Ishi Tib
New Recruit
------------------------------- ANALYZE THIS
Running out of room AGAIN and with "Attack of the Clones" just around the corner, I'm being forced, ONE MORE TIME, to rearrange my Star Wars room. The thought of such time consuming task in front of me plus the "déjà vu" feeling I get from this repetition of events, has driven me into putting my thoughts in writing and delivering you what follows. Your own thoughts on this subject will for sure be very interesting to know.
Have you ever stopped to analyze how big of an addiction to collecting Star Wars memorabilia you have?
How strong is your anxiety when feeling the need of having the latest figures?
Have you found yourself running out of room while your collecting keeps getting bigger and bigger?
Notice I call Collecting an Addiction since in many instances the hobby shows the symptoms of one. Here are a couple of examples which I believe many of us have felt:
ANXIETY: when looking for those nicely sculpts which seem to have been popping up everywhere but your own hometown.
COMPULSIVE BEHAVIOR: when the physiollogical/mentally need for a certain toy drives many of us into paying ridiculous amounts of cash at an auction or toy show and even sometimes, unequally trading.
BUT...
Is collecting really an addiction we are subject to or is it an incredible overwhelming feeling of possession and happiness we seek and find?
If in fact collecting could be called an addiction... isn't this the greatest addiction anyone could have?
-It does not poison our brains nor it kills our brain cells
-When done wisely, it does not hurt our families
-It does not make us cheat on our loved ones
-It does not make one steal
It is in fact true we are getting hooked on a habit forming pattern, just as with a drug: Find, Buy, Use BUT, it is only bringing to ourselves clean, pure pleasure and fulfilling us with happiness.
I believe every one of us views collecting from a different angle and in fact there are different reasons driving us into collecting. One thing is certain, sooner or later we all show "the symptoms" of this "addiction."
Here is the "progression" of mine or should I say ... "experience with mine."
Personally, I have been collecting Star Wars figures for seven years. I'm an "opener" but also a "mint in the package" collector. My collection room, what I once thought was a big empty space to lay out my toys has turn in many instances, into a "smaller than a bread box" space, finding myself very often needing to move things around in order create room for more stuff.
Setting the clock back to 1995 when I got my first Luke Skywalker figure, I remember myself just wanting to collect in the package main characters and only one version of each ...HA! that idea lasted very shortly.
I found myself one day, buried in my thoughts, trying to give an answer to a pounding question in my head: "How good is it to buy all these toys if I never get to open them, pose them, play around with them?" Since I felt yet so strong about keeping the figures in their mint cards in their original unopened state, I offered the most logical answer to my question: "..BUY DOUBLES!" and so I did and always have, ever since.
By the time Episode I was released in 1999, I had two closets top to bottom, packed up with "my drug."
When I purchased my home on April of that same year and a very dimensionally strategic room was assigned to me by my wife, I found myself for some time building a wall to wall wooden Wall Unit using lights and glass shelves to accommodate my priceless plastic treasures. When finished, the time came to liberate every figure and vehicle from their cardboard and plastic cells.. WHAT A JOY THAT WAS!
Another "symptom of my addiction" was unleashed that glorious "Midnight Madness" night when the Episode I figures were released nation wide. I headed to the stores with $100.00 in my pocket BUT lucky for me, I had brought along my little plastic square friend, my credit card. When the "madness" ended that night, I headed back home with a total purchase of $950.00 and the pride of being interviewed for a local TV channel.
Throughout the years, I have been able to buy three life-size characters: Anakin, Yoda and Watto, most of the 12" sets packed with a beast, every single carded figure, deluxe figure, beast pack, vehicles, original posters; I have customized figures, created dioramas, gone on hunting trips as far as 4 hours driving time from home and visited up to 8 different stores a day 5 times a week looking for the toys.
Two years ago I found enough courage to sit down with my wife and go only through the retail value of my entire collection; the grand total came very close to $10,000.00! Needless to say, my poor wife almost had to be rushed to the hospital with a heart attack.
My son who is now two and a half years old, knows by heart all the names of the bounty hunters and several other characters. He watches the movies almost daily and all of this thanks to his daddy's "addictive teachings" of the films and his "addiction" to a hobby which unifies and brings out the best from every one of us.
Today the feeling collecting brings feels as strong in me as it first did 7 years ago but time and experience have taught me that patience and moderation need to be applied to collecting. Both attitudes will pay you back with great results, allowing for your pockets to carry the cash they were intended to have and therefore always having it available to get that most desirable toy.
How big is your addiction?...
How much passion for the hobby burns in your heart?...
How did it all start for you?...
