Always Focused on That Next Purchase

I still have unopened figures from a couple years ago. I have the attention span of a gnat some days, and once I get focused on something, I tend to hyper focus for a bit, and then get bored and move on. Oh, I’ll return eventually, but it’s usually a long time down the road. Plus, I’m lazy AF. If I feel something might take longer than a few minutes to do, I tend to put it off.

The clothing… yeah, the prices for this stuff is insane. I spend more on freaking doll clothes than I do crap for me to actually wear 98% of the time. I need more Western clothing and gear, but I just got done buying two boxed figures that came to nearly $900, have 3 other boxed figures (2 I’ve already paid for, and waiting on a 3rd to come in) that amount to another $1000, and paid almost $1500 for clothes, accessories, and head sculpts for Western stuff. I’m also eyeing another $1000 worth of stuff to continue getting heads, clothing and accessories for more. This hobby can get insane in an instant.

Melancholia wrote:I've spent thousands in the last few months, since I just discovered collecting 1/6 figures and everything I see is new to me....well not anymore, I've bought everything I wanted and spent a great deal of our savings.  I had to buckle down and slow up on my spending.  One thing is I feel like the manufacturers of 1/6 clothing are laughing at me for buying overpriced items made of the cheapest, lowest quality materials they can find.  I started to feel a bit embarassed at being a sucker and purchasing this junk.  I'm also a little insulted but have noone to blame but me.  Always chasing that dopemine rush at buying something new, and the rush disappears minutes after recieving said item.  Oh, and the realization that preorder dates of release are always so far off that it takes a year to release an item that has an initial release estimate of a month or so.  So wish I would have known this sooner...  Oh the agony!

I think I may be a few months ahead of you, but we seem to be on the same continuum.  I could have written that same post, almost word for word, not that long ago.

My purchasing was definitely a coping mechanism, but I was well aware of that at the time.  My one saving grace is that I paid for everything in “cash”.  I didn’t incur consumer debt or dip into our savings to fund my purchases.   However, in retrospect, a lot of that money would have been much better spent elsewhere.

I’ve slowed WAY down.  The only 1/6 figures I’ve bought in the last several months are the Hot Toys Arkham knight Batgirl, and the Hot Toys Wonder Woman 1984 which is due out sometime this summer and is on a layaway plan with Sideshow.  (One more payment to go!)

Now that I’ve been through a full cycle and can be fairly objective, I personally consider 1/6 to be a terrible value overall.  A lot of that can be attributed to being a collector and not an artist.  Creativity seems be where people here get the most enjoyment, and therefore the most value, out of the hobby.  Unfortunately, when they were handing out creativity, I was waiting in line for my third pint of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream.

An exercise that really helped me when I was where you’re at now was to sit back and take inventory of everything I had purchased.  What did I regret buying (about 30%), what would I buy again (about 30%) and what fell somewhere in between (about 40%)?

It’s helped me to differentiate between what looks good during preorders, what looks good in hand, and what will still look good six months from now. In turn, that’s helped me to control my spending and buy smarter.

I don't have it with figures. I've got about 6 1:6 figures, in 1:12 I've got more, but that's mainly because of my Girls and Panzer figures (11).

I do have it with 1:6 clothes though. I've got a bunch of clothes I haven't used yet.

Regarding the overpriced but cheap quality clothing: This is why I decided to either a) make my own 1/6 clothing, or b) purchase 1/6 scale clothing mainly from skilled craftspeople (rather than the mass-produced stuff which may or may not be of dubious quality). I figure that if I'm going to spend ££ on what is essentially doll clothes, I might as well aim for the higher quality stuff. My current method is to search Etsy for custom or handmade Obitsu, Made-to-Move Barbie, or other types of fashion doll clothing. However, it does take some trial and error to figure out what fits and what doesn't.

The thing that I find I have no choice regarding, however, are shoes and boots. The mass produced ones can be overpriced, but custom ones are usually too far out of my price range. So for those, I do tend to just the readily available ones from AliExpress and Ebay.

When starting out in this hobby, one does tend to learn the hard way. I remember when I first started I wasted so much money on cheap bodies, not realising it would have been better to just pay a little extra for the better quality ones.

