Where do you draw the line and stop collecting/buying new stuff?

[CyberCubed]

Due to the sheer mass of new TMNT merch that has been released since 2012, collecting TMNT toys, statues, figures, etc. is no longer feasible. There is just too much, and most of the high end collectables are now $200-$300. Eventually you have to put your foot down and say, enough is enough.

For the most part I've stopped because aside from money, I figure its just nice to look at pictures of all this new stuff rather than owning it. I don't have much shelf space and just putting stuff away in storage/closets, etc. where they can't be displayed defeats the purpose. So what's the point, really?

The only TMNT stuff I collect nowadays are the comics (but only trades now, I even sold all my single issues), and DVDs of the cartoons if that counts, and I still have my old 80's/90's TMNT toy collection from my childhood, but I no longer buy new stuff. I even sold off almost all my 2k3 figures and I had nearly the entire catalog.

[Cjmart019]

When space is getting really scarce, and not being a completist really helps.

[TheBlueTurtle1]

I don't have a massive collection, but I am being very selective, due to space and cost. I don't see the point in buying something and putting it away out of sight somewhere.

I will be getting a few items, but not much.

[DVD]

Collections grow. Older favorites get replaced by new beauties . Sometimes you put something away that has been displayed for a while, or even not. It doesn't mean you don't like it, simple fact is that new stuff comes to you.

I recently shuffled things around on a display in my main room. I moved some items into the Turtles room, and a couple of items may get filed away for a while.

Flip side. On display are a number of items that are older, and had been filed away. Something triggers a fondness for an item, so it comes out of storage and into a display.

I don't think I personally , will ever see that line.

[Luzmagica]

So hard to tell.....In my case...we moved into a new home....more space for me and my hobbies ( a room only for turtles Yay!! ) ...but needing still basic furnitures for bedrooms or for kitchen...waiting for a new oven.. for example....:tcool: lol....Other friend and great collector also waiting a new baby to born ....all hunts for the moment must wait... I guess the line comes with the life/priorities... that´s all... :tgrin:

[Danakin]

This is something I've had to consider quite a bit over the last year and not just pertaining to TMNT stuff. A lot of recent changes have altered my collecting habits considerably and I've given up trying to be a completist with pretty much everything.

I used to work for Toys R Us and when the 2012 line first started I was super excited. Since I worked there it was really easy to collect each release as soon as it came in. For the first year or so it was great, a lot of quality toys and a good variety at that. Then slowly the quality control dipped, paint apps and articulation got more scarce and it was tough to justify spending the money on the line. On top of that, since I was collecting the entire line I soon had boxes of merchandise that I didn't even have room for or desire to display. When the packaging changed a year or two ago (for the worse in my opinion) it was easy to make a clean break. That's also when distribution issues started popping up with snake Karai and that always bugged the hell out of me when I collected Hasbro lines over the years.

It's hard to shake the OCD patterns of collecting when you've had them as long as I have but it feels so much better now only collecting the things I really enjoy. Helps save money, too.

[TMNachoT]

When the items are based on versions that i do not like like 2k12 or the new movies, when the items are not the typical things you collect like big statues, mini mates and stuff like that.

[Lil Karai]

After buying a lot of crap, and later reselling it, I've settled on this goal:

I want to have one high end set of my favorite turtle incarnations and baddies:

Nick show turtles fighting Kraang and Triceraton,( Revoltech and mixed Playmates)

Mirage turtles fighting mousers, (NECA)

Fred Wolf cartoon turtles hangin in the lair, (Figuarts)

90's movie turtles fighting Shredder, (NECA)

and modern movie turtles fighting Bebop and Rocksteady. (Playmates)

If they ever make an IDW line, I'd probably buy every figure. (NECA hear my prayers)

In addition, I have room in the office at work for a small collection of vinyl figures. I decided to sell all my vinyls except The Loyal Subjects, which I'll be sticking with.

If an adult toy line isn't made in any of the above, then I'll customize stuff.

I also decided not to buy figures of concept art. If I see a cool artistic representation of the turtles, maybe I'll buy a print of it.

I'd like to think of my eventual display as a museum exhibit. When friends come over I can show them the turtles in their various incarnations. I don't have room or money for EVERY incarnation, but the ones that really stand out to me and from each other.

[psychturtle]

I collect comics so it's much easier for me to have space. I'm very selective of the 1/6 figures I own. I sold my statues off to have room. I mostly now have comics,moc vintage tmnt, and a handful of figures on display. Haven't had to store anything yet.

