phoenixastraea: (Bottom of this!! Lolz)
Phoenix Astraea ([personal profile] phoenixastraea) wrote2007-08-13 02:24 pm

The Collectors Curse

No, despite the title, this has NOTHING to do with Harry Potter.

Yes, I'm going to give you all a moment to absorb the immensity of that statement.   ;^)

Many of you who know me in RL, and those of you who are starting to get to know me more on here know me to be a collector of sorts.  I add the "of sorts" qualification on there because I'm very picky about what I collect.   For example, I collect many things relating to Catwoman, but it doesn't mean I collect 'em all.  Of all the zillions of statues/figures out there of my beloved Ms. Kyle, I have only a select few, including the gorgeous Catwoman Barbie, the Knightsend CW, The Long Halloween CW, and so forth.  There are tons more out there, but I'm not so compulsive as to collect just for the sake of it.   That being said, that's not to say I'm not obscenely tempted at times....Gorgeous artisans like Bowen Statues, Diamond Select, Kotobukyia, DC Direct, Master Replicas, WDCC, and so forth taunt me on a weekly basis with new and beautiful collectors items, statues, props, etc. 

Needless to say, eBay is, more often than not, my own personal apple. 

Take this for example.  It's not even out yet.  But its beautiful.  Probably one of the most gorgeous statues of my Jeannie that I've seen in a long time (and believe me, I've seen a LOT!).  I even think I like it better than the Bowen version that I've had my eye on for some time, constantly debating over whether or not my dislike of the facial sculpt can be set aside for the beauty of the motion and the actual framing of the figure itself.  I wont even go into how Bowen himself is an asshole for tormenting me not just with Phoenix, but with the Dark Phoenix variant, which may be even more beautiful than the original.

Or, perhaps of some interest to [personal profile] penumbren, this.  Something that I should have taken advantage of back in 2004 when it came out.  Of course, I was just starting my first year of two as a poor graduate student, but I regret not having this gorgeous remake.  Why Prime has Megatron with him in gun form, I'll never know, but it still reeks of awesomeness.   This is also a dilemma for me, as Soundwave has always been my favorite Decepticon.   As with the figure I mentioned above, I have had the pleasure of seeing this toy in person, as my friend Casey's brother was able to get a hold of one as a gift for a friend.  It's gorgeous.  Absolutely gorgeous.  *sigh*   

Oh, yeah, and I want him too.  =^)  Almost two inches long and as cute as a button. 

Collecting is a dangerous game.  Its also lucrative for the sellers.  I love sorting the fields on eBay from "Highest Price" to lowest, just to see how much some of this stuff was going for.  I saw a G1 Devastator MIB going for almost $3000.  Amazing, I tell you.  I'm glad I'm not THAT compulsive! ;^)  I dunno.  This starts stirring up the English Major in me...maybe I'll make an entry about the nature of collecting sometime soon....

Well, at least I don't collect Tribbles like Kirk does! *points to icon*

[identity profile] lastwordslinger.livejournal.com 2007-08-13 07:00 pm (UTC)(link)
Boy, do I know that pain... I'm an avid action figure collector, but like you I don't collect just anything. I know what I like, and I tend to go for that strictly. It's getting tougher for me in the sense that no only is money tight, but I don't have ROOM for everything! My room is overcrowded with plastic people, lol.

And The Long Halloween Catwoman is my absolute favorite incarnation of her in the comics. She was so awesome in that. <3

[identity profile] phoenixastraea.livejournal.com 2007-08-13 07:20 pm (UTC)(link)
Exactly. Oh LAWD am I running out of room. I just found my first Snape figure (the one with the exploding snake action! LOLZ) and stuck him on the other side of the HP books. I really have no room for one more thing, but I've just discovered that I MUST have that Jean Grey Statue when it comes out. No question. *sigh*

I think my next photo post will be of my CW figs and maybe my Phoenix figs. Start showing off some of my collections. ;^) What do you love to collect, fig wise?

