What do you do when you hit a Brick Wall?

lejackal said:

Wreck-It Ralph said:

Michael Sith said:

Only if you want it to, does your steak dinner taste better because you paid a lot. Of money for it? Or does it make you feel better because you paid a lot of money for it?

As said previously, you can research coo and variants and decide if you want to collect, for example Lili Ledi or PBP etc utilise the reference that is out there for those that want to utilise it
E.g. http://www.imperialgunneryforum.com/Vintage-Star-Wars-COO-Guide-h14.htm

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So would a white hair Ben have a different COO to a grey hair or a hollow cheeks sandperson have a different COO to a solid checks one?

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Have you even spent five minutes reading any of the dozens of guides available?

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You are right I should read the guides, I guess I am just lazy sometimes.

Palitoyman said:

It's what Palitoy collectors have to deal with unfortunately, certainly the guys like yourself that are looking for near impossible MOC figures, if you are wanting 30 back upgrades to what you already have you must be prepared to be patient and wait, it may take years, as I certainly know, and so do many others collecting Palitoy MOC's.

An indication is the last 30 back Boba Fett that was auctioned at Vectis a few years ago, I was informed that the previous one came up in the late nineties, so over 15 years between the two, you just need to be patient and wait, from what I've been told there isn't much at all at the forthcoming Vectis auction but this hobby always throws up a few surprises.

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I really hope I don't have to wait 15 years for a 30 Back Fett, If I have to wait that long I will probably move to France and cut off my left ear in frustration!

Snaketibe said:

I think the two most basic questions you have to ask yourself are 'Why am I collecting?' and 'Am I actually enjoying it?'. Collecting for its own sake is completely pointless. Collecting beyond the point at which it is still enjoyable is simply obsession without purpose, which is madness. You won't be alone in feeling that some of the thrill has gone out of things for you, but you stand out more than most because you apparently are in the very fortunate position to be able to buy a lot of extremely expensive and much sort-after items in a very short time span. You have a collection most others will never have or be able to afford, and those that can or do are unlikely to acquire it as rapidly as you have.

Rightly or wrongly, you come across as sounding like an addict desperate for his next fix. Are you addicted to collecting Star Wars figures? Or are you addicted to spending big, or perhaps simply to acquisition? You certainly don't appear to have much patience, judging by your comments, and with all due respect, neither do you seem to be all that knowledgeable about this subject, despite your high-profile acquisitions. That last comment is not meant to be as harsh as it probably sounds, as we all have to start somewhere, and ignorance is cured by acquiring knowledge, which is easily done by reading up on the subject, if you're willing to.

So why are you collecting? And are you actually enjoying it? If your answers are healthy for you personally, then all is well. But if you're doing it for its own sake, or for the wrong reasons, and especially if you're not really enjoying it, then I recommend selling up and staying well away from it for your own well-being.

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thats a great comment

Wreck-It Ralph said:

Palitoyman said:

It's what Palitoy collectors have to deal with unfortunately, certainly the guys like yourself that are looking for near impossible MOC figures, if you are wanting 30 back upgrades to what you already have you must be prepared to be patient and wait, it may take years, as I certainly know, and so do many others collecting Palitoy MOC's.

An indication is the last 30 back Boba Fett that was auctioned at Vectis a few years ago, I was informed that the previous one came up in the late nineties, so over 15 years between the two, you just need to be patient and wait, from what I've been told there isn't much at all at the forthcoming Vectis auction but this hobby always throws up a few surprises.

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I really hope I don't have to wait 15 years for a 30 Back Fett, If I have to wait that long I will probably move to France and cut off my left ear in frustration!

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That's a crazy comment - 15 years is no time at all for something that rare. It took me 10 years to complete a run of Kenner Han Hoths and they are 10 a penny in comparison

It's inevitable that you will hit walls if you need everything now

It is interesting though, as most men buy a Ferrari and have an affair.

I guess this is less damaging, and you are probably picking these pieces up at a time when if you do sell up in six months you will make a stack of cash.

Mr-shifter said:

My question for you is, are you enjoying the journey, as you seem desperate to reach the destination.

For a lot of collectors, myself included, this is not about the end. Think of it not as a collection that needs completing but a way of life. Something you enjoy doing and want to continue with.

If you just want to get to the end and stop, then I'm not certain you ever will.

