Every time I buy my Ultraman figures it does bring a smile to my face. Most of the time I am a pretty miserable person, I don't show it in my videos but sometimes I do feel pretty down
I love this man, very awesome to open up like this and toy collecting is something I got into because it was a healthy hobby for me and I went through a lot of trauma and abuse in my past relationship and this helped cope with it and growing up not having a lot and being where I’m at now I can get stuff I wanted when I was a kid. Never lose that kid in you is something I learned doing this and I love it. Great video man new subscriber can’t Wait for more
Thank you Nerdzoic. A topic well worth exploring further. My ML collecting paralleled my ordeal as well. There is something to say about holding something tangibly in hand of some worth that soothes the woes. The escapism is the true objective.
YES!!! finding something to make me smile and 'play' really brings me up. Unfortunately, sometimes collecting brings out the anxiety - where will I get it? Do I need to get it? OMG I'm going to miss out! too. I've got a lot better - especially after I found full time work after 4-5yrs - where I don't feel (as) guilty buying something to cheer me up Now, after I've found like-minded collectors and people that find joy in toy collecting on UA-cam or in great facebook groups like the Mythic Legions Cabal, i do feel less isolated and part of something / a group, etc.
I’m 15 now and I still collect marvel legends because it brings me back to that time when I was about 7 or 8 when I was into iron man and collected a bunch of figures. Then at about 9 or 10 I really started struggling with anxiety so that is why I collect.
Im a drug addict (currently on methadone) and my comic and toy collecting are the only thing that match that high and been keeping me clean. I really appreciate u making a vid like this and sharing a personal part of u with us.
In April my Mom passed away, I am still dealing with it. Going on toy hunts and rearranging my collection has helped me mentally get through it. I am still working through it but this hobby has helped me alot
Lost my mom in May 2018. The day before Mother's Day. I spent five months away from my now-home. When I walked thru this door...it was like getting all new stuff.( Kinda like doing laundry so infrequently, you don't recognize your own threads.)
Brother, thank you. Depression is real. I keep everything inside because I don't want to appear weak. I'm supposed to be the one that everybody can count on. The rock of the family. Been a toy collector my whole life. It's helped me through a lot of tough times. Had a bad day yesterday. When I got home there was a 3.75 remnant stormtrooper in the mailbox. It changed my whole day. Toy collecting really does help.
Leave to a stormtrooper to save the day 🙌 be safe brother, we all have our days and pressures, the figs I collect help me focus in something not related to career or life management.just like little piece if childhood and creativity I can put aside and put good energy Into to mellow out.
I feel you on the getting home and figures are waiting ..it can be the worst day at work but when I get home and some figs are on the door step ...the day wasn't even that bad to begin with ..cheers brotha!
@Philip Squires no worries brother, I’m like the same way I keep everything inside me, I’m a Christian and God has you bro never lets you go no matter what! I think Im going through mental illness. Been getting very aggressive and emotions but I’ve been a toy collector too. Love collecting Marvel Legends and 3.75 figures
Collecting has helped me with my depression. 4 years ago I was diagnosed with stage 5 kidney failure. Dialysis was really hard at first and collecting helped me through it. Thank you so much for sharing your story 🙏🏾
I struggle with depression and anxiety myself. I have struggled with it ever since my teen years. I've been dealing with a long bout of depression for the past few years now and have felt my anxiety get worse. This is probably the worst my anxiety has ever been up to this point. It has started to take over and overwhelm me. Toy collecting does help. It is something that has always made me happy and getting a new action figure always brought feelings of excitement. But I have noticed myself buying more action figures this year than any year previously. I didn't realize just how much I was spending. I definitely need to seek some help soon. I don't want the collecting to completely overtake me and become a problem. It's supposed to be a hobby, not a drug. I don't want the anxiety to worsen even further either to the point where I can't even get out of bed anymore.
I completely understand. I moved from Philly to CT about 12 years ago and depression hit hard. I left my friends, my family and my career behind and had nothing but my wife and my 1 year old son. I felt trapped and had no where to go. My wife was still dealing with post partum depression herself so neither one of us was in a good place. I started going out at night driving around learning a new state and she thought I was having an affair which made it all worse. I found a nearby Target and Walmart and started buying Joes again. This was pursuit of Cobra time I think because I was looking for Shadow Tracker. It was that hunting that got me through the first few weeks and months. I met like minded people in those aisles and started to feel like I wasn’t alone anymore. I started talking to my wife again and we both got into counseling and it allowed me to open up and really express what moving did to me. I did eventually find a Shadow Tracker too.
I have been bullied most of my life. Comic Books and Martial Arts became my safe haven. When Marvel Legends/Select came out I was thrilled to see my favorite characters done justice in figure form. Life went on, and a lot of bad things happened, but as soon as I got home to my figures, I'm a happy camper. Truthfully if not for my collection, I have had a Stroke or Heart Attack a long time ago. So, yeah I agree that our hobby is therapeutic. They make us 😁.
Thanks for sharing your story Matt. Toys have helped me too. I went from opening them all as a kid, to buy 2 open 1, and now I’m back at buy 1 and open it for the most part. I don’t play with toys per se, but arranging my figures is very calming for me. I bought a house recently and the way I picked my room was because one room had a wall with built in shelves, and my first thought was “figure display wall”. I’ve been through divorce, PTSD, combat, losing buddies to suicide, and being haunted by their loss. It’s helpful to have my figures to focus on. I also have a PTSD service dog, a counselor, a psychiatrist, and meds, but my collection helps too. I still don’t have my Star Wars shelves done, but I have 2 shelves that are mixed between Action Force and Classified, 2 shelves of Final Faction, 2 shelves of 3.75 GI Joes (25th Anniversary line), 2 shelves of MOTU origins, a shelf that’s dedicated to ML Captain America figures, 2 shelves of 3.75 Marvel Universe and Iron Man movie figs, a mixed shelf, and a shelf of the Iron Man figures from the cartoon. On top of the shelves there are transformers, but the space is under 1’ so I’m limited with what I can put up there. I too miss the hunt like it was in the early 2000’s, and nowadays most of my hunting is as a proxy for my brother. If anyone is looking at a reasonable line to get into I highly recommend Final Faction, it’s only available at Dollar Tree, but it’s 1.25 per figure, accessory pack, vehicle, or vehicle weapons pack, and different dollar trees seem to get different shipments (or shipments at different times) so the hunt is there without killing your wallet.
Oh man, you totally pulled at my heartstrings! I found you several months ago and I instantly subscribed. Here why: 1) You have passion for collecting, you love this and so do we so Yes your channel is a plus. 2) You have good content, you aren't rude or mean. You stay positive and you seem like an awesome guy. Dude! If you lived in DC or VA, we would be friends! 3) You are honest and have integrity. When you came out and did the video about how HASBRO is dumping figures now which aren't even due out until next year... Man! I was like, this guy is the s#$t! Now you could have, pretend you didn't get notified and issued the credits a little at a time or just never shipped the item but you didn't! You opened up and said... They screwed me but that's not what I'm gonna do to my patrons. You have class dude! So if you ever feel down or in the dumps, think about what we your subscribers think of you. We've got you bud and we are here if you need us!
Brother, our stories are SO similar. Totally suffer from anxiety, stress & depression and I'm really stuck in it right now. I'm still in Philly, trying to start my own toy shop (Geek Jawn Toys & Collectibles). My dad passed in 2018 and it still feels like it just happened. Collecting, toy photography & my UA-cam channel Broaxium have really helped. Thank you for sharing your story, brother. Neither of us are alone. We got this. 👊🏾
Really needed this rn. Been going through a rough patch health wise the past 7 months. Really bad stomach issues (chronic nausea) to the point that I can’t tolerate most food or liquids. Been out of school and work for this whole year. That’s how shitty I feel on a daily basis. I’ve lost 40lbs since may. I’ve seen 10+ doctors at this point and none of them can tell me what’s wrong. It’s been extremely depressing to the point that I’ve considered not wanting to live anymore. Not being able to eat like a normal person despite wanting to is depressing. Started toy collecting after years of not doing it (mostly online cause the motion sickness is unbearable once I get into a car) and it’s honestly the only thing keeping me sane. Yes I’ve spent a lot of money on figures at this point but idk what else could keep my mind occupied
Hi danny im Chris, im so sorry to hear you are going through this, i think i know what is wrong with you as i had about the same problem. Im gonna tell you my story which is similar to what you are going through. About 12yrs during xmas time out of nowhere i started with all the symptoms you mentioned here, i spent 30 days at the hospital and they couldn't tell me what was wrong, i lost 24lb that month. Then i traveled to different countries & saw many doctors looking for an answer, i was desperate! long story short, After 1 1/2yr of many doctors and hospitals i was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis then spent 2yrs in treatment only to find out i had UC related condition Chron's disease which affects your intestinal tract and your entire body, is the worst condition ever but there's a way to manage & get it under control which we call Remission. Like you i also had thoughts of not living anymore but please you got to keep on fighting, what you're going through will stop and you will be back to normal, please don't give up! Tell your doctors about the conditions i mentioned, sometimes you have to give them a hint.
Sorry to hear this. I try to to be preachy because I don't want to push people away, but reading about our creator and Jesus really helped me a lot too. I didn't expect it to help, but I tried to start reading the Bible for the first time when I was in the worst place possible at the suggestion of a friend, and it really helped. It put everything in perspective.
Standing ovation, Matt! Thank you for sharing your experiences and helping to end the stigma of mental illness. I have been on an antidepressant for almost 15 years and it is the single most important thing I have done for my health. Thanks for reminding people that are never alone - always reach out to whatever resources you have - your Doctor, your family, your friends. It is OK to need help and to get help! We are all in this together!
I love this video so much! Thanks for being open and vulnerable. I have struggled with depression and anxiety too and it can be difficult to talk about it but this approach is so much healthier! Collecting is definitely helpful. To this day I still can’t fully explain why seeing the figures on display make me happy. I just know that they do.
@@turbomantodd2002 agreed! I have some set up at work and a display at home. I change it up whenever I want but all I do is glance at them and it just makes me happy.
