I find myself being obsessive and wanting to buy every figure from a line or a set just because, when in fact I may only like one or two figures out of said line or set.

Animated is a good example, or more recently I really like Sly Strike (Swindle) out of the Warbotron set, don't really care for the rest of the figs, nor the combined mode, but feel compelled to get them all...

Hence, buyers remorse.. So this thread is part therapy, part opinions on how you all keep yourselves "in check" when you feel that "itch".

I used to try to make decisions "black or white", if it isn't part of this particular line (CHUG, Masterpiece, etc.) then I'm not getting it, but there is too much awesome stuff out there to not stray...

Thoughts? Opinions? Am I crazy?

 

Maybe back in the day, but now a days? NO.

 

Life is too short to be completionist. Enjoy what you have and have no regrets.

 

Being a completists is an unhealthy state of mind. It's the idea of having a 100% full set of something for the sake of "having a 100% full set" and not enjoying the set for what it is. It's like buying an entire clothing line, even ones that don't fit you. It's nuts. What is it for? To show off to fellow collectors that your set if complete and thus better? Are you collecting for you or for them? Just figure out why you're doing it and who you're doing it for.

 

I only buy what I like - which mostly means Microchange, Diaclone, G1 and Masterpiece. No need to have them all. If it's ugly I don't want it!  

 

Some years I might buy more than other years, but I mainly get what I like.

 

Buying toys you don't like just to have a complete set instead of just the ones you actually like seems like it would be really unfulfilling, not to mention a total waste of money. So yeah, completionism for the sake of it is not for me.

 

I buy what I like. As far as Combiner Wars goes, I'm REALLY close to being a completionist, but not quite (I'm skipping Leaders Thundercracker and Armada Megs and Voyager Optimus Maximus, but that's all so far)

 

I think the only time that I would consider being a completionist is if I bought all but one of a line...THEN I might get the last one to complete a set...

 

I have no issues with picking and choosing what I buy. Now that being said any combiners yes I do have to get the whole set..

 

Yes, but I can't be bothered.

 

I used to be. I had every US released figure from G1 up until the first movie. Same thing with every Japanese release figure except for a few G1 toys and Lucky Draws, but I did have all the store promotion figs. Just ran out of room and it was too expensive to maintain. In the end up selling almost everything that wasn't G1 related and certain BW figs. Never got close to getting the money back but in the end I don't really miss any of them.

 

Not as far as a particular line I don't. I have at least one representation of every character from 84 - 86 and a few of the 87 characters I like. if a newer version of a character comes out I like better than what I have, I sell the old version. just like now I have g1 ironhide and ratchet with the 3rd party heads as my representations of them but if the combiner wars versions are better I will get those and sell the g1 versions. I don't like the classics versions and I try to stay as close to cartoon accurate as I can. chug is my favorite line so I try to stick to that if I can but doesn't happen all the time - like ironhide and ratchet. im very picky obviously.   oh and I also don't collect anything bigger than a voyager mostly.

 

Nay.
No point buying something just for the sake of it. Why would I want a complete collection if I don't like all the characters or all the toys? DO I want three of the same toy in different colors? No, it's pointless.

 

I was never a 100% completionist (if you figure in con exclusives and some variants) but I've got almost all retail released figures from BW - Prime. Good chunk of Movie 1 items. ROTF is where I really cut back to main figures and skipped all the younger kids toys and sublines. Same with DOTM & AOE. Main deluxes/voyagers/leaders and skip the sublines.

RID2015 has been screwed. I'm skipping almost all of it Just have Grimlock and Prime.

I do have a good amount of CW stuff.

 

I used to be a Classics/Generations completist (ever version of every mold), but finally broke that bad habit a year ago or so. I think often it's specific figures against which we rebel that ultimately break the cycle. For me there were a couple of figures that did it. One was Metroplex... I already had the SDCC and retail US Metroplex, and just could not bring myself to buy a third Takara version for the sake of completeness. Devastator this year is a good example as well... I'll be getting the retail version and the Takara version, so I likely won't be able to justify paying SDCC prices for a figure I like LESS (not a fan of the visorless face or the metallic paint).

The FOC figures also helped break me from completionism. I truly loathe most of those figures, and could not stomach buying multiple versions of them.

The good thing is that once the "seal is broken," so to speak, it becomes a lot easier to pass on other figures that you might once have just bought for completeness' sake. For instance, I still haven't picked up Takara's versions of Gold Bumblebee or Legends Prime and Megatron, or the Hound/Mirage/Ironhide "Specialists" 3-pack. I might still one day, but the sense of obligation isn't there any more.

Now I'm almost a Masterpiece completist, but not quite. I didn't pick up the two recent special release Takara MP Grimlocks (the Cybertron Con one and the X-version re-issue with the throne). I've already got three MP Grimlocks, getting those two would have essentially made me mentally ill, I think. I'm also skipping the US versions of Sideswipe and Bluestreak, since they seem to be barely different (if at all) from the Takara releases. Oh, and I also sold my Hasbro MP Skywarp a while back. That one I do regret a bit, I admit.

I also regret not being a completist with Animated. I have most of them, but wish I would have picked up the Takara versions for a lot of the figures that I didn't at the time. Animated has crystalized into one of my favorite lines over the years, and it does feel a bit wrong to have not gone all-in on it.

 

For most toys, no, I just buy what I like, which for the current Transformers lines is basically select Combiners Wars figures (Powerglide, Menasor, Bombshell, etc) and 3Ps (Apollyon, FT Dinos).

But, I am struggling with being a completionist for Takara MP...at least since MP-8 forward. I have a few existing gaps to fill, but then cringe at buying things like G2 Bumblebee to stay complete. I don't really need/want it. I'm thinking about scaling back and selling down to just the few I want, as most all of these are just sitting MISB.

 

Like Doubleclouder I used to be a completist until I really took a hard look at my collection. Now I'm still trimming waaaay back and I'm loving the more focused look. I'm enjoying the hobby now more than I have in many years.

My collection is now split up into 8 large glass cases, each with a theme (Autobots, Decepticons, Godzilla, Ultraman, Micronauts / Microman, vintage Popy / Bandai, modern ChoGoKin, & DX sentai bots)....anything I get has to fit or something has to go.

 

I've never been a completionist as far as getting every figure from a particular toy line. However, I am an Autobot movie figure completionist in that I collect my favorite figure for each Autobot in the movies. Well, except Brains, who never got a toy.

 

I can't afford to be a completist, but I definitely feel "holes" in my collection when I know I am missing a team member or a core cast member. For this reason, Combiner Wars is driving me neurotic as a collector.