Your turn is up. let others know!
Ishi Tib
Running out of room AGAIN and with "Attack of the Clones" just around the corner, I'm being forced, ONE MORE TIME, to rearrange my Star Wars room. The thought of such time consuming task in front of me plus the "déjà vu" feeling I get from this repetition of events, has driven me into putting my thoughts in writing and delivering you what follows. Your own thoughts on this subject will for sure be very interesting to know.
Have you ever stopped to analyze how big of an addiction to collecting Star Wars memorabilia you have?
How strong is your anxiety when feeling the need of having the latest figures?
Have you found yourself running out of room while your collecting keeps getting bigger and bigger?
Notice I call Collecting an Addiction since in many instances the hobby shows the symptoms of one. Here are a couple of examples which I believe many of us have felt:
ANXIETY: when looking for those nicely sculpts which seem to have been popping up everywhere but your own hometown.
COMPULSIVE BEHAVIOR: when the physiollogical/mentally need for a certain toy drives many of us into paying ridiculous amounts of cash at an auction or toy show and even sometimes, unequally trading.
BUT...
Is collecting really an addiction we are subject to or is it an incredible overwhelming feeling of possession and happiness we seek and find?
If in fact collecting could be called an addiction... isn't this the greatest addiction anyone could have?
-It does not poison our brains nor it kills our brain cells
-When done wisely, it does not hurt our families
-It does not make us cheat on our loved ones
-It does not make one steal
It is in fact true we are getting hooked on a habit forming pattern, just as with a drug: Find, Buy, Use BUT, it is only bringing to ourselves clean, pure pleasure and fulfilling us with happiness.
I believe every one of us views collecting from a different angle and in fact there are different reasons driving us into collecting. One thing is certain, sooner or later we all show "the symptoms" of this "addiction."
Here is the "progression" of mine or should I say ... "experience with mine."
Personally, I have been collecting Star Wars figures for seven years. I'm an "opener" but also a "mint in the package" collector. My collection room, what I once thought was a big empty space to lay out my toys has turn in many instances, into a "smaller than a bread box" space, finding myself very often needing to move things around in order create room for more stuff.
Setting the clock back to 1995 when I got my first Luke Skywalker figure, I remember myself just wanting to collect in the package main characters and only one version of each ...HA! that idea lasted very shortly.
I found myself one day, buried in my thoughts, trying to give an answer to a pounding question in my head: "How good is it to buy all these toys if I never get to open them, pose them, play around with them?" Since I felt yet so strong about keeping the figures in their mint cards in their original unopened state, I offered the most logical answer to my question: "..BUY DOUBLES!" and so I did and always have, ever since.
By the time Episode I was released in 1999, I had two closets top to bottom, packed up with "my drug."
When I purchased my home on April of that same year and a very dimensionally strategic room was assigned to me by my wife, I found myself for some time building a wall to wall wooden Wall Unit using lights and glass shelves to accommodate my priceless plastic treasures. When finished, the time came to liberate every figure and vehicle from their cardboard and plastic cells.. WHAT A JOY THAT WAS!
Another "symptom of my addiction" was unleashed that glorious "Midnight Madness" night when the Episode I figures were released nation wide. I headed to the stores with $100.00 in my pocket BUT lucky for me, I had brought along my little plastic square friend, my credit card. When the "madness" ended that night, I headed back home with a total purchase of $950.00 and the pride of being interviewed for a local TV channel.
Throughout the years, I have been able to buy three life-size characters: Anakin, Yoda and Watto, most of the 12" sets packed with a beast, every single carded figure, deluxe figure, beast pack, vehicles, original posters; I have customized figures, created dioramas, gone on hunting trips as far as 4 hours driving time from home and visited up to 8 different stores a day 5 times a week looking for the toys.
Two years ago I found enough courage to sit down with my wife and go only through the retail value of my entire collection; the grand total came very close to $10,000.00! Needless to say, my poor wife almost had to be rushed to the hospital with a heart attack.
My son who is now two and a half years old, knows by heart all the names of the bounty hunters and several other characters. He watches the movies almost daily and all of this thanks to his daddy's "addictive teachings" of the films and his "addiction" to a hobby which unifies and brings out the best from every one of us.
Today the feeling collecting brings feels as strong in me as it first did 7 years ago but time and experience have taught me that patience and moderation need to be applied to collecting. Both attitudes will pay you back with great results, allowing for your pockets to carry the cash they were intended to have and therefore always having it available to get that most desirable toy.
How big is your addiction?...
How much passion for the hobby burns in your heart?...
How did it all start for you?...
Your turn is up. let others know!
Ishi Tib
