   :-\

I went through something similar about four years ago when I sold the vast majority of my complete SW Lego collection on the RS forums.  I just remember looking at it, and saying, "Why do I have all this stuff?" and getting rid of it practically overnight.  I'm sure I made a lot of people happy, and that's all that really matters to me.  Frankly, I'd rather give the stuff away to someone who really wants/needs/can use it than to try to get some money out of it.

But yeah, with the increasing length of the line overall, I just felt like it was time to concentrate on what really interests me and not what I think is cool at any given moment.


Offline Jeff

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Re: Too Much Stuff?
« Reply #2 on: July 28, 2005, 01:47 PM »
"Why do I have all this stuff?"

A question that comes up about once/twice a year for me.  Usually, I choose a few things to cull out and sell and that usually gives me a bit more cash to spend on new things and a bit more space to display it all.

I think the only real "mass exodus" of product I had was shortly after the launch of Episode 1 when I realized there was no way on earth I could keep up with everything - either financially or spatially.  That's when I nerfed everything except for the 3.75" stuff - I got rid of everything else: bend-ems, 12", action fleet, etc).

Recently, in preparation of Episode 3 junk, I sold off a bunch of my excess army builders.  I kinda realized that while 50 Stormtroopers looks cool, I didn't really need that many and could get by with 12.  Same thing with the rest of the Army figs, culled them from 20-100 each to about 2-6 each (clones, Gungans, Droids, etc.).

I also culled out and sold off most of my "repeat" ships - having one Yellow Jedi Starfighter is OK, I don't need the Red, the Green, the Blue, etc.  I convinced myself it's OK to only have 1 Gunship and not the other 2 paint variants, and the same goes for A-Wings or X-Wings, etc etc etc.  From here on out, I'm only going to pick up a re-hash vehicle if it includes a tempting enough pack-in figure.

With both sales, I made some cash that I rolled into buying more Ep3 stuff and it also freed up a lot of room in the closet (ships) and the shelves (army builders).

Right now, I'm currently overhauling my "Star Wars" room - adding some shelving and re-organizing a bit now that RotS is in a cool-down phase.  Hopefully, when all is said and done with the re-org, I'll be happy with what I have and can skip the "Why do I have all this stuff?" that I normally have in the fall.   ;)

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Offline ruiner

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Re: Too Much Stuff?
« Reply #3 on: July 28, 2005, 01:56 PM »
I can relate.

My problem stems in regret.  Everytime I sell something, I wish I hadn't.  Case in point, non animated CW items.

I sold the complete set and then came to the realization that I liked half the line (bonus clone troopers, 3 packs, Durge, etc.)

So then I end up buying half of the crap back (at more expensive prices, mind you).

I guess in the end, I'm just better off taking the stuff I'm "iffy" about and throwing them in the closet or in a box and letting my son have the **** when I'm dead and buried.

He can either sell the assload of toys or reminisce about his great old man by keeping it!

Offline Dressel Rebel

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Re: Too Much Stuff?
« Reply #4 on: July 28, 2005, 02:00 PM »
I've been pretty selective about what I buy.  There's usually 1 or 2 figures in every wave, that I just don't think has a nice likeness, or good sculpt, and I just leave it on the pegs.  For the first 2 years maybe 1995-97 I was a complete carded collector, and a complete loose collector.  Now my focus has shifted.  I buy some main characters, but I do not buy every R2D2, Luke, and 3P0 that comes out.  I do not need 25 loose R2's.  Do I need that 30th sculpt of Darth Vader?  Don't think so.  I do not need Greedo's 4th reissue.  I am an army builder.  Troopers, warriors, aliens, I have as many as 150 of certain army builders.  I am not into silver, hologram, lava, and exclusive figures at all, never have been, never will be.  I'd say I currently buy 75% of the figures Hasbro releases: massive armies, very little ********.

I also collect baseball cards.  Currently I'm building the 2005 Bowman set including the complete set, and all jersey, bat, autograph, and throwback cards.  Now there is a challenge.
« Last Edit: July 28, 2005, 02:04 PM by Dressel Rebel »
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Online Rob

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Re: Too Much Stuff?
« Reply #5 on: July 28, 2005, 02:04 PM »
I keep myself in check (barely) by only collecting certain lines.

