Why is there a need to collect toys?
A close friend once asked me - why do I feel the need to buy and collect so many toys just because I like them? What she was driving at is that - if I like something, can’t I just admire it without physically owning it? After all, that collectible object will most probably just end up being stashed aside in some part of my home, and eventually ignored for as long as it remains in my possession. Sometimes they even accumulate to become clutter!
Until today, I haven’t really have a convincing answer to that thought provoking question. Perhaps a collecting hobby is some sort of compulsive hoarding behaviour, that there is some sort of ‘psychological need’ to collect certain things to make ourselves happy (e.g. fond memories). We get a sense of owning something nice looking, ‘important’ and even ‘rare’ or ‘of investment value’ etc.
Some people will tell me that the best physical thing to collect in this world is money. The more the merrier. Obviously I don’t collect that much money because much of it has already been exchanged for the countless collectible toys I own. The toys also tend to depreciate in value after I opened them, LOL!
And come to think of it, shelling out money to buy things like toys is the easy part. But finding buyers to sell them off to can be really hard and tedious. Most toy collectors will tell you confidently that they will never sell their toys.
But life can be unpredictable for many of us and our priorities will tend to change as we progress through our lives. So sometimes, part of our toy collection has to go. Then you realise that clearing them off can be a long draggy affair.
I’ve long come to accept that for some miscellaneous bits of toys (e.g. past Fast Food toys that no one wants & of little resale value), can simply be given or even thrown away to save your time and effort in searching for new owners, who will never appear in your lives. Popular branded toys will have their buyers, but not always at the best prices you want.
So back to my friend’s question, I still haven’t got that satisfactory answer to it. Even I know that toy collecting gives me a lot of money heartache and clutter problems at home, I still collect more toys when new and better ones come out. So when will I finally snap out of it? Well, I simply don’t know.
How about you? Are you also in some of the above predicaments as well? Feel free to share your comments here!
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I think there is a ‘collecting’ gene. I have a psychological need to collect random stuff, not just toys but lots of other bits of junk as well.
I collect mainly Lego and Transformers. Lego looks great when built. I won’t feel so heart pain if I can get Lego at 20% or more discount. Most toys go Lelong when they lose popularity but Lego seldom on lelong.
Hi Matt,
I like that view of a ‘collecting’ gene in us
Hi Hippo,
Yes it’s true that LEGO seldom goes on rock bottom clearance sale. I wonder what does LEGO Singapore do with the unsold stocks? Send them all back to Denmark or sell them in other countries? Local warehouse sale perhaps? I haven’t such an ad in the papers before. Hmmm….
I’ve met with alike questions from friends and I usually just reply ” I like it so I collect it!” I wouldn’t explain to them much and wouldn’t like to think too much about it anyway. As long as one is happy, that’s the most important thing.
Hi Astro Galaxy,
Welcome to the club!
Try to balance saving and toy collecting. I know its hard. I myself found it hard too. For me I just concentrate on a few transformers and Lego sets.
Hi Hippo,
I always start off as saying I will only collect certain toylines or certain series of a toyline only, but ended liking everything else in those toylines. And hence my toy population exploded!
So now when people ask me if I collect such and such toylines, I just reply that I’m not that familiar with them. If I reply “no”, chances are that the curse will take place and I will collect them eventually!
Btw, forget the Zoids that you are tempted to buy. You collect only Lego and Transformers right? These 2 toylines are enough to thin out your wallet. Stay focused