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I think I'm done


Crimson Twins

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I know as collectors, we all come to that point where we think about walking away from the game. It's been bugging me for a while now. I haven't had the same desire I had before. I haven't enjoyed the thrill of the hunt for quite some time. It's not just because of the current product. I actually liked some of the movie stuff. It just doesn't put a smile on my face like it used to. Most of my collection remained in boxes after I moved last October, and I haven't had to fight any urges to break them out since then. Maybe I'm just moving on to something else now. GI Joe will always be a big part of who I am, but I think my toy days are coming to an end.

 

It's just time for me to move on. I just don't have the time, money, space or love for it anymore.

 

I'll probably be putting up most of my collection for sale, keeping only the things I have an attachment to. I'll give you guys first crack at it because it was this community that really brought me back to one of my greatest childhood memories and loves. Thanks for all the good times. I'll still pop in to see how things are going, and I'll still talk about Joe from time to time.

 

Ironically, most of the money from the sale will go to mods for my car which is named after a Transformer, and Transformers never grabbed my interest back like GI Joe did.

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i came to this conclusion about 6 years ago. i've sold off the majority of my toy collection back then with the exception of a very small smattering of my favorite childhood toys, which i will one day put in a very small display cabinet in my man-cave. i still LOVE seeing all the new stuff that comes out and while it still excites me, i don't have the desire to own much if any of it anymore. the few things that really peak my interest, i buy for my kids and let them enjoy'en as i did back in my childhood. i still visit TNI just as much as i did almost ten years ago, i just don't post as much.

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I hear ya FUGAYZIE. I'm not done with TNI. I know I don't post as much as I did back in the day, but I'm still lurking and will still comment from time to time. There has been some stuff that has really excited me, but nothing to make me doubt my decision. I'll still be checking in, and seeing where GI Joe is going, but I think there are dark days ahead for the line. Not the end of the line, but I foresee a pretty big lull. Now just seems like the right time to get out for me.

 

And don't worry Joe, that's not totally dead (although it has certainly been on life support for quite a long time). It may have just gone in a different direction. One with a little more freedom and action. I'll have to send you some videos.

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Sorry to hear it man. We all hit that point and I myself have been at it for a while. I have drastically cut back what I buy and been selling stuff too. Has not hit me with Joe though. If you do decide to sell keep me in mind if you have that movie Kamakura from the first Joe movie I never got @loll@

And hang around too please! :)

Draven

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You know, I was thinking about this around a month ago......i was watching "Toy Hunter" and he was talking about finding some really older 60's toys and he was making an offer to a guy for a older piece and he said "The demand just isn't there anymore....most of the collectors are dead or are not around anymore" It made me think about the ROOM full of toys I have dedicated to a line that was last at its heyday in the 80's.......in 20 years is there going to be a huge market for original 80's Joe figures?

 

Its hard enough these days to find Joes at the last couple Cons I've gone too.......I'm starting to see the 90's invasion my friends.....there was an awful lot of Power Rangers at the last Con I went too.

 

I don't collect for the money or value in my collection but if I ever wanted to get anything back from it I feel like they are losing value as the years go by.....not the other way around. I'm 32 and have been married 2 years now.....(been with my wife for 6) and when will it end?

 

I don't think I'm done collecting toys....but it has been on my mind more than ever lately as well....its just too damn frustrating anymore......seriously. Plus, the prices are getting insane for some stuff......

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I know how you feel but I've been bitten by the hunting bug hard lately, I have boxes of stuff just gathering dust too but I hope to move into a bigger place & putting up a display in my man cave, I do need to thin out my collection too. I have bad habit of buying up clearance toys & garage sale lots so at this point I've lost track of whats in my entire collection, its almost a treasure hunt when you start diggin through the old pile...well I hope you keep some of the special ones......well after the Retaliation line finishes I'm gonna cool it on Joes for abit. I wouldn't mind seein the line slow down so my wallet & credit cards can recover.......good luck on your next venture.....

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I feel like I'm in a great place right now as a collector. I've been where you are CT many times in the past. I've questioned my motives, agonized over the amounts of money I've spent, and second-guessed the time and attention I've devoted to little collectible play-things.

 

But in the last few years, I've mellowed-out and come to the conclusion that this stuff is simply cool. It will always mean something to me on some level, so I'm not so quick to get rid of anything anymore. My wife and I are fortunate enough to be in a position to possibly buy a house (very soon maybe), so for the first time in sixteen years, space is about to be a non-issue. I may finally have a shot at that long-elusive man-cave we've all always wanted that GD alluded to.

 

I used to worry that perhaps I was too old to be messing-around with toys, even as collectibles, but then I'd see guys in their forties, fifties, sixties, and even seventies on the show Toy Hunter collecting and enjoying this stuff...not that I was necessarily worried about the age issue anymore. And I don't necessarily care about whether or not what I collect has a high return value. That has never been an issue for me. It's always been about what I liked; if I ever sold anything and made a buck or two, it was simply a bonus.

