Has the pandemic changed your attitude to your collecting?

poncho

Grand Master
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Sep 23, 2009
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North Wales
I've realised I need to downsize

I really should display stuff what's the point in collecting if I cant show it.

Maybe I should get rid of my high end stuff. now vintage starwars is more popular (lockdown purchasing and the influx of the mandalorian) and people are paying more for stuff that isn't worth more in the first place lol.

I saw a complete loose luke jedi sell for £75 just. 😲
 

jayums

Jedi Master
Joined
Dec 16, 2015
Messages
955
poncho said:
I really should display stuff what's the point in collecting if I cant show it.

That's how I feel about it too!

If I had a giant loft space or something I would maybe feel different , but having sold all my stuff off (and starting again !) my intention is to rebuild a complete loose set on shelves (possibly minus last 17 as I'm not that fussed by them enough to pay the prices), a few mocs , and a few of my favourite playsets / vehicles knocking around the place to give me the vintage vibes now and again.
 

Palifan

Sith Lord
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Oct 28, 2012
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4,902
jayums said:
poncho said:
I really should display stuff what's the point in collecting if I cant show it.

That's how I feel about it too!

If I had a giant loft space or something I would maybe feel different , but having sold all my stuff off (and starting again !) my intention is to rebuild a complete loose set on shelves (possibly minus last 17 as I'm not that fussed by them enough to pay the prices), a few mocs , and a few of my favourite playsets / vehicles knocking around the place to give me the vintage vibes now and again.

That sounds the same as me as well and I have been slowly letting things go over the past few years that I either have doubles of or don't have the space for. One bonus is that I've sold a fair amount to different members on here which is nice to know that they've gone to good homes and also that I've helped a few people out with their focuses. There's still more to go though and I have that dilemma of keeping items I like but knowing I will probably never display them. There's no way that I'm going to display the vintage AT-AT for instance but do I keep an iconic piece that I never look at or let it go? It's a hard decision and I feel that when I need the money for something else maybe that's the time to move it on.

The problem i have is that I always seem to think of something toy related to start collecting :lol:

Ian
 

jayums

Jedi Master
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Dec 16, 2015
Messages
955
Ha well Ian. I'm looking for a decent AT-AT , so if you do move it on give the heads up :lol: . I missed out on a lovely one for sale on here a few weeks back from Sean, but did get a nice x wing.

I am enjoying collecting again but will stick to things I know I genuinely like seeing around , not just to fulfil that part of my brain which tells me to be completist or worry about the wrong colour blaster etc .

As for the pandemic , I do think it has given us time to reflect on things, and as much as I like my collecting , the things I want to do at the moment is to see family safely, have a pint in a pub , and enjoy live music. Also lose some weight :lol:
 
Joined
Jan 20, 2021
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Funnily enough yes. It's kick started my replacing things I gave away. I'm sure the psychology is something to do with yearning for happier times, but it's been fun so far.
 

coomber75

Sith Lord
Joined
Oct 21, 2013
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2,702
ive had simmilar thoughts, and about to sell all my vehicles that are in the loft and not on display and in all likelihood never will be.
on the plus side had to create a home office so now spend days surrounded by a smaller but great collection.
sadly no atat i can let you have mate
 

edd_jedi

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I've been considering downsizing my collection for a while. My biggest problem is that literally nothing is on display, since moving into this flat we have had 2 kids so what used to be my office and 'display room' is now their bedroom. My entire collection is boxed up. It does make me sad that I can't see any of it, but whenever I open up the boxes to have a look I know I would find it very hard to sell any of it.

Also due to massive price rises in the last 10 years I have some major regrets about 'high end' items I sold back then, so I am reluctant to make the same mistake again. Obviously we don't know if prices will continue to rise, I think there's a very real chance interest and therefore prices will drop in future once we all start kicking the bucket!

We are looking to move in the near future, so I hope it won't be too long until I can display things again.
 

Michael Sith

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Edd like you say hopefully a move will give you back the space you need to display.

