Is there anyone else that just doesn't care?

[Wishing_Well]

Hi, Wishing_Well here. I have a question or two I would like some others to answer. This was probably asked 100 times already but who cares.

Are there any collectors in the hobby that simply bored of it and just don't care whats out and whats not? I've been a strong collector since 2002, now you old men that say "that isn't long enough, your not a true collector". Well let me ask you, what does it take to become a true collector?

Time?
Amount of money put in?
Owning tons of merchandise you don't even want, but you bought it because it had Star Wars on it?

Because I already loss interest, I mean A LOT. Here are some factors that made me sorta quit cold plastic.

-Prices
-Space
-Don't I have enough?
-Availability
-Character Selection
-Consumer Reactions(petty complaining and what not.)

I remember me buying almost every figure from every wave. I used to buy characters that I didn't even want, but used "because I don't have it" as and excuse to justify it. I even considered selling my collection a couple of days ago. I don't know, maybe because I'm starting a new chapter in my life soon, Post-High School, start with a new slate, sell my past. I already decided that I'am no longer buying doubles anymore, 2 weeks ago I bought 2 RFTs to add to my three, when I got home, I was like"*sigh...why did I buy this". The only person that will see them is me and the only one to enjoy them is me, I only need just one don't I? A couple months ago I went on a vc45 clone spree, I own like 10 of them. Sure some people may say "I need more for my diorama so its more epic".

The collecting in me died last week. I'll probably buy ones that I think are appealing, no longer ones that I just want to have.

Ughhh.

[R5_D2]

I slimmed down myself, this is my second time in collecting. I collected when I was younger back when EpI/POTJ was out. I stopped after collecting almost all of the Star Tours figures from Disney.

Back in 2006 I started back up with TSC and TAC. TLC didn't do a whole lot for me, except for the BAD figs. TVC isn't too bad, but I've trimmed back/sold off since then.

Personally, TAC was probably my FAVORITE line, it was just so epic. It had a fresh assortment of figures that catered to everyone, the packaging was neat and original, and distribution wasn't too horrible.

Right now, I'm only buying figures I REALLY want. I still do a tiny bit of army building, but not anywhere near what I did during TAC. Personally, my focus is now becoming Star Tours again since the Star Speeder 1000. Once that hits and I get the few things I want from the new 2012 Wal-Mart wave/line, I'll probably ease off for a bit. I'll have what I need for my dios and such. I may still customize, but I've even noticed that I'm slowing down with how many customs I finish off lately.

Granted, I NEVER sold off my collection because I was "growing up" or anything like that. Star Wars will always be part of my life, and I don't think I'll ever get rid of ALL my SW stuff. Seems kinda lame IMO.

[bigbarada]

I was like"*sigh...why did I buy this". The only person that will see them is me and the only one to enjoy them is me, I only need just one don't I?

I think this is the key here. The only person to collect for is yourself, no one else. If you can't enjoy doing that, then maybe it's time for a new hobby.

Also, it's not about "need" it's about "want." Nobody needs any of this stuff. When you start to think that you need a toy, then maybe it's time to step back a bit and regain your perspective.

I know you might say, "I 'need' it to complete my collection." But you don't need to complete your collection of toys either. You want to complete your collection, but you don't need to.

[jedimom]

I go through phases of this. But I always seem to get sucked back into it

[Turbowars]

I have been collecting since 95 or so and it has had it's ups and Downs. I donated about 90% of my stuff over the last 4 years. Like you I just didn't care. I now only buy some vintage Hasbro, GG and SSC items. My garage is clutter free. Besides I needed to start making room for my future Dodge R/T Challenger.

[Neuroleptic]

I can only tell you what I do.

I have been collecting since 1984 (when I was 3) and started back up in 1995 or so when the new line started. About 7 years ago I thinned down my collection to almost nothing, set aside a book shelf and a few small wall hanging shelves and said, that's the space I have to work with. If my collection out grows that, I need to sell stuff off.

