The Great Collection Curation Support Group Thread

[Enforcer]

Today is the day. I've taken nearly 450 figures off the shelves. They are being sold tonight. Bulk. For thousands of dollars. Toy Biz and Hasbro Legends that have since been replaced by superior versions, in some cases many times over. Spider-Man and X-Men Classics that have also been updated or simply look too outdated to stand with current quality Hasbro Legends. This includes some BAFs like Blob, Galactus (which I have both a HasLab and that Marvel universe release I'm still keeping), MODOK, Mojo...

My Legends collection currently resides in 10 of those older Ikea pine display cases. Considering how many figures were taken off, you can barely tell.

My rationale is that I basically collect all of these so I could produce whatever action photo I want, given the availability of certain characters or teams. So I don't need 6 older Tiger Stripe Wolverines that have poor articulation or very dated sculpts. I now have 12 with various head an belt swaps on the modern Hasbro bodies It was nice having every single Legend, but it became a question of "why". Outside of sitting on the shelf, being sort of an eye-sore... and nostalgia of the hunt to originally buy them and excitement to own that character. At the time some were grails for me. McFarlane Spider-Man... selling. At one point this was like an impossible notion... but the Hasbro stuff now is just so much better with consistent aesthetic. I'd have no use for it outside of saying "I have that." At times I feel great about it. I love how the shelves look now. At times, I wonder if it's a huge mistake and for some reason I can't think of now I'll regret not having the ugly Rogue, Scarlet Witch or super-hips Black Cat on my shelves hidden slightly toward the back. I know I won't. But they represent over 20 years of the collection. Sure the Toy Biz stuff features unique hand-sculpted molds... and that was cool... but some of them are so laughable now.

I know this sounds like I've done something pretty profound and sensible - maybe. But, I also still have so many multiples of some figures that it's ridiculous. I got 5 Extremis Iron Men, and 2 more of the 2 pack update. I have 5 or 6 80th Caps with different head and belt configurations. Some Pizza Spideys are gone, but I have many of the Retro, RYVs and Amazing Friends still. Each represent a different era to me. Some people have a "one of each character" rule, which by comparison is so... so much saner.

So it's time. They're binned and ready.

Anyone else at a similar point in their Legends journey? Getting out? Buying more now than ever?

 

[TheSameIdiot]

Good for you. I've said it here 100 times, but I went through something similar twice. When I started collecting as a kid, I had most Toy Biz Marvel Legends and their offshoot lines. It didn't occur to me to store the duplicates so that I could have a coherent shelf display. Instead, everything was displayed together. It was like, six Spider-Men standing next to three Daredevils. I eventually came to resent my collection and sold every last figure.

Five or so years later, I started collecting again. I had a similar—though much smaller and less drastic—purge. I've been maintaining that balance ever since. Ironically, having less brings me far more joy. I hope it's the same for you.

 

[renfield75]

@Enforcer Are you going through eBay? I've mentioned this before but I'm looking to unload a lot of old figures too and eBay seems too time consuming. Curious to hear what you're doing and any updates on how successful it is. And to be clear, I'm not looking to make a ton of money, I just want to clear them out and can't bring myself to outright throw them away.

 

[PanchaMaestro]

I eBay constantly. Just chip chip chip away. Rome wasn't built in a day.

 

[Enforcer]

Good for you. I've said it here 100 times, but I went through something similar twice. When I started collecting as a kid, I had most Toy Biz Marvel Legends and their offshoot lines. It didn't occur to me to store the duplicates so that I could have a coherent shelf display. Instead, everything was displayed together. It was like, six Spider-Men standing next to three Daredevils. I eventually came to resent my collection and sold every last figure.

Five or so years later, I started collecting again. I had a similar—though much smaller and less drastic—purge. I've been maintaining that balance ever since. Ironically, having less brings me far more joy. I hope it's the same for you.

I really do like have a "smaller" (it's still hundreds, maybe thousands) and more focused Legends collection, with the more modern stuff. The shelves look better and more consistent. In terms of joy... I really enjoy making the figure photos, so having great new options does bring me a lot of joy and excitement. The next morning, no regrets yet

 

[altcunningham]

Anyone else at a similar point in their Legends journey? Getting out? Buying more now than ever?

I've been pruning for years. Part of it is that whatever collecting was filling, I am now filling with other interests. Part of it is space

I always call it a fluid collection. Even if a figure was cool for me for a year before it funds something else, that's fine by me. I'm constantly finding new ways to cut down by thinking about how I curate and what's actually important to me.

One of my thoughts is if I died on the crosswalk today, would my parents or siblings understand why I have what I have? As in, was it really an interest to me? Something that they would agree forged me. I was able to kill the team building and army building and even the fomo that I used to have with that mentality, morbid as it is.

I joke a lot on here, especially with female characters about how I just build my formative years, but it's true.

It's just where I'm at and that's how I justify spending and space.

I don't do eBay. Too much hassle. Marketplace and you come and pick it up.

 

[Enforcer]

@Enforcer Are you going through eBay? I've mentioned this before but I'm looking to unload a lot of old figures too and eBay seems too time consuming. Curious to hear what you're doing and any updates on how successful it is. And to be clear, I'm not looking to make a ton of money, I just want to clear them out and can't bring myself to outright throw them away.

