[trowa195]

This may or may not be the place to discuss, and if not please accept my apologies and delete my post.

Does anyone else here have a compulsion to buy any toy that you fancy, regardless of financial responsibilities?
I know we could all have more money not buying stuff, and my bills are all paid, but I am 95% sure I have a problem, an addiction and want to see if I am the only one. I do not have surplus income but have become really crafty with moving credit card payments to different paychecks to stay current, but then I justify using the credit as soon as it posts to the card because "I want it, and its my money".

Any thoughts? (other than I have problems)

[warmachine6]

well yeah i guess although mine has slightly weakened i guess thinking about food and just living really , i have the money... i did go out all at once on wave but i liked every figure.

Things that might help lower the buying , look at other peoples reviews of the figure they might point out more cons

Make a list of characters that you want in your collection it keeps it under control for me,

But wait there's a better version that's newer and perfect, sell the older version if you need 1 version. I kinda had to control myself with the iron man suit versions. i have like 5 armors and need to get rid of one of them i.e i don't like it anymore

go review it yourself , I normally go to my local CBS and see in person if its worth getting.

Have a Break try going to spending one figure per month limit your self

All i can say is have second thoughts of getting a specific toy as in do you really need this toy , whats wrong with the others, think of space that's what it will take from you.

When it comes to money i think use it wisely rather than impulsive buy , my friend bought a knife replica from a con and as soon as he bought it at the end of the day he wanted a refund but they dont have that policy it seemed a bit $%£$^ish not telling before buying.. So think before you buy and check reviews it might be something you will go meh ...

I hope it helps, but i do understand as a regard to being an issue as a collector

[Trivial Psychic]

This is a legitimate question, and an issue that as collectors we all have the potential to face, and I feel it makes for good discussion. Realistically, having a toy addiction is honestly no different than having an addiction to anything else. It can drain financially, emotionally, and physically in ways similar to having an addiction to alcohol or gambling...or anything else for that matter. It's very easy to lose sight and focus of our responsibilities, especially financially if one is not careful. It can be destructive to relationships as well. Toys for the most part are a depreciating investment, and like many comic book enthusiasts from the 90's are finding out, our little plastic superheros are not likely to fund our kid's college educations.

I've been guilty of this type of addiction myself on occasion. As a part of a single parent household when I was a kid and often placed into situations where we were forced to do without, I grew up with an appreciation for the value of a dollar. I took those childhood lessons into my adult life, and I have always worked hard for my money (as I'm sure many of us have) so the way I see it, if I worked hard for it, I'm entitled to spend it however I want to. It seems harmless sometimes, ten dollars here, 15 dollars there, but at the end of the month, I'll look back when it's time to pay the bills, and I'll be like "whoa...what the hell?" I can recall looking at some of the totals of my piles of loot at BBTS, and have been like, "oh my god...that's two car payments right there..." And there have been times that when I'm not able to get out to a toy store or retailer and hunt, I'll feel depressed and bored.

The key thing to remember is that no matter what happens, life will go on, with or without that extra stormtrooper that you are army building. It's okay to splurge a little for your own personal amusement and enjoyment, but never in the case when it comes at the expense of family, friends, financial and medical responsibilities, and your personal health. Escapism in this crazy world that we live in is healthy and normal, but real life is just that, real, and it's not worth putting yourself in a position where you will suffer in some form later. If you feel you have a problem, don't be afraid to talk to someone about it, seek professional help if you need it.

[Tiberius]

I use too. When Marvel Universe was at it's peak I was balls deep into buying them. I would clear out my Wal-Mart of figures, I would drive up and down island to the big cities to clear them out. Heck I remember when the new 3 packs first came out and the Walmart in the capital got them and my buddy called me at 10pm saying they just came in. Sure enough the high way to said Walmart is dangerous during the day and much more so at night but I didn't care. I needed those figures before some scalper asshole took them all.

Sure enough, I have pretty much dropped MU, DCUC, MOTUC and all major toy lines with big companies because they are raising prices and selling less quality products. So !@#$ them.

I now just buy characters I like from TV/movies and mostly Hot Toys [funny as I just said toys are getting to expensive, right?] At least Hot Toys are worth every penny and are always top quality.

