Irv declares war on Mattel

[Syriilord]

I have to admit to being somewhat of an obsessive collector myself, but of manga volumes instead of toys. Where I live, it's harder to find specific titles without frequently checking the few stores that stock them. However, to date I have never been sucky about it. I'll come in, check the shelves, purchase any that are there and occasionally have a friendly chat with the staff about ones I'm looking for.
Once, I was away for a while and unable to check but my favourite staff member remembered I had been trying to get a specific one for months (they kept selling out before I got there) and held one for me until I came back.
But, I have to agree with you guys. Being a collector, even a "hardcore" one, doesn't excuse the behaviour of people like in the OP.

[chainedbarista]

i guess he's so obsessed that hygiene falls by the wayside? the basement theory explains the mold, but the baloney is still a mystery...maybe he works in a meat packing plant part time?

still, fanatic collectors are...scary. (remembers the cabbage garbage patch craze and the beanie baby craze of the 80's and 90's)

[Krivak]

I remember somewhere, might have been my state, one of the mcdonalds trucks carrying beanie baby toys opening and a few boxes falling off the truck. On the busiest interstate. In rush hour. And people got out of their cars and ran for the scattered toys. In the interstate. Multiple people. >_<

Darwin award wannabe's, i tell ya.

[Polenicus]

I think there are definitely strong distinctions between people who collect certain toys because they think they're neat, and for those who collect things simply to have them.

I admit, I collect a little. A Transformer here, a Busou Shinki there. Because I think they're neat, I love fiddling with them at my desk, and having them arrayed in poses on my shelves. And I admit, there's a certain satisfaction in having something rare.

I personally don't get the whole mindset of a collector who buys these things, and then not only keeps them in the box, but entombs them in an AFA Graded case or something. I can sort of understand the allure of having that new, shiny thing be new and shiny forever, but not enough for me to have shelves lined with eternal Schrodinger's Toys. But that's fratching territory and irrelevant to this.

But I still feel so sheepish when I buy these in the store, simply because I know that these creeps are out there, and I desperately do not want to be associated with them, or worse, become them without realizing it.

[mikoyan29]

I have 2 slave Leias

Though I remember seing in FAO Schwarz a 12 inch Leia (like a Barbie doll) with R2. I thought that would be so cool to buy, but at $99? Nu-uh.

I have that one....Although her bikini is getting a little loose....

[protege]

I think there are definitely strong distinctions between people who collect certain toys because they think they're neat, and for those who collect things simply to have them.

That's how I see my model collection. I enjoy finding cars that are long-out-of-production, or are otherwise unique. Something you won't see in everyone else's collection. I like the thrill of the 'hunt,' but I'm not going to pay silly prices for them. Many times, I find what I'm looking for, eventually. Patience is the key, in other words.

For example, take the '58 Chevy (by AMT) in my collection. I actually have several of these. When I started the second one, the kit had just been discontinued. I found one of the last ones on shelves. Of course, as soon as I got it home, I started it. Then I started college, and all of my model stuff was put away. Somehow, the body shell was damaged Keep in mind that this was *before* the 'net, and I had no choice...but to wait several years until the kit was reissued again. Now that kit (and the Revell version) are everywhere. People want them to build as lowriders.

Back on topic here, I don't see the reasoning of spending the cash to acquire models...and then to entomb them. I don't care how "rare" the kit is--to me, they're for building, not as an investment. That's how the beanie-baby people got spanked. They spent huge amounts buying those things...and then got spanked when the market disappeared.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

A CHALLENGER APPEARS

I am told that today, while I was on break, some other guy came over by toys and was staring at the pallets of freight, and he asked somebody if we had any Hot Wheels. We told him no and he left.

I am also told by my co-worker that when he worked at one of our stores out in Washington, the local Hot Wheels geeks were so obnoxious any shipments of Hot Wheels cars went straight to the store manager's office and he dealt with them.

[ExRetailDrone]

I am also told by my co-worker that when he worked at one of our stores out in Washington, the local Hot Wheels geeks were so obnoxious any shipments of Hot Wheels cars went straight to the store manager's office and he dealt with them.

That is in-freakin'-sane

I understand collectors and such. I have my own geekery, so I can't fault anyone else for theirs, but some people just cross the line into crazy obsessed.

I remember getting annoyed with the Hot Wheels collectors at The Bullseye when they would ask if I could bring out our backstock for them to rifle through. Yeah, sure buddy, because I don't have enough work to do already, you nutjob. But thankfully that's as crazy as it got, at least from what I had to deal with. I tried to steer clear of toys and seasonal as much as possible.

[Pairou]

I used to collect manga and casually collect anime figures- but as a college kid I'm broke... So no more collecting anything but ramen noodles and art supplies for my classes until graduation. :c

[Kristev]

I collect statues for use in my books. It wasn't easy, collecting all those Orcs. Especially the females. But at least I use my statues. I used to paint them, too. Just haven't had the energy lately.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

I remember getting annoyed with the Hot Wheels collectors at The Bullseye when they would ask if I could bring out our backstock for them to rifle through. Yeah, sure buddy, because I don't have enough work to do already, you nutjob. But thankfully that's as crazy as it got, at least from what I had to deal with. I tried to steer clear of toys and seasonal as much as possible.

Oh yeah, our Hot Wheels geeks do that too. They look for the new meat seasonal people and tell them the store manager said it's okay.

I gotta admit I did this once--back when I started and the company's videotaped propaganda about how we had THE best customer service had taken hold in my brain. Somebody just told me never to do it again and I didn't.