Thank you for sharing your story. As a counselor, who also does play therapy with my clients, I can definitely identify with a lot of what you discussed. Heck even for me when my dad passed away right before COVID, I got back into vintage GI Joe as that was something we did together and it brought me completely back into toy collecting in general. This was definitely part of my therapy dealing with the loss, guilt and grief of him passing and one of the few things as to why I'm finishing up my PhD over the next 8 months. Much love to you my friend and I hope your displays and collections continue to bring you as much joy as possible.
Speaking for myself I had an awful bout of depression just about a year ago. I was about a quarter through my senior year of high school, I've struggled with depression for as long as I can remember but this was really really bad. I was feeling nothing but alone, like everything was weighting down on me, and even was debating suicide. Then I got COVID, this just made my loneliness so much worse, having to stay shut up in my room all day and all night. But about this time I started listening to a Podcast called Timesuck my AP psych teacher, the great Mr. Doogie, had suggested. This podcast and being able to final have time to pose and reorganize my collection helped majorly with how I was feeling and I'd even say saved me from a suicide attempt.
Keep your head up. Personally, I was so lonely for so long...if I could go back in time and tell my young self how not-lonely future me would be, things would have been so much easier. The moral: your young, invest in yourself (knowledge/skills/happiness) and down the road the rest will come
I completely agree, Toy collecting gave me life, and it's kept me alive. I can't pack it in just yet, we still have no definitive 3 3/4 Revan! Thank you for telling your story, never suffer in silence. Finding your channel has helped my depression by reinvigorating my love of collecting and giving me a purpose again so thanks for all you do, your content is always spectacular! Great point on the 30th Anniversary collection, what an amazing line!
Collecting can help a lot, but take care you aren't buying for the sake of buying. When my dad was dying I filled the unhappy void with toy collecting, but it quickly became a matter of the buying and accumulating being the "cure." I had a passing enjoyment of, say, Star Wars or Marvel but was buying things that didn't really resonate fully with me. I had to break that habit and it was TOUGH because of when it became seated (during depression). Just be careful you're not buying and collecting for the sake of accumulating. Get the things you truly love. It may only be a figure or two... you don't need every Luke or all the Gundams, etc.
Rearranging my Marvel Legends, planning the display, taking pictures of it, waiting for spilers, the toy hunt... there is a lot about keeping your mind busy with something you really like. This totally proves anything could be therapy as long as it adds something positive to life. My figures have been part of those little rushes of excitement and motivation to go through a lot of stress caused by my job and studies currently; I've felt that tired and that my duties will never finish... to a point where sometimes I feel like I'm falling into depression; but there they are!...all my hobbies helping out to get relaxed and excited.
Absolutely true for me there's something about the joy of finding either something you want or finding something new you didn't know you wanted that just lifts the spirit
I KNEW there was something extra great about that toy backdrop! Also, toy runs are not a thing of the past- I still do them! Thanks for sharing. That took courage. Kudos.
Toy Collecting definitely helps especially due to growing up and feeling like I kinda left my childhood early due to how life was going at the time so doing it now feels like it heals me in a way and always gives me a boost even waking up to seeing my shelves full of characters that mean so much to me. Other then that I see these figures or toys as a form of art brought to life in a way that brings a smile to my face everyday. If anyone reads this I hope you have a wonderful day and that whatever you have going on you will overcome it ❤️
I relate to this so much. I was so poor from age 7 on that I couldn't enjoy the toys my parents bought because I was so worried they could t afford it. They so obviously went without so I wouldn't, and it pained me to see causing me to grow too quickly. When I got my first job, that's when the collecting began to relive that part I missed without worrying what wasn't being paid for
Toy collecting is the reason I’m alive. Times I really wanted to die, I thought to myself “but I want these figures coming out” or something dumb like that. But the collector mentality kept me going, because I wanted to keep adding to the collection. And now that I have toy collector friends, I now have people to bond with over the hobby.
As a recovering drug addict (2 and a half years sober) who also deals with depression, I totally relate and appreciate this video. I try and do recovery related stuff on my channel as well. It's great to talk about it and make it normal to talk about. Thank u for the video and I love your content!
I suffer with depression and anxiety too. I recently started collecting MOTU which is my only interest. I collected a few different lines as a kid but MOTU is my first toy memory and it brings me some joy. Recently though because of the poor distribution of MOTU in my area having to buy the figures online exclusively has really taken the excitement out of things. My collection has already exceeded the space I had set up for it and I don't have any friends. There is a toy expo coming up I plan to go to and hopefully make some friends but the thought of being social makes my anxiety go off but I think if I had some friends to talk to, toy hunt with, and celebrate the victories with my mood might improve.
Much love to you, Big Nerdy! This just makes me like you even more. Always appreciate your genuine personality. Going through a divorce and my mom passed away in January. Toy collecting brings me a sense of relief. When I can, I try to go after work. My oldest daughter will sometimes go out to collector shops on the weekends with me, it's our thing. I always enjoyed collecting figures, and as an adult I enjoy the hunt. But now alot of figures remind me of my mom, and all the memories of watching the different movies and shows those figures came from. I remember my mom tearing up while I watched the airing of X-men the phoenix saga as a kid in the 90's. That stuck with me of how good the show was and how special my mom was. She could actually get into some of the stuff I liked. I also enjoy collecting knowing that I'll be able to leave my kids a part of me when I'm gone so they can remember good times. Besides figures being works of art I can admire of my favorite characters, they always carry memories with them. I don't share this part of me with everyone I know but the people I do share it with know how special it is to me.
The depression is real, I was really depressed when the woman I thought I loved left me and I was never the same afterwards. Toy collecting brought me back from that and brought me closer to my brother so I am not gonna stop collecting because it’s my joy and passion.
Hey Matt, props for sharing this personal story of your struggle. We've all been there and many of us still are working through stuff. I believe toy hunting, posing and photos can relieve stress and give us a little sense of control in our often chaotic and confusing lives. Keep up the good work.
This hit home for me and I'm very glad I'm not alone in this. I've been watching your videos for a while now and its definitely helped aswell! Keep it strong Nerdzoic! 😌👌🏻
I also just recently realized that I have an association with anxiety and action figure collecting. At first it was just a passing thing, and then I noticed that coming home was a bit more calming because it gave me something to fiddle with after a long day. Glad to see you addressing this topic.
I appreciate this video, you're a real one. Collecting toys is actually one of the things that really started to help me get out of my depression when I was at my lowest. Collecting Star Wars figures and displaying them, having them be little totems to something that I love, always put a smile on my face when looking at them. It played a part in helping to remind me of why I liked being alive. Life may not always be easy, but I am forever grateful to be a part of this hobby and community of toy nerds.
Toys were my friends growing up because we moved all the time. I've never been able to really make and hold on to friends. But I associate all my figures with the people I have lost and those I just don't talk to anymore. That's why they mean so much to me. They are my only friends.
I turn 19 tomorrow and I got back into collecting because of anxiety and depression and I couldn’t agree more. The thought of setting up that perfect display really puts me in a better head space
Not gonna lie, i'm heavily collecting since my dog and dad passed away. I was collecting, now i'm "collecting" and getting a problem of space. I'm hoarding like crazy. there were so many deaths in my family in the recent years. Loneliness is also playing a huge part.
Have lost both parents now, trouble is have got to the point where ive collected so much as a distraction, ive run out of room - the place is literally like a warehouse & no room to a actually display anything!
@@Paul_1971 yeah same problem, figures are stacked and as I collect gunpla, I've got over a 100 boxes around. Don't know what to do. Where I'm at no IKEA either or the likes
As of 2018, all my blood relatives are now gone. I cannot pick the phone and call them anymore. That being said, as far as space goes...I have tailored my collection to fit on any number of any shelves w/o looking like a mess. (It's not a hoard, that's too harsh.)
@@Paul_1971 yup. recently tailored/curated my collection into 6 four shelf/free standing units, and plenty to display and switch out from about five sterelite bins. If you curate, it's a lot less of a stressor.
Easily one of my favorite videos on your channel. I have wrestled with Anxiety and Depression for most of my life, and for most of that time undiagnosed. I am also all too familiar with the late night Walmart toy runs! Collecting is one of the most effective forms of therapy for me (as long as I stay within a reasonable budget). The vintage Kenner Star Wars lines in particular take me back to a time when life was simpler and my cares were few. I still hang out in my lair sometimes when I need to reset. Thanks for being brave enough to share. If more of us speak up, maybe we can reduce the stigma that surrounds mental illness. Stay nerdy!
Thank you for this video, during the covid lock down I got super depressed and began having anxiety attacks, to try and alleviate the issue I dove back into my collections but they didn't seem to help a whole lot. While looking at a new figure online I wanted to know more about it so I thought maybe UA-cam would have a review. Didn't find a review but the first video I found was yours. I didn't even know there were UA-cam channels dedicated to action figures and I've been collecting for decades. Watching your videos led me to others and before long being locked down was a lot more bearable so thank you BIG NERDY for helping pull me out of a slump. And it's ok to admit when your down, find a friend or join an online community those things really helped me
Great video. It was very gracious of you to share your experience with toy collecting and hunting. Your story is 100% relatable. Toy collecting, posing, photographing, and customizing are genuinely therapeutic. Collecting and my collection have gotten me through many a tough time, especially over the past two years.
Hi. Thank you for this. Iam 65. Collecting toys all my life and had depression and Anxiety as my constant companions. Collecting, making models, having friends with the same passion rely has helped me through tough times. I have been an actor / singer in Toronto for 45 years, when feeling stressed, nervous or horribly anxious during rehearsals, especially when working out of town I would/ will search out The Toys R Us, Walmart in Canada and buy Batman, Superman...mainly DC characters or buy a model usually in the science fiction genre. It gets me through the rehearsal process and being away from loved ones. I am totally a big, old kid but it makes me feel better and creative. Acting is pretending and play. I also lost my eldest Sister and mother this year, I was their care giver for years. I am still feeling the great loss. With Covid, The Arts at a stand still, going to hospitals... it was a bitch. The loss is still overwhelming but what has got me through this period is toys. DC especially. It has been very therapeutic and I am feeling so much better.
