The Energon Pub

I found this to be an interesting statement in that other thread...

...the world of collecting can be quite competitive...

Let's discuss!

Personally, I can't agree with the statement. The thing is, I wouldn't know who I was competing against and in all honesty...it would be a terrible game to begin with.

Why?

Well, anyone with a reasonably well paying job, 50k+ could finish a Transformers collection in its entirety in a matter of a few years with really minor difficulty.

You have the money, you get the toys. There's no element of skill to it, there's really not a way to excell past someone else.

That's my opinion though. I do know the small twinge of jealosy when I can't find a figure at release, but in all my years collecting I think I have missed like, one toy due to in-action on my part.

So, what do you think, are we a competitive lot? Are you 'winning'? and lastly, anyone who says "He who dies with the most toys, wins." gets shot in the face.

To be blatantly honest, if someone's idea of competition is collecting toys, they really need to reevaluate their prioritites and lives.

I for one do not know a single person who also collects. So it would be a little silly to just buy up everything I can find so that I can post an impressive picture online. Once again, if you feel the need to do this, issues.....

I agree that someone making 50k plus could finish their collection quite quickly. Being one of those people, I have at times felt the urge to go nuts and get em all.

However, I don't. I would kinda of be shooting myself in the foot by doing that. Besides going to the gym, tennis and my softball league, I enjoy my collecting hobby as it is reminiscent of my youth and is something fun to do when I have no sport lined up and my gf is not home.

So, to add to the fun, I have designated myself to be a bargain collector. I make it a point to get any piece at its lowest possible price and do not get carried away. To ensure this, I cap my TF spending to $200 a month. I only go over this for special situations regarding brand new items like the MPs, Botcon, etc. This keeps the hobby exciting for me and will give it longevity.

As such, I already know the last piece I will ever buy. Fortress Maximus.

P.S. I also don't stress out about missing releases as it really is only a matter of time before I see it for sale somewhere at a price I like, no matter how rare the figure.

This hobby/lifestyle..whatever you call it...is probably only competitive to those who are competitive by nature. I'm fairly certain that the "Get a load of my huge collection with pics" threads contribute to some of that, but it's another case of people taking things the way they want to take them. I, for one, don't pay much atention to the collections of others, unless I see figures I'm not familiar with.

MY problem is that I'm an anal completionist in most regards. Thankfully, though, I've only been successful with this practice as far as the Alt line goes.

I know who this is coming from and felt the same way. Since you pointed it out here to me it's either someone is trying to protect his/her investment from the upcoming "event", or just trying to advertise for someone maybe. Sounded cheesy. The bottom line is it's just toys. If you like it and have the money for it, go for it. If not, big deal. The is no competition here from collector's perspective.

LioBreaker wrote:I know who this is coming from and felt the same way.

Yea...Cyber Bishop said the original quote, but the fact that he was the one to say it is not relevant to this discussion in any way.

Since you pointed it out here to me it's either someone is trying to protect his/her investment from the upcoming "event", or just trying to advertise for someone maybe. Sounded cheesy.

The hell are you talking about?

The bottom line is it's just toys. If you like it and have the money for it, go for it. If not, big deal. The is no competition here from collector's perspective.

Fair enough.

I used to feel the twinge of regret when I couldn't make the 'gotta get em all' folks, but that's long passed now.

I've cleared a huge percentage of my collection but the few I have left (I like it - I think that 30 is considered 'a few' ) are figures I really enjoy. My collection is now completely random - a real mix of Gen 1, BTs, Alts and MPs.

Ultimately people who have more disposable income are more likely to have larger collections. I still love mine though and that's what's important to me.

First off I know I was the one who said it and here is one reason why i said it

A few years ago when I was big into Star Wars there was a guy that hung around with the local group of collectors and he always seemed to want to "show up everyone" with what he had. He would see others collections, mimic them and gloat on how his collection was so much better than everyone else's.
He once asked me why I did not compete to have a better collection, my reply was I am happy with my collection and don't need to compete with anyone. Oh, he ended up going bankrupt due to his attempt to "keep up with the Joneses".

I do know collectors, I know quite a few of them personally and for some strange reason for some of them it is some sort of competition to;
A) Have it "first"
B) My collection is better than yours

Silly because this comes from adults.
I have been critiqued for "selective buying" (not buying a complete "set or wave" only buying certain pieces) before.
I always thought that it was supposed to be "fun" but some people take it really seriously.
I buy what I want and don't always need to complete a "wave" (like Star Wars figs come in).

I am pretty sure that there are thousands of other collectors that are around and some feel the need to compete with others and some do not.

I collect for the love of it not the investment. SO I don't know what in the hell you are talking about LioBreaker.
I don't have to have them all either .

LioBreaker wrote:Since you pointed it out here to me it's either someone is trying to protect his/her investment from the upcoming "event", or just trying to advertise for someone maybe. Sounded cheesy.

Pardon me? What do you mean? What are you talking about?

I don't find this very competitive. I don't have many TFs as I make rather considered choices about what I do and do not buy. I don't need a vast amount of toys for me to be happy with my collection.

In real life, I don't know any other collectors. I don't even know anyone else who likes TFs or any of its fiction. Therefore no-one's actually going to ever see my collection, so it's hard for me to feel competitive about it.

Even being sniped on Ebay doesn't make me feel competitive.

Cyber Bishop wrote:First off I know I was the one who said it

and just so everyone is clear, when I brought it up this topic was in no way an indictment of what CB said. I just thought it would be something interesting to discuss.

I do feel there is competition, but not on the forums, on e-bay. So I get obsessed thinking I have to buy a figure I need as fast as possible because someone else needs it as well. I do not think about it as competition on the boards, I personally think my collection is impressive, but I do it for my self.

