Post by sbell on Apr 2, 2008 4:08:24 GMT
Howdy all. Thought I'd actually introduce myself (instead of just jumping into various discussions...).
I am a 32-y-o collector who has been "seriously" collecting for the last 10 years or more. I actually started with Schleich moderns, and almost completely ignored the Schleich Replicasaurus series (I now have a few, but I pick and choose). I then discovered Bullyland, but didn't actually purchase any for a while.
In 2000 I pursued my MS in paleontology (well, geology) studying Oligocene mammals (mostly small ones) which lead to a new preoccupation with fossil mammals. It was here that I finally got my Bully mammals, and I'm glad I did. They outshine most others (except the Cave Bear...). It was also during my MS that I discovered the Dinotales lines (interestingly, while searching for figures of Brontotheres, which figure prominently here in Saskatchewan paleontology). So then it lead into a second line of collecting--small detailed figures (I since discovered Bandai, Yujin, Kabaya and others).
During then, I did more reading, and became fascinated with paleozoic and Triassic fauna--and frustrated with the scarcity of toys from that time. But I think I now have a pretty healthy collection of paleozoic fish, tetrapods, and even a few inverts.
Since my heady Grad Student days, I have become a father (of two now) and have had some changes--one, I switched to a career path with a job prospect, that also gave me something else to go with my collecting (more in a second). Two, I learned to let go a bit on the "no touching" aspect of my collection, so that now my 4-y-o son knows what a collectible means, knows to be careful, knows that Bullyland figures scratch and Dinotales break (he's never broken one, and I wish I could say that) and knows as many of the figures--by line and taxa-as I do. Plus, since it's for learning, it is a good excuse for maintaining the collection.
As for that "something extra" I learned the wonders of Databases, meaning my entire collection is completely catalogued, cross-referenced taxonomically and by manufacturer, etc., and even photographed. I now know what I have at all times, within an instant (and more often, what I don't have yet!).
Today, I collect an eclectic mix of toy and model figures from today (Schleich, Carnegie, Bully, Papo, Yowies, Kaiyodo, COG, etc) and days past (Lido, MPC, Ral Partha) , both moderns and prehistorics, but I don't focus on any one brand, instead trying to expand the different number of species represented (which means that I no longer purchase everything Schleich, and I am thrilled by the wide diversity in the new Procon line). I am also not adverse to Dollar Store figures (or what some people here disparagingly refer to as "Chinasaurs" which means I can claim to have a small herd of these (I really hope the pictures work--I have bad luck with this; I'd rather embed the photos, but it isn't working, so you get hyperlinks until I figure out what went wrong)):
www.flickr.com/photos/25225274@N08/2382081112/
and the associated set (but really, this is the only one that I haven't seen made by anyone else recently).
as well as a pair of these:
www.flickr.com/photos/25225274@N08/2381261431/
And on my closing note: Once I have a place for my Yowies (yes, I have a number of them too--mostly the fish, amphibians, marine reptiles and some dinos) I will be able to proudly claim that my entire collection is out of storage and on display, in a room that my (very patient, understanding, and beautiful wife) has let me take over completely. And I will put pics of that up as soon as the last Yowie is placed.
I am a 32-y-o collector who has been "seriously" collecting for the last 10 years or more. I actually started with Schleich moderns, and almost completely ignored the Schleich Replicasaurus series (I now have a few, but I pick and choose). I then discovered Bullyland, but didn't actually purchase any for a while.
In 2000 I pursued my MS in paleontology (well, geology) studying Oligocene mammals (mostly small ones) which lead to a new preoccupation with fossil mammals. It was here that I finally got my Bully mammals, and I'm glad I did. They outshine most others (except the Cave Bear...). It was also during my MS that I discovered the Dinotales lines (interestingly, while searching for figures of Brontotheres, which figure prominently here in Saskatchewan paleontology). So then it lead into a second line of collecting--small detailed figures (I since discovered Bandai, Yujin, Kabaya and others).
During then, I did more reading, and became fascinated with paleozoic and Triassic fauna--and frustrated with the scarcity of toys from that time. But I think I now have a pretty healthy collection of paleozoic fish, tetrapods, and even a few inverts.
Since my heady Grad Student days, I have become a father (of two now) and have had some changes--one, I switched to a career path with a job prospect, that also gave me something else to go with my collecting (more in a second). Two, I learned to let go a bit on the "no touching" aspect of my collection, so that now my 4-y-o son knows what a collectible means, knows to be careful, knows that Bullyland figures scratch and Dinotales break (he's never broken one, and I wish I could say that) and knows as many of the figures--by line and taxa-as I do. Plus, since it's for learning, it is a good excuse for maintaining the collection.
As for that "something extra" I learned the wonders of Databases, meaning my entire collection is completely catalogued, cross-referenced taxonomically and by manufacturer, etc., and even photographed. I now know what I have at all times, within an instant (and more often, what I don't have yet!).
Today, I collect an eclectic mix of toy and model figures from today (Schleich, Carnegie, Bully, Papo, Yowies, Kaiyodo, COG, etc) and days past (Lido, MPC, Ral Partha) , both moderns and prehistorics, but I don't focus on any one brand, instead trying to expand the different number of species represented (which means that I no longer purchase everything Schleich, and I am thrilled by the wide diversity in the new Procon line). I am also not adverse to Dollar Store figures (or what some people here disparagingly refer to as "Chinasaurs" which means I can claim to have a small herd of these (I really hope the pictures work--I have bad luck with this; I'd rather embed the photos, but it isn't working, so you get hyperlinks until I figure out what went wrong)):
www.flickr.com/photos/25225274@N08/2382081112/
and the associated set (but really, this is the only one that I haven't seen made by anyone else recently).
as well as a pair of these:
www.flickr.com/photos/25225274@N08/2381261431/
And on my closing note: Once I have a place for my Yowies (yes, I have a number of them too--mostly the fish, amphibians, marine reptiles and some dinos) I will be able to proudly claim that my entire collection is out of storage and on display, in a room that my (very patient, understanding, and beautiful wife) has let me take over completely. And I will put pics of that up as soon as the last Yowie is placed.