It's funny but when your house hunting one of your Pre requisites will be " is there a room I can use for SW display" :lol:

We are lucky as both kids are grown up and married so I have my lads old bedroom as an office area to work from home, surrounded by my collection, that day will come for you Edd, kids fly the nest...Vintage is for life :lol:
 

jayums

Jedi Master
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Dec 16, 2015
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955
At this rate your minty loose run could be nearer 10k than 5

This kind of thing to me is complete insanity . I love the vintage line to bits , but in all likelihood this figure will be reproduced for a retro line for a tenner next year. If you love the nostalgic feels, that will do the job, and you can't blame people for thinking that way. In my mind you only pay 200 quid for a Luke Jedi if you see your vintage collection primarily as an investment. Obviously people can do what they like with their own money, I can't be the only one on here that thinks this is thoroughly depressing. Maybe it's sour grapes because I don't have the money, but I just don't think I would want to exchange 200 quid for a single lump of very reproducible plastic , and especially one that is ten a penny in vgc .

Furthermore, when loosies like this are fetching hundreds, it invariably means the next wave of repro will be even more likely be indistinguishable from vintage. The next Stan solo won't put his stamp on the legs. What then?
 

Crumm

Padawan
Joined
Nov 27, 2017
Messages
203
It certainly has as far as prices are concerned, I just had my eye on a minty Biker Scout on fleabay
Ended up selling for £63!...£63!...For a Biker Scout. I mean, they are a great figure, and I really want to add a minty one to my collection, but not at £63! and it was not even a Ledy or short mouth or anything like that.

I am prepared to stump up reasonable cash for good figures, but that is taking the piss! I understand how Jayums feels, I don't have tons of money lying around to be able to compete, I just want to complete a mint loose run because I love the figures. I don't see them as an "investment", just a part of my childhood that I would like to re-capture.

Things have gone insane, and if it stays this way, or gets worse, I will probably never finish the run that I started four years ago.

However, on the flip side, the 43 figures that I have collected so far are rocketing in value. Not that they will ever be sold though.
 

Diamond76

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Jan 30, 2021
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54
I could be one of the idiots that has started collecting during lockdown. However the price of the originals figures is far too much and I have bought the Modern Retro Collection instead because they look very similar to the figures I had as a child. I think there is a review somewhere comparing them. I have branched out to the POTF 12" it again these aren't true retro but some come with a hefty price tag!!
 

Crumm

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Nov 27, 2017
Messages
203
Diamond76 said:
I could be one of the idiots that has started collecting during lockdown. However the price of the originals figures is far too much and I have bought the Modern Retro Collection instead because they look very similar to the figures I had as a child. I think there is a review somewhere comparing them. I have branched out to the POTF 12" it again these aren't true retro but some come with a hefty price tag!!

I wouldn't say that Diamond, you started because you wanted to collect the figures, same as everyone on here. But you too have noticed that the prices are crazy, it's a real shame that people who just want to collect for the love of the hobby/ childhood reasons now seem to be seriously priced out, even with some of the basic figures.

Perhaps "idiots" was a bit of a strong word, I will edit that.
 

Diamond76

Padawan
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Jan 30, 2021
Messages
54
Crumm said:
Diamond76 said:
I could be one of the idiots that has started collecting during lockdown. However the price of the originals figures is far too much and I have bought the Modern Retro Collection instead because they look very similar to the figures I had as a child. I think there is a review somewhere comparing them. I have branched out to the POTF 12" it again these aren't true retro but some come with a hefty price tag!!

I wouldn't say that Diamond, you started because you wanted to collect the figures, same as everyone on here. But you too have noticed that the prices are crazy, it's a real shame that people who just want to collect for the love of the hobby/ childhood reasons now seem to be seriously priced out, even with some of the basic figures.

Perhaps "idiots" was a bit of a strong word, I will edit that.

I think idiots was mild :)
 

jayums

Jedi Master
Joined
Dec 16, 2015
Messages
955
I think the thing to always remember with eBay is that it doesn't reflect what an item is worth , just often what it is worth to the 2-3 people who happen to be prepared to bid silly sums at a particular given time. As for 65 quid biker scouts, there is never any reason to pay that much, they are common as muck. A bit of patience and the same condition one will turn up for half that figure or less.

I don't know what is going on at the moment re: prices. Perhaps there are a lot of people working from home, not spending on other stuff / going out etc, or having a tough time of it and tuning out with childhood nostalgia.

I'm collecting a loose run at the moment, but I won't ever complete it . Even if the money wasn't an issue and I had 350 quid to spend on a minty pop up r2, I'd always rather spend it on something else (Star Wars vintage or otherwise!). So in that sense, the prices for me long since exceeded the intrinsic value of the figures.
 
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