Focus Collecting

[naughtyjedi]

having many small focuses it helps me ...... focus. otherwise i'll end up buying stuff i like and have a clusterfuck collection.

my focuses:-
vintage cardbacks loose - reasonably cheap
marvel uk comics - cheap and fun (allows me to look through comic stalls)
Rey items - keeps me in the modern loop
Slave leia items (pool decreasing... prices have become silly, check the prices on the POTF2 figs - recently acquired my hard to find starburst card)
ESB oddball (used loose items where possible, cheap and cheerful)
loose vintage (99.9% done - missing assholewing pilot gun)
Amidala 3.75 (completed)
Vintage MOCs (will likely never complete, but at the moment enjoying and displaying)

 

[lejackal]

I tried it briefly with Kenobi but after about 2 months found it frustrating rather than fascinating, maybe a lack of patience or maybe just too new to the hobby to settle on a character focus as there's so much other stuff to experience.

 

[Stuart Skinner]

having many small focuses it helps me ...... focus. otherwise i'll end up buying stuff i like and have a clusterfuck collection.

my focuses:-
vintage cardbacks loose - reasonably cheap
marvel uk comics - cheap and fun (allows me to look through comic stalls)
Rey items - keeps me in the modern loop
Slave leia items (pool decreasing... prices have become silly, check the prices on the POTF2 figs - recently acquired my hard to find starburst card)
ESB oddball (used loose items where possible, cheap and cheerful)
loose vintage (99.9% done - missing assholewing pilot gun)
Amidala 3.75 (completed)
Vintage MOCs (will likely never complete, but at the moment enjoying and displaying)

So diverse lol that's why I love you so much

 

[Stuart Skinner]

I tried it briefly with Kenobi but after about 2 months found it frustrating rather than fascinating, maybe a lack of patience or maybe just too new to the hobby to settle on a character focus as there's so much other stuff to experience.

I get that, my Greedo focus is very new (about 15 months), but am also trying to collect every figure on a card and do have an advanced idea regarding this to collect, but I do like the focus alongside my everyday collecting. It's slow but a constant, as often quoted it's a marathon not a sprint and i'll be in for a long time.

 

[bobbybobs]

Great question mate. I collect Lukes (all outfits). I started this focus pretty much about two months into my collecting. I can't remember the exact reasons why but unconsciously it must stem from Luke being my favourite character in the movies.

I had a Hoth focus that only lasted a few months. The Hoth battle was my favourite scene as a kid.

 

[plantman]

ive written this a few times but i focus on klaatu because he was my most vivid memory as a child, my mother offered me a star wars figure for 1 weeks good behavior, on the last day after school i was so excited i ran out to her and she handed me klaatu skiff...i cried...of all the figures to pick she picked him LOL

so hnce the focus

 

[Dr_Ball_MD]

I too finished my loose collection and had to keep collecting something.

I started a Zuckuss focus as he was the first figure I owned as a kid, just wish I still had him to add to the fockuss.

I've started on ships and creatures now and adding more Zucki in between

 

[steve obi wan]

It's like a drug ! :shock:

 

[DarthStanley]

I started a Lobot focus when my Canadian MIB vehicles/play sets focus dried up,I chose Lobot as I thought there wouldn't be much competition (I was wrong,there's a few! :lol & he wouldn't be too expensive apart from Palitoy logo ones!

Turns out I was wrong as there are Toltoys,Poch/PBP & Meccano MOC's that cost a small fortune! :lol:

 

[olisuds]

I've heard a few people criticise focus collecting as a bit obsessive but lets face it, collecting anything (particularly toys) is a bit OCD and having a focus is a method to the madness. Unless you have unlimited money, space, time i think it's good to set some collecting constraints. A focus, particularly a character focus does just that. In addition to this it's fun, it can be a helpful way to avoid competition with other collectors and it's probably helpful to develop a name for yourself associated with a particular character so when interesting things come up for sale other collectors bring them to your attention.

Despite my interest in R5-D4 I've never really considered my self as having an R5-D4 character focus. I admit it would be a lot of fun. But my real interest lies with pre production and despite the urge to spread my collecting interests i don't really have the space or money to do so. Everytime I expanded my focus I ended up selling the extra bits off as soon as an expensive pre production item came up.

