That's what collecting and curating a collection is all about. Things go in and out of the collection all the time. Sometimes they go back into storage and other times they go permanently. I think that's natural and healthy. Your collection reflects you at your current moment. At the risk of a cheesy Marie Kondo quote: if it doesn't bring you joy, get rid of it.
This is what I need the bravery to do too. I learned so much throughout my journey, loading up early on game prize figures and other impulse buys that just take up space. I've become much more discerning since then and the culling needs to negin.
once you finally bite the bullet, it is such a relief to downsize your collection, and focus on displaying the pieces you REALLY like. good luck solider!
i also got a bit addicted to prize figures! especially since nowadays they're such good quality. also shops like dekai anime (rip) and ninoma both had prizes for great prices made them so accessible for me
I have noticed with my collections, once I get a “dream” item, I stop collecting. I either sell everything (and start a new collection), or the collection just stays the same for years. As I have gotten older I am just less interested in collecting, or maybe I was just too into it before lol. It’s crazy how some things that brought you joy one day become overwhelming a few months later.
@@ajmk2845there really isn’t a “best”, it depends on what collectible you are selling/if you have boxes etc. (also where you have higher ratings as a seller lol) eBay will always be the biggest marketplace/where people look first for second hand (at least in the states). There would be speciality sites/forms as well. Out of box/gently used etc. I have heard use whatnot. But it really depends on what whatever item is “going for” and then seeing how often sales happen, and pricing accordingly. If you want things out of your house, then pricing under other listings. If you want to make back what you paid/more, then you’d have to likely wait etc.
I did this recently and it honestly made me smile. It's definitely a tangible, visible example of someone's growth as a person and their changing interests. I'm definitely more picky about the figures I get moving forward. It's bittersweet.
Such an insightful and honest video. I applaud you. I don't really collect figures, but I totally understand why you felt you had to sell off half of your collection. It actually feels really satisfying to declutter and I agree: once you start to get rid off some stuff, letting go other items gets much easier.
I really feel this. In the end, it's a healthier mindset and you'd be more fulfilled by getting the ones you will adore and keeping a certain bar is good to do. Because I know how it feels to be so trigger-happy buying all the figures I want to have back to back. It felt nice at the time but now I feel like I don't have the space anymore for them too and due to me moving abroad I feel like I have to stop because hauling all those figures around would be just too much. And I feel like I'd rather save up now to get some nice scales instead of 5 price figures of one character. So I really get what you mean
I feel you on this video. While I still had space, I bought A LOT, but after running low on space in my main display I realized I need to only get stuff that truly resonates with me. I cancel loads of pre-orders and rearanged a lot of stuff. Gave away some PRIZE stuff to friends, cuz I felt no attachement to those. Some of the most exciting figures for me are the BiCute series and POP-UP's XL and L sized ones. They cost a resonable ammount and have a small base, which makes it easy to indulge and not feel the burn in my wallet or space lol PS: It truly hurt hearing you sell the B-style's, especially since many of those were ones I'd love to own purely cuz I love how they look, but I truly understand where you were coming from with that choice!
So excited for you! Would love to still hear what you are excited about as figures come out and why you chose to get or not get a figure for yourself. I think it’s a healthy mindset you have and more people need to be reminded that we DON’T NEED IT ALL! it’s very hard to remember.
This is a great video, and honestly a very important discussion to have. Selling a significant portion of my collection is process I’ve been going through as well. While my collection wasn’t as impressive as yours, I definitely got a little trigger happy with preorders when I first got into the hobby. It’s been nice to make some money back and be able to pay more attention to ONLY the figures that make me really, really, really happy to own. It’s so funny, some of the figures you mention as having sold are ones that for me were “I MUST keep!!!! ❤”. It’s so personal to everyone. 😊 In the end, it’s so easy to fall into FOMO with a hobby like this. But it’s all the more important we resist it, since it’s such a pricey thing to be into as well.
ur mindset towards collecting is rly refreshing! in this hobby u def can get thrown into the 'i have to have as many as i can' mindset, got me thinking abt my own collection now haha
I went through my figures recently to unhaul stuff but this makes me want to go back through again. Will we be getting a room tour soon with all the changes? Love that it seems like your manga collection has been growing in the background haha. Something I've gotten more into myself lately vs figures.
Thank you for addressing one of the problems a figure collector faces at some point; and it’s evident that as well on the figure market. Not to mention prices are crazy high nowadays that makes collecting stressful rather than enjoyable.
My go to (mostly due to a lack of funds) is see a figure and forget about it, if I’m still thinking about it weeks/months later and it won’t have any financial impact I’ll buy it
It’s so interesting how we all go on our own journeys. I’ve also recently started culling my collection. Started out buying figures from most of the animes I liked to watch but I found myself losing interest in them after those shows came and went. But it’s kinda funny how we went in opposite directions with culling our collections. While you’re moving away from them, I’m limiting my collection down to only Fate and Type-Moon figures as I love Type-Moon’s universe more than anything, Fate specifically is by far my favourite IP and those figures make me the happiest. Also have to thank you as your videos are what got me into Fate all those years ago when you started posting Fate figure hauls and unboxings. So yeah, thanks from a fellow aussie collector :)
I went through something similar. I went way overboard with figures for a few years even though they ended up staying in their boxes because I had no space for them. I would always tell myself when I do have the space they'll be worth it. Recently I moved to a place where I have room for all the figures I never opened and after moving them all (which was a huge hassle) I started looking at them and realized for a lot of them I don't really care about them anymore and I don't care to display them. I'm slowly putting figures out, but when I get to one I don't feel like displaying I put it aside in a "to sell" pile. Now I'm way more selective about figures I'll buy. I actually give myself a week "cooldown" on a figure to keep myself from impulse buying. If I still want it after a week I'll go ahead and order, but that rarely happens. Thinking about all the money I spent on figures that I don't care about anymore makes me cry...but also some of them are worth more than they were when I bought them so that's kind of a win...but also some are worth way less and almost not worth selling after factoring fees/shipping costs.
I noticed this happening a lot lately with collectors, something seemed to have changed, but I'm also critically evaluating what I want to keep to avoid an overwhelming, unsatisfying collection at the end. The ridiculous prices, amount of choices, space issues with boxes and figures - all of them can burn you out very quickly. I'm in the process of selling the ones I don't like anymore. Wrapping up the boxes nicely with all the plastic inserts etc and packaging to sell is tedious asf. Another reason to be picky. Once you start selling it feels great, and I encourage anyone who's thinking about selling to just do it. It's nice to get a small portion of your money back and to free up some space for future figures. I was afraid of selling at first cause I had no experience, but once I made a few sales I realized it's not bad at all. Though I will say the market rn is quite bad, even pricing figures really low takes a while to sell. I'm mostly selling at a loss, unless you're lucky and the figures you have are rare. Still, It feels nice to regain some space to curate a small meaningful collection.
@@KevSantos00 I straight up typed like 6 paragraphs of advice but youtube sadly deleted it right away lmao I have no local selling experience, but hopefully this helps Package it the way you want to receive it, like how retailers send you packages. With big boxes, you honestly can't get around how expensive they are and the only way to cut costs is to use the correct box sizes (which is a PITA to find). Even 2 inches extra can end up making shipping a few bucks more expensive. Bubble/plastic wrap the figure box with 1-2 inches around each side filled with padding so it doesn't shake during shipment, and it should be good. It should survive any big falls as you know how they play football with most packages. If you see people selling for free shipping they are factoring the shipping cost into the figure (you can do this too). I see people with really low shipping costs and that's cause they're hoping that the carriers won't notice them underestimating the weight/dimensions. Don't do that, or else you or the buyer will be overcharged and forced to pay more than what you/buyer have to pay initially (USPS especially is strict with this). As long as you pay or charge the correct shipping amount and protect the box adequately, it should be fine, regardless of the size of the box. Make sure to buy insurance depending on the label if you're worried (some labels auto cover 100 and past 200 is when you might have to pay a small fee for full coverage). I think I only did this with a figure that was 300+ I personally haven't shipped any 1/4 yet, but I still think it should be the same as any normal box, just heftier to carry. It's a lot of tedious effort, but don't get discouraged - it's worth it. After the initial intimidation of selling, it ends up being a chore of listing all the flaws, taking pictures, comparing prices, packaging, and waiting. Also learn how to negotiate and be flexible, or else you'll be sitting on it for awhile. You should price a bit higher than your bottom line to allow for best offers or negotiations. It's an annoying waiting game in the end.
@@KevSantos00 Oh and document everything to cover yourself in case of a scammer. I haven't had any problems yet luckily as the anime figure community is always pleasant, but you never know.
@@Meowy_Mix Oh man, I really appreciate the detailed write up. I've had experience selling mechanical keyboards, but they were way less bulky and easier to ship. Yeah, I'm also wary of scammers. Another big reason I would prefer local..
@@KevSantos00 If you've got any experience in selling at all, you should definitely be good in that case! Figures can be a headache with all the measuring and weighing, but as long as you do everything properly with a scale/ruler there shouldn't be anything to worry about. With boxes, you can also learn how to cut and resize if it's too big which happens a lot (there's tutorials, I'm too lazy to do this). Or go to a retailer or any liquor store when they're stocking and ask for any boxes they want to throw out if you're desperate. Scammers are just an inherent risk to selling anything. You can try local first and if you're not getting any interest, maybe expand? Going on a platform to sell can help protect yourself along with the insurance. Idk even on Mercari, it's taken me few+ months for most figures at a slightly lower than avg price to sell (I sold mostly Fate/pkmn figures).
