Five Collector Questions

Discussion in 'Transformers 3rd Party Discussion' started by Bumblemus Prime, Mar 18, 2019.

  1. Bumblemus Prime

    Bumblemus Prime Cracked in the head

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    Curious about something that came up in the Supermax thread, and about the demographics of this board and the ability of self-identified millennials to curate a collection. Do me a favor and answer these:

    1. How old are you, and do you identify as a millennial?
    2. What is your display situation? Dedicated room? One wall? Living room display? Include whether you are a homeowner or renting.
    3. What percentage of your collection is not displayed?
    4. What percentage of your collection would you estimate is "transient" at any one time, ie, how many pieces do you buy intending to enjoy and perhaps sell?
    5. Do you feel that your collecting affects your long-term financial planning? Are you putting money into collecting that would make a significant difference to kids' college or a 401k, for example?

    I'll start:

    1. 38. I do, even though 1980 is usually considered "not quite X, not quite millennial." The Internet has basically shaped my entire college and working life from friendship to my eventual job.
    2. I own a house with a converted garage office where I keep my collection. About 1/4 of that garage has a wall display. I have 3 shelves of display at work as well, some of which are going to go back into a second wall display at home
    3. Transformers? Less than 5%. But my entire Star Wars 3.75 collection is in storage at the moment, except a Max Rebo that lives on my (music) keyboard, because of course.
    4. About 20% right now. My permanent Dinobots are Fansproject, but I have three Planet X dinos that I may sell, or I may sell the FPs and go in on the rest of PX. Dicamus, Asclepius and a lot of old Classics are also on the chopping block.
     
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  2. darkace

    darkace Well-Known Member

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    1. 45 not a millennial and not sure what my generation is considered except (G1 8) )
    2. The only pieces I have on display currently are Toyworld Yellow devy and Zeta Bruticus on top of my entertainment center. Everything else is still in boxes and in totes. Most have never been opened.
    3. 99.5% not displayed and over 80% never opened. mainly because I still live in a smallish apartment and am waiting until I find a more permanent place before I invest in displaying more.
    4. I collect what I think looks best. I only collect Transformers and mainly Masterpiece and Third Party Masterpiece. Some things have not aged well but not sure if and when I would sell anything.
    5. I have no children so I don't have that to consider.
     
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  3. boomerdave

    boomerdave Owns three Ditka figures. O_o Veteran

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    1. How old are you, and do you identify as a millennial?
    47 - Nope, I'm somewhere between "baby boomer" and "look at me on social media and how cool and important I am...here is a picture of what I had for lunch!"

    2. What is your display situation? Dedicated room? One wall? Living room display? Include whether you are a homeowner or renting.
    Dedicated room. Completely shelved except one wall. Home Owner

    3. What percentage of your collection is not displayed?
    Zero

    4. What percentage of your collection would you estimate is "transient" at any one time, ie, how many pieces do you buy intending to enjoy and perhaps sell?
    None. It's all for display but my wife seems to have a pretty good idea what's valuable and what's not so she can "Sell it when you die" o_O 

    5. Do you feel that your collecting affects your long-term financial planning? Are you putting money into collecting that would make a significant difference to kids' college or a 401k, for example?
    I think I'd have more money if I hadn't bought this stuff but bills and 401k and stuff all came first so yeah. Honestly, if I hadn't bought this, I'd have bought *something* else so it's not really relevant I guess.
     
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  4. InsaneJester17

    InsaneJester17 Well-Known Member

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    1. 34, I prefer to think of myself as Gen X. I grew up with an older brother, so close enough
    2. Homeowner. My basement is my office/display room. Have a couple detolfs for masterpieces and a couple bookcases.
    3. Maybe 1% isn't out
    4. I don't buy with the intent to sell. I did recently sell all of my chug in order to collect masterpiece + any Optimus
    5. I put more money into my collection than I probably should. But I still have a 401k going, and I'm not living beyond my means.
     
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  5. TFDAD

    TFDAD Well-Known Member

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    1. How old are you, and do you identify as a millennial?

    - 41, not a millennial.

    2. What is your display situation? Dedicated room? One wall? Living room display? Include whether you are a homeowner or renting.

    - homeowner, have a dedicated space in a large closet behind my projector screen. Have 5 IKEA big Billy bookshelves with room for one more skinny one and two very long lack shelves above the HT electronics. It’s my man cave within my man cave.

    3. What percentage of your collection is not displayed?

    - Everything is out and displayed but not in public view.

    4. What percentage of your collection would you estimate is "transient" at any one time, ie, how many pieces do you buy intending to enjoy and perhaps sell?

    - hard to answer as I’m a finicky collector. I’m finally at a place where I truly like most of what I have (MP transformers, legends transformers, 6” Star Wars, vintage Star Wars, MOTU filmation figs, and some funkos).I will not hesitate to sell something that I’m not that into or something that can help fuel my collection due to increase in value (kept Scoria, sold Cesium for this reason).

