Collecting Decisions & Specifics

Collector Freaks Forum

Help Support Collector Freaks Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

What's your Collecting taste ?

  • A Single License (i.e. only LotR/Star Wars/etc)

    Votes: 1 5.9%
  • Multiple Sub-Sets (i.e. only the Imperials from SW, or only the GotG from Marvel)

    Votes: 2 11.8%
  • A Hodgepodge Of Specific Characters (i.e. childhood favourites or classics)

    Votes: 10 58.8%
  • Whatever Catches My Fancy (i.e. a well-designed OC from Sideshow or a variant)

    Votes: 3 17.6%
  • Other

    Votes: 1 5.9%

  • Total voters
    17

Victοr

BANNED
***
Joined
Feb 8, 2012
Messages
8,871
Reaction score
2,871
Location
Holy Terra
This must have been posted before, but I didn't find anything recent, so here goes. What's your collecting style ? By that I mean how do you decide what to "invest" in ? Do you collect only Star Wars ? Only Jedi from Star Wars ? Only Marvel ? Only Classic Movie Characters ? General Fantasy or Sci-Fi Figures ? Do you just have a hodgepodge "museum" of characters you like in general ? I'm interested in knowing where the majority falls. Focusing on one or two specific things or just branching out. For example I see shelves with all of the Colonial Marines from Alien, and the same guy is missing, say, a Spider-Man. So he's focused on Aliens, no matter what. Is he "sacrificing" other figures (meaning that he'd like a Spider-Man or a Thor, but he's commited to a complete Alien self) or he's just not interested ? That kind of stuff.

Personally, I took a long absence and came back. Put down some Pre-Orders. Got in line. The thing is, I have a pretty big backlog. It's alright, I can wait. Re-Releases and all. Most figures stabilize on the aftermarket about a year later, too. Anyway, POs aside, I wanted to buy something right now for Christmas. Put it under the tree. Thus far my collection is a bit of a hodgepodge. Upon some thought, I figured that I should invest on the Sith. I've always preferred them to the Jedi, they look cool and it's an easy enough group to assemble. I'm waiting for a RotJ 1/6th Vader, so I had to backtrack with Maul, Dooku and the Emperor. I was ready to buy Maul & Dooku, but then it hit me. Do I really like Maul & Dooku ? Eh, sure. They're Sith. I like them on principle. But I can't say that as characters they're on the same level as say, Vader or Revan for me. And they are largely boring designs in black robes. Sure, Dooku is Christopher Lee and Maul has a cool "demon" head, but they are just two guys in all (mostly, in Dooku's case) black. And it's what I feel about the Jedi, which is why I prefer the Sith edginess aside; they're guys in brown robes (I'm happy that the Clone Wars line is giving us the armoured looks of Anakin & Obi-Wan). Anyhow, both of them, shipping included would get me to 720 Euros. I expected that, and they're not getting any cheaper. But I looked around. I'm still missing a Jack Sparrow, for example. A T2 T-800. Vader & Sidious are my absolute favourites, and amongst my favourite charaters in all of fiction, yet I'm still missing them. Vader I'm waiting on, yes, same with the Emperor; I'm gunning for a RoS or RotS/Palpatine look. But still, should I shell out so much money, in this economy, on two characters I'm "eh" on, simply to complete a set, years down the line, when I'm missing the "stars" of the show ? Maybe when I binge TCW I'll change my mind. But the point is that I should get Vader & Sidious first, then go back to get the rest of the Sith. Maybe it's because I just find the designs too boring. Because I like Qui-Gon's character for example, but he's just so... plain, that I can't justify the price tag.

In the end, it got me thinking whether how much I like a particular character, or how to best complete a certain set, should be the determining factor. Personally, I'm leaning towards the former. I have an IM on PO. Should I have also gotten Endgame War Machine and Rescue to complete the "Iron Set" ? Maybe. But I have a Tommy Shelby on PO, who doesn't really fit with anything in particular. I had the same dillema a few months back when I wanted to go all in on a Batman collection and POed Batgirl. But was I ready to shell out 250 Euros on her and every subsequent Bat-Family Member, just to complete the Set, when there are tons of characters I love ? No, and it's why I cancelled her. If they ever make a Thrawn I'll jump on him immediately. But would I need to also buy some Stormtroopers, Tarkin, Krennic, other Imperials in general, to pair him with ? And so on and so forth. You get my point. I remembered that teased Patrick Bateman figure, which I'm anxiously waiting for. That's a grail. Maul ? Eh, not so much. I like him, and his general arc, but I'm not "attached" to him at the moment. It got me thinking that it's very easy to start pilling up and up, and therefore lose focus. If such figures are not carefully selected for one reason or the other, then you just end up with legions of them. They lose their shelf-presence and "importance".