I'm still a beginner so this is something I need to learn because I have limited space and money. Glad you can do it, because it is a pretty hard thing to keep up. I completely resonate with you and your choices, and I'll take some of your advice and logic!
Scaling back and even selling part of the collection is something I've considered this year too! Don't know if I'll move on from half my collection but you've given me the courage to start freeing up some space! 😆
SO TRUE I feel like it’s so easy as a collector to get a bit too trigger happy and suddenly you’re overwhelmed with figures you actually don’t even really like 😩 however that gothic Lolita asuka is one of my total grails !!!! Hoping to snatch her up someday haha
I'm someone who doesn't really collect static anime figures being more of a fan of articulated pieces like SH Figuarts and Revoltech as well as Manga but I enjoy watching channels like yours to gain insight into other collecting worlds and other insights into collecting. I find a lot of collectors hit a stage where they have to take a step back and think about what means more to them in their collection and alter their approach based on that and it's probably the healthiest thing you can do as a collector. Being able to say you no longer want something allows you to appreciate the pieces you truly care about more and saves you from falling into the hoarder mindset that comes from collections getting out of hand
I really love that you took the time to go through your reasoning here. Collecting has ups, downs and other changes that will happen as your life or your mindset as a collector shifts. I've had it happen multiple times and in different collections (dolls, anime figs, etc.) and i can heavily relate to the feeling of "once you decide to sell a few, it gets easier with each next one", having just done a partial 'purge' of my figures as well. Coming out the other end always feels freeing and like the parts of the collection you decided to keep finally get to shine and breathe with the space that's been cleared
I resonate so much with everything you said in the video. I have been collecting for a while but getting my own space made me go into this crazy figure buying period. It got so so cramped in my collection, and I hated the look of it. Slowly, I sold one by one, and now I have landed that for my needs, 50ish figures are more than enough. I might cut even more in the future. I now only collect the ones I truly love. And same goes for buying, I feel way more critical when ordering something. Sometimes I just think - well when it comes out, I will see some user photos and then decide if I truly still want it or not.
That’s the best thing that’s keeping me from ordering at the moment, I just think “would it be easier to wait and save myself the money” and almost 100% of the time it has been. I’m either not fully into it and the break waiting till release gives me time to actually think about if the figure even fits into my collection, do I have fomo? Ect ect. Almost everything I’ve waited to release I decide against getting in the end and it makes me feel a lot better ngl :)
as someone who only now has finally got enough money to afford 1/4 figures I’m happy the trend is declining, hopefully that will bring their price down a bit 🤞🏻
You were my inspiration to start this hobby and the truth is I feel so identified with you, the same thing happened to me and I also sold most of my collection now I want to be more selective and have what I really like, for when I see it all days feel the same as the first day I had it
Thankyou for sharing this! I've been feeling the same way recently, I bought a lot of prize figures and trading figures at the start and I need to bite the bullet and start trimming them. I don't even like the slime anime much anymore and I have 4 Rimuru's (including the big bstyle..but like he's the only male bstyle..so he stays for now) I could absolutely get rid of the prize figure one and keep the others. I saw a post on MFC recently about "writing down as much of your collection as you remember and considering selling the ones you didnt write down" and honestly, I think I might give this a go. I already have a lot of the mentality you do when it comes to preorders, but I still feel like I'm too trigger happy and need to slow down. This is the motivation i needed I think.
I have over 600 figures, I have 43 ordered, and I have 68 wished. I need to cut my collection in half honestly but its hard to let go. This was a good video, thank you.
I feel you! I’ve also been trigger happy in the past, especially in the beginning…but space is an issue now and the increasing figure prices have forced me to stop and really think about how i want my collection to look. And i honestly feel so much better now. Thank you for sharing your journey with us! Ps: i was really surprised to see your Fate racing figures on the list!
Great video. Going through a similar purge at the moment. I’d be interested in a video about how you sell your figures. And I’d be interested to talk numbers too, like what you sold the figure for vs what you paid, shipping, profit, losses etc. 😅
This video definitely resonated with me 😭 I am going through this exact feeling right now. While I love my collection and it makes me smile when I see it, I am at the point where I am extremely overwhelmed with the amount of figures that I own. Having to manage and pay for preorders doesn’t help either. When I first started collecting, I had a cap on the amount of figures that I would allow myself to have as well as rules (no buying characters that I don’t know, no spending more than $300 on a single figure, etc). My cap was at 130 figures……I am now sitting at 211 figures (and around 35 are sitting in my storage unopened due to me having no more room to display figures). I also have long since broken my rules. I’ve been putting off declutterring due to being too overwhelmed. Of course I sell off figures that I don’t like/I fall out of love with here and there (like every few months), but I am in need of a MASSIVE declutter. I would like to sell off at least 50 figures but between having to list everything, take photos, find buyers, pack them up, etc, I just don’t have the time, energy, or patience. Not mentioning that things get worse each month when I have a haul of preordered/purchased figures steadily coming in. I often find myself immediately selling off figures that I recently receive due to not being as excited for them as I thought that I would be. Another big overwhelming issue is that since I don’t have an IKEA in my area or near me, I don’t have many display options to choose from when it comes to displaying figures. I’ve been looking for another display cabinet for nearly 2 years now and have had no luck due to my city/state simply not having a lot of resources. I’ve had to rely on Facebook Marketplace but that’s unfortunately a desert most of the time due to my area (I’ve been looking on there for also 2 years for another display cabinet but still have not came across one yet). Decluttering would be way easier if I were able to do something like local selling/pickup, but as stated, that’s near impossible due to my city/state. I’m sure that they are other figure collectors in my city but it’s definitely a VERY VERY low percentage to the point where it would be impossible to find a buyer. I honestly wish that I could turn back time and redo my collection. I would be VERY picky with the figures that I allowed into my collection. I’m envious of people who are able to limit themselves to 20 or less than 100 figures 🥲
It can be so difficult to let go because you start to get nostalgic about when you got the figure and then you re-watch the anime and get sucked in. But knowing that you were able to sell someone their dream figure second hand helps
It's crazy to me that i even remember this, but i recall that the Yumeko Bunny was your boyfriend's. I think the thought of your SO also beeing into Anime Figures was just very sweet. This just poses the question to me now wether he didn't like it anymore or whatever happened with it 👀
Good for you. Every collector at some point has taken a step back & re-evaluated their collection. Keep your collection to the space you have is a great idea💜
As someone who can get wrapped into the hype and be influenced into buying a figure (within my interest), this is actually so nice to see from time to time 😆 Also was super surprised when I heard you sold your fate figs, tho understandable. Excited to see what new anime figures you decide to pick up in the future! Also wanted to add that I'm sure a lot of beginner collectors fall into this trap (along with folks with bad impulse control like me lol) of buying too much, or just fell out of love with certain figures but are still keeping them, so videos like these are so helpful ❤
I felt that when I'm still new, and that time I just purchased figures that I used to like and eventually I got tired and end up selling them. Now I only purchase figures of the characters that I really like and I feel like there's a personal attachment to the character. It's like "just because I enjoy the series/games, doesn't mean I need their figure" thing.
I was legit just looking for a video to play in the background while I clean my storage room, and saw you posted - maybe this is a sign I need to clear out in my figure collection…
One thing that have helped me with limiting myself with my collection is space and display case. As of the moment I have fully maxed out on space, and If I do find a figure or would want to preorder a figure. I make sure that I sell some figures to make space for that figure. Ngl I have plenty more space to get more detolf or other display case. But I’ve limited myself 2 2 detolfs and one big wide display case. So I don’t get tempted to overbuy. And would actually have to make sure I like the figure so then I can sell some of the figure that I had fallen out of love with.
Part of the reason why I only have 3 Detolfs. (also cause ikea stopped selling detolfs haha). Cause with 3 detolf's, I thought I could control how many figures I can get. i.e. only buy what I can fit in the 3 detolfs. But I was wrong, I still ended up buying what I "liked" and them stuck in their boxes sealed stored in a room cause my detolfs were full. Originally I only planned to get Fate GO figures cause I love the game and the heroes in it. but ended up buying expensive Azur Lane figures because.. Well they are hot AF?. Eventually my collecting habit came to the same point where I bought what I liked. But not what I truly wanted which are the FGO figures. I ended up selling the still sealed Azur Lane figures. And non FGO figures. Still do. Cause in the end you do realize that collecting specially 1/7 scale figures gets expensive real quick. And to note, I have not even played Azur Lane much. I played like 5 minutes maxed and realize it wasn't a gameplay style I liked. But truthfully yes the figures are very sexy and beautiful. Bottom line is that, collecting is okay as long as you are being responsible. And when you feel like buying. Think reallyyyy Hard. Because there is a difference between liking a figure vs loving it. Liking a figure is more of like a time limited thing where eventually you will lose interest on the figure. Whilst loving a figure is forever to keep a figure type of level. but yea, figure collecting is.. expensive XD
I only have a few figures, but I do collect LEGO and I definitely relate to the feeling of always wanting more more more but not having ANY room. Been downsizing myself a bit to the point where I’m breaking down sets and storing them away for either later or to sell and it really is a satisfying feeling to not have a space as cluttered, and creating a more curated display. Just found your channel pretty recently, love your content keep it up!