Well done for this Matt from talking to other collectors I know that we all struggle sometimes Mine has and Is an ongoing problem, but something about finding a good deal or getting a new figure can just lift me up at least for a time,one of the best things I discovered was the collecting community on youtube I love talking to these people.Stay Nerdy
Everyone needs an outlet, release. And I've certainly found that this community and other ones on UA-cam have been something that really helped me get through tough times. Thanks for uploading this video!
Collecting (or maybe hoarding is the right term at the volume I'm at now) has been my outlet as well. I've been to therapy, taken meds, done other things to try and mitigate depression and they all have value, but collecting has been the thing that has helped the most for about two decades now. Movies, Books, Comics, and Toys are all things that pile up in my house. Retail therapy is an apt term for me specifically. It's just the fact that I get to have them, even if they're all in storage, that gives me some satisfaction. Sometimes, when I'm particularly down, just posing them on my desk, or re-sorting things for the nth time, or working through my backlog of unopened toys helps improve my mood. I don't really display them at all since we have limited space and I'd rather spend the money I have on more stuff rather than a proper shelf. I am unceasingly thankful my wife understands and supports my hobbies. Without her, I'd probably have given up a long time ago.
Toy collecting actually saved my marriage. And the funny thing is, my wife doesn't even know it. There was a period where I just wanted to get away. Start fresh. There was a lot of resentment inside, and I was taking it out on my family even though they weren't necessarily the cause of it. But, my dad left us when I was young, and I didn't want to do that to my family, but I needed a reason to want to come home after work. So, I ordered a figure through eBay. (It was the SHF Kamen Rider Amazons Omega for those who were curious.) And I bought it in secret. Now I had a reason to come home because I needed to pick up the package before my wife found out. And it worked. Whenever I felt like leaving, I'd find a figure I liked and ordered it just so I would have a reason to come home. Eventually, after collecting and displaying my figures and messing with them, I was able to work out my hang ups and I wasn't feeling the need to find an excuse to come home anymore. Now, I collect what I like and because I enjoy it and not as a means to keep my family together.
My ex left me for my friend, got delayed from graduating college for half a year, failed my engineering licensure exam, and got stuck in a dead end job. I started collecting around 2020 when everything changed and I've felt I was alone most of the time and I can say that it might be stupid in there minds a grown man buying toys but I held my hobby up high coz its the one thing that saved my sanity from everything that has happened to me. Eventually I found your channel matt, thanks for all the content you putting out
That sucks. You can never be friends again, but if you can find a way to forgive it will lead to healing for you (ge doesn't need to know you forgive him, just you). Don't let your education falter. Your still young and have the ability to be flexible and escape a dead end job. It gets much harder when you get older
That's a really beautiful story, Big Nerdy. There is totally something therapeutic about posing figures. It can be really frustrating, but when you get that perfect pose, and it stands up for hours, it's blissful.
This video is so beautiful i mean in the past 2 years i've been in some difficult situations but toy collecting was a very good thing that keep me up in a good way. Thanks for this video
Thank you for sharing. I’ve been collecting for about 20 years now. I started collecting at first because I wanted to do something that would bring me joy in my life and not leave me hungover the next day. It take me to another level of euphoria and I know that it’s not for everyone but it helps me cope with hard days when I walk into my toy closet.
Thanks for sharing. I got really sick in 2016 and doctors couldn't figure it. Thought I'd die from it and with pain wished for it. Then got diagnosed and told it was a condition I'd have forever. Went thought treatment for anxiety and OCD because doctors told me stress was making my condition worse. Someone told me I needed a hobby,something esle to focus on. I had to small kids, couldn't work much and had no money so I watched UA-cam and found some toy channels like Retroblasting and Toy pollioi. They inspired me to get my old toy collection out again. Later I found more channels like Analog Toys and Nerdzoic that got me into the toy community and toy hunting again.The toy hunt really helped get through covid too because I was still able to get to some local flea markets. Now the hunt is my favorite part, meeting people, completing collections and helping others complete collections.
Thanks big nerdy. I know it can be hard for us men to admit that we struggle with mental health, but the more of us that speak about it publicly the more normal it will become for us to seek help.
Great video. Thanks for sharing. You aren't weak. You're very courageous. I went through a bad breakup back in 2017 and at the time I hadn't collected figures since I was a kid. I'd admired them from a far though, mostly on UA-cam reviews. After my breakup I started collecting and that moved into customizing and really helped me out. This past year I needed something more and to be honest my collection had become a bit of a distraction from my other goals. I sold off my collection and couldn't be happier. I'll always be thankful they helped feel that void inside me when I needed it most. It really helped boost my motivation and creativity again.
When I lost my vision toys saved me from making a terrible mistake. I was in deep depression after my vision loss. I was addicted to video games and the loss of my vision and addiction at the same time led me down a dark spiral. Until I picked up some Transformers. I had been a lover of lego but the part I loved the most was sorting by color so that was a flop now. Transformers on the other hand are 3-D puzzles that helped me to get my mind in order while transforming them. That's why I made my YT channel to help other depressed people and other blind people because I am constantly fighting depression and I am constantly blind. (that last one was a bad blind joke btw) You get a -hug- from me Big Nerdy because I get it and I am so happy that you have a family that can help when times get hard. Be well mate and remember to never stop having fun! :)
I also suffer from anxiety and depression, and my relationship with action figures/toys both helps and hurts. My struggles specific to this hobby are basically having available funds to collect what I want. I'm super happy when I get a figure and am able to interact with it; I'm super depressed when something comes out and I know I can't get it anytime soon. It makes it even more difficult when I see others enjoying something that I really want and can't have (I'm happy for them, but upset for myself). I also don't get to spend as much time with my collection as I like sometimes, and things can often pile up - I feel really great when I can clean and sort (as that's a large part of the mentality of collecting and having a collection); not having my displays like I want can be really depressing for me at times, too. It's taken me a long time to realize the obvious: toy collecting is a large part of my life and central to who I am in a lot of ways. That's why I think the pain can be so intense at times. This may all come across as someone just being a whiny fanboy or something, but the thing here is that this is only one spoke on the wheel of struggling with anxiety and depression, as the more primary issues I face are outside of the hobby. I feel I've shared quite a bit, but I'm choosing to refrain from sharing much more just because it's personal. All that is to say that I very much sympathize and empathize with this video, and I thank you for it. Love your channel and you, dude. Keep going!
Stay tough my friend. I have been DIRT POOR before while collecting and I know that feeling. I;ve always used that feeling to fuel my worth ethic. Personally, I have found "toy spotting" super fun when I was really struggling financially. Essentially, it was like throwing back the fish. I'd hunt it, find it, spend a good bit of time at the store admiring it....then put it back. I hope you can seek someone out to talk to or at least confide in a friend or family member...just getting it out helps a lot
Thanks for sharing your story with us. Toy hunting has been a huge aspect of my life. My Mom taught me to look at each figure to see which one looked the best. Noticing the small details of where the paint was not as good as on other figs. We went on many toy runs together. I still have many unopened LEGO sets that she bought for me. She passed in 2016. She struggled with depression but always was happiest spending time with my brother and me. I'm glad you found an outlet to get you through some dark times. Stay nerdy my friend!!
this video hit close to home for me. I've been in and out of mental hospitals a couple of times after trying to attempt suicide. ever since middle school, I've suffered with severe depression and anxiety. I've went to therapist who gave me multiple medications that never seemed to work. the best thing that helped was my love for collecting. sorry about your dad. I still think about my mom who passed away a few years ago. I try to take each day at a time and hope that things get better.
i've been a lonely kid for most of my life (currently 15 and in a long distance relationship with someone i love very much, and who'll i'll drive to meet when i turn 17. ) and collecting toys have made me so happy. i've recently got into collecting marvel legends again, the newest figure i got was the renew your vows 2 pack and i got it yesterday. my main collection is bionicles, which is a serious comfort series for me. but another is sonic, which has been there for me all the way back since i was just 4. i love this video so much cause it speaks to me, and it helps me understand that other people have this same hobby that comforts them and brings them happiness. i dont care if im childish for owning figures and plushies, all i care is if im happy.
I suffer from social anxiety, depression, and OCD. Grew up not having a lot of friends and basically went most of my life alone. However, Movies and collecting are the only things that I know of that bring any happiness to my life and is my escape from my everyday struggles, and gave me purpose. While it’s something I enjoy my dad actually gets mad when I order collectibles and thinks I should be focused on more important things. And with OCD, it did play a huge factor in the way I collected and made my life hell and consumed my life and made me feel worse than it did make me better. I managed to overcome it in some capacity and managed to not allow it to consume my life.
I grew up pretty much the same. My dad used to get mad too actually. I got to a point where i was embarrassed of it with him...its just not something he ever understood, as close as we were. As far as the OCD, I struggled with that too...overly focused on completionism.
@@Nerdzoic Completionism is actually part of my OCD I’m dealing with. I’m still trying to stop but it’s hard for me to accept the fact that I can’t have it all.
Thank you for sharing such a personal matter, it really helps to know there're others out here who suffer from depression, and find solace in something positive.
I couldn't agree more , I started collecting when I was 18 both my parents passed away within the same year. I started to collect as an escape from reality 25 years later I still find an escape when I walk into my toy room. Glad to know I'm not the only one.
Hey Matt things can be hard, especially when you been in the fast food business then quit because of corporate ownership trying to force you out due to disability, so I quit, but after a couple of years I felt depressed, I guess that's where toy collecting came in, but then again I have always been a toy collector. Thanks Matt for sharing this.
Thank you for sharing Matt! The last couple years have been a roller coaster for me and collecting has definitely been an outlet. It’s really nice to know I’m not alone.
It's good that men are starting to talk about this...we all have our own issues. I'm happy to see that I'm not alone in this. Thanks for having the balls to talk about this.
I appreciate you sharing! I’ve been in similar places. Thankfully I’m coming out of a long bout myself and I can say that finding toy photography (and collecting as a result) was a large part of keeping me afloat. Keep rockin, Big Nerdy!