I've been using Facebook Marketplace. I live near Toronto, so the market is a little more active. I had no interest in dealing with fees or whatever through Ebay, or managing individual auctions. I sold all my Legends in bulk. I'm sure the value of everything is potentially double what I sold it for, but I didn't want to be stranded with hundreds of less valuable figures. I'm happy with what I got, and more happy to have 2 giant tubs of extra space. Everything I've been selling is part of lots, and well worth it to anyone to purchase and re-sell themselves.

One guy has bought 70% of everything I'm selling, and he loves telling me the value of specific things he's bought from me as part of lots lol It really doesn't bother me at all, I'm just happy it's going to someone who is actually doing something with them as opposed to sticking it all in a bin at the back of a basement storage space.

 

[Enforcer]

I've been pruning for years. Part of it is that whatever collecting was filling, I am now filling with other interests. Part of it is space

I always call it a fluid collection. Even if a figure was cool for me for a year before it funds something else, that's fine by me. I'm constantly finding new ways to cut down by thinking about how I curate and what's actually important to me.

One of my thoughts is if I died on the crosswalk today, would my parents or siblings understand why I have what I have? As in, was it really an interest to me? Something that they would agree forged me. I was able to kill the team building and army building and even the fomo that I used to have with that mentality, morbid as it is.

I joke a lot on here, especially with female characters about how I just build my formative years, but it's true.

It's just where I'm at and that's how I justify spending and space.

I don't do eBay. Too much hassle. Marketplace and you come and pick it up.

lol I also think of my collection in terms of what my family would experience having to sift through it after my demise hahah

It is also clear that I am stuck in my childhood, where I also had too many toys. My dad would take us to Garage Sales every weekend looking for GI Joes - and we had so.... so many. My collection is fueled by Legends being everything I wanted in my Marvel figures as a kid. I can't resist some retro GI Joe Classified (and contemplate getting them all, all the time). Have to buy good new figures based on all my favorite movies like Star Wars, Indiana Jones and Ghostbusters. Hasbro gets a lot of my money,

I have the same Marketplace rule. If you spend over $500, I will drive 30 minutes lol

 

[renfield75]

I've been using Facebook Marketplace. I live near Toronto, so the market is a little more active. I had no interest in dealing with fees or whatever through Ebay, or managing individual auctions.

That's probably the route I should go. I'm in Los Angeles so it likely wouldn't be too hard to find buyers. Like you I'm not as concerned about recouping every dollar I ever spent I just want to de-clutter. After 23 years of Legends collecting it's past time to let a lot of it go.

 

[altcunningham]

I've been using Facebook Marketplace. I live near Toronto, so the market is a little more active.

I'm in Oakville. Wonder if we've ever dealt.

 

[Enforcer]

That's probably the route I should go. I'm in Los Angeles so it likely wouldn't be too hard to find buyers. Like you I'm not as concerned about recouping every dollar I ever spent I just want to de-clutter. After 23 years of Legends collecting it's past time to let a lot of it go.

This is exactly where I was at... eventually

 

[Enforcer]

I'm in Oakville. Wonder if we've ever dealt.

That's funny. Always possible. I haven't really done much Legends dealings outside of online orders... the odd Cable here or Love Triangle Wolverine there. Can't remember the last time I was in Oakville for a deal. But if you dealt with someone from Georgetown... probably me.

 

[PanchaMaestro]

My collection is fueled by Legends being everything I wanted in my Marvel figures as a kid.

That is pretty much the nexus right there

 

[Schizm]

Someone on here recently mentioned they cycle displays in and out, and leave entire lines in storage for a time. I've never been one to think like that - I want my collection on display - that's kinda the point of having it. And once I set a shelf, I pretty much leave it until new characters arrive. Or, they all fall down, whichever happens first (and once I get over the rage at the offending figure(s)!).

Dedicating even one of those shelves to a monthly re-do is definitely something I'm thinking about now and being *okay* with figures being in storage for awhile. Not forever, but so they are fresh and fun once they re-emerge.

I've had my 3.75" in bins for 10+ years at this point and I keep buying stuff but I have no room for it - maybe this would be a fun way to actually utilize the playsets - just keep one shelf in constant rotation, kinda like a place to do a puzzle.

That's how I'm thinking about curating my collection.

 

[TheSameIdiot]

One of my thoughts is if I died on the crosswalk today, would my parents or siblings understand why I have what I have? As in, was it really an interest to me? Something that they would agree forged me. I was able to kill the team building and army building and even the fomo that I used to have with that mentality, morbid as it is.

I joke a lot on here, especially with female characters about how I just build my formative years, but it's true.

It is also clear that I am stuck in my childhood, where I also had too many toys.

That reminds me of Marc Maron's recent WTF episode with Mark Hamill:

Maron: "What are we reaching back for? What are we trying to connect with? I go to the record store and I'm going through the bins and I look over to the side of me, and on both sides of me, there's guys that look roughly like me, within a five-year age range. Like 'what are we looking for, fellas?' Whatever it is, it's gone."