[Frank Richards]

Yeah... I've been there...
Over the past few years, I have DRASTICALLY scaled back my purchases and have reined in my collecting habits, but a few years ago, I would pick up entire waves regardless of whether I had the money or not. I'd just use a credit card and worry about it later
I was buying large quantities of figures with money that I didn't have, and I feel very fortunate that my undisciplined spending habits didn't result in serious financial problems.

One common rationalization was that I may not spot certain figures again. With DCUC figures and Marvel Legends, it was easy to convince myself of this(especially with the DCUC figures). I always convinced myself that in order to complete the BAF, I'd save money in the long run by getting the entire wave now to avoid paying Ebay prices later.
But, basically, no matter the figure, or what line it was from, if I wanted a figure, I NEVER had the patience to just wait until I had the cash. I always had to have it/them immediately.

A couple of years, due to space constraints, I began doing what I had promised myself I would never do. I actually began selling some of my figures. After being confronted with the ridiculous number of figures (as well as accessories and vehicles) that I had, I realized that I was basically becoming a hoarder.
After assessing my collection, I realized that I had spent far too much money on figures that I now regretted buying. I'll spare you the specifics, but I cleared out any figures that weren't meaningful to me.

Anyways, now, I am a much more conscientious shopper when it comes to buying new figures, and my collection consists of figures that I actually have an interest in.
I went from having a gluttonous, random, nondescript collection to having one that accurately reflects my passions and interests.

EDITED, for length

[kylactus]

I always loved action figures when I was a kid, but I really started seriously collecting (MIP compleationist) with the MU line. I actually got in as a way to get off of pain medication when I was in the military. I found hunting, reading about upcoming figures, and managing my collection to the point that it becomes a daily habit helped "distract" me from the cravings, I've also used the same principle to quit smoking (roughly 5 dollars per pack, per day = 1 ten dollar figure every 2 days). I guess it could be argued that I've only traded one "addiction" for another, but at least I'm not eating five to seven Hydrocodone every day to maintain any more, or hacking up a lung. as far as "toy addiction" goes I think you're just getting what they use to call "shoppers high" which is an endorphin rush from acquiring something you want, when you want it. some people think it's a control issue. ( I think It's also the same affliction that causes people to stash figures in other isles when they don't have the cash) what has helped me in the past is reminding myself that I'm an adult and I will find that figure later, eventually.... except MU Vision...he's the exception that proves the rule.

[Phantomcrow]

Hi, My name is Phantom, and I have an addiction to toys.

But I will say I tend to hunt deals and wait on a lot of things until I can get a discount or free shipping or something. I used to buy at first sight on everything, But some things just disappear and they get bought up on sight, others I can wait months or longer until they hit clearance. Plus selling off older stuff over the last few years have really made me think about what I really want now.

[Onslaught]

This use to be a massive problem for me. When I was younger (early to late teens) I didnt have much money and wasnt working full time, so I missed out on a lot of things I wanted, and supplemented that with comics.

Then I meet a girl and got a well paying job and I went nuts! Mostly Transformers, both Hasbro and 3rd Party, MU, Marvel Legends and Select, what I thought took my fancy I bought.

I'm now single and on a single income, and 2 years ago decided it had gotten to saturation point, and a lot of what I had I realised were just impulse buys from shoppers endorphins. So I sold all my MU, BayFormers along with a few others.

I went and bought 3 Detolfs, with room to spare, and a bookcase and what doesnt fit on those gets sold. Its a tough choice that made me worried at first, but after rationalising it, I felt a lot better about my choice

[Bradsdadg]

I definitely have that type of personality. The only line I buy all of are TMNT. But I skip most vehicles and playsets. I stick to just the figures. Otherwise I will just get things here or there that I think are cool. Sometimes I do end up with one and I am like, why did I buy this again?

[CMIII]

I would say I do not have an addiction to Toy Collecting.. I spend within my means if I cannot afford it this week I'll save till I can. Sometimes I do get the "Found" Money. Like my most Recent Trip to Atlantic City I won 150$ so that I used to buy some Figures I wanted, but again this is money I won so clearly I do not have the Addictive Personality because I stopped Gambling and waited till I got home to Use it. I have nothing I want aside from DCUC stuff. I do pick up an occasional Marvel Legends figure but going beyond what's in my pocket.