I keep it to just Regular Basic figures/vehicles, Unleashed, Lego, and 12"
But I buy multiples of lots of that stuff - everything in and out of the package (sans vehicles/boxed stuff) and so on.  It makes for a very crowded room.

I desperately want to collect movie/horror figures - but have no space for it whatsoever.

Offline ruiner

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Re: Too Much Stuff?
« Reply #6 on: July 28, 2005, 02:12 PM »
Awww, it's just like old times.

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Offline Jesse James

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Re: Too Much Stuff?
« Reply #7 on: July 28, 2005, 02:24 PM »
I cut vehicles and Deluxe down to me buying only what I enjoy... 

Where I've accumulated "too much stuff" the most though is customizing fodder...  Bins, upon bins, upon bins...  Plastic bits and pieces...  sprues/trees that held model parts on them...  keys from dead keyboards...  bits and pieces of cheap toys/playsets...  shells/pieces from vintage Star Wars and GIJoes stuff...  a bin of duplicates and triplicates (or more) of various modern SW figures...  It's unreal.

My other area of "too much stuff" is 1:18 planes.  I'm just not as into them as armor and stuff, but the sheer lack of armor and stuff drove me to buy planes that I ultimately don't want...  Well I do want them, but I have absolutely nowhere to store/disaply them.  THey're awkward, BIG, and just cumbersome items.  If I thought I'd get my $ back (or better) I'd sell them I think...  I know like my P-38 isn't terribly valuable though, nor the Winter Stuka...  Impulse buys biting me in the ass I guess.
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Offline Dressel Rebel

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Re: Too Much Stuff?
« Reply #8 on: July 28, 2005, 02:56 PM »
Awww, it's just like old times.

Posts by ruiner, Dressel and Zod - right in a row.

A tear has been shed.

 :'(

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Offline JoshEEE

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Re: Too Much Stuff?
« Reply #9 on: July 28, 2005, 03:06 PM »
Thoughts?


I find myself asking this same question every time I walk down into the collection room I haven't worked on in awhile. It's in a perpetual state of "someday".  Sometimes I just see it as a bunch of wasted money sitting in a big pile. 

Sometimes (and I feel really guilty about this) I look at it and think "I should just sell this crap and give up this hobby".

I buy the stuff because I envision opening it and setting it up but then I only open a few choice figures and I leave the rest in their Target bags waiting to be opened.   It's been like this ever since I moved. I haven't been opening anything really.  When I do, it feels like a chore.

The only line I seem to be opening immediately is my Gentle Giant stuff.  Sometimes I think I'll stop collecting everything else, but I really LIKE the figures. Or at least the idea of them.

Hmmmmm.

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Offline Darby

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Re: Too Much Stuff?
« Reply #10 on: July 28, 2005, 03:35 PM »
I'm in the 'Someday' mode, too.  It's starting to get to me.  I have WAY too much now, more than my little space can handle, and even my patience, really.  I was at Target yesterday looking at all this new stuff, Evolutions and so on, and I thought, "I don't have anywhere to put it."  So I left it all.  I'd never done that before.

I'm pretty much limited to figures and the one or two deluxes/ships/etc. that I really like, like the Wookie Flyer.  I'm planning to try and organize it all here soon, but I've done that before.   ::)

Offline Nathan

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Re: Too Much Stuff?
« Reply #11 on: July 28, 2005, 03:50 PM »
It works out nicely for me, since I'm just revving into full gear as others are cutting back, so I've been able to pick up older stuff for cheap--such as catching up on items I wanted long ago but couldn't afford and/or find.

I live at home with my parents (hey I'm 19, cut me some slack :P) so space is an issue. I already have SW crap strewn all over the house and it's only getting worse. Although I'm almost exclusively an opener, some of my recent acquisitions are staying in package for the near future, since I'm out of display shelf space if I did open them. :(

I don't recall ever selling or giving away any of my collection. Being a non-completist, I choose my purchases pretty carefully, and thus I don't have to regret lots of impulse purchases. Although I do have plenty of times when I step back to look at the big picture and go, "What the [expletive] am I doing this for??"