 

I can say one thing for certain though...I can't think of many times that I've sold my stuff over the years when I didn't regret it later. I've always looked back and regretted selling most things, and I've had to begrudgingly buy a lot of it back over the years. In some cases, I've never been able to recover some things I've sold. So even if you think you are completely over this stuff CT, I wouldn't recommend selling it. Box it up and sit on it awhile, as long as you have the space. If you have to feed your children, or pay for an operation, you absolutely have to pay bills, then yeah, toys will always take a back seat of course. I'll have to admit...my attention's not really on G.I. Joe right now necessarily, but I know my stuff is there somewhere. I can always drag it all out later when I am in the mood for it and can appreciate it.

 

CT, there's a reason you bought that stuff in the first place. Just don't do like I've done in the past and make a rash decision and get rid of it all. Odds are there'll come a time later on when you get to missing the stuff you had and you'll want to check it out, but it will be too late and it will all be gone, and perhaps very difficult to get back, if you're able to at all. Now if you've already thought about it and have pared your collection down to only the most important pieces that mean the most to you, then you're probably in a good place and it will be okay. I'm all about the minimalist collection these days, where you only have the most iconic characters or pieces of any given collection. I just feel like it's not so overwhelming to look at as a collection that way, and you can appreciate it so much more than a massive pile of plastic where it all runs together and you can't make out any one thing...like I've seen in many collections.

 

In the words of Obi-Wan Kenobi, you must do what you feel is right of course, but my advice would be to just sit on it. If you have the space and you don't need the money, just box it up and put it up in storage. You may have an epiphany one day and realize you still have that appreciation for the Joes, and you'll know that they're still there where you can always find them and still enjoy them.

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I hear ya, DB. I'm not getting rid of everything. I couldn't get myself to do that. But do I really NEED 8 Cobra STUNs? I'm downsizing for sure. I will hold on to the ones that mean the most.

 

I think a lot of this has stemmed from our latest move to Georgia. In Hawaii, I had a huge closet for my stuff. It wasn't quite a man cave, but it was big enough to display a good portion of my stuff. Now, I've been relegated to one shelf unit, and there came a time when I had to ask myself what did I want to display, and what was staying in a box. I found myself looking at some things wondering why I had them in the first place (JvC vehicles, I'm looking at you here) I couldn't find the love for the RAH era Joes that I once had either. When I had to choose between an RAH version, or a newer more modern version, I always ended up leaning towards the new stuff. I had already sold some of my older stuff earlier this year, and I've had minimal regret. I just think it's time for me to move on. Maybe in a few years, Joe will have a resurgence, and I'll get back into it. But for now, I'll just let Joes sit on the back burner.

 

Oh, and sorry Draven, that Kamakura is one of the ones that's staying. I haven't had an adequate replacement for him yet. And I'll always be hanging around here. This was my second home when I was deployed all those times.

 

Now then, anyone know what I can get for 250 Crimson Guards? @loll@

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Keep me in mind if you're getting rid of any vintage vehicles. I might be interested in a few things. :)

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Wow, this thread really hits home for a lot of us. This is something I've really been agonizing on this year. Some things went south in my life and I sold probably 90-95% of my collection (everything, not just Joes) for basically a pittance because it was necessary at the time, but not without a lot of regrets that have stuck with me. (I won't list the things I let go off, the list itself would have people questioning my sanity and would need its own thread)

 

I kept most of what I considered the "gems" in my collection (along with some other stuff I just like as "toy knick-knacks" for lack of a better term, for sentimental reasons), and I still pick up a few things here and there when finances permit. But I know what you mean; it's kind of a "the thrill is gone" kinda feeling.

 

I'm still gonna hang in there, though :)

 

 

P.S.: Crimson Twins: be careful letting your CG's go. The first "batch" of things I let go included my vintage blueshirts, but that case of Cobras was one of my biggest regrets. What I received cash-wise didn't cover a third of what those alone were worth. I didn't have 250, but I had 85 of them, all swivel-arms and complete with rifles, and I miss them!

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Sorry you feel this way Crimson Twins. I do agree with I think it's Devilbat who said that if you have the space, sit on the stuff you want to get rid of for a little while, just to make absoulte sure this isn't some sort of phase or "Mid-Life Crisis" you are going though.

 

I don't know if I could every sell or get rid of any toys I buy. I mean, my dad forced me to throw out some of my favourite toys when I was around 10-12 years old(Such as Undercover Don from TMNT, the ToyBiz Batman movie figure, etc), and I've regretted it(I at least kept their accessories). I did get back the Undercover Don buy getting a loose 1(Since I still had the accessories), but that Movie Batman in at least good condition, well, only in my dreams.