I'm in the same boat. I overindulged myself with figure collecting and now I'm slimming down to make room and get rid of some figures that I got as impulse purchases. No shame in reducing the collection at all. Kudos to you for making this video!
This video sure is a eye opening to any type of collecting. Not everyone is capable of accept those feelings and as you said "get the hands dirty". Im very happy for you as a fellow collector and can't wait to see what you have going foward !
I'm glad you shared this. I kind of shared the trigger happiness you've had in collecting until I started raising my family. realized I can still be a collector but I needed to slow down. Part of me would feel need for needing to let go of a figure, but on the other end I feel glad that I was able to free up some space and they kind of helped up with the expenses for my family. Now I've been learning to take my time before deciding to get a figure.
I totally feel you! I heavely reduced my collection a while ago aswell. When I got into collecting figures I basically bought every figure that I liked on first glance eventhough I got bored of a lot of these figures fairly quickly. So I set some rules for myself so that I'm happy with my collection at all times. I told myself that I'm only gonna buy figures that look good, that are from shows that I liked and that are of characters that I like (with some exceptions of course). Also no swimsuit versions, mostly characters in their "base" form.
I've entered my decluttering phase as well. My pre-order size is around 10 ish figures now compared to having 40 items on order. I've also joined a few figure discord servers, and I think that kinda enabled me to purchase more. I still hang out on these servers but I just now focus on what I really want in my collection rather than ordering for the sake of ordering and decide to sell later. I think my FOMO radar pretty much is non existent now. If I miss out on a figure, probably means I didn't want it much in the first place. Also majority of figures appears to be readily available in the aftermarket these days compared to the pre-2019 era collecting, so there isn't a rush I feel anymore.
I am in the process of doing the same thing, getting rid of a lot of figures I just bought on impulse. Feels good to free up space and realise what figures I really love.
love the vid!! one of the things I love most about your channel is hearing your thoughts behind why you buy or don’t buy a certain figure; i actually subbed after your rant about the FREEing bunny figures lol, it was refreshing and lots of fun to watch. i’m not a figure collector personally - more of a assorted merch collector - but it was cool hearing your thoughts behind why you chose to sell or cancel preorders and empathizing with the reasoning. much love, and good luck w the culling!!!
You can go into big debt really fast asides from just having no room. Been there done that. I trim my collection every 6 months. If I don't have it displayed then it has to go.
I've been doing that for a while and that really is healthy. Selling the ones I don't love anymore and buying new under strict circumstances. For example, I'm collecting Miku, but decided to keep it as one outfit = one figure. Or one figure per character from anime. It feels so good to get back money (sometimes even more than what I paid for the item!) and be able to look for something I've been craving but couldn't buy before cause of lack of money or space.
I’m not a figure collector but my feelings towards clothes has been the same lately. The amount of clothing that I don’t use overwhelms me and I don’t have space for it but I still want to buy new clothes 😅 That’s why I’m decluttering my wardrobe, selling everything that doesn’t spark joy and only focusing on fewer styles that I really love and wear. I don’t have to own everything to appreciate it!! I still have lots to sell but I’m getting there bit by bit.
love these videos bc the collection "personality" comes out even more when deciding what makes the cut or not. i sold figures simply bc the characters have yellow/ bleached hair and i hate yellow. felt much better after lol
thank you for the explanation of the collacting process I'm trying to collect figures and I found some good priced ones that I don't even like that much and I was actually so obsessed with the idea of having a completed collection that I didnt even realize the fact that I have to get ones that mean something or the ones that I really want and need in my room
I went through the same phase this year and sold/removed pre-orders due to either burnout or loss of interest. I respect your decision to trim quite a big part of your collection.
Kpop Photocards are what I collect and I hear you, it can be so easy to want to just buy every card but for me I’ve downsized so much of my binders from like 10 to now just having 3 main collection binders and 1 small collection it’s been a dream. I now don’t collect everything so my collection feels a lot more personal to me and my tastes I love being selective and having something curated so much better it’s been a great change love this for you!
i think this is such an important video. i have noticed every now and then how among prominent figures in the community on youtube, there is a certain pressure or prestige to constantly get new figures, always show off a new haul. i'd see someone barely get into a certain series and very quickly accumulate all the fiugres from it that are out there, which always came off as very impulsive and rushed to me. i really think it's fine to discuss new releases without needing to buy them, or to just talk about the hobby and appreciate the collection you already have! i'd totally watch someone just talk about their journey in hindsight, talk about how they actually arrange their collection, etc. instead of always chasing the shiny new stuff. feels especially unrealistic to collectors like me, who are students or just don't have the budget to always have stuff coming in. i was thinking about this kind of thing as well since i've also been selling a handful figures. i think it's fine to have your philosophy change, and it's not shameful to sell. it doesn't have to be a failure or a bad regret, sometimes you like a figure for a while and after that time it has served its purpose to you, and can go on into a new home where someone will appreciate it more!
Just btw there are just as plenty of youtubers who deliver news one new pre order figures but they don't PO, they are just showing off the images. Its different from unboxing and POing. Thats why I dont look for HAUL video, of anything really because this is not exclusive to figure but shopping in general. I've seen it in books for example and ofc shopping. Anyway I enjoy watching youtubers who talk about figures and their opinions without actually having bought the figures. Thats such a smart way to create content without necessarily spending on it.
Once you sell one, it gets so much easier to clear out a section of your collection. I’ve been getting way pickier with figures, and sold a good handful over the past year! Definitely have more I can see being the next to go, but I’m happy where I am now. Only preordering for my top favorite series :)
I sold a majority of my collection these past couple months. When I first started collecting I had no idea what I wanted my collection to be and had definitely gone crazy as well with how many figures I decided to pre-order. I saw all of these collectors on UA-cam with giant collections and thought that that's what I wanted to, but turns out I actually prefer a smaller collection. It is honestly so freeing to downsize your collection. And I'm also happy to see you showing a different side of collecting
Glad that you managed to unhaul your collection. I personally just recently start my scale figure collection, and it really is tempting to keep adding more to my collection, but in the end I try to keep it to just my beloved characters and few select ones that I have to really, REALLY, like before purchasing.
I can definitely relate. I stopped buying figures last year. I learned to appreciate them and move on. My biggest issue was space. I love empty space and prefer to keep my collection in a specific area.
This is a nice video to see. Collecting can easily become a shopping addiction if you're not careful and I've kind of wondered if that's the case for a lot of creators on YT. I'm glad you were able to get a handle on it. I think the one in one out idea is great. It can help you appreciate what you have more, and decide what is really worth getting.
I completely understand. I also got swept up in the hype of collecting and bought WAY too many figures when I was able to do so. Having to move them all to a small apartment (and still having a bunch of preorders) was my breaking point. I've sold so many figures and it has been such a relief. I think I'm going to go by the "one in, one out" system as well, so that I can have everything on display in my small space.
I cant express how much this resonates with me... to the point that as I was watching your video I decided to cancel some of my preorders.... but please don't get me wrong, I have been thinking about something similar for a while and seeing you being so brave and taking the step pushed me into following it! I moved from a small apartment into a house with a room dedicated to it and I already outgrown it. I feel that "I have this one because I absolutely love it" approach is a much better and more healthy approach, so thank you for the inspiration and I can't wait to see your new room tour :)
I relate to this. There was a point I got busy with work and games that made me turn away from looking into upcoming figures and at the same time I wasn't that much into watching new/to-watch animes. Until this took months to now more than a year that I stopped buying. I still have figures still unboxed like my JJK scales, 3 model kits, Nendoroids, Popup parade and some more prize figures. Thinking now as sad as I am, I want to let go of them but I don't know how I can sell them off 😔
The fact that a lot of them are still unboxed works in your favor at least! In regards to how to sell them, start with taking a good look at the pros and cons between websites like ebay and mercari which are some of the most popular for selling figures second hand. It can be a little slow going though if you're trying to make up for money lost as much as you can, since a lot of people will want to haggle/low ball on certain items. If you're not as concerned with recovering money, however, you can look into any second hand hobby shops in your area which will glad to buy your figures. They just probably won't pay you as much as if you were to do it yourself, but it'd take some of the hassle out of it.
I’ve been going through the exact same process! I know what you mean by it getting easier as you sell. Setting rules and limiting figures of characters has helped me a ton on downsizing. The amount of space regained has also made it easier to keep going. I never thought about sub themes though. I will definitely consider that when I rescan my collection for another round of downsizing, which is also a good thing to do! You may think you’re done but you’re not! Lol it’s hard but having space for future grails is worth it
i know for me when the initial covid boom happened and i had excess money and nowhere to go with it, i ended up buying a shit ton of figures and got crazy trigger happy. over the last year or so i've seen a lot of people take a different approach to collecting, and it's been really inspiring. i've started focusing on 2 or 3 series, and a couple specific characters that i really, really love and i've begun honing in on grails for those rather than buying a bunch of small things of a lot of franchises. i'm definitely still not immune to a charm or pin or clear file here and there, but i think honing in on core, formative, deeply important series to me has helped a lot in quelling my trigger happiness. i'm really glad you've gotten around to what you felt was best for you, this is such a great video.
