UA-100768763-1 Jump to content

I fell off the wagon


Recommended Posts

I've been out of collecting Minimates now for a long time. It's always been hard to collect toys being a single-income family of four and a couple years ago I had to sacrifice my Minimate collection to pay bills. I had close to two hundred at the time and it was pretty hard to do, but I know it was the best thing (and don't regret it). Sometime later, I bought a lot of Minimates from someone for a great price and thought I'd start up again, but soon after found out it was going to get harder because we were becoming a family of five on one income. Again, I sold my new found treasure (with no regrets). So here it is now and things have gotten easier to take care of the family and I found the opportunity to buy 60 mates from someone and it looks like I'm starting over again. I even picked up a 24 2-pack on clearance while I was out tonight (maybe just to prove to myself I was doing it for real this time).

That's my big confession. I fell off the wagon. I couldn't escape my desire for plastic crack. I have no self-control when it comes to these things. To quote one of my favorite proverbs,

"As a dog returns to his own vomit, so a fool repeats his folly."

woof woof

Edited by groundhog7s
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I too am a family man. I actually use a mileage check that I get from work to support my mini-habit. No one knows how much I actually spend on these things and it is probably a good thing. I share your pain, I was going to quit after I got a few marvel sets, then after some of the c3 sets, then dc, now battlestar...etc. I do have to admit that I would sell my blood before my mini's

Link to comment
Share on other sites

its a hardx habit to break

Somewhat off topic, but Chicago and/or Phil Collins have truly written the soundtrack to our lives, have they not.

"You don't know what you've got, until it's gone, and I found out a little too late. . .being without you, takes a lot of getting used to. . ."--sounds like groundhog's experience with Minimates to me :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

its a hardx habit to break

Somewhat off topic, but Chicago and/or Phil Collins have truly written the soundtrack to our lives, have they not.

"You don't know what you've got, until it's gone, and I found out a little too late. . .being without you, takes a lot of getting used to. . ."--sounds like groundhog's experience with Minimates to me :)

Erm.... What Does Phil collins have to do with this song? :P

T.

p.s. one of my lesser claim to fames is that I nearly ran Phil Collins over in an underground car park in Brighton (UK) Way back in the 90's.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Erm.... What Does Phil collins have to do with this song? :P

Phil Collins has nothing to do with that song specifically, but I think that his songs, along with 1980s Chicago (maybe even some Air Supply and Michael Bolton?), can pretty much sum up the major problems and pleasures concerning the lives of middle-class folk in developed countries of the U.S. and Western Europe, largely, during what some have called the "post-materialist" period of the post-World War II years (particularly starting in the mid-1960s) through to today.

Hard to Say I'm Sorry, You're the Inspiration, Against All Odds, One More Night, Another Day in Paradise (one of my favorite songs about the "liberal" guilt that many of us feel from time to time, before quickly forgetting all about it until we see the next 60 minutes story on poverty, or that annoying homeless, alcoholic veteran on the street). Of course, most if not all of this stuff is overly sentimental tripe, and is about as deep as the kiddie pool. But I ask you, is this not the concern of many of our cohorts and peers (and possibly even. . .ourselves)?

I love 80s pop music :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Erm.... What Does Phil collins have to do with this song? :P

Phil Collins has nothing to do with that song specifically, but I think that his songs, along with 1980s Chicago (maybe even some Air Supply and Michael Bolton?), can pretty much sum up the major problems and pleasures concerning the lives of middle-class folk in developed countries of the U.S. and Western Europe, largely, during what some have called the "post-materialist" period of the post-World War II years (particularly starting in the mid-1960s) through to today.

Hard to Say I'm Sorry, You're the Inspiration, Against All Odds, One More Night, Another Day in Paradise (one of my favorite songs about the "liberal" guilt that many of us feel from time to time, before quickly forgetting all about it until we see the next 60 minutes story on poverty, or that annoying homeless, alcoholic veteran on the street). Of course, most if not all of this stuff is overly sentimental tripe, and is about as deep as the kiddie pool. But I ask you, is this not the concern of many of our cohorts and peers (and possibly even. . .ourselves)?

I love 80s pop music :)

... this reminds me of crowded house "dont dream it's over" lyric...

"In the paper today tales of war and of waste

But you turn right over to the T.V. page"

Hits this this mentality perfectly...

T.

p.s. yes I've been drinking again (still, sobrity is sooooo overrated) ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

T.

p.s. one of my lesser claim to fames is that I nearly ran Phil Collins over in an underground car park in Brighton (UK) Way back in the 90's.

