How do you guys balance multiple collections?

[sauroid]

i collect Dinosaurs/prehistoric animals, extant animals (both wild and domesticated), Kaijus/other monster figures/dragons. i must admit that i have so many that i have to put all my storage boxes in both my own bedroom and an extra room adjacent to my bedroom. (almost all my figures are in storage boxes thats why i dont even remember having certain ones)

I have to do the same thing. I have a lot of storage boxes with figures in my bedroom and a small storage room. Doesn't help that I also collect dolls and Disney figures too. I do try to sell older stuff that I get bored with on Ebay.

since i thought this was ONLY about figures collection thread, i didnt mention about my other collections/hobbies. i also collect wildlife and palaeontology books, herpetoculture/fish hobby books, and sci fi art books, etc. i used to collect comic books but i quit because i was spreading myself thin already. i also keep large aquarium fish and reptiles. BUT my main interest nowadays is collectible/limited edition sneakers and high end streetwear and high fashion clothes. most of my cash goes to that, if i would focus on just collecting animal figures i guess i would have EVERYTHING by now. they are just second fiddle obsession now. i also wonder myself how i manage to engage in these activities/interest. so many things to have, so little time/space/energy.

[ITdactyl]

I haven't [been successful at properly/logically balancing the old and new collections].
So this thread is very helpful for me.

[ceratopsian]

I was born a collector and started collecting things as quite a small child (stones and shells off beaches, model zoo and farm animals....)  I haven't changed, though what I collect changes over the years.  For instance I acquired (and still love) a group of Caithness paperweights back in the 1980s.  I have a collection of Thelwell pony models, though I don't add to it any more. I have a few bits and pieces of fossils (and would like more!)  I collect jewellery, both costume and "real" (though obviously not so often for the latter!)  I collect books and probably have a couple of thousand - though I weeded out a lot when my study was redecorated a couple of years ago and I no longer buy hard-copy fiction (just for space reasons). In the past I collected 19th-century travel prints and although I don't acquire any more of them, I love the ones I have on my walls.  I buy the occasional piece of original palaeoart.  But I'll stop buying this when I don't have more hanging space where I can enjoy them.

I think the most important thing about collecting anything is to keep it enjoyable.  If you stop enjoying it, recycle your collection to people who will enjoy it and find a new area to grow enthusiastic about. 

Also think about whether a particular area is feasible before you leap in.  It's not much fun setting your heart on collecting items that are really expensive if you know you don't have enough cash to buy them without pain.  It quickly gets boring if you can never afford a treat!  Choose a focus that suits your pocket and space available.

My collection of dinosaurs has grown relatively quickly into the space available - though there are a few "back-up" options for display other than in my model room!  I take the view that if I run out of space, I can always sell off (or give to Oxfam) models that no longer please me.  I've just started collecting Permian synapsids too - though I plan to stick to "toys" rather than resin models and as the range of things to buy isn't large, it won't balloon the way my dinosaurs have. 

The main thing is enjoyment!

[tyrantqueen]

I find that collecting things in a small size helps to keep things manageable. A rule of thumb is that I never buy things just for the sake of owning them. I buy things because they are beautiful and want to display them, not because I want to fill some sort of quota.

I like to rotate displays- I will take some things off the shelf and put them into storage, and replace them with something that was previously stored. It renews my appreciation for the piece all over again after not seeing it for a while.

[AcroSauroTaurus]

I collect prehistoric animals, modern animals, mythical animals and kaiju. I mostly collect prehistoric animals, so thats what most of my collection is made up of. As far as modern animals go, I only collect marine animals, reptiles, and any other figures that interest me. With mythical animals, I only collect the reptilian(or partially reptilian) ones, and any that happen to interest me. As for Kaiju, I tend to stick with the smaller figures, unless no smaller ones of a certain Kaiju exist. The only exception are the Ghidorah's(minus Kaiser), which are my favorites.)

[Lanthanotus]

Nice topic...

I haven't seen myself as a collector until I started collecting prehistoric figures like two and a half years ago. Though I guess, one could say I also collect Lego (Classic Star Wars and Technic), but I see myself more as a builder than a collector in this regard. So new Lego models are usually just on display for a few weeks until they go to the attic. One or another is remowved there temporarly to be played by me and my son and we switch those frequently.