When I started figure collecting, I hoarded gashapons as those were the ones affordable for me in price. Sometimes even random ones I didn't know well but I just liked how they looked. Then some time ago I looked at the cluttered glass cabinet and got sick of the full shelves. There was no space for any new figure for years now. :/ I sold about a bit less than half of my collection so far and it feels SO good to have ONE shelf now where I display my favorite nendoroids (got into collecting them oh no! XD) and some prize figures. I want to keep getting rid of old figures, and have space for new ones I really like and KNOW the character too! I'll also keep their boxes in case I decide to sell any new figures later on.
I've gone through this journey with Pokemon cards, art, books, watches, and, yes, figures as well. I think a lot of collectors have similar stories! I'd love to see an updated collection tour after this unhaul, though!
i'm a k-pop fan and there's also sometimes a stigma around getting rid of items and what you said at the very start is what i frequently tell people (what you want to keep, buy, sell is up to that individual) i'm the biggest downsize enthusiast and got to the stage where looking at my shelves (filled with hundreds of albums) was genuinely stressful to me and realised that i needed to sit down and think about what i really wanted for my happiness and now i'm getting into anime figures, i'm definitely attempting to keep that in mind and not fall into a trigger happy spree ㅋㅋ
I do think this is a good topic of discussion. A lot of anime figure influencers (unintentionally) have really accelerated people's buying habits, causing quick burn out for many in the hobby after buying into the craze. I personally cut down my collection to around 10-15 figures and I love it. I definitely appreciate my collection a lot more and adore every single figure.
Not a huge anime figure collector in particular (only have around 10-15 or so including Nendos), but I've also found myself recently heavily cutting down stuff like my Gunpla backlog. Just had to re-evaluate my priorities, and that's ok, that's life after all. Thanks for sharing!
I think it's good to see this type of videos from time to time, as a new collector it's easy to get carried away by seeing other bigger collections and wanting to catch up fast :o though that's not an issue personally as a male figure colector lol the most my fav characters can get is a nendoroid *if* they ever get one so i can't get overwhelmed if i have no figures to spend money on ;; but yeah it's better to stick to something particular and be selective from the start so we don't explode with lot's of figures and preorders
I used to own 130+ figures of Ayanami Rei. I added a lot to the database of MyFigureCollection back in the late 2000s. I sold off all of them for way less than what I paid for them, but the freedom of the burden of having to maintain such a collection is priceless. I've gotten rid of 90% of my collection during the pandemic. Let's face it, a time will come when our priorities will change. Eventually one will realize that you don't need to own this or that just because you like a certain show.
Yeah at times I felt jealousy for people owning figures I'd want or have better aesthetics in their collection but at the same times I felt dread for being obsessed with buying figures, draining my wallet, taking up all my space and making me slowly miserable. This is a loophole you can hardly get out of especially when new and exciting figures keep coming out. Owning a few nice figures can make you happy, developing an unhealthy obsession with buying every figure you stumble upon on fear of missing out or aftermarket insanity can put such a dent in your mental well-being. Even trying to sell the figure can take months or even years since it always depends on who's buying at the time. I'm happy you made that step and that you talk about this important topic in the community!! ❤
totally agree. I got pretty limited space so I have to choose carefully what I buy and where I can display it. In the long run it saves money but it is dope being able and more willing to spend more money on a few super high quality pieces over a lot of okay stuff. I want a display and not a horde of cluttered stuff
I recently bought a new case and recognizing everything was such an eye opener. I still love a lot of my collection but I kind of also want to stick to things I absolutely love.
i have just started my collection! this is very helpful! I plan to slowly continue to collect figures but once i move out of my parents house i was planning to go through my figures and manga and see what i want to keep.
As someone who started last year and really went gun-ho, it was a BIG mistake not just for financial reasons but because I didn't really think too much thought and bought off instinct, I still love the ones I do have, got to agree just got to be more selective
I really enjoyed this video. I am going through almost all of the same phases that you did. Getting rid of the figures you are not in love with anymore feels great and now someone else can enjoy them as you once did. The only downside is I usually have to sell them at a slight loss overall. 😂
love the breakdown. havent got to the point yet of needing to sell but like how you categorize it. so far i'm following these tips for buying especially avoiding the subsets (though couldnt resist the power bunny freeing haha)
This was really insightful since I've been considering downsizing my collection for a while now. There are some figures that I have now that I definitely bought on a whim while working for a certain store bc I had an employee discount, but since I've left that job and moved into a slightly smaller space, I've realized that I was starting to have an unhealthy relationship with shopping and collecting things (with figures being one of the main ones.) Plus now I'm struggling with my space and what to display/what not to display. And hoo boy nothing makes you regret being a collector more than having to pack up all those figures and move them across several states lol! What I've been considering for my collection is to sell most of my prize figures/cheaper figures (nendoroids, popup parade, etc.) since they are the main offenders in this case. I'd still keep my favorite ones, but there are just too many that I'm not fully satisfied with in regards to the sculpt or the paint job or just the way the character is displayed. And there's also some that I just bought bc I wanted a figure of a certain character and it was easily available but then later on got a higher quality scale figure of that same character and now I'd rather just keep the scale figure and sell the prize figure. I'm still on the fence about all of this bc y'know it can be hard to sell things for a good price to make up for some of the money you spent, and it can also just be hard to let go in some cases even when you do have every reason to. But this video has given me some confidence to start taking the first steps. I'd rather be able to properly display the figures I REALLY love instead of just crowding them onto a shelf where it's hard to even see all of them. Plus I should be keeping them better dusted as well which is hard to do it there are too many. So yeah, I guess my plan right now is to stop buying most scale figures/cheaper figures and save my money for the more high scale, gorgeous figures that I REALLY want and can really treasure, start boxing up the figures that I'm considering selling or on the fence about and putting them in the closet for now so I can see how I feel about them not being on display/in my collection anymore, and also just practicing better restraint and discipline when considering a new figure as well as appreciating some of my favorite figures that I already own and giving them the room to really shine in my collection. Thanks for this.
Seeing this video makes me happy, since the start of this year I’ve been “unhauling” a good chunk of my own impulse purchases 😂 definitely is a better feeling for your space, wallet, and mind…. Hopefully I can adopt better collecting habits while I’m at it!
I've decided to sell figures from a game/anime/manga that I consider to be a 7/10 or just ok at best. I had a bit of a habit to buy whatever was slightly appealing to me regardless if the anime it was from was kinda mid but it was the first job where I had a decent paycheck so I couldn't help going on a spending spree. So now I just want my collection to be a reflection of what I am most passionate about.
I applaud you for curbing the buying and collecting instinct. I’m not a figure collector though I have about 5 and I just bought my first Nendroid. I do collect video games though and really went overboard at one point in time. I have about a 900+ game backlog that I’ll never get to because I’m old. A lot of them are collectibles now and will be my kids inheritance!😅 Because I’m fairly up there in age, I find I hardly buy anything anymore except about 10 games a year. No souvenirs on vacations unless it’s something I absolutely love. Games mostly go on a wish list where I wait for sales. I do really like figures but watch channels like yours to see them all. If I had a channel I think there’d be a tremendous pressure to keep buying, like many channels that revolve around purchases. Purchasing increasing amounts of stuff they don’t really want or need just so they have something to talk about. Scary! I do really appreciate your videos and I’m glad you aren’t in over your head. Thanks!
Kudos to you! As someone had said, healthy collecting habits really must be practiced for the sake of the owner. Buying a single scale figure is already a huge commitment, heck any collectibles to be honest, and is not taken seriously enough. I know cus I come from a place where people love to preorder but leave the local shops in the air once the shop gives then an arrival notice which is such a huge loss for the shop. Makes me furious everyday.
am in a similar space of getting rid while also collecting only what i absolutely love. I bought a number of cheaper figures back in the day and am more conscious of quality nowadays. plus some i just don't love anymore after so much time. will be selling a bunch too and keeping a smaller overall collection
I agree with everything. The hype can blind you when seeing new shiny things. I set rules for myself to prevent overspending and regretting getting a figure.
I feel you! I’m at the point where I will only buy figures that I really really like, choosing not to pre-order and waiting to see how I feel about that figure when it’s released. The hardest part of selling anime figures for me is that in my country there’s only like 2 platforms to sell them in and sometimes it takes months before I get a sale 😔
I have dealt with the same issue of liking everything I see! Another excuse I have is finding myself saying "I don't have a figure of x franchise". It never ends! Great video, it encouraged me to get rid of my own stuff.
A lot of things could apply to this money, space, ect... when you start collecting different itches pop up and it will be to much I think that's a good thing and it will give a lot of people clarity on what they actually want and put boundaries on themselves
That's what collecting and curating a collection is all about. Things go in and out of the collection all the time. Sometimes they go back into storage and other times they go permanently. I think that's natural and healthy. Your collection reflects you at your current moment. At the risk of a cheesy Marie Kondo quote: if it doesn't bring you joy, get rid of it.
Yes indeed😊
This is what I need the bravery to do too. I learned so much throughout my journey, loading up early on game prize figures and other impulse buys that just take up space. I've become much more discerning since then and the culling needs to negin.
Same here, I need to trim down my collection
once you finally bite the bullet, it is such a relief to downsize your collection, and focus on displaying the pieces you REALLY like. good luck solider!
i also got a bit addicted to prize figures! especially since nowadays they're such good quality. also shops like dekai anime (rip) and ninoma both had prizes for great prices made them so accessible for me
@@fuck_youtube_handles yes, prize figures are now very addicting. They have a lot of good quality figures nowadays.
I have noticed with my collections, once I get a “dream” item, I stop collecting. I either sell everything (and start a new collection), or the collection just stays the same for years.