    5. Do you feel that your collecting affects your long-term financial planning? Are you putting money into collecting that would make a significant difference to kids' college or a 401k, for example?

    - 2 elementary age kids. wife and I both work, max out our 401ks and are paying down the house prior to college starting. Feel we are in a good spot. Would collect something regardless but feel very fortunate I can afford this hobby.
     
  6. Friendross

    Friendross Well-Known Member

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    1. How old are you, and do you identify as a millennial?
    -40.. gen X proud

    2. What is your display situation? Dedicated room? One wall? Living room display? Include whether you are a homeowner or renting.
    -dedicated room in home i own

    3. What percentage of your collection is not displayed?
    - 1%

    4. What percentage of your collection would you estimate is "transient" at any one time, ie, how many pieces do you buy intending to enjoy and perhaps sell?
    -0%

    5. Do you feel that your collecting affects your long-term financial planning? Are you putting money into collecting that would make a significant difference to kids' college or a 401k, for example?

    -
    not really.. id probably have about 10k more paid on the principle of my house.. the other money ive spent on my collection we would have spent on other "fun" stuff that we probably wouldnt have anymore.. but i still have muh bots
     
  7. knightofmercy11

    knightofmercy11 Well-Known Member

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    1. How old are you, and do you identify as a millennial?
    37, and I think technically that does make me responsible for killing all of the known world.

    2. What is your display situation? Dedicated room? One wall? Living room display? Include whether you are a homeowner or renting.
    One wall, on bookshelves..though it will be changing when I move next month.

    3. What percentage of your collection is not displayed?
    0, it's all on display.

    4. What percentage of your collection would you estimate is "transient" at any one time, ie, how many pieces do you buy intending to enjoy and perhaps sell?
    Right now, I'm only buying what I intend to keep..and I think I have a vision of what I want the end result to look like. I've sold a few pieces that I liked in general, but they didn't fit into that vision.

    5. Do you feel that your collecting affects your long-term financial planning? Are you putting money into collecting that would make a significant difference to kids' college or a 401k, for example?
    Well, hopefully getting the house , and getting married this month/next month..so..I guess we're doing ok, finally:) 
     
  8. Matrix1981

    Matrix1981 It's Hot Rod's fault...

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    1. 38. Not a millennial...
    2. A couple shelves shared with some Gundam in a corner of my basement (homeowner).
    3.~1% probably less.
    4. Zero. I buy to keep. And what I don't want my son (7) will gladly have.
    5. I still save and if I didn't have this hobby I would probably have another. There are much more expensive and space consuming hobbies... have you ever looked at collector cars? Like real ones...
     
  9. pilot00

    pilot00 Well-Known Member

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    33 and absolutely not. I was born (literally) with a computer on my hands, and my entire life revolves and did back in the day around them, but I was never affected that way.
    2)Homeowner currently at Shelving.
    3)Around 80% soon to be 50%.
    4)All of them to enjoy, none to sell.
    5)Yes. But I do know how to restrain myself. So far I am alone (no kids, marriage etc) so I dont need huge financial commitments.
     
  10. tony77tony77

    tony77tony77 Well-Known Member

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    Ebay:
    1. How old are you, and do you identify as a millennial?
    41 - No

    2. What is your display situation? Dedicated room? One wall? Living room display? Include whether you are a homeowner or renting.
    I have a dedicated room for storage. I have displays all over the house. Home owner

    3. What percentage of your collection is not displayed?
    75% is not display

    4. What percentage of your collection would you estimate is "transient" at any one time, ie, how many pieces do you buy intending to enjoy and perhaps sell?
    Need to sell a lot of stuff to make room.

    5. Do you feel that your collecting affects your long-term financial planning? Are you putting money into collecting that would make a significant difference to kids' college or a 401k, for example?
    I should start a 401k.
     
  11. edgecrusher

    edgecrusher "She wanted nothin', and I delivered." TFW2005 Supporter

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    Your age defines you as a millennial. It's an age bracket, not an affection.
    From Google:
    1. Closing in on 40. Not a millennial.
    2. Home office/lair. Homeowner.
    3. "Not displayed" as in sitting in a box? Very little. A couple Takara MPs that I never opened and were just safety acquisitions. MP-39 because aside from the head, it's a decent replacement for BadCube Sunsurge, but I haven't gotten around to switching it out. MP-40 in case Hoodlum never showed up. Almost everything is in a display cabinet. That said, a few figures are not readily visible without opening a cabinet door.
    4. Very little, however I have upgraded/replaced figures. The only big transition was moving to almost exclusively G1 MPs, which resulted in selling off a ton of CHUG figures last year.
    5. No, it is disposable income.
     