[Skoob]

I fell into the 'completist' trap in my early teens, blowing every dime of my allowance. It created trouble for me in other parts of my life, and I had to assess my priorities.

My awakening came when I went to a country Flea Market and found a big pile of beat-up "treasures" lying in a dirty old cardboard toybox, JUNK left over from someone else's childhood. The sight of that helped me to "objectify," to distance myself and gain better perspective.

I realized that they were just THINGS, and there's always going to be another NEW THING hitting the store shelf, and I saw that chasing the latest THING is not a healthy way to do things, as a person and as a society! I realized that I DON'T CARE ABOUT THINGS (STUFF) IN GENERAL as much as I used to. Taking another look at my collection, I realized that I had been a SUCKER and didn't even WANT a lot of the stuff I wasted my money on.

Enough was enough. I sold off or donated ALMOST MY ENTIRE COLLECTION, keeping only a handful of special items. And now, rather than snapping up the latest thing like an obedient trained slave to manipulative marketers, I do a lot of standing back and watching while other people express their regret at having thrown money away.

I am resolved to focus on my particular niche (6" figures), to BE DISCRIMINATING, and to BE VERY PATIENT, waiting as long as it takes for what I consider to be the VERY BEST VERSION, because if a character is popular enough, you can be sure that different manufacturers will take turns cranking out sub-standard copies before THE BEST ONE finally appears, at a price that I'm willing to pay. And if I miss it, well, I'm alive and have money in my pocket.

I'm still waiting to purchase some very popular characters, because I realize that the most important part of the shopping experience for me is the ANTICIPATION.

South Park recently did an episode about free-to-play online games that seems relevant to this discussion: Season 6 Episode 18: "Freemium Isn't Free."

Rgds

[trowa195]

I am pleased with the discussion, Glad to hear everyone's thoughts on the subject.
One problem I have is that I like too many different things. Each toy I buy or replica etc is something I really want and tend to be popular items that are hard to find. Early on I found out that if you do not buy it when you see it you may never see it again, or if you did you would find 12 of them at a comic shop for a ridiculous price. Aside from this, I also customize figures and build models and replicas so there are even more things to buy.

I am at the point that I realize its plastic and I don't NEED it but then with a lot of it I look at it as art in a way.
I am a sucker for Walking dead, Marvel movie figures, simpsons and 6 inch star wars. Not to mention lego, minimates, funko pop vinyl and odd Mexican knock off toys. That is a lot to try to stay away from. I still have money to pay the bills but I could have so much more money.

I have been a lot better in recent years, I stopped buying just anything marvel related and decided to stick with the movie stuff. I did, however, find a really good way to invest in a toy. I had bought two lego café corner sets in 2006 and only opened one. When I needed money I put it up on ebay and made 10 times more than what I bought it for.
People go crazy for retired legos and pay WAY more that I would EVER pay for a toy. And its odd that most people that buy them are in the Netherlands.

My wife looks at it as something to sell if we need to get money for something we can't afford at the moment. I have quite a few high demand items that I have been parting with, and I still live.

[donmeca2020]

i don't have problem but i do buy figures on impulse depending on how much i want it, i do have control however. mostly my toy buying depends on how much i spent on my other hobby which is comics. i try to be 50/50 but thats also hard.

[Weapon X]

I have this problem, and I'm starting to have to face after running from it for so long or pretending it's not an issue. Looking around my room now, I have probably spent over $6000 on my collection, money I could have used for travel or other cool experiences. I don't have much of a social life, because I never have money to do anything because I'm always trying to buy new figures. Life has become a rotating door of new stuff coming in. And though I sold about 80 figures last year, it was only so I could buy new stuff. I never feel satisfied when I finally get something I've been lusting after, and then it's on to the next one. I keep telling myself "one day it'll be complete, I'll be complete" and I can rest. But I don't think that day will ever come. I don't think I'll ever be done. I think I need to make some changes in my life because I am surely an addict.

[jwyss234]

I used to have a problem controlling my purchases but I'm doing much better now. I had several issues that led to this out of control behavior.

