Collecting Stuff is for Idiots - convince me otherwise

[David]

I took the rather mental step a few years back of basically throwing 90% of what I had collected over the years away. I'm not just talking about "collections" either, I'm talking about everything. Clothes, shoes, old games consoles, even my car. Obviously by "throwing away" I mean a combination of the bin, charity shops and selling on eBay etc. The car went to someone with a dog and kids who needed it more than me as their car was a money pit. The look on their face when I just handed them the keys and the documents was priceless.

My parents and friends thought I was insane, and I even had my own doubts along the way, but honestly, I'm much happier now.

I have a wardrobe of clothes that is much smaller, but consists of quality items that I wear more frequently. I have my laptop, my hard drives, a firestick, iPad and suchlike, all of which I use on an almost daily basis.

I also spend a whole lot less these days on crap as well, and have instead funnelled that money into experiences instead, like going trips and shit like that.

Anyway, just thought I'd throw that in there. 

[PunkStep]

I can't believe @Gus Mearshas outed himself as my dead nan by admitting his thimble collection. Fucking hell, he'll be getting a blue rinse next.

Do you know what's REALLY cool? Collecting Funko Pops! Look at them, they're so awesome! They're little caricature models of your favourite Comic Con stars!*

*They're fucking wank

[DEF]

6 hours ago, PunkStep said:

I can't believe @Gus Mearshas outed himself as my dead nan by admitting his thimble collection. Fucking hell, he'll be getting a blue rinse next.

Do you know what's REALLY cool? Collecting Funko Pops! Look at them, they're so awesome! They're little caricature models of your favourite Comic Con stars!*

*They're fucking wank

I like Pop's. I have a few. They seem to be be extremely polarising. You either love them or like yourself you hate them. I'm intrigued as to why. I feel like probably in the same way some like the caricature nature of Pop's it just inherently winds up others.

For me though the opportunity to own fun toys of The Shining, Baywatch and Bill & Ted makes them ok by me.

[WyattSheepMask]

We’ve got a few, but we’re far from being collectors. But if Batman, Negan, Buddy the Elf, Joy & Sadness from Inside Out and One Punch Man arn’t there to protect the bookshelf, who else is going to do it

[Keith Houchen]

I don't see the attraction in Funko pops, but the sexy Jeff Goldblum one is ace.

[wordsfromlee]

20 hours ago, DEF said:

Now this intrigues me. To be clear, they are other people's shopping lists whom you don't know? If so that's both slightly sinister and weirdly interesting. I would have to put them in some sort of order and put them in books so you can browse them at your leisure. Then sooner or later I'd have to make some stats up.

Yep, all other peoples discarded shopping lists.

 

18 hours ago, Chest Rockwell said:

That sounds like the kind of thing that would get considered a piece of art of some sort, and you'd see an interview about it in the paper, and then they'd get collected and published in a coffee table book.

I've had a couple of mates say that I should make it into a coffee table-style book but I haven't got the first clue about how to do that. I have been thinking about photographing each one and posting in on a blog/instagram account.

Here is a picture of a bunch of the collection. Well over 200 of them now. I haven't counted how many for a long time though.

 

My favourite one is this one:

[Chest Rockwell]

14 hours ago, DEF said:

I like Pop's. I have a few. They seem to be be extremely polarising. You either love them or like yourself you hate them. I'm intrigued as to why. I feel like probably in the same way some like the caricature nature of Pop's it just inherently winds up others. 

I think they are a totem for the whole modern day geek culture identity. So if you hate that then you hate them. They also seem like a pretty cynical cash grab, because they make them for such a wide range of stuff, they're not connected with any of the love of real fandom for a particular thing.

[wordsfromlee]

Plus they all look exactly the same to they're piss easy for them to knock one up in 5 minutes when something starts to go viral. I much prefer the Vinyl Idolz that Funko do. I don't have any because I'm not obsessed with the Marvel Universe or watch Big Bang Theory but I prefer them over the Pop ones.

[Bellenda Carlisle]

I hate Funko Pops with a passion, I'm a hardcore toy collector but pops are just an abomination, I have no idea why with all the choice out there of amazing sculpts and different nuanced styles of collectible people would choose to fill their shelves with the most bland, soullessly designed identical pieces of shit.

[Harry Wiseau]

17 hours ago, wordsfromlee said:

Yep, all other peoples discarded shopping lists

 

You could spend hours reading those, I like how some items are brand specific - pork farms pork pie - and other (most) items are vague - stir-fry - my favourite item you can see on that picture just says "etc" as if to say "come on Dave, the usual stuff, you buy it every week you don't a fucking list, do you?" 

[W35ty]

On 8/3/2018 at 10:36 AM, PunkStep said:

I can't believe @Gus Mearshas outed himself as my dead nan by admitting his thimble collection. Fucking hell, he'll be getting a blue rinse next.

Do you know what's REALLY cool? Collecting Funko Pops! Look at them, they're so awesome! They're little caricature models of your favourite Comic Con stars!*

*They're fucking wank

I have 30+ of these.

[Really Big Shoe]

On 8/4/2018 at 12:13 PM, Ralphy said:

I do not collect anything, mostly due to lack of money, and space to store/display the stuff. I would love a boxed hasbro collection, or to collect mega drive games. I enjoy looking at other peoples collections on youtube, but i always think to myself, how else could that money of been spent on better, more worthwhile, usable things or life experiences. I feel for them if they have to move and box everything up, i couldn't be bothered personally! 

With collecting Mega Drive games maybe just pick up ones which you're interested in. Collecting a full Mega Drive/Genesis set is fine for completists but Id imagine they have games they wouldn't even play. 

With the boxed Hasbros I think certain non English cards are cheaper & easier to find but for a full set finding Series 11 on card would be real tough & expensive. Maybe picking up a loose collection is a better option but if you wanted a full set even loose Series 11 figures aren't cheap especially if they've been professionally graded.

[Merzbow]

My one and only Funko Pop is a dead lass wrapped in plastic, surprised they ever released that as the figures seemed to be marketed more towards kids.

[IANdrewDiceClay]

I've tried, but I just dont have it in me. I usually get sick of looking at it and get rid. I'm the type of person who couldnt even finish a page in a sticker book, let alone collect stuff.

[PunkStep]

3 hours ago, Merzbow said:

My one and only Funko Pop is a dead lass wrapped in plastic, surprised they ever released that as the figures seemed to be marketed more towards kids.

What on earth did you buy there, a Laura Palmer collectable??