You Ever Get Tired of This?

Even going back to as long as I was on Fwoosh, basically this exact thread would pop up about once a year. And I agree with it every time.

Honestly, it's like a daily existential crisis. I don't want to be materialistic, but I also love action figures (and books, and weapons, and miniatures). I don't want to waste money, but I also love action figures (and books, and weapons, and miniatures). And on and on. I really do struggle with the amount of stuff I have, but also really liking my stuff. What do I get rid of, what do I keep. What do I stop myself from re-buying after I get rid of it.

What can I just go without?

Honestly, there have been times when the only thing keeping me in toy collecting was the community. You guys. If AT didn't exist, I honestly probably would have gotten rid of 99% of my toys when Fwoosh collapsed, unfollowed every toy news place, and just tried to pretend the hobby doesn't exist. In fact, before TSI started this up, I was basically primed up to do exactly that.
Not because I don't love toys, but because of all the extra stuff it does to my brain when I'm not just actively looking at my cool stuff and having fun with it.

I don't have any answers.
 
To add to the convo, if you can remember-

- What was the figure, if any, that broke the camel's back when it came to collecting? That gave you that lightbulb moment and made you question everything?

- Conversely, what's the figure, if any, that re-ignited your love for the hobby?

- And, just for fun, what was the figure, if any, that you regretted selling- whether immediately or later- that you had to chase down again?
 
Damien said:
Even going back to as long as I was on Fwoosh, basically this exact thread would pop up about once a year. And I agree with it every time.

Honestly, it's like a daily existential crisis. I don't want to be materialistic, but I also love action figures (and books, and weapons, and miniatures). I don't want to waste money, but I also love action figures (and books, and weapons, and miniatures). And on and on. I really do struggle with the amount of stuff I have, but also really liking my stuff. What do I get rid of, what do I keep. What do I stop myself from re-buying after I get rid of it.

What can I just go without?

Honestly, there have been times when the only thing keeping me in toy collecting was the community. You guys. If AT didn't exist, I honestly probably would have gotten rid of 99% of my toys when Fwoosh collapsed, unfollowed every toy news place, and just tried to pretend the hobby doesn't exist. In fact, before TSI started this up, I was basically primed up to do exactly that.
Not because I don't love toys, but because of all the extra stuff it does to my brain when I'm not just actively looking at my cool stuff and having fun with it.

I don't have any answers.
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So what you're saying is that we're a bunch of dirty, lowdown enablers.
 
joshsquash729 said:
To add to the convo, if you can remember-

- What was the figure, if any, that broke the camel's back when it came to collecting? That gave you that lightbulb moment and made you question everything?

- Conversely, what's the figure, if any, that re-ignited your love for the hobby?

- And, just for fun, what was the figure, if any, that you regretted selling- whether immediately or later- that you had to chase down again?
Click to expand...
- In the last five years, it was doing the Mezco dance and realizing how unfulfilling it was. I had an idea in my head of what I want a high-end figure to be, and they always missed it but they were also the only one that was making an effort.

Now thanks to third party, with Jessica Aster, I have a baseline for what I want. And it turns out it doesn't need to be a Marvel or a Star Wars or whatever. Just need something that looks cool and is playable.

But for Legends specifically, this year it was SDCC Rogue and Shanna. Like I always say, if you want to make it difficult for me to give you money, forget you.

- I had been out from around 2006 until the Legends Juggernaut wave. That reignited my love for representation.

For overall toys as an art and fun, it was the NECA Mirage turtles. I love when things look ripped from screen and page. They made the cartoon turtles very difficult to get in Canada, but lucking into the single releases of the Mirage line and basically getting everyone except Rat King that I cared about pretty easily. So cool.

Jada's SF is a very close second keeping me in the game between nostalgic representation and having an art style, even if it's not exact.

- Two figure things I wish I didn't sell and will never buy back:

Mezco Blade. It was simply top tier then and top tier now. I will not pay aftermarket for him and I got rid of him in a haze of purging Mezco.

Same company, the Pink Skull sets. I had both. I really wish I kept the second set. But the aftermarket at the time was ridiculous and I was really greedy and eager to get out of Mezco.

But now with the Advent of third party figures and learning how to get accessories like instruments, I can build that back up on my own terms, because it was less about the skulls and more about guitars, drums and punk rock, baby.
 
I want to add another point to that survey.

Engagement.