I still have 4 boxes unopened. For a short amount of time I had more money coming in and I spent it all on figures. "Can always sell them again", which turns out to take longer than I thought (trying to avoid Ebay for now).

And now I'm thinking I don't want to work extra just to fill my rooms with figures. I'd rather work less. That's what I'm doing, so I'm having to cut down on the purchases and am acknowledging a few rushed choices.

My weakness is head sculpts. I have about 20 that I'll never use. And I've been meaning to make boots myself, but keep buying more in the meantime.

Early this year I was seriously considering giving up this hobby to free up time for other creative pursuits. Then came the offer of joining the admin team, which I took as a sign to stick with the hobby and start getting creative with it. Sadly I'm still waiting for that workspace to materialize. I was supposed to get it in May, but the current occupant isn't leaving... Another solution is on the horizon though. Just... Time.

I want to make boots and sculpt and/or paint head sculpts.

TBL hits me where I'm weak though. Spartan Army Commander, Amazon Soldier and now Mohegan. Resistance is futile.

Diana wrote:

Early this year I was seriously considering giving up this hobby to free up time for other creative pursuits. Then came the offer of joining the admin team, which I took as a sign to stick with the hobby and start getting creative with it. Sadly I'm still waiting for that workspace to materialize. I was supposed to get it in May, but the current occupant isn't leaving... Another solution is on the horizon though. Just... Time.

Other creative oursuits? I think you mean in ADDITION to 1/6     
I'm glad you remain in the hobby and I'm sure you will find the time for your projects. One doesn't need to commit any free minute on 1/6 some breaks are okay for other things (like eating and sleeping) 
And yeah selling is a bit problematic, at least for non hot toysfigures. Also got some stuff nobody really wants on the offer list but often things I don't want too little for otherwise I would rather scrap them into pieces for projects..

Diana wrote:My weakness is head sculpts. I have about 20 that I'll never use. And I've been meaning to make boots myself, but keep buying more in the meantime.

I'm currently having the opposite problem --- I've missed out on so many headsculpts I really wanted. So if you ever want to get rid of any, let me know which ones. (I'm kind of broke atm, but would be interested once I can afford. ;p )

Diana wrote:My weakness is head sculpts. I have about 20 that I'll never use. And I've been meaning to make boots myself, but keep buying more in the meantime.

Early this year I was seriously considering giving up this hobby to free up time for other creative pursuits. Then came the offer of joining the admin team, which I took as a sign to stick with the hobby and start getting creative with it. Sadly I'm still waiting for that workspace to materialize. I was supposed to get it in May, but the current occupant isn't leaving... Another solution is on the horizon though. Just... Time.

You and me both -- except I have tons more head sculpts that I will (probably) never use. I don't say to brag, but to indicate I've made poorer choices. Well, there is always hope.

Don't even think of giving up this hobby! You know it makes you happy. And your presence and participation here makes us happy.

You know what they say, time heals all wounds...

This certainly rings a bell or two.

Spoiler:

I don't have unopened figures though. Everything gets opened the day it arrives, and I strive to run an intro photo session the same day - unless it's "pile of loot" type of shipment or multiple orders arriving at the same time, in which case I stagger photo sessions over several days.

But even as I do so (or, oftentimes, before), I always find myself thinking of the next figure that I absolutely need to have in order to complete the team or become a natural adversary of the one I'm currently shooting, or some accessory to touch up the look or to upgrade it, or that one brush which will surely help me finish that piece...  Always one change away from making ourselves complete.

I also have an evergrowing stockpile of accessories - these often end up unused or reserved for when that other thing arrives, which may happen literally in a few months, by which time I'll cool down to the initial idea (or maybe what I envisioned didn't work in practice).