I think in my case it's because I "like" the Sith as a consequence of me liking a couple of characters that belong to them very much. As an ideology, they're a bunch of literal edgelords, to contrast with the Jedi being emotionless autists. Hardly attractive on principle. But Vader, Sidious and especially the Old Republic era Sith, like Revan, Nihilus, Malak, Traya, they've got great designs and agendas. Darth Bane and Plaguies, characters where I've invested time reading and playing, not just watching some movies. Those I'd PO instantly. But the PT ones ? I don't know. I've read bits and pieces form the Dooku book and he's grown on me, but I need to "see" more. In theory, him being just a pragmatist who wants to set up a sort of "Imperium Of Man" instead of being an edgy psychopath appeals to me. But he did so little in the PT that there's no "connection" as of now. Had I watched TCW maybe I would've had a different opinion, but I just hate Ahsoka so much. She's Filloni's waifu, and she's just the same kind of OC Donut Steel that sours IPs. I tried getting into the show years back, in 2013 or whatever, and I just couldn't do it. So aside from the odd clip and cliffnotes, I have no investment in the larger character arcs of Dooku, Maul, Grievous and so on. Meaning that dropping 300 Euros on each one of them is hard to justify. Especially right now. Generally I was prompted to do a little bit of "soul searching" to really make up my mind.

My personal blog aside, this little instance made me wonder how other collectors deal with this; what limits they set, how they operate, etc. Personally I just stay away from those big, Hulk-like figures with rubber, for example. Vinyl is more resistant, so something like Venom is tempting, but I'll never buy a Hulk. Or a Thanos, who also looks like too much of a toy for me to justify all the money. I vastly prefer the figures with mixed media and clothes. Anyway, I figured that such a thread/question would make for some interesting discussion so... here we are !
 
I love obsessing over this stuff; I think curating my hobby is sometimes more fun than actually owning the things.

Over the years my "rules" have changed repeatedly, with maybe a couple of constants. That's me refining my tastes and understanding via experience, what really resonates vs. what I merely 'like'.

As of today, there are broad categories for what I give money and space to, and my collection has just about completed its third "Great Purge" since I began some years ago:

Physical Attributes:

  • I've slowly moved away from anything smaller than 1/6 scale. At present it's all I own, even the last of my 1/12 favourites were given up.
  • I lean towards bright, clean, well-defined finishes because I find those tend to have more visual punch at 1/6 scale. Super-fine details sort of get lost, very heavy weathering or drab colours likewise sort of disappear at conventional viewing distances.
  • I noticed that I mostly like primary colours and crisp black and white. A few secondary colours here and there.
  • I enjoy the realism associated with Hot Toys or Enterbay's best work, or if something is a vinyl art toy or whatever, clean finishes and nice sculpts.

Integration

I've yet to finalize how I display anything, but having tried the stand-alone, museum-like display case route, I find I prefer to integrate collectibles into regular shelving or into the room in general. This is much harder to do hence no finalizing. Easier to do since I don't have kids or cats.

Finding "Artefacts"

1. an object made by a human being, typically an item of cultural or historical interest.
- Oxford Dictionary

For example, you can collect the MCU endlessly, but what very few items (or even just one item) would either resonate most strongly or transmit the essence of such a sprawling franchise? In this way I can select the most potent symbols of the entertainment I love without feeling compelled to complete sets.

The Test of Time

Most of what I retain is from older properties, usually because it's connected one way or another to specific times and places in my life. That doesn't mean I ignore contemporary entertainment, I just hold it to a very high standard. Maybe a higher standard than the entertainment from my childhood and youth.

So in this way, even if I'm focused on The Empire Strikes Back, I don't need to have every figure from that film. In fact, the fewer the better as for myself, I find it more visually potent.

For me, large collections are like dogs and babies. I really enjoy them when they belong to someone else. ;)
 
Hodgepodge of favorites with some whatever catches my fancy thrown in. Primarily recent properties (MCU) since aftermarket prices on older favorites is too high.
 
Most of what I retain is from older properties, usually because it's connected one way or another to specific times and places in my life. That doesn't mean I ignore contemporary entertainment, I just hold it to a very high standard. Maybe a higher standard than the entertainment from my childhood and youth.

So in this way, even if I'm focused on The Empire Strikes Back, I don't need to have every figure from that film. In fact, the fewer the better as for myself, I find it more visually potent.

Great points in here, couldn't agree more. Your first paragraph is something I've wondered about many times. Whatever the case may be, if it helps you save money, what's wrong with that?




I started collecting high-end 11 years ago and since I was new to the hobby, I had the naive idea that a respectable collection was a large one. I wanted to grow and never sell, a silly aspiration because I was young and everything was novel. But naturally, I wound up with some pieces that didn't hold my interest as long as others. Maybe I boarded the hype train for a certain figure and anticipating it with my fellow Freaks was more fun than owning the piece itself. Maybe I bought something for completion's sake.

