I've had a long-standing rule when it comes to collecting toys: "If you see a toy in the store that you want especially a rare one and you've got it in your hands, you'd better buy it now because if you don't, you'll never see it again".
I don't collect as much as I used to. I re-started like so many of us in 1995 and after gaining a huge collection only to sell it off I now only buy things that I really want. I still pick up 3.75 Star Wars figures but I do have a few of the Black Series 6 inch ones. I do really like the Black Series 6 inch figures they are just so stupid expensive I'm really selective and I'm absolutely not trying to collect them all or collect a full set.
I picked up the first release 6 inch Darth Vader and it's an okay figure but not really that great, especially compared with the Asian import Vader figures. I was really excited that Hasbro made a brand new ANH Darth Vader using an all new sculpt for the 40th anniversary release on the vintage cardbacks and it looks amazing.
I really wanted the new 6 inch Vader and my local Walmart had several for $39.00, the big one with the figure on the vintage cardback and the 'Early Bird' display. The 6 inch BS are usually $19.99 and I just couldn't bring myself to spend $40 on 1 action figure. I would always go over to the SW stuff when I'd go to Walmart and pick up the box, hold it, look at it, put it back, do my shopping, go back over and think about buying it again, but ultimately leave without buying it.
I open my figures up and I wasn't planning on displaying it in the package anyway, so I figured I'd go to my local specialty toy shop that sells new and used/opened figures including the 6 inch BS and pick up the figure second-hand cheap.
Then Hasbro released the new sculpt Vader as a regular BS figure and I bought one for $19.99.
Now, about 2 weeks later, I'm at my local Walmart on Friday night at 11:30pm looking for a birthday present for a 5 year old girls bday party that my daughter is going to the next day on Saturday. I'm over on the toy clearance isle and I see not one, but two of the 40th anniversary Darth Vader figures on the vintage cardback including the 'Early Bird' display stand for $15 each.
Yes. $15. Yes, they had 2 of them.
Since I had already bought the figure 2 weeks earlier, and I wasn't going to keep it in the package, I hemmed and hawed for a few minuted and decided I didn't need to spend the money, even only $15.
All day Saturday I kept thinking about it, and I remembered I had some extra money in my last paycheck for working on a holiday and I decided for $15 I could buy it and display it on the vintage cardback and still open the regular version I had already bought.
So I went back today on Sunday and to my shock and surprise both of them were gone. I looked everywhere hoping maybe an employee had moved them back over with the regular SW stuff or maybe someone had 'hid' them to come back later but no dice- they were gone.
It's funny that i didn't need it, but once I decided I wanted it I couldn't have it, and now I'm bummed when I've preached about it for years and I broke my own rule.
I've decided it's a sign that I didn't really need it.
What toy slipped through your fingers that you regret not buying when you had the chance ?
I don't collect as much as I used to. I re-started like so many of us in 1995 and after gaining a huge collection only to sell it off I now only buy things that I really want. I still pick up 3.75 Star Wars figures but I do have a few of the Black Series 6 inch ones. I do really like the Black Series 6 inch figures they are just so stupid expensive I'm really selective and I'm absolutely not trying to collect them all or collect a full set.
I picked up the first release 6 inch Darth Vader and it's an okay figure but not really that great, especially compared with the Asian import Vader figures. I was really excited that Hasbro made a brand new ANH Darth Vader using an all new sculpt for the 40th anniversary release on the vintage cardbacks and it looks amazing.
I really wanted the new 6 inch Vader and my local Walmart had several for $39.00, the big one with the figure on the vintage cardback and the 'Early Bird' display. The 6 inch BS are usually $19.99 and I just couldn't bring myself to spend $40 on 1 action figure. I would always go over to the SW stuff when I'd go to Walmart and pick up the box, hold it, look at it, put it back, do my shopping, go back over and think about buying it again, but ultimately leave without buying it.
I open my figures up and I wasn't planning on displaying it in the package anyway, so I figured I'd go to my local specialty toy shop that sells new and used/opened figures including the 6 inch BS and pick up the figure second-hand cheap.
Then Hasbro released the new sculpt Vader as a regular BS figure and I bought one for $19.99.
Now, about 2 weeks later, I'm at my local Walmart on Friday night at 11:30pm looking for a birthday present for a 5 year old girls bday party that my daughter is going to the next day on Saturday. I'm over on the toy clearance isle and I see not one, but two of the 40th anniversary Darth Vader figures on the vintage cardback including the 'Early Bird' display stand for $15 each.
Yes. $15. Yes, they had 2 of them.
Since I had already bought the figure 2 weeks earlier, and I wasn't going to keep it in the package, I hemmed and hawed for a few minuted and decided I didn't need to spend the money, even only $15.
All day Saturday I kept thinking about it, and I remembered I had some extra money in my last paycheck for working on a holiday and I decided for $15 I could buy it and display it on the vintage cardback and still open the regular version I had already bought.
So I went back today on Sunday and to my shock and surprise both of them were gone. I looked everywhere hoping maybe an employee had moved them back over with the regular SW stuff or maybe someone had 'hid' them to come back later but no dice- they were gone.
It's funny that i didn't need it, but once I decided I wanted it I couldn't have it, and now I'm bummed when I've preached about it for years and I broke my own rule.
I've decided it's a sign that I didn't really need it.
What toy slipped through your fingers that you regret not buying when you had the chance ?
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