1. I was reading comics. I loved the artwork and wanted figures to match. I'd a buy a figure or figures hoping they would scratch a particular itch. When they didn't, I start looking for a better figure.
2. I was going to comic book stores which encouraged me to collect comics and gave me easy access to older figures and certain lines that I couldn't get at places like Walmart.
3. I made compromises because they were initially cheaper. For example, back in 2009 I wanted to the Marvel Legends Face Off Hulk. Instead of saving my money for the figure, I purchased the Marvel Legends Savage Green Hulk from the Fin Fang Foom wave. While I loved the figure (and still do), it wasn't the figure that I wanted and I ended up buying the Face Off Hulk anyways. So I ended up with two figures even though I only intended to buy one.
4. I was working a job that I hated and shopping for toys made me feel better. As kylactus mentioned, it was a shoppers high.

Selling a lot of my figures on eBay really helped me get things under control. Earning money from the sales felt good. I was also learning what was important to me and what I wanted in my collection. Fortunately, I also left the job that I hated and stopped going to comic book stores. In fact, I actually sold off the majority of my comics back in August last year. I still read some digital comics but I don't feel the need to hunt for figures afterwards.

[dukefett]

I still have a problem even though I've cut back. Problem is I started collecting 1/6 a few years ago, but still buy a lot of 1/12 stuff. Last year I got the SH Figuarts prequel Yoda and also the Hot Toys prequel Yoda maybe 1-2 months apart. I just love figures and want to see how they look and feel in hand. If anything I should sell the 1/12 immediately. I just remembered I preorder all 3 of the newer Endgame SH Figuarts, while simultaneously having the Hot Toys on preorder too. I have a much larger Star Wars Hot Toys collection but wanted to have a few big Marvel characters, and then a large Marvel 1/12 collection.

I have way more than I can display right now, without selling a ton of stuff. I need to do it, but there's only so much time to devote to it, plus I'm living with my fiance, who doesn't mind my collection displayed at all (incredibly luckily) but she is kind of tired of me having big cardboard boxes around of unsold stuff sitting in our living room. So I'm trying to maneuver that with actually listing/selling stuff on eBay.

A big accomplishment for me was to stop buying random ass Transformers. I have several 3P legends figures that I got just because they're another cool version of a character I already have, but I should just stop at MP. I kept thinking back to buying a bunch of the oversized MP to have a small collection of those, but I have to remind myself..WHY! There's no reason to just get the same shit the takes up more room.

[Primacron]

I reckon there’s three dangerous behaviours to get into - being completist, collecting too many lines and trying to catch up on old figures that are no longer available at retail.

It’s always the last one that gets me as you end up constantly checking eBay and the moment a listing goes up a little cheaper than you previously saw it you have to get it.

I’m not doing it at the moment but it’s always a risk if I suddenly decide I need something.

[webz]

A year ago, I probably would have said definitely. Today, not so much. I actually have found myself getting tired of most announcements/releases.

I've got most of the Transformers I want, and the rest of the lines I've collected started to lose appeal. I got a LOT of stuff I would never have normally purchased just to review SOMETHING in a light month (yup, surprise, not all reviewers get freebies!).

I think Hasbro Unicron will be my last collectible big name purchase. After that, I'll just support the creative beast studio dinosaur line and disappear.

[Weapon X]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Primacron

I reckon there’s three dangerous behaviours to get into - being completist, collecting too many lines and trying to catch up on old figures that are no longer available at retail.

It’s always the last one that gets me as you end up constantly checking eBay and the moment a listing goes up a little cheaper than you previously saw it you have to get it.

I’m not doing it at the moment but it’s always a risk if I suddenly decide I need something.

Wise ass words. I'm lucky that I learned early on that completionism was unwise and have avoided it like the plague.

I'm not sure whether I collect too many lines. I mostly collect ML and Black Series, but I buy sporadic DC figures, and other figures that I just have to have like Tron.

The third one is my absolute downfall. My total curse. I do it so much. Maybe I should keep a closer eye on that behavior.

Good advice overall.

[Archangel]

I do, definitely a problem...but I can think of worse addictions.

I try to avoid other lines outside of Legends, but I’ll grab a few Black Series figs if they’re my favorite characters.

[Black Arbor]

My problem isn't so much collecting, as I'm pretty selective of what I buy, but it's this nagging feeling of regret/ buyer's remorse, not so much that the toy isn't worth it, but in my brain it feels like it's money that could have been put to something less frivolous (which is stupid because everyone needs something they enjoy). It kinda also ties into a feeling of "I don't deserve to have things I like", some leftover inferiority complex from my childhood....