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The last few months have been difficult from an emotional perspective so at the moment I am just looking for a temporary distraction which I know is not a good reason to buy something. I seem to enjoy the ownership more than the looking for it but obviously one cannot exist without the other. I collect because I enjoy owning the pieces, I owned them once, sold them, regretted it and now I am back to do it a second time. I am in a rush because I want to get back what I sold as quickly as possible. I don't know if my collecting style is right or wrong it's just way I do it.

SublevelStudios said:

Hitting 'brick walls' or burning out, happens more often than not to collectors who go in all guns blazing, hoovering stuff up like there is no tomorrow. It's not the rule but I've lost count of collectors who post here or on FB going on buying sprees.

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So anything over 3 then?

I can't say I enjoy collecting mainly because of the price of everything. I enjoy owning the pieces but do not enjoy the buying off them, for me it is a bitter/sweet experience. I often worry and feel nauseous after buying things the bigger the purchase the worse I feel but after time it passes and then I get the satisfaction of ownership.

I am looking for stuff now but just over a month ago I felt sick after being offered the first 12 figures on 45A and being told of the Palitoy VCJ at Vectis as I knew how much money would be needed to purchase them.

Everyone is correct my Knowledge and Appreciation is very poor something I will have to work on!

Wreck-It Ralph said:

I can't say I enjoy collecting mainly because of the price of everything. I enjoy owning the pieces but do not enjoy the buying off them, for me it is a bitter/sweet experience. I often worry and feel nauseous after buying things the bigger the purchase the worse I feel but after time it passes and then I get the satisfaction of ownership.

I am looking for stuff now but just over a month ago I felt sick after being offered the first 12 figures on 45A and being told of the Palitoy VCJ at Vectis as I knew how much money would be needed to purchase them.

Everyone is correct my Knowledge and Appreciation is very poor something I will have to work on!

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I know this has gone slightly off topic from your original post, and It's not my place to say but if it makes you feel so bad spending money like that then maybe it would be best to have a good break?.. maybe even stop browsing at Star Wars items altogether to stop the temptation?, it can't be healthy and will only cause more emotional distress if you're already that way inclined.

I can relate to you buying these to make yourself feel better, as iv'e actually done it myself in the past through mental illness to make me focus more on things from my childhood that made me happiest in life, it's like therapy, but buying yourself things is only a short lived high and then you quickly feel crap again.

Just my thoughts, buy you're obviously free to buy & collect how you choose if you feel it's right for you.

Wreck-It Ralph said:

I can't say I enjoy collecting mainly because of the price of everything. I enjoy owning the pieces but do not enjoy the buying off them, for me it is a bitter/sweet experience. I often worry and feel nauseous after buying things the bigger the purchase the worse I feel but after time it passes and then I get the satisfaction of ownership.

I am looking for stuff now but just over a month ago I felt sick after being offered the first 12 figures on 45A and being told of the Palitoy VCJ at Vectis as I knew how much money would be needed to purchase them.

Everyone is correct my Knowledge and Appreciation is very poor something I will have to work on!

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Knowledge is the key....as this fuels appreciation, and also gives you the ability to make more informed decisions, instead of hype or flock following. This research and gaining of knowledge can be done on here, at meet ups like FF, and on numerous websites. BUT, you need to have the interest to start with.
You will find a great many members on here happy to answer questions, and to advise.
I would say if spending makes you feel nauseous, then take a break for sure, the last thing anyone wants to see is someone going great guns and getting into issues with finances, this hobby can be enormously expensive, and never ending.
If you have hit a brick wall, then how do you cope with that in other areas of your life, how do you deal with that.
Take a step back, look at what you have, decide if you would rather streamline what you have and focus on a part of your collection, if your a completist, forget completing a collection of Vintage Star Wars, as that would be impossible. Always take a breath, listen to the advice given on here, because believe me, there is more good advice here that will help you, and always remember these are toys! Make sure you have perspective and balance in what you do.
Good luck :wink:

I feel like crap when I buy them because they are so expensive and the capital outlaw is so high but then I feel good owning them. The experience will never be all good for me especially since the price of these things seems to be going up. If I want to collect what I collect then I have to accept the experience for me will always be bitter sweet!

Michael Sith said:

Wreck-It Ralph said:

I can't say I enjoy collecting mainly because of the price of everything. I enjoy owning the pieces but do not enjoy the buying off them, for me it is a bitter/sweet experience. I often worry and feel nauseous after buying things the bigger the purchase the worse I feel but after time it passes and then I get the satisfaction of ownership.

