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when do you stop collecting?

PostPosted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 10:23 am
by RiddlerJ
I'd be surprised if this thread hasn't been brought up before, but it's something that's been on my mind for a while now.

Do you ever think about if and when is a good time to stop collecting.

I look at the lack of storage space and money in my account and always tell myself to cut back, but then I see this figure and that one who simply NEEDS to be added.

So I wonder if I should simply place a marker. The figure that will be the last no matter what else comes out.

Currently, I'm leaning towards FOC Twin Twist. The original Twin Twist was my first Transformer so I figure this one could be a nice way to wrap it up, with them bookending things. :-?

Re: when do you stop collecting?

PostPosted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 10:29 am
by Fox Thiagarajan
I am hoping to stop collecting by next year or maybe limiting my purchases to one Masterpiece a year. I've had the same thoughts as you, and I feel as though I may allow collecting TFs get out of hand with the need of space for storage and money for purchases. As of late, I've been very selective so I hope to keep this up.

Re: when do you stop collecting?

PostPosted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 10:33 am
by PrymeStriker
I'll stop collecting when I can gently put a thumbtack to the outside of a figure's plastic and it will crack. >:oP

Re: when do you stop collecting?

PostPosted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 10:35 am
by Banjo-Tron
Depends on what will make your collection 'complete' I guess. For me this is modern representations of all of the G1 characters from Seasons 1, 2, the movie and 3. After that, things get complicated with tons of new lines (Headmasters, Targetmasters, Powermasters, Pretenders etc)

Then I'm done.

Until something nice and shiny comes along and tempts me again!

Re: when do you stop collecting?

PostPosted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 10:43 am
by paul053
Remembered similar thread has been asked, but too lazy to find it.

I will stop when I complete my universe (neo G1 characters). But who knows when. Hasbro will never make this happen.

Re: when do you stop collecting?

PostPosted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 10:49 am
by gavinfuzzy
I'll stop collecting when I loose interest altogether.

I doubt that will be soon, especially with the internet and the Seibetron community, for one. :D

Or when prices get too damn high. But even then, I'll just buy stuff, slowly. Beast Hunters Released in Singapore today. Prices went UP again. Sitting at $24.40 per deluxe currently. #-o :BANG_HEAD:

Re: when do you stop collecting?

PostPosted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 11:28 am
by GuyIncognito
When I can no longer afford it, when I'm no longer interested, or when I die. Whichever comes first.

Re: when do you stop collecting?

PostPosted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 11:44 am
by RhA
GuyIncognito wrote:When I can no longer afford it, when I'm no longer interested, or when I die. Whichever comes first.


This.

Re: when do you stop collecting?

PostPosted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 11:50 am
by Mkall
Most likely whenever I'm allowed to spawn another human, and that human reaches an age where the spawn meets two criteria:
a) shows that said human spawn shows that they can play with their toys responsibly
b) shows an interest in Transformers.

Once both criteria are met, that spawn will get my whole collection with only minimal regrets on my part.

Re: when do you stop collecting?

PostPosted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 11:51 am
by DPrime
When my wife sends me to a collectors intervention. I always say I'm just going to get masterpieces but then a third party company makes an awesome remake that I just can't say no to. After this years comic con I'm done, only masterpieces and gi joe/transformer crossovers. The money needs to start going towards my sons college.

Re: when do you stop collecting?

PostPosted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 12:44 pm
by Erailea
RhA wrote:
GuyIncognito wrote:When I can no longer afford it, when I'm no longer interested, or when I die. Whichever comes first.


This.


Ditto.

If I run out of room I'll just have to do what many other collectors I know do - sell off a few things. Preferably I'd like to not sell anything, but when the room is gone that's the only option left... if there are things out there that still tickle your fancy, of course.

Re: when do you stop collecting?

PostPosted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 1:41 pm
by Banjo-Tron
I'm just pleased that there is only a finite number of true G1 characters, otherwise I think it'd never end (Furmanism alert!)

It's been a while and I have worked hard on my website so any comments are welcome, but below is my fairly rigid collection criteria which helps me steer clear of unnecessary purchase. I might just point out beforehand that I am very anal.

