I’m Broke Ass Broke
Due to recent circumstances (i.e. a wedding) I’m left with a wallet that produces only miniature tumbleweeds when I open it. I’m not telling you this as a ploy for sympathy or pity; rather I wanted to delve into an issue I hadn’t really thought of before: What do you do as a collector when you have no cash with which to make purchases?
The obvious answer is to not buy anything and try to focus on the essentials like food and paying off your many gambling debts to the mafia, but not spending any money on toys can have its problems too. The main issue with putting the breaks on collecting is when you’re in a better financial situation and you try to pick up figures you missed, only to find that they’ve risen in price. For example, with the 2008 San Diego Comi-con coming up I might be able to get some figures at con prices now and save later when those same items are double or triple the price later on. I could do this with a magic piece of plastic called a credit card. In fact when I’ve had rough spots before, I’d either buy toys with a credit card or use some savings to get the hardest to find figures before they skyrocketed in price. This off course is a foolhardy and dare I say idiotic move as I’ve screwed myself over with higher and higher credit card bills and less savings to fall back on. With this round of Comic Con exclusives I’m left with the comforting thought that some of the items I want will undoubtedly be duds and I may possibly be saving money in the long run on them when I try to buy them second hand, but if this year has another Pimp Daddy Destro type figure then I’m fugged (and the Cobra Commander might just be this years PDD).
So this time it’s different and I’m spending zero on toys. I’m having a serious self imposed dry spell that I’m sticking to until I dig myself out of this pit and let me tell you, it’s friggen rough. The only thing that’s helping me get through this is I’m not going to stores all the time looking for figures, which in turn helps me save a lot of expensive California gas.* I’m also free from the crushing emptiness that I feel once I’ve hunted down all the figures I wanted and I have to wait until the next wave appears before I’m happy again. Now I’m just apathetic to the fact I’m not getting any of the ones I want at all, which is slightly better to tell you the truth.
So are you in the same boat with me? Tell me how you’re getting through your collecting dry spell in the comments…
* I’ve heard that California gasoline is so expensive because it is made from crushed Panda bears.
June 5th, 2008 at 9:15 am
I, too, am broke-ass broke, due to the upcoming wedding and a lifelong tendency toward financial improvidence. I am currently in the midst of the period in which I rely too much on my credit card, though I’m at least making pretty decent payments on it per month. Still, I’m quite in the hole and trying to find my way out of it. My tax rebate will help–though again, it will just go to the aforementioned credit card.
Savings? What’s that?
My fiancee claims we will get some money from the wedding. Was that not your experience, or was any nuptial renumeration closed off from toy purchases? The same may go for me, actually…
June 5th, 2008 at 9:24 am
Well, I was pretty much in the same situation after I got married and I’m still somewhat limited on what I can spend. I tried to get what I could for birthdays and christmas. And when I did get money, I would look for things on clearance. Luckily there I haven’t had too many must have exclusives for me. And I would rather spend what I can on getting more from clearance items than trying to get a couple of expensive exclusives. There are some things I’ll just have to skip.
I don’t know what I’m going to do with the AT-TE and new Falcon coming out later this year though…
June 5th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
I’m pretty broke too, with my wedding coming up in July.
What does that make us, the PGPoA Poorer Pals?
June 5th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
I collect Battletech, so I’m always in the position of chasing down rare stuff, but when I’m broke what I have done in the past is to simply get my collection out and enjoy the stuff I do have. That seems to help me appreciate new items even more when I am able to spend a few bucks again…
June 5th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
Poe, yes you do get money but that’s for investing/purchasing things for the future. I’m trying like hell not to spend any of that on gas and food much less toys.
X, holy god I have no idea how I”m going to get that AT TE or Falcon.
Pete, I guess that’s what we are.
June 5th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
A url for a mockumentary, if you will, about “New Toy Addiction” and the financial and personal havoc it can wreak:
http://www.break.com/index/intervention-new-toy-addiction.html
June 5th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
I feel for ya! To get through those rough patches I cleaned the crap off the shelfs and dumped it on E-Bay. That cash then went on to pay for the new stuff!
June 5th, 2008 at 2:28 pm
Sweet Christmas, I’m already married, what’s my excuse? Actually, I keep a pretty tight budget as far as toys, comics, etc; and am a whore for sale/clearance items.
This is silly advice, but try happy meals: they come with a toy to feed your addiction, and enough food to keep you alive!
June 6th, 2008 at 12:33 am
All of you made the mistake of loving your woman more than your toys, for shaaaame. xD
Guys, start customizing stuff. You buy a $3 spiderman, spray it black, then sell it on ebay for $30. It’s not always as simple as that but that’s the jist of it. It took me a few hours, on and off mind you, to finish a Maverick custom and it sold for almost $75. I pre-ordered DCUC Wave 3 with that money and had some change to spare. That’s like trading 1 easy custom for 7 figures! (6 figures + a BAF!)
It’ll be tough if you have kids to take care of but hell, get them into doing it too, it’s great for their development.
June 6th, 2008 at 2:35 am
when it came to after the wedding being broke, that’s a given and after say 6 months you’ll be okay. just take it easy.. now after you have a kid, face it your screwed.
June 6th, 2008 at 9:42 pm
or be smart, and don’t have any kids.
Unless Mrs. Poe’s maiden name is “Rockefeller,” don’t expect some huge influx of cash following your wedding. You might be able to pay one month’s bills with it, but that’s about it.
And Paul, this is one case where your MOC habits can come in handy: take something from the bottom of the pile and open it; it’ll give you the feeling of having something new, without spending any of the money…
June 6th, 2008 at 11:42 pm
I’ve been Ebaying miniature tumbleweeds.
June 9th, 2008 at 7:55 am
Try selling off things you don’t need. Ipods, old music CDs, old games, whatever.
June 10th, 2008 at 2:11 am
Now I’m less inclined to mug you guys when I meet you.
June 13th, 2008 at 7:06 am
[...] The wife says that if I absolutely need a Sideshow G.I. Joe figure and can figure out a way to pay for one without selling her to the Russian mafia I can get a Storm Shadow when he comes out, but man this [...]
June 19th, 2008 at 3:29 am
“* I’ve heard that California gasoline is so expensive because it is made from crushed Panda bears.”
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
Try your local Freecycle group. People give toys away all the time on Freecycle. You probably won’t find brand new stuff, but you could find some awesome vintage stuff. And it’s 100% free.
July 19th, 2008 at 2:35 pm
Broke eh? So am I! But, I usually just go and pawn stuff I won to get my fix (man, I sound like a crack addict). However, I’m thinking it may be time for a dry spell of my own. Dang.
Sam