As I have gotten older I am just less interested in collecting, or maybe I was just too into it before lol. It’s crazy how some things that brought you joy one day become overwhelming a few months later.
Where is the best place to sell??
@@ajmk2845there really isn’t a “best”, it depends on what collectible you are selling/if you have boxes etc. (also where you have higher ratings as a seller lol) eBay will always be the biggest marketplace/where people look first for second hand (at least in the states). There would be speciality sites/forms as well. Out of box/gently used etc. I have heard use whatnot. But it really depends on what whatever item is “going for” and then seeing how often sales happen, and pricing accordingly. If you want things out of your house, then pricing under other listings. If you want to make back what you paid/more, then you’d have to likely wait etc.
Indeed it be like this😅
@@ajmk2845 for me it works best to just post it everywhere and then once it sells on one site, delete it from the rest
@@ajmk2845 Mercari, eBay, mercari Japan, amazon...
I did this recently and it honestly made me smile. It's definitely a tangible, visible example of someone's growth as a person and their changing interests. I'm definitely more picky about the figures I get moving forward. It's bittersweet.
Decluttering a collection is so satisfying tbh.
Yes indeed 😊
I’m in the middle of it and yes it’s a nice throw in with spring cleaning for me
Send them to me
Such an insightful and honest video. I applaud you.
I don't really collect figures, but I totally understand why you felt you had to sell off half of your collection. It actually feels really satisfying to declutter and I agree: once you start to get rid off some stuff, letting go other items gets much easier.
I really feel this. In the end, it's a healthier mindset and you'd be more fulfilled by getting the ones you will adore and keeping a certain bar is good to do. Because I know how it feels to be so trigger-happy buying all the figures I want to have back to back. It felt nice at the time but now I feel like I don't have the space anymore for them too and due to me moving abroad I feel like I have to stop because hauling all those figures around would be just too much. And I feel like I'd rather save up now to get some nice scales instead of 5 price figures of one character. So I really get what you mean
I feel you on this video. While I still had space, I bought A LOT, but after running low on space in my main display I realized I need to only get stuff that truly resonates with me. I cancel loads of pre-orders and rearanged a lot of stuff. Gave away some PRIZE stuff to friends, cuz I felt no attachement to those.
Some of the most exciting figures for me are the BiCute series and POP-UP's XL and L sized ones. They cost a resonable ammount and have a small base, which makes it easy to indulge and not feel the burn in my wallet or space lol
PS: It truly hurt hearing you sell the B-style's, especially since many of those were ones I'd love to own purely cuz I love how they look, but I truly understand where you were coming from with that choice!
samE- I literally did this today
So excited for you! Would love to still hear what you are excited about as figures come out and why you chose to get or not get a figure for yourself. I think it’s a healthy mindset you have and more people need to be reminded that we DON’T NEED IT ALL! it’s very hard to remember.
This is a great video, and honestly a very important discussion to have. Selling a significant portion of my collection is process I’ve been going through as well. While my collection wasn’t as impressive as yours, I definitely got a little trigger happy with preorders when I first got into the hobby. It’s been nice to make some money back and be able to pay more attention to ONLY the figures that make me really, really, really happy to own. It’s so funny, some of the figures you mention as having sold are ones that for me were “I MUST keep!!!! ❤”. It’s so personal to everyone. 😊
In the end, it’s so easy to fall into FOMO with a hobby like this. But it’s all the more important we resist it, since it’s such a pricey thing to be into as well.
ur mindset towards collecting is rly refreshing! in this hobby u def can get thrown into the 'i have to have as many as i can' mindset, got me thinking abt my own collection now haha
I went through my figures recently to unhaul stuff but this makes me want to go back through again. Will we be getting a room tour soon with all the changes? Love that it seems like your manga collection has been growing in the background haha. Something I've gotten more into myself lately vs figures.
Thank you for addressing one of the problems a figure collector faces at some point; and it’s evident that as well on the figure market. Not to mention prices are crazy high nowadays that makes collecting stressful rather than enjoyable.
My go to (mostly due to a lack of funds) is see a figure and forget about it, if I’m still thinking about it weeks/months later and it won’t have any financial impact I’ll buy it
It’s so interesting how we all go on our own journeys. I’ve also recently started culling my collection. Started out buying figures from most of the animes I liked to watch but I found myself losing interest in them after those shows came and went. But it’s kinda funny how we went in opposite directions with culling our collections. While you’re moving away from them, I’m limiting my collection down to only Fate and Type-Moon figures as I love Type-Moon’s universe more than anything, Fate specifically is by far my favourite IP and those figures make me the happiest. Also have to thank you as your videos are what got me into Fate all those years ago when you started posting Fate figure hauls and unboxings. So yeah, thanks from a fellow aussie collector :)
I went through something similar. I went way overboard with figures for a few years even though they ended up staying in their boxes because I had no space for them. I would always tell myself when I do have the space they'll be worth it. Recently I moved to a place where I have room for all the figures I never opened and after moving them all (which was a huge hassle) I started looking at them and realized for a lot of them I don't really care about them anymore and I don't care to display them. I'm slowly putting figures out, but when I get to one I don't feel like displaying I put it aside in a "to sell" pile.
Now I'm way more selective about figures I'll buy. I actually give myself a week "cooldown" on a figure to keep myself from impulse buying. If I still want it after a week I'll go ahead and order, but that rarely happens.
Thinking about all the money I spent on figures that I don't care about anymore makes me cry...but also some of them are worth more than they were when I bought them so that's kind of a win...but also some are worth way less and almost not worth selling after factoring fees/shipping costs.
I noticed this happening a lot lately with collectors, something seemed to have changed, but I'm also critically evaluating what I want to keep to avoid an overwhelming, unsatisfying collection at the end. The ridiculous prices, amount of choices, space issues with boxes and figures - all of them can burn you out very quickly.
I'm in the process of selling the ones I don't like anymore. Wrapping up the boxes nicely with all the plastic inserts etc and packaging to sell is tedious asf. Another reason to be picky. Once you start selling it feels great, and I encourage anyone who's thinking about selling to just do it. It's nice to get a small portion of your money back and to free up some space for future figures. I was afraid of selling at first cause I had no experience, but once I made a few sales I realized it's not bad at all. Though I will say the market rn is quite bad, even pricing figures really low takes a while to sell. I'm mostly selling at a loss, unless you're lucky and the figures you have are rare. Still, It feels nice to regain some space to curate a small meaningful collection.
Any tips on selling? I mostly dread shipping such huge boxes. Thinking about sticking to local, which will make things take even longer to sell..
@@KevSantos00 I straight up typed like 6 paragraphs of advice but youtube sadly deleted it right away lmao I have no local selling experience, but hopefully this helps
Package it the way you want to receive it, like how retailers send you packages. With big boxes, you honestly can't get around how expensive they are and the only way to cut costs is to use the correct box sizes (which is a PITA to find). Even 2 inches extra can end up making shipping a few bucks more expensive. Bubble/plastic wrap the figure box with 1-2 inches around each side filled with padding so it doesn't shake during shipment, and it should be good. It should survive any big falls as you know how they play football with most packages. If you see people selling for free shipping they are factoring the shipping cost into the figure (you can do this too).
I see people with really low shipping costs and that's cause they're hoping that the carriers won't notice them underestimating the weight/dimensions. Don't do that, or else you or the buyer will be overcharged and forced to pay more than what you/buyer have to pay initially (USPS especially is strict with this). As long as you pay or charge the correct shipping amount and protect the box adequately, it should be fine, regardless of the size of the box. Make sure to buy insurance depending on the label if you're worried (some labels auto cover 100 and past 200 is when you might have to pay a small fee for full coverage). I think I only did this with a figure that was 300+ I personally haven't shipped any 1/4 yet, but I still think it should be the same as any normal box, just heftier to carry.
It's a lot of tedious effort, but don't get discouraged - it's worth it. After the initial intimidation of selling, it ends up being a chore of listing all the flaws, taking pictures, comparing prices, packaging, and waiting. Also learn how to negotiate and be flexible, or else you'll be sitting on it for awhile. You should price a bit higher than your bottom line to allow for best offers or negotiations. It's an annoying waiting game in the end.
@@KevSantos00 Oh and document everything to cover yourself in case of a scammer. I haven't had any problems yet luckily as the anime figure community is always pleasant, but you never know.
@@Meowy_Mix Oh man, I really appreciate the detailed write up. I've had experience selling mechanical keyboards, but they were way less bulky and easier to ship. Yeah, I'm also wary of scammers. Another big reason I would prefer local..
@@KevSantos00 If you've got any experience in selling at all, you should definitely be good in that case! Figures can be a headache with all the measuring and weighing, but as long as you do everything properly with a scale/ruler there shouldn't be anything to worry about. With boxes, you can also learn how to cut and resize if it's too big which happens a lot (there's tutorials, I'm too lazy to do this). Or go to a retailer or any liquor store when they're stocking and ask for any boxes they want to throw out if you're desperate.
Scammers are just an inherent risk to selling anything. You can try local first and if you're not getting any interest, maybe expand? Going on a platform to sell can help protect yourself along with the insurance. Idk even on Mercari, it's taken me few+ months for most figures at a slightly lower than avg price to sell (I sold mostly Fate/pkmn figures).
