the other day I bought a Joe item off eBay for the specific purpose of cutting it apart for use in the current GP.

only when it showed up, it was in mint condition, and better than the one I saved from my childhood.

it was less than $10 with shipping.

what should i do?

has this happened to you?

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Cut it up! Get that custom finished.

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Keep the better one for your collection and chop up the older one. My opinion.

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Although I have bought my fair share of product at retail, I have also managed to fill in holes in my collection over the years by buying stuff at flea markets, etc.

If it was me I would want to have the best version of the item possible, even if that meant taking parts from one to complete another.

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Agreed, 100%.

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I voted for the second option, but I don't really go for the "Screw sentiment" portion of it. I have replaced figures and vehicles from my childhood with better samples on a few occasions. While that exact, specific figure or vehicle may have been what helped create the memories, I see my collection not as being tied to holding on to those specific artifacts, but more so helping hold on to the memories. In doing this, the more pristine the object, the truer it is, for me at least, to when those memories were formed.

1. What is it?

2. What memories are attached to the original?

3. If its an army builder vehicle, keep both and buy a third to customize.

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I said Upgrade...if it's a significant step up in condition there's not sense in not making the upgrade.

I'm not sure how you are with your customs...but it's rare that I'll give any of mine away or sell them off... What better way to keep a "memorable figure" in your collection than by involving him in a Custom you'll end up keeping longer than any vintage collection.

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"There is a secret song at the centre of the world, and it sounds like scalpels !"

Get it cut up

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I say replace it. The attachment you have isn't generated by holding and seeing that exact figure. It is most likely from the memories you have of that figure in your childhood. If that truely is the case then having a newer looking figure will better help keep that memory alive since it will more closely resemble the figure you had back then. Really it isn't the object but the feelings and memories generated by that object that you want to keep.

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That's what I was going to say, mostly. When I was collecting X-Men comics I would get what I could afford, which was usually a readable copy, but nothing you'd want to seal in Mylar. Once I completed my collection, I went back and bought better condition copies to replace the beat up ones I had. Same issues same memories, but in better condition.

So, yeah, what figure are we talking about, anyways?

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hm. seems the majority rule is to swap it out --

ok.

the reality of it is that the original has been in storage for years and not displayed anyway,
so i won't even have to dust it before use...what's even better is that the original never had
the stickers applied (and then they were subsequently lost, and recently replaced by repros
from 334th co.) so that will save me a step as well...

not a figure. not really a vehicle. guesses?

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GI Joe HQ.?

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SNAKE armor would be my guess considering it is for the GP.

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//dang. right.

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