Ever since then I have been much more selective about what I buy for my collection. It's a lot more fun than it used to be, because I like what I have more. I also do not feel guilty about selling off items that I no longer want for whatever reason, usualy in a large lot on e-bay every few years or so. I'll probably be doing this some time next year now that I think about it.

A small collection is more enjoyable, and personal. As several have said, collect only for yourself. If you don't enjoy it anymore, pear down to what you actualy like, keep the space small and managable. Or focus on one part of star wars like Jaba's palace. I've seen a few collections that only have one character (there's a really cool one here on the boards somewhere who only has R2-D2).

Or walk away all together. I used the money from the big cut back I mentioned to buy a 55 gallon aquarium. When the fish died a few years ago during an ice storm and two week power outage in below zero temperatures, I went back to collecting figures.

Like someone else said though, even if I sold off my collection and vowed never to collect again, I would never get rid of everything in my collection. Some of it has sentemental value to me, and some of it I just like.

But some day I do hope to reach a point where I put the last figure in my collection step back, look at it, and say that's it. I like everything in my collection, and anything else added to it would simply be more.

[ReverendStrone]

A lot of the sustained enjoyment and longevity in collecting comes from truly understanding what it is exactly that your really dig about the hobby. Be honest with yourself about what you like and only do what serves your passion. If you buy something you don't like or find yourself resenting a purchase you feel bound to make, ask yourself why you're doing it. I think often as collectors we invent rules for ourselves that in turn actually diminish our enjoyment of the hobby in the longer term and lead to resentment or even anger - that mystifies me. What has value to you and what doesn't? Often a new collector comes in hard and after just a short time has burned themselves out and they sell everything off and move on to new hobby where they repeat the same thing. It's all about understanding your own motivations and constantly re-evaluating what is important and what is an incidental habit or tick you've picked up along the way. People are often quick to blame Hasbro for killing their enjoyment of the hobby, but often times I believe it's a self inflicted issue instead.

Bottom line - make it work for you and if it isn't, change what you're doing, even if that means quitting.

[plasticproblem]

Well, as an old man, I'm not sure what makes a "true collector", but I consider myself to be a good collector. I buy things I want because I like them. I don't buy things because they have the words Star Wars on it. I buy 3 3/4" action figures if they fit into my personally established collecting aesthetic. I like hunting down toys, but if Hasbro took the line in a direction I didn't like, I would be just fine, and would be happy with what I've amassed over the last few years, because I feel like I've made a big plastic homage to my childhood dreams of Star Wars, and everything that could be. I look at my cabinet of plastic and smile, and think that I've (somehow) delivered a young boy across an impossible threshold of life into something resembling adulthood, and that my belief that we are indeed luminous beings has survived.
I grew up in the early 80's, and Star Wars was a huge part of my childhood, not just in terms of playing with, collecting, and coveting toys, but also in terms of my moral development. The Empire Strikes Back had a bigger impact on me as a human being than all of Christianity combined. I loved the Kenner figures I had, and what they represented for me. I love the newer Hasbro line because it rounds out my Star Wars fantasies, and whatever doesn't serve to round out my childhood fantasies gets left on the peg. But that's just me.
I've also lived a big, sordid, rock-n-roll life, during which I wasn't collecting Star Wars toys. I've done some some things in my life that most people only dream about, things thankfully unrelated to Star Wars, and I'm not going to say that I would have missed out on them if I was home collecting toys, but you have to start the ball rolling somehow.
In most ways now, playing with toys keeps me out of trouble, and gives me something productive to take my mind off of work and trade school: the new chapter (that isn't ***, drugs, and rock-n-roll) in my life.

My advice to you as a young person, is to let the toys go. It's ok. Hasbro has made millions of these freakin things, and they'll still be here when you get back. There is a time in every young man's life where he puts certain things aside, and that's fine. So start a new chapter. Whether you sell off all of your toys or just stop getting any new ones is up to you, but either way, you have this old collector's blessing.

