Holding on to your collection?
 

Well we've all seen it happen or read about it in a magazine. Those sad stories where some poor guy is forced by his wife to sell his collection. There was a guy here that had that happen, where he had a HUGE Star Wars collection and had to dump it, and at crazy low prices.

You feel bad buying from people like that guy, knowing he could be getting more money. But he was doing it just to prove a point. If I have to sell, I am practically giving it away.

So has that ever happened to anyone here? Do you know someone it happened to? If so did you avoid it somehow? Or are all the collectors here married to someone who likes collecting or puts up with it because they collect shoes/purses/hats, etc? ;)

(I know this could easily become a flame war, so please don't let it. Let's discuss this stuff like civilized humans. But if it gets out of hand, Mods, please shut it down!!!!!!!!)

I would never be able to buy anything from someone selling the figures for less then they are worth. It's tantamount to lying and stealing I would give the guy what it's worth if he said no then no deal

hmmm like you trekking i have seen people lose collections for some issues
if your wife / girl friend appreciated who you are then they have to have whole package and that package comes with figures you should never change just for them because it makes you feel uncomfortable.
i wouldn't sell mine i would possibly box them up perhaps, and if she says why ? say well if we have kids then they got something to play with when they are older *cough* *cough*

I think the big collection dumping usually comes from divorce or some sudden financial burden.

Yeah I've seen it happen and always said "Not me....not now...maybe when I'm an old man if I don't have someone to pass them on to who would appreciate them...then sure I'll sell." However, hard times have fallen upon me and I have no other option but to start to sell...and I mean sell a lot, action figures, dvds, unworn clothing, etc etc. I want to try the whole ebay thing out, I've bought a lot off of ebay over the years but never attempted to sell. Kinda hesitant, but I know it reaches a wider audience and has more of a chance of selling. So its time to bite the bullet, not selling the entire collection (somethings I just can't part with, hopefully I won't have to either).


Feel free to add me on facebook...check out some of the items listed, they are also on the Pop Culture Toy Collectors group. Will be adding them to ebay and most likely onto here as well as soon as I get some spare time.

http://facebook.com/BubbaFett304

Nearest I heard was a heavy duty Rainbow 6 player was given the ultimatum by his wife, "Either the games go or I go." He picked the games. It really depends on how much you love your partner and how how they love you to understand certain items carry a massive sentimental value, if not financial value. I do enjoy my collection and I always want to expand it, but ultimately they're just things. I own them, not the other way 'round. And Skeletor isn't much compnay...no matter how awesome he is

I've been going though a huge collection dump myself. I need to focus my life on my family more, and it was, in no way whatsoever, given to me as an ultimatum by my wife.

Mind you, my collection can rival the action figure aisles of TRU. Marvel Legends loose, Marvel U MOC, Toybiz LotR MOC, DC Universe loose, JLU loose, Jakks WWE Classic SuperStars (MOC & loose), Mattel WWE loose...and then some odds and ends.

I am not getting rid of everything, but since it isn't a dire situation, or an ultimatum, I can afford the time to get rid of everything piece by piece, so I am not taking a loss.

I've went thru it twice. Once was due to my company closing, resulting in a job loss, which led to an impending move. The other time was due to a cross country move for a new position.

The first one was the roughest and most painful. I knew of ebay but didn't have an account (this was 11 years ago). I was literally giving Bowen Marvel statues away to the local @ssh0le comic dealers for 1/4 of what they were turning around selling them for. Many of these were newly released. I got them in exchange for doing a guys art/marketing in a town I used to live in. So though I did not pay for them, I put in many hours of hard work earning them. I also had to part with what was at the time an impressive 70s-80s Star Wars collection. I actually did get decent money for those from fellow collectors I'd met.

The second time I sold all my Marvel Legends/DC Super Heroes 6" and 12" figures. I could of kept them, but the move for the new job was pricey and this solved two issues. Less to ship and more money to move. I sold many pieces I can no longer afford to repurchase or won't on principal alone since I paid retail for all the pieces I sold. At least I made a decent return on those.

No matter the reason you do it, it blows.

Well, I try to consolidate my collection mostly to Mattel's DC universe/ Batman offerings and compatible lines (like DC Direct), and every time I'm tempted by something in the store, I have to say to myself "where would this fit?" I don't think I could part with my collection, but hopefully when I find a girlfriend (I'm currently single, for all you interested ladies ) :), she'll be cool with it. I pretty much only have one shelf for Batman, and one for ML (which I'm cutting back on 'til Hasbro gets their shit straight)

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/577/toys003.jpg/

I used to sell stuff all the time when money was harder to come by. But now it just sits in boxes. Good lord its been since 2007 since I sold a toy. Too long.

I have a wife and a 4 year old girl (and another girl on the way in April). I trim my collection down by selling on eBay from time to time, to get extra $ for bills, etc and also to keep myself in check (Wifey loves when I make $ from my stuff, she is always amazed that there is a market for this stuff - This is why I don't get any crap)...I have a ton of HeroClix that I want to unload and I may go to Craigslist because it is too much to ship (2 plastic bins full). I would sell it all in a heartbeat if we fell on hard times (aside from 5-10 things that are sentimental)...Ultimately my family will ALWAYS come before toys!!!

I trim the fat on mine all the time.


Speaking of which... Warbot Defender for sale now. xD

Family comes first for sure. Bills, priorities etc obviously are important. But it's just sad when your nagging wife/girlfriend gives you an ultimatum.

