[behindthemask]

Most of us by nature repeat ourselves. We get used to familiar routines and stick with it. As most collectors prioritize their collections and buy what they like, normally you stay within a certain price range. Example if you buy StarWars toys you typically spend $10/figure and maybe you buy minimum of so many, and make an exception every now and again if a box set comes along or deluxue item that helps complete your collection. Toys are no longer cheap, yes figures like MU,Star Wars,JOE's may be $10/each or less, but if your a completist or army builder this can add up. And now with companies like HOT TOYS, Sideshow,neca etc $10-20 is a starting point, but to get something truely awesome be prepaired to spend $100+ on 1 single figures.

My question to all is what category does your collection fall into, cheaper items but a lot of them, or more high end stuff but not as many due to price, are you an avid toyrun person,bargin bin hunter, or do you buy online and buy bulk lots, do preorder, buy entire waves etc.. Is your collection focused to 1 character, 1 company, 1 line, 1 whatever or do you collect anything and everything.... of a paticular series,show,or character? and from there explain why you collect such items and any advise to fellow collectors, this is more an omage to us as collectors, what fuels us and to help fellow collectors/newbies understand what it is to be a collector...

[sabretoothe]

i'm always looking for the next potential center piece of my ever expanding collection but as of late i've been sticking to the under $18 price bracket. the marvel universe and halo reach toys are multiplying around my desk at a rate that is quite soothing

[behindthemask]

Yeh I hear ya on the centerpiece, passed on a ghostrider marvel icons figure for like $40 at winners a year ago and kicking myself since as they're like $1-200 on ebay

[Primacron]

I don't think I could categorise my collection!

It started off online with Takara reissue Transformers, then on to vintage Transformers on ebay, then onto Classics. With Classics-Generations I've bought some in store, but mostly it's been on BBTS. I've now got all the G1 figures I want now so Transformers-wise it's just Generations.

My (Transformers) collection consists of pretty much all 1984-85 and Animal-based G1, most Classics-Generations, and a few other randoms such as a couple of Beast Wars figures.

I have now diversified my collecting a bit to include pretty much everything I wanted as a kid - Power Rangers, Turtles, Ghostbusters, Marvel and Batman. With all of those I've got modern/updated toys rather than vintage. I'm also hopeful for some good Thundercats toys next year.

I would say my collecting is almost entirely based around the cartoons I watched as a kid, and to a lesser extend comics I've read and films I've seen. The reason I collect is that the desire to collect all the Dinobots, X-men, Turtles, MMPR Zords, etc never really left me.

I'm fairly close to having some representation of every significant character from those cartoons, and once that happens I think it'll just be a case of the odd upgrade now and again (for instance secret wars Cyclops for Jim Lee Cyclops).

I think my advice to anyone starting a collection is to only be completist about sub-sets of lines - for example, just collecting the X-men from Marvel Universe rather than every single figure. (My main aim with Marvel Universe is to get the main X-men from the 90's cartoon.) It's cheaper, it's more satisfying, and you don't find yourself in several years time with loads of stuff you don't really want.

[Primacron]

I realise I didn't actually answer the question about price.......

When I was collecting G1 I basically paid whatever the figure cost on ebay, though I was patient so never paid over the odds.

Nowadays I stick to regular releases so they're all about $15-$30. Because I'm only getting new toys and we generally know about them in advance I can anticipate the more expensive figures (such as MU Galactus).

[brianregan09]

I try to buy in bulk and complete waves mostly its a lot handier and keeps the shipping bills down because i live in Ireland and we don't get much MU stuff here but i do pick up the odd Star Wars figure here i'd limit to about 10-15 euro unless i saw a ciuple of figures i'd really want

[trebleshot]

I tend to stick within the $5-$20 range for modern toys. Certain toys/characters may have me go beyond that, but those are rare exceptions and are almost always TF-related.

As for vintage toys, I'm at the mercy of the secondary market. I try to get the best and most fair deals I can, but sometimes there's nothing I can do about it.

[Amalberga81]

for me, because im in asia, so US toys quite have high price in nowdays. for now i just collect MARVEL figures, 6inch, 3inch, some 12inch and past vintage toys. im not collect all marvel universe, but just concentrate for AVENGERS team and some cool figure and their villains. i already quit my JAPAN collection for this one, but seems not enough and fair if the price will boost every year

for me, its still fair for me if the cost maximum are USD 50 for toys collection. with that price i can have quite many collection, $50 for 1-2 months shopping are enough for me, since not many figures i looking for, just waiting for the new line from hasbro and thats it.

But honestly the fair price for me are around $10-$20 for the figure nowdays.

[firmpulse]

i'm in the 10 - 300 dollar range. and ONLY because i buy the occasional yamato 1/60 scale valk...and the occasional (although only once) pg gundam.

my rule is to never spend more than 300 bucks for a "toy" but the forthcoming yamato 1/60 vf-19 fire kai may force me to break it...but i sincerely hope not.

[behindthemask]

I've debated on saving up for a large Ashley wood Bertie bot, or Marvel Hot toys Iron Man figures, but trying not 2 buy every MU figure is hard, unfortunatley saw that Zellers has like 6-7 different comic 2packs in, roughly $20/each , hoping payday coming up I have enough to get them or most and that they're still there nothing worse then seeing toys you want but don't have the $$ then when you get back they're all gone

[Th0r4z1n3]

With my 3 3/4" figures I usually try to stay around retail but with stuff like transformers it depends on the figure. With current line figures I try to stick to retail or less for them, from vintage/import/rare figures I rarely go above 200 but try to stay around 100 bucks or so

[Optimus Scourge]

I used to pre order a lot from BBTS when I was more actively collecting, now, I'll wait for, say, Generations Blur until I see him at retail.

back in school and sold a lot of my stuff, but nothing super rare I couldn't deal with, and when I graduate, I'll be making more money driving a truck then I have in my life so I can rebuild, but this time, it won't be completest, that's one habit I am happy to kick, I'll stick to what I like

I will get MP Rodimus, but probably not right away, I've learned over 10 years how valuable a virtue patience is

Also pretty much kicked the GI Joe habit, have a few vintage, when I went to Joecon, I don't think I spent over $50 total in the dealers room, just like 3 vintage guys and couple 25th for my boys whom I got to bring.

[Da_Last_2_Walk]

The only new stuff I collect are 25th Joes & MOTU Classics.

I buy high-end, MISB, vintage toys. I mainly collect AFA Transformers, Joes & MOTU. I collect a few other lines like Clash Of The Titans, Visionaries and Wheeled Warriors.

I do not have any monetary constraints, and spend quite a lot on each figure.

[behindthemask]

Yeh, typically $10-30/figure is what I aim to spend, but if the items is retired/ older then I will pay what I figure is reasonable, ie ML hawkeye,vision, iron man series 1, captain america, etc which I don't have if the price is right I'd jump on it, but if its $100+ I can wait