How do you manage being a collector in life?

Discussion in 'Transformers Toy Discussion' started by Purple Heart, Jun 14, 2018.

  1. Purple Heart

    Purple Heart Some other time..

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    This is honestly a question thats been eating me up for a while, and I think some of the others my age can relate.

    How did you make it in life as a collector? I mean this more from a finacial standpoint, but also I suppose in general. I am 20 years old, and I love collecting, I love Transformers, it’s what makes me the happy and I don’t want to ever not be able to do it. There are times where I have been put in a sceneraio or a postion that has made me consider the possibility of never being able to collect again, and I just can’t bear it. I know in life we have to make sacrifices, pass things up, and we will never always get what we want. I see so many others on here that are double my age or older, and you’ve all made it in life (presumably) successful, and you’ve still been able to collect. How did you manage this? I mean, besides “a good job.” How did you stay successful while also doing the thing that you also love?

    I ask out of my own curiosity, and also because everyone I’ve ever known in my life has told me that it isn’t possible. That you can’t have a hobby like collecting and make it anywhere in life. This hurts so much, especially coming from my family, but I want to be able to make it, and I still want to be able to do the thing that makes me happy in life.

    And for the record, when I say successful, I mean having a decent living arrangement, possibly a family, and not living paycheck to paycheck. The basics.
     
    Last edited: Jun 14, 2018
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  2. Autobot X

    Autobot X Check out my sales thread!

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    A good job really is it. That, and your eventual spouse/partner being supportive helps.

    Beyond those things, it helps to keep your collecting habits focused. Don’t buy absolutely everything or you will totally go broke.
     
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  3. DarkEyes

    DarkEyes Well-Known Member

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    You can be successful and have a collection, of course you can. Don't listen people that tell you another thing.

    No doubt a job is the key, not necessary have to be the best job of all.

    I just recommend to stay focus in what you really want, and even with this after more than a decade you will have so many figures that can be difficult to handle in just one room. For me one room, my limit is to contain my collection in shelves that occupy only one wall of a room. Right now I broke my own limit, and I'm working in that. You have to choose your own limit.

    Love to be a collector, and love my collection, but I know it implies to be one step closer from having a compulsive hoarding condition, and this a very serious condition. We need to prioritise things, if we use our money for filling 2 or 3 rooms with Transformers and then we have no money for food, we know we are in troubles. Stay focus.

    Don't let your collection controls you, you are the master of your collection.
     
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  4. Maz

    Maz Square One TFW2005 Supporter

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    I started 'adult' TF collecting at 18, in my first year of university and with a part time job while living at home. It was really rough in terms of budgeting, I guess I sacrificed other things like having a car or travelling a lot. I also spent ungodly amounts of time online looking for bargains and being resourceful about how I financed the stuff I was buying. Plus I wasn't buying mainline, I was buying vintage G1 variants and Diaclone, super expensive stuff for someone on that sort of budget. There was a lot of letting things go and telling myself I could own things later, I sold a lot to afford the things I really wanted - stuff I was not prepared to let go of at the time but it was necessary. Always reminded myself that life came first, hobby second. It's why I have had to sell up a few times in the past.

    When I had a full time job it was a bit easier to collect, but it was not a particularly well-paying job for years and also had to be balanced later with rent and trying to save, so again, always collecting on a budget. Occasionally I had to put aside the things i really wanted to collect because they were out of my price range - or I would liquidate areas of my collection that I always told myself I could buy back later in life if I missed them and they were affordable for me.

    It's only now at the age of 38 that I have a job I'd consider good, a partner with as good a job, we have a 6 year old daughter and we own a home...but a great deal of the downpayment for this home has come from the sale of my vintage Diaclone collection over the course of some years and in stages, so again it's been a sacrifice and at no point have I had the exact life I want and the exact collection at the same time, always a compromise...and just recently I have sold off my modern TFs to focus on my true love, vintage collecting, and even now I am still sensible about what I buy and how much of it, but at least my history in the hobby has allowed me to be flexible and sell when I need to, be resourceful when I need to, and go without when it's the smart thing to do. I know it's not the end of my hobby and my enjoyment when i sell things I'd rather not, because they can be bought later, and I can still enjoy collecting and the community if my collection does not resemble the dream situation I had in mind when I started out.

    It helps if you can gain enjoyment in the hobby from more than just the owning and buying of the toys. Consider writing reviews, articles, doing photography, videos etc. A creative output has rescued my interest in the hobby when finances alone weren't enough to sustain the material side of it.

    All the best
    Maz
     
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  5. Insurgent

    Insurgent The Amazing Tango Mysterio

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    Key word: Budget. Look at your finances, see what you need to live, ear mark an amount each month that will go into savings for the future, and what's left, that's what you spend on your 'fun budget' as I call it. Do not exceed this fun budget. Or if there's something expensive, roll the two over. Or five months over. Stick to that. Do not change it unless you get a pay rise. But don't always put the extra money into the fun budget. Sometimes put it into savings. Some times put it into your food budget, if you want to shop somewhere with better quality food.


