Giving up the hunt?!?!

**sith_killer_99** · 02-21-2005

Well, here we go.

With the mass release of the 56 new figures for ROTS (plus 4 previews) we will see over the next 9 months or so the hunt will soon begin a new.

But this time I am considering giving up the hunt and waiting until they have all been released before buying a full set on Ebay or some other website.

What?

Why?

Well, it comes down to a couple of things. Time, money, resources and enthusiasim.

I spend way too much time hunting down figures, after work, weekends, holidays. I spend too much money on gas driving all over the place for my little "toy runs". This leaves little time to actually enjoy my current collection.

I also find that my enthusiasim for the ROTS line is the lowest it has been in a long time. The only other line that sparked less interest for me was the soggy line.

Resources, as a MOMC collector who is trying to limit my PT loose collection, I am disappointed that the new stuff will not fit the Star Case. Thus forcing me to store the newer stuff in a safe place until the new protective cases come out and I can afford to buy the 60 or so new cases I will need to hold everything.

Other stuff! I have recently gotten into collecting the Kotobukiya and Gentle Giants stuff. With that said a considerable amount of time and money have gone towards hunting down what I want from those lines.

There will still be hunts, I will continue to look for the Unleashed line and from time to time a few other really cool items will no doubt surface that I will feel I have to have.

This will also give me time to thin out my now bloated collection. Which will in turn allow me to raise more funds for other Star Wars stuff.

I was wondering if anyone else has done this? I know that I have seem a lot of "comple sets" for sale on Ebay long after lines have died. I saw it with EP1 Flashbacks, SOTE, EU, EP1, POTF2 CommTech, POTJ, Saga, OTC, etc.

Thoughts?

**JetsAndHeels** · 02-21-2005

I did the same thing a year or so ago. I did not sell off a whole lot of stuff, but a few random figures here and there to thin things out. Since that time I have not bought many figures, but as of late I have gotten the sneak preview line, alot of the OTC figures on clearance, and a couple of the Clone Wars figures.
Now that the ROTS line is upon us, my excitement has come back to what it was. Not because this is a groundbreaking series of toys, but just because it means movie time once again..for the last time. I have great memories of MM at the EP1 and 2 toy releases, and I am ready to do it once again.
But I understand exactly where you are coming from. People are selling or trading off figures to make room and get rid of excess bulk.
You are absolutely not alone.

**DarthQuack** · 02-21-2005

If you are worried about storing the new figures, just head on down to Wally World or Tar'jay and pick up a nice 50 gallon tub and stack them with plastic bags in-between them until they make a Star Case that can house them.

**dindae** · 02-21-2005

I am not giving up the hunt but im taking a different approach to hunting. Last year I started to preorder figure through Kebco (a really bad move but that is another thread). I found that I had been spinning my wheels too much. As soon as I thought a new wave would come out I would hit the stores everyday at lunch and on the way home. But when I had things preorder I no longer did that however even in my casual shopping I couldn't help browsing the toy ailse. I wound up finding everythong at retail. So even though I have dropped Kebco I think the amount of time I spend looking for toys will be cut dramatically especially since this is a movie year and product will be plentiful. I also only collect loose figs now so I don't have to find the pristine figure. I can buy the one mangled figure leftover and have a smile on my face.

**ronhudy** · 02-21-2005

I pretty much turned the collecting over to my 10 year-old son now, and we're pretty selective about what we buy. We've got close to one of every carded figure from Episode 1 up to the 1st couple of OTC waves, and a nice assortment of Freeze Frames and Red/Green POTF2, but these days we pass on figures which just look crappy, like Rabe, which just looks awful. We stick to only nice sculpts/paint jobs, and a few army builders here and there, for opening up and making scenes.

I've sold some stuff here and there on Ebay, most of it at break even prices - not a lot of profit. I imagine we'll be buying some EP III figures at Wal-Mart, Target, TRU, etc. But we'll buy mostly main and new characters, figures that look good, (NO MORE R2-D2's!) etc. We're not going crazy or chasing stuff down. I found Dooku last time with no real effort...the short packs will turn up sooner or later.

**Blue2th** · 02-21-2005

I have in the past, right up to the OTC line gotten every figure mint on mint card. I have recently discovered the joy of loose figures. Now I have to have at least one loose and one carded. It's opened up a whole new world of collecting for me. The OTC line had the best looking card of all, so I had to have all of them mint on mint card, because they are so cool looking. Looking at the new packaging for ROTC, which I do not like at all, I have decided to only get them for loose display which will mean there will be plenty of damaged cards that the scalpers will leave on the pegs. I have found also that you can get bargains on eBay for less than mint cards that you are going to open anyway. Loose figures also generally ship for less. I have finally let go of the fanatical mentality of mint on mint card. The stupid design of the ROTS cards did it for me. If Hasbro goes back to the OTC cards or something similar that might change. Till then it's loose for me. Every figure of course. So no, the hunt must go on and on and on till the end! Or till I run out of money.

**Fluke Skywalker** · 02-21-2005

When AOTC came out I was in a 'Must buy everything' mode. I plan to be a bit more cautious/selective this time. No more Orn Free Ta or Barriss Offee figures for me. Still, I think that any buyers remorse from TPM or AOTC directly relates to my feelings about the films. I think that ROTS is going to be great, so I think I'll be happy with what I buy three years from now.

As far as toy runs, I can feel your pain. It can be expensive and time consuming but for me it's the best part of this hobbie (Aside from the joy of the collection itself.) I have ordered online and it's just not the same as finding it in the store. I guess I just enjoy the thrill of the hunt. It's a sickness.

**Ji'dai** · 02-21-2005

I was toying with the idea of waiting for a year or so and just buying someone's collection on eBay too. Yes, I've noticed that collections tend to sell for less than their original value as well. Hasbro's price hike has also dampened my enthusiam for their product. I simply do not want to pay six or seven dollars for a 4" figure. I'm not sure why they think kids or parents will either.

I'm tired of walking into stores - now almost three years later - and still seeing tons of product leftover from the last movie. In early January I stopped in a Wal-Mart that had three carts full of AOTC figures in their clearance aisle. And to think I went out and bought those figures within the first week of release. Bah!

The only thing I don't like is not being able to examine the stuff before buying it like I can in stores. Card condition is not an priority for me but figure paint jobs are - which is one of reasons I avoid online shopping (the other being shipping).

**trandoshan666** · 02-21-2005

I'm probably in the opposite situation. I took a two-year break in collecting not long after AOTC came out, and in my down time, came to the realization that "the hunt" is a huge source of my collecting enjoyment.
I've sort of been going overboard with my collecting lately (playing catch-up), but I don't care because I'm genuinely inspired again — I'm really psyched to snatch up the ROTS line and savor the figures when I have them.

**Joshkj** · 02-21-2005

Im really new to SW collecting. Ive been spoiling myself with halo collecting(the woorst of it was going to gamestop during the week and pick up a case of exclusives

, i picked up my series 2 today yay). Anyways, alot of you are 'o ya great another r2 or thats crappy. Well i dont have any figures exept for the SP ones, so i get to enjoy it the first and the last time,imo.