Some very good points made here! I like how this went.
If you HAVE to sell for money, and there is no other way on earth to get said money besides selling everything, you have to do what you have to do. But I would become a Walmart door greeter before I would sell. ;)

If it's to thin your collection and make a bit at doing it, great! I could do that too, but I also buy stuff just to sell it. Getting extra money is always fun!

If it's an ultimatum, how strong was your relationship to begin with? If your wife truly loves you, she will put up with some figures. Either I go or your collection means you aren't that happy together, and you should find someone else. So keep them figures, she can go! :P

If it's over divorce, I can think of a few people that would be more than happy to get a big collection. Just give it to them before things go all pear shaped. And then get it back from them when it's smooth sailing again.

And back when I got stuff from that guy I didn't know my Star Wars prices that well. I don't mean he sold stuff for a few dollars. But is something was worth $20 he would sell it for around $12-15. If it was less I would have given him more. But that was more nagging than a ultimatum.

Same here. There are some things that I would not give up. Ever. There was either a lot of effort put into getting them or they are irreplaceable.

Anyway you get the Best Post award!!!! For the best points and for putting family first. :thumbs

And now for a funny thing. When restaurants here first put in Wi-Fi, my dad always called it Wifey. So he would sometimes say, "Hey look, they have free wifeys here!". My mom and sometimes the restaurant waiters always got a kick out of that. :D

I stopped using my Legos a few years ago, and the only reason I'm saving them is for my kids (when/if I ever have any). They were my primary creative outlet, but writing and toy customizing have taken over. Since my Legos are in nearly pristine condition, and I want my kids to have something really stimulating to play with, I'm saving them.
The majority of my toy collection are customs, which I like to believe I would never sell. My collection is small enough to put away in a box that is 2'x2'x2', so I would be able to hide them, or keep them out of the way - except for my Transformers, which I would give to my kids if they asked.
At any rate, I've been trying to sell about a third of my toy collection for several months, but there hasn't been one single taker. So, at the moment, I'm stuck with the items I don't even want anymore.

But to get a little more to the topic at hand. If my significant other insisted that I get rid of my collection, I would try to discuss with her that almost every single item has sentimental value to me, which is true. Most of my customs represent characters from my writing, about 2/3 of the remainder are heroes and characters I really love, the rest are villains to balance out my heroes, or just neat toys.
If she gave me an ultimatum, I can guarantee there were other bigger problems before she brought up my collection.

When it comes to ultimatums at least...

Well, I'm not one for them unless it's valid.
Like if I'm a hoarder or reached that level, by all means wake me up with an ultimatum. If it's finances that's understandable too.

But if it's an ultimatum because she's tired of it, and she knew about it before hand...
I'd have to weigh the options, but when it comes to ultimatums which is essentially a threat, I'll choose the side they threatened with. Homie don't play those games and the quickest way to make me leave a person is by that outright(ultimatum over anything unless joking).

I'll happily discuss it, even debate the merits and benefits, but ultimatums I do not react well to at all.

LOL thanks Bro!!! At the end of the day, people must own the toys, they can't let the toys own them!!! There is no way my G1 Soundwave and Takara G1 EHobby Galvatron Reissue are going anywhere though!!! Or my vintage Star Wars Figs!!! LOL

Somehow, I'm reading that in Will Smith's voice. Maybe I watch too many of his movies, but it sounds like the way he would say that. ;)
Anyway, I feel exactly the same way about that.

Yup, very true. Just like people who have a serious drinking problem. They are letting the alcohol own them instead of being responsible and only drinking so much. Collecting can become an addiction just as much as that, but only if YOU let it.

And with me it would be my vintage Star Wars stuff too. Or the very first ones I got in my collection. Or some of the expensive, rare stuff.

This is the first action figure I have owned, and I still have it! Of course the figure is yellowed and I lost both the Kouhuns, the day I bought and opened it they both fell out never to be seen again. Well I did find the one years later, outside my door (how it got out there I'll never know, maybe it crawled), and forgot to bring it back in before the rain washed it somewhere. It was one freak occurrence for sure!
But this is one figure I wont get rid of, ever.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA300_.jpg

My wife met my collection before she met me, so it's something she's always known about me.

But yep, if your kids are going hungry, it's time to sell. Mind you, with some of the lower cost items, after the time it takes to list things and the money eBay takes, you're probably better off spending the time working in a supermarket or bar for a few hours.

Very true! No use keeping it secret now 'cause sooner or later she's gonna find out!

And when I first read it, I thought you said something about going to a bar for a few hours, as in drinking for a few hours. And I though, "That isn't a good idea when you're low on money." But I re-read it and it made sense. ;)

But anyway, good point about selling fees. No use selling an action figure for $9 that you paid $9 for and making about $4-6 when eBay and Paypal is done. It's worth keeping.

I realise that what I said might have sounded figurative but really, she was visiting one my housemates and got a tour of the house before I got home and met her for the first time!

Cool, I have that R2-D2 and he is awesome!!! This is the 1st Action Fig I ever owned, 1977 Mego Pocket Superhero Spider-Man, one of my Holy Grails...I think my Dad got it for me before I was even born!!! That and Vintage Chewbacca. I remember leaving the original Star Wars when I was a kid and my Dad took me to Kiddie City and I got him. And the rest is history!!! (in case you are wondering I am 34, so it was the re-release of Star Wars in 1982...)

http://i1153.photobucket.com/albums/...ps9e665080.jpg