    This is the kind of thing you learn as you grow older. Just be responsible with your spending. If you've spent up that month, and there's something you really want, tough. You can't have it. Be firm with yourself.
     
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  6. ultramagnus1

    ultramagnus1 Well-Known Member

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    A job where you can pay the normal day to day bills first and have enough over is the first thing for me. If you are married or live with your significant other having their support is key too. I'm lucky my wife supports my hobby and has bought me a few figs including generations metriplex.

    You need a balance with it. Don't let the hobby control you which happens to us all at some point. Family comes first
     
  7. ssjkazer

    ssjkazer mr dyslexia

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    take your time, dont rush things, focus is key pick a line and stick to it, and just keep going sure some peices will end up costing you way more then what you would like, but eventually things go down in price or you find a good deal.

    i put togther my collection by saving 30nzd a week the price of a deluxe over here, and over the space of 10 years i managed to put togther a collection that has a all the cast characters who got toys from beast wars till r.i.d barring botcon and not released toys lol, i do have a hunt list but i plan to go hunt those out once ive completed CHUG

    oh by the way im what most people would consider poor in my country its only by having certain life style choices can i afford to do this, no smoking, i cant stand coffee, drinking only once a month(also a good idea for ones liver ) i also turn everything off at night before i go to bed bar the things that need to stay on like my cell phone for alarms and my fridge/freezer everything else just goes off (this is a good habbit because who likes waisting money)
     
    Last edited: Jun 14, 2018
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  8. Hubcap

    Hubcap Well-Known Member

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    Get a well paid job and spend <1% of your income on toys. That is actually plenty and it leaves 99% for other stuff.
     
  9. devilution

    devilution Well-Known Member

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    as maz articulated, remember you can always get stuff later, when you are better able to afford it. don't feel like you need everything right now.

    it kinda sounds to me more like your parents are saying that being a collector is a flaw that will stop you from otherwise being productive. you've just got to remember that collecting is a hobby. you still need to focus on the other parts of your life. if you go to school, but your ass and do well, to put yourself in a great position later. if you're working, bust your ass and do well, to put yourself in a great position later.

    from a social standpoint, i simply don't care what other people think - and i've worked hard to get to a point in my life where i don't have to. i collect lots of things - games, pops, transformers, books, other toys, movies, etc. not to mention my photography "habit" (i've probably spent far more, in far less time, on photography equipment). i just get the things i like, and if other people have different prerogatives, that's their business. my boss thinks it's crazy, but i'm valuable enough to him that it doesn't matter. my wife thinks it's crazy, but we can pay the bills, raise our son, put money away for his school, put money away for retirement, etc. as long as you don't prioritize collecting over the other much more important things, you'll be fine. my collecting habit is incentive for me to do better in other areas of life, to gain the social and economic freedom to do what i want.
     
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  10. Murasame

    Murasame 村雨

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    I started collecting in 2010, so I was 29. I did not really earn much back then. But it was beneficial that I did not really want to have all the characters. At first I only wanted selected few of my favorite characters. But that got extended over the years to not only the real top favorites, but many characters that I really find cool.

    The thing is, I pre-ordered everything that I knew I wanted to have, so to not pay the after market prices. Sometimes I ordered one or two figures in a month, but I never really bought a figure in every month (I'm also very selective). It was not really frequent that I bought something. I just frequently received figures when they were finally released (as I tended to prefer Takara figures and it took some time for them to come here).

    Every now and then I remembered figures that I could not get when they were first released and sometimes I buy them later on, like United Wreck-Gar recently for example. It's usually better to get everything when it's released, but if you don't have the money to get everything on release, pick only the very favorite figures you definitely have to get. Everything else you try to get later. Prioritize!

    Anyway: Years later my collection grew much bigger than I would have anticipated in 2010 (where I only wanted to have WFC Optimus Prime :lol  ) and I nearly have all the figures I ever wanted (and have the space for).

    Sometimes you have to be patient and sometimes you have to be quick, depends on the situation and figure. And sometimes you just should not buy a figure. There's no need to get everything. Pick out only the very best.

    Also as this is only a hobby, I think it is self-explanatory that all other expenses in your daily life have a higher priority than Transformers.


    Oh, should have read your whole post before answering ^^;

    Of course you can still be successful. Whatever that means. Successful in work? In life?
    In work you are successful if you work hard, good (precise) and are well with your colleagues. etc.

    In life you are successful if you are happy with your life and I would say it definitely also makes happy to have a functioning social life and also make the people happy that you love. (remember: family doesn't have to be related by blood...).

    Collecting is just ONE part in your personal life. There's a lot of fragments that make up everyone's personal life and things that are important to you. Just be yourself and do what makes you happy.

    Don't punish yourself for mistakes in your life and enjoy the good things. All will turn out well in the end.
     