If only you'd accelerated instead of braked. You'd have been a national hero. :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

T.

p.s. one of my lesser claim to fames is that I nearly ran Phil Collins over in an underground car park in Brighton (UK) Way back in the 90's.

If only you'd accelerated instead of braked. You'd have been a national hero. :D

Spooky! I read this thread for the first time ,beginning to end ,moments ago. As soon as I picked up on TBT's 'narrow miss' I was ready to post......& word for word ,Rad beat me to it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

T.

p.s. one of my lesser claim to fames is that I nearly ran Phil Collins over in an underground car park in Brighton (UK) Way back in the 90's.

If only you'd accelerated instead of braked. You'd have been a national hero. :D

Spooky! I read this thread for the first time ,beginning to end ,moments ago. As soon as I picked up on TBT's 'narrow miss' I was ready to post......& word for word ,Rad beat me to it.

It's pretty much the reaction of everyone I tell that story too...

T.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

:D Who would have known you were going to fall off the wagon and TBT held Phil Collin's life in his hands?
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

So, today is a month to the day since I started collecting again and I now have over 180 Minimates (with more in the mail). I'm supposing this is like going from being at an AA meeting one week and then being in an alcohol-induced coma a month later.

I so need an intervention....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is so funny... I just recently introduced some of my friends to Minimates and he is almost more of an enabler than I am. My collection has almost practically doubled (well it has grown significantly) and I have actually started riding my bike to work just to save money for my comic and minimates collection. He orders the stuff from bigbadtoystore.com and I pay him back for it and he just takes the hit for shipping since were both buying alot. I now owe him $250 and that is without the Iron Man through the ages Box sets I want.

My girlfriend and two of our really close friends actually had a semi-intervention last night with me. We sat down to have our movie night and before they told me that I had to cut back on the mates and comics to be able to start saving for the "real world." I talked to her this morning and she said that it was there idea and that she loved the fact that I was this passionate about so many things. Thats why she loves me.

But on topic:

Stay the course brother and with the steady stream of good minimates coming in the next 6 months. It seems to me that your collection will improve with leaps and bounds.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Whatever you guys do, though, let me tell you from recent personal experience: keep it to the Minimates. Do not turn toward other block figures like Legos, Kubricks, or Shockinis (well, Shockinis are so awesome, no one would blame you for starting up with those). Minimates are not only extremely addictive and bad for your (financial, spiritual, and mental) health, but they can provide a gateway to other unhealthy habits.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

One thing I would recommend, if you don't do so already, is to sell your unwanted things on eBay. The nice thing is that you can build up a nice Paypal balance and then buy stuff using that, so in essence you're "trading". It makes it a lot easier to justify expenditures to your wife (and yourself!).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Whatever you guys do, though, let me tell you from recent personal experience: keep it to the Minimates. Do not turn toward other block figures like Legos, Kubricks, or Shockinis (well, Shockinis are so awesome, no one would blame you for starting up with those). Minimates are not only extremely addictive and bad for your (financial, spiritual, and mental) health, but they can provide a gateway to other unhealthy habits.

I have a pretty useful vocabulary & try not to use offensive language too often. Regarding the genuine addiction that I have for Minimates & Kubricks I am

fucked

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah, I'm staying a Minimate purist. I've never had any desire for the other stuff other than occassional Mez-Itz (who can pass up RunDMC?)

And I've been selling and trading the 'better' extras I have. I also just sent a bunch to stuckakid to get credit to buy some that will fill in some gaps. This way I've kept my average to under $3 a Minimate (actually closer to $2).

The nice thing about starting over is I can be pickier and not end up having every version of the Thing or Wolverine since I can see which version I like best and just get that one. And most are much cheaper after they've been out a couple of years if you do it right.

Edited by groundhog7s
Link to comment
Share on other sites

And I've been selling and trading the 'better' extras I have. I also just sent a bunch to stuckakid to get credit to buy some that will fill in some gaps. This way I've kept my average to under $3 a Minimate (actually closer to $2).

The nice thing about starting over is I can be pickier and not end up having every version of the Thing or Wolverine since I can see which version I like best and just get that one. And most are much cheaper after they've been out a couple of years if you do it right.

I didn't know you can send in your extras for credit. How do you get in on that?

I do the same thing, I only have the one version of the characters I like best. I beleive asides from the Super Skrull I have "one of each" and am now trying to some of the different versions that I really like. I recently got Diamond Emma Frost and Ultimate Storm for super cheap.

Edited by Fo Shizzle
Link to comment
Share on other sites

A few year ago I wanted some stuff off of their site and contacted them to see if they bought Minimates also. They did and offered me cash or credit. I've done it a few times and they are great about it. I don't know if they do it for everybody, but it's always been good for me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...