Not sure if this has been asked before, but if for whatever reason you lost your entire collection (fire/flood/theft/destructive ex) what would you do (besides grieving your expensive loss)? Stop collecting? Buy it all back? Change focus? Only buy back select pieces? Bonus points to anyone who has actually has this happen to them
Honestly, I feel like if I just up and lost everything, I might not collect anymore. It's one thing to lose a lot, but to lose every item is an incredibly defeating prospect. Replacing everything would seem daunting and pretty much impossible at this point. Like how a lot of my figures I bought years ago would be so much harder to find and more expensive. I would absolutely prefer it not happen.
Once the shock fades, probably try to get as many Beast Wars, RID, and Animated figures I can get again. After that, just pick up the figures I really like again from the other series. But I wouldn't aim to reach my current collection totals again.
I'd quit. Even if I could re-buy stuff, it just wouldn't be the same. Many pieces I own have some sentimentality attached to them, and replacements wouldn't have that. Best to just move on.
Probably just quit collecting. It would feel like a huge relief in a lot of ways, to be honest. Not having anything means I wouldn't feel tempted to ever buy anything, and I'd just move on to something else in my life.
I'd probably rebuy a few key things. My Sideswipe collection, for instance. I doubt I'd rebuy everything.
I did a couple of articles on a similar subject with a few really interesting contributions a while back: If You Lost It All… (Part 1) | Source Blog If You Lost It All…(Part 2) | Source Blog Although in the above cases the contributors had the brief to choose 3 toys they would buy back first, so it assumes that one would get back into collecting and try to rebuild. I think that would be my reaction too, pick up what I consider to be four or five of the best TFs I've owned and regard highly and see how it feels. There are days where I think I wouldn't start back up again at all. I'd actually hate to find out. All the best Maz
On the other hand, when you do get rid of everything and start over, you become very selective -- buying only standout, amazing pieces. It's hard to explain, but I know I got rid of pretty much all my ML figures and only kept a handful, now I only buy the ones that are standouts, like the best of the best. I no longer feel the need to buy entire waves. I enjoy what I have more and if I get something, I make sure it's amazing, because I like to keep my collection small now.
Pout, vow I quit FOREVERS, look up how much the toys I really reaaally liked cost, pout more, buy them regardless, and get sucked right back in.
I probably wouldn't quit, but I wouldn't really rebuy anything I"D lost either, as it would be too difficult or expensive. with the exception of anything currently on the market. I could see myself at least trying to rebuild my TR collection if I lost it all tommorrow.
probably the most honest/realistic response. Even in the face of tragedy, hobbies and habits don't just disappear.
I had both a fire and a flood. When I was 8 years old we had a house fire. I lost all of my childhood toys. I couldn't stand to look at another TF and bought very little until TMNT hit (all of which I still have). In 99 though RiD hit and on strong recommendation from a friend I started a new TF collection which exploded when the G1 Re-Issues hit and so on. I've since collected all my childhood toys and then some (minus G1 Scorponok)..... 3 years ago I bought a house and a week after I moved in my basement flooded (about 2 feet of water). The first thing I did was jump into the water (which was well below freezing) and started pulling out my TF bins which had yet to be touched since I moved in. I was lucky enough to have four friends rush over and they spent most of the day drying my TF's and setting them out to dry. (Pic below). This time everything was saved but had I lost them this time I would have called it quits for sure. I don't have the same disposable income I had as a bachelor nor the time to reclaim all of this again.
I'd sit and wait for the rest of the Generations Beast Wars updates, as well as the MPs. May as well move forward rather than back.
I really think I'd call it a day on collecting. I don't think trying to rebuild my collection would be an enjoyable experience. Between the money and how hard it would be to replace certain things–and that's if I even could in some cases–it'd just end up adding to an already stressful and depressing experience. I don't know what the hell I'd do hobby-wise anymore, the whole reason I started collecting was because I'm so rarely well enough to partake in my other hobbies. It'd probably be just the push I'd need to call it a day on this whole "Life" thing as well to be honest.
I'd posit that the only way any of us would really be done with collecting in such a circumstance would be if we were done with collecting now. There'd still be new stuff coming we'd want.
lol It's crap and junk and at the end of the day its still a toy "collectable" or not. First I'd be seriously pissed. Probably swear off it forever, then buy one, then another and off it goes again. Shit happens. If you did it once, you'll probably do it again The ones that would hurt would be my 170-180 or so G1 that were mine and I bought, was gifted or traded for back in the day. I still have almost every single one complete and in working order(almost).