For my dinosaur figures I have some display space reserved (a cabinet and some shelves), but most of my figures are stored in the attic. Few figures are "permanently" on display while I switch the others now and then. I told my wife I'd limit my collection to the stuff that's on display and one box (ca. 60L) on the attic and right now, I more or less reached that limit, so I need to think of a solution. We live in a rented appartment after all, so once we move, I do not want to be cluttered with too much stuff.... but there's so many nice figures out there

[Bokisaurus]

  Ah, tricky question! Well, besides dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals, I also collect some extant animals. I also have a fossil collection.
I have been collecting for 20+ years now, so it is inevitable that the collection grows beyond what is acceptable to display, after all , I don't run a museum The majority of my collection are now packed in bins due to space limitation ( I live in an apartment). What I have out are my favorites figures, they are all over the place, but mostly concentrated in two shelving unit dedicated to them.
My fossil collection are in the same boat, just my favorites are out at the moment.
One day, I hope that I can have a big enough space to dedicate ti my ever growing collection.
Of course it does not help that my favorite groups, ceratopsians and sauropods are big animals!

[gnetum2015]

Wise Words from a wise man
(CERATOPSIAN:
I think the most important thing about collecting anything is to keep it enjoyable.  If you stop enjoying it, recycle your collection to people who will enjoy it and find a new area to grow enthusiastic about.  )
Yes, you are wright. In my childhood I collected shells and stones and nowadays I give them away to childs of friends and colleaques. Now I collect Dinosaurs and prehistoric animals.
I started to collect them  a few years after I lost my wife after 8 years fighting against her canker disease. So I could understand SHONISAURUS. You have my respect, to find a way to go on step by step in your live after all your losses, and I find it nice, that the Dinosaur models help you on your way. In my live in past I was a monster fish keeper (Polypterus, Channa, Datnoides etc.) Now I am collecting "Monster" (Dinosaur) Figures   .... a new area like CERATOPSIAN favored ....a real philosophical threat

[KeU]

I used to collection various things.
Articulated Kaiju figures.
Hot wheels 1/64 scale.
Play Arts Kai 1/6 figures.
PAPO big cats.
Dinosaur figures of all types.
Gundam kits.

But I became distraught by the amount of stuff I own.
Was asking myself what do I plan to do with them in 10-20 yrs time.
So I started giving away and selling them.
Spread the collecting virus and help get others started on their collections.

Now, I limit myself to some dinosaur figures, mainly giant theropods. (PAPO, PNSO and Vitae for now).
1/18 limited edition hypercars.
1/500 airliners.
That's pretty much it.

I am still hanging on to my Invicta and Carnegie dinosaurs.
Hopefully my future kids will like dinosaurs.

[postsaurischian]

Wise Words from a wise man
(CERATOPSIAN:
I think the most important thing about collecting anything is to keep it enjoyable.  If you stop enjoying it, recycle your collection to people who will enjoy it and find a new area to grow enthusiastic about.  ) .......

Are you sure he she is a man? 

[gnetum2015]

Oh no, I am not shure if CERATOPSIAN is a man.
If I was wrong, so please excuse me . Then I would say "wise words from a wise women"...
Thanks for correction.

[Lambeoraptor]

I was born a collector and started collecting things as quite a small child (stones and shells off beaches, model zoo and farm animals....)  I haven't changed, though what I collect changes over the years.  For instance I acquired (and still love) a group of Caithness paperweights back in the 1980s.  I have a collection of Thelwell pony models, though I don't add to it any more. I have a few bits and pieces of fossils (and would like more!)  I collect jewellery, both costume and "real" (though obviously not so often for the latter!)  I collect books and probably have a couple of thousand - though I weeded out a lot when my study was redecorated a couple of years ago and I no longer buy hard-copy fiction (just for space reasons). In the past I collected 19th-century travel prints and although I don't acquire any more of them, I love the ones I have on my walls.  I buy the occasional piece of original palaeoart.  But I'll stop buying this when I don't have more hanging space where I can enjoy them.

I think the most important thing about collecting anything is to keep it enjoyable.  If you stop enjoying it, recycle your collection to people who will enjoy it and find a new area to grow enthusiastic about. 

Also think about whether a particular area is feasible before you leap in.  It's not much fun setting your heart on collecting items that are really expensive if you know you don't have enough cash to buy them without pain.  It quickly gets boring if you can never afford a treat!  Choose a focus that suits your pocket and space available.

My collection of dinosaurs has grown relatively quickly into the space available - though there are a few "back-up" options for display other than in my model room!  I take the view that if I run out of space, I can always sell off (or give to Oxfam) models that no longer please me.  I've just started collecting Permian synapsids too - though I plan to stick to "toys" rather than resin models and as the range of things to buy isn't large, it won't balloon the way my dinosaurs have. 

