This weekend, I'm finally doing what I've said I need to do for years - go thru my collection, take a really hard look at what I have, and start getting rid of a lot of my carded stuff (loose stuff is a whole other nightmare I'm going to have to tackle).

When we moved here four years ago, I finally got my basement I've wanted my entire life. But, after years of accumulating stuff for when "I finally have space" - there's just not enough space for everything. Also, in trying to finally put together dioramas and such that I've wanted to - I just don't have time for as much customizing as I should. So, a lot of what I've gathered for fodder needs to go.

It's pretty fun going thru this with my son, who's 16. Because, a lot of what I'm doing is "take what you want to put away, in case dad does another purge or start breaking into stuff for random reasons". Also cool when one of the items is going to be a birthday gift for him next month (a MOTUC Shadow Beast).

Ideally, I considered putting the stuff aside and was thinking that, in maybe 5 years, I open my own collectors' store. That still might happen - the plan now is to see what the big local comic book store offers me for the collection.

I'm hoping this frees up a lot of space for me to actually be able to enjoy what I keep.

Interesting you posted this. I'm going through nearly the exact same thing for the exact same reasons. It's tough deciding what to get rid of and what to keep but I've been in a perpetual state of "collecting now to display someday" for 20+ years. It's time to weed it down some and then hopefully enjoy what's left.

I wish you both success. I went through this in the recent past primarily due to 3d printing.

It fundamentally changed the way I see the hobby (and hobbies generally speaking).

I didn't want my "hobby" to be collecting things.

Any specific tips that worked for you, helped you figure out what to keep, what to let go, and how to let go if it?

I horde stuff with the intent to make things with it, but sometimes it does feel like my hobby these days is "ordering things and opening boxes and never doing anything with the stuff."

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I promise i tried to keep this short.

Collect what you CREATE.

If the item is not being played with on a regular basis or on immediate display it has to go. Start working on those ebay listings or trades. "Immediate display" can be on multiple shelves in multiple rooms but *never* in a box or in a closet. Dioramas are very helpful in a variety of ways.

Creativity and knowledge are their own rewards.

What i "collect" should reflect them both and should produce internal happiness.

Ex. Molding , casting, 3D printing, sculpting , designing (CAD or physical) , RC vehicle creation , making electronic items and painting are all toy hobby pursuits that require learning and spontaneous creativity. They make you feel good.

Your "collection" should reflect your aspirations for self IMO. Defining that is worth your toy time. Ex. I don't collect .. psycho clowns. That's not what i aspire to be or experience. I'm not going to buy a "psycho clown" that looks cool and then put it in a closet.

There are exceptions. Maybe you bought multiple troop builder figures. Build the diorama to display them. They aren't bringing you joy from the drawer they may be in.

I'm sure your mileage may vary but it's worked for me. Either your collection will dwindle to what you love or you'll have an awesome display that will stir positive energy in you.

My absolute favorite toy is a 3D printed RC vehicle i created for a custom 3D printed action figure. I smile just thinking about it and every time i glance at it. It jumps over rug hills and drives over outdoor terrain. No store bought toy has matched how i feel about it yet. That's the emotional response a toy collectible should elicit right? If not why'd you spend the money on it only to stick it in a closet or drawer? Buy some perpetual happiness instead.

Eat what *you* catch. Collect what *you* create.

I'll second what Suntzu said. I'm still in the process of paring down. I never wanted to be a MIB/MOC collector, but somehow, I started collecting stuff to keep on card. And I kept 'cool' boxes of items I did open. Cardboard boxes don't bring me any joy, so they're going -- the empties will go to the trash and the MIB/MOC will be sold (except for a few pieces I just really, really like).
When the TF movies hit, I bought most of the toys because "Hey, new Transformers!" - except, I don't like the aesthetics of them. They're ugly. So why do I still have them? So into the sell pile they go. I also got: Alternators, MP, CHUG, and Legends - why? I realized it was more of a "ooh, I can get this!" rather than "do I really want this in my collection?" I like the MP stuff because they fit nicely with Mega Construx. I like Legends because they're big enough to have detail and articulation but small enough to allow massive displays. So I'll probably be weeding out most of the CHUG stuff, and definitely the Alternators.
As far as GI Joe, it's a bit trickier. I have some 12" figures I'll probably hold onto but when it comes to RAH-style, whatever-we-call-the-in-between-from-the-early-to-late-'00's, and current design, I'm not sure. RAH has that nostalgia thing going for it, so I'll want to keep it and display somehow but the new-style O-ring figures will probably go. The modern design stuff I'll keep for dios but I'm not adding new stuff at this time.
I'm having more fun doing customs in the Mega Construx scale, designing figures and vehicles to print out.