Counterpunch wrote:

Cyber Bishop wrote:First off I know I was the one who said it

and just so everyone is clear, when I brought it up this topic was in no way an indictment of what CB said. I just thought it would be something interesting to discuss.

I agree, it is an interesting topic.
I know what I have experienced through my 20+ years of collecting and seeing some of the responses so far is interesting.

Only Competion I see is that of the Collectors Vs. the Scalpers.

Why did everyone opt to compete with me?

Rodimus Lantern wrote:Only Competion I see is that of the Collectors Vs. the Scalpers.

QFT.

I guess in some collector "circles" people feel the need to compete..

I dunno. Like I said I just collect because it is a hobby and keeps me out of trouble.

Basketball Jones wrote:Why did everyone opt to compete with me?

Is this an in-joke?

I think the thing that urges me to buy so much is the fact that I might want them in the future and the price will be higher then.

Leonardo wrote:

Basketball Jones wrote:Why did everyone opt to compete with me?

Is this an in-joke?

That is what I was wondering..

GetterDragun wrote:I think the thing that urges me to buy so much is the fact that I might want them in the future and the price will be higher then.

So very grudginly true.

Pay now, or pay later.

Brave Max? Readily available for $100 bucks 3-4 years ago?

$350 now.

Weird stuff too, Cybertron Leobreaker? Who'd have thought?

Counterpunch wrote:

GetterDragun wrote:I think the thing that urges me to buy so much is the fact that I might want them in the future and the price will be higher then.

So very grudginly true.

Pay now, or pay later.

Brave Max? Readily available for $100 bucks 3-4 years ago?

$350 now.

Weird stuff too, Cybertron Leobreaker? Who'd have thought?

Exactly, crap you thought would sit on clearance is now worth a lot. So why risk it? Come to think of it, the local store to me has new Cybertron Galvatrons left, time to go get those.

GetterDragun wrote:

Counterpunch wrote:

GetterDragun wrote:I think the thing that urges me to buy so much is the fact that I might want them in the future and the price will be higher then.

So very grudginly true.

Pay now, or pay later.

Brave Max? Readily available for $100 bucks 3-4 years ago?

$350 now.

Weird stuff too, Cybertron Leobreaker? Who'd have thought?

Exactly, crap you thought would sit on clearance is now worth a lot. So why risk it? Come to think of it, the local store to me has new Cybertron Galvatrons left, time to go get those.

I think the examples you both give are the perfect reason I snatch up a new Alt as soon as I see it (I'm looking at you, Alts. Swerve and Camshaft). I'm seriously thinking of getting two from now on, just in case one ends up being shortpacked... But, honestly, I'd feel guilty about grabbing one out from under another collector's nose...

Living in the UK, I have often gotten fustrated when the entire of America has a tf I really want, and I dont even know if I'll ever see one, but I wouldnt call that competative as such. Also, if it is something I really want, I wanna get it first, not so I can gloat, but so I know I have it, sometimes tfs dont stay available and afordable for long, so you have to jump when you can.

I take a great pride in my collection (along with a little bit of embarsement of how quickly iy has grown, and how I could have spent that money better), but I dont see the point in competing (outside of the ebbay scinario).

Something I just realized..
I said

"...the world of collecting can be quite competitive..."

I did not say

"...the world of transformer collecting can be quite competitive..."

And it has been made into a sole TF thread.
The comment was not intended to be a TF related statement as a collecting in general statement.
It is a big world and there are individuals that collect all sorts of things. Now saying that I honestly don't know anyone locally that seems to want to compete with Transformers BUT I do know people (in the real world) that seem to want to compete with...

McFarlane Sportspicks (some of you should check out the sports boards... Major competition between collectors over on some of them)
Star Wars
DC Direct figs
DCSH figs

Maybe I just have too much exposure to the "real world" outside forums and the internet..

Counterpunch wrote:...anyone who says "He who dies with the most toys, wins." gets shot in the face.

I never liked that statement.

I prefer:

"Whoever dies with the most toys, can''t play with 'em anymore."

Cyber Bishop wrote:Something I just realized..
I said

"...the world of collecting can be quite competitive..."

I did not say

"...the world of transformer collecting can be quite competitive..."

And it has been made into a sole TF thread.
The comment was not intended to be a TF related statement as a collecting in general statement.
It is a big world and there are individuals that collect all sorts of things. Now saying that I honestly don't know anyone locally that seems to want to compete with Transformers BUT I do know people (in the real world) that seem to want to compete with...

McFarlane Sportspicks (some of you should check out the sports boards... Major competition between collectors over on some of them)
Star Wars
DC Direct figs
DCSH figs

Maybe I just have too much exposure to the "real world" outside forums and the internet..

I don't understand what you are saying? How can you compete in the real world with figures? The only example you gave was a board, which I am assuming is a message board on-line? I think forums are the real world of collecting, I've had no exposure to non-forum collecting, is there one? I mean, I can see meet-up groups, but most of these you find out about on-line through fourms.

The other collecting I do is cars and while we meet up at Racetracks, the forums play an important role in organizing the events, getting guests to attend, and just providing the news of the event to people who couldn't go. So I don't really see adifferentiation between the real world and posting about it?

I'm just confused how those you listed can differ so much from what we do?

I don't think of my collection as competing with anyone. I only collect figures that I like, or a character that I'm attached to.

The most pressure that I ever feel about getting a TF is if I think it will sell out before I can afford it. The collector's club Astrotrain is a good example. I really like that mold, but it's going to be at least a couple of weeks before I can afford it.