I think storage is the biggest line. Living in Oklahoma, I'm wary of owning too much stuff just in case a tornado rolls through and damages or ruins my collections. I like being able to grab a few boxes of irreplaceable stuff to take down into shelter lol

[PurpleMusic]

Easy, 1997.

[slashpieturtlemix]

I did this myself. I'm only getting vintage stuff now and all the single characters from 2k3. Besides that I got all the cartoons downloaded but I'm going after the trades

[Powder]

After buying a lot of crap, and later reselling it, I've settled on this goal:

I want to have one high end set of my favorite turtle incarnations and baddies:

Nick show turtles fighting Kraang and Triceraton,( Revoltech and mixed Playmates)

Mirage turtles fighting mousers, (NECA)

Fred Wolf cartoon turtles hangin in the lair, (Figuarts)

90's movie turtles fighting Shredder, (NECA)

and modern movie turtles fighting Bebop and Rocksteady. (Playmates)

If they ever make an IDW line, I'd probably buy every figure. (NECA hear my prayers)

In addition, I have room in the office at work for a small collection of vinyl figures. I decided to sell all my vinyls except The Loyal Subjects, which I'll be sticking with.

If an adult toy line isn't made in any of the above, then I'll customize stuff.

I also decided not to buy figures of concept art. If I see a cool artistic representation of the turtles, maybe I'll buy a print of it.

I'd like to think of my eventual display as a museum exhibit. When friends come over I can show them the turtles in their various incarnations. I don't have room or money for EVERY incarnation, but the ones that really stand out to me and from each other.

Sums it up for me as well, pretty much. I'm still sitting on a large collection of loose vintage & 4kids Playmates figures but after following the first 2-3 Nick waves my mentality became the above.

For the most part, I've "completed" my art collection, as I have pieces for each key character done by Mirage's most prominent artists, + some other things that cover IDW/Nick/FW/etc bases & round it out, if that makes sense. I have no wall-space anymore anyway, so I don't get commissions & stuff these days.

Still getting comic floppies, though I recently sold off a bunch of IDW books in favor of a collected hardcover, so maybe I'll continue going that route to size down.

[ProactiveMan]

I keep thinking I've reached that point, but then I keep making exceptions. After 2k3 I planned to only buy major revs of the Turtles, and I've stuck to that for the most part, but I can't seem to lay off Bebop and Rocksteady.

I don’t even entertain the +$100 stuff, because it’s more like +$200 nowadays, and the exchange rate is pretty crap at the moment; plus I don’t have any more room.

[TheCanadiandrome]

When space is getting really scarce, and not being a completist really helps.

This ^ and most likey when I get super old :lol: :lol:

[DVD]

This ^ and most likey when I get super old :lol: :lol:

Nah! The older you get, the more disposable cash you have!!! Haha!!

[MrPliggins]

I've pretty much limited myself to just collecting original art these days. I've already completed collecting the comics I'm interested in, and sold off 99% of my action figures, which took up the most space. There are some exceptions, like statues. But I'm very selective in what I collect these days, as opposed to the old days where I collected anything and everything. In my opinion, these days it's near impossible to collect anything and everything, so some kind of collection focus is required in order to maintain sanity.

[Redemption]

I collect up to 1991 in the vintage line. I collected the first 12 figures og the nick linr along with the vehicles like the sewer and van. As far as high end collectibles im collecting the first gokin, neca and figuarts.

I tried to collect all ghe new nick stuff and its a joke. I sold it all and just keep the basic first wave stuff.

[The Deadman]

When everything stops being affordable.

[TheCanadiandrome]

Nah! The older you get, the more disposable cash you have!!! Haha!!

haha yeah i guess there's the Old Age Pension and such :lol:

[OA]

I've pretty much limited myself to just collecting original art these days. I've already completed collecting the comics I'm interested in, and sold off 99% of my action figures, which took up the most space. There are some exceptions, like statues. But I'm very selective in what I collect these days, as opposed to the old days where I collected anything and everything. In my opinion, these days it's near impossible to collect anything and everything, so some kind of collection focus is required in order to maintain sanity.

We are in the exact same boat!

[Editor's Note Comics]

Collecting for me is fairly straight forward. I'd like to have all first printings of Mirage stories. I'm mostly done with this, only a few random back up stories to go and #1, which I can't justify spending that much money on. Beyond that, I just want original art. I like that it's something unique and always on display. A few pieces a year, and I'm happy.