Thank you for sharing your story Matt. Collecting has gotten me through some tough times as well. Toy and comic book hunts definitely helped clear my head at times and for a brief moment made me forget about whatever troubles I had. Its nice to know that there are others out there that use this amazing hobby as therapy and that you're not alone. Everyone is going through hard times these days. Thanks again and keep up the amazing content!
I've never really suffered from depression, more of a take action and conquer my problems type of dude, but everytime I look at my figure, statue, and comic collection it fills me with a great sense of peace, joy, and satisfaction. I feel like everything is going to be ok when I look at it, because I've already overcome so much in the past.
Hey man I really appreciate the sharing. You have a bunch of people out here that love you dude. You have nothing to worry about and will find you always have the strength to overcome anything. Your new studio is amazing. Good things come with change. Thanks for starting your channel I am glad I found it! I hope you and everyone watching has a great weekend!
being able to hold onto things we can actually control helps give us a compass to navigate through things with. Toy collecting, Coin collecting, or even Fandom are examples that can help a lot. As long as you are not doing manic behavior
Thank you for speaking on this . I was in a terrible depression since 2020. After I found out about marvel legends /collecting figures I’ve slowly been overcoming those fears . I used to have panic attacks and anxiety’s attack . But they have seem to go away since I’ve been collecting figures ..and your videos helped me collect more and know what to do. I was so bad in my health . I didn’t want to do nothing but to sleep and eat ..Thank you NerdZioc.
After I lost my brother from suicide in 2019..... I started to chase memories of what we loved in our childhood, collecting has helped me tremendously....... from the video games we played together to the cartoons we watched together..... toy collecting has helped me through many hard days, because holding some of these characters, or having them on my shelf..... brings me back to simpler times with my brother
This one hit home… i too was going through a depression and toys became my outlet took me back to my childhood/ better days! Everyone has their thing gym, music, reading etc mine was toys find your outlet!! Awesome video and thank u for sharing about a topic so many are afraid to talk about!
Toy collecting truly is something that brings me joy when all else fails. I struggle depression, I also struggle with shame that comes along with collecting. I am working on being better at not being embarrassed of it and instead being proud, but it’s tough…
I have read a lot of comments of people being ashamed to collect. I think i need to make a video on that. In the meantime, anytime you feel that shame coming on, remember this: if this was embarrassing and worthy of shame, why are there millions of us? :)
I was taking care of my Dad since May, I moved back into his home. We always had a great relationship and he always bought me cool toys and we read tons of comics together. So, his health and strength was failing, I took my childhood He Man that he gave me as a kid and I put it on the table by his chair and told him, He-Man would give him power. Every time I'd walk by or sit with him he'd ask to hold my hand and give him some He-Man power. I would of course hold his hand. My Dad passed peacefully in his sleep on his Sept 18th which was his 89th birthday. I will treasure that He-Man figure till my dying day. It gave my Dad and something fun to strengthen our bond in his last days.
I started back in the collecting during the pandemic. I had a lot of stress at work while working at a hospital and I was always of the mindset of swallow your feelings because like you said feelings are for the weak in my mind at that time I felt like I was always going against my family because of the pandemic and choices both sides were making and then I saw the retro Spiderman at Walmart and the rest was history. It brought back memories as a kid of the Spiderman figure I had that I took around everywhere and then as I started expanding to X-Men, ninja turtles,G.I. Joe all the good feelings I had as a child started coming back in the relationships with it now I get to share the passion with my daughter
I feel your pain. Depression and anxiety is a serious issue. I got sick during the beginning of covid, but not covid. I almost died with a gangrene infection. I had surgery and during my recovery I had to learn how to walk again. 2 years later, I am doing better and dealing with my health much better than before. But during that time I struggled with depression and anxiety. Toys were the only thing keeping my mind sane. Thanks for sharing your story. Your not the only one with the struggle. And hopefully we can fight it together.
Very heartfelt video and I feel this so hard. I've always turned to collecting when struggling with my mental health, honestly it has saved me more than once over the years. Losing my dad and brother were both huge traumas as both were unexpected due to illness. It's not talked about enough, especially for men so I applaud you for your raw honesty 👏🏻 No-one should feel ashamed when they're struggling, as we all do at some point.
Toy collecting, has help me during my recovery from a traumatic brain injury I'm on disability and the hunt the searching for deals have been awesome the 1:12 scale has aloud me to customize and diorama build and build the bandai models of star wars. Helps with the loss in my life . My wife is very understanding and she's my best friend.
I started collecting figures and Lego again after my entire family died in 2014, I spent way too much money at the time but being alone for the first time in my adult life collecting full waves & chasing build a figure pieces saved me! I don’t collect as much as I used to (poor AF at the moment) but I still love the hobby and your channel, thanks for this!❤
Interestingly enough, I feel that the hunt DOES help, but also it makes it worse. It helps when you don't have specific "shopping list" and just go check it out. There were times when I was younger and I would be out of school and not have anyone to visit/hang out with and those runs to the 24 hour Walmart/Meijer were a blast. But, like I said; when you have a "list" and with the "shipping problems" of recent, it definitely triggered those mental issues. But talking about it helps and thanks for sharing your story. I really hopes that this helps someone out there.
Collecting has both been my escape and my prison. I will always be a collector. But I got to a point where I felt like a hoarder and I was drowning, figuratively speaking. So I am trying to find a balance.
Big nerdy I respect and appreciate this video I’m a full time concrete worker perusing a professional boxing career and full time husband and father and life is real . And toy collecting I walk into my display room and just admire my marvel legends and pick some off the shelf and just enjoy what they are look back at when I first saw them in comics and wonder random ideas about how nice it is to have characters like these to reflect on I come to think that each figure that represents a super hero or a villain is like each and one of our own emotions characteristics and reflections and when I put it back in the shelf I can relate to the character in some way and then fell better about everything else…it truly is a special thing this collecting thing. Much love and respect man I’m with you 3,000
Hey Big Nerdy, I wanted to say you are incredibly strong for making this video. I know it’s hard to feel as tough as you are when discussing things such as mental health struggles, but I wanted to say it takes a strong individual to be able to bear their heart to anyone who may stumble upon a video. I hope you are doing okay currently and I am wishing you the best! I found your channel recently due to your Transformers video and it has been a wonderful experience to go through your content! You have certainly become one of the stores I’ll be shopping with from now on due to the personal touch you and your family bring to the business. Take care!
Thank you for your honesty. As someone with many family members who suffer from anxiety and depression, it’s never fun to see and can be very hard to deal with. Glad to see that figures can be an outlet for you.
Deff was in a funk for a while collecting till I took up toy photography and honestly it renewed my love for figures and collecting. I go through depression too and when I’m out taking pictures i just feel like I’m in a different universe. Thanks for sharing this video it really helped
I can say no doubt my comics and toys have kept me on the right path, sometimes you can feel alone even if you are surrounded by love and you can't see it. Definitely agree with you man. The hobby is a life saver part of our lives, it complete me for sure.
I too deal with depression and anxiety on the daily. And got back into collecting as a distraction and to give me something to do when the world shutdown. Then I'll sit and think about the shelves and set up the scenes differently. It gives us that break to catch ourselves and breath a bit. In July I had to say goodbye for now to my soulpup after 12years. I'm still a disaster but collecting (any hobby really) does help even if just a little. Thank you for the openness and bringing attention this. ;
Nerdzoic you Sir are a Bloody Legend. I stumbled across your channel some months ago. And enjoyed your videos. So I kept watching them ,more so the Star Wars ones. I noticed you hadn't posted of late. And I just come across this one. Like yourself I have struggled with anxiety and depression most of my life. And collecting has been a big part of saving me as well. I collect a range of stuff . From action figures Flags Caps Military stuff and Books Lego ect. I totally understand going on the hunt at your local stores or a few hundred k's away to find a collectable for a collection. Please keep posting your great videos. This video will help more people than you will ever know. And if you ever need to chat Your Fans are here for you. Cheers Ace from Australia
Hey Big Nerdy, loved your video. Wanted to share my experience. I have ADHD, at times, it can be pretty overwhelming so when I'm feeling stressed and ready to snap I sit in the quiet of my toy room and just look around or tinker. It brings me peace and calm. If it wasn't for the chase of the toys or being able to enjoy them when I'm at my wits end I don't know what I'd do. Thank you for opening up, I know it Caan be difficult. NWO Baby!
Thank you for being so honest and direct. Much appreciated. My daughter has anxiety & depression and suffers greatly from it. I often turn to toys and childhood "goodness" such as Batman to help me deal with the stress this causes. I only have the one child. Best of luck with your struggles.
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Does Toy Collecting have a similar effect on your mental health?
🔥 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐓𝐨𝐲 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐩: nerdzoic.com
Every time I buy my Ultraman figures it does bring a smile to my face. Most of the time I am a pretty miserable person, I don't show it in my videos but sometimes I do feel pretty down
I love this man, very awesome to open up like this and toy collecting is something I got into because it was a healthy hobby for me and I went through a lot of trauma and abuse in my past relationship and this helped cope with it and growing up not having a lot and being where I’m at now I can get stuff I wanted when I was a kid. Never lose that kid in you is something I learned doing this and I love it. Great video man new subscriber can’t Wait for more
Thank you Nerdzoic. A topic well worth exploring further. My ML collecting paralleled my ordeal as well. There is something to say about holding something tangibly in hand of some worth that soothes the woes. The escapism is the true objective.
YES!!! finding something to make me smile and 'play' really brings me up. Unfortunately, sometimes collecting brings out the anxiety - where will I get it? Do I need to get it? OMG I'm going to miss out! too. I've got a lot better - especially after I found full time work after 4-5yrs - where I don't feel (as) guilty buying something to cheer me up
Now, after I've found like-minded collectors and people that find joy in toy collecting on UA-cam or in great facebook groups like the Mythic Legions Cabal, i do feel less isolated and part of something / a group, etc.
I’m 15 now and I still collect marvel legends because it brings me back to that time when I was about 7 or 8 when I was into iron man and collected a bunch of figures. Then at about 9 or 10 I really started struggling with anxiety so that is why I collect.
Im a drug addict (currently on methadone) and my comic and toy collecting are the only thing that match that high and been keeping me clean. I really appreciate u making a vid like this and sharing a personal part of u with us.
