Post by The Last Martyr on Oct 21, 2008 13:18:56 GMT 7
Hi guys -
Thought of coming up with this thread to assist current, new and aspiring collectors deal with the practical issues of toy collecting, namely space constraints and budgetary considerations.
Feel free to jump in at any point.
____________________________________________________
To start off, BEFORE embarking on any voyage into the vast universe of collecting...
I. PLAN YOUR EXIT STRATEGY.
More often than not, collectors are captivated by the allure of new [literally (i.e. upcoming releases) and figuratively (newly discovered old/existing)] toy lines and impulsively jump into the bandwagon of collecting such series.
The trouble begins when that collector realizes that he bit off more than he can chew due to: i. the size of the entire line, ii. the availability of the rest of the items included in the series, and iii. the personal attraction of the other items belonging to the said line, among others.
In the end, the impulsive collector ends up with either: i. an empty bank account (or worse), ii. a general dissatisfaction with the other items included within the series and/or iii. a disorganized sampling of collectibles that will ultimately be sold at less than their acquisition cost.
To forestall, if not eliminate this aforementioned issue...
Plan your exit strategy!
So you've found an item that catches your fancy, now what? Before checking out the contents of your wallet, ask yourself the following questions:
i. Will I be happy having this item by itself?
ii. a. alternatively, will this item compliment those I have at home?
ii. b. what other items will I be needing to complete what I perceive to be the perfect combination/collection/subcollection?
iii. Do I honestly believe that I will still be happy with this item after x years (with due consideration to advancements in technology)?
... and consider the
consider the following factors:
i. space (with due regard to how you plan to display/store your newfound item);
- just like any fixture in your home, any collectible may be considered as a physical/tangible manifestion of your personality and may or may not enhance the beauty of your surroundings. As such, try to map out/survey your room/home in your minds eye and picture where you plan to store/display your planned collectibles. Otherwise, you will end up having to either dispose of your planned purchase or keep it/them in a place where neither you nor the sun can appreciate their beauty.
ii. price (with due regard to the items you MAY ultimately be getting as a result of starting with this item);
- bear in mind that while the item you are contemplating on buying may seem affordable at the moment, the individual or collective price/s of other allied items you may want or feel compelled to get in order to compliment it may be such that your current purchase would inextricably lead you to spend more than what you bargained for.
iii. availability (with due regard to the other allied items).
- while the item may be readily available to you at present, such availability does not guarantee that those allied to it will likewise be generally available (the hidden strength of scalpers, hoard just one item in the series and completists will be begging for the same at almost any price).
Planning your Exit Strategy
To start off your collection, you may want to limit (thus, plan your exit strategy) your series horizon to groups/subgroups (as opposed to the entire line or series of lines) that may be limited by/organized into: i. main characters, sublines, color, size, fan recognized or personalized concepts according to the amount/space you are willing to allot to your planned collection.
(To be continued)
Thought of coming up with this thread to assist current, new and aspiring collectors deal with the practical issues of toy collecting, namely space constraints and budgetary considerations.
Feel free to jump in at any point.
____________________________________________________
To start off, BEFORE embarking on any voyage into the vast universe of collecting...
I. PLAN YOUR EXIT STRATEGY.
More often than not, collectors are captivated by the allure of new [literally (i.e. upcoming releases) and figuratively (newly discovered old/existing)] toy lines and impulsively jump into the bandwagon of collecting such series.
The trouble begins when that collector realizes that he bit off more than he can chew due to: i. the size of the entire line, ii. the availability of the rest of the items included in the series, and iii. the personal attraction of the other items belonging to the said line, among others.
In the end, the impulsive collector ends up with either: i. an empty bank account (or worse), ii. a general dissatisfaction with the other items included within the series and/or iii. a disorganized sampling of collectibles that will ultimately be sold at less than their acquisition cost.
To forestall, if not eliminate this aforementioned issue...
Plan your exit strategy!
So you've found an item that catches your fancy, now what? Before checking out the contents of your wallet, ask yourself the following questions:
i. Will I be happy having this item by itself?
ii. a. alternatively, will this item compliment those I have at home?
ii. b. what other items will I be needing to complete what I perceive to be the perfect combination/collection/subcollection?
iii. Do I honestly believe that I will still be happy with this item after x years (with due consideration to advancements in technology)?
... and consider the
consider the following factors:
i. space (with due regard to how you plan to display/store your newfound item);
- just like any fixture in your home, any collectible may be considered as a physical/tangible manifestion of your personality and may or may not enhance the beauty of your surroundings. As such, try to map out/survey your room/home in your minds eye and picture where you plan to store/display your planned collectibles. Otherwise, you will end up having to either dispose of your planned purchase or keep it/them in a place where neither you nor the sun can appreciate their beauty.
ii. price (with due regard to the items you MAY ultimately be getting as a result of starting with this item);
- bear in mind that while the item you are contemplating on buying may seem affordable at the moment, the individual or collective price/s of other allied items you may want or feel compelled to get in order to compliment it may be such that your current purchase would inextricably lead you to spend more than what you bargained for.
iii. availability (with due regard to the other allied items).
- while the item may be readily available to you at present, such availability does not guarantee that those allied to it will likewise be generally available (the hidden strength of scalpers, hoard just one item in the series and completists will be begging for the same at almost any price).
Planning your Exit Strategy
To start off your collection, you may want to limit (thus, plan your exit strategy) your series horizon to groups/subgroups (as opposed to the entire line or series of lines) that may be limited by/organized into: i. main characters, sublines, color, size, fan recognized or personalized concepts according to the amount/space you are willing to allot to your planned collection.
(To be continued)