I blame GI Joe and Marvel comic books.

As a child I had a lot of things go bad that didn't make it into one of those ideal childhoods. Not the most horrible childhood, but not something that would not make for a good sitcom family. But GI Joe, comic books, and cartoons were always a bright happy spot in my childhood.

So I got into collecting GI Joe and into cartoons back before it was socially accepted for adults to collect toys or watch cartoons. Dropped out of comic books when people started acting like they were stocks or bonds. I dabbled with lots of toy lines but nothing really worked for me the way GI Joe did. Thus I skipped over the large scale super hero figures even though I liked super heroes.

But when the Marvel figures shank down to the GI Joe scale with the same articulation and nice sculpting it was just the best of both worlds. The heroes I loved to read about in the 80's combined with a toy that looked right at home with my Joe figures.

Transformers Classics worked for me because they were like the cartoons or comic books but other toy lines just haven't clicked with me the same way that GI Joe and Marvel Universe have. I mean I'd love to collect some small DC characters but the smaller scale Mattel stuff just looks horrible compared to a GI Joe figure.

like alot of people have already alluded to is i used love playing with my GI Joe figures when i was younger and my the one thing i hated was that the Marvel toybiz stuff were bigger and therefore didn't look right with Joes and Star Wars which i also collected, My interest in Marvel started with the all the cartoons there were on fox kids in the mid 90's X Men, Spiderman FF4, Hulk and even Silver Surfer, Loved all these shows

Then fast forward to 2 years ago im in a settled relationship have a car, good job and all that and just walked into a toystore out of boredom more than anything and there i saw MU and bang instantly hooked the line i always wanted when i was younger, and now i have nearly every single one of them even the fury and archangel exclusives and plan to keep buying them have up to 150 or so now and subsequently started collecting Mattels WWEfigures too as there the best WWE figures i've ever come across

Do I care what people think ? ...NO and i'm not ashamed fuck it like it's an interest and a hobby everyone has there thing be it going down to the pub after work or playing soccer (which i also do) but this is my thing and i don't care what other people think and i gladly show off my collection to my friends, and theres no one thats going to tell me how to spend the money i earn, would be worse if i was spending it on drugs or doing harm to myself so ...

It was said a bit early up, but I really like have a physical representation of my favorite characters. For me it starts with Iron Man first and foremost. I have every Iron Man Marvel Legend except the 2 series 1 variants and the face-off War Machine Variant. In the movie line I collected the armors that appeared on screen, as well as Titanium Man (he was too cool to pass up). I think what makes me collect though, is seeing an awesome moment, whether it's on screen or on the page, and wanted to recreate it. I'm not in it because I think they'll be worth something one day, I simply just want to have my favorite characters on my shelves. I've taken every action figure I've bought out of the box except for 1. That's an action figure from the 90s Iron Man cartoon that I found in a comic shop one day. It was the first Iron Man figure I ever had when I was younger that had been given away when I grew out of playing with toys.. Then I got back into it again years later. The only reason why I keep him in the box is because he's not too posable and he's not in scale with my other figures.

In terms of customs.. I never made one, but I'm gonna give it a shot over the summer for the first time, with two customs I think would be fairly easy to do. I always appreciated a good custom action figure and found it interesting.

I will say I'm 21 & as a kid I couldn't get to induldge in too much collecting but as a kid I loved all the great tv series from the 90's & after I first got into High School I contemplated collecting & at one point I shoplifted some figures at one of the TRU's i frequented for things that were affiliated with Dragon Ball, Transformers, Yu Gi Oh or Pokemon. I got caught once & I stayed away from it & i felt like maybe it was best to walk away from toys cause I was driven to take em since I couldn't always buy them. So there was a blank stage until Spiderman 3 & Transformers the movie came out & my little bros got some toys from the movie lines & I liked em & i messed around with them. It made me wanna try to collect them. So after Iron Man came out I decided to collect once again & I snagged the Mark 2 figure & i tried to get every figure. I was enjoying it so I bought Ultimate Iron Man & Ultimate wolverine also (which started a weird cycle of me always getting either iron man or wolveine first in a line & the one I didn't get first would be my next one & it randomly happened). So then in due time i nabbed X3 Juggernaut & I didn't get to buy much else since I was only cherry picking. Until I started my second semester in college I didn't buy any figures & the XMOW line came out & i nabbed the 90s wolverine with the brown one & soon to follow was Cyke & deadpool. Then there was MU & i nabbed all that i could from that line since they were small but pretty advanced for their scale. By the end of the summer of 09 I had a good amount of them & I loved the hell out of them & my stepfathe rtold me he would put a big plank to put all of my figures & I even used some left over textbook money to get the ML two pack with Nick Fury & Iron Man. My girlfriend at the time surprised me by buying the Invaders SDCC 09 pack for christmas & then I even used my space to hang things up as a means to display & put my collection which grew a lot at that time. By 2010 I started with the DCUC figures & my first one was the classic Detective batman which was rare & my college buddy introduced me to this store that had a wide array of figures. Since then I've been all over it & 2010 was the "figureboomer" year for me. & now my collection is packed with ML, MU, MS, DCUC, WWE Elite, TNA, Dragonball, & soon some street fighter figures