Or maybe I owned so many pieces from a certain franchise or format that I got it out of my system. That actually happened with X-Plus Godzilla figures. I collected them for several years, selling some, trading some, cycling through, etc. But by the time I was done, I had owned and experienced every figure I was ever curious about at a certain point, so the need to continue collecting them was exorcised. I soon found out that this mindset had extended to the hobby as a whole. In the last 11 years, I've owned statues, busts, figures ranging from 1/12 to 1/4, and stylized vinyls. I know what it's like to have all of those, so my standards now are much higher and my collection is smaller than it's ever been. I've learned to find a joy in pruning and trimming the tree, focusing more on its shape than its size. It's a more fun, engaging, and thoughtful way to collect.

My guidelines are as follows:

  • 1. A property or genre that's resonated with me for several years.

  • 2. Perfect execution - must check all my idiosyncratic boxes for sculpt, paint app, and pose. This is especially important for larger, more expensive items. I can offer some minor flexibility for cheaper stuff.

  • 3. Must be something I'd be happy to have on its own if the line doesn't continue. This is tough and leaves me with very few pieces, but I'm more attached to them than anything else I've owned over the years and it feels truly satisfying to have them.

  • 4. If I know I would be willing to sell Item X to fund Item Y at a later date, I should skip X and just wait for Y.

  • 5. Keep 1/12 to a minimum and use it for lines/characters that would be too costly or bulky in a larger scale (characters with horses or elaborate dioramas for example). Primary focuses are 1/6, 1/4, and scaled busts. 1/3 only for two or three all-time grail characters executed "perfectly" as per Rule 2.

As far as display style, I too subscribe to the idea of "less is more," but found this depends on the amount of space I have. In a large house, you can have a sizeable collection and still pull off a minimalist display if you scatter them properly. In a small apartment, a handful of figures and you're done. I also prefer to integrate my pieces into the home decor, rather than having them in a single dedicated space.
 
I have a main collecting focus for more than a decade already: Star Wars Original Trilogy Imperials. I also collect Terminator 1 & 2 Endoskeletons. And there are a few other minor exceptions: Predator (collection was reduced drastically a few years ago) and Masamune Shirow stuff. From these lines I collect what I like and enjoy, from life-size helmets and busts, 1/1 prop replicas to 1/3, 1/4, 1/5, 1/6 or smaller statues, figures, busts etc.
 
2.Perfect execution - must check all my idiosyncratic boxes for sculpt, paint app, and pose. This is especially important for larger, more expensive items. I can offer some minor flexibility for cheaper stuff.

This is a big one. 'Perfect execution' may mean something a little bit different for different collectors, but it's about that feeling of satisfaction you get when there's nothing nagging at you about the piece that you wish were different.

4. If I know I would be willing to sell Item X to fund Item Y at a later date, I should skip X and just wait for Y.

Same. Not a fan of 'placeholders' etc.
 
2. Perfect execution - must check all my idiosyncratic boxes for sculpt, paint app, and pose. This is especially important for larger, more expensive items. I can offer some minor flexibility for cheaper stuff.


3. Must be something I'd be happy to have on its own if the line doesn't continue. This is tough and leaves me with very few pieces, but I'm more attached to them than anything else I've owned over the years and it feels truly satisfying to have them.


4. If I know I would be willing to sell Item X to fund Item Y at a later date, I should skip X and just wait for Y.
My first Hot Toys is an A1 Black Widow which is in direct opposition of #2 and #4. Alas, no idea if an update (Y) will ever come to pass. The figure's been on my wish list for the past 5 years so I'm happy to finally pull the trigger on a mint condition, pre-owned version for a fairly reasonable price at auction. She's one of my absolute favorite characters from one of my top 3 MCU movies so despite the figure's imperfections, it definitely fits #3 for me.


5. Keep 1/12 to a minimum and use it for lines/characters that would be too costly or bulky in a larger scale (characters with horses or elaborate dioramas for example). Primary focuses are 1/6, 1/4, and scaled busts. 1/3 only for two or three all-time grail characters executed "perfectly" as per Rule 2.
I have limited space so 1/6 is reserved for the grails. Can't really go bigger. I'm getting 1/12 for putting on my work desk. Looking at them just puts a smile on my face. :D
 
Intersting to see that the majority is leaning towards a hodgepodge collection of certain characters. It's what I'm leaning towards myself, really. I care about too many characters from various properties to really get into a completionist mindset about certain sets. Plus, you know, there's always the money and space problem. Still, I might complete the Sith one day. Sidious & Vader are a given. So I'm left with Tyrranus & Maul. Ventress and the such are a long way from coming. And I doubt they'll ever get to the Old Republic. We'll see. For now I'm going to focus on specifics.

Thanks for the answers everyone!
 
Back
Top