I'm still a beginner so this is something I need to learn because I have limited space and money. Glad you can do it, because it is a pretty hard thing to keep up. I completely resonate with you and your choices, and I'll take some of your advice and logic!
Scaling back and even selling part of the collection is something I've considered this year too! Don't know if I'll move on from half my collection but you've given me the courage to start freeing up some space! 😆
Definitely not chopper and rem right? wink wink 🤣
SO TRUE I feel like it’s so easy as a collector to get a bit too trigger happy and suddenly you’re overwhelmed with figures you actually don’t even really like 😩 however that gothic Lolita asuka is one of my total grails !!!! Hoping to snatch her up someday haha
I'm someone who doesn't really collect static anime figures being more of a fan of articulated pieces like SH Figuarts and Revoltech as well as Manga but I enjoy watching channels like yours to gain insight into other collecting worlds and other insights into collecting. I find a lot of collectors hit a stage where they have to take a step back and think about what means more to them in their collection and alter their approach based on that and it's probably the healthiest thing you can do as a collector. Being able to say you no longer want something allows you to appreciate the pieces you truly care about more and saves you from falling into the hoarder mindset that comes from collections getting out of hand
I really love that you took the time to go through your reasoning here. Collecting has ups, downs and other changes that will happen as your life or your mindset as a collector shifts. I've had it happen multiple times and in different collections (dolls, anime figs, etc.) and i can heavily relate to the feeling of "once you decide to sell a few, it gets easier with each next one", having just done a partial 'purge' of my figures as well.
Coming out the other end always feels freeing and like the parts of the collection you decided to keep finally get to shine and breathe with the space that's been cleared
I resonate so much with everything you said in the video. I have been collecting for a while but getting my own space made me go into this crazy figure buying period. It got so so cramped in my collection, and I hated the look of it. Slowly, I sold one by one, and now I have landed that for my needs, 50ish figures are more than enough. I might cut even more in the future. I now only collect the ones I truly love.
And same goes for buying, I feel way more critical when ordering something. Sometimes I just think - well when it comes out, I will see some user photos and then decide if I truly still want it or not.
That’s the best thing that’s keeping me from ordering at the moment, I just think “would it be easier to wait and save myself the money” and almost 100% of the time it has been. I’m either not fully into it and the break waiting till release gives me time to actually think about if the figure even fits into my collection, do I have fomo? Ect ect. Almost everything I’ve waited to release I decide against getting in the end and it makes me feel a lot better ngl :)
Love the new philosophy for your collection. This is helping me be more conscious for my collection too.
as someone who only now has finally got enough money to afford 1/4 figures I’m happy the trend is declining, hopefully that will bring their price down a bit 🤞🏻
You were my inspiration to start this hobby and the truth is I feel so identified with you, the same thing happened to me and I also sold most of my collection now I want to be more selective and have what I really like, for when I see it all days feel the same as the first day I had it
Thankyou for sharing this! I've been feeling the same way recently, I bought a lot of prize figures and trading figures at the start and I need to bite the bullet and start trimming them. I don't even like the slime anime much anymore and I have 4 Rimuru's (including the big bstyle..but like he's the only male bstyle..so he stays for now) I could absolutely get rid of the prize figure one and keep the others. I saw a post on MFC recently about "writing down as much of your collection as you remember and considering selling the ones you didnt write down" and honestly, I think I might give this a go. I already have a lot of the mentality you do when it comes to preorders, but I still feel like I'm too trigger happy and need to slow down. This is the motivation i needed I think.
I have over 600 figures, I have 43 ordered, and I have 68 wished. I need to cut my collection in half honestly but its hard to let go. This was a good video, thank you.
Oh god, you are me in a year or two! Help!!
@@theonefreeman586 there is no escape. The hard part is letting go.
Watching channels about anime figures I never considered how the creators deal with so many figures
I feel you! I’ve also been trigger happy in the past, especially in the beginning…but space is an issue now and the increasing figure prices have forced me to stop and really think about how i want my collection to look. And i honestly feel so much better now.
Thank you for sharing your journey with us!
Ps: i was really surprised to see your Fate racing figures on the list!
Great video. Going through a similar purge at the moment. I’d be interested in a video about how you sell your figures. And I’d be interested to talk numbers too, like what you sold the figure for vs what you paid, shipping, profit, losses etc. 😅
This video definitely resonated with me 😭 I am going through this exact feeling right now. While I love my collection and it makes me smile when I see it, I am at the point where I am extremely overwhelmed with the amount of figures that I own. Having to manage and pay for preorders doesn’t help either. When I first started collecting, I had a cap on the amount of figures that I would allow myself to have as well as rules (no buying characters that I don’t know, no spending more than $300 on a single figure, etc). My cap was at 130 figures……I am now sitting at 211 figures (and around 35 are sitting in my storage unopened due to me having no more room to display figures). I also have long since broken my rules.
I’ve been putting off declutterring due to being too overwhelmed. Of course I sell off figures that I don’t like/I fall out of love with here and there (like every few months), but I am in need of a MASSIVE declutter. I would like to sell off at least 50 figures but between having to list everything, take photos, find buyers, pack them up, etc, I just don’t have the time, energy, or patience. Not mentioning that things get worse each month when I have a haul of preordered/purchased figures steadily coming in. I often find myself immediately selling off figures that I recently receive due to not being as excited for them as I thought that I would be.
Another big overwhelming issue is that since I don’t have an IKEA in my area or near me, I don’t have many display options to choose from when it comes to displaying figures. I’ve been looking for another display cabinet for nearly 2 years now and have had no luck due to my city/state simply not having a lot of resources. I’ve had to rely on Facebook Marketplace but that’s unfortunately a desert most of the time due to my area (I’ve been looking on there for also 2 years for another display cabinet but still have not came across one yet).
Decluttering would be way easier if I were able to do something like local selling/pickup, but as stated, that’s near impossible due to my city/state. I’m sure that they are other figure collectors in my city but it’s definitely a VERY VERY low percentage to the point where it would be impossible to find a buyer.
I honestly wish that I could turn back time and redo my collection. I would be VERY picky with the figures that I allowed into my collection. I’m envious of people who are able to limit themselves to 20 or less than 100 figures 🥲
Could you do a tips and tricks to organizing and displaying your figures? Also please a updated room tour if stuff has changed 🐨
It can be so difficult to let go because you start to get nostalgic about when you got the figure and then you re-watch the anime and get sucked in. But knowing that you were able to sell someone their dream figure second hand helps
It's crazy to me that i even remember this, but i recall that the Yumeko Bunny was your boyfriend's. I think the thought of your SO also beeing into Anime Figures was just very sweet. This just poses the question to me now wether he didn't like it anymore or whatever happened with it 👀
I'd love to hear more about your process for selling your collection! I'm sure that would be helpful for a lot of us. :)
This was me with video games and hardware. The filtering process and finding out what you really want to have is so satisfying
Good for you. Every collector at some point has taken a step back & re-evaluated their collection. Keep your collection to the space you have is a great idea💜
As someone who can get wrapped into the hype and be influenced into buying a figure (within my interest), this is actually so nice to see from time to time 😆 Also was super surprised when I heard you sold your fate figs, tho understandable. Excited to see what new anime figures you decide to pick up in the future!
Also wanted to add that I'm sure a lot of beginner collectors fall into this trap (along with folks with bad impulse control like me lol) of buying too much, or just fell out of love with certain figures but are still keeping them, so videos like these are so helpful ❤
I felt that when I'm still new, and that time I just purchased figures that I used to like and eventually I got tired and end up selling them. Now I only purchase figures of the characters that I really like and I feel like there's a personal attachment to the character. It's like "just because I enjoy the series/games, doesn't mean I need their figure" thing.
This is an amazing video! Thank you for talking about stuff not everyone does. Im letting go of my MHA collection because ive outgrown it :)
I was legit just looking for a video to play in the background while I clean my storage room, and saw you posted - maybe this is a sign I need to clear out in my figure collection…
One thing that have helped me with limiting myself with my collection is space and display case. As of the moment I have fully maxed out on space, and If I do find a figure or would want to preorder a figure. I make sure that I sell some figures to make space for that figure. Ngl I have plenty more space to get more detolf or other display case. But I’ve limited myself 2 2 detolfs and one big wide display case. So I don’t get tempted to overbuy. And would actually have to make sure I like the figure so then I can sell some of the figure that I had fallen out of love with.
Part of the reason why I only have 3 Detolfs. (also cause ikea stopped selling detolfs haha).
Cause with 3 detolf's, I thought I could control how many figures I can get. i.e. only buy what I can fit in the 3 detolfs. But I was wrong, I still ended up buying what I "liked" and them stuck in their boxes sealed stored in a room cause my detolfs were full.
Originally I only planned to get Fate GO figures cause I love the game and the heroes in it.
but ended up buying expensive Azur Lane figures because.. Well they are hot AF?.
Eventually my collecting habit came to the same point where I bought what I liked. But not what I truly wanted which are the FGO figures.
I ended up selling the still sealed Azur Lane figures. And non FGO figures. Still do.
Cause in the end you do realize that collecting specially 1/7 scale figures gets expensive real quick.
And to note, I have not even played Azur Lane much. I played like 5 minutes maxed and realize it wasn't a gameplay style I liked. But truthfully yes the figures are very sexy and beautiful.
Bottom line is that, collecting is okay as long as you are being responsible.
And when you feel like buying. Think reallyyyy Hard.
Because there is a difference between liking a figure vs loving it.
