No, but his ghost did to tell the tale

 

i dont tell most people theres there big bang stereotype thoughts many have when they hear you collect “toys” an lets face we all have seen the memes about geeks nerds comicon an such lol i dont wanna be stereotyped lol

 

Sad part was he was one of the local scalpers, he would scavenge any exclusives to flip on ebay or at shows. I saw him one other time going for the same black carded Ultraforce fig. He actually hesitated and I got to it first. I realized I already had it and tossed it to him. Didn't say a word, just walked away.

 

No it's not shameful, unless you spend all your money on those toys and have nothing left for basic stuff like bills, food, etc. There is nothing shameful about spending some of your extra money on things that bring you joy.

I don't go around telling everyone I collect transformers but I don't hide this fact either. If someone asks about my hobbies I will gladly tell them about my collecting, show some photos of it. If they judge as something shameful then it's on them, it just means they aren't worth my time. You don't have to be ashamed of doing what you enjoy, it doesn't hurt anyone, for me it just seems bit immature.

 

I was shamed for liking "kid-stuff" when I was a kid, so I carried that around with pretty much *anything*.
But I lost connection with the good things in my childhood so its cathartic to have visible memories of when life was more carefree.
Part of me compensates with "3P is more robust", "they're figures", "art" etc. They're toys. It's play. Playing/fun is necessary.
Its been almost like therapy though too, accepting wanting/having something just for myself, knowing what I want etc.

I don't feel the need for anyone to have access to/comment on the things I like, but if there's something people are really enthusiastic about and they volunteer then I tend to feel as if they are cool enough to share with. Collecting isn't my personality, isn't done to the detriment of any responsibilities, its just something I found interesting. If anyone takes offense to that small part of my life, then they don't need to know the rest of it.

 

No I put an optimus prime sticker on my work van   I'm an electrician I work with transformers

 

Of course it is. Forget the pleasure a collection brings, the fun and the passion of the conversation it invites, the friendships, the banter and bonds it forges, it's all nonsense because at the end of the day this whole thing stems from grown adults playing with toys and that's just weird.

It's a good job I balance it out with alcohol, drugs and prostitutes, otherwise people would think I'm fucking mad.

 

I'm amazed with everyone's responses. It's been great to read that there's more positivity in this community than I thought. Thank you, everyone.

I have a followup question for you: I once had a close friend whose opinion I valued quite highly. After months of knowing them, I told them about my collection. They said "Oh, you're a hoarder." As if my collection was garbage, dirty laundry and old newspapers that I felt anxious about discarding strewn about the shop to the point that I couldn't even see the floor. I took pride in making what I thought was a tidy, organized, visually appealling display. It was gutting to hear.

Was I right to change the subject and never come back to it? To just avoid speaking about my hobby ever again with them? Should I have corrected them, or tried to show them what it means to me?

What would you do?

 

0 shame unless it is causing you to live beyond your means. I am very unapologetically myself with people and I have found that a good majority of my friends and even my girlfriend find my collection to be pretty awesome. Hell, my girlfriend even got into collecting as well after we started dating.

I'd have responded by saying they didn't need to be a judgemental a-hole, but that's just me

 

I was actually about to post about how collections can become too much some times, it's important to keep it in check and get rid of stuff you no longer are able to appreciate or display/love so they don't become a burden.

That said, something only becomes a hoarde if it becomes unruly and just bought and nothing done with afterwards. I let mine get out of hand for a while but now I'm selling a lot of stuff on, came for the toys, stayed for the friends I made through it.

Collecting is human nature and it takes many forms, I'd say that the friend is talking judgementally and if he has no hobbies of his own then that is an incredibly sad thing.

 

I'd say "No, it's the opposite actually. Like an exhibit, you'd like it. Do you collect anything? Outfits, glasses, wine, coins?"

If they do, ask them why. The common ground of "what that means to you, this means to me (or more)" is basic empathy, which if they don't have, means the friendship prob can't deepen.

 

Well see that's the thing. The responses are going to be more positive and balanced amongst your fellow collectors. It's only been cool to let your geek flag fly for childhood hobbies in the last several decades. It's really a matter of who you talk to. And of course there's still plenty of judgement, some deserved, some baffling, some totally uncalled for inside multiple geek communities. Alongside gate-keeping, snobbery and legitimately troubling behavior.

As for the hoarder comment, he has no idea what an actual hoarder is, if everything is neat and tidy and you don't have a compulsive addiction.

 

I used to be ashamed about collecting and having some of my figures on me in middle/high school. But I’ve stopped caring nowadays and wear my love for Transformers pretty much on my sleeve now. Never mind the fact that I’ve bought 7 Transformers across two short study abroad visits to Japan with people from my university

 

It’s not shameful. In my experience, if you have friends that have known you for a long time, they tend to be less judgemental or not judgemental at all when it comes to you being a collector. If they already know you’re into Transformers cartoons/comics/movies, you being a collector likely wouldn’t surprise them. There are things that I passed on but stuck out to my friends who like Transformers but haven’t collected since the 80’s, stuff like Haslab Unicron. Some thought it was cool.

Collectibles have become more frequently sold at mass market brick & mortar stores and in places that used to not sell them like Barnes and Noble and calendar stores. So I think that helps lessen the shock when people see collectors buying toys.

 

I'm a dad in my mid 40s. I started collecting during RID 2000. Back then I cared and got embarrassed when other adults or kids saw me in the toy isle.

As I got older, I realized that life is short and you shouldn't care what other ppl think, especially on your hobbies. You don't want to be on your deathbed regretting things you've never enjoyed. Do whatever makes you happy bruh!

 

It's funny. I used to be really "closeted" about collecting toys, but now everyone in my life seems to be doing the same thing to some extent. I'm currently renting a house with three friends and my girlfriend, and within that sphere:

- Friend A collects board games.

- Friend B collects DnD miniatures and terrain.

- Friend C collects Warhammer miniatures.

- And my girlfriend collects plushies.

Our house is a wash of various eclectic figures and toys all over the place. I realize now that if anyone was legitimately judging me for collecting Transformers figures, they wouldn't be worth being my friend anyways.

 

The thing is that some people have a closed mind, and the mindset that if it's not something that they do, they may not be able to understand, but then, some also judge in a way that represents that they simply don't know better or believe that they know "something" better than others, no different that most internet experts.

That said, I will say that for sure that some that consider themselves collectors are actually hoarders by definition, and Rotorstorm here states is very well"

If one gets anything and holds on to it do to a mental health issue while not enjoying it, and "ownership" or simply having stuff around is their comfort, then it becomes another story.

I do find that some things really have an impact on the perception that others may have, Transformers for example are to the point that there are so many figures out there, between the Hasbro ones and the 3rd/4th parties, that even if your collection has certain aims/goals, it's easy to end up a bit overwhelmed.

But in the end, the main difference between Transformers and other type of collecting, from the old aunt that collected spoons, the grandma that collected poodle figurines, the uncle with stamps or baseball cards, and so on, is that these aren't regarded as "valuable" as they are toys (or representations of them aka non toy like statues/busts and such) and regarded as such, so it is a bit of a give that most aren't going to understand it in the way that they would with a more "classic/standard" collection.

 

Last year a guy who collects guns (never fires them, just buys them and puts them on a shelf) tried to tell me I was ridiculous for collecting toys. I had to laugh because we literally collect the exact same way, just different items. He did not understand my logic, and wound up getting pissy and ended the conversation. I think he felt some shame there, but I sure as hell didn't.

 

The only thing I'm ashamed about is that I have too many hobbies and collections. But I'm handsome and muscular, so I'm not that ashamed.