I'm not sure how I feel about it, however. It definitely gets my brain running and helps it switch context from work-related and other mundane stuff. And most of frustration is caused by long preorder wait times/delays and artificial scarcity (Mezco, sigh).
I just find it irrational that the thing I've been waiting for just yesterday ends up on the outskirts of my attention immediately once I get it, and I don't like being irrational.
Still, even if spice ceases to flow right now, I have so much stuff to enjoy. And if it keeps flowing, it'll just bring more joy, whether it's irrational or not.

skywalkersaga wrote:I've missed out on so many headsculpts I really wanted. So if you ever want to get rid of any, let me know which ones. (I'm kind of broke atm, but would be interested once I can afford. ;p )

I've been meaning to take inventory. If there is anything you want I'm sure we can figure something out.

GubernatorFan wrote:Don't even think of giving up this hobby! You know it makes you happy. And your presence and participation here makes us happy.

No worries. I'm sticking around. I love this place too much.

This thread is just so very relatable

I've slowed down quite a bit cosidering the awful feelings of guilt and anxiety I get when I look at my figures, vs. the enjoyment I SHOULD be getting. I put the item or items in a cart and leave them there for a couple of days before purchasing them. I usually end up deleting 3/4 of what I have in the cart. Also, I've been starting to find other hobbies, like diamond painting, which takes up a lot of my spare time that I'd usually spend perusing Aliexpress for 1/6 items, and diamond painting costs next to nothing after buying the initial tools, which are also inexpensive.

That method of letting the items rest in the basket for a few days is a great method. Doing that requires quite some discipline already. You might be able to filter the items you really want and save a lot of money. Keep at it, it seems you identified some issues early on.

I realized early that all people collecting 1/6 are bananas in some kind of way, no exception. We could also call this place onesixtherapy. Most of us are too far gone but we can lead a quiet and peaceful life with the right methods.

I mostly stopped buying stuff that is not heads or bodies. This year it was six bodies, three heads and a jacket. For a while, instead of browsing ebay I browsed for free 3d models I could print. It's much cheaper haha, and I can still collect clutter I might not need.

Btw is there some kind of 'show your chaos/boxes/work area' kind of thread already? It's a lot of boxes on the floor with me. On the one hand super chaotic and on the other very organized in a system only I can understand.

Ovy wrote: Btw is there some kind of 'show your chaos/boxes/work area' kind of thread already?

If there's not, there should be! Share the shame!

Melancholia wrote:I put the item or items in a cart and leave them there for a couple of days before purchasing  them.  I usually end up deleting 3/4 of what I have in the cart.

I do this, too. More often than not, I delete everything; then, like an idiot, add what’s still available back again, and repeat the process.

Stryker2011 wrote:

Melancholia wrote:I put the item or items in a cart and leave them there for a couple of days before purchasing  them.  I usually end up deleting 3/4 of what I have in the cart.

I do this, too. More often than not, I delete everything; then, like an idiot, add what’s still available back again, and repeat the process.

I still have hundreds of items in my shopping carts on Ebay, AliExpress, and Etsy. But I almost never actually buy any of it these days, only as a rare treat. ;p

I only discovered 1/6 figures 6 months ago, I didn't even know they existed before that. After I skittishly purchased my first figure and saw how cool it was there was no stopping.



I was especially amazed at the clothes, and the tiny fully functional zippers and buckles.

My second purchase was also great value:



It came with so many accessories and even a mini diorama. I love it.

Now I can't stop buying stuff, and admittedly I made some purchases I was less than satisfied with. I always plan to lay off new purchases for a few months, but then end up breaking that wow every time within a few weeks at most. Which is not great considering how expensive some of the figures are.

But sometimes there are deals you can't pass up. Like when I got an original boxed phicen body for $10 from no other than a sex shop.

m76 wrote:I only discovered 1/6 figures 6 months ago, I didn't even know they existed before that. After I skittishly purchased my first figure and saw how cool it was there was no stopping.



I was especially amazed at the clothes, and the tiny fully functional zippers and buckles.

My second purchase was also great value:



It came with so many accessories and even a mini diorama. I love it.

Now I can't stop buying stuff, and admittedly I made some purchases I was less than satisfied with. I always plan to lay off new purchases for a few months, but then end up breaking that wow every time within a few weeks at most. Which is not great considering how expensive some of the figures are.

But sometimes there are deals you can't pass up. Like when I got an original boxed phicen body for $10 from no other than a sex shop.

