What's your collecting philosophy?

[Commander0Zero]

Originally Posted by TNovak

I wish I had focused on a theme earlier on. Space is definitely an issue, maybe even more so than cost.

And honestly I'm early enough that I can course correct but I can already see where this is headed thus the thread to get some ideas. Sooner or later space will be an issue for me too. Also I want a bad arse display to really show off this art. So many levels to this...lol

[ZenLogikos]

Originally Posted by Barbarian

I have two and love them.

I enjoy the variety among collectors. To each his own my friend!

[Barbarian]

Originally Posted by ZenLogikos

I enjoy the variety among collectors. To each his own my friend!

Absolutely.

[DeadGhostKnight]

Collect what i like. Don't worry about price or how long it takes.

Don't worry about collecting lines and judge every piece on its own merits.

No company loyalty.

Buy things from things i know and love.

Don't buy things for sake of it.

Don't buy things from stuff i know nothing about. If i'm interested in something i know nothing about research/watch/read/learn about said property before buying.

Don't get caught up in hype.

That's me pretty much.

[risingstar]

I have a collector philosophy which has done very well for me. As collecting or completism is a mild form of OCD, you really need to have firm boundaries otherwise things can get out of control fast. Here are some rules I go buy:

Mantra: I can never buy collectibles with money out of my own pocket. I can only buy collectibles with money made from sales. For at least a decade now, my purchases have been completely subsidized by my sales. This includes original artwork.

----

Rules of collecting: (talking to myself)

1) I can only own one statue of a character, which means, for example, only 1 Batman. If I want another one or a better one, I have to sell the one I presently own. The only exception to this rule is if it is a different costume, e.g., Black Spiderman costume. However, it cannot be a variant of a Spiderman I already own. Variants displayed next to each other look ridiculous anyway.

2) Collect 1 scale. Choose one and do your absolute best to stick with it. If you are going to collect one other different scale, it should have a theme and look distinctly different (e.g., the DC cover girls line).

3) Choose at most two universes and stick with it. For example, collect Marvel and DC and find a way to live with being able to appreciate Star Wars statues and pieces from other universes from a distance. I do not have the cash or display space to collect everything anyway.

4) Never buy in the secondary marketplace unless it's at retail or available locally. If I missed out on pre-order, too bad for me. Never pay more than retail.

5) If it won't be displayed, sell it. This rotating statues business is crazy talk. I'm not paying $500+ for a statue to sit in a box in a basement waiting for a turn. I will always want more than what I need. I'll live without XM's line of Spidey villains, for example., even if they look awesome. I neither have the space nor 10k-15k to invest in that line so no.

6) I have to like the character. The XM Darkness is a beauty but I could not care less about the character. Don't get drawn into hypes. You're in this game too long!

7) If you are going to buy a statue, it has to be resellable 9/10 times. It's okay to buy the occasional clunker (e.g., Sideshow Hawkeye PF or the upcoming Huntress PF), however, never forget to choose and spend wisely. Spending 2k on a Carnage or Rhino painting, no matter how nice it is, is not the way to go. Just because you have the cash does not mean it has to be spent. Do not ever let you cash burn a hole in your pocket.

8) Always have stuff on eBay. Your ten least favorite pieces should generally be on the auction block.

9) Keep informed. Know when things are selling well and/or starting to plummet in price. Keep an eye on upcoming companies and try to maintain good relationships with your contacts.

10) Everything is sellable. Allow your product to be bought for the right price.

I'm sure I have other rules but these work for me, largely. However, this does not mean this would work for someone else. I need these rules to both enjoy the hobby and remain sane.

[CessnaDriver]

Passion for characters and the art.
That's about it.

[ZenLogikos]

Originally Posted by risingstar

I have a collector philosophy which has done very well for me.

-SNIP-

That's some serious discipline man. Impressive.

[risingstar]

Originally Posted by ZenLogikos

That's some serious discipline man. Impressive.

Had to. Years ago, I definitely purchased more than what I needed. There were moments when it wasn't fund because I just had to have that Taskmaster or Deathlok bust. Thing was, I didn't even care much for those characters. Thankfully, I woke up in time and was still able to get a decent return on all my Bowen, Gentle Giant, MooreAction product and so on. I doubt I could get 20% of what I got then, now.

[ZenLogikos]

Originally Posted by risingstar

Had to. Years ago, I definitely purchased more than what I needed. There were moments when it wasn't fund because I just had to have that Taskmaster or Deathlok bust. Thing was, I didn't even care much for those characters. Thankfully, I woke up in time and was still able to get a decent return on all my Bowen, Gentle Giant, MooreAction product and so on. I doubt I could get 20% of what I got then, now.

Even though I don't come close to your statue collecting discipline, I'm not that bad off. But I definitely know what you're talking about. I ran through the same kind of issue with my game collection. Selling that off has helped to afford this current hobby, but I still have to reign things in on occasion.

[risingstar]

Originally Posted by ZenLogikos

Even though I don't come close to your statue collecting discipline, I'm not that bad off. But I definitely know what you're talking about. I ran through the same kind of issue with my game collection. Selling that off has helped to afford this current hobby, but I still have to reign things in on occasion.

Yup. It's healthy to assess and monitor the status of your collecting habits. Nowadays, my thing is XM. Thankfully, I'm way past the stage of completism so I only buy what I really want. I can live without the Samurai Batman, not matter how much it is hyped. Unfortunately, their product is generally so expensive. I have to sell more product to stay afloat, which is fine, but a bit more work.

I've recently stared grading/slabbing comic books. I sent off nearly 200 books to get graded. I've sold quite a few which has helped pay for product (i.e., original art, which can be super pricey!). Thankfully, my comic buying days are well behind me so I have no problem slowly selling off my comic collection at today's grading prices. This is a fabulous time to sell comics.