Today, the Cool & Collected information gathering mission continues. Welcome to the focus group — you will be asked several questions, and refreshments will be served. Collect your money on the way out.
I’m convinced that only nine people visit my site, due to the consistent commenting by those same few individuals (you guys are awesome!), but the stats prove otherwise. So, I’d like both the site regulars (Norm!) and hopefully, some others who might be lurking in the shadows, to tell me what you like most about Cool & Collected, so that I can fine tune this smoking contraption.
You can comment anonymously, so there will be no public record of your opinion.
What made you come to Cool & Collected today?
Assuming this isn’t your first visit, what makes you come back? What kinds of articles do you like the most?
Here are some ideas:
- New and upcoming toys and collectibles
- Vintage and/or rare items
- Collector profiles
- Detailed photos and info on individual collectibles
- Deep thoughts on collecting pop culture
- TV show recaps
- Cool stuff that is up for bid at auction sites like Hakes, Heritage, eMoviePoster, etc.
- Post-auction sales results
- Comic/toy show and event recaps
- Profiles of museums, comic shops, toy stores, etc.
- DIY articles relating to collectibles or diorama building
- Action figure photography
- Garage sale finds
- Creative projects from creative people (posters, comics, custom toys, etc.)
- Specific topics: comic books, toys, posters, advertising, specific properties, etc.
- Personal stories about collecting (“Why I collect…”)
- Guest articles
- All of the above???
When I write articles for the site, much of the work is done in a vacuum, and it can be hard to tell if the world thinks I am as awesome as I think I am. It would help me a great deal if you could add a comment below, or drop me an email letting me know what you like and don’t like about Cool & Collected, so I can get a better idea of where I should be focusing my efforts. Thanks!
As much as I love to look at collection photos,what I really enjoy are detailed nostalgic childhood stories. Especially when I can relate to them .And If for some reason I don’t relate to a particular story ,It’s nice to compare the differences.
Thanks Tony!
Kinda all of the above. But collectibles of any type. And yeah anything newsworthy/for sale– basically anything weird/unusual/unique. Toys! And yep nostalgia for days.
Weird Nostalgia is my favorite kind! 😉
I’d like four fried chickens….and a Coke.
No really, love the garage sale and toy show finds and the photography of cool toy dioramas.
I got the best damned chicken in the state.
I’ve actually been on the fence with the “haul” posts lately. It seems like FB groups are filled with people showing off what they just bought, and it started to feel overdone to me, so I’ve been limiting my posts to vintage toy show finds and not the yard sale and toy store items.
It really comes down to time. I only skim everyone’s blogs about once a week (if even). At that point I catch up on everything. I think you’ll find most people just have an issue with life getting in the way. It’s not that we don’t want to visit the various blogger’s sites frequently. It’s that we just don’t have enough free time to do so.
Case in point – I haven’t even looked at my own blog in about three weeks. I just have no time.
Keep up the great work, Brian. Personally I enjoy the nostalgia pieces, the collections, viewpoints on current reboots etc, book reviews, retro news, deep thoughts, personal stories, garage sale finds. Pretty much all of the above! Michael
Thanks Michael! Your site is such an inspiration, that I might just do what you do! 😉
I actually am a huge fan of your blog and have been reading it for over a year. I use feedly which is why I never have commented but I will make it a point to do so from now on. First and foremost, I would like to say I am a female that loves toys and collecting all sorts of memorabilia from my childhood. As for what I would love to see or know – I would love to know more about where you shop to find your treasures. You post after the fact about going to toy shows but surely you don’t find them all there. Where are you weekly favorite spots specifically? How do you find new places to shop? I also love all the pictures of your buys and would love to see more of those and your entire collection and how you store them. Don’t worry! People read and love your blog! Never stop.
Thanks so much for commenting — it’s great hearing from someone new, and knowing that I now have ten people who have visited the site! 🙂
I love to write about toy and antique shows, but they are somewhat of a rarity around here. I’ve been thinking about taking some road trips this year and hitting up some of the bigger shows, but those logistics are still a moving target.
Most of my shopping is done on eBay. I’ve learned that in order to find the good stuff, you need to be 1. lucky, 2. quick, 3. willing to dive deep into the weeds to find that undiscovered gem. .
I agree with what you are saying and I shop a lot on Ebay but I hate that most times I am paying more for shipping than the product. I also sometimes find that when I shop thrift stores and find things I didn’t even know that I wanted. I actually read blogs and look at sites like Pinterest because they are visuals to kick start my memory which fails me a lot when it comes to what I remember playing with and wanting as a child so thank you because I appreciate your effort and even if it is only a handful of us, it is a very appreciative handful.
Ummmm… so before we start, exactly how much are we getting paid????
I came across your site when I Googled “toy photography.” I enjoyed the article so much that I started snooping around. What makes me come back is that, sometimes, I want to be like you when I grow up (nevermind that I am well into my 40s). I love the variety of the articles. It seems we like many of the same things which allows me to see things through your eyes that I would never get to see in my neck of the woods. Actually, neck of the desert would be more appropriate. The flea market and toy show finds are really cool.
My favorite articles would be the ones where you find stuff at shows, showcasing different vintage toys and Pop Culture League (formerly known as LoEB). But I do read every article.
Thanks for all you do.
Thanks Jathniel! Glad to see you have reopened for business out there in the desert — looking forward to hearing what you have to say!
Of course first and foremost I love all of the vintage the stuff you collect Brian. But above it all I kept visiting back your page for your unique commentaries and insights on things. Your quick tips on toy photography and your DIY diorama work were also useful for me many a times.
Not to mention how excited I was everytime I read on the stuff you’ve gathered from the garage sale etc. I kinda wish I had the same cool stuff over here in Malaysia.
I love the Collector Profile segment too. I wish for more on that soon on your site!
Oh yea….and who doesn’t miss The League?!
Everyone misses the League, but where you guys for its brief resurrection?! 😉 LOL
Thanks for the input. I’ve been trying to figure out where to focus my efforts and these comments have really helped. I’m really going to try and post more collector profiles soon, so stay tuned!