Dammit Jim I'm a comic book collector, not a hoarder!

[Triskelion]

Or am I?

 

I really love spending time and reading through various journals, fantastic collections, awesome pictures & fascinating stories posted in this forum by you guys! And every now and then, I do get inspired to post and share my thoughts also. Here's my latest 'venting':

 

 

 

Being based and living in Southeast Asia, sustaining a comic book collecting & practically any other similar genre collectibles hobby can become annoyingly tricky. There's always the natural question of cost & availability.

 

 

 

A little over 10 years ago I had to relocate overseas for work, which made things even worse, forcing me to leave my home and treasured comic books & collectibles behind.

 

 

 

Until now I've been moving & living around the region, coming home only briefly in time for celebrating the year-end holidays. This means that I only get to physically see and grasp the vast majority of slabs and collectibles purchased online & shipped to Manila once a year, before they go back into storage. While I've been able to establish quite an effective system of having items procured online from sites such as Ebay and Heritage sent over to an LA-based consolidator's address (a friend of mine in the business), verified, accumulated then shipped overseas in bulk at a reasonable cost, it's still gets frustrating especially at the start of the year when I begin winning the occasional online bid for a slab and have to wait several months before I actually see what I won!

 

 

 

This also unfortunately creates a situation akin to 'hoarding'. Accumulated slabs and similar theme collectibles like statues and die-casts do take up a lot of space. Trying to control this as much as I can (i.e. given my situation 1/4-scale or larger statues/ dioramas for example are simply out of the question, also getting back into less space-consuming coin collecting), but even small things pile up. Took me a while personally to get focused on my CGC collecting hobby, so there are several slabs (over half of what I'd accumulated) & items back home which I will definitely need to somehow dispose of when I get settled back. Impossible for me to do anything major about this now apart from the occasional consignment here and there, and no idea when I'll be able to really sit down and better manage my 'hoard'.

 

 

 

I'm not sure if some of you are in the same or similar 'predicament' as me. Maybe not exactly under the same circumstances but I imagine a lot of us share a bit of the 'hoarder' traits also, as avid collectors who at one point in time in our 'journeys' sit back and make difficult decisions on which items to keep, and which to part with. And struggle with constraints relating to space, and of course changing collecting focus and even life priorities.

 

 

 

At the end of the day though, I'm still a believer in the adage that it's the journey that matters most, rather than the destination. Personally, I find that the angst I feel whenever I think about just how much stuff I will need to inventory, store etc whenever I get back home is simply overshadowed by the excitement I feel whenever I find an item I am looking for overseas, whenever I win a bid or see status of a CGC order shift to 'Shipped', and when I go back once a year, unwrapping packages, arranging my stuff, etc. Priceless memories over the last 10 years, for me. Helps make it all worthwhile.

 

 

 

Thanks for reading guys, and happy collecting!

 

See more journals by Triskelion

[bagofleas]

Wow. I can imagine that your situation can be very frustrating, but also very rewarding. Kind of like having Christmas two or three times a year!

 

Luckily, I don't have space or family constraints keeping me from "hoarding" my books, but I do find myself having to decide on what to sell and what to keep every once in a while, like right now, since I'm trying to consolidate and focus my collection a little more.

 

I can't imagine having to live overseas and trying to keep up with my graded comic addiction. It sounds like you do pretty well for yourself in that regard.

 

I love the statues BTW! Especially the Buffy and Angel ones. I don't know why, but I was a big fan of the two shows. Some of the other statues I see there are completely awesome!!

 

Let us all know whenever you do a selling off of some items. We may take you up on it!

 

Good luck in your continued collecting!

[rodan57]

 

I love the statues BTW! Especially the Buffy and Angel ones. I don't know why, but I was a big fan of the two shows.

 

Because they were very very good -- exploring the human* experience. (thumbs u

 

 

 

 

*and inhuman

[SW3D]

If I made very good money, I still wouldn't be a hoarder, but my collection would grow leaps and bounds.

 

I'm grateful for what I do have, and it is very small in comparison to the majority of collectors here, but its my collection and I'm proud of it. But as small as it is, space and storage is always a key concern and challenge since I live in a NYC apartment with little room for a big collection let alone mine. This is one reason I made a conscious effort to downsize the collection by selling items on eBay, but I've purchased more comics since I began selling than sold. So the collection has grown beyond its storage capacity. Now my bedroom has become cluttered with boxes of raw and graded comics. I'm not really happy about it, but it could be worst.

