People Who Are Odd - Star Wars Collectors?

[Tycho]

Does everyone you know collect Star Wars memorobilia? Does the large majority of women you know collect it?

Most likely you would answer "no." Sure we have over 100 of us regulars on this site and perhaps many more. But in every day life, do you feel misunderstood and into something that's "underground" for your age group?

Granted that some of you live near fellow SSGrs or you've invited your personal friends in real life onto the boards. Others of you, like myself, live close to nearly no one from this site.

So does one or more of your interests / hobbies isolate you or alienate you at least in that regard from the rest of society?

Do you prefer it that way (versus even more people standing outside Target in the morning)?

But is it difficult to explain yourself to others who are not into it as many of us on these boards are?

What else makes you comfortable or uncomfortable with being different? Do you wish society was different in that regard? Has your attitude changed over the years?

(I lived in the dorms when in 1995 I bought my first POTF2 Millennium Falcon. I had a single-room and thus others who didn't know me well, didn't know I had a spaceship in my dorm room. But at the time, I felt compelled to sneak it in out of my truck at 2am in the morning so as to not be too noticeable carrying a child's toy around with me or needing to make up excuses like "it's a present for someone else." Since then, I've beome much more comfortable (completley comfortable) with living in a Star Wars museum. But hey, that's part of growing up and developing your identity. As a Star Wars collector, I am no longer concerned if it is within the norm in society. However, I point out that it is a genre that glorified fictional violence.)

What is your opinion?

[JetsAndHeels]

Anyone who knows me personally knows my interests. These are not just limited to Star Wars but to Superman, sports, collecting, etc. I never hide who I am...and for those who do not like or accept my interests, I really could not care any less. This goes for any males or females I know.
I think my interests can isolate me, but they also help me connect with others. When I am in a group of people who do not share the same interests, I am not going to discuss the latest wave of figures or what happened on Smallville the previous night. They aren't interested in it, so we have nothing to discuss. At the same time those who do share my interests will find I love to talk about these things and I am more than willing to talk about them to whoever that may be (I have found sports are the best way for me to spark up conversations with people I don't really know).
I am comfortable with what I love, who I am, and what I enjoy. Honestly I do not pay attention to how others see it because I do my own thing, so its not an issue.

[Jargo]

I don't want to but feel compelled to wonder why on earth you didn't just leave the thing in your room and say it was a bit of nostalgia coolness that reminded you of your childhood. rather than behave like a freak with a dirty habit.


frankly i do what i want and don't give a flying fudge what anyone thinks. It's my money to spend how I see fit and it's my home (wherever I live) to suround myself with whatever I see fit to. If people sneer that's their problem for being so narrow minded. at least i have something to show for my money rather than going out every week getting blind drunk and having nothing but vomit and embarrassing infections in places you don't ever want them to remind me where the money went.

the only discomfort comes from being in a store and being stared at by security simply because you have a cropped hair style and stubble and you're in the toy aisles quite often. but too much of that and i simply stop shopping at the store for a while and spend my money in other stores. it's their loss not mine.

I have more money than I used to so I go after things I would have passed on a few years back. I save more and then splurge. buy a lot of product in one go and I'm not concerned about cost so much. I don't hoarde stuff I have no need of anymore. I give things away to kids who will appreciate it all. or charity stores. I've brought my partner round to an understanding of the toy industry and the nature of collecting. we're cool now. my collecting is more focused and selective. I've found someone else to share my joy of plastic effigies with, separate from my partner. we collect parts of different lines and buy stuff for each other when we see it. it's all kinda grown up and balanced. he's a Trek fan so I bought him the whole DS9 crew. he buys me Family Guy. We share a complete collection of Invader Zim.

but I still don't give two hoots what people think of my plastic trophies. it's my thing. I get enjoyment from it all. I'll be damned if anyone elses opinion is going to spoil it or take that away from me.

and to be honest because i have no shame about the toys or collecting any visitors who see it all get enjoyment from it too. my lodger has placed Lollipops in the hands of my LOTR figures instead of weapons. it's cool and funny. it got him involved in a small way. that's good. it was healthy. if peple want to pick toys up and play with them that's cool too. it's only plastic. cheap mass produced stuff. if one gets damaged or lost I buy another. no big deal. and none of it is hidden away. it's all down in the main room people congregate in. where we all eat. where you have to walk past to get to the downstairs lavatory. everyone sees it and gets used to the hge shelving unit covered in toys. everyone has their favourite shelf. or figure. I don't make a big deal of it so no-one else does. I don't have to justify it all to anyone so i don't. it all just exists in my house as part of the ambience. relaxed and comfortable and homely.

it all cool bro.