I pretty much buy only mementos... 25th Joes that remind me of my love of ARAH Joes and certain MU characters that remind me of my love for comics in the early 90's (mainly X-men).

That's why I would buy a 90's MU Beast without question, but am probably going to pass on that upcoming MU Modern Beast. I even passed on that MU Astonishing Colossus, but will try and get the one from the 6 pack.

Of course those BOGO sales tends to murky up my collecting habits a bit; that's the only reason I got a WWH even though I hate Hulk. LOL. And also the recent Marvel movies has an affect on my collecting habits. For example, I HATED Ironman... until I saw the movie. I didn't give a crap about Thor either... until I saw the movie. So yah... now I will eventually have one each of the Avengers figs. LOL.

I started collecting Joes because of the 25th line because of my love for Joes and playing with a countless number of them when I was a kid. Now im collecting the newer stuff because its simply awesome.

I also got into the MU for the characters that I remember from when I used to read comics back in the day and now collect any MU that I find to be a solid figure. Luckily im not a completist or id have them all.

I collected Horror figures first through highschol and college but my love for Marvel figures started back with the 90s animated series of Marvel cartoons we couldnt always afford the characters I wanted but my brother and I had a nice collection, anyway time travel to today and its childhood fulfillment time. I saw Marvel Universe about a little more than half way through Series 1 and have been collecting ever since. Its the only line i feel inclined to complete and stick with to the end. To me Marvel especially X-Men represented something that no other cartoon growing up could have taught me and that was that no matter how different we are we all want to be more than the world expects us to be and as a minority growing up in the 80s and 90s I latched onto the one cartoon where the mutants (the minority) where for once, the good guys in a show. Little did I know the sub context of the show would have a big influence in my life. Make mine Marvel any day!

I collected the x-men figures during the 90's. I watched the cartoon and got the toys. My brother and I also grew up with GI Joe. We got back into joes with the 25th line and have been collecting since then. I got back into marvel when the legends line came out. As soon as the mu line hit I was grabbing those as well. My focus is on x-men related figures. I also have a decent minimate collection.

For me...it's hard to say why I collect. I don't know the exact reason for it. I know that when I was young, my parents bought me action figures pretty regularly(nothing too fancy, and never anything really expensive) I had a good number of G.I. Joes, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, X Men(the toybiz toyline from the animated series), Spawn, Transformers and things of that nature. I collected and played with my figures up until I turned about...11 I would say. Then my dad explained to me that I was too old to play with toys. Taking this into account I boxed up all my toys and gave them to my younger cousin. From then on throughout my teenage years I had nothing to do with action figures and opted to collect cds instead(I'm a lover of rock music) When I got out of high school, I got with a chick that I didn't particularly care about...well long story short I started looking for a distraction, so I began buying certain action figures...I think what really got me back into it was the release of the first Hellboy movie, and I bought all the figures from the movie. I also bought a DCSH Scarecrow figure and a ML Deathlok figure. I wasn't serious at this point you see...well this chick and I broke up. The habit dried up for a little while, until I got with what would become my wife. She saw what I had and began to buy me figures here and there. I got really big into collecting Batman stuff, Jurassic Park figures, and Transformers(thanks to the new movie) eventually I was spending alot of money on action figures...money we really didn't have. Long story short once again, my wife cheated on me...I had no idea why. Sometime after I left her she told me it was because she felt like the action figures meant more to me than she did. Which was a bullshit excuse. It made me feel bad and for awhile I didn't collect...I was ashamed. But I needed something to pull me through the heartbreak of losing my marriage. So I began to collect again...before things went bad between the wife and I, I had started collecting horror figures and G.I. Joes on top of the Batman figures. So I began to focus more on Joes and the horror figures I needed. After a certain point, I became ashamed of collecting G.I. Joe, and decided to get rid of the entire collection. I don't know why I became so ashamed, maybe it was because that was the main figure that caused my now ex wife to have a meltdown. Either way I stopped, and sold the collection. I began to focus my collecting more on Batman, especially The Dark Knight Movie Masters line. The horror collection was still in the background as well. Then I got with the most wonderful girl...she not only supported my collecting, but thought it was really cool in her words. A couple weeks ago I became interested in Marvel Universe figures thanks to the one guy in the Marvel Universe I really and truely loved. Deadpool. Since then it's kind of snowballed. I still collect Batman/DC figures, horror has taken a back seat however. I know that with trying to move in with my new fiancee(that's right guys I had to ask this amazing girl to marry me) I'm having to be very careful with my money. My fiancee, my daughter, and her daughter come first. It was really just a matter of getting my priorities straight. So in a little bit, after I spend a little more on MU and the upcoming Batman Legacy figures, I have to stop. For a little while, until I can get some money saved up for our apartment. Now you ask why...why do we collect...well for me, it's been different reasons at different times. Mostly however, I think it's an issue of comfort. It brings me comfort, and makes me remember those great times when I was a kid and my dad and I would go through the toy aisle and dad would take an active interest in the toys I was looking at. He would say things like, This guy looks cool, or do you have this one? I miss those times. So I guess that's really what's at the heart of it for me. Sorry this was so long guys...it's something I've needed to say for a long time.

