Thursday, August 23, 2012

I Am Not This Bad - YET

I am so glad that I never have collected because I was looking for a payday further down the line. I would have been disappointed if I couldn't have sold off my prizes for millions of dollars. I can't even imagine selling away any of the comics or toys that I have gathered about me. I just collect the stuff because it makes me feel good and reminds me of my childhood - which was terrific.

This combination hoarder/collection show was interesting to watch. I felt bad for the people who tossed their stuff into a back room and just accumulate it. That explains the poor condition of one guys Catwoman stuff that they feature in the premiere.

I also enjoyed how they didn't make these collectors come off as losers like some many other hoarder shows do. I wonder what is the line between collector and hoarder?



12 comments:

Hobgoblin238 said...

I do not like that either. People just collecting to collect hoping it will be valuable someday. Terrible. Heck invest in stocks instead.

Kal said...

I only buy what I like the look of. Though I do hope I can die before having to disperse my collection.

Erik Johnson Illustrator said...

I only wish I could say the same for myself Kal. As a child of the '90s I was suckered into believing that every comic book issue #1 would be valuable in a few years and its probably why I don't buy as many comics as I used to.

Looks like SyFy is trying to cash in on shows like Hoarders and Storage Wars. Hardly what I'd call an "Original Series"

The "Intervention" in the title makes it sound negative, so I'm pleased to hear you say they aren't treated like losers.

I think you may have passed on the toy collecting bug to me though, what with The Rocketeer Doll I bought at a garage sale today. It said "Collectable" right on the package and I just had to have it!

Kal said...

You have to show me a picture of that Rocketteer. I am so jealous of your American flea markets. 10 times more shot at finding something great.

I think the girl who hosts the show is very good. She knows collecting and collectors.

Kal said...

I bought all those same comics in the 90s that you did Eric. We all got caught up in the search for foil covers and all the other additions. It's unfortunate that there were too many of those 90 comics out there. It really destroyed the collector's market.

Erik Johnson Illustrator said...

I'll have to take a picture of this Rocketeer doll tomorrow, see if I can get your toy expertise on it. That and the Playmobil Castle.

I've really become quite the movie collector for someone who isn't involved in making films. Its so easy to just load up on good stuff when you see bargain prices at thrift stores and the like. (Just today I found a DVD copy of the 2-Disc Collector's Edition of Disney's Aladdin in great condition for only 50 cents!) I just wish I had peers who appreciated my wares, or at least had a means of displaying them. Ah well.

Kal said...

Movies are so much easier to display than loose action figures are. Do you divide your stuff up by genre, ect... What percentage of the movies in your collection have you actually seen? Do you just collect the movies or the books about movies. I also buy books on toys all the time.

david_b said...

I agree, that host did show some good knowledge of the collector's market. I watched the 1st episode (Star Wars/Catwoman collections..). The SW collection was, well, 'too good'; to actually have thousands of dollars spent on these huge 1:1 scale characters who never appeared in the movies, etc..

To me, collecting is more 'getting what you always wanted as a kid, but never got'.. Once you get into the rows and rows of the '90s Trek Next Gen Ferengi coffee mugs, it's gotten out of hand.

I agreed with the host to just pare down to the most basic '1/3' of your current collection and REALLY showcase that (lighting, etc..), would be much more effective and impressive a collection, rather than trinkets scattered every inch of a room.

It was a smart move to auction the SW items, or put them in a museum for all to enjoy, rather than boxed in someone's garage. I felt so sorry for that Catwoman collector. A lot of his MIB stuff was junkie, especially the Bionic Woman stuff. That buyer was REALLY undercutting him at his store; a lot of that stuff was worth a LOT more, seeing you still had minty, untouched items in those 'less than mint' boxes.

A pretty good show, I'll try to watch more.

Erik Johnson Illustrator said...

Sadly I don't have too much shelf space at the moment, (and a lot of them don't have the original cases unfortunately) so I'm afraid they're just sitting in a big box. I would like to have some sort of shelf to show off at some time in the future. I'm probably be really unimaginative and sort by the alphabet.

I've seen all of the movie I have at least once. Though I haven't nessecarily seen the copy I have. I haven't gotten around to watching my own copies of "2001" or "Princess Bride" just because I'm so busy. Unless its priced under a dollar I don't like to buy things I haven't seen already. I have a few movies I've recorded off TV that I haven't gotten around to watching yet. Soon though, soon.

I have a handful of books on movies. I'm particular fond of those "Art of" books for Pixar/Dreamworks movies. As a kid there was this one book I checked out all the time called "Hollywood Horror: Gothic to Cosmic" that I wouldn't mind having on my shelf.

Kal said...

I thought that guy with the Bionic Woman was a douche. He KNOWS that that box doesn't have to be pristine in these older treasures. Plus those didn't look so bad. I yelled at the screen when I saw the Oscar Goldman on the counter. I would have killed all three of those people and the camera person to get it.

david_b said...

Totally agreed, Kal. I started collecting the vintage Captain Action costume sets MIB in the 90s, and frankly just got nervous trying to insure the cardboard stayed 'pristine'... They're beautiful to look at, but if they get scratched, or some accidental summer humidity gets at them, I'd hate it.

Nowadays I have a guy who custom-makes acryllic cases to precise measurements, and had a bunch of Mego, Palitoy and vintage GI Joe AT boxes now stored but back then, it wasn't affordable.

Kal said...

I would love to see some pictures of your collection David. I love the idea of having clear cases to display the loose stuff in. My dad found me an old roating display case for rings when a jewerlry store went out of business. I love watching the five rows of figures go round and round.