Liking a figure is more of like a time limited thing where eventually you will lose interest on the figure. Whilst loving a figure is forever to keep a figure type of level.
but yea, figure collecting is.. expensive XD
I only have a few figures, but I do collect LEGO and I definitely relate to the feeling of always wanting more more more but not having ANY room. Been downsizing myself a bit to the point where I’m breaking down sets and storing them away for either later or to sell and it really is a satisfying feeling to not have a space as cluttered, and creating a more curated display.
Just found your channel pretty recently, love your content keep it up!
I'm in the same boat. I overindulged myself with figure collecting and now I'm slimming down to make room and get rid of some figures that I got as impulse purchases. No shame in reducing the collection at all. Kudos to you for making this video!
This video sure is a eye opening to any type of collecting.
Not everyone is capable of accept those feelings and as you said "get the hands dirty".
Im very happy for you as a fellow collector and can't wait to see what you have going foward !
I'm glad you shared this. I kind of shared the trigger happiness you've had in collecting until I started raising my family. realized I can still be a collector but I needed to slow down. Part of me would feel need for needing to let go of a figure, but on the other end I feel glad that I was able to free up some space and they kind of helped up with the expenses for my family. Now I've been learning to take my time before deciding to get a figure.
I only collect the characters dearest to me now, my interest in figures made me start trying to make my own out of clay 😊
I totally feel you! I heavely reduced my collection a while ago aswell. When I got into collecting figures I basically bought every figure that I liked on first glance eventhough I got bored of a lot of these figures fairly quickly. So I set some rules for myself so that I'm happy with my collection at all times. I told myself that I'm only gonna buy figures that look good, that are from shows that I liked and that are of characters that I like (with some exceptions of course). Also no swimsuit versions, mostly characters in their "base" form.
I've entered my decluttering phase as well. My pre-order size is around 10 ish figures now compared to having 40 items on order.
I've also joined a few figure discord servers, and I think that kinda enabled me to purchase more. I still hang out on these servers but I just now focus on what I really want in my collection rather than ordering for the sake of ordering and decide to sell later. I think my FOMO radar pretty much is non existent now. If I miss out on a figure, probably means I didn't want it much in the first place. Also majority of figures appears to be readily available in the aftermarket these days compared to the pre-2019 era collecting, so there isn't a rush I feel anymore.
I am in the process of doing the same thing, getting rid of a lot of figures I just bought on impulse. Feels good to free up space and realise what figures I really love.
love the vid!! one of the things I love most about your channel is hearing your thoughts behind why you buy or don’t buy a certain figure; i actually subbed after your rant about the FREEing bunny figures lol, it was refreshing and lots of fun to watch. i’m not a figure collector personally - more of a assorted merch collector - but it was cool hearing your thoughts behind why you chose to sell or cancel preorders and empathizing with the reasoning. much love, and good luck w the culling!!!
You can go into big debt really fast asides from just having no room. Been there done that. I trim my collection every 6 months. If I don't have it displayed then it has to go.
I've been doing that for a while and that really is healthy. Selling the ones I don't love anymore and buying new under strict circumstances. For example, I'm collecting Miku, but decided to keep it as one outfit = one figure. Or one figure per character from anime. It feels so good to get back money (sometimes even more than what I paid for the item!) and be able to look for something I've been craving but couldn't buy before cause of lack of money or space.
I’m not a figure collector but my feelings towards clothes has been the same lately. The amount of clothing that I don’t use overwhelms me and I don’t have space for it but I still want to buy new clothes 😅 That’s why I’m decluttering my wardrobe, selling everything that doesn’t spark joy and only focusing on fewer styles that I really love and wear. I don’t have to own everything to appreciate it!!
I still have lots to sell but I’m getting there bit by bit.
love these videos bc the collection "personality" comes out even more when deciding what makes the cut or not. i sold figures simply bc the characters have yellow/ bleached hair and i hate yellow. felt much better after lol
thank you for the explanation of the collacting process I'm trying to collect figures and I found some good priced ones that I don't even like that much and I was actually so obsessed with the idea of having a completed collection that I didnt even realize the fact that I have to get ones that mean something or the ones that I really want and need in my room
I went through the same phase this year and sold/removed pre-orders due to either burnout or loss of interest. I respect your decision to trim quite a big part of your collection.
Kpop Photocards are what I collect and I hear you, it can be so easy to want to just buy every card but for me I’ve downsized so much of my binders from like 10 to now just having 3 main collection binders and 1 small collection it’s been a dream. I now don’t collect everything so my collection feels a lot more personal to me and my tastes I love being selective and having something curated so much better it’s been a great change love this for you!
i think this is such an important video. i have noticed every now and then how among prominent figures in the community on youtube, there is a certain pressure or prestige to constantly get new figures, always show off a new haul. i'd see someone barely get into a certain series and very quickly accumulate all the fiugres from it that are out there, which always came off as very impulsive and rushed to me. i really think it's fine to discuss new releases without needing to buy them, or to just talk about the hobby and appreciate the collection you already have! i'd totally watch someone just talk about their journey in hindsight, talk about how they actually arrange their collection, etc. instead of always chasing the shiny new stuff. feels especially unrealistic to collectors like me, who are students or just don't have the budget to always have stuff coming in.
i was thinking about this kind of thing as well since i've also been selling a handful figures. i think it's fine to have your philosophy change, and it's not shameful to sell. it doesn't have to be a failure or a bad regret, sometimes you like a figure for a while and after that time it has served its purpose to you, and can go on into a new home where someone will appreciate it more!
Just btw there are just as plenty of youtubers who deliver news one new pre order figures but they don't PO, they are just showing off the images. Its different from unboxing and POing. Thats why I dont look for HAUL video, of anything really because this is not exclusive to figure but shopping in general. I've seen it in books for example and ofc shopping. Anyway I enjoy watching youtubers who talk about figures and their opinions without actually having bought the figures. Thats such a smart way to create content without necessarily spending on it.
Once you sell one, it gets so much easier to clear out a section of your collection.
I’ve been getting way pickier with figures, and sold a good handful over the past year! Definitely have more I can see being the next to go, but I’m happy where I am now. Only preordering for my top favorite series :)
I sold a majority of my collection these past couple months. When I first started collecting I had no idea what I wanted my collection to be and had definitely gone crazy as well with how many figures I decided to pre-order. I saw all of these collectors on UA-cam with giant collections and thought that that's what I wanted to, but turns out I actually prefer a smaller collection. It is honestly so freeing to downsize your collection. And I'm also happy to see you showing a different side of collecting
Glad that you managed to unhaul your collection. I personally just recently start my scale figure collection, and it really is tempting to keep adding more to my collection, but in the end I try to keep it to just my beloved characters and few select ones that I have to really, REALLY, like before purchasing.
I can definitely relate. I stopped buying figures last year. I learned to appreciate them and move on. My biggest issue was space. I love empty space and prefer to keep my collection in a specific area.
This is a nice video to see. Collecting can easily become a shopping addiction if you're not careful and I've kind of wondered if that's the case for a lot of creators on YT. I'm glad you were able to get a handle on it. I think the one in one out idea is great. It can help you appreciate what you have more, and decide what is really worth getting.
I completely understand. I also got swept up in the hype of collecting and bought WAY too many figures when I was able to do so. Having to move them all to a small apartment (and still having a bunch of preorders) was my breaking point. I've sold so many figures and it has been such a relief. I think I'm going to go by the "one in, one out" system as well, so that I can have everything on display in my small space.
I cant express how much this resonates with me... to the point that as I was watching your video I decided to cancel some of my preorders.... but please don't get me wrong, I have been thinking about something similar for a while and seeing you being so brave and taking the step pushed me into following it! I moved from a small apartment into a house with a room dedicated to it and I already outgrown it. I feel that "I have this one because I absolutely love it" approach is a much better and more healthy approach, so thank you for the inspiration and I can't wait to see your new room tour :)
I'm glad you did what you had to do and can make videos when you want without pressure
I relate to this. There was a point I got busy with work and games that made me turn away from looking into upcoming figures and at the same time I wasn't that much into watching new/to-watch animes. Until this took months to now more than a year that I stopped buying. I still have figures still unboxed like my JJK scales, 3 model kits, Nendoroids, Popup parade and some more prize figures. Thinking now as sad as I am, I want to let go of them but I don't know how I can sell them off 😔
The fact that a lot of them are still unboxed works in your favor at least! In regards to how to sell them, start with taking a good look at the pros and cons between websites like ebay and mercari which are some of the most popular for selling figures second hand. It can be a little slow going though if you're trying to make up for money lost as much as you can, since a lot of people will want to haggle/low ball on certain items. If you're not as concerned with recovering money, however, you can look into any second hand hobby shops in your area which will glad to buy your figures. They just probably won't pay you as much as if you were to do it yourself, but it'd take some of the hassle out of it.
Would have loved to see what the before and after of what your display looked like! Nice one on downsizing though!
