Last week we talked about how important the condition of an item was to your collecting decisions. Let’s keep the ball rolling with this week’s topic…
Blank Slate. If you could go back in time and start over with a blank slate — empty shelves, and a full wallet — what would you choose to collect?
Add your comments below.
A little while back, I wrote about the five stages of collecting. It would be great if we could all skip ahead to stage 4, where you are an expert and very selective about the items you add to your collection, but collecting is a process — mistakes are made, and money is wasted.
If I could do it all again, I would focus solely on vintage super hero items form 1985 or earlier — basically what I am focused on today. I would not waste my money on new items on store shelves or items that don’t fit this focus — I have dozens of boxes of those sorts of items in my basement as we speak.
As I get older, I’m increasingly drawn to older things. I love old comic books and “Mantiques.” I could definitely see my focus shifting in those directions in the years ahead.
I’m in the same boat as you. If I could start again, I would focus only on vintage Star Wars. Right now I am trying to unload a good chunk of my collections so I have money (and space) to concentrate on my focus. I would’ve avoided the Image craze and gimmick covers of 90s comics. And along with that, sports cards of the 90s I would’ve also avoided. I’ve got tens of 1000s (literally) sitting in my garage with a thick (not fine) layer of dust, dirt and grime. I Just started donating them to Goodwill last week. Also would’ve avoided the Mcfarlane sports (in-)action figures. Don’t know if I could keep away from the Sideshow 1/6 scale figures. They are really nice. Thankfully I didn’t delve too much into statues and busts. I’ve got a Hulk statue and a couple of mini-statues and two busts.
Definitely would’ve avoided the new Power of the Force line. I’ve multiple copies of each figure sitting in my garage. Can’t even give them away.
Right now my focus is all pre-1986 Star Wars and very select comics. I’ve got about half of the figures. Out of those, about 30 are complete. Hardest part is trying to get the “Last 17”. Trying to get a complete run of Uncanny X-Men (I’m about 70% there) and then start a run of Amazing Spider-Man.
As I get older
On a side note…
If any fellow CnC readers would like to assist me in locating pieces for my collection, I’d appreciate it.
You can “give” me your new Power of the Force figures. I’ll happily take them. Lost mine in an unfortunate accident many years ago.
I would do it all the same. I started really collecting toys in early 1985 and since then I have collected basicly every toys line ever released in a America.Im not like people who started as an adult re buying lost childhood items, I really never lost them till later in life when I wanted a condition upgrade or just really no longer had an interest in a toy line.Sure I wish I had bought all those clearance 12 inch GI joe toys late 70’s and kept them sealed but really I have no regrets.
Yeah, I’m probably in the same boat. I don’t think I have regrets for what I did buy, but I would for sure have skipped out in modern versions of old toy lines. Skipping the 90s Star Wars, the 2007 relaunch of GI Joe, the Mike Young Masters of the Universe and the Transformers classics lines. Ended up donating or selling off most of that in the last five years and miss none of it. I had an urge years ago to just replace the stuff I had as a kid, and I should have listened to it. The older I get the more expensive that stuff gets and I wish I could go back 15 years when the prices were lower.
Don’t really look back. I enjoyed my toys as a child, and I enjoy many of them now as an adult. If there is a toy I really want these days, then I enjoy the thrill of the hunt. The beauty of it is though it may be costly at times, vintage toys from the 80’s are readily available from a number of sources.
I don’t think I would change much. The one line I wish I would have gotten into earlier is the LEGO Creator series buildings. I bought my first in 2012 as a stress reliever. The buildings previous to that are way too pricey but it would look cool.
Also wish I would have purchased all the vintage Star Wars. Not for the monetary value but the “art” of all the packaging. As much as I love Star Wars and collect today, as a kid, I stopped buying them just before Return of the Jedi. I remember being excited about ROTJ figures coming, but once they arrived, I was like “meh” – I have more important things to do as a Junior High kid.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
That’s pretty easy…, it would be Star Wars all over again no doubt for me. Also I’d be avoiding the Power of the Force Era selectively, there are some figures that still hold its place from that ‘dark ages’ till today. Also, I think I will probably restrain myself from starting any one sixth collection this time around! They’re a killer to your wallet….
If I could go back in time, I would only concentrate on vintage Spider-Man from the 60’s, 70’s & 80’s and would have skipped the modern stuff unless it was really cool and I had to have it. I have picked up Batman, Star Wars, Back To The Future, Kiss and other items that I’m really not collecting at the moment and are just boxed away. I haven’t really picked up anything but Spider-Man and that is going to be my focal point going forward.
Same thing with my sports collecting. I would just concentrate on the Yankees and nothing else. I have picked up items for my other favorite sports teams, but the Yankees are THE favorite and is all I really collect now.
So, if I could go back in time, it would be vintage Spidey and the Yankees for me.
Great question and one that has crossed my mind once or twice in the past.
If I could go back before I was a “collector”, say 15 years ago as a late teen, I wouldn’t collect. At that point I had so much from when I was a child still that it alone would be enough. Sure I would round out a few things that were missing or broken but if I could have the willpower to just stop there I would.
Hi Brian, where are you. Long time no posting.
Just taking a break. Kind of ran out of things to say.