In April my Mom passed away, I am still dealing with it. Going on toy hunts and rearranging my collection has helped me mentally get through it. I am still working through it but this hobby has helped me alot
I'm sorry for your loss James. I hope your doing well my friend.
Sorry for your loss James.
I am so sorry for your loss
Lost my mom in May 2018. The day before Mother's Day. I spent five months away from my now-home. When I walked thru this door...it was like getting all new stuff.( Kinda like doing laundry so infrequently, you don't recognize your own threads.)
Bless her ..keep ur head up .
Brother, thank you. Depression is real. I keep everything inside because I don't want to appear weak. I'm supposed to be the one that everybody can count on. The rock of the family. Been a toy collector my whole life. It's helped me through a lot of tough times. Had a bad day yesterday. When I got home there was a 3.75 remnant stormtrooper in the mailbox. It changed my whole day. Toy collecting really does help.
Leave to a stormtrooper to save the day 🙌 be safe brother, we all have our days and pressures, the figs I collect help me focus in something not related to career or life management.just like little piece if childhood and creativity I can put aside and put good energy Into to mellow out.
I feel you on the getting home and figures are waiting ..it can be the worst day at work but when I get home and some figs are on the door step ...the day wasn't even that bad to begin with ..cheers brotha!
@Philip Squires no worries brother, I’m like the same way I keep everything inside me, I’m a Christian and God has you bro never lets you go no matter what! I think Im going through mental illness. Been getting very aggressive and emotions but I’ve been a toy collector too. Love collecting Marvel Legends and 3.75 figures
This comment hits home, "being the one everybody counts on". I feel like this a lot, like I'm everyone's safety in every way
Collecting has helped me with my depression. 4 years ago I was diagnosed with stage 5 kidney failure. Dialysis was really hard at first and collecting helped me through it.
Thank you so much for sharing your story 🙏🏾
I struggle with depression and anxiety myself. I have struggled with it ever since my teen years. I've been dealing with a long bout of depression for the past few years now and have felt my anxiety get worse. This is probably the worst my anxiety has ever been up to this point. It has started to take over and overwhelm me. Toy collecting does help. It is something that has always made me happy and getting a new action figure always brought feelings of excitement. But I have noticed myself buying more action figures this year than any year previously. I didn't realize just how much I was spending. I definitely need to seek some help soon. I don't want the collecting to completely overtake me and become a problem. It's supposed to be a hobby, not a drug. I don't want the anxiety to worsen even further either to the point where I can't even get out of bed anymore.
I completely understand. I moved from Philly to CT about 12 years ago and depression hit hard. I left my friends, my family and my career behind and had nothing but my wife and my 1 year old son. I felt trapped and had no where to go. My wife was still dealing with post partum depression herself so neither one of us was in a good place. I started going out at night driving around learning a new state and she thought I was having an affair which made it all worse. I found a nearby Target and Walmart and started buying Joes again. This was pursuit of Cobra time I think because I was looking for Shadow Tracker. It was that hunting that got me through the first few weeks and months. I met like minded people in those aisles and started to feel like I wasn’t alone anymore. I started talking to my wife again and we both got into counseling and it allowed me to open up and really express what moving did to me. I did eventually find a Shadow Tracker too.
I have been bullied most of my life. Comic Books and Martial Arts became my safe haven. When Marvel Legends/Select came out I was thrilled to see my favorite characters done justice in figure form. Life went on, and a lot of bad things happened, but as soon as I got home to my figures, I'm a happy camper. Truthfully if not for my collection, I have had a Stroke or Heart Attack a long time ago. So, yeah I agree that our hobby is therapeutic. They make us 😁.
In the 1970's, martial arts and comic books made up my comfort zone, too!😉
Screw bullies!
Thanks for sharing your story Matt. Toys have helped me too. I went from opening them all as a kid, to buy 2 open 1, and now I’m back at buy 1 and open it for the most part. I don’t play with toys per se, but arranging my figures is very calming for me. I bought a house recently and the way I picked my room was because one room had a wall with built in shelves, and my first thought was “figure display wall”. I’ve been through divorce, PTSD, combat, losing buddies to suicide, and being haunted by their loss. It’s helpful to have my figures to focus on. I also have a PTSD service dog, a counselor, a psychiatrist, and meds, but my collection helps too. I still don’t have my Star Wars shelves done, but I have 2 shelves that are mixed between Action Force and Classified, 2 shelves of Final Faction, 2 shelves of 3.75 GI Joes (25th Anniversary line), 2 shelves of MOTU origins, a shelf that’s dedicated to ML Captain America figures, 2 shelves of 3.75 Marvel Universe and Iron Man movie figs, a mixed shelf, and a shelf of the Iron Man figures from the cartoon. On top of the shelves there are transformers, but the space is under 1’ so I’m limited with what I can put up there. I too miss the hunt like it was in the early 2000’s, and nowadays most of my hunting is as a proxy for my brother.
If anyone is looking at a reasonable line to get into I highly recommend Final Faction, it’s only available at Dollar Tree, but it’s 1.25 per figure, accessory pack, vehicle, or vehicle weapons pack, and different dollar trees seem to get different shipments (or shipments at different times) so the hunt is there without killing your wallet.
Oh man, you totally pulled at my heartstrings!
I found you several months ago and I instantly subscribed. Here why:
1) You have passion for collecting, you love this and so do we so Yes your channel is a plus.
2) You have good content, you aren't rude or mean. You stay positive and you seem like an awesome guy. Dude! If you lived in DC or VA, we would be friends!
3) You are honest and have integrity. When you came out and did the video about how HASBRO is dumping figures now which aren't even due out until next year... Man! I was like, this guy is the s#$t! Now you could have, pretend you didn't get notified and issued the credits a little at a time or just never shipped the item but you didn't! You opened up and said... They screwed me but that's not what I'm gonna do to my patrons. You have class dude!
So if you ever feel down or in the dumps, think about what we your subscribers think of you. We've got you bud and we are here if you need us!
Brother, our stories are SO similar.
Totally suffer from anxiety, stress & depression and I'm really stuck in it right now.
I'm still in Philly, trying to start my own toy shop (Geek Jawn Toys & Collectibles).
My dad passed in 2018 and it still feels like it just happened.
Collecting, toy photography & my UA-cam channel Broaxium have really helped.
Thank you for sharing your story, brother. Neither of us are alone. We got this. 👊🏾
Really needed this rn. Been going through a rough patch health wise the past 7 months. Really bad stomach issues (chronic nausea) to the point that I can’t tolerate most food or liquids. Been out of school and work for this whole year. That’s how shitty I feel on a daily basis. I’ve lost 40lbs since may. I’ve seen 10+ doctors at this point and none of them can tell me what’s wrong. It’s been extremely depressing to the point that I’ve considered not wanting to live anymore. Not being able to eat like a normal person despite wanting to is depressing.
Started toy collecting after years of not doing it (mostly online cause the motion sickness is unbearable once I get into a car) and it’s honestly the only thing keeping me sane. Yes I’ve spent a lot of money on figures at this point but idk what else could keep my mind occupied
Hi danny im Chris, im so sorry to hear you are going through this, i think i know what is wrong with you as i had about the same problem. Im gonna tell you my story which is similar to what you are going through. About 12yrs during xmas time out of nowhere i started with all the symptoms you mentioned here, i spent 30 days at the hospital and they couldn't tell me what was wrong, i lost 24lb that month. Then i traveled to different countries & saw many doctors looking for an answer, i was desperate! long story short, After 1 1/2yr of many doctors and hospitals i was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis then spent 2yrs in treatment only to find out i had UC related condition Chron's disease which affects your intestinal tract and your entire body, is the worst condition ever but there's a way to manage & get it under control which we call Remission.
Like you i also had thoughts of not living anymore but please you got to keep on fighting, what you're going through will stop and you will be back to normal, please don't give up!
Tell your doctors about the conditions i mentioned, sometimes you have to give them a hint.
Sorry to hear this. I try to to be preachy because I don't want to push people away, but reading about our creator and Jesus really helped me a lot too. I didn't expect it to help, but I tried to start reading the Bible for the first time when I was in the worst place possible at the suggestion of a friend, and it really helped. It put everything in perspective.
Standing ovation, Matt! Thank you for sharing your experiences and helping to end the stigma of mental illness. I have been on an antidepressant for almost 15 years and it is the single most important thing I have done for my health. Thanks for reminding people that are never alone - always reach out to whatever resources you have - your Doctor, your family, your friends. It is OK to need help and to get help! We are all in this together!
Cannabis is a great natural alternative to taking pills 💊 its very effective against depression and anxiety ☺️
Carbon scoring is another awesome channel. Great to see you in the comments here.
Thanks Brother. Couldn't agree with you more!
I love this video so much! Thanks for being open and vulnerable. I have struggled with depression and anxiety too and it can be difficult to talk about it but this approach is so much healthier! Collecting is definitely helpful. To this day I still can’t fully explain why seeing the figures on display make me happy. I just know that they do.
I can’t explain to anyone about why these finally shaped forms of plastic make me happier either… they just “do”! I stopped trying to explain.
@@turbomantodd2002 agreed! I have some set up at work and a display at home. I change it up whenever I want but all I do is glance at them and it just makes me happy.
Thank you for sharing your story. As a counselor, who also does play therapy with my clients, I can definitely identify with a lot of what you discussed.
Heck even for me when my dad passed away right before COVID, I got back into vintage GI Joe as that was something we did together and it brought me completely back into toy collecting in general. This was definitely part of my therapy dealing with the loss, guilt and grief of him passing and one of the few things as to why I'm finishing up my PhD over the next 8 months. Much love to you my friend and I hope your displays and collections continue to bring you as much joy as possible.
Sigh this hit me in a different way cause I relate to this so much. Toy collecting basically keeps me afloat. Thank you so much for this!
You are welcome brother!
Speaking for myself I had an awful bout of depression just about a year ago. I was about a quarter through my senior year of high school, I've struggled with depression for as long as I can remember but this was really really bad. I was feeling nothing but alone, like everything was weighting down on me, and even was debating suicide. Then I got COVID, this just made my loneliness so much worse, having to stay shut up in my room all day and all night. But about this time I started listening to a Podcast called Timesuck my AP psych teacher, the great Mr. Doogie, had suggested. This podcast and being able to final have time to pose and reorganize my collection helped majorly with how I was feeling and I'd even say saved me from a suicide attempt.