[2-1B]

JimJam and I are flatmates but he doesn't collect and I don't collect much anymore myself.

At home I have a few items in my room, including Vader and Bossk mini Busts as well as a few framed Star Wars mini-posters but nothing too overboard. I also have a framed 8x10 of 2-1B.

At work I have a Chewie BustUp and Anakin ROTS Titanium at my desk but that's about it.

Other than that, all of my stuff is in storage right now.

[Rocketboy]

I really don't give a flying f*ck what most anyone thinks about me, what I do, or what I enjoy.
If they don't like one of the above then it's their problem, not mine.

[Tycho]

When I am in a group of people who do not share the same interests, I am not going to discuss the latest wave of figures or what happened on Smallville the previous night. They aren't interested in it, so we have nothing to discuss.

This is alienation. I've experienced it. It might be better described as indifference to either JetsAndHeels or myself, when we don't really care that much, but the point is it isn't "fellowship."

(I have found sports are the best way for me to spark up conversations with people I don't really know).

That's one outlet I do not have. Steretypical of nerds (I think) I do not know much about sports teams / players / standings. I played baseball for 10 years through getting my Varsity letter, but when I wasn't on the field, I watched Star Trek on TV versus the occasional live game I'd go to, the rare moment when I did watch the game on TV (usually with my grandpa), and when I scouted out other teams my own team expected to play (other high schools, Little League Teams, etc.)

I wasn't a fan who knew a favored pitcher's ERA or who memorized a professional team's lineup. The same goes for NFL, though I enjoy watching football games more than baseball, but felt I was too small to play in high school. But guys like Phillip Rivers became obvious to me from watching my hometown team last season, so I began to like him, as I liked John Elway back in the day. (not to turn this into a sports thread)

I am comfortable with what I love, who I am, and what I enjoy. Honestly I do not pay attention to how others see it because I do my own thing, so its not an issue.

I've changed a lot to become that way. I don't think when I was a teenager I was as comfortable at all.

I don't want to but feel compelled to wonder why on earth you didn't just leave the thing in your room and say it was a bit of nostalgia coolness that reminded you of your childhood. rather than behave like a freak with a dirty habit.

It felt like a dirty habit because it was unconventional to probably almost everyone in my dorm. See, that won't apply to the people on this website. But I was away at school when this SW thing re-started and I did not have another home (I was determined to never go back and live with my parents when they were alive. We had a dysfunctional family, to be sure.) I think you misunderstood me - I did leave the Falcon in my room - I just brought it in at 2am so almost no one would see me doing it. Back to Star Wars being my "dirty habit."

frankly i do what i want and don't give a flying fudge what anyone thinks. It's my money to spend how I see fit and it's my home (wherever I live) to suround myself with whatever I see fit to. If people sneer that's their problem for being so narrow minded. at least i have something to show for my money rather than going out every week getting blind drunk and having nothing but vomit and embarrassing infections in places you don't ever want them to remind me where the money went.

I totally agree with you and would have written exactly what you did. Well said!

the only discomfort comes from being in a store and being stared at by security

For me that is when I walk in and then walk out without buying anything. Do they think I shoplifted? I'm simply noticeable when at 8am I'm the first and possibly only customer coming in, after having so anxiously waited outside the doors for them to open. Then I leave empty handed. I wonder if they wonder why? I bring a list for everyday items when I have some I need to purchase, like bread or juice or whatever. But that is not every day I need something, but you all know the nature of the hobby - every day you have to check to see if they stocked anything.

I don't hoarde stuff

I might. I haven't found Wave 2 yet. If I do, I want 6 Death Star Troopers. If I see that many and no one else there wants them as I'm shopping, darn right I'm buying all of them so I can sleep in the next morning and every morning after that until Wave 3.

Today the Galactic Heroes (new ones) hit and I called Darren on the phone. He and my buddy James wanted them, so I walked out with an armful of nearly everything they had on the racks, getting 3 complete sets, or 12 two-packs. I certainly looked as if I was set to become the king of eBay, but that is not the case. On Saturday, I'm meeting Darren and James and unloading 2 complete sets for cost. It is one less collection my friends will not have to worry about getting. I just wish they'll come up with wave 2 or some v-wings for me.

I've found someone else to share my joy of plastic effigies with, separate from my partner.

