The only reason why I keep boxes around is the small hope that I someday will be able to afford a house which is big enough to have a spare room which I can bribe my wife (With a two hour foot-massage.) into agreeing in making it a mini-Cybertron. At that point I'll decide what to do with the boxes I keep. (99% visits the trashcan within 30 minutes.)

 

The only point I can think of to keep stuff MISB is the retro-toyshop kick it gives. I remember I always used to put my old MOTU-stuff back in their bubbles whenever I got a new one in 198X.

I dunno about the rest of you, but I really would like to do the old buy two open one when I have the cash.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I used to do that but I realised I wouldn't ever get the ones I needed. So its one at a time for me. The only time I will get extras is if they are in a lot, or I find them cheap at a garage sale or the flea market, or they are G1 Insecticons.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

People who buy two of everything annoy me b/c it makes it harder for everyone else to just find one of them. It's ridiculous. You don't need two copies of the same thing.

Some of this stuff's been touched upon already, but...

 

MISB PROs:

- Keeps the dust of your stuff

- Some of the box art is great (aesthetic presence)!

- More impressive collection if you own harder to find things MISB (for the uber-purist collector)

- No need to remove twist-ties

- Keeps the toys in great shape

 

Loose PROs:

- Takes up a helluva lot less room than boxed stuff

- No worries about having keeping the boxes in good condition sometimes as they are prone to warping, dings, scratches

- You can play with the toys!  Isn't that the BEST part of collecting TFs?  The fact that you can actually TRANSFORM them?

- You get that nice rubber/plastic/toxic smell of a brand new, opened toy

- Tons cheaper than MISB stuff if you're buying older items

- Much more impressive in numbers when displayed than boxed stuff (IMO)

- Shear nostalgic value.  'Nuff said!

 

I don't necessarily thing toys make good investments, especially now when things are getting re-released.  As many have mentioned before: Supply and demand.  I only have one item MISB and that is a Japanese Masterpiece Prime but only because I made a mistake and ordered two from different places without realizing it at the time.

 

Remember: A collection is a fun thing to have.  It's a unique hobby that speaks about your personality, aesthetic qualities, and quirkiness.  But it's not forever.  You can hold on to it but at some point in time, you need to let go.  Life throws many twists and turns your way so you'll never know.  Enjoy your toys while you still have 'em.

 

Free your mind...And your toys!

Rare Exclusives.  I never take these out of their boxes.  These are rare figures and I want to keep them that way.  They become rarer each time someone opens one up.  So I encourage you all to open as many as you like.  Because I am going to sell them later on?  No.  Because it makes my collection better.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Not a personal attack. :) But that comment stuck out when I read it.

 

Regarding the topic of MISB. So it's another reason. A one-upmanship thing? I ask becuase if everyone in the world has a MISB alert (current fav) he'd be no less special to me.

 

And yes I hate exclusives. The toy industry is one of the few that I can think of where it's 'cool' to limit desirable product to your audience.

 

 

I'll agree that the box art can be great, but they just take up room and you can store art digitally anyway. Dust can be lessened on opened stuff by getting a good display cabinet.

For the few I have MISB, I look at it this way:

 

I also have collected baseball cards.  That's something that you put in a little plastic case, and then you can look at it.  That's all you do with it: look at it.  It's fun to collect and display, and that's really all there is to it.

 

MISB is just another type of collectable that happens to be a toy.  The one's I keep in a box, I don't think of as toys.  More like baseball cards - I display them, look at them, read the tech specs, etc. 

Rare Exclusives.  I never take these out of their boxes.  These are rare figures and I want to keep them that way.  They become rarer each time someone opens one up.  So I encourage you all to open as many as you like.  Because I am going to sell them later on?  No.  Because it makes my collection better.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Not a personal attack. :) But that comment stuck out when I read it.

 

Regarding the topic of MISB. So it's another reason. A one-upmanship thing? I ask becuase if everyone in the world has a MISB alert (current fav) he'd be no less special to me.

 

And yes I hate exclusives. The toy industry is one of the few that I can think of where it's 'cool' to limit desirable product to your audience.

 

 

I'll agree that the box art can be great, but they just take up room and you can store art digitally anyway. Dust can be lessened on opened stuff by getting a good display cabinet.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

No personal attack taken.  I welcome the question and the discussion.

 

It isn't about one-uping anyone.  I personally hold more value in a MISB piece.  I will pay more for it, other people will pay more for it, and thus it has inherent to it, more value than a loose item.  Therefore that value(not monetary, but appreciation) makes it better....more special to me.  If I were into one-upsmanship, I think you would have seen my collection posted up in the "Collectors Corner" galleries.  Yes?

 

As of yet, there is only one person I've shared the pictures of my collection with that is online.  And the only reason I have said pictures in the first place is for insurance purposes under my homeowners policy.  Oh I do show a picture from time to time of something I've gotten.  I think I posted once in the weekly hauls section and I've posted a couple of my proto purchases up so that other fans could get a first look at a figure or a more indepth look at that figure.  But other than that...my collection brings me joy and doesn't have to be seen by anyone.(Heck, I get enough crap from people when they see it walking into my house.  "I'm bringing my wife over.  After she sees this, she'll never give me crap again about buying something she thinks is wasteful."  Ugg.)

 

In the end...I think the real crime is when the "They are toys!" crowd can't recognize and appreciate and lay off those of us who have a genuine appreciation for the toys, don't give a crap about the resale value, and choose to keep some in MISB condition for various reasons that have nothing to do with money, investments, etc.  I can think of a hundred other things that are wierd to collect.  But people "collect" for different reasons.  Its like me generalizing that the "They are Toys" crowd hasn't grown up, and is just interested in having a bunch of toys that they can play with.

Bainreese makes good points.  Everyone's collection is unique in some way or another.  We may all collect the same things, but not every one of us have the same tastes.  We all also enjoy them in different ways.  Some like to keep stuff MISB and some like to handle them.  It's all good!

 

Just enjoy it what you have when you have it!

Yupyup.  To each their own, really.  I'm not much of an MISB person, especially when it comes to Transformers.  I keep an Alt Tracks and Alt Meister MISB, but that's just because I like their car modes a lot (I have an opened one of each too).  Either that, or I could be saving the MISB ones to give away to some friends later on...

 

Props to those that can find the space for keeping everything MISB; I barely have room for my small collection of TFs (mainly just Alts, with a handful of GF/Cybertron ones) amidst my Gundam models and computer crap.  And I can say I live in a pretty roomy house too...  (Maybe I can convince the rest of the family to give me either the basement or the guest room to display my figures/models?... :D)

 

But then again, my brother and I have 2-3 of each video game console (home and portable), some still MISB, so who am I to talk? ;)

Bainreese makes good points.  Everyone's collection is unique in some way or another.  We may all collect the same things, but not every one of us have the same tastes.  We all also enjoy them in different ways.  Some like to keep stuff MISB and some like to handle them.  It's all good!

 

Just enjoy it what you have when you have it!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

That is why we began this thread with a disclaimer. I hope no one is taking these opinions personally....like we began, to each his own. It's all good.

 

Just trying to be more diverse in our knowledge and views about this field we all love so much.

 

Knowing is half the battle!  :thumb

Knowing is half the battle!  :thumb

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

GI Joooooe!

 

Sorry, couldn't resist.  No offenses taken (and I hope none given)!