    Last edited: Jun 14, 2018
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  11. OMEGAPRIME1983

    OMEGAPRIME1983 Well-Known Member

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    I use to be in a very... Almost self destructive situation when I first went out on my own. I use to have the same mentality that you did, @Purple Heart . Collecting was life. It's everything. Happiest that I could've ever been, except for the fact that I was broke, and could barely afford my bills. I found out what I really TRULY wanted was what I remembered in my hands as a kid and what I saw on TV. I downsized to strictly the Masterpiece line now, because that gives me exactly what I feel I NEED for my collection. I only collect the MP line, and the Dragonball figuarts line, as those were my favorite things in my childhood, aside from a few gundam models here and there.

    Find what you feel is necessary for YOU'RE collection; be it a character collection, a series, whatever that might be. That's how I feel I've become a successful collector. All my bills are on time, rarely late due to check scheduling, and I just save a few bucks each check to make sure I can afford my next purchase. Budgeting will become you're friend, too.:) 
     
  12. rodimusconvoy

    rodimusconvoy Well-Known Member

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    My humble advice? Budget and be as open minded as you can to know that shit happens and some day, sometime, it may happen or maybe not, you will have to give up part or all of your collection in order to get other thing, unless you are loaded in $$. If thats the case, good for you.

    Be prepared to see your collection evolve from time to time due to your current tastes.
     
  13. AutobotAvalanche

    AutobotAvalanche Number One in Boogieland

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    Keep it focused. I've gotten the "are you SURE you want that?" before and I always answer with "This stuff is too expensive for me to even glance at stuff I don't want." I've maybe bought one or two figures in my time that I actually regret getting.
     
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  14. Steelfire

    Steelfire Well-Known Member

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    If you come to realize that you aren't in love with some of the figures you already have, try to sell them before you -need- to. It's less stressful, you don't have to take crappy deals, and you can save up the money for emergency fund -- there WILL be emergencies in life.
     
  15. bagofshhh

    bagofshhh Well-Known Member

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    Aside from all of the other good advice, I would recommend the following:
    1. Basing the size of your collection on the display space you currently have vs. the space you one day hope to have (keep your storage to a minimum).
    2. Be able to recognize your motivation for purchasing something (i.e., do you really want it, or is it FOMO (fear of missing out)).
     
  16. northjason

    northjason Well-Known Member

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    Only you can do you, but reality is what it is. A collection is expensive to buy and expensive to keep because it takes up space. It might limit certain options for you. A small cheap one may not.

    At 20, you're going to be faced with choices to either make sacrifices to get ahead in life or pussy out and do what feels good at the time. You don't want to be in the same place at 40 that you are at 20.

    I can't say what is right for you, but in my life I have had to give things up for a while (comics, big house) in order to progress to a better job and a bigger house.

    I suspect you probably know the answer but are struggling to accept it. The good news is, you're 20! Those are good years.
     
  17. Aldo

    Aldo Well-Known Member

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    As some say, a decent paying jobs helps. But for those who can’t get that RIGHT NOW, especially at 20 years old, try looking into passive income and how to build second and third income streams to help make it so you don’t have to rely on your job check to statisfy your collecting needs.
     
  18. DocSeth81

    DocSeth81 Well-Known Member

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    My income isn't tremendous, but I love transformers. I know exactly what my income is going to be for the month and portion out some to get a transformer or two (or three) every time I get paid. If I want more than what the budget is, I sell a transformer that I have no interest in anymore to afford a new one.
     
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  19. kibble

    kibble Seeker style, yo!

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    Never mind going broke...you will run out of space! Unless you want to be paying for storage for something you can't really enjoy. I would recommend keeping your collection contained to one room, which at 20 without a career, that one room is probably your bedroom. If you have a multiple room collection, you're probably either going to remain single or have to find a spouse that's equally into the hobby.

    Also worth noting, if at some point your interests change, unloading a huge ass collection and trying to get anything back for it is quite daunting. My collection is modest compared to a lot of people's here...probably somewhere around 500 figures, I don't even know, but it's big enough with enough money sank into it that I'd like to recoup something more than just space...and the thought of the effort of actually doing it is overwhelming. I think I'm going to just have to do it small and over time as shipping boxes from Amazon or wherever come in. Shipping material seems to me the biggest challenge as the shit aint cheap.
     
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  20. DanC

    DanC Delightful person

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    I mean, you're 20. You don't need to worry about having a family and a hyper-successful career at this point. At your age I literally counted change under the couch before getting drinks with friends. Now I'm 40, and while I wouldn't say I'm a millionaire or anything, I have a house and a family and I manage to sock into savings every month. And still collect Transformers.

    And for real, I'm not saying like, "you'll grow out of it," because look at me, I'm 40 and still collecting. But what seems hugely important and life-shattering at 20... honestly won't later. What's important to you at 30 won't be the same as it is now, and what's important to you at 40 won't be the same as at 30. Maybe you'll find a balance between adult responsibilities and collecting, as a lot of us do. Or maybe you'll be like, "Ah yeah, I used to be really into it, now I just pick up a new Optimus when one comes out." Or maybe you won't be into it at all, it'll be this thing you used to be into when you were 20. Who knows. Don't sweat it too hard, it'll happen as it happens.
     
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