 

Sometimes I think I'm out of my mind haven't spent so much money on comic books. I think, "When will I grow up?" The answer is never! I love comic books! They are a part of my soul. And I will never give them up... not even when I retire.

 

You are a very brave and capable person... living abroad and doing what you do. That takes a special kind of character. I know I don't have it in me to leave NYC, unless there was someone really special waiting for me on the other side.

 

I'm looking forward to your next journal.

 

SW3D

[Triskelion]

Thanks BoF & rodan57 yeah I found the whole Angel/Buffy series awesome too when it came out years ago, and was a huge fan! These statues are among those I can't wait to someday unbox, display and enjoy!

 

SW3D thanks for the compliment too bro! I know how you feel about space man , as well as making the leap to relocating. The nice thing about my moves is that my family has been with me all the way, and we love experiencing the 'adventure' of moving together. I really wouldn't have moved if they weren't in tow I think. Must admit though that I had early concerns that the hobby would have to take a back seat (especially given the scarcity of local comic book stores, conventions and collectible shops around areas we lived in) ... but happy to see that it's largely been manageable. Helps too that both the CGC collecting fanbase as well as a broader base of comic book/them statue & collectible hobbyists is growing too in this part of the world

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[bagofleas]

Spike and Faith!!!

 

My brother and I I had the awesome opportunity to meet both James Marsters and Eliza Dushku at Megacon earlier this year and they were both very cool people. Especially Eliza! She has exactly the kind of sparkly, friendly and open personality you would expect her too.

 

That's is qiuite the massive collection you have going there just from those few pics so far!

[Tnerb]

I couldn't even imagine buying something and then not being able to hold it. I can't even wait to check the grade from the invoices. You have a beautiful collection of statues I could never hope to amass. I love the Dracula box and how they have the "old school" diamond on it.

 

Glad to see another journal from you. Look forward to another soon.

[Vikingreed]

Man, I bet that Rivendell diorama is awesome when displayed!

 

Great collection, man!

[roninduelist]

It's good to be the King!

[Triskelion]

BoF that's awesome! That's one thing I really miss out on living overseas - ready access to cons!

 

Thanks for the feedback and 'likes' guys. Yeah one of these days (hopefully soon) I'm hoping to finally be able to settle in long enough to unbox these babies and display along with my slabs...In the meantime, like i'm sure most if not all of you I continue to 'enjoy the journey'.,,

[surfer99]

Let's see...statues, models, toys, coins, comics...um, i think someone seriously needs to narrow their collecting focus, haha! Thanks for sharing, good to hear things are going well over there. Would love to see some pics of the landscape. I'm sure it's amazing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Brandon Shepherd]

You are a very brave and capable person... living abroad and doing what you do. That takes a special kind of character.

 

This is true! You have quite a collection, I enjoyed the pictures and reading your journals. I can't even begin to image the anxiety of managing a collection overseas. Keep writing and hoarding!

[Triskelion]

Let's see...statues, models, toys, coins, comics...um, i think someone seriously needs to narrow their collecting focus, haha! Thanks for sharing, good to hear things are going well over there. Would love to see some pics of the landscape. I'm sure it's amazing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hahaha spot on!

[Triskelion]

You are a very brave and capable person... living abroad and doing what you do. That takes a special kind of character.

 

This is true! You have quite a collection, I enjoyed the pictures and reading your journals. I can't even begin to image the anxiety of managing a collection overseas. Keep writing and hoarding!

 

Yeah the anxiety can be nerve-wracking Brandon. Learned a few hard lessons along the way too which made me somewhat paranoid i.e. now keep my raw books stored in plastic containers after a nasty experience about 5 years ago with termites (very common out here), and artwork well away from even indirect lighting after a horrible fading experience. Been generally lucky though (knock on wood) with slabs, have yet to experience receiving damaged/cracked CGC's etc.

 

Thanks for reading!

[delorean1981]

Where on earth did you find the Aliens Drop Ship?! I grew up with that movie and absolutely love that ship.

 

Awesome find (thumbs u

[Triskelion]

Thanks deloren1981. Aoshima brand from Japan, 1:72 scale. They also did a matching APC (photos below). HCG is coming out with a larger 1:18 APC model I think soon (if its not out already)

 

 

 

 

[Vikingreed]

Thanks deloren1981. Aoshima brand from Japan, 1:72 scale. They also did a matching APC (photos below). HCG is coming out with a larger 1:18 APC model I think soon (if its not out already)

 

 

 

 

Yeah, those are both very, very col!