Hi, Wishing_Well here. I have a question or two I would like some others to answer. This was probably asked 100 times already but who cares.

Are there any collectors in the hobby that simply bored of it and just don't care whats out and whats not? I've been a strong collector since 2002, now you old men that say "that isn't long enough, your not a true collector". Well let me ask you, what does it take to become a true collector?

Time?
Amount of money put in?
Owning tons of merchandise you don't even want, but you bought it because it had Star Wars on it?

Because I already loss interest, I mean A LOT. Here are some factors that made me sorta quit cold plastic.

-Prices
-Space
-Don't I have enough?
-Availability
-Character Selection
-Consumer Reactions(petty complaining and what not.)

I remember me buying almost every figure from every wave. I used to buy characters that I didn't even want, but used "because I don't have it" as and excuse to justify it. I even considered selling my collection a couple of days ago. I don't know, maybe because I'm starting a new chapter in my life soon, Post-High School, start with a new slate, sell my past. I already decided that I'am no longer buying doubles anymore, 2 weeks ago I bought 2 RFTs to add to my three, when I got home, I was like"*sigh...why did I buy this". The only person that will see them is me and the only one to enjoy them is me, I only need just one don't I? A couple months ago I went on a vc45 clone spree, I own like 10 of them. Sure some people may say "I need more for my diorama so its more epic".

The collecting in me died last week. I'll probably buy ones that I think are appealing, no longer ones that I just want to have.

Ughhh.

[AlrikFassbauer]

Me, I never had the money to be as good as a collector as I wanted to be. I *had* to let go (though non-buying) so much stuff ... I'm glad I can find lose figures after several years ...

But now, the situation is so bad that even figures nne wanted to really sem to sell ... There must be hundreds (or thousands ) of nerw collectors out there ...

What also poils it for me that so many people just buy TTVC figures and then throw away the packages . Since I **really* want the backcards undamaged, I have to buy them myself ... And that drains quite a LOT of money ... Espcially when prices are here around 2-14 Euros and that's the Norm here !

All of this just forces me to be even more selecting than ever ... It' a sad state.

If TVC wasn't so important to me (as a Vintage collector in the 80s I just wanted to have these new figures again); I'd quit completely. Because the market situation is working against me, I have the feeling.

My greatest joy was two years ago when the Woolworth chain sold old Indy Jones figures for 5 Euros each ... and even less. Then, collecting was true fun for me again !

But that was long ago ... Okay, I stop here, I'm already sounding too much of a whiner right now.

[DarkArtist]

I've been in the collecting game since the 80's with the original Kenner line of figures... for me the collecting of these toys is a way to recapture my childhood in a way... the only line I'm currently focusing on to get a complete series in the original Kenner Vintage line... as far as the Hasbro line goes... I usually only buy the figures I truly want (with the exception of the BAD line which I bought every wave for the parts to build the exclusive droids)

I have in the past thought of dropping off the map in the collecting world many times and have since scaled back my collecting due to $$$... in the past I used to buy 2 of every figure (one fo rloose display one for mint display) as well as all the vehicles, playsets (when Hasbro made them), Action Fleet, Lego, Micro Machines etc etc.... now most of the stuff I by is what I can afford... I still have yet to get the new AT-AT from last year or the Turbo Tank from 2 years ago..(and I really wanted both of them... just can't justify the $$ on them)

I recently bought the Republic Attack Shuttle on Amazon (due to the deal of $34.99) I most likely would have passed on it for the original $69.99 price tag..

basically my opinion is this (for what it's worth).... buy what you want, what you like and don't feel like you have to be pressured into buying everything with the SW logo on it (afterall we can't all be Sansweets can we lol) and enjoy the hobby for what it is. Trust me Lucas is rich enough and he's not going to go brke anytime soon if people stop buying SW stuff... I think he's set for live at the moment.

also if you feel like quitting the game then do what you feel is right. also don't worry about what people think of you whether you have been collecting for 2 years or 30 years... your collection is your collection and you are a collector whether this person says you are or not.