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Re: Considering quitting collecting ....
Disclaimer: this post might sound mean, but I am just being honest, so don't read if you get offended easily, as it is not intended to offend but to state some truths that some may not agree with.
If you consider quitting, then quit.
A collector doesn't care about price or item, they will be happy to have a 50 cents items just as much as a $500 one. Collecting is about obtaining something one enjoys and being happy to have it.
A collector can have just a few items, or could have thousands, a collector doesn't care.
If a person needs to negotiate a "why" about their collection, then their passion about their collection is simply not truly there.
I've seen a LOT of "collectors" being nothing more than bandwagon jumpers, so much of the "geek chic" is about people that just want to belong to something "popular"... the moment I see someone say "hey this is cool, maybe I should start "collecting"" makes me walk away... if you need to state ANYTHING about starting to collect, then you are not a collector, you're someone that accumulated a series of things because you might have a passing interest or just to be part of the "cool kids".... a collector just goes and gets the things that he likes/love and the collection has a life of it's own.
A collector may be limited by budget, income, space, or simply run out of "new" items, but will cherish the ones he has.
If he is forced to part with his collection (to pay bills and such), he will be heartbroken and will most probably return to replace those items he "lost".
Some collectors may find themselves attracted to other items/series/etc. and move towards new collections, but would not lose the passion for the other collections he has.
Owning a bunch of stuff doesn't make one a collector any more than someone that can afford that big expensive camera turns into a photographer... it's about the passion behind it... and some people can be terrible photographers but still love it with a passion that is more than a "hobby"... so same with collecting.
Is it a passion, a hobby, something to try and be cool about?
Can the chase be a challenge? Can it be frustrating? of course, especially when you're trying to get a specific item that is out of reach.
One has to accept the reality of being a collectors, and with Transformers, people need to remember that things have changed a lot because of all these things I mention.
The "geek chic" has created a huge pool of "collectors" that if they really were such in their childhood, they would have been beaten up by the school bullies, but now, it's Halloween costumes , it's activities, something to share, be part of. And collecting being a huge draw, the companies have never made as much money as they do now. as everything is a "collectable"... it's an overload.
Then the death of all the stores/companies that means that the competition in selection, prices, stock is not even a care to the surviving stores now. They know that the items will most certainly sell, so much so that the shelfwarmers are the expected lower profit items, but after the huge profits already obtained from the rest of the items sold, they win in every way... and they know that prices can go up and they will still sell.
Look at the G1 re-releases... comments about "crazy expensive, one needs to be nuts to buy one" didn't phase those that did buy anyways, even justifying the higher prices... so buyers can't push back when so many are fine to pay the higher prices...
And at the same time, if there's anything you do want, do you want to risk not getting it, or seeing it disappear from the shelves only to end up at 2-3-4 times the price later on?
So yes, many rant about this stuff, but still we buy.. we fight over these toys, and such...
Myself, I stopped caring about what anyone says because of the negativity, heck, one member on here harasses many others, and almost made me quit this forum as it was simply something that went beyond what I consider acceptable as this is about toy collecting...
I've been collecting since being a child, way before and beyond Transformers, as I always had a passion about robots and science fiction in general.. and I never lost it. I did have many times that I simply couldn't afford or justify some toys, and missed out on many. But I've also been frugal at times, and a bit crazy at others, and my collection has grown a lot in the last few years.
And with all that said, do I want to stop? nah, but I know that with Siege being a huge drain on my wallet, that it may be the last time that I invest so much into a series, and will return to the odd one now and them afterwards...
I am considering selling some older items, simply because of space, that they are the bottom items of my collection, or even worse, may be some of my pearls that I believe may be time for them to move on to someone else that will enjoy them as much as I have....
The truth is, as morbid as this may sound, I am getting old and have already faced death (cancer) and survived, and between my children and such, there's no one that would care for my collection has I will have all my life, so a younger true collector might be a better alternative.
So anyways... I hope that this post isn't going to cause trouble or such, I simply wanted to provide a few points that some may not have considered... and hopefully no one is offended.
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