 

[ScruffyLookingNH]

I know ScruffyLookingNH (Simon) was telling me at the last Farthest From that he is considering doing a Teebo focus as his colourings remind him of his butchers apron, so it kinds of intertwines with his life. Are all focuses formed on such basic ideas?

I ****ing give up :lol:

 

[Woolyniner]

I discovered vintage star wars collecting only last August. After seeing everyone's cool lymelight displays I decided I should start a character focus too. However, I made the mistake of trying to choose one which was affordable. I went through a period of ewoks, then mini rigs, then Klaatu, never really getting going apart from a single moc or box. I just did not feel the love.

So I stopped, took a step back and looked at my collection. What did I have fond memories of playing with as a child? I was initially scared off by cost, but as someone said above you don't need to have everything to have a focus. So I learned to have a focus but within budget constraints.

So I started my die cast focus which I'm really enjoying. I refuse to pay more than £100 per item, and I'm in no rush to collect it all. I had 3 die-casts as a child and they sit proudly on display with some moc's picked up from Swfuk members, and it feels right. I also only buy moc's of die cast I did not have as a child. This way I feel I'm continuing the buying journey I started as a child, only not ripping them out of the packaging.

I also noticed I've accidentally started a snowtrooper focus. I unearthed my old imperial attack base, but pieces were missing. I've now sourced these and filled it with snowtroopers! I must take a photo of it one day, I rather like it as I dreamed as a kid filling it with snowtroopers. I also find that they are easy to get loose (no cloaks) at toy fairs, so they are something nice to pick up on days out. Moc's are quite pricey, so I just collect loose battered snowies and give them home made cloaks (don't worry they are truly home made and look pretty naff). Guess I'm slowly army building within a crowded attack base! So its a loose character focus within a theme.

 

[Nick_IoW]

Focus collecting is a funny thing.

I picked one up as soon as I started collecting and my advice to others would definitely be to: wait > learn stuff > have a few in mind > learn more about those few > then pick one > branch out in the future to keep things fresh.

The main reason I'd say wait is so you can figure which are the more popular and sought after figures and what variety that figure has. I chose Jawas as they were one of the ones I liked more as a child, are available on more cards than almost any other character (maybe the most?) - and also because I thought nobody else would have much interest in them. Oh boy was I wrong on that! Far too popular for my liking and my wallet!

Now as things have slowed up with Jawas, and also being a bit disillusioned with Jawa collecting I've started to branch out a little more to other figures. I now have 4 I'm actively pursuing - and another 2 in the pipeline. Which I'm enjoying and I've tried to keep them in an area where I can link things for possible future expansion. This should keep me collecting until I drop

Also doesn't have to be a figure. It could be ships. It could be a 'theme' like collecting Hoth or Bespin items. Oddball stuff if you are more... odd

Just collect what you get enjoyment from pursuing no matter how crazy it is.

And never ever collect for anyone but yourself.

 

[robpmarsh]

I have a weakness for the bounty hunters....ive just finished my run of Jedi MOCs so currently thinking about my next focus. Also collect the Hammerhead 'eyes' variations (still looking for a 'zombie' one if anyone has one....the bright colour one). In the past ive focused on mini rigs and cardbacks but you sometimes reach a time when the remaining ones are just out of your feasible price range. I did collect oddball stuff but thats a slippery slope unless you have a lot of space for storage/display

 

[Ross_Barr]

As some others hinted it, focus collecting is whatever you make of it. You can go deep and wide like some of the big focus collectors in Bill McBride in Vader or Bill Cable with C-3PO and get everything action figure, prop, and otherwise related to that figure. Or you could do a MOC run or a loose variant run or a proof run or all of the above for that figure.

Me personally, I always loved Han Solo, although never had original Han figure as a kid. So after I noticed I had a few key Han pieces, I just kept going. Once I finished my full 79 MOC run (no POTF for me), having a Han focus collection keeps me from buying other random stuff that comes up which might otherwise interest me. But I also don't feel I need to buy anything ever made on earth that features Han Solo. I have several MOCs, some preproduction items, some loose variants, some baggies, and a few other things, but don't think I get too carried away about it. But that's how I like to collect. It's all a matter of personal taste.