Selling Out -- A Retrospective

[Archon_Turtle]

For those who don't remember me... I collected Ninja Turtles for the better part of 30 years. At my height, the collection I had amassed was gigantic -- Toys, comics, original art, movie props, etc etc etc.

Then... about 5 years ago... a bunch of changes began to happen over the course of 2 years:

• I "finished" what I considered the core of my collection (Every Playmates product from 88-98 )

• My daughter was born

• My wife got terminal cancer

• I got a job at Nickelodeon, a portion of which involved working on the Turtles

I started asking myself hard questions like: "How much does this collection define me as a person?" , "what would I be without it?"

questions like that gnawed at me enough that I decided...I would sell one thing... and see how it felt.

So I did. I sold a concept sketch. In fact it was the very first sketch of the Shredder. I knew it would catch a heavy price tag, but also be something that I wouldn't miss so much that if I decided not to sell anything else, it wouldn't be the end of the world.

After I sold it, it was freeing. I loved the feeling. but I waiting a couple months before selling anything else just to be sure...

Then I started selling LOTS of stuff. It kept feeling like the right thing to do.

When the smoke cleared, I had sold about 5% of my physical collection, but about 80% of the monetary value (that's how collecting almost anything works -- 99% of the value is in 1% of the stuff), and I haven't really looked back. I still have thousands of things in my garage, so don't worry about that ;P

anyway, i guess the point of this post was to give words of encouragement to other people who have thought about selling out over the years. It isn't as scary as you think it might be, and in the end, you are still going to be you <3

[drewizzle88]

Nice to see you on Archon, I hope things are going alright for you and your family right now. There is nothing like starting a family, or dealing with serious illness yourself or in someone you love to put things into perspective. I've done something similar in the past, but it was with a car that had become way too important and took up way too much of my money. I've never had a collection anywhere near the scope of what yours was/is but I've sold a few things I never thought I would and was totally fine with it to cover some medical bills for my daughter. Anyways, glad you popped in man, always enjoyed checking out your collection on Photobucket in years past.

[oldmanwinters]

Hey, Archon, has it really been two years since you posted regularly here?

Hope the job with Nick is going well!

[d_osborn]

There should be more threads like this-- promoting the sale of movie props and original art.

[Andrew NDB]

Every once in a while I consider selling my garage full of comics. It's like a complete collection of Green Lantern and Justice League and such back to the 60s and 40s. I never bought them to collect them as a collector, I bought them to read them and store them in quality so I could read them again later.

Now? Sh**. The thought of yanking down those boxes and pulling them out one by one is nauseating. I'd just read them online. Maybe I should just sell it all.

[Leo656]

I call dibs on your copy of Green Lantern #59. That thing keeps slipping away from me every time it shows up, and I neeeeeeed it.

[Shogun26]

Wb!! Hope you and your family are doing well. I enjoyed and still have the items I purchased from you, but have recently been thinking about downsizing as well. It is a very freeing feeling. I am currently selling some loose ends I have and haven't missed them.

[MrPliggins]

Great post. I've found that the thought of letting things go really is worse than actually letting them go. The only time I have real regret is when an item shoots up in value after I sell. Also, I can relate to the fact of letting things go being freeing. I "released" the entirety of my action figure collection a few years ago and it felt great. In the end, it's all just stuff, and there are many more important things in life. Once you get to a point where you have everything you're after - where do you go from there? It was a fun ride but it's time to start scaling back down the mountain. Good to see you back.

[Candy Kappa]

Welcome back dude!

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

Sorry to hear about your wife, man. That sucks.

[TMNTChris1980]

Archon, great to hear/see your voice on the forums again. I wish the best for you and your family.

[Roseangelo]

I tend to acquire/sell things in cycles. I'm currently in a selling cycle, focusing on things I had bought with intentions of building some sort of grand display. But the space for such a display never materialized, so I'm working on freeing myself of the burden that keeping such things can become.

While I do have some things for the collectible aspect of it, most of my stuff is stuff that I enjoy having around me and makes my home feel like my home. But the quantity needs balance and adjustment as I inevitably acquire new things (can they please stop making neat new things).

Anyways, I think most collectors recognize this ebb and flow, and it's why I hold no sympathy or support for collectors who don't. Especially such collectors who refuse to let go of any of their things and then not only insist on asking for handouts from the public to support their lifestyle, but make it seem like the public owes them that support.

I mentioned before that keeping the stuff can be a burden—I think the people who refuse to let go should stop to consider if these material goods, largely things that are just painted plastic, are really worth the burdens that they cause. The cost of storage to keep them, if they don't fit inside a home. The cost of the home that is intended for the things, but that can't be lived in because all the money is being spent to maintain the things (and continue to acquire new things). And the costs endured by the friends and family around them because of the inability to recognize that most of these plastic things just really aren't all that important.

[I Crave Pizza No More]

Originally Posted by Roseangelo

Anyways, I think most collectors recognize this ebb and flow, and it's why I hold no sympathy or support for collectors who don't. Especially such collectors who refuse to let go of any of their things and then not only insist on asking for handouts from the public to support their lifestyle, but make it seem like the public owes them that support.

I have to say, most of your full post is spot on but I have no idea what you're talking about here.

[Turnstone]

Originally Posted by I Crave Pizza No More

I have to say, most of your full post is spot on but I have no idea what you're talking about here.

She is referring to Ivey.

[tmntman]

Originally Posted by Turnstone

She is referring to Ivey.

Good. For a moment I thought I had pissed her off somehow.

[Navin Johnson]

So sorry to hear about your wife, I always enjoyed your post and collection