losing faith

it really sucks to have a hobby you need a butt load of money for. it's sucks even more when all you can do is read about it and not really partake. then again, i suppose that is the nature of a hobby; buy, display, buy, display. maybe i should look at it as just toy collecting. either way, something i love is getting further and further away. it's gotten to the point where there's no meaning to it anymore. how can i look at this and still enjoy it? i'm trying to not let this little bit of happiness fade.

If you only like collecting the toys, its kind of hard to do without money. There are other things to enjoy though, if you like this message board. Read the fiction, look at the pictures, talk with people.

i disagree that to be a TF fan you need a butt load of money. a basic TF figure isnt that expensive in the 1st place, and its not like u gotta collect everything to be a fan.

theres also the comics, cartoons and other stuff to geek out from.

toy collecting isnt the be all and end all of being a TF fan...

...bitching abt it, is.

It just depends on how big of a TF geek you want to be. If you are one of the real dedicated people out there you buy for your collection before you pay your bills.

or it can be about the thrill of the hunt. Looking for great bargains, deals, and the like.

Enjoy the ones you have if money's tight. That's what I did when I was in school.

For TF fans/collectors on a budget, I recommend buying loose and pre-owned. I bought all my TF G1 DVD sets and BW pre-owned for 50% and more off retail. I rented BM through Netflix since I wasn't sure I'd even like it--turns out I did like it, but I easily saved myself $20 or more not buying it at all.

More than half my 300+ TF collection is loose stuff I've either gotten through trades or buying lots. I never buy imports. And I only buy vintage TFs loose (what's the point of buying them MIP if I'm going to take them out of the package anyway?).

I don't believe fans who collect only for monetary value truly deserve to call themselves "fans." And besides, toys really aren't a very good investment when you consider the long-term variables (like storage space, market price fluctuations, and if you ever have to move...god help you).

If you're burned out on collecting, go through your collection and see if there's any stuff you don't really care to hang onto. Trade or sell that off and focus on buying the ones you really truly want, not just buying for the sake of having.

I know personally that nostalgia can really take hold of you when you see new stuff on the shelves/pegs. I remember all the ones I wanted to buy 20 years ago but didn't for one reason or another. Now I want those, and it's not cheap to try recapturing your childhood. And then I constantly see the new stuff and have this dilemma: is this going to be something I might later regret not buying? So I end up buying toys that I don't necessarily want.

So, yeah, it can be an expensive hobby if one allows it to be. Just focus on what you love about it and maybe consider some of these less expensive alternatives to collecting.

You just gotta remember bro, it's a hobby!

Do I buy everything on the shelf? Heck no. I passed on MP Starscream. I'm in the process of ordering MP Megatron, but I have a 4-person deal I'm working with, with some buddies of mine here at home. And that actually saves us some money.

Find what you want and buy it. I left over half of Cybertron on the shelf (even Megatron, waited till he was $13!) and I don't regret it. The only figures I have "every one of" would be RID, Energon, Alternators, and Classics. And I'm content.

The movie toys? Fuck 'em! I'll buy the ones I like, but won't allow myself to get the collector bug on those things.

I'm at target and movie toys are lame

I disagree (like the others) on the needing a buttload of money aspect. It's free to watch the shows on TV. And free to enjoy any TF DVDs or VHS tapes you've previously bough. Posting on the boards and reading news cost nothing except time. And if one limts themselves to 1)Only mainline and 2)Don't buy 4-5 of the larger size class figs. Then collecting as a whole in not too costly.

*EDIT* Like Kickback said above me, you don't have to buy them all. Just buy what you like

I'm not sure you want to go there Voiceroy. Comments like that tend to be slippery slop as everyone gets into it or any hobby for differing reasons. Hell I even pay attention to what some of my G1 pieces are worth. It's just another aspect of the hobby I find interesting, the financial aspect

i only care about the toys right now since there hasn't been a show worth watching since beast wars. you all bring up good points. even KA with his kicking me while i'm down attitude. way to go bro! truly, fosterlagger is the clearest voice. thanks guys.