It' just not fair! (1 Viewer)

[boot51]

Three and half weeks ago I while looking in a section of ebay I had never looked at before, toy soldiers, I saw an auction for the K&C winter tiger. It was love at first sight, I had to have one. Now, less than four weeks later I've spent enough to fund an IRA or take a nice vacation somewhere sunny and warm ( please don't let my wife read this). As if that's not bad enough, New Model Army decides to come out with a mortar set that looks fanastic and Honour Bound is about to release three (yes three) awesome looking panthers that any self respecting collector couldn't resist and both have promised big things to come......it's just.... not..... fair!

Fred

 

[jazzeum]

Gee, we all feel for you.

 

[sceic2]

Three and half weeks ago I while looking in a section of ebay I had never looked at before, toy soldiers, I saw an auction for the K&C winter tiger. It was love at first sight, I had to have one. Now, less than four weeks later I've spent enough to fund an IRA or take a nice vacation somewhere sunny and warm ( please don't let my wife read this). As if that's not bad enough, New Model Army decides to come out with a mortar set that looks fanastic and Honour Bound is about to release three (yes three) awesome looking panthers that any self respecting collector couldn't resist and both have promised big things to come......it's just.... not..... fair! Fred

Dear Fred,
If you think this is a problem now, just wait until all of the promised figures, vehicles, accessories and all the other stuff on this forum come out. I hope that reality matches rhetoric (that comment is for all of you manufacturers out there in Toysoldierainna).

Because of the cost and the expanding variety of items and the speed at which they are released and then retired, I have had to make some disappointing choices. I really like WWII collectables. They are very pleasing to my eye. Then I discovered the K&C Napoleonic series and all hope for collecting other time periods was lost.

You would have to know me to understand why. Basically, I am the living example of the male condition called "more is better." I don't just collect, I amass. I just ordered my 1,000th K&C Napoleonic/Del Prado figure and I have only been collecting them for about 8 or 9 months. Pete and Shannon got me started when I traded some extra DD sets and thought I would just see what all the excitement about Napoleonics was. I was hooked.

I have now passed on all vehicles and men from WWII. I have watched some of them sell for 2 or 3 times their initial prices on eBay and have a sinking feeling in my stomach. Not just from the loss of potiental money to buy more soldiers, but from the fact that if I wanted to buy them in the future, what are they going to cost, a second mortgage - each?

But the up side to this problem, if you can call it that, is that with all of the wonderful changes in the hobby (more manufacturers, greater quality of products, and a greater variety of products) our selection choices are much better and much more individualized for our own collecting periods.

After finding a problem, I like to try and find an up-side to it, otherwise with my personality (obsessive complusive is for beginners) all hope would truely be lost. Michael

 

[jazzeum]

All kidding aside, I think what we spend on these collectibles can be a real concern. From my perspective, I do need to monitor what I spend so it doesn't impact other parts of our lives in a negative way. There is a limit to what we can spend and also to a limit to what our spouses will tolerate. It's a fine line in certain respects. I am fortunate in that I have amassed 95% of what I want to get in retired items so that I bid on a few things that I "need" but am more interested in spending money on the newer items. That is where speculation on items that may go up in the future comes in. I haven't done that yet although I have committed to purchase one additional Greif.

 

[boot51]

Don't get me wrong guys, I'm really not complaining, I love this stuff. It's just difficult getting caught up with all the recently retired items not to mention what's currently available. Right now I have no intention of going any farther back than a few months as far as the retired items go, any more than that and the prices are out of control. Besides, from what I've heard, the quality and detail has been improved so much over the past couple of years, even though they're bring big bucks, the older pieces can be rather crude in comparison. There's so many current pieces available that I like I don't know where to begin and how do you know what's going to be retired next?
Then there's that urge to buy more than one piece, not for speculation, but for a more realistic battle scene. I'm sure you guys that collect the Napoleonics buy several of the same figure for that reason and others and from what I've heard it took about 7 or 8 Shermans to knock out a Tiger or Panther, which in turn hunted in three's and on and on. Not to mention that excessive compulsive thing and "the more is better" theory that Michael brought up. My wife won't do any house cleaning any more because she says I'll just follow her around and do it over. She's right, I am that Type-A , but that's too much information. Anyway, I'm having a great time with this K&C thing and hope all the manufactures in this scale keep coming out with more and more awesome pieces for me to find a way to buy.

Fred

 

[Flammenpanzer]

I know the feeling. I originally started on just the Afrika Korps and then started to get the other theaters. I am thinking of selling off all my sets and go back to just the Afrika Korps series. The winter Tiger is sweet, I went crazy and bought 8 I wished they increased in value as fast as some other sets, my Afrika Korps would be really outfitted then.

 

[Njja]

I know the feeling. I originally started on just the Afrika Korps and then started to get the other theaters. I am thinking of selling off all my sets and go back to just the Afrika Korps series. The winter Tiger is sweet, I went crazy and bought 8 I wished they increased in value as fast as some other sets, my Afrika Korps would be really outfitted then.

Oh My God!!!

Aren't you terrified of being labeled an "Investor"????

I admire your courage! It brought me back to the Forum!

Good for you, and don't worry about your investment the

Winter Tigers are bringing $325+

Njja

 

[Leadmen]

NJJA- Glad to see you are posting on forumn. Missed your insights on products and knowledge of e-bay. Leadmen

 

[Flammenpanzer]

I wish I had the money to be an investor. I wanted some for my collection, so I preordered from several different dealers by accident. That is the problem with preorders and not having a database of what you own, you get doubles or more some times.