The Three Laws of Inclusion

I have had to be quite strict with what constitutes a 'G1' character while putting this collection together, as I didn't want to flood it with loads of new characters which have come into existence since the original line from many years ago. Therefore, any characters I include have to fulfil at least 1 of the following criteria:

1) Was featured in either the (original) UK or US G1 Comic
2) Was featured in the US G1 Cartoon
3) Was available as a toy in Europe or the US within the G1 toyline

This is why Black Shadow has been removed from this collection, because he did not exist outside of Japan. Events after the Movie split into a completely different continuity in Japan, with too many differences to rectify it back into G1 proper. I do enjoy some of the Japanese cartoon episodes, but in my 'personal canon' I do not strictly see the (Japanese) post-movie events as 'Geewun'.

Drift sucks anyway, which is why I smashed him to bits and used various bits of his anatomy to make customs out of; but even if he wasn't the single worst character ever, he would not be viable for inclusion because he did not exist in any form until IDW made him up, years after G1 was over.

With the criteria above in mind, Roadbuster makes it in on points 1 and 3. Straxus on point 1. Dion on point 2. Overlord makes it in on point 3, by the skin of his metal teeth, because he got a European toy release in the early 1990's. That said, the majority of the figures make it in on all 3 criteria.

I have also decided to exclude Acid Storm. Why? Because he was not referred to by name in any contemporary media and was only retconned into the continuity. I'm not a big fan of retconning and my disdain for Drift only cements that. He also bears no resemblance to the character's paintjob. Using the 3 rules above, he does not meet the criteria for either rule 1 or 3. As far as rule 2 is concerned, he wasn't featured in the US cartoon either, considering he was never even named until 2008 - some 25 years after the episode he was in. He is simply a modern character based (rather loosely) on a generic who was fleetingly seen in a single episode. So bye bye Acid Storm. Dion still gets to stay because he is a named character from the cartoon, which also means if I can get my hands on Ariel or Orion Pax I will do. But, alas, the Rainmakers do not have a place in this database.

Re: when do you stop collecting?

PostPosted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 2:16 pm
by Whammy
Whenever I run out of room in my dorm... Which is imminent.

Re: when do you stop collecting?

PostPosted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 3:26 pm
by xyl360
Once I no longer enjoy it and/or there are no more figures/lines coming out that I actually enjoy/want to collect. TF:Prime came close, but it's starting to excite me again and Takara's Generations line and MP line have really dug into my wallet and I expect will continue to do so for a long time to come.

The only pricey stuff I'm still after are one or two G1 tidbits and a few particularly rare Beast Wars figures. Once those are done, it's all contemporary toys for me (including 3rd party, which tend to be the most expensive of modern toys, though I'm extremely selective about which ones I buy).

Re: when do you stop collecting?

PostPosted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 4:54 pm
by hattknall
It started when I bought an MP-Grimlock but it expanded pretty quickly and then I said to my self that I would just collect until I had the original members from the Ark in MP-scale. But now there are so many nice combiners as you want so the collection will continue to grow for a while, but then, that's it

However, I am afraid that it will never be enough. will probably find other excuses when there comes other characters that I want.

Re: when do you stop collecting?

PostPosted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 6:05 pm
by Arctorro
I will require a few sets to be complete before I stop completely.

Classics - At the moment I'm building a (I guess you could call it) neo-classics set that was originally based on the first four years of G1 toys. It is now being influenced by the Aligned Continuity, and maybe year five of G1, as well which has caused it to expand quite a bit. Even so, this collection will eventually be complete.

Masterpiece - This could continue for years. One restriction I've placed here is no 3P figures.

Cartoon - I've always collected cartoon related toys over the years, even getting those that didn't appear in the show. One good thing about the often crap Prime toys is that I've started restricting myself to show only (though passed on Skyquake). This collecting could end in the near future with the increasingly poor quality of the toys, Beast Hunters and whatever follows will determine if this is so.