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  12. Lbsammills51

    Lbsammills51 Well-Known Member

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    Ebay:
    1. 35, 36 in August. I guess I qualify, though I think I'm somewhere in that gap between Gen X and Gen Y. I wish we were referred to as Generation XXX.
    2. Renter, in a house. Collection mostly spread out across two bedrooms, with some more (mostly non-TF stuff) on bookshelves in the living room.
    3. Umm 25-30%, give or take? I had to box up my Ultra-Acts, most of my Robot Spirits are not on display, I don't have a proper display area for my minicons, and Marvel 3.75 figures are also boxed up. Everything else is boxed up, though I'm debating boxing up some DBZ SHFs so I have more room, since the endless variations of certain core characters are taking up room I could be using for more unique characters that are being made for the first time.
    4. About 1%? Mostly extras I ended up with one way or another.
    5. Yes by default, since that's money that could be going to long-term things that is instead going to toys (and sneakers). I don't have kids so that's not an issue. I meet the low bar of not spending to reckless abandon (not skipping bills or overcharging bank accounts), but I've been doing this for over a decade and have reached a point where I'm at least thinking about how much longer I want to own stuff and how easy will it be to get rid of all this when I want to move on from much of it (finding stuff a proper home so it doesn't end up trashed or given away by relatives who shouldn't bear the responsibility of knowing what to do with all this crap anyways). Even if I weren't buying toys (or sneakers), lately I've been going to a lot of concerts and traveling that I've never done before, so I'd still be spending money on me to some degree. I won't spend myself into financial insolvency, but I also want to live my life. For right now and the foreseeable future, that includes Transformers and other toys, as those still bring me joy.
     
  13. pilot00

    pilot00 Well-Known Member

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    rt61m125oa.jpg
    Regarding what google/the internet says that is.
     
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  14. El Duque

    El Duque Well-Known Member

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    1. How old are you, and do you identify as a millennial?

    41, no, Gen-Xer here.

    2. What is your display situation? Dedicated room? One wall? Living room display? Include whether you are a homeowner or renting.

    One wall of custom shelves with custom lighting in our office, homeowner.

    3. What percentage of your collection is not displayed?

    0% - I got away from the whole concept of Trans-hoarding years ago and was the best thing I ever did in terms of collecting.

    4. What percentage of your collection would you estimate is "transient" at any one time, ie, how many pieces do you buy intending to enjoy and perhaps sell?

    Hard to say, I will buy placeholders, but once replaced I try to move them quickly. The percentage would be rather low I think.

    5. Do you feel that your collecting affects your long-term financial planning? Are you putting money into collecting that would make a significant difference to kids' college or a 401k, for example?

    No, at one time I probably was, but to be frank I had a problem. Once I came to terms with it I sold everything that wasn't MP for seasons 1 & 2 of the cartoon and the 86 movie. Now I consider my collection near complete and look forward to a time where I'm spending zero on it.
     
  15. Friendross

    Friendross Well-Known Member

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    Just a bunch of old men trying to recreate the sears catalog from 1986 with the figures we saw in our heads
     
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  16. timcrook

    timcrook Well-Known Member

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    Who are the five collectors?
     
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  17. TheKrunkyMonkey

    TheKrunkyMonkey Active Member

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    1) 38 and I’m officially not, nor do I consider myself to be a millennial, despite being right on the line.

    2 & 3) 0% of my collection is currently displayed. I became a renter after moving for a new job last year, but plan to buy a house in the next year and will display at that time.

    4) 0% is transient. I don’t plan to sell anything currently in my collection.

    5) Yes, any funds spent on collecting are funds that could be spent elsewhere. However, I just started purchasing MP/3P figures last November. My new job allows me the additional disposable income to finally participate in the hobby, after watching from the sidelines for many years. I’ve spent more on myself in the last several months than I’d typically feel comfortable, but most of what I’ve spent to this point came from selling off the dozen storage boxes of sealed Hasbro stuff I’ve picked up over the last 20 years. I’m definitely playing catch up, but I have a plan and have allocated resources to allow a purchase every two weeks through the next 6 months or so, which should put my collection in a pretty good place when I’m ready to display it.
     
  18. boomerdave

    boomerdave Owns three Ditka figures. O_o Veteran

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    Perhaps it's related to that G1 episode where it's the Five Faces of Darkness. I'm still unclear. ;) 
     
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  19. Weezie

    Weezie Well-Known Member

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    1. I am 28 so, yes, I am a millennial.
    2. Renting. I display on shelves in my bedroom. I like to rotate my displays by keeping a small portion of it in storage.
    3. See above.
    4. I don't buy stuff unless I strongly feel as though I will keep it as a permanent piece in my collection. Don't do placeholders. I have bought figures which I thought I would like but ended up hating- in which case I end up selling said figure.
    5. I don't have kids and do not have plans to have any. I have a limit to how many purchases I allow myself a month and generally I'm OK.
     
  20. hayabusa

    hayabusa Skyfire

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    38 gen X
    Toys in bedroom
    Living room restroom (deadpool ,rubber ducky,glow in dark etc.
    On a strict budget but any overtime or concert money energy drink money can be cut or saved for some big expensive figs