How do you AFFORD your Collections?!

[pentoolart]

Hey Everyone!

I have an issue that I have been wondering about for a while, so I thought I would see what everyone has to say about it…

How do you all afford your collections?

Let me give you some of my background here. I am 44 years old. I am a college professor. I currently teach a total of 10 classes per semester, at a total of 4 different colleges here in southern California!

I am the only income for my family, and I am supporting a wife and a 10-year old son.

BUT, I have also been collecting TMNT action figures since 1988.

It is killing me that I only have 7 more figures to get to complete an entire collection of the figures since their initial release back in 1988… a whole collection from 1988 to 2014… and I just need 7 more.

The problem is: Those 7 figures are the most expensive ones left. I just need Undercover (cloth trench coats) Leonard, Michelangelo and Raphael. I also need to eventually get Warrior Rocksteady, Mutant Masters Leonardo and Michelangelo and the very last 2 Next Mutation figures… Donatello with his Hydro Skimmer and the other Camo Blitz Cycle.

Unfortunately, those last two figures are so rare and expensive (when I have seen them for sale on the rare occasion) that I am bummed because I will probably never own them!

It is killing me because I live by that Motto: "COLLECT 'EM ALL!"

AND, with all the new merchandise to hit the toy shelves just this year alone (and it looks like 2014 will be totally awesome for Turtle collectors!), I would love to hear how you guys keep up with it all!

I will say that I am in total awe of the great collectors like: Stephan Reese, Michael Vaughn and Tokka. You guys are my inspiration as a fellow collector.

I just don't know how you do it!

I have now decided to stop collecting comics for good. They are just too expensive now and that money takes away from my TMNT Action figures collection. So, I am going to sell off my 30+ year comic collection of all my issues of Uncanny X-Men and my complete collection of G.I. Joe Comics. I hate to do that, but I want to now just focus on my Turtles Collection from now on.

Plus, with the money, maybe I can get those last 7 figures to complete my collection… God, that would be nice, finally…

So, again: HOW DO YOU ALL KEEP UP WITH YOUR COLLECTIONS?

Thanks!

- Chris

[Memphis]

I got the entire Mutant Masters set a few weeks back all moc for 150 buy it now. You've just got to wait it out until a deal stumbles along.

[Digital Ghost]

I agree, the good deals are all about luck and waiting.

I collect all different lines. BUT, I'm extremely picky and don't have to collect absolutely everything from any line. Sometimes, certain characters/figures just don't interest me, so I have no trouble passing on them. Like the sound FX figures from the Nick line. Stuff like that is a huge pass for me and allows me put that $ toward something else like Marvel Legends (my recent favorite thing to collect), Transformers or NECA, etc.

As for 'affording' it, I have a good job, no kids or huge external expenses... I too make a good living but I'd imagine if my current situation were to change, I'd have to stop collecting as much.

[TLCMathMan]

Also a college professor, here … 42 years old. Pleased to meet a fellow adult collector in my same profession.

My partner and I both collect. TMNT, combiner robots (Voltron, Super Sentai, etc.) and Superman/Batman DC figure for me; Wonder Woman and Green Lantern for my partner. We simply budget for our collecting by contributing a certain percentage per month to our collection budget. Sometimes the collection budget goes untouched for several months and then we will find something we want and tap into the funds then. We've been lucky to have that portion of our budget always be 'in the black.'

Through the years, I've also had to sell off portions of my collection/collectibles to help budget for things I wanted to continue to collect.

[Heather Breckel]

Well, I'm not married and have no children, so that comes in handy for spending money on things I don't really need Provided I don't consider myself that hardcore of a collector. I generally put a 3 digit cap on myself so I won't spend 3 digits on a single figure, so that keeps things manageable. Although I did break that cap recently on this

http://www.amiami.com/top/detail/det...%24pagecnt%3D1

but it was by a few dollars so I was like whatever. Because most of what I collect are anime figures, which usually clock in at $40+ a piece, I don't collect everything. I'm not rolling in tons of money, but my job as a comic colorist does enough to keep me afloat+be able to afford a figure here and there.

[darthwahl56]

Looking at my collection right now I can see maybe I have gone overboard. I have a now evergrowing turtle collection, but I have Gijoes, Star wars, cards, models, lord of the rings, marvel legends (toybiz), other marvel movie toys, comic books, Dick Tracy movie figures, Robin Hood 1990 toys, movies, video games, books, and ...... get the idea? just too much and more stuff i did not mention, and i have a storage unit I moved my stuff back into last year. I need to focus my collection and just put a halt on things and figure out where I need to go in life. I need to get back to my drawing and the characters I have created with that.

I had to move back in with my parents because of a pest problem at my apartment, wish me and my friends could have kept the house we were all living in before the apartment, that was an awesome place to live.

The turtles I collected this last year for once have never felt like a waste. I may not ever get the rarest pieces, but I like what I have bought from the toyline from the 90's, totally awesome. I got a replica of my child hood toy, the rat king.

I don't have a wife or children, so it comes up pretty easy for being able to afford toys I don't need. I work at Pizza Hut right now and I pay my family's rent (my choice), help with grocerys, pay for a phone that doesn't have texting or internet (seems expensive to have one at this point), pays for a storage unit with my dad, and is paying for a student loan monthly.