I've barely dabbled in other lines (2 Armies of Middle-earth guys, 1 Planet of the Apes ape, 1 Star Trek Klingon, 1 Predator, eagerly eyeing the upcoming Narnia toys, etc.) due to lack of space and not even being able to keep up with my SW wants.
« Last Edit: July 28, 2005, 03:51 PM by Valin Kenobi »
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Offline Jagdohh_Fett

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Re: Too Much Stuff?
« Reply #12 on: July 28, 2005, 05:56 PM »
I've always told myself that I have too much stuff (not just SW, but much of my collectibles). I really think that when I get a place of my own, some of the misc. junk I have needs to go or I'll have very little room left to live in. But as relating to SW, I don't show many signs of slowing down, though money will be an issue eventually ...

 :-\
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Offline Morgbug

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Re: Too Much Stuff?
« Reply #13 on: July 29, 2005, 12:10 PM »
A timely question for me, Brian. 

I'm at the point where I'm in my usual post-movie/anti-Hasbro funk.  Up in Canada we start to see the end of product arriving locally around this time post movie.  That fosters a bit of the funk but this time around it seems more directly coupled with the Hasbro rehashorama.  Granted there are some really neat items coming out, but their collective mentality seems to be lacking.  Regardless that ends up with me questioning why I have all this crap, what to do about it, should I buy more? 

This is compounded by the fact we are currently (well, we've paid, but construction hasn't begun) building a new house.  My Star Wars room will be in the basement, but we've been advised by the builder and the flooring people to leave the basement for a year before finishing it to let the moisture come out of the concrete (anyone know if this is a load of crap?).  That means I'm looking at around 18 months with my collection stored.  More importantly, I'm buying stuff just to box it up.  That's a combination of depressing and seemingly pointless, considering most things drop in price these days after a period of time. 

I guess I've pared down the collection quite a bit: I'm largely out of McFarlane stuff (though the NBA legends were really cool) for the most part - I can't think of anything I want to buy now that I have Khabibulin.  I'll probably unload a little more of that stuff as well, but on the bright side hockey is back so interest in the figures should go up some as well. 

A lot of Jeff's ideas are hitting home right now and I may start paring down the Hasbro side of things.  I've been shifting to higher end stuff like Master Replicas, Gentle Giant and Kubricks for a while now.  They tend to take more space to display, but they also have a little more classy feel to them.  While that's true, there's a bit of arrogance in that statement and I should clarify I really love the 3 3/4" scale.  But again, so frustrating for so many reasons - difficulty keeping up, regrettable purchases (anything Jar Jar for example), questionable Hasbro mentality. 

Probably the most interesting aspect though is the collectors challenge.  Not that I think that was an especially great idea, but it certainly has been informative.  The sheer volume of money I've spent in the last 18 months is fairly mindboggling.  I can think of so many other places where that money would provide a better return, some more interesting stuff, trips for the family on an annual basis rather than every other year.  I really shouldn't be spending that much money, to put it as bluntly as possible.  Part of that can be addressed by spending smarter (eg. Kubrick master case and sell spares or buy entire set on ebay) but most of it should be addressed by simply spending less.  I think to some degree I'm reaching that point.  I'm trying to get less of stuff.  I'm trying to not have so many multiples of figures (though I guiltily admit I've been bad with army builders again).  I'm reducing the numbers of lines I've been collecting (aren't those DC Direct figures cool ::)).  I'm sort of failing in a somewhat miserable fashion, but I am trying. 

I think for Star Wars the end of the movies will reduce significantly my expenditures on this stuff.  I always knew I'd stick it out through the prequels.  I don't think any TV series' or other stuff can really change the downturn I'm facing in collecting.  I just don't think that I can sustain this economically (well, I can, but it isn't prudent). 

Space is something I haven't addressed really.  I had a room, that was probably big enough and I should have a room again that will be about 12x13, so plenty big.  But between posters, 600 action figures, cardboard displays, busts, helmets, sabers and ships, it may not be enough.  But I know I'm not getting more either ;)  I think I have a pretty good handle on what I want for the near future (~1 year) so it should be manageable.  I just think I'll have to get rid of some more stuff to make more room. :-\
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Offline Jediknight760071

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Re: Too Much Stuff?
« Reply #14 on: July 29, 2005, 12:30 PM »
All I do is go to stores and report what I find, these days. I never buy to keep anymore, just to send to others who can't get there all the time. :-\