That's important. Very often significant others may not understand. Who said they have to? They obviously still like you for who you are - and they're perfect because you can live with them and they won't take your stormtroopers!

but I still don't give two hoots what people think of my plastic trophies. it's my thing. I get enjoyment from it all. I'll be damned if anyone elses opinion is going to spoil it or take that away from me.

We're both older now and more comfortable with ourselves. Do you think the younger an alienated person is, the more severe their distance from reality can get with the situation?

[figrin bran]

i don't really care either what any males or females i know might think of my interests. i'm sure it works the other way as well as there are plenty of things that interest my friends but not me.

however, i do have the great male equalizer that is sports

[decadentdave]

Does everyone you know collect Star Wars memorobilia? Does the large majority of women you know collect it?

Most likely you would answer "no." Sure we have over 100 of us regulars on this site and perhaps many more. But in every day life, do you feel misunderstood and into something that's "underground" for your age group?

Granted that some of you live near fellow SSGrs or you've invited your personal friends in real life onto the boards. Others of you, like myself, live close to nearly no one from this site.

So does one or more of your interests / hobbies isolate you or alienate you at least in that regard from the rest of society?

Do you prefer it that way (versus even more people standing outside Target in the morning)?

But is it difficult to explain yourself to others who are not into it as many of us on these boards are?

What else makes you comfortable or uncomfortable with being different? Do you wish society was different in that regard? Has your attitude changed over the years?

(I lived in the dorms when in 1995 I bought my first POTF2 Millennium Falcon. I had a single-room and thus others who didn't know me well, didn't know I had a spaceship in my dorm room. But at the time, I felt compelled to sneak it in out of my truck at 2am in the morning so as to not be too noticeable carrying a child's toy around with me or needing to make up excuses like "it's a present for someone else." Since then, I've beome much more comfortable (completley comfortable) with living in a Star Wars museum. But hey, that's part of growing up and developing your identity. As a Star Wars collector, I am no longer concerned if it is within the norm in society. However, I point out that it is a genre that glorified fictional violence.)

What is your opinion?

I am single and live alone and I am an avid collector. I have many friends that share my passion and interests in collecting and almost all of my friends have settled down and gotten married and now have kids. At times I feel like life is passing me by but the truth is that I got burned in a relationship real bad many years ago and I have remained single ever since because of it. I am often chastised by coworkers and others that find out that I am into Star Wars or collecting and I have been compared to the "40 Year Old Virgin" on more than one occassion (which couldn't be farther from the truth since I was in a very intimate relationship for many years). Anyway, I am often embarrassed to open up to people about my interests which is one of the reasons why I don't put much effort in meeting new people and I rarely invite people over for fear of their reaction when they see my collection. I am convinced that most people don't understand it, regard it as the ultimate in nerdiness and alienate others because of it therefore I just live my life and collect my stuff and I don't give a damn what anybody else thinks because it makes me happy and it's all that I have. My parents often ask me why I collect and I tell them "What else am I going to do with my life?" but when people say things like "Get a life" they expect you to live a normal life that consists of getting married, raising kids, going to family barbecues and watching football on Sunday like any red-blooded American. To me, that is the worst form of social conformity I can think of and if that is what is considered living a "normal" life then I say to them "Get a life!" I have one and it is following my obsession for films and collecting and nothing gives me more satisfaction in this world. I can't imagine doing anything else with my life, really. I have been collecting since I was about 4 years old. I can't imagine changing my life now and becoming some kind of heathen that just wants to screw women, party and get drunk or do drugs or watch sports. That's not the kind of life for me. Anyway, I have always been alienated my whole life but I have revelled in it. People don't understand why I am such a loner but I absolutely love it. I really do feel like Obi-Wan living in the Dune Sea sometimes and it's kind of cool I think. Anyway, just my take on the subject. You are not alone Tycho.

[TeeEye7]

I've never had problems with people's attitude about my hobby. At work, I have a Qui-Gon Hallmark ornament, Taco Bell Yoda figure, and large Yoda Pez dispenser (which plays the "Star Wars" theme when opened) on my desk. It rarely raises eyebrows. Everyone in the office is into "something" and we tend to respect whatever "it" is. Good nature teasing my result, but there's nothing malicious.

I guess I'm lucky.

[Kidhuman]

i don't really care either what any males or females i know might think of my interests. i'm sure it works the other way as well as there are plenty of things that interest my friends but not me.

however, i do have the great male equalizer that is sports

Ditto.................