TDK Akita wrote:Just wanted some advice on which toy I should get first to start my collection, how I go about doing that (Should I go through eBay, BBTS, cons?), should I keep it in the box or not, etc.
I know that some of you would say "Just do whatever!", but I really need at least a tip to get off on the right foot.
Thanks!
Well, you have Jazz/Meister in your tag, so you must like that character.
I'd recommend starting with him.
This is actually a great time to pick up the HasbroToyShop/TRU gift pack with the G2 colors deluxe Jazz, Optimus Prime, and cyberverse Thundercracker and Motorbreath. It was $29.99 the last time I checked, which is pretty reasonable considering deluxe figures are going for $15 a pop.
Unless you plan on selling the toys later, I'd also say you should open them up. Over time, boxed toys end up taking up a lot more space than unboxed toys. (For years, I was storing modern toy packaging in a closet...but I gave it all away when I moved. Now I throw out most packaging. Most box art is archived online somewhere, anyway.)
Don't go crazy trying to buy everything if you get bit with the collecting bug, though. Slow and steady wins the race.
Just a rule of thumb: Whenever you are about to drop a lot of money, ask yourself what else you could have bought if you saved your money, and whether you would have gotten more pleasure or use out of that other thing. One of the worst parts of collecting is buyer's remorse. When you are in the store, spending five, ten, or twenty bucks might not seem like much. At the end of the year, though, when you add up all of those toys you bought...you realize you could have bought yourself something bigger or nicer.
)
Instant gratification FTW!