Wow RexLewis85 that was very personal, but yeah I collect figures as well because its such a stress relief, sometimes you just want to open that figure and the smell of plastic just brings back a sense of being young and care free again. It takes balls to say what you've said and also discipline to be a responsible toy collector, we have to live within our means and prioritize to really appreciate the hobby we have.

I collected Gi Joe recently cause it's one of the lines I FIRST Had contact with when I was young [Plus Comics too my brother gave me my first comic which was the Gi Joe/G2 Crossover too] I've always enjoyed X-Men the comics and the TAS Series I've always had some X-Men comics or X-Men Related stuff in my collection since the fact I like the Series -Would have loved to get into the other stuff but X-Men remains my Main Favorite Marvel Series-FF4 I always would read whenever the crossover events coincided with some other issues my brother had sitting in his comic boxes -I remember sneaking comics out of his collection to read at times, I'd put em back later when I was through though-

I'm in collecting I guess you can say cause my Brother had lots of the toys [I ended up breaking so many Gi Joes and Trasnformers though now that I remember] Plus they help bring back some memories too -With my short term memory problems it's always good to have something that helps me remember something long ago-

I collected Marvel Stuff here and there but not that much [Always wanted to get tons of the Toy Biz figures from the 90's my best friend had TONS of em they were pretty cool so right now I have the Toy Biz Professor X Sitting on a nearby shelf, cool figure even if it is a brick of one by today's standards]

So I collect out of Nostalgic Needs I guess you can say.....

I think all of us collect toys because we either had toys as a kid and enoyed the hell out of them and an extension of us today wants that feeling back. Or we were deprived of toys or the "ones we wanted" so we save up and buy it off ebay 20 years later, and get enjoyment out of them.

Most of us are out of the "playing with them" stage, There more MOC collectors today then ever before namely due to "stricking it rich" by having a complete collection or rare variant left moc over time could make your initial investment a very profitable venue. Or the market could crash and interest drop and your left with containers full of old figures worth the same or less then what you paid. If you're not a MOC collector then you normally fit into 1 of 3 categories, the displayer: putting your collection behind glass or on a shelf striking an iconic pose or clustered together like a church meeting on a sunday. The customizer, who repaints, remolds breaks and fixes every figure to make everything truely unique, fuck the standard shit *Typically done for pleasure or profit, the 3rd is the diorama guy, people that have the $$,time and room to buy every figure imaginable, army build, get vehicles, buildings, scenery etc made.


It's like any hobby you can start small and end up big or start small and stay small. Ex train collectors, either you buy 1 track or you're the type that wants an exact replica chunk of a town in your basement lol. There's extremes to every colletion, hobby,sport interest etc. We can all go too far, I'm humming and hawing over keeping the collection. I'd just hate to sell and then down the road want it back and cost me a fortune to rebuy it.

Very Sincere Thread here..

