The Energon Pub

Okay let me preface this with a little background information. I've been collecting off and on for probably the last 20 years or so and for about the last 10 a bulk of my collection has been in the basement in totes due to a lack of space to display it properly. well now after all these years, we finally got one of our room set aside that is going to be my little Escape , and I have already installed many shelves from Ikea to put my collection up proper. Here's the weird thing though, regardless it's a lot of work to get this setup it's kind of fatiguing to be honest. But, there's also this really odd feeling now that I'm seeing the sheer volume of it, that I'm kind of disturbed by it. I guess I never really thought of just how many items I have purchased in the last two decades. I'm just wondering if anyone else who is an avid collector has kind of had this bit of an existential moment with their collection? I'm not about to sell everything or stop collecting, but I think I'm going to be a little bit more discretionary.

I come across that feeling every so often. It can get especially strong when you are setting up a display from totes, where most likely you store them in alt mode, but want to display them in bot mode. While despite remembering everyone's transformation by heart, it still takes you about 10 hours over a few days just to get everyone in bot mode, let alone pose them. So yeah, I think I get what you were talking about.

I'm a big proponent of taking a look at the collection every so often, and thinning things out to make room for future wants(needs). In fact, I'm getting ready to do another thinning myself. I can almost always find 5-10 that I haven't touched in years and don't really have an attachment to or have too many versions of.

Lacking space now

TF-fan kev777 wrote:I come across that feeling every so often. It can get especially strong when you are setting up a display from totes, where most likely you store them in alt mode, but want to display them in bot mode. While despite remembering everyone's transformation by heart, it still takes you about 10 hours over a few days just to get everyone in bot mode, let alone pose them. So yeah, I think I get what you were talking about.

I'm a big proponent of taking a look at the collection every so often, and thinning things out to make room for future wants(needs). In fact, I'm getting ready to do another thinning myself. I can almost always find 5-10 that I haven't touched in years and don't really have an attachment to or have too many versions of.

G


I can honestly say that before now I've never considered " thinning" the collection. But I was seriously mulling it over this past week.

Oh man. I'm not in the EXACT same position, but I can relate....

I feel like I'm perpetually collecting a thing that will never see the light of day. I've got a collection, of everything except for Animated (I think) and Japanese G1. So... I have lots of stuff. Right now, I'm as close to a plan as I've ever been though. I realized I'm not happy with the home I have, and am fixing it up to sell, and get what I truly want. Which will have adequate space for my displays.

Problem is, recently I have been moving stuff around in my basement, and come to realize exactly how much stuff I really have. And honestly, it's daunting. Terrifying even. Do I need all this stuff? Do I even want all this stuff? And good lorn how much work will it be to MOVE all this stuff? But... what amount of space would I even need to display this insane amount of stuff??

Ugh

Had it happen a few times. I was not necessarily in your situation (having things stored away) as most of mine was readily out and anything put away was really meant to be as such (meaning I wouldn't display it anyhow). I have plenty of space in my home for display as well. But it is possible to walk in and say, "UH...WOW!".

I have heard it said it's the act of "collecting" that's fun, not so much the "owning". But I've also felt if I just collect a handful of things, I don't feel as involved with it and it's not personally satisfying. But I also don't want too much. It's a hard balance. I guess now I get a kick out being super selective.