[sdp]

In the last few years I realized I didn't have the space I needed and when I eventually have kids that just means less space so I decided to only keep characters I love from each franchise that I like and sell the rest. It's definitely difficult to get rid of figures that you love, especially when they don't give you much for them but it also feels nice to have a shelf full of awesome figures not all fighting for space to be displayed in.

As far as TMNT since it's one of my favorite franchises I'm going to keep a few more than just "one or two". I always wanted a turtle team from each incarnation but since that just takes too much space I decided instead to only keep one "team" of different incarnations. I'll keep Nick Leo (Figuarts), OT Mikey (Figuarts) Original Movie Donatello (Classic Playmates until we get a better figure) and Original playmates toyline Raph. This "line up" may change through out different years or incarnations. I also plan to have a team that resembles the Mirage/original Playmates toyline, in this case I'd love something like the Mondo turtles but at 6" but since they don't exist I'll buy the NECA bootlegs and use them until we get something better which I'm sure eventually we will. I'd also like to have a Casey Jones and Shredder figure from whatever universe as long as they're awesome. Maybe an April as well. I think that's enough for my TMNT collection. Small but kick ass. I'm sure I'll end up picking other stuff but I don't expect to get much more than what I already mentioned.

[Redrumh2o]

I'm down to collecting things that feel special to me vs buying things just to have them. I do love the new toon and the IDW book, but I've mostly kept stuff from my childhood and art from my favorite Mirage artists. I do find that I still have to purge once a year because sometimes I just can't help myself.

I do have sorry of an OCD when it covers to collecting, I think we all do in some capacity. The boards don't help as I feel it makes me buy stuff I don't really need just so I can show it off. I have FOMO anxiety (fear of missing out), but I also get anxious when I feel I have to much stuff. It's a constant struggle, but fun at the same time I guess.....it's really hard to explain!

[hitmonkey]

Quality and reasonable pricing. I'm eagerly awaiting dropping $100 per Turtle on the NECA Jim Henson 1/4 scale figures, but I can't bring myself to even pay $9 for Playmates' pathetic efforts these days. At the same time, I can't afford to pay outlandish statue prices while also keeping up with my Marvel Legends and Marvel Select collecting.

[tipet]

I'm a collector so I will never stop to buy new stuff. Obviously I don't buy every new item released and I make my own selection on what to collect and what not.

[pannoni1]

Space is one thing, but the big thing is the investment potential and overall appreciation. First off, pretty much anything mass produced from 2K3 onwards is not a good investment and will likely be cheap (unless if the "key" to a set or a scarce variety). Of course, I'll still seek out for bargains at estate/yard sales/eBay if I come across them and find a new place to store and I view the Nick stuff and on as stuff for my nephews/nieces/future children.

[TMNTFanatic4Life]

I'm a collector so I will never stop to buy new stuff. Obviously I don't buy every new item released and I make my own selection on what to collect and what not.



Pretty much my line of thinking as well. I mean, I will buy the new toys from the new cartoon, but I won't get the entire checklist of items. I didn't buy the Mutation figures, Flingers, Stealth Gear, Head Dropping, Color Changing, and Spitting TMNT toys....those ones don't interest me at all. With the movie turtles, I bought the 14 basic ones so far and will get April when she comes out and the 11 inch Bebop and Rocksteady, but that's it from the line for me. The bikes, techodrome, battlepack....no interest to me.

[mrmaczaps]

I went out today to Wal-Mart for the first time in ages and they were really well stocked for TMNT... I would have liked to had money enough for one of each but being sick, having a limited income and all doesn't allow for that. When I can spare a few bucks here and there, it's Mikey and Krang... that said, I almost bought the Casey Jones figure...

[DVD]

Thing about space is its always in a state of flux.
Today, I had an idea to display 50 DALEKS (5" scale- not full size !) in one place as I wanted to see what 50 would look like. I grabbed a few zip lock bags and packaged up some Turtles and Who figures, and filed them away. The space is now being used differently.

Likewise, I still want to have a finite display for the 2016 movie range.
I was moving stuff around (again) for that purpose. Collections grow until you grow out of that collection. Keeping busy with collection means moving stuff around , as I think I said before.
Dong be afraid to file something away, as one day it'll be unfiled and sometimes feels like new again. Collecting is fun.