Well my own side here My good Sir's and Ma'ams..
I dont really have much of a collection but one reason I collected is that because I do not have vices ( i dont drink, or smoke or party hard) its one way of releasing tension to the life I experienced right now, the life's challenges everyday. Toy collecting for me became an OUTLET for me, for me not to think Depression or other bad things. I know they are just plastic action figures. but sometimes, when you see that figure sometimes you get a little part of it that remind you of something that makes me somehow happy. I totally aggree with sir Tarquinus, im a registered nurse and i know part of it we regress on things because this are child toys.

im not a completionist, i only collect a few but main reason i collect part of it is to escape the world we are living with right now, problems and like that, some are highs some are lows.. we go into this point that sometimes, we need an outlet. and that for me is collecting figure because i wont hurt myself on drinking alcohol and just puked it out, or do drugs or smoke until i get a cancer on lungs.

Well, thats my part. Thanks for Sharing this kind of thread.. I really respect all of you.. and it was really nice seeing different views on life regarding collecting figures. Either it be toys or what not.

Im not ashamed of collecting action figures. There is nothing to be ashamed of cause we're not hurting anyone..

but remind you my good sir's and ma'ams, always remember Maslow's hierarchy of needs, Physiological needs come first. Always learn to prioritize.Iif collecting action figures lets you affect some other important things like it affects to your monthly bills, etc. so it will also be like a bad vices for us. As long as still you can pay your bills and you can support your family while collecting its ALL Good. =)

God Bless!

I agree 100%

Good points, I do have other distructive habbits, but their minor and managable and I can still afford toys. If I got rid of smoking green I'd have a lot more of toys lol.

I know what you mean...I stopped smoking green at the beginning of this year, but I still drink like a fish...so that takes up alot of my money. What can I say? I like beer. Figures need to take priority over that though. Haha.

MU helped me curb my drinking lol I realized i could have more figures and alot less blackouts...and i dont mean the demonic ghost rider villain. :)

I'm on the verge of a freakin balckout tonite...I thinks I need to go to bed

nothing to collect atm and the thrill of the hunt since they pose a challenge to find for me.

Yeh I'm not a big drinker, I mean I can handle my own, and love drinking, but I'm not the kinda guy that craves a beer after work, typically I only drink if it's a party/event type thing with friends or family. Which ranges from once a week to once a month. Ex last night me and gf split a qrt of captain morgan spiced rum, and I'll be good till next week or the week after. I smoke cig mainly due to the high stress job I work at, and it gives me something to do on breaks, weed is/has always been my major vise. I smoke daily, and I know dealers like buddies so I usually get a spot on my weeks off and pay my tab on payweeks. good system thus far, but I figure if I was able to fully cut all 3 vises I'd have 200+ a month extra to spend with. I may try to eliminate 1 of the 3 then 2 of the 3, I think I'll always drink, just in moderation. Last thing I want is to quit then make 1 of the other habbits worse/more frequent.

sounds like someone needs to shop online, if local hunting isn't satisfying your craving for plastic gold, then online maybe the answer. I know myself if I can't find anything good on shelves I turn to ebay and here for fellow arkers.

i have become a little gun shy of ebay since having a few horrible experiences in a row unfortunately and i know of no other good site that deal in selling MU figures within Canada (the big sites form the states all seem to want to kill me with their shipping charges)

as far as getting things form people here....i am new here and i know nobody so i feel strange about asking for things :o

in time you will be known, just keep posting and make a trade post. soon someone is bound to help out we just need to know what we can help out with :) we were all new at one point so just hang in there.

P.s. If you find a shocker im definitely in need :)

Yep, same with me, if Generations doesn't pick up again that could be it for me and Transdormers.

I think there is something about the male psyche which lends itself to collecting, if it wasn't toys I would honestly probably collect stamps or coins or something.

Despite no being a kid anymore, I still like all that stuff, I've been rewatching the X-men cartoons - they're awesome! It makes sense to me to collect the stuff I liked and wanted as a kid.

for me it was the 90's cartoon. every satruday morn i was up 15mins before it came on so i could have my cereal ready. but as far as collecting, this is something i've been thinking about. if im wrong or anyone doesn't agree then my bad in advance.

i think its linked to OCD. i've seen youtube videos of ppl with 3 or 6 of the same character. but why? collecting is something that we have to do and something we need to do. how many times have u hit the toy isle, saw idk x-23 and just snatched her without thinking. thats because its in our DNA now because of the love for the figures, plus doing all the research with different forums and finding out the street dates from fellow collectors.