y2josh
Main Eventer
WF 20 Year Member
Joined on: Dec 18, 2001 15:13:21 GMT -5
Posts: 3,378
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Post by y2josh on Jul 26, 2024 7:33:19 GMT -5
So I've noticed lately that I'm probably not the only one feeling anxiety over trying to score that one magical case of Monday night wars elites or ultimates from all walmarts in my area. Or trying to be there when a shipper shows up before it is picked through. I've seen comments from others here using a lot of emotions...stress, pressure, frustration that a box could be available at any given walmart on a random day or time... My wife who has been really cool about my collecting habits has called me out this week in my attempts to find a summerslam shipper. I came home later than usual to trek to an out of the way Walmart after work and left an hour early to hit a different walmart the opposite direction of work. She feels I've gone overboard trying to stumble upon figures. And it does make you realize the craziness when you hear it from someone who is not on this board. So where's the line between fun healthy hobby and something causing unhealthy anxiety or frustration that is eating up too much of your time or money? As someone who has been buying toys since the 80s, I have never felt more disillusioned with the toy buying experience of today. Exclusive this and scalper that, you just can't easily get what you want anymore. As a kid, there was only one toy I wanted and never found; Marvel ToyBiz Sunspot...but I eventually found it for a dollar at a yard sale in my mid-to-late teens. The toy industry is no longer about making money and getting toys into kids' hands. It's about what 1 of 50 action figure can be scooped up by one of us so we can brag on social media and forums such as these. I have personally reached the point in my collecting where digging through $3 bins at toy conventions and flea markets is the most rewarding thing; finding that random little treasure from your childhood that you had totally forgotten existed. WWE figure collecting especially is just no longer enjoyable. Bless y'all on your hunts! |
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localtalent
Mid-Carder
Joined on: Apr 18, 2023 8:49:54 GMT -5
Posts: 207
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Post by localtalent on Jul 26, 2024 7:39:15 GMT -5
The Superstars line is the only one I hunt for in the wild, and that's not fun at all. I'm very close to just giving up on actively looking for them. I know that's not a new or shocking statement, but it really has sucked all the fun out of it for me. I'm lucky that I can get the Coliseum Collection and golden era Ultimates pre-ordered online with no problem, but it's not the same.
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Post by Flair Forever on Jul 26, 2024 7:48:34 GMT -5
So I've noticed lately that I'm probably not the only one feeling anxiety over trying to score that one magical case of Monday night wars elites or ultimates from all walmarts in my area. Or trying to be there when a shipper shows up before it is picked through. I've seen comments from others here using a lot of emotions...stress, pressure, frustration that a box could be available at any given walmart on a random day or time... My wife who has been really cool about my collecting habits has called me out this week in my attempts to find a summerslam shipper. I came home later than usual to trek to an out of the way Walmart after work and left an hour early to hit a different walmart the opposite direction of work. She feels I've gone overboard trying to stumble upon figures. And it does make you realize the craziness when you hear it from someone who is not on this board. So where's the line between fun healthy hobby and something causing unhealthy anxiety or frustration that is eating up too much of your time or money? As someone who has been buying toys since the 80s, I have never felt more disillusioned with the toy buying experience of today. Exclusive this and scalper that, you just can't easily get what you want anymore. As a kid, there was only one toy I wanted and never found; Marvel ToyBiz Sunspot...but I eventually found it for a dollar at a yard sale in my mid-to-late teens. The toy industry is no longer about making money and getting toys into kids' hands. It's about what 1 of 50 action figure can be scooped up by one of us so we can brag on social media and forums such as these. I have personally reached the point in my collecting where digging through $3 bins at toy conventions and flea markets is the most rewarding thing; finding that random little treasure from your childhood that you had totally forgotten existed. WWE figure collecting especially is just no longer enjoyable. Bless y'all on your hunts! I just miss the days of walking into KB Toys and seeing an entire aisle of WWE stuff.... rifling through the pegs to see what I could find.... always found stuff I hadn't seen before. And the biggest problem then was budgeting - I wanted to buy a whole lot of what I saw but I had to pick & choose because I was a teenager without a lot of money. These days? I'm impressed if the Walmart or Target pegs have anything on them at all, but I'm mostly annoyed because they almost never do. Walking in and seeing completely empty pegs has become the norm. So I might try to order stuff online, but we have "presales" that run out in two minutes or less..... and PreOrders that get cancelled without explanation. We'll never have those "Golden 90's" again but man those were good times. |
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mrh
Main Eventer
Joined on: Sept 1, 2018 0:11:53 GMT -5
Posts: 3,465
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Post by mrh on Jul 26, 2024 21:36:39 GMT -5
I only collect Retros (at least until they keep making mostly or half Modern guys).