Those are some nice grabs! Welcome to the hobby and the board and @ the Phicen deal! Which body was it?

Welcome aboard, m76. Sounds like you fell down the rabbit hole, like the rest of us. Have fun, but be forewarned — this stuff is only going to get more expensive.

Diana wrote:
Those are some nice grabs! Welcome to the hobby and the board and @ the Phicen deal! Which body was it?

Thanks It's one of the early ones, S09C, must have been sitting on the shelf for many years. They were desperate to get rid of it

Stryker2011 wrote:Welcome aboard, m76. Sounds like you fell down the rabbit hole, like the rest of us. Have fun, but be forewarned — this stuff is only going to get more expensive.

Unfortunately it is bad for my wallet. Especially with the ongoing energy crisis.

Welcome...enjoy the hobby, but beware the addiction...Anyway, have fun marveling at these wonderous figures!

Very interesting and relatable thread. Too bad I had to rush through all your input in one gulp now...

Actually I am presently at another stage than being focused on the next purchase. I am totally weary and simply wish I would NOT see any new releases for fear I might like something. I feel like my collection cannot / should not get any bigger. I already do not pay attention to the things I have, why would I always want to add more - which just results in a lot of stress, where to put the figures, where to store the custom items... how to retrieve them when needed (if I remember to have them at all).

As for my Fashion Doll Collection, selling stuff has never been an issue. You would mostly have made profit. So, there has been quite some turnover. When I started with action figures, the choices exploded suddenly. (Interest in Fashion Dolls got less, their prices and quality issues skyrocketed. So, by now, I do not expect to buy/sell any more of those girls but am fine with the ones I have. Love all of them and just do not want to want more.)

At first action figures were simple collecting too - but then, eventually, the customising bug bit me - as Skywalkersaga has also written.

skywalkersaga wrote:
....
If one is 'just' collecting, then I don't see it being a bad thing to be focused on the next purchase. It would be a lot simpler to 'only' be collecting things at this point, and sometimes I wish I could go back to that. But unfortunately the customising bug has bitten me and still not let go.

Things got difficult when I started thinking about customising a bit. Started with some bashes based on off the shelf products, that mostly did not turn out very nicely, then - given the many times unsatisfying quality - trying to create things myself. ... in addition to all the figures and their accessories even more accessories showed up, plus lots of textiles, wool, craft tools, various types of colours, all kinds of utensils, ... these things are spread and squeezed in corners all over our house and cellar because I cannot get them to fit in just one room dedicated to the collection. It turned out to become a nightmare to me to want to pursue so many different ideas (my "Neverland Projects") based on so many different required talents. I will never be able to pull them all off and have to learn to focus. Simply no time and skill to master it all (as some people seem to do).

I have greatly reduced the speed of my purchases as my sales have greatly slowed down too. I just love most of what I have and would not know what to part with to make room for something better. When I like a new figure, I wonder why, what for, where to... and mostly can refrain from the purchase. But I still lose sometimes   ... should be ok however. A carefully picked new item once in a while is ok.

I am curious how long this "mood" is going to last as of course in the past I had also been "always focused on that next purchase" as it is so much easier to browse shop sites and hit the buy buttons than to actually kick off the creativity motor and get going with the actual playing or creating. (PLUS: when I have those 20 spare minutes in between stuff, it is not worth starting a foto session, but you can quickly have a look at ebay or Ali.)

Also: when simply collecting it is easier to keep being active on a board like this one... but I really struggle with being on the boards AND "being creative" as I simply do not have the time for both. Just buying and deboxing is not as time consuming as being creative.
I always feel bad when I disappear for a while and then struggle with catching up and "get back into the action".

Illusion wrote: Just buying and deboxing is not as time consuming as being creative.

When I order something I can't wait for it to get here, only to then look at the unopened box for days savouring the experience not wanting it to be over, because as soon as I open it and assemble the figure (if some assembly is required) I know I'll be susceptible for wanting something else. Even though I still have like 4 or 5 figures on preorder.

I’m enjoying where I’m at now.  The initial rush (and binge buying) that comes with first getting into a new scale or line has come and gone, and I’ve started to figure out what “works” for me, and what doesn’t.  Now I really look forward to getting a new figure, because they’re few and far between.