[identity profile] lastwordslinger.livejournal.com 2007-08-13 07:36 pm (UTC)(link)
I badly need to rearrange to try and make space. I have to do that every few months or so. I even started packing things away that I wasn't as fond of anymore... I dunno what I'll do when Heroes figures start coming out.

I tend to go after things involving favorite characters, but I'm more careful than I used to be about making sure I like the sculpt first. I definitely look for a good sculpt, and in some cases a lot of articulation (<3 Spiderman figures). I have an absolute TON of Star Wars stuff, lots of X-Men (both from movies and comics), LOTR... Those are probably my biggest collections, and the rest are kind of scattered. I also tend to like anything Todd MacFarlane does. I have a few by him that I bought for artistic value alone. And like I said, my room is going to be besieged by Heroes when those come out, lol.

[identity profile] phoenixastraea.livejournal.com 2007-08-13 08:14 pm (UTC)(link)
McFarlane is fantastic. I have the McFarlane Trigun figure and I heart it SOO MUCH!

Yeah, for me it comes down to favorite characters, including, but not limited to: Catwoman, Phoenix, Vash the Stampede, Darth Vader, Snape, Jack Skellington, and TMNT thus far.

I mean it when I say I don't have any space left! LOL

[identity profile] arctic-silence.livejournal.com 2007-08-13 09:24 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm about to turn into a very dangerously broke Final Fantasy action figure collector if I don't constantly remind myself that I have a mortgage and two furry mouths to feed. x_x

[identity profile] phoenixastraea.livejournal.com 2007-08-14 01:22 am (UTC)(link)
Then I guess I REALLY shouldn't be showing you this...

http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=SEP10040&mode=retail

=^)

[identity profile] arctic-silence.livejournal.com 2007-08-14 04:25 am (UTC)(link)
YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU skankyhooker. Eight and a half pounds of Sephiroth. His sword is 19 inches. Heh. Heh.

[identity profile] phoenixastraea.livejournal.com 2007-08-14 01:27 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah, definitely don't check out the rest of the cool FF stuff on that site. It wont be worth it. ;^)

19 inches of Masumane. Heh. Betchu you and I would like to break off a piece of THAT!

Bow chicka bowbow!!
penumbren: Jeremy Clarkson wearing a crown on QI (Default)

[personal profile] penumbren 2007-08-14 12:01 am (UTC)(link)
*snort* Will you nod and be unsurprised, or green with envy, when I tell you that of the three Transformers toys listed, we have two? In fact, we have two of the anniversary Prime figures. Chris bought one at the $80 price, and another for about $15 from TRU after the box it was in got crushed.

Allow me to share with you the bane of my existence and the light of my husband's collector's soul: Big Bad Toy Store. Browse and weep. :D
penumbren: Jeremy Clarkson wearing a crown on QI (Default)

[personal profile] penumbren 2007-08-14 12:04 am (UTC)(link)
I should add... I loved that the anniversary Prime came with Megatron, if it is utterly inexplicable. :D Now Chris is eyeing the trailer add-on, since the U.S. version didn't come with it. -.- It's more than the main toy itself, though, and I think we've only spotted the Chinese one so far.

[identity profile] phoenixastraea.livejournal.com 2007-08-14 12:27 am (UTC)(link)
Heh, yes I did see the trailer add on on Ebay (lowest I think was $45...).

And yes, I suppose him having Megatron is kinda funny, like Prime stole him from Starscream and used it to PWN the Decepticons. I was actually laughing with a friend of mine about that after we saw the movie (i.e., that the mighty leader of the Decepticons would change into such a tiny instrument, wielded by his most incompetent soldier. I mean, really. =^)

[identity profile] phoenixastraea.livejournal.com 2007-08-14 12:25 am (UTC)(link)
...

...

....Can I be both unsurprised AND green as my layout with envy?

Hell, you all did the smart thing.

And yes, I started browsing, stuttering, and then I think I dissolved into tears. As if I needed MORE temptation!!

*shakes fists in indignation at the heavens that didn't give her a ridiculously exorbitant income to waste on such pretty baubles*