 

The only way I can even see myself do that is if say I bought an item, and there is a variant or a re-release that happens later that I would really want that one. Even more so if the 1st verison I have is still in packaging. I have 2 examples of this for me currently:

 

(1.) For the 1st Wave of the 2012 Marvel Legends(Build A Figure is Terrax), there was the regular Commander Rogers and the Variant verison, as the Variant had a See-Through Shield, and a slightly different deco. Since I had pretty much the all the 1st Wave figures except for Rogers and Stealth Iron Man to complete Terrax, I decided to 1 day buy the Regular verison of Commander Rogers in Summer 2012 incase I ever came across the variant verison in some format. Then on late 2012, a guy was selling a loose Variant Commander Rogers for around $18, so I got that. Now all I have to do is eventually open up the Regular Rogers figure for the Terrax piece and sell the regular Commander Rogers figure. Oh, and I did eventually get that Stealth Iron Man, so my Terrax pieces is complete. I just have to open the rest of my figures, and put him together.

 

(2.) When the Transformers Generations War For Cybertron toys came out in 2010, I bought the Deluxe Optimus Prime toy. Almost a year later, I think around 2011, it was re-released in a TRU Exclusive boxset in a slightly diffferent deco along with repaints of Deluxe War For Cybertron Megatron and Bumblebee. Since I liked the deco of the War For Cybertron boxset better than the single carded verison(Which I haven't opened yet), and I don't have War For Cybetron Megatron, I've decided to buy the boxset and keep that 1. As for the Single Carded Optimus Prime, I'm currently planning on giving it to my Nephew for Christmas this year, as I'm sure he'll like it. Either that, or sell it to a friend of mine at a decent price(Pretty much the sale price or a slight lower than the price I got it for).

 

Other than that, I can't even begin to consider selling or getting rid of any of my toys. I do cut back on buying once and a while. Sometimes, I'll hold on to a figure in my hands in a store, but then after really thinking about it, decide to put it back. 6" DC Unlimted Hawkman was a figure I actually bought at Regular Price but then return back a few weeks later because I realize I didn't need it(I never opened the figure by the way), esepcially after what was revieled for the future of the Mattel's DC 6" lines. As well, I needed the money for a figure I really wanted, so that's the other reason why I returned it back. I mean, it's still the coolest Hawkman figure I've seen and I like to have it, but at the same time, I didn't feel like I needed it, at least not at this time. Maybe I'll consider it if it ever goes on a good sale price, maybe not, but for the time being, I don't think need it.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Wow, this thread really hits home for a lot of us. This is something I've really been agonizing on this year. Some things went south in my life and I sold probably 90-95% of my collection (everything, not just Joes) for basically a pittance because it was necessary at the time, but not without a lot of regrets that have stuck with me. (I won't list the things I let go off, the list itself would have people questioning my sanity and would need its own thread)

 

 

 

I have to agree too. There was a time from about 1992-1999 where I was out of collecting all together. Then in 2000 I totally got back in, and haven't really stoped since then. Cut back a lot but still haven't stopped.

Here lately I've been thinking about a lot of things with my collections. I have Gi Joe, Transformers, and MOTU. I have a lot of the newer things and some vintage stuff that I've bought moc mib of some of my favorites from the 80's like Clawful, Skywarp, and even a MOC japenese Zartan. Fact is I love all them especially the ones that take me back and remind me of things from my childhood. With that being said though I don't have the space to properly display everything that I have so I can get the enjoyment out of it that I want to. So I've put a lot of thought into it and I think when I get some time this fall I'm going to go through everything that I have starting with all the older loose figures I had as a kid and see what I'm willing to part with. Then I will keep whats dear to me and hopefully be able to display the ones that I decide to keep.

 

It's hard to see 20yrs down the road (a lot of us pushing close to 60 wow! Can you see us posting here then LOL) but I know I need to make some changes in my collecting that's for sure. I'd rather see my stuff go to true collectors today, than be sold in some estate sale in the far far future...

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try to not to get rid of your favorites, or anything you might regret later, you never know, something may suck you back in. Real life has been keeping me insanely busy as of late, we all go through phases with our hobbies.

 

Sorry to hear that Mr. Nobody, while I don't have to for the sake of survival, i am selling some of my things I didn't want to get rid of like my 2013 con Lady Jaye, sometimes you just have to put real life over Joes, it's not fun though.

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  • 3 months later...

Well, a little update for my friends here at TNI. I started selling a good little portion about two months ago. Again, time, space, desire all played a part in me downsizing. But then something happened about three weeks ago. An opportunity popped up for me to nab a loose FSS Big Boa. Now I could never buy one MOC because I would fight with myself to take it out, but knowing how much I would have paid for MOC, I just wouldn't be able to open it. So, when I had a chance to nab a loose one, I took it. Big Boa has always been one of my favorites. I think that stems from my life long love of professional wrestling, and Boa sure seems to look the part of a wrestler to me. I used to use him in my wrestling matches as a kid against other Joes. He was favorite for a long time, and so I kinda developed a soft spot for the over the top Cobra trainer. Getting this new one in my hands might have ignited a small spark. I find myself looking for more Joes on eBay, and I'm looking to add another shelf in my back room to display some more of my Joe stuff. Granted, I'm still in the process of downsizing (wifey just doesn't see the need for duplicates of so many of my vehicles. C'mon, I need to build up that Night Raven army!), but I'm slowly sneaking in some smaller pieces here and there, mostly figures. So, thanks to my old friend Big Boa, I am sorta back in the game.

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