[darthwahl56]

Originally Posted by Heather Breckel

Well, I'm not married and have no children, so that comes in handy for spending money on things I don't really need Provided I don't consider myself that hardcore of a collector. I generally put a 3 digit cap on myself so I won't spend 3 digits on a single figure, so that keeps things manageable. Although I did break that cap recently on this

http://www.amiami.com/top/detail/det...%24pagecnt%3D1

but it was by a few dollars so I was like whatever. Because most of what I collect are anime figures, which usually clock in at $40+ a piece, I don't collect everything. I'm not rolling in tons of money, but my job as a comic colorist does enough to keep me afloat+be able to afford a figure here and there.

Comic Colorist, sounds like a cool job. If I may ask, how did you get that job?

[CowabungaMikey]

I make about 20 euros a month, so I pay most of my collection from that. All the other stuff I buy on fleamarkets of my allowance.

[MST3KFan]

Honestly? Sheer luck. My job generally gives me 34-35 hours a week and what I don't use for bills is free game.

I collect TMNT, but I consider my 80s vintage stuff done right now as I have all the vehicles and figures I really wanted. There are a few I'll try for maybe if I ever see them for a good deal, but that's pretty much done.

The modern 2012 stuff I was originally buying every vehicle and figure, but have since toned it down to just the figures now and that's a slow thing since releases are nicely spaced apart.

Outside of TMNT, I collect S.H. Figuarts Super Sentai/Power Rangers figures, vintage Power Ranger Megazords (looking for a complete Thunder Megazord right now), and I am now working on my NES (Nintendo Entertainment System), SNES, and Sega Genesis collections right now.

Really, the thing to do is not be a completest I'd say. It'll drive you crazy and make you spend more money than you should, that you should use on other things.
I used to own every single Marvel Legends and DC Universe Classics figure ever made. I'm not proud of how much money I spent to get all those figures, but one day I saw them all just sitting in boxes and decided to sell them to someone who'd probably take better care of them than I did.

[Candy Kappa]

How?

I have a job, that pays me money each month for the work I have done. A small amount of that's left after rent and bills I sometimes use to buy stuff that isn't food.

[Sofistocat]

Originally Posted by Candy Kappa

How?

I have a job, that pays me money each month for the work I have done. A small amount of that's left after rent and bills I sometimes use to buy stuff that isn't food.

I'm not sure what everybody else does for a living. I have a very good job that pays very well. I've been in the same field of work for the last 10 years, Telecommunications. I'm now a Data Center tech for Verizon Business, it's a great job and I love it. I busted my keester for years in private co.'s salaried positions to get where I am(regarding experience and academics). VZ pays the bills, and then some, now and is going to pay for our family soon. Or at least a good portion of it.

We live pretty far apart, so most of my days are treated as me being single. I stay in most nights, don't really have any other hobbies that cost significant amounts of dough. I don't have alot of revolving bills either.

Believe me, if I didn't have as good a job, I wouldn't have as good a collection... 100% correlation

[tmntmikey23]

Originally Posted by Colonel Schrader

i sell my body so I can afford to buy some toys.

dont do that cus in the bible (Dont get Made If you Dont think bible is real or fake) but in the bible it says to not sale your body for nothing i think you can get a better job you seem quite talented

Originally Posted by Candy Kappa

How?

I have a job, that pays me money each month for the work I have done. A small amount of that's left after rent and bills I sometimes use to buy stuff that isn't food.

you get paid once a month oh my family gets paid every 2 weeks

[TheCanadiandrome]

I can't.....er....shouldn't AFFORD my collection lol!

I'm not married, and don't have kids, but like most folks I'm up to my butthole in debt.

However, I've got two decent paying, not perfect paying, jobs and inbetween payments on loans and credit card, I find some little bits of moolah left for TMNT

[Mzx10484]

No kid, no animal!
Student job.
Selling some parts of my HUGE loose collection.
Keeping my eyes always open!

[Panda Khan]

How do I afford my collection? Simple...I broke up with my gf.

[Nameless]

Originally Posted by Panda Khan

How do I afford my collection? Simple...I broke up with my gf.

hahahaha you sir have just won the thread congrats... Lmao

[Sofistocat]

Originally Posted by Panda Khan

How do I afford my collection? Simple...I broke up with my gf.

Hahahaha, made my effing day! total +1!!!

[Slash2000]

My turtles collection was all got when I was younger- I have loads of different things I collected. Nowadays, collecting original art - it is mainly funded by getting rid of other things I own as I only have limited space to store stuff!

[Metalwolf]

Originally Posted by pentoolart

Hey Everyone!



I am the only income for my family, and I am supporting a wife and a 10-year old son.



- Chris

Is your wife able to work? I'm not saying this just so you can afford the figures, but having total independence on one income is unwise, especially if you get sick or laid off. I know some wives have dreams of being stay-at-home-mothers, but putting all of the onus on the husband to provide is kind of unfair, especially once the kid can be left alone for a while without a baby sitter.

Otherwise you'll have to wait until the kid is eighteen, when he leaves home and overall expenses become far less.

[madyankees]

Staying focused on WHAT to collect

I collect TMNT and Transformers. For TMNT I try to limit myself to only the turtles and avoid variants no matter how tempting they are (quite easy so far although the stealth tech turtles and the battle shells were tempting)

For transformers I try and get only one character, Optimus Prime.