That is worth all the money in the world. Keep doing what YOU need to do for you.
Keep your head up. Personally, I was so lonely for so long...if I could go back in time and tell my young self how not-lonely future me would be, things would have been so much easier.
The moral: your young, invest in yourself (knowledge/skills/happiness) and down the road the rest will come
I have had depression and fought against it for most of my adult life, toy collecting among other things is just one of the tools I use to combat it
Keep up the fight!
@@Nerdzoic Thank you Big Nerdy, I hope you do the same, because your videos are also a great help whether you believe it or not
I completely agree, Toy collecting gave me life, and it's kept me alive. I can't pack it in just yet, we still have no definitive 3 3/4 Revan! Thank you for telling your story, never suffer in silence. Finding your channel has helped my depression by reinvigorating my love of collecting and giving me a purpose again so thanks for all you do, your content is always spectacular! Great point on the 30th Anniversary collection, what an amazing line!
Keep collecting my dude!
Collecting can help a lot, but take care you aren't buying for the sake of buying. When my dad was dying I filled the unhappy void with toy collecting, but it quickly became a matter of the buying and accumulating being the "cure." I had a passing enjoyment of, say, Star Wars or Marvel but was buying things that didn't really resonate fully with me. I had to break that habit and it was TOUGH because of when it became seated (during depression). Just be careful you're not buying and collecting for the sake of accumulating. Get the things you truly love. It may only be a figure or two... you don't need every Luke or all the Gundams, etc.
I really understand what you mean. There can be a point where collecting becomes hoarding. I'm trying to not get to that point t
Very important and true comment here. There is a thin line between collecting being a help and becoming a problem
Rearranging my Marvel Legends, planning the display, taking pictures of it, waiting for spilers, the toy hunt... there is a lot about keeping your mind busy with something you really like. This totally proves anything could be therapy as long as it adds something positive to life. My figures have been part of those little rushes of excitement and motivation to go through a lot of stress caused by my job and studies currently; I've felt that tired and that my duties will never finish... to a point where sometimes I feel like I'm falling into depression; but there they are!...all my hobbies helping out to get relaxed and excited.
Absolutely true for me there's something about the joy of finding either something you want or finding something new you didn't know you wanted that just lifts the spirit
They bring back happier times when all we worried about was toys.
I KNEW there was something extra great about that toy backdrop!
Also, toy runs are not a thing of the past- I still do them!
Thanks for sharing. That took courage. Kudos.
Toy Collecting definitely helps especially due to growing up and feeling like I kinda left my childhood early due to how life was going at the time so doing it now feels like it heals me in a way and always gives me a boost even waking up to seeing my shelves full of characters that mean so much to me. Other then that I see these figures or toys as a form of art brought to life in a way that brings a smile to my face everyday. If anyone reads this I hope you have a wonderful day and that whatever you have going on you will overcome it ❤️
I relate to this so much. I was so poor from age 7 on that I couldn't enjoy the toys my parents bought because I was so worried they could t afford it. They so obviously went without so I wouldn't, and it pained me to see causing me to grow too quickly. When I got my first job, that's when the collecting began to relive that part I missed without worrying what wasn't being paid for
Toy collecting is the reason I’m alive. Times I really wanted to die, I thought to myself “but I want these figures coming out” or something dumb like that. But the collector mentality kept me going, because I wanted to keep adding to the collection. And now that I have toy collector friends, I now have people to bond with over the hobby.
As a recovering drug addict (2 and a half years sober) who also deals with depression, I totally relate and appreciate this video. I try and do recovery related stuff on my channel as well. It's great to talk about it and make it normal to talk about. Thank u for the video and I love your content!
God bless! That's amazing to hear, man. Keep up the hard work!! :)
I suffer with depression and anxiety too. I recently started collecting MOTU which is my only interest. I collected a few different lines as a kid but MOTU is my first toy memory and it brings me some joy. Recently though because of the poor distribution of MOTU in my area having to buy the figures online exclusively has really taken the excitement out of things. My collection has already exceeded the space I had set up for it and I don't have any friends. There is a toy expo coming up I plan to go to and hopefully make some friends but the thought of being social makes my anxiety go off but I think if I had some friends to talk to, toy hunt with, and celebrate the victories with my mood might improve.
Much love to you, Big Nerdy! This just makes me like you even more. Always appreciate your genuine personality.
Going through a divorce and my mom passed away in January. Toy collecting brings me a sense of relief. When I can, I try to go after work. My oldest daughter will sometimes go out to collector shops on the weekends with me, it's our thing.
I always enjoyed collecting figures, and as an adult I enjoy the hunt. But now alot of figures remind me of my mom, and all the memories of watching the different movies and shows those figures came from. I remember my mom tearing up while I watched the airing of X-men the phoenix saga as a kid in the 90's. That stuck with me of how good the show was and how special my mom was. She could actually get into some of the stuff I liked.
I also enjoy collecting knowing that I'll be able to leave my kids a part of me when I'm gone so they can remember good times. Besides figures being works of art I can admire of my favorite characters, they always carry memories with them. I don't share this part of me with everyone I know but the people I do share it with know how special it is to me.
The depression is real, I was really depressed when the woman I thought I loved left me and I was never the same afterwards. Toy collecting brought me back from that and brought me closer to my brother so I am not gonna stop collecting because it’s my joy and passion.
Hey Matt, props for sharing this personal story of your struggle. We've all been there and many of us still are working through stuff. I believe toy hunting, posing and photos can relieve stress and give us a little sense of control in our often chaotic and confusing lives. Keep up the good work.
This hit home for me and I'm very glad I'm not alone in this. I've been watching your videos for a while now and its definitely helped aswell! Keep it strong Nerdzoic! 😌👌🏻
I also just recently realized that I have an association with anxiety and action figure collecting. At first it was just a passing thing, and then I noticed that coming home was a bit more calming because it gave me something to fiddle with after a long day. Glad to see you addressing this topic.
Same here. Toys got me thru some very dark times after I got out of the military and still do.
Glad they help!
I appreciate this video, you're a real one. Collecting toys is actually one of the things that really started to help me get out of my depression when I was at my lowest. Collecting Star Wars figures and displaying them, having them be little totems to something that I love, always put a smile on my face when looking at them. It played a part in helping to remind me of why I liked being alive. Life may not always be easy, but I am forever grateful to be a part of this hobby and community of toy nerds.
This is truly appreciated big nerdy. Thanks for the content. RIP Papa Nerdy..
Toys were my friends growing up because we moved all the time. I've never been able to really make and hold on to friends. But I associate all my figures with the people I have lost and those I just don't talk to anymore. That's why they mean so much to me. They are my only friends.
I turn 19 tomorrow and I got back into collecting because of anxiety and depression and I couldn’t agree more. The thought of setting up that perfect display really puts me in a better head space
Happy belated birthday!
Not gonna lie, i'm heavily collecting since my dog and dad passed away. I was collecting, now i'm "collecting" and getting a problem of space. I'm hoarding like crazy. there were so many deaths in my family in the recent years. Loneliness is also playing a huge part.
Have lost both parents now, trouble is have got to the point where ive collected so much as a distraction, ive run out of room - the place is literally like a warehouse & no room to a actually display anything!
@@Paul_1971 yeah same problem, figures are stacked and as I collect gunpla, I've got over a 100 boxes around. Don't know what to do. Where I'm at no IKEA either or the likes
As of 2018, all my blood relatives are now gone. I cannot pick the phone and call them anymore. That being said, as far as space goes...I have tailored my collection to fit on any number of any shelves w/o looking like a mess. (It's not a hoard, that's too harsh.)
@@Paul_1971 yup. recently tailored/curated my collection into 6 four shelf/free standing units, and plenty to display and switch out from about five sterelite bins. If you curate, it's a lot less of a stressor.
You should make a collection vid Ben..as u know the toy community can be awesome ..were all your friends !
Easily one of my favorite videos on your channel. I have wrestled with Anxiety and Depression for most of my life, and for most of that time undiagnosed. I am also all too familiar with the late night Walmart toy runs! Collecting is one of the most effective forms of therapy for me (as long as I stay within a reasonable budget). The vintage Kenner Star Wars lines in particular take me back to a time when life was simpler and my cares were few. I still hang out in my lair sometimes when I need to reset.
Thanks for being brave enough to share. If more of us speak up, maybe we can reduce the stigma that surrounds mental illness.
Stay nerdy!
Thank you for this video, during the covid lock down I got super depressed and began having anxiety attacks, to try and alleviate the issue I dove back into my collections but they didn't seem to help a whole lot. While looking at a new figure online I wanted to know more about it so I thought maybe UA-cam would have a review. Didn't find a review but the first video I found was yours. I didn't even know there were UA-cam channels dedicated to action figures and I've been collecting for decades. Watching your videos led me to others and before long being locked down was a lot more bearable so thank you BIG NERDY for helping pull me out of a slump. And it's ok to admit when your down, find a friend or join an online community those things really helped me
Great video. It was very gracious of you to share your experience with toy collecting and hunting. Your story is 100% relatable. Toy collecting, posing, photographing, and customizing are genuinely therapeutic. Collecting and my collection have gotten me through many a tough time, especially over the past two years.
Hi. Thank you for this. Iam 65. Collecting toys all my life and had depression and Anxiety as my constant companions. Collecting, making models, having friends with the same passion rely has helped me through tough times. I have been an actor / singer in Toronto for 45 years, when feeling stressed, nervous or horribly anxious during rehearsals, especially when working out of town I would/ will search out The Toys R Us, Walmart in Canada and buy Batman, Superman...mainly DC characters or buy a model usually in the science fiction genre. It gets me through the rehearsal process and being away from loved ones. I am totally a big, old kid but it makes me feel better and creative. Acting is pretending and play. I also lost my eldest Sister and mother this year, I was their care giver for years. I am still feeling the great loss. With Covid, The Arts at a stand still, going to hospitals... it was a bitch. The loss is still overwhelming but what has got me through this period is toys. DC especially. It has been very therapeutic and I am feeling so much better.