I am looking for stuff now but just over a month ago I felt sick after being offered the first 12 figures on 45A and being told of the Palitoy VCJ at Vectis as I knew how much money would be needed to purchase them.

Everyone is correct my Knowledge and Appreciation is very poor something I will have to work on!

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Knowledge is the key....as this fuels appreciation, and also gives you the ability to make more informed decisions, instead of hype or flock following. This research and gaining of knowledge can be done on here, at meet ups like FF, and on numerous websites. BUT, you need to have the interest to start with.
You will find a great many members on here happy to answer questions, and to advise.
I would say if spending makes you feel nauseous, then take a break for sure, the last thing anyone wants to see is someone going great guns and getting into issues with finances, this hobby can be enormously expensive, and never ending.
If you have hit a brick wall, then how do you cope with that in other areas of your life, how do you deal with that.
Take a step back, look at what you have, decide if you would rather streamline what you have and focus on a part of your collection, if your a completist, forget completing a collection of Vintage Star Wars, as that would be impossible. Always take a breath, listen to the advice given on here, because believe me, there is more good advice here that will help you, and always remember these are toys! Make sure you have perspective and balance in what you do.
Good luck :wink:

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Thanks for all the advice, maybe I should take my foot off the gas for a while.

Wreck-It Ralph said:

Thanks for all the advice, maybe I should take my foot off the gas for a while.

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Just from reading your earlier posts that might be a good idea for you. We probably have all bought items and later questioned if we paid to much. Just be careful and listen to all the advice the guys are giving you. It can very easily run into an unhealthy obsession wanting to finish something so bad it affects other things in your life. Their are a lot of very experienced collectors on this forum and by reading what they know it sounds like to complete your run will take a lot of time and money. Just be sure you really have an interest in it to finish the run and be prepared to give it time or its gonna make the experience not that enjoyable.
I agree what they are all saying you should really enjoy your collecting I know I do. I don't really have any goals in it. I used to believe it would be possible for me to own every figure carded. Now I have accepted it will cost more than I can afford. I still buy the odd moc and it gives me a buzz but nothing that's crazy money. I just find it really enjoyable owning what I have.
Hopefully it all works out for you but take onboard the advice the guys gave you.

I only told part of the story earlier and thinking about it during the night I think what happened on rebelscum a couple of months ago is what sent me spiralling downwards. I had a post on rebelscum for a lot of Rare items not really expecting anyone to respond. A couple of weeks later I get a PM from a guy called Jim claiming to have for sale the first 12 figures on 30 Back, the first 12 figures on 45A, a Palitoy VCJ and a 30 Back Fett for sale. Although excited at the prospect of buying these figures as some of them are not meant to exist I also felt sick as I realised to buy them would mean spending in excess of a six figure sum. He later told me that he had decided to keep the first 12 30 backs and the 30 Back Fett and he was going to sell them to his friend. He said the first 12 45A's were still available and the Palitoy VCJ which I never received any pictures of. I am not sure what this individuals motives were but his actions certainly had a negative effect on my collecting Journey.

Moving forward I am still going to collect what I have been collecting even though the cost of it does take some of the enjoyment out of it for me. I am also going to improve my knowledge and try and be more involved in the community which hopefully will make the collecting Journey more enjoyable for me.

Someone was having you on saying they had all those available for sale. Absolutely anyone could message you that, most likely trying to scam you..... Or more likely, just trying to wind you up a bit

Now it sounds like you are being a lot more honest about what is going on.

Firstly you are very naive and a little uneducated. These will come in time. Everyone starts somewhere.

It sounds like this rebel scum post was someone winding you up. The internet is full of people like this and it is a real cuntish thing to do. Why they would try and pick on someone like yourself I don't know. Jealousy maybe? Scam possibly? Either way it's not very nice.

Most of what you are after exists. Just in very small quantities. Some only known as one example. Some no examples but there is no reason that there shouldn't be one somewhere.

The money is mind blowing, but £1000 means different things to different people. It sounds like you are uncomfortable with some of your spends. This is where perhaps your internal alarm is telling you to be careful.

Pardon my bluntness but you obviously have a few bob, and to have been successful you must be very good at whatever you do so I very much doubt you are not a switched on person.