I will say, I am so glad I can reliably buy these online. I don't know if I'd collect if I had to go to so many stores looking for them.
For me, if I really want a figure, I don't have thrill of the chase. That's only for something I wouldn't care that much about. I'd rather have a guarantee delivery than the excitement of finding it -- esp. given how hard it is to find.
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jesusramiro93
Mid-Carder
Joined on: Aug 16, 2022 16:42:51 GMT -5
Posts: 282
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Post by jesusramiro93 on Aug 1, 2024 9:06:53 GMT -5
I regularly hunt locally however this past year its become really annoying task, specially with the MNW line) because employees aren't much help (don't fault them) when looking up a product since most figures now pop-up as part of the line instead of individual listings, sometimes there isn't even a date they can give when it may be available, or sometimes its just one case and that's it.
I had 0 issues finding the RA wave (except Wave 4 with Bischoff), all of them stocked plenty even if just for one round. This MNW line its been a pain, specially with the shipper, I have 4-5 Walmarts and Targets I frequent and that shipper only made it to 2 Walmarts with barely any MNW figs, no Chases of course. Found all of them but RVD, which I had to buy off evilBay (for a good price really) but the feeling of having to resource to the secondary market and overpay for a figure just to complete a set really made me feel like collecting had jumped the shark for me.
Long story short, the reward of being a 'completist' over finding stuff for retail at your local store is not worth it for me, finding stuff locally at the toy aisle on a random trip to Walmart/Target is part of the nostalgia factor that makes this hobby so great and pleasant for me. Moving forward, I'm gonna be a little more selective with my choices and try to stick to local findings and retail value or relay on trades instead of overpaying on the secondary market unless absolutely necessary.
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Gomez
Jobber
Joined on: Jul 3, 2023 9:54:37 GMT -5
Posts: 26 
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Post by Gomez on Aug 1, 2024 11:03:23 GMT -5
It's rough out there, haha.
I lucked out and found a fresh Walmart shipper a few weeks ago but it only had Wave 2, no Wave 3 MNW figures -- which were the ones I wanted. It was loaded with other stuff too. I went back yesterday to look and it was just about gone. And that was the first time I've ever caught a fresh shipment.
I doubt I'll get that lucky for wave 3.
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Post by RSCTom on Aug 1, 2024 14:42:32 GMT -5
Being selective is important and making sure you're not feeling anxious or affecting your life outside of your hobby is important, just as with anything else.
Obviously I am in a different position than most everyone with this but for me it can be even more overwhelming as I need some 'space' from wrestling figures in particular and I take it when I can get it. I am extremely selective about what I do and don't keep and this is what I typically suggest to people who are feeling overwhelmed. You don't have to be a completist and you don't need absolutely everything. Enjoy what you enjoy about it.
The one time I felt myself going too far was before RSC even began for me and when the original Mattel 'Movie Masters' came out and I was pretty hyped at the idea of getting Batman movie figures so, 1 to 2 months post college graduation I was regularly getting up early to try and 'beat scalpers' to Wal-Mart to try and get them, never found them and just kind of realized I didn't like the fact that I was wasting time on them. When I did eventually get them in hand I was disappointed with the level of detail and it evolved into trying to 'level up' their paint jobs...another indicator for myself that I was going too far.
This has rarely happened to me since...here and there when I first started at RSC in the Jakks days (if you ever go back and look at some of that stuff I was obsessed with custom figures) I was trying to customize and do this and that and basically cater my collection to myself in an over-the-top way but I was quick to curb that behavior when I just check myself with the fact that as fun of a hobby as it is, toys are toys and action figures are action figures.
Definitely remind yourself of those types of checks on a regular basis if you have to and if you feel like you're not having fun or you're making people around you uneasy...or that your stress is noticeable, it's time to stop and reassess what would work best.
Side note, I waited in line this year begrudgingly for the SDCC Playmates TMNT which is something I can't remember the last time I did, if ever, and it was every bit as annoying as I imagined it would be. There really isn't a world where I wouldn't just order what I want online but I knew those would double in price immediately so I stuck it out even though this is the busiest work year we have perhaps ever had at the event. Had I gotten to the end of the line and they were sold out I may have absolutely snapped, but thankfully I secured a set.
Don't overdo it! Any of it!
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