Beast Era - Started with Beast Wars, but my love of these toys knows no bounds and it expanded into BWII/Neo as well. This collection was put on hold mid 2012 to free up funds (and space) for Classics and MP. This collection might be continued in the future, will wait and see.

So it is quite possible that in the next couple of years my collecting slow down considerably, just getting the odd MP figure every so often.

Re: when do you stop collecting?

PostPosted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 7:26 pm
by Sinnertwin
Ivebeen thinking, I'm not a completionist, so as long as Hasbro puts out lines/toys that interest me I'll keep collecting.

Re: when do you stop collecting?

PostPosted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 8:03 pm
by MGrotusque
I've stopped collecting. I have all the figures i want for the most part. I'm content with the figs i have. I'll get some more here and there but the constant hunt for figs i want has been fulfilled. My belly is full and any more is just overindulgence.
I don't need too collect every iteration of the same characters over and over again. Unless it's a spectacular mold. Otherwise i'm done. I still follow the fiction and the new up and coming stuff all the time though.

Re: when do you stop collecting?

PostPosted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 8:51 pm
by Omega-1
I'm trying to decide if I should throw out boxes and just buy a bin to put as many figures as I can in storage but I'm holding out as long as I can for when I move into a bigger place and will have more storage space. At this pointed I'm only buying Masterpieces plus the odd figure from other lines that I really like.

Re: when do you stop collecting?

PostPosted: Thu Jan 17, 2013 5:17 am
by SkyWarpsGhost
Don't store them in a bin!
All the weight from the figures on top will crush the ones on the bottom. Toy boxes etc are the worst offenders for breaking toys. I've a really good condition G1 Prime that I've had since a kid, it was the 2nd one I owned as I carried the 1st everywhere with me to the point he had masses of chrome and paint wear, a broken arm (toy box) and his head would keep coming off.
Anyway, the 2nd one suffered a blow to the front bumper which broke off at his hip whilst in the... Toy box! Gutted!

Re: when do you stop collecting?

PostPosted: Thu Jan 17, 2013 10:21 am
by Tresob
A neat little trick I learned is to unload old stuff I don't want to make room for new stuff I might want later.

The collecting never has to end.

The owning might, though.

Re: when do you stop collecting?

PostPosted: Thu Jan 17, 2013 10:34 am
by Henry921
Once Prime and its various sublines are done, I'm gonna stop buying new figures that aren't new molds/cool retools/third party awesomeness of my four favorite characters, Grimlock, Soundwave, Shockwave, and OP. I Might be tempted to get more Masterpieces or 3rd party releases of 'missing' characters, but I'm not going to allow myself to get so heavily invested in any toyline again.

Also going to cover my ears and chant 'lalalalala' when someone talks about BotCon. That is by far the biggest dent.

Re: when do you stop collecting?

PostPosted: Thu Jan 17, 2013 2:35 pm
by Atomatron
tomorrow

Re: when do you stop collecting?

PostPosted: Thu Jan 17, 2013 3:14 pm
by Va'al
There was a thread a while back about losing your collecting oomph, which I dug out again.
http://www.seibertron.com/energonpub/has-this-happened-to-you-t84212s10.php

I think there does come a time when you look back at your display/shelves/thing and wonder.
I have a feeling I'm going to stop buying things soon, for various reasons, but I'm not sure I'd be able to let go of the collection as it is now.

Is it still collecting if you're not adding to it?

Re: when do you stop collecting?

PostPosted: Thu Jan 17, 2013 3:30 pm
by RAcast
Va'al wrote:There was a thread a while back about losing your collecting oomph, which I dug out again.
http://www.seibertron.com/energonpub/has-this-happened-to-you-t84212s10.php

I think there does come a time when you look back at your display/shelves/thing and wonder.
I have a feeling I'm going to stop buying things soon, for various reasons, but I'm not sure I'd be able to let go of the collection as it is now.

Is it still collecting if you're not adding to it?

I'd say its collecting as long as you enjoy what you have on display.

That said, good luck not adding to it very once in awhile as long as you have a display. ;P. I'd say it stops being collecting when you no longer have a display or have more in storage than you have displayed... that's just hording at that point. :(