While I do collect for myself, it's so cool when someone else sees that you collect Street Fighter figures and even though they may not collect toys, it becomes a springboard for conversation and shared experiences in the arcade. Or talking about who your favorite turtle is. With X-Men, we are so blessed that the old cartoon is a touchstone for many people.

You compare that to a Gomez where 90% of people are just going to go, Oh, that's a weird bug guy, and not even appreciate the detailing or soft goods. And if they don't understand that, they're definitely not going to understand why you were rushing to get in on a 5-minute window on 1:00 p.m. on a Wednesday to get it.

And then you question why you had to be there at 1:00 p.m. on a Wednesday, because yeah you wanted it for yourself but we all do like when people understand why we got something. So that kind of motivates me.
 
altcunningham said:
What helped me was starting to sell things off. It got easier and easier, and every year I reframe what it is I even want out of this hobby. And it gets easier to make the call on whether you really want something.
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I agree. Selling things off is not only therapeutic for the collector in you, but it also has real world benefits. I netted over $7k USD selling off figures in 2024 and paid my car off early. I took this year off due to U.S. tax laws, but my goal next year is to net enough to have new kitchen counter tops installed. I find that having a specific goal in mind really helps to get me motivated and keep me motivated throughout the process.

I think another key is knowing when something is “good enough”. These days, every time you turn around, there’s a new and improved version of any given character being released. “This is the best 1/12 figure of (fill in the blank) EVER!” Okay, but unless you’ve been unhappy with the 1/12 version of (fill in the blank) that you already have, who cares?

It’s not just the usual suspects either. Today, the fourth ML Black Bolt I’ve purchased in the last 15 years will arrive, and Tuesday, the third ML Medusa I’ve purchased in the last 15 years will arrive. I primarily bought them to get Triton and Gorgon, but that’s another rant, and one that we’ve already covered pretty thoroughly. What I would say is that if you are going to upgrade (or be “gently nudged” into upgrading), sell off the old versions ASAP…before 10 figures to sell off becomes 100 and 100 becomes 1,000.
 
I don't feel this way very often. The best way to avoid these feelings of collector fatigue is to focus your purchases and really figure out what you like. I treat my GI JOES like I treat my dolls, as customizable toys that are continually evolving until I'm happy with them. I don't find this enjoyment as much with superhero characters that don't lend themselves to things like accessories and weapons, so I've 95% given up on buying them. With Classified, even a figure I don't like can donate weapons, packs, gear, even body parts to the pile to improve someone else. This keeps me from regretting just about any purchase.

Sometimes you just have to accept that buying things for happiness doesn't always work. "You get what you pay for" is an expression that hasn't held any weight in a long time.

The best remedy for collection fatigue is enjoying what you have! And making sure to check out old stuff here and there, that you have stored, to help you learn from your mistakes and sort things out to sell or give away, and/or appreciate a toy you forgot about or didn't enjoy the first time.

My problem isn't really collector fatigue it's just keeping my areas tidy with my toy kitbash/mix-up mindset. At any given moment my PC desk is usually covered in about 30 various guns/packs/heads/crap.
 
So, I might've gone a little bonkers and bought a half dozen figures today.

Anyway, just thought I'd drop that here lest anyone think I actually have self control. I do think my email exploding with black Friday emails contributed. Just the idea that sales were happening everywhere got me. *sigh*
 
JakeEkiss said:
So, I might've gone a little bonkers and bought a half dozen figures today.

Anyway, just thought I'd drop that here lest anyone think I actually have self control. I do think my email exploding with black Friday emails contributed. Just the idea that sales were happening everywhere got me. *sigh*
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I JUST had to close the entire browser window because ToySnowman has a bunch of stuff I want on sale and I had like 120 bucks' worth of figures in my cart and I just said 'NO, if I really wanted these I'd already have them. A sale is not a reason.' And I'm HOPING I stick to that, but I am also terribly weak.
 
Damien said:
I JUST had to close the entire browser window because ToySnowman has a bunch of stuff I want on sale and I had like 120 bucks' worth of figures in my cart and I just said 'NO, if I really wanted these I'd already have them. A sale is not a reason.' And I'm HOPING I stick to that, but I am also terribly weak.
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I'm consoling myself in that every single thing I bought has been on my "if I've got some spare cash" list for at least a few months, some over half a year or more, without me ever nixing them. Usually that means I do actually want them, I just don't want them for retail. Today most were sitting at 20-50% off and probably that's as good as they'll get. The only one I paid full price for was OMF General.
 
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