Hey gang - I was thinking about this and figured I'd bring it the boards to see what people's thoughts and experiences were. In short, I started off buying transformers because I thought they looked cool and enjoyed them. Then I started to try to complete subgroups or lines or get versions of a particular character. Next, I branched out into Lego, Superhero figures, etc. When I think back to my early days, the "megas" and "voyagers" were expensive toys at 15 and 20 bucks a pop. I recall them being special purchases. Not *too* long after that, CR came into being and were my first import purchases and boy did that seem extravagant. Toys exclusive to Japan and more expensive to boot!? Then it was a prototype for Alternators Windcharger that I spend around $100 on, then an exclusive prize version of TM Megatron I spent a few hundred on...at the time those were unique pieces to me and 'jewels' of my collection. Fast forward a few years....set of 3P Dinobots at 200-225 a pop? Sure. Ultimetal Optimus Prime at $800? seems fair. Lego Ghostbusters Firehouse for $350? looks pretty sweet. You get the idea. Now, certainly, some of this can be explained by the points in life I was at across this span, having little disposable income in HS all the way up to being fortunate enough to enjoy this whole collecting thing. When you've only got christmas money, everything seems relatively expensive. What I'm more interested in is that there was a time when a $100 dollar figure seemed exorbitant and was a crown jewel piece and now figures in that range and higher seem so normal to me...MP Primal, MP Grapple, FT dinos, Sphinx, etc are all in that ballpark and more and it just seems like the way it is. I feel that early on, when they were just 'for fun', the cost was a bigger barrier. As I've transitioned from just getting neat stuff to 'collecting' with an eye toward a curated collection that has meaning, the end goal has more value and so I'm okay spending a bit more since I'm reaching my target (which theoretically has some end points). I also think there has simply been a desensitization over time. That first time you drop 100 on a figure stings. the more you do it, the easier it gets. Anyway, has anyone else noticed this shift in their own feelings about spending? Other thoughts about it? I'd also be curious to hear from those who are very thrifty in how they collect.
I think this is one of the bigger and uglier parts of this. It's often not talked about, but collecting bleeds over into addiction pretty easily. Like any addiction, desensitization/resistance builds up. It takes more to get the same "high". I try to combat this with periods of prolonged detox. I won't buy a single figure for like 6 months. I find this helps to revive the excitement, build anticipation, and force some limits.
I generally don't like to spend a significant amount on one toy, but SDCC Fort Max put me over the edge.
Yes. I have noticed nostalgia works about 30 years after something was popular. The childhood fans are in their 30's/40's and have disposable income. I bank on this. I sell stuff on eBay to pay for my collecting. I am pretty much in the exact same boat as you. I got back into transformers with some classics and titanium figures. Spending more than $15 on a figure seemed extravagant. Slowly it ramped up. I have legos, gi joes, and others now. Buying figures from Japan is totally normal for me now. I regularly drop between $50 and $200+ on toys. It is crazy that I have gotten used to that. I justify it to myself because I only use the money I make from selling toys to buy toys. I am pretty sure my wife and I have collected about 10k worth of toys in about 4 years. I have no idea how this happened.
Ive spent a fair amout the last 2 years but a good chunk of that was playing "catch up". I dont collect anything else so its not back breaking. I dont buy 3p so that saves money. The focus of my collection is Sunbow-centric so I dont buy figures from other parts of the TF universe either. Generations & Official MP are all I buy. I suspect after the third installment of Prime Wars, the Generations purchases will slow signifigantly. And with the MP line dippingnin to BW etc, the number of purchases a year will also decline. So I guess what im saying is know what you want and stick to the guidelines you set for yourself. My collection has always been about "look, dont touch" as well.
I have only spend 100 on several exclusives while I still had the money I inherited from my mother. Under normal circumstances this is still too much money. But I'm glad I could have those figures
I find the "gotta have them all" completionism mentalist is the toughest addiction to fight. I do like getting new toys, but don't need to get them at regular intervals. I DO feel the need to collect all the s1 characters even if I don't care for some of them...I used to succumb to that but have been better about getting just the stuff that had meaning.
Been trying to do this as well (with some good success) for the last two years. The problem is I spent a ton the years before that on the extra stuff I'm selling off
Collecting transformers is not a cheap hobby and Primus help you if you get into the G1 Japanese stuff.
I'm only a MP collector for the most part, and get whatever else appeals to me. That said, I can't really afford to be a completest as there is too much stuff out there, so I avoid buying doubles and figures that I don't care about or never heard of like Acid Storm. Although, if I ever see it for cheap at a toy show, I could be persuaded to pick it up. Then, for me, there's a space issue. My man cave toy room is filled with stuff and unless I start adding wall shelves, I just don't have the space. I now go by the mantra of "If I can't display it, I don't buy it." I really wanted to get SDCC Fort Max while I was in San Diego for ComicCon, but I bought Metroplex a couple of years ago and it's still in the closet, and in its original box.
