Quitting/putting collecting on pause

I've bagged an inventoried over 40 McDC figures for the toy show I'm doing next week. All the regular figures I have bagged for $10, and the 2 deluxe (or BAF sized) figures I have bagged for $15.
I'm only keeping a few standard Batman figures, then the Bat family related figures I have, along with the rogues. Then I'm keeping the Flash & Superman families, and the rogues of those that I have. Wonder Woman is staying so I can have the trinity, but just about everything else is fair game to go.
 
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I haven't tried any lots more than 6 or 7. I guess I'm still shooting for people having some interest in the grouping, but we'll see if that pans out. I looked up the average selling price of each and start around that total, but rarely make a sale at that price. I'm fine having a listing out there for weeks or months.
 
So I created a combined shipping rule, applied it to most of my lots, and 3 sold almost immediately. Great! Some lots were locked for editing (I'm guessing because they were in a cart or some offer messaging shenanigans), but some let me assign the rule, but it won't stick, and other lots won't let me choose a rule at all. Ones I've added in the last few days are in that category. Every lot is auto-calculate shipping by weight so it's not that category. Is there a rhyme or reason to what they let you do? Help has not been helpful.
 
I have cleared off six shelves (SIX!) for ML X-Men. I'm going to do a new display, posing the figures up, spacing them appropriately (no packing them in nuts-to -butts). Whoever doesn't fit is getting sold off. I know I'm dong a Cockrum/Byrne shelf, X-Force, X-Factor, and Excalibur shelf. The big question mark is the Jim Lee/Blue Gold Team/X-Men Animated/whatever you want to label it shelf. It will be interesting to see how those last two shelves shape up.

I have FIVE boxes of undisplayed ML figures.....they've got to be trimmed to something more manageable.
 
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yojoebro82 said:
(no packing them in nuts-to -butts)
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Pardon me, I'm just going to save that little turn of phrase for later.

On the topic of the main thread, boy I've failed to scale back my collecting this year. I don't think it's gotten worse, but where I have mostly avoided ML, my old money sink, Savage Crucible, Black Series, and some others have filled in the gaps. Last year I was comfortable Black series would not get around to more KotoR or old EU quickly and I could be done with that. I was confident picking up Enfys Nest on deep discount was one of my last Black Series purchases for the year. But then they dropped TWO KotoR 2-packs and Kyle Katarn and Lord Starkiller. Joe Classified I've stayed mostly strong, only the dino guy, but I told myself I wouldn't hesitate if IG Destro came up and though I have him preordered I'm super concerned that's a mistake. Savage Crucible has obviously been a very recent obsession, and I worry I'll regret that in a few months, but I suppose at least those figures will get me my money back if I decide going this deep into it was a mistake (their dedication to scarcity will simply make purging them easier if I go that way). The rest has been a smattering of other bits and bobs from different companies. Some imports through SexyIce, some stuff from other folks.

I feel like when I go on vacation in July I'm going to have to commit to some sort of light purge to get the volume down as I'm once again brushing up against my limits for space. I'm still not over 200 figures yet, but I know if I don't make some decisions I could get there very fast. I think some older X-Men are going to get the ax, along with a few randos from different lines. The collection needs to once again be refined.
 
I go through phases in my collecting, where I'll store figures for a bit, maybe sell some off and whittle the shelf down to my faves, and the best piece of advice I could give anyone at this point is:


You don't NEED every figure that comes out!

I see so many collectors obsess over having a "COMPLETE SET", or obsessed with finishing teams, even when they openly admit the characters they're on the hunt for are characters they couldn't give less of a poop about! If you don't have a personal connection to the character (like they were the star in one of your favorite comics of all time, for example), I think it's safe to leave that Darwin or Marrow figure on the shelf! I think when you're surrounded by figures of characters you don't care about, your collection starts to feel like more of a burden than you intended.

I would also say that social media toy "influencers" have really done some damage to the idea of collecting. I've known several people who got out of collecting 'cuz, to them, they'd never have a collection as expansive and impressive as those YouTubers who have 50 Detolfs lined up and packed with every Black Series, Legends, DC Multiverse, etc. figure ever produced... Always remember, comparison is the thief of joy! I personally find it impossible to believe those types of collectors even enjoy figures on an individual basis, the "gotta catch 'em all" mentality is embedded DEEP in them!


(Thank you for coming to my TED ramble)
 
Pull-String Gun Slinger said:
You don't NEED every figure that comes out!
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Don't tell me what to do. Now I'm gonna collect twice as much just because you told me that. 🤪

In all seriousness, though, I agree, and it was when I learned that lesson that things eased up a bit. It's still tough at times- in the past couple weeks alone, there's been a bunch of figures I've come this close to buying because I wanted them or they looked cool or whatever, but keeping all my other expenses in mind at all times has been super helpful (and only a little stressful). I've been finding that if it's something I'm not meant to have in that moment, life will usually tell me somehow.

We're all smart here, and we've all been in the game long enough to know what will/won't go on sale eventually and what should be snapped up immediately. If it's something you can ride out the hype for and wait a bit, then most of the time you'll be rewarded.
 
Pull-String Gun Slinger said:
I see so many collectors obsess over having a "COMPLETE SET", or obsessed with finishing teams, even when they openly admit the characters they're on the hunt for are characters they couldn't give less of a poop about!
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Yeah, thankfully I killed that beast long ago. My mantra is hat my collection should grow not so much in volume but rather in precision over the years. Which is to say it should be increasingly eclectic. Should be more and more a collection only I would have put together. Collecting not as completion, but as self-portrait. I've only got one complete team, and that's the X-Men training suit team from that one cover. But I like all those characters independently and I love that uniform's look. Right now all my figures are either characters I like or figures I think look rad. It has to be one or the other. Nothing purchased just to complete a set. I don't even have a Chewy to go with my Han.
 
I was never a completionist, but I'm WAY less of one now than I even ever was before. With these prices, that way lies madness.
Also, as much as I love toys, and you guys know I do, I have other interests. Other interests I want/need to spend money on, AND other interests that take up space in my home. I cannot/will not devote every bare piece of wall to displaying action figures. So at some point having too many really is TOO MANY.
 
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