The main thing is enjoyment!

I agree with you!

[ceratopsian]

Of course you are excused!  You had no way of knowing I was a woman.  And thank you for the compliment.

Oh no, I am not shure if CERATOPSIAN is a man.
If I was wrong, so please excuse me . Then I would say "wise words from a wise women"...
Thanks for correction.

[MLMjp]

Balancing your collections? The short answer is, you made some list in you mind in which you set which figures to get and which ones are top priorities, and after that....you just do whatever you can with your limited resources, because doing a perfect balance is impossible.

I collect Dinosaurs and Tranformers and I do have a few rules to restrict myself of buying too much. With dinosaurs one of these rules is scale. I want my figures to be in scale so only collect figures that are between 1:40-1:30, the only exceptions are figures of smaller species(but if there is a mini figure of a smaller species in the scale range I said or slightly larger, with 1:25 being the maximum, I will also try to get it) and JP dinosaurs, which I do not get frequently, also I try to get only one figure per genus, but sometimes some figures are too good to pass on. In regards to transformers, I only collect figures from Transformers prime(I have not complete that collection yet ), the Generations line, and some movie figures. But no G1, no Masterpieces, no Beast Wars, etc. With this at least I can have some reasonably good collecting habits without having to sell my organs to buy figures, considering that I am a college student and I don't have a job, so the only money I have is the one my family gives to me.

Luckly my parents support my hobbies so I always get some figures payed by them.

But IMO the most annoying factor of balancing two collections is "figure availability". In my country there is no Safari figures, and Papo & CollectA are difficult to find (Luckily I now some stores that carries them) Which means having to wait some extra time for the figures to come to the stores or buying online, and thus paying an extra for shipping. And don't get me start with transformers, the distribution is terrible! First wave always comes, but leader class figures do not, then second waves barely exists but third waves do come, in other cases only a few things from second wave will come and that´s it. And buying transformers is usually more expensive than buying dinosaurs, specially via online. So if there is any opportunity to buy something from a physical store, I will take it.

So I guess made my purchases based on:
What figures are must have
The money I have
My parents help
And......If I find something that is rare, I bought it even if is not a priority, you never know when you will see it again.

[Nanuqsaurus]

Balancing your collections? The short answer is, you made some list in you mind in which you set which figures to get and which ones are top priorities, and after that....you just do whatever you can with your limited resources, because doing a perfect balance is impossible.

To add to this: you can also just make a real list. That's what I do! I just have a Word document which lists all figures I already have and which ones I still want. It's pretty useful for managing your collection!

[MLMjp]

Balancing your collections? The short answer is, you made some list in you mind in which you set which figures to get and which ones are top priorities, and after that....you just do whatever you can with your limited resources, because doing a perfect balance is impossible.

To add to this: you can also just make a real list. That's what I do! I just have a Word document which lists all figures I already have and which ones I still want. It's pretty useful for managing your collection!

I actually do something like that, but only with transformers, but instead of a word, it is a power point and I include images. I guess I do not do the same with Dinos because there are much, much more Dinos than transformers on my non-existent "want list", and I am too lazy to do one.

[terrorchicken]

^I use the want list feature on Amazon...so helpful.
I also used to like the Collections feature on Ebay but they stupidly decided to get rid of it some time ago.

[Reptilia]

I was born a collector

This. I noticed that collecting is almost something you have in your DNA, every kind of interest I had in my life brought me to collect stuff, to an extent. While I know people that can literally live without anything object-related, cause they probably don't feel the need of possessing things at all. And that bothers me in a way, cause sometimes I wish I could be free of this collector's curse. But most of the times is quite enjoyable.

[PhilSauria]

Same. Whatever interests I've had can be plotted by looking at my bookcase or along the shelves and is reflected in books or merch related to it. For a time there the acquisitive side of myself wrestled with the more practical side over all that I have accumulated in forty odd years of collecting but as I get more enjoyment in having these things than not my philosophy is that you're only here once so do what you like. Besides if I did liquidate any or all of it (can't imagine that!) I'd probably 'repent' after a while and try to find it all again!

[sauroid]

i've always had this hoarder mentality ever since childhood, but thankfully i dont hoard useless/worthless things. so the upside to this habit, i can make money from all the stuff ive accumulated through the few years of my existence when i am absolutely sure that those things i have no real interest anymore.