I’ve been going through the exact same process! I know what you mean by it getting easier as you sell. Setting rules and limiting figures of characters has helped me a ton on downsizing. The amount of space regained has also made it easier to keep going. I never thought about sub themes though. I will definitely consider that when I rescan my collection for another round of downsizing, which is also a good thing to do! You may think you’re done but you’re not! Lol it’s hard but having space for future grails is worth it
i know for me when the initial covid boom happened and i had excess money and nowhere to go with it, i ended up buying a shit ton of figures and got crazy trigger happy. over the last year or so i've seen a lot of people take a different approach to collecting, and it's been really inspiring. i've started focusing on 2 or 3 series, and a couple specific characters that i really, really love and i've begun honing in on grails for those rather than buying a bunch of small things of a lot of franchises. i'm definitely still not immune to a charm or pin or clear file here and there, but i think honing in on core, formative, deeply important series to me has helped a lot in quelling my trigger happiness. i'm really glad you've gotten around to what you felt was best for you, this is such a great video.
When I started figure collecting, I hoarded gashapons as those were the ones affordable for me in price. Sometimes even random ones I didn't know well but I just liked how they looked. Then some time ago I looked at the cluttered glass cabinet and got sick of the full shelves. There was no space for any new figure for years now. :/ I sold about a bit less than half of my collection so far and it feels SO good to have ONE shelf now where I display my favorite nendoroids (got into collecting them oh no! XD) and some prize figures. I want to keep getting rid of old figures, and have space for new ones I really like and KNOW the character too! I'll also keep their boxes in case I decide to sell any new figures later on.
I've gone through this journey with Pokemon cards, art, books, watches, and, yes, figures as well. I think a lot of collectors have similar stories! I'd love to see an updated collection tour after this unhaul, though!
Well done, you are reigning yourself in a very healthy way.
i'm a k-pop fan and there's also sometimes a stigma around getting rid of items and what you said at the very start is what i frequently tell people (what you want to keep, buy, sell is up to that individual)
i'm the biggest downsize enthusiast and got to the stage where looking at my shelves (filled with hundreds of albums) was genuinely stressful to me and realised that i needed to sit down and think about what i really wanted for my happiness
and now i'm getting into anime figures, i'm definitely attempting to keep that in mind and not fall into a trigger happy spree ㅋㅋ
I do think this is a good topic of discussion. A lot of anime figure influencers (unintentionally) have really accelerated people's buying habits, causing quick burn out for many in the hobby after buying into the craze. I personally cut down my collection to around 10-15 figures and I love it. I definitely appreciate my collection a lot more and adore every single figure.
Not a huge anime figure collector in particular (only have around 10-15 or so including Nendos), but I've also found myself recently heavily cutting down stuff like my Gunpla backlog. Just had to re-evaluate my priorities, and that's ok, that's life after all. Thanks for sharing!
I think it's good to see this type of videos from time to time, as a new collector it's easy to get carried away by seeing other bigger collections and wanting to catch up fast :o
though that's not an issue personally as a male figure colector lol the most my fav characters can get is a nendoroid *if* they ever get one so i can't get overwhelmed if i have no figures to spend money on ;; but yeah it's better to stick to something particular and be selective from the start so we don't explode with lot's of figures and preorders
I used to own 130+ figures of Ayanami Rei. I added a lot to the database of MyFigureCollection back in the late 2000s. I sold off all of them for way less than what I paid for them, but the freedom of the burden of having to maintain such a collection is priceless. I've gotten rid of 90% of my collection during the pandemic. Let's face it, a time will come when our priorities will change. Eventually one will realize that you don't need to own this or that just because you like a certain show.
Yeah at times I felt jealousy for people owning figures I'd want or have better aesthetics in their collection but at the same times I felt dread for being obsessed with buying figures, draining my wallet, taking up all my space and making me slowly miserable.
This is a loophole you can hardly get out of especially when new and exciting figures keep coming out.
Owning a few nice figures can make you happy, developing an unhealthy obsession with buying every figure you stumble upon on fear of missing out or aftermarket insanity can put such a dent in your mental well-being.
Even trying to sell the figure can take months or even years since it always depends on who's buying at the time.
I'm happy you made that step and that you talk about this important topic in the community!! ❤
totally agree. I got pretty limited space so I have to choose carefully what I buy and where I can display it. In the long run it saves money but it is dope being able and more willing to spend more money on a few super high quality pieces over a lot of okay stuff. I want a display and not a horde of cluttered stuff
I recently bought a new case and recognizing everything was such an eye opener. I still love a lot of my collection but I kind of also want to stick to things I absolutely love.
i have just started my collection! this is very helpful! I plan to slowly continue to collect figures but once i move out of my parents house i was planning to go through my figures and manga and see what i want to keep.
As someone who started last year and really went gun-ho, it was a BIG mistake not just for financial reasons but because I didn't really think too much thought and bought off instinct, I still love the ones I do have, got to agree just got to be more selective
I really enjoyed this video. I am going through almost all of the same phases that you did. Getting rid of the figures you are not in love with anymore feels great and now someone else can enjoy them as you once did. The only downside is I usually have to sell them at a slight loss overall. 😂
love the breakdown. havent got to the point yet of needing to sell but like how you categorize it. so far i'm following these tips for buying especially avoiding the subsets (though couldnt resist the power bunny freeing haha)
This was really insightful since I've been considering downsizing my collection for a while now. There are some figures that I have now that I definitely bought on a whim while working for a certain store bc I had an employee discount, but since I've left that job and moved into a slightly smaller space, I've realized that I was starting to have an unhealthy relationship with shopping and collecting things (with figures being one of the main ones.) Plus now I'm struggling with my space and what to display/what not to display. And hoo boy nothing makes you regret being a collector more than having to pack up all those figures and move them across several states lol!
What I've been considering for my collection is to sell most of my prize figures/cheaper figures (nendoroids, popup parade, etc.) since they are the main offenders in this case. I'd still keep my favorite ones, but there are just too many that I'm not fully satisfied with in regards to the sculpt or the paint job or just the way the character is displayed. And there's also some that I just bought bc I wanted a figure of a certain character and it was easily available but then later on got a higher quality scale figure of that same character and now I'd rather just keep the scale figure and sell the prize figure.
I'm still on the fence about all of this bc y'know it can be hard to sell things for a good price to make up for some of the money you spent, and it can also just be hard to let go in some cases even when you do have every reason to. But this video has given me some confidence to start taking the first steps. I'd rather be able to properly display the figures I REALLY love instead of just crowding them onto a shelf where it's hard to even see all of them. Plus I should be keeping them better dusted as well which is hard to do it there are too many.
So yeah, I guess my plan right now is to stop buying most scale figures/cheaper figures and save my money for the more high scale, gorgeous figures that I REALLY want and can really treasure, start boxing up the figures that I'm considering selling or on the fence about and putting them in the closet for now so I can see how I feel about them not being on display/in my collection anymore, and also just practicing better restraint and discipline when considering a new figure as well as appreciating some of my favorite figures that I already own and giving them the room to really shine in my collection.
Thanks for this.
Seeing this video makes me happy, since the start of this year I’ve been “unhauling” a good chunk of my own impulse purchases 😂 definitely is a better feeling for your space, wallet, and mind…. Hopefully I can adopt better collecting habits while I’m at it!
I've decided to sell figures from a game/anime/manga that I consider to be a 7/10 or just ok at best. I had a bit of a habit to buy whatever was slightly appealing to me regardless if the anime it was from was kinda mid but it was the first job where I had a decent paycheck so I couldn't help going on a spending spree. So now I just want my collection to be a reflection of what I am most passionate about.
I applaud you for curbing the buying and collecting instinct. I’m not a figure collector though I have about 5 and I just bought my first Nendroid. I do collect video games though and really went overboard at one point in time. I have about a 900+ game backlog that I’ll never get to because I’m old. A lot of them are collectibles now and will be my kids inheritance!😅 Because I’m fairly up there in age, I find I hardly buy anything anymore except about 10 games a year. No souvenirs on vacations unless it’s something I absolutely love. Games mostly go on a wish list where I wait for sales. I do really like figures but watch channels like yours to see them all. If I had a channel I think there’d be a tremendous pressure to keep buying, like many channels that revolve around purchases. Purchasing increasing amounts of stuff they don’t really want or need just so they have something to talk about. Scary! I do really appreciate your videos and I’m glad you aren’t in over your head. Thanks!
I have less than ten figures. Just keep it ruthless and may the best figures win.
Kudos to you! As someone had said, healthy collecting habits really must be practiced for the sake of the owner. Buying a single scale figure is already a huge commitment, heck any collectibles to be honest, and is not taken seriously enough. I know cus I come from a place where people love to preorder but leave the local shops in the air once the shop gives then an arrival notice which is such a huge loss for the shop. Makes me furious everyday.
am in a similar space of getting rid while also collecting only what i absolutely love. I bought a number of cheaper figures back in the day and am more conscious of quality nowadays. plus some i just don't love anymore after so much time. will be selling a bunch too and keeping a smaller overall collection
I agree with everything. The hype can blind you when seeing new shiny things. I set rules for myself to prevent overspending and regretting getting a figure.
I feel you! I’m at the point where I will only buy figures that I really really like, choosing not to pre-order and waiting to see how I feel about that figure when it’s released. The hardest part of selling anime figures for me is that in my country there’s only like 2 platforms to sell them in and sometimes it takes months before I get a sale 😔
This is so helpful! I’m going to use some of your tips to clear up some of my collection
I have dealt with the same issue of liking everything I see! Another excuse I have is finding myself saying "I don't have a figure of x franchise". It never ends!
Great video, it encouraged me to get rid of my own stuff.
A lot of things could apply to this money, space, ect... when you start collecting different itches pop up and it will be to much I think that's a good thing and it will give a lot of people clarity on what they actually want and put boundaries on themselves