I like to collect things. Even when I was a little kid (with a giant head) I collected stuff. I had quite bunch of Matchbox cars for instance. I remember being about 12 or so and thinking that I had outgrown my little car collection so I gave them to my cousin who was about 5 or so. Flash forward about a month later and my family goes to his house for a cookout. And there's little cousin-o-mine sitting on the sidewalk smashing MY CARS with a hammer. "They got in a crash." he said, as I was held back by my sisters. I vowed then and there that I would hoard shit that no one really needs to be hoarding.
I eventually moved on to comic books (of course), little toys (like weird little figures and stuff like that) and music (albums, cassettes and much later CDs). This new fangled thing with digital music kinda bums me out cuz I like to HAVE the thing, be it 7-inch, 12-inch, CD or whatever. I like the physical item. Now they're just files on my computer, more convenient sure but not tangible and collectible. I also did a dumb thing (shocking I know) when I was extra poor in the early 90's. I sold a bunch of comics and records so's that I could continue to have a roof over my huge melon. I have since been trying to slowly get those things back. I don't think I'll be able to afford the comics that I sold but I can at least rip friends CDs to get some of the music back. The Wiff and I bought a record player thingie that you can use to turn your albums into MP3 files. I have yet to use it but I like the idea. Most of my records are gone now but the Wiff still has a bunch (about 500 or so maybe). I should see if there's anything good in there worth converting. She has some questionable tastes though (ahem...80's hair metal...ahem).
So collecting..yes. Back when I found out my sister was preggers with my nephew Cam I thought it would be awesome to get him a bunch of Matchbox cars (generic term for me by the way. I don't like calling them die-cast cars cuz that sounds stoopid. Say it to yourself: Bleah, right?). So I went out and did just that. But of course the collecting gene kicked in and not only did I get him some cars, but I got myself some too. And then I got some more...pretty soon I had amassed quite a bunch of them. But goddammit it if I didn't have a blast.
There is a tipping point for me with a collection. I don't know exactly what the formula is that will turn me off of the latest obsession and focus my attention on the next shiny, shiny thing but price is a factor for sure. I had started grabbing up these little vinyl figures called Dunnys from Kid Robot in NY a few years ago and I now have a bunch of them. But the price went up to $8 a piece and that just was too much for me. I couldn't justify spending actual real money on them anymore. I still really like them (they come out with a new collection or two every year), I'm just not buying. But goddamn that Kid Robot site along with Rotofugi and My Plastic Heart rope me in with the shiny lovelies. Fugitive Toys does too now that I think about it. I often find myself on those sites with a shopping cart full of stuff that, let's face it, I shouldn't be buying. I've had to tell myself "NO! Put that back where you found it! Don't MAKE me tell you again!" on several occasions. I throw a fit and make a big scene but I just tell myself that I can yell all I want but I'm not made of money. Eventually I delete the stuff in the cart and cry myself to sleep but I'll thank me later, you'll see.
There's a tiny bedroom on the second floor of our house where I have my computer and I used to have all my crap displayed (it is important to note that the door was always closed to this room because my cats would often abscond with my toys and hide them. They're mine you little shitheads. Get your own toys). I had all the cars out, the Dunnys and all my old miscellaneous toys sitting on these old pine bookcases that we bought in Allston 100 years ago. There was not rhyme or reason to the display and it was sort of overwhelming to look at. I frickin' loved it. But then last year we put our house on the market so I had to pack all my goofy stuff away. When the house didn't sell (thanks economy!) and we decided to take it off the market I thought I'd immediately put all my crap back on display...but I haven't. We took the house off in November of 2007 and I still haven't put anything back up. Nothing. Hmm.
Today I took my nephew Cam to the comic book store (Harrison's in Salem) and it was so much fun to see him get really excited about not only the comics but all the stupid little toys and figures that I love so much. I had introduced him to Dunnys a couple of years back at Christmas (you're welcome Patty!) so he was familiar with those but this place has just a wealth of dumb things that simply rule. I ended up getting him a Munny which is this do-it-yourself vinyl toy. It comes with some accessories but you get to design how you want it to look. You can use acrylic paints or permanent markers and just draw right on the little bugger. Over lunch at the 99 we used the placemats to draw faces and designs that Cam tells me he may or may not use on the final version. Tough crowd. Either way buddy, I hope you dig it.
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