Friday, August 8, 2008
During our conversation the other day that prompted E’s post, I mentioned that I had recently read in my school psychology book that collecting is a pre-determined genetic attribute. This genetic attribute must have never existed in any of my ancestors, because I don’t even have it a little bit.
I am quite the opposite, and annoyed by the notion of collecting without purpose. Not that I make fun of the collectors I know, but it just bugs me. Why? Because I am a creature of logic. But more than that, I am a slave to it. If something doesn’t “compute”, I’m not a big fan of it. I see collecting as a waste of time, a waste of money, and a waste of space. It is a hobby that rarely gives you any lasting happiness. Your space is now cluttered with things that serve you no real purpose.
When I think about the concept of collecting, I always come to the same thought: WHY? What is the point?? Oohh, you found a 1984 bobafet with super karate-chop action! Who fucking cares? How is that going to improve your life? Will it make you happier? Will you have a sense of fulfillment that lasts more than 10 minutes? If you are REAL lucky, the thing you are collecting might increase in value by 12 cents over the next 40 years..
Serious collectors can be likened to crackheads. I see it once a week at least. Mr. Transformer opens the Fed-Ex box, and is happy to see his most recent find. E is hovering, giddy at the sight of a new toy in the office, and begging him to open the package. This whole time, Mr. Transformer is inspecting the box, determining if the condition is up to the description. He then hands it to E, who looks at it and says “I wanna play with it!” Then other guys usually look at it (often myself included). This is the last time that this new toy brings joy to anyone.
The new toy gets put on top of the shelf with the other 30 or so transformers, and Mr. Transformer is off to search for his next fix. Once on the shelf, they may get a mention every once in a while.. This mention is usually by E: “Dude! Let me open it!” Other than that, they are now serving the sole purpose of collecting dust, and hiding a small piece of the wall.
How fun.
ESPECIALLY in the Ebay era, collecting is pointless to me. I could ALMOST understand collecting toys or memorabilia if there was some “thrill of the hunt”. I could almost get it if what you were looking for was very hard to find. If after years of searching, you found that rare green papa smurf with the tie-dye shirt at a garage sale – Congrats! That is a hell of a find. The thrill of the hunt for Mr. Transformer consists of typing in what he wants in the search field on Ebay.
Exciting.
This is not meant as judgment, it’s just the way MY brain works.
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5 comments:
It's not bobafet.
It's BOBA FETT.
Boba Fett never had karate-chop action, that was GI Joe, and it was known as "kung fu grip".
There were no special editions of Boba Fett in 1984. They'd all just be Return of the Jedi packaging. In 85 you could have caught a Power of the Force line, and if you were REALLY LUCKY, you could have gotten a "Revenge of the Jedi" card in 83.
But a karate-chop 1984 Boba Fett?
You, sir, are an uneducated boar.
/End douchey rant.
Comment is better than the rant
Comment about the rant is better than the comment about the comment and the rant
I find the comment, the comment that is a rant and the comment about the rant that is a comment to be pedantic and lacking in wit.
Such whimsies went out of fashion in the '06 season.
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