10 Things Every Toy Collector Is Guilty Of

Ten collectors’ quirks that are simply undebatable

1. Justifying our purchasing habits (with ourselves!)

This one is a bit of a problem, but lets be honest, it’s a pretty good problem to have. Those excruciating few seconds before we hastily click that order button can be amongst the hardest decisions that toy collectors have to make, but it certainly provides one of the largest rushes. Should we? Shouldn’t we? Do we really need it? These are the questions we torture ourselves with over and over again. The answer, however, is almost always yes after some self persuasion, unless you literally don’t have the funds in your bank account at the time (usually because of all the other times this month that this exact thing has happened). Oopsie! That little voice in our head that calmly says, “Yeah, why not? You deserve it!” is all part of the fun… just go carefully and spend wisely.

2. Spending way too much money

What a segue! Yes, it all seems fun and games at the time, but hindsight is a fine thing. Whether you’re rolling in cash or just earning what you can to survive, we all spend way too much money on these things. Some could argue that ANY amount spent on a plastic figure is a “waste of money.” And sure, they kind of have a point… we guess. But by the same token, ANY amount of money spent on anything other than food is technically a waste of money, right? We collectors are all the same: money is for toys, first and foremost! Then come the necessities and all that other boring stuff. Sometimes it doesn’t matter how much a toy costs, we just have to have it. Period. If you know, you know.

3. Being super impatient for our mail to arrive

There’s a well known saying that goes something like “You do it to yourself.” And boy does that ring true when we addicts collectors put ourselves through the same thing over and over again! The poor postal services are at our beck and call this day and age, and our expectations of a smooth and instantaneous delivery are higher than ever! A couple of days late? “MAN, THEY SUCK!” A missed delivery notice on the door? “WHAT!? I WAS LITERALLY HERE THE WHOLE TIME!” Yeah, we’ve all been there.

There is nothing worse than clicking the nefarious Check Out button, just to remember that our order won’t miraculously materialise in our laps! Our precious toys and their ever-so important journey are resting in somebody else’s hands. But rest assured, they will arrive! And if they don’t? That’s easily rectified and everything will be oka— Nah, sod that!! Hurry up with our parcels! Five stops away?! C’mon!

4. Staring at our collections

This one doesn’t need much elaboration does it? Its what they’re for. Beauty deserves to be stared at. Brushing your teeth in the morning and wandering into the toy room is essential. Pure bliss.

5. Running out of space.

If it hasn’t already, you can rest assured that this will happen to you. That is, of course, unless you have the self control and organisational skills of some sort of wizard! Props if you do. Whether you’re just starting your collection or you’re a seasoned toy connoisseur, this will happen! Or it has in fact already happened and you’re reading this right now, sweating. But it’s an easy fix, just convert your kitchen and/or bathroom into toy display space. Super simple stuff!

6. Thinking about quitting (but never actually doing it)

Sure, some people out there claim they’ve “stopped” collecting toys… but have they really? Chances are they still have a few pieces in their possession, and undoubtedly they’ll purchase some again. Sometimes it all becomes a bit overwhelming due the sheer amount of new releases, not having enough space to keep them, or just not having the funds to fuel the habit. So you think about stopping for a while (and maybe you have!), but like a fish to bait, it only takes a single piece and you’re hooked back in again. We’ve all been there!

7. Changing focus

This is extremely common nowadays, what with all the amazing options out there! Like taking a break between any passions you have, it’s healthy and smart to take breaks from time to time and change your collecting focus. It’s nice to dedicate yourself to a specific line or artist for a while, but maybe you just don’t like a particular style anymore—and that’s okay! Sell up, continue your journey into toy happiness, and collect what makes you happy.

8. Becoming a seller

This is certain. You buy and you sell. One simply cannot exist without the other. In every collector’s journey, there is a point at which you become the seller. Whether frequently or infrequently, it doesn’t matter, it’s part of the game. We just hope you don’t become a flipper, because no one likes a flipper!

9. Imagining that dream display

Everyone does this, right? Visualise the bright lights and clean surfaces that are lined with jaw dropping toys! Maybe it’s a huge room filled to the brim? Maybe it’s a small pocket of the house dedicated to your addiction collection? Or maybe your toys are dotted around absolutely everywhere!? Whatever it is, it’s bound to be awesome. Tag us in your favourite toy displays on Instagram. Use @invasiontoys_ and be sure to check out 7 Tips For the Perfect Designer Toy Display to get inspired.

10. We never stop talking about toys!

Damn straight! Apologies to our family, significant others, friends… hell, even strangers! What are we going to do 24/7? Talk about toys. How can we be expected to keep it all in when there’s so much to talk about! Waiting for a delivery? Go talk about it. Found a new toy you love? You guessed it, TALK ABOUT IT. We wouldn’t be doing this right now if we didn’t love talking about our collectibles. We just cant get enough.

These days, with the huge surge of collectors using Instagram and Facebook to connect with other toy heads, and luckily for our significant others and friends (and us!), we now have each other to talk to about the wondrous world of toys and collectibles! What a beautiful world it is here, in the land of toys. There is never a dull moment when conversing with others in the community. We say keep the conversation going!

Confused by any toy-collecting terms in this article? Head to 11 Toy-Collecting Terms Defined to learn more. Want to fuel your toy habit collection? Invasion Toys has you covered! Think you’re impervious to any of the above? Did we fail to mention any other toy-collecting habits? Leave a comment below!

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TJ Collects

Hi, I'm TJ! I'm an avid collector of art toys and action figures. I'm also passionate about toy photography. A big kid, really.

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