Danofthedead what MarkM mentioned reminded me of what I was going to add to my post but removed.

Everyone has a preferred figure scale and aesthetic .

Try a new smaller scale at some point.

You may be surprised at the toy value you receive from an action figure that's 1/2 (mega construx) to 1/4 (Diaclone Dianauts) the size of a 1/18 figure. The articulation is adequate in stock form and the vehicles are smaller.

Mega construx figures are initially what moved me towards downsizing. 3d printing pushed me over the cliff.

It puzzles me that guys who have been collecting for years, when they decide to down size, go to the nearest comic shop (that, BTW, pay next to nothing for collections), and not their fellow collectors.

Yes, I know many Joe guys are cheap. But at least give'em a chance, then go the local route. By going to the closest eBay seller, they really cheat themselves.

I mean, if you're going to move something at give-a-way prices, maybe let it go to a friend/another collector.....

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Very simple - if I go the comic store route, it’s because I want this to be done all at once. As nice as it would be to help out fellow hobbiests, I just don’t have the time to deal with the communication and shipping out packages to multiple parties. Yeah, I can make a lot more selling it lot by lot, but this isn’t about money. This is about a hobby that’s got a little out of control, and need to be cut back.

I don’t know. I bought an entire collection. My buddy reached out and asked me if I was interested. I was. He proposed a price. I agreed. I paid. He shipped. Done deal in one shot.


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You know, this is the third thread I've seen in the past few weeks where someone has talked about selling their collection/getting out of the game/etc. I'm pushing fifty and have been collecting for most of my life. The thing is that I've got a lot of stuff that's been sitting in boxes or in closets for years, even decades. So I figured that it's time to let someone else enjoy it.

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I feel this.

We moved about a year ago into a house with twice as much space. But the act of boxing everything up was kind of like a moment of clarity. I had MOC stuff I was never going to open or enjoy, so I sold that straight off and kind of hit snooze on everything else until i started unpacking.

I'm still not through all the boxes, but as I've opened each one I've sorted into "Wow! I forgot how much I dig this!" And "Wow. I didn't even realize I had this" piles. Sold off some stuff from both piles.

Now I'm really doing the "Does this bring me joy?" test. My enthusiasm for Joes has waned a bit. I'm only really attached to the 82-85 characters, so selling off most of the others. Discovered the new retro buck and sold off my old O-13 customs in favor of creating better versions. Realized my dio space in the home office isn't grand battle scale and sold off a little more than half of my army builders

It's not purging/quitting so much as really refocusing.

I think the next wave will be a lot of my comic-based Marvel and DC figures/customs. They were fun to make but most have been in little plastic drawers for years as I rotate displays of movie-based customs.

My son has kind of outgrown the action figure phase of his life (at least for now), but I'll hold onto the MCU/DCEU customs because that's where his passion is.

It's a good thing and it's got me excited anout modding/customizing again as I try to take those select customs I've kept and make them even better.

I was just in my garage last night going through bins realizing, “yeah I really do have too much”.

Maybe this summer I’ll finally slim down my own collection…


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I just recently further converted and consolidated my "collection" by trading the last of some items that i had in exchange for custom fodder all from the same line. On one hand i parted with the last of the items that were not receiving hands on attention ( and thus were breaking a personal rule of mine). On the other i replaced that with a *lot* of mostly one type of army building item.

And i'm ok with that because they fit within the diorama theme i'm shooting for and the goal is to always be able to reach over, open up package , pull out a "blank canvas" and create upon it until they run out.

I feel good about the consolidation and "organization". There was no money lost nor any items wasted. I don't want to leave the hobby...i just want to enjoy it which i am this way.