Well done for this Matt from talking to other collectors I know that we all struggle sometimes Mine has and Is an ongoing problem, but something about finding a good deal or getting a new figure can just lift me up at least for a time,one of the best things I discovered was the collecting community on youtube I love talking to these people.Stay Nerdy
Everyone needs an outlet, release. And I've certainly found that this community and other ones on UA-cam have been something that really helped me get through tough times. Thanks for uploading this video!
Collecting (or maybe hoarding is the right term at the volume I'm at now) has been my outlet as well. I've been to therapy, taken meds, done other things to try and mitigate depression and they all have value, but collecting has been the thing that has helped the most for about two decades now. Movies, Books, Comics, and Toys are all things that pile up in my house.
Retail therapy is an apt term for me specifically. It's just the fact that I get to have them, even if they're all in storage, that gives me some satisfaction. Sometimes, when I'm particularly down, just posing them on my desk, or re-sorting things for the nth time, or working through my backlog of unopened toys helps improve my mood. I don't really display them at all since we have limited space and I'd rather spend the money I have on more stuff rather than a proper shelf.
I am unceasingly thankful my wife understands and supports my hobbies. Without her, I'd probably have given up a long time ago.
Toy collecting actually saved my marriage. And the funny thing is, my wife doesn't even know it. There was a period where I just wanted to get away. Start fresh. There was a lot of resentment inside, and I was taking it out on my family even though they weren't necessarily the cause of it. But, my dad left us when I was young, and I didn't want to do that to my family, but I needed a reason to want to come home after work. So, I ordered a figure through eBay. (It was the SHF Kamen Rider Amazons Omega for those who were curious.) And I bought it in secret. Now I had a reason to come home because I needed to pick up the package before my wife found out. And it worked. Whenever I felt like leaving, I'd find a figure I liked and ordered it just so I would have a reason to come home. Eventually, after collecting and displaying my figures and messing with them, I was able to work out my hang ups and I wasn't feeling the need to find an excuse to come home anymore. Now, I collect what I like and because I enjoy it and not as a means to keep my family together.
My ex left me for my friend, got delayed from graduating college for half a year, failed my engineering licensure exam, and got stuck in a dead end job. I started collecting around 2020 when everything changed and I've felt I was alone most of the time and I can say that it might be stupid in there minds a grown man buying toys but I held my hobby up high coz its the one thing that saved my sanity from everything that has happened to me. Eventually I found your channel matt, thanks for all the content you putting out
Yikes. I'd hope you're not friends anymore. That's not a Friend..
@@omegashenron8 he's dead to me. He tried to get in contact with me months ago but I aint having it
@@gabooo000 Good for you. I hope you went on to get better friends after that. No one deserves that kind of crap.
That sucks. You can never be friends again, but if you can find a way to forgive it will lead to healing for you (ge doesn't need to know you forgive him, just you).
Don't let your education falter. Your still young and have the ability to be flexible and escape a dead end job. It gets much harder when you get older
That's a really beautiful story, Big Nerdy. There is totally something therapeutic about posing figures. It can be really frustrating, but when you get that perfect pose, and it stands up for hours, it's blissful.
This video is so beautiful i mean in the past 2 years i've been in some difficult situations but toy collecting was a very good thing that keep me up in a good way. Thanks for this video
Thank you for sharing. I’ve been collecting for about 20 years now. I started collecting at first because I wanted to do something that would bring me joy in my life and not leave me hungover the next day. It take me to another level of euphoria and I know that it’s not for everyone but it helps me cope with hard days when I walk into my toy closet.
Thanks, Matt, for your personal video. It helps me with what I am dealing with. Much appreciated!!!
Glad to help Tom!
Thanks for sharing. I got really sick in 2016 and doctors couldn't figure it. Thought I'd die from it and with pain wished for it. Then got diagnosed and told it was a condition I'd have forever. Went thought treatment for anxiety and OCD because doctors told me stress was making my condition worse. Someone told me I needed a hobby,something esle to focus on. I had to small kids, couldn't work much and had no money so I watched UA-cam and found some toy channels like Retroblasting and Toy pollioi. They inspired me to get my old toy collection out again. Later I found more channels like Analog Toys and Nerdzoic that got me into the toy community and toy hunting again.The toy hunt really helped get through covid too because I was still able to get to some local flea markets. Now the hunt is my favorite part, meeting people, completing collections and helping others complete collections.
Thanks big nerdy. I know it can be hard for us men to admit that we struggle with mental health, but the more of us that speak about it publicly the more normal it will become for us to seek help.
Great video. Thanks for sharing. You aren't weak. You're very courageous. I went through a bad breakup back in 2017 and at the time I hadn't collected figures since I was a kid. I'd admired them from a far though, mostly on UA-cam reviews. After my breakup I started collecting and that moved into customizing and really helped me out. This past year I needed something more and to be honest my collection had become a bit of a distraction from my other goals. I sold off my collection and couldn't be happier. I'll always be thankful they helped feel that void inside me when I needed it most. It really helped boost my motivation and creativity again.
When I lost my vision toys saved me from making a terrible mistake. I was in deep depression after my vision loss. I was addicted to video games and the loss of my vision and addiction at the same time led me down a dark spiral. Until I picked up some Transformers. I had been a lover of lego but the part I loved the most was sorting by color so that was a flop now. Transformers on the other hand are 3-D puzzles that helped me to get my mind in order while transforming them. That's why I made my YT channel to help other depressed people and other blind people because I am constantly fighting depression and I am constantly blind. (that last one was a bad blind joke btw) You get a -hug- from me Big Nerdy because I get it and I am so happy that you have a family that can help when times get hard. Be well mate and remember to never stop having fun! :)
I’ve felt this a lot too, I haven’t been through that much but the stress of school and home life is hard and figures help a lot
I also suffer from anxiety and depression, and my relationship with action figures/toys both helps and hurts.
My struggles specific to this hobby are basically having available funds to collect what I want. I'm super happy when I get a figure and am able to interact with it; I'm super depressed when something comes out and I know I can't get it anytime soon. It makes it even more difficult when I see others enjoying something that I really want and can't have (I'm happy for them, but upset for myself). I also don't get to spend as much time with my collection as I like sometimes, and things can often pile up - I feel really great when I can clean and sort (as that's a large part of the mentality of collecting and having a collection); not having my displays like I want can be really depressing for me at times, too.
It's taken me a long time to realize the obvious: toy collecting is a large part of my life and central to who I am in a lot of ways. That's why I think the pain can be so intense at times.
This may all come across as someone just being a whiny fanboy or something, but the thing here is that this is only one spoke on the wheel of struggling with anxiety and depression, as the more primary issues I face are outside of the hobby. I feel I've shared quite a bit, but I'm choosing to refrain from sharing much more just because it's personal.
All that is to say that I very much sympathize and empathize with this video, and I thank you for it. Love your channel and you, dude. Keep going!
Stay tough my friend. I have been DIRT POOR before while collecting and I know that feeling. I;ve always used that feeling to fuel my worth ethic. Personally, I have found "toy spotting" super fun when I was really struggling financially. Essentially, it was like throwing back the fish. I'd hunt it, find it, spend a good bit of time at the store admiring it....then put it back. I hope you can seek someone out to talk to or at least confide in a friend or family member...just getting it out helps a lot
@@Nerdzoic Thank you for all of the kind words; it's much appreciated!
Thanks for sharing your story with us. Toy hunting has been a huge aspect of my life. My Mom taught me to look at each figure to see which one looked the best. Noticing the small details of where the paint was not as good as on other figs. We went on many toy runs together. I still have many unopened LEGO sets that she bought for me. She passed in 2016. She struggled with depression but always was happiest spending time with my brother and me. I'm glad you found an outlet to get you through some dark times. Stay nerdy my friend!!
this video hit close to home for me. I've been in and out of mental hospitals a couple of times after trying to attempt suicide. ever since middle school, I've suffered with severe depression and anxiety. I've went to therapist who gave me multiple medications that never seemed to work. the best thing that helped was my love for collecting. sorry about your dad. I still think about my mom who passed away a few years ago. I try to take each day at a time and hope that things get better.
i've been a lonely kid for most of my life (currently 15 and in a long distance relationship with someone i love very much, and who'll i'll drive to meet when i turn 17. ) and collecting toys have made me so happy. i've recently got into collecting marvel legends again, the newest figure i got was the renew your vows 2 pack and i got it yesterday. my main collection is bionicles, which is a serious comfort series for me. but another is sonic, which has been there for me all the way back since i was just 4. i love this video so much cause it speaks to me, and it helps me understand that other people have this same hobby that comforts them and brings them happiness. i dont care if im childish for owning figures and plushies, all i care is if im happy.
I suffer from social anxiety, depression, and OCD. Grew up not having a lot of friends and basically went most of my life alone. However, Movies and collecting are the only things that I know of that bring any happiness to my life and is my escape from my everyday struggles, and gave me purpose. While it’s something I enjoy my dad actually gets mad when I order collectibles and thinks I should be focused on more important things. And with OCD, it did play a huge factor in the way I collected and made my life hell and consumed my life and made me feel worse than it did make me better. I managed to overcome it in some capacity and managed to not allow it to consume my life.
I grew up pretty much the same. My dad used to get mad too actually. I got to a point where i was embarrassed of it with him...its just not something he ever understood, as close as we were. As far as the OCD, I struggled with that too...overly focused on completionism.
@@Nerdzoic Completionism is actually part of my OCD I’m dealing with. I’m still trying to stop but it’s hard for me to accept the fact that I can’t have it all.
Thank you for sharing such a personal matter, it really helps to know there're others out here who suffer from depression, and find solace in something positive.
Thank you for sharing Matt. I’m in the same boat (ship?) you and a lot of fellow collectors are in. Appreciate your openness.
Happy to share
Struggling myself. Thanks for speaking out
You are not alone.
Thank you for sharing this. Mental health is crucial and I know that fight. Thanks for doing what you do and know that you’re not alone.
Thank you brother!