I just think you probably need to slow down and focus on where you want to go. Get ready for a lean spell as there is going to be times when nothing comes up for an age, but it will. Stuff always does. And when it does you will have your ducks in a row so you will not have the guilt with the spending and it will make the acquisition that much sweeter.

There is a lot to be said about networking as well. Go meet some other collectors. You will make friends and these guys are the connections you may need to unlock one or two key pieces.

It's all been said already but I would like to emphasise that 1) it's not a race, and 2) you WILL crash and burn if you spend above your means. You won't get any enjoyment from a collection you bought by maxing out credit cards.

Stand back, take a breath think things through,
Make considered decisions in all that you do,
There is no race to be first past the post,
That ends in tears for those that do in the most,
Enjoy the hobby, never lose sight,
Of the fun and pleasure, not stress and plight,
As you look upon your collection it should bring a smile,
Always a good thing once in a while,
To have perspective, sit back and take stock,
Don't be pressured or swayed by following a flock,
Then enjoy, just do your own thing,
That's when good things the hobby will bring

:wink:

Wreck-It Ralph said:

I only told part of the story earlier and thinking about it during the night I think what happened on rebelscum a couple of months ago is what sent me spiralling downwards. I had a post on rebelscum for a lot of Rare items not really expecting anyone to respond. A couple of weeks later I get a PM from a guy called Jim claiming to have for sale the first 12 figures on 30 Back, the first 12 figures on 45A, a Palitoy VCJ and a 30 Back Fett for sale. Although excited at the prospect of buying these figures as some of them are not meant to exist I also felt sick as I realised to buy them would mean spending in excess of a six figure sum. He later told me that he had decided to keep the first 12 30 backs and the 30 Back Fett and he was going to sell them to his friend. He said the first 12 45A's were still available and the Palitoy VCJ which I never received any pictures of. I am not sure what this individuals motives were but his actions certainly had a negative effect on my collecting Journey.

Moving forward I am still going to collect what I have been collecting even though the cost of it does take some of the enjoyment out of it for me. I am also going to improve my knowledge and try and be more involved in the community which hopefully will make the collecting Journey more enjoyable for me.

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Kudos to you for your honesty. I really hope you manage to find a level of collecting that you are comfortable and happy with, and which you can afford. I have no idea whether you are in debt because of your purchases, but if you are, please listen to sense and stop. Debt can easily ruin a person's life, and no collection is worth that.

Regarding your Rebelscum experience, yes it certainly sounds like the person that sent you the PM was at best winding you up, and at worst trying to scam you. I suppose it's technically possible that he had all of those things he offered you, but it does seem incredibly unlikely. Considering how much most of those would fetch at auction, where all the rich collectors in the world are free to have a go at buying them, why would he offer them to just a single buyer (unless of course he also massively took the piss with his proposed prices)? If it seems too good to be true, it usually is, and sadly I think his offer reeks of bullshit. That being the case, perhaps you should look upon the experience as both a warning and a lucky escape? After all, by the sounds of it, he didn't manage to get any of your money (I certainly hope!), so in that sense you beat him.

I would also gently suggest that you should not allow one bitter experience to colour your overall enjoyment of this hobby. Yes, you should definitely spend within your means, and only on things that you genuinely want, and only if you are not compromising your mental health and general well-being. If your collecting is in control of you, then stop. However, providing you are firmly in control of it, not the other way round, there's no reason why you cannot continue to enjoy collecting. I do suggest that you follow the good advice given in this thread and learn your subject and don't rush or panic-buy your way forward, and you should have many years of enjoyment ahead of you.

Lightening the subject somewhat, one thing in your post above caught my eye. Whilst I don't doubt the person that PM'd you on RS what trying to scam you, you do say that for the first 12 on 45A's and the Palitoy VCJ you 'never received any pictures'. That kind of implies that he might just possibly have sent you pictures of the other items he claimed to have for sale. My guess is that he never sent you any pictures at all of course, as I doubt he had any of the things he claimed, but if there's even a small chance that he did send photos of the first 12 figures on 30 Back cards, then please share them! They are incredibly rare and it would be great to see them

No unfortunately I never received any pictures or prices which is why I don't think it was a Scam. What his motivation was I am unsure, it happened before the last Vectis Auction so maybe he thought if I thought I had a deal with him I would not bid in the Auction but that is nothing more than a hypothesis!