An Ode to Collectors

The article below (click read more) appeared in yesterday's papers and it is most timely since my coverage / post of Hot Toys magazine feature covering their ten years (2000 - 2010) of producing and releasing 1:6 scale movie-related merchandise under their Movie Masterpiece Series (see previous post).

It makes for an interesting read as the writer ponders why people collects things in general. The writer says her mother told her that "things should be bought to be used, consumed, worn or enjoyed. Not placed in glass cases or climate-controlled rooms to be admired." Yet the same woman has a miniature perfume collection that she lovingly dusts off once a year during Chinese New Year. The irony is lost on her LOL

The writer goes on to cite reasons why people collect - out of a need to possess rare and exceptional things, to flatter their self-esteem or taste, to feed an obsession that verges on the pathological or perhaps something that is linked to the artistic impulse.


The writer herself says she doesn't collect because of "real life" demands - time constraints, money, the dust issue (collections collect dust as well, she reasons). She sees a tragic hero in the collector: a compulsive kid who never grew up and is doomed to hunting down the next item, and the next, and the next.

The full text of the article is included here

Well, I cannot let the matter rest without saying my piece. As I've mentioned on the side bar under the title "Why I collect toys?", I collect them simply because toys to me are works of ART in 3-D (three dimensional form) which one can admire and appreciate from every possible angle. I believe most collectors are very visual people and we really appreciate the visual arts in all its forms. Most collectors I know are designers - graphic designers, interior designers, product designers, all types of designers with one common link: it's all very visual. We collect because we appreciate all the work that went into making the toy or collectible - it is a piece of ART! Note: I said "collectors" and NOT "investors". "Investors" are people who buy toys to invest, hoping to make a quick buck out of the entire exchange with no love for the toy itself.

I also find that collectors are people who have reached a certain stage in their lives where their basic needs have been met and they are able to look at a higher level of need or want. You won't find any serious collector in a third world country where their basic need have not been met, they are just looking to survive, not to LIVE!

Like the writer said herself, she has no time to collect because she is too busy chasing after money or the demands of her job takes up all her time, leaving her no time for anything else. Collectors are able to devote time to collecting because they manage their time better and are able to find a balance. Personally, I have a well-balanced life of work and play AND I'm enjoying LIFE and not just plodding along on a mundane existence. Some people choose to go out partying and drinking till the wee hours because that is what they enjoy doing but as for me, I enjoy collecting. Some people choose to spend time playing games (be it computer games or sports) because that is what they enjoy, I enjoy collecting. I've only known HAPPY collectors and not miserable ones so if collecting makes them happy, then I say "Keep on collecting!"

I don't see myself as a tragic hero or a compulsive kid that refuses to grow up who is doomed to hunting down the next item. I see myself as a very happy individual who collects because he wants to and not because he has to, who has made friends with a GREAT many like-minded people through his blog and who enjoys sharing his passion and appreciating all the compliments he gets everyday. I don't live for the LOVE of MONEY, I'm loving LIFE and living it, and the toys are just a part of that enjoyment (dust included)!