Collecting Gundam robot spirits, and gunpla keeps me at peace. It's fun to pose and recreate or create my own scenes. Thanks for sharing this video.
Happy to help!
I couldn't agree more , I started collecting when I was 18 both my parents passed away within the same year. I started to collect as an escape from reality 25 years later I still find an escape when I walk into my toy room. Glad to know I'm not the only one.
Hey Matt things can be hard, especially when you been in the fast food business then quit because of corporate ownership trying to force you out due to disability, so I quit, but after a couple of years I felt depressed, I guess that's where toy collecting came in, but then again I have always been a toy collector. Thanks Matt for sharing this.
Thank you for sharing Matt! The last couple years have been a roller coaster for me and collecting has definitely been an outlet. It’s really nice to know I’m not alone.
It's good that men are starting to talk about this...we all have our own issues. I'm happy to see that I'm not alone in this. Thanks for having the balls to talk about this.
I appreciate you sharing! I’ve been in similar places. Thankfully I’m coming out of a long bout myself and I can say that finding toy photography (and collecting as a result) was a large part of keeping me afloat.
Keep rockin, Big Nerdy!
Thank you for sharing your story Matt. Collecting has gotten me through some tough times as well. Toy and comic book hunts definitely helped clear my head at times and for a brief moment made me forget about whatever troubles I had. Its nice to know that there are others out there that use this amazing hobby as therapy and that you're not alone. Everyone is going through hard times these days. Thanks again and keep up the amazing content!
I've never really suffered from depression, more of a take action and conquer my problems type of dude, but everytime I look at my figure, statue, and comic collection it fills me with a great sense of peace, joy, and satisfaction. I feel like everything is going to be ok when I look at it, because I've already overcome so much in the past.
That is awesome!
Hey man I really appreciate the sharing. You have a bunch of people out here that love you dude. You have nothing to worry about and will find you always have the strength to overcome anything. Your new studio is amazing. Good things come with change. Thanks for starting your channel I am glad I found it! I hope you and everyone watching has a great weekend!
being able to hold onto things we can actually control helps give us a compass to navigate through things with. Toy collecting, Coin collecting, or even Fandom are examples that can help a lot. As long as you are not doing manic behavior
This is why I collect as well. It taps into a happier time in my life when things were simpler. It brings me joy and escapism.
Thank you for speaking on this . I was in a terrible depression since 2020. After I found out about marvel legends /collecting figures I’ve slowly been overcoming those fears . I used to have panic attacks and anxiety’s attack . But they have seem to go away since I’ve been collecting figures ..and your videos helped me collect more and know what to do. I was so bad in my health . I didn’t want to do nothing but to sleep and eat ..Thank you NerdZioc.
After I lost my brother from suicide in 2019..... I started to chase memories of what we loved in our childhood, collecting has helped me tremendously....... from the video games we played together to the cartoons we watched together..... toy collecting has helped me through many hard days, because holding some of these characters, or having them on my shelf..... brings me back to simpler times with my brother
This one hit home… i too was going through a depression and toys became my outlet took me back to my childhood/ better days! Everyone has their thing gym, music, reading etc mine was toys find your outlet!! Awesome video and thank u for sharing about a topic so many are afraid to talk about!
Selling my toys and being extremely selective on my collection helped me big time in turning my depression around.
Toy collecting truly is something that brings me joy when all else fails. I struggle depression, I also struggle with shame that comes along with collecting. I am working on being better at not being embarrassed of it and instead being proud, but it’s tough…
I have read a lot of comments of people being ashamed to collect. I think i need to make a video on that. In the meantime, anytime you feel that shame coming on, remember this: if this was embarrassing and worthy of shame, why are there millions of us? :)
I was taking care of my Dad since May, I moved back into his home. We always had a great relationship and he always bought me cool toys and we read tons of comics together. So, his health and strength was failing, I took my childhood He Man that he gave me as a kid and I put it on the table by his chair and told him, He-Man would give him power. Every time I'd walk by or sit with him he'd ask to hold my hand and give him some He-Man power. I would of course hold his hand. My Dad passed peacefully in his sleep on his Sept 18th which was his 89th birthday. I will treasure that He-Man figure till my dying day. It gave my Dad and something fun to strengthen our bond in his last days.
I started back in the collecting during the pandemic. I had a lot of stress at work while working at a hospital and I was always of the mindset of swallow your feelings because like you said feelings are for the weak in my mind at that time I felt like I was always going against my family because of the pandemic and choices both sides were making and then I saw the retro Spiderman at Walmart and the rest was history. It brought back memories as a kid of the Spiderman figure I had that I took around everywhere and then as I started expanding to X-Men, ninja turtles,G.I. Joe all the good feelings I had as a child started coming back in the relationships with it now I get to share the passion with my daughter
I feel your pain. Depression and anxiety is a serious issue. I got sick during the beginning of covid, but not covid. I almost died with a gangrene infection. I had surgery and during my recovery I had to learn how to walk again. 2 years later, I am doing better and dealing with my health much better than before. But during that time I struggled with depression and anxiety. Toys were the only thing keeping my mind sane. Thanks for sharing your story. Your not the only one with the struggle. And hopefully we can fight it together.
Very heartfelt video and I feel this so hard. I've always turned to collecting when struggling with my mental health, honestly it has saved me more than once over the years. Losing my dad and brother were both huge traumas as both were unexpected due to illness. It's not talked about enough, especially for men so I applaud you for your raw honesty 👏🏻 No-one should feel ashamed when they're struggling, as we all do at some point.
Thank you for the kind words, and I am really sorry to hear about your Dad & Brother.
Toy collecting, has help me during my recovery from a traumatic brain injury I'm on disability and the hunt the searching for deals have been awesome the 1:12 scale has aloud me to customize and diorama build and build the bandai models of star wars. Helps with the loss in my life . My wife is very understanding and she's my best friend.
You are very lucky to have a wife who understands. That is a struggle for so many
I started collecting figures and Lego again after my entire family died in 2014, I spent way too much money at the time but being alone for the first time in my adult life collecting full waves & chasing build a figure pieces saved me! I don’t collect as much as I used to (poor AF at the moment) but I still love the hobby and your channel, thanks for this!❤
your entire family died?
Interestingly enough, I feel that the hunt DOES help, but also it makes it worse. It helps when you don't have specific "shopping list" and just go check it out. There were times when I was younger and I would be out of school and not have anyone to visit/hang out with and those runs to the 24 hour Walmart/Meijer were a blast. But, like I said; when you have a "list" and with the "shipping problems" of recent, it definitely triggered those mental issues. But talking about it helps and thanks for sharing your story. I really hopes that this helps someone out there.
Collecting has both been my escape and my prison. I will always be a collector. But I got to a point where I felt like a hoarder and I was drowning, figuratively speaking. So I am trying to find a balance.
Depression was one of the reasoning I started collecting as well. Having figures which represent parts of my childhood mean a lot to me.
Same here
Big nerdy I respect and appreciate this video I’m a full time concrete worker perusing a professional boxing career and full time husband and father and life is real . And toy collecting I walk into my display room and just admire my marvel legends and pick some off the shelf and just enjoy what they are look back at when I first saw them in comics and wonder random ideas about how nice it is to have characters like these to reflect on I come to think that each figure that represents a super hero or a villain is like each and one of our own emotions characteristics and reflections and when I put it back in the shelf I can relate to the character in some way and then fell better about everything else…it truly is a special thing this collecting thing. Much love and respect man I’m with you 3,000
Hey Big Nerdy, I wanted to say you are incredibly strong for making this video. I know it’s hard to feel as tough as you are when discussing things such as mental health struggles, but I wanted to say it takes a strong individual to be able to bear their heart to anyone who may stumble upon a video. I hope you are doing okay currently and I am wishing you the best! I found your channel recently due to your Transformers video and it has been a wonderful experience to go through your content! You have certainly become one of the stores I’ll be shopping with from now on due to the personal touch you and your family bring to the business. Take care!
Thank you for your honesty. As someone with many family members who suffer from anxiety and depression, it’s never fun to see and can be very hard to deal with. Glad to see that figures can be an outlet for you.
Deff was in a funk for a while collecting till I took up toy photography and honestly it renewed my love for figures and collecting. I go through depression too and when I’m out taking pictures i just feel like I’m in a different universe. Thanks for sharing this video it really helped
I can say no doubt my comics and toys have kept me on the right path, sometimes you can feel alone even if you are surrounded by love and you can't see it. Definitely agree with you man. The hobby is a life saver part of our lives, it complete me for sure.
I too deal with depression and anxiety on the daily. And got back into collecting as a distraction and to give me something to do when the world shutdown. Then I'll sit and think about the shelves and set up the scenes differently. It gives us that break to catch ourselves and breath a bit.
In July I had to say goodbye for now to my soulpup after 12years. I'm still a disaster but collecting (any hobby really) does help even if just a little. Thank you for the openness and bringing attention this. ;
Nerdzoic you Sir are a Bloody Legend. I stumbled across your channel some months ago. And enjoyed your videos. So I kept watching them ,more so the Star Wars ones. I noticed you hadn't posted of late. And I just come across this one. Like yourself I have struggled with anxiety and depression most of my life. And collecting has been a big part of saving me as well. I collect a range of stuff . From action figures Flags Caps Military stuff and Books Lego ect. I totally understand going on the hunt at your local stores or a few hundred k's away to find a collectable for a collection. Please keep posting your great videos. This video will help more people than you will ever know. And if you ever need to chat Your Fans are here for you. Cheers Ace from Australia
Hey Big Nerdy, loved your video. Wanted to share my experience. I have ADHD, at times, it can be pretty overwhelming so when I'm feeling stressed and ready to snap I sit in the quiet of my toy room and just look around or tinker. It brings me peace and calm. If it wasn't for the chase of the toys or being able to enjoy them when I'm at my wits end I don't know what I'd do. Thank you for opening up, I know it Caan be difficult. NWO Baby!
For life!
Thank you for being so honest and direct. Much appreciated. My daughter has anxiety & depression and suffers greatly from it. I often turn to toys and childhood "goodness" such as Batman to help me deal with the stress this causes. I only have the one child. Best of luck with your struggles.