Just like the title says, when do you know it's time to stop collecting and hang them up?


I've been collecting for years and eventhough I still have interest in transformers, it's not as strong as it use to be. I'm 30 and have thoughts of selling my collection but don't know if I'm really done. My wife got made fun of at school the other day because she told her college classmates that I sell and trade toys online. How do my other fellow members deal with that? Let me know and help me keep my fire for collecting.

Thanks

12/11/10. Just a little update!!! Thanks for everyones opinions/suggestions. I really took them to heart and did some of the things that were suggested... now with the new generation line out I'm back with the the urge to collect again.

 

oh how ive traveled this road a many times.

first who cares what anyone says, its your life and no one elses and you should do whatever makes you happy. you only live once.

but ive felt the same, should or should i not sell. my gf actually refuses to let me sell anything cause she doesnt want to here me bitch about it later, lol. says she would kill me.

and yeah i know im never gonna have every figure i want or whatever, but hey its something i will enjoy till the day i die and was something that made me happy.

for me, either i keep collecting or they all go, i could never purge and keep just a 'few'. but i know if i sold every single one i had, i would see on online or the store, like it and buy it and it would start all over again.

 

Thanks I really appreciate your input. I forgot to mention that it's not just the comments but lifes little twist and turns that also affect my hobby. Darn bills keep on coming! Lol

 

Your wife will probably be made fun of again. Our hobby really is a little weird. I think we as "collectors" (translation: immature grown ass men who like toys) get caught up in the "collecting worlds" like this site, or all of these conventions where we're surrounded by people who have the same interests as us, but to the outside world this is a pretty strange hobby for an adult to have. BUT, I enjoy the hell out of it and I'm not a sensitive person so any abuse I get doesn't bother me... I make fun of myself constantly; it really is funny to think of how excited I am about a transforming helicopter I'm waiting on.

It sounds like any decision you'd make right now might be made on emotion, though (since your wife got made fun of). I'd at least wait a week or two until what ever feelings you have there pass and then think about it.

 

i think if you enjoy and have the mean to purchase and enjoy the hobby, then continue. screw other peoples opinions. we all have them. as far as when to stop, for me i will stop when it cuts into my finances, if it comes down to basic needs for survival or toys,,,,ill get the necessities. or if my family submits me for the show hoarders........then i know i need to stop  

 

It's better than being a drug addict or an alcoholic.

 

It's worse than being a habitat for humanity volunteer or a small business entrepreneur.

 

Be careful. There's nothing worse than selling it all off and then regretting it. You'll end up spending more trying to piece together a collection...

 

I work hard for my money. I pay my bills. I am a responsible adult.

This is one of my hobbies and if people don't like it then who gives a crap.

Life is alot easier when you quit caring what other people think.

 

Not only do I collect TF toys, I have been collecting Star Wars toys for a few decades, my collection takes up 2 rooms (one dedicated ONLY to SW) and it's still not all on display. To top that my wife and I both costume. We're members of the 501st Legion (stormtroopers), Rebel Legion (good guys from SW), Heroes Alliance (comic book characters) and a Ghostbuster Franchise. We build professional grade costumes and, when not being worn, display them on mannequins at home.

We get ALOT of weird looks and comments not only from her family, but from co-workers as well. Do we stop what we do? NEVER! People who are not in the know like to talk alot of crap and point fingers but when they hear that we spent an afternoon doing a fund raiser or at a hospital visiting kids who will probably be dead by the end of the year, the nay-sayers tend to shut up really quick. Sure, they forget about it and go back to finger pointing a week later, but we dont do it for them, we do it for ourselves, for the community, and for the kids who for 5 minutes, didnt have to think about doctors and needles because BATMAN came to see them!

As far as toy collecting goes, my wife doesnt really do it, but she does support me. As long as I can afford a toy, and I'm not taking money away from house bills or groceries, then no big deal. Hey, at least I'm not spening it on drugs and/or alcohol like many of the nay-sayers we know tend to do.

So as long as you're collecting responsibly and not taking money away from home responsibilities, and you're definitely not hurting anyone, who cares what the outside world thinks? Do what makes YOU happy.

Hope that helps.
Later

 

I kind of gave myself a date.... whenever I impregnate someone lol. Honestly, I'd want to give my kids everything so I can't imagine having tons of money left over for toys. I may keep some of what I have but i'd probably dump most of it.

 

This.


Personally, I don't think I would ever quit collecting TFs anytime soon. I may not always get out to go shopping for new TFs, especially when money gets to be a bit tight, but it's a hobby that's been keeping me sane for the past 3-4 years.

The only way that I would ever give up on collecting is when I become an old lady who's too sick and too frail to be going out shopping for toys.


And who cares what other people say about you collecting toys? It's your life, your hobby... you can't let other people intimidate you from doing the things you love.

 

I'm 35 and still love getting new Transformers. I gave up comic books (which was just as expensive) when my son was born two years ago. With Transformers, I can now share my hobby with him and he loves them. Even at two, he knows the difference between "daddy's Transformers" and "Alex's Transformers". He can't pronounce their names, but if I ask him to find Bumblebee or Optimus Prime, he knows who they are.

Heck, he was one month old when he went to his first Botcon and had the actors sign his TF onesie..

But anyway, it's no one else's business what you're hobby is, and it's not hurting anyone. My wife knew what she was getting into when she married me, and while she doesn't get into it as much as me, she loves going to Botcon.

 

There are a lot of collector hobbies, not just Transformers, that are frowned upon. Let's be real: many adult collectors and hobbyists are viewed as losers because their interests are associated with being single, living alone, not having many friends, etc.

p.s. Your wife should've told her classmates that your hobby is better than whoring yourself on Facebook and Twitter. I'm sure a few of them would've gotten a little red in the face.

 

You can't be both? Or all three? Methinks you can do a lot of good in this world and be a toy collector too.

 

It ain't better than weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed!!!!

(jokes)

 

The interest in Transformers goes up and down, at least for me. If you're the same way, selling them when interest is low is going to annoy you when it goes up again!
And screw other people's opinions!

 

For me, ideally the time comes without me realising it. Like a true addict I don't think I can tell myself to quit TODAY (FTR I quit smoking like that after 18 years or so, so never say never...). If I ever stop enjoying toys, I hope it will be a gradual process.

If you sell and trade toys online, perhaps your wife can tell those classmates how much you make selling some vintage toys if they ever bring it up again, she can exaggerate a bit, no?  
Anyway I think it is rather impertinent of them to make fun of someone's hobby and hope your wife isn't too upset about it.

So true. And that's why I love everyone here! ....Well, almost.

 

Sure, or you can be a toy collector and a drug addict too! Yep, and what do any of those have to do with the other? Why are comparisons being made?

I think justifying toy collecting by comparing it to something worse(drugs, alcohol) is just a nonsensical, hollow argument. There are lots of bad things in the world. There are lots of good things in the world. So you can 'justifiy' anything by comparing to something worse or 'vilify' anything by comparing it to something better.

How about I shoot you in the shoulder? Hey, it's not bad, you might survive! It's better that than I shoot you in the face and you die, right? Right? Oh, what you think me not shooting you at all is a better option than either?

So collect toys if you want to collect toys whatever... but what does that ever have to do with alcohol or drugs???????

If someone really is suppressing their drug habit by collecting transformer toys, well then they just need some other therapy to fix their problems.

If transformers is a substitute 'selfish indulgence' in place of drugs, well hey, you're being 'selfish', so that's not "good".

I'm not knocking toy collecting, because hey, I do it myself. I just see no logic behind these toys vs. drugs/alcohol comparisons.