I would have to double check, but I believe that the only figure I’ve purchased since April is the Hot Toys Arkham Asylum Batgirl.  At this time last year, I was lucky if I could get through four weeks without purchasing a 1/6 figure, much less four months.

I also spend more time appreciating what I have.  For example, there’s the “Figure of the Week” where I will pick a different 1/6 figure to sit on my desk on the days I’m working from home that week.  I don’t maintain a display, so it’s a fun way to get “reacquainted” with my figures.

I am left wondering one thing when it comes to the binge I was on last year, though. Where did all of that money come from?!?  I sure don’t see it now!  

A foolish propensity I have is allowing myself to get too deeply involved in "interactive photo-stories," whether long-form group stories or back-and-forth interactive forum topics, and then purchasing or ordering items that fit the theme of the interactions. By the time the items arrive, either my interest has flagged, or the stories or topics have veered in another direction or have ground to a halt, and I'm stuck with accessories or figures that I have no real use for or interest in that are not worth the time, effort, or expense to re-sell.

Xavion2004 wrote:I am left wondering one thing when it comes to the binge I was on last year, though. Where did all of that money come from?!?  I sure don’t see it now!  

Riiiiight????

I'm baffled at how fast my collection grew over the past couple of years. I came to the conclusion that I was earning more than I need and I'd rather work less and instead focus on things I truly enjoy, earning a buck or two with them. I can go back to full hours anytime I want, so I'm very grateful for the opportunity. Even if it means buying fewer figures and spending more time in the garden.

Diana wrote:
I'm baffled at how fast my collection grew over the past couple of years. I came to the conclusion that I was earning more than I need and I'd rather work less and instead focus on things I truly enjoy, earning a buck or two with them. I can go back to full hours anytime I want, so I'm very grateful for the opportunity. Even if it means buying fewer figures and spending more time in the garden.

I've made a similar choice years ago, not related to buying figures though, but I came to the conclusion that I earned more than enough, so I'd rather have a bit more free time.

Although I could probably cut some more hours by now, I haven't gotten around it.

TravelGuide wrote:

Diana wrote:
I'm baffled at how fast my collection grew over the past couple of years. I came to the conclusion that I was earning more than I need and I'd rather work less and instead focus on things I truly enjoy, earning a buck or two with them. I can go back to full hours anytime I want, so I'm very grateful for the opportunity. Even if it means buying fewer figures and spending more time in the garden.

I've made a similar choice years ago, not related to buying figures though, but I came to the conclusion that I earned more than enough, so I'd rather have a bit more free time.

Although I could probably cut some more hours by now, I haven't gotten around it.

There is a story my coworker told me just a few weeks ago. He and his wife have a baby now and he cut back on working hours next 6 month and only working 4 days a week. He told me, that he might want to keep it this way forever, they both earn good money and they rather have more free time.
He said, that he told his father about his plans and he just answerewd: Don't be so lazy
Well it is another generation, working until your dead is not on the plans anymore.
I think if you don't want luxury stuff like many 1/6 figures and other things (like not always the newest iphone etc), it is an easy decision.

Exactly. More and more work is being automated. There is less work for more people.

Imagine we achieved a point in technological advancement, where humans are liberated from most work (other than IT and care), free to explore, learn, invent, garden, pursue the arts, and we wouldn't even notice because we are still stuck in the mindset of previous generations where we have to work 40+ hours/week in a job that will get us the big house, big car, big garden, big TV, big holiday, coming up with things that allow people to get stuck deeper in their comfort zones, advertising making them want things they weren't missing before...

By reducing my hours I am giving my employer a budget for another part time job to give to someone else. Seems like more jobs with fewer hours for more people is going to be a marker for the transitional period. Optimistically speaking.

For the record, I am not against earning good money to do good things with it. My job just drained me so much that I ended up compensating that with purchases to make me feel good again. Now I am finding a balance between my 16h/w IT job and more people oriented projects in my spare time. So many are moving into tiny houses or vans. Minimalism is a thing and I'm happy about it. Still keeping the figures though. Because they tell STORIES worth talking about.