To open or not to open... Just curious

[JediBear]

I'm relatively new to this particular board, so please forgive me if this topic has been covered before. As a die-hard SW collector, I firmly believe in opening,handling and displaying my figures when I get them. I rarely buy more than one of a figure unless it's for customization purposes or army building. What I am curious about is the reasoning for leaving the figures in the package. IMO, the work that went into the figure can't really be appreciated unless the toy is opened. this isn't meant to be a slight to anyone, I'm just curious. To each, his own. From an opener's point of view, I was just curious about the mindset of the other side.

[Bromine]

A thread like this pops up from time to time, but it's always a good topic to discuss.:)

Personally, I feel the same as you; I open almost everything. I do have a small collection of figures still in packages, but that's mainly because I'm short on room and I haven't had the chance to open and display them yet. I suppose to some it looks nicer to have a bunch of cards neatly pinned up on walls than a bunch of loose figures standing in a jumbled line. On the other hand, some figures like R2 with tools and Cantina Han really need to be opened and assembled/posed to be appreciated, IMO.

[Jedi Master Kyle]

I open all of the vehicles and anything larger than a figure. Like Banthas, Rontos, etc...But the figs I leave packaged. I don't collect them for the money, but I just like the way my collection looks all boxed up and hanging on my wall. I think later down the road, they will look even cooler.

[Jedieb]

Vintage figures and ships
I only buy loose and complete vintage figures. Carded figures are much too expensive for me and I like to display my figs as much as possible. The ships I try to buy with their box. I have the boxes for my Y-Wing and Imperial Shuttle and they really do add to ship. But I still display these ships loose, I just really like the old packaging.

POTF2
Much of my POTF2 collection consists of 1 carded and 1 loose version of the figure. The carded figures look great up on my wall. And that's one of the main attractions to collectors who keep their figures in the packaging. They really do display nicely that way. But I don't see the point of keeping carded figures hidden away in cardboard boxes. What's the point?

EP1 & POTJ
I had to make a tough decision when TPM rolled around. I could only afford to buy 1 of each figure. So I decided to OPEN everything I got. I'd run out of wall space anyway and I just like opening figures too much to only keep them in their packaging.

As you said JediBear, to each his own. Collect in whatever way makes you happy.
MTFBWY

[jjwr]

I've got a few TPM figures still on card that I'll probably leave that way just cause carded stuff looks cool. I usually open any new stuff though.

As for my Joes though, I love the carded figures, each figure has a drawing of them on it and look pretty damn cool, only have about 10 so far but always get more when I can. I also have a few boxed vehicles that I like to display that way. For the new Joe stuff I'm trying to buy 2 of each, one to open and one to keep carded/boxed. As the series goes on I think I'll only open the ones I like best and get a carded one to keep of the ones I don't care for as much.

[FugaziSDC]

Not opening aand handling a toy in a package is like buying a car and not driving it! I never could figure out when I was growing up why kids would buy 2 of each figure and keep one in the package untouched. They always said that it was an investment for later and would help pay for college.

Yeah right...........

Toys are for playing, money is for spending and investing.

Yeeeeesh!!

Just my .02$

You can't take 'em with you and even if you do have the most toys you still can't win!

Fugazi

[JediBear]

It's good to hear the other side of collecting. A friend of mine used to harass me about my figure collection when they started coming out again in 95. He used to say "They're not going to be worth anything if you take them out of the packages!" I could care less how much my Fett w/semi circle gloves or long saber figures are worth. The intrinsic value is immearsueable to me. I have a lot of fond memories wrapped up in my SW collection. I'm 29 and SW has been a part of my life since 1977. As far as opeing stuff goes, I think it would take a rare instance for me to leave something packaged, like maybe a carded & signed figure. Otherwise, like Fugazi(great band, btw) said toys are to be played with. At least for me to play with, anyway. But what ever blows your skirt up is the way you should collect.

[Bromine]

I've got a similar reason for collecting. When I was a kid I didn't get a lot of toys, so now I'm sort of making up for my childhood.:)

I really get a kick out of people that made a big deal about how much these figures were going to be worth. When the Ep1 figs came out, just about everyone I knew, collector or not, bought a Darth Maul. Turned out to be the worst investment since BreX.;)

[Jedi Master Kyle]

What??? You mean Bre-X is a bad investment? Damn. There goes my portfolio. :)

[jjwr]

At some point in my childhood the majority of all my toys were stolen while at a race(grrrr) and others were traded off at some point along the way so my current toy trend is rebuilding my childhood collection.

Most of the Star Wars stuff I had as a kid I don't recall anything too specific so I'm focusing on G.I.Joe and Transformers. I made up a list of all the Joes & Transformers I had as a kid and I'm going to try and get all of them again either MOC or with their box. So far I've got a few G.I.Joe figures on card and a few of the old vehicles. I know it'll take a while and I've got all the stuff loose from previous deals so I want them carded or boxed, should be a cool display when I get it all.

So as far as those go I want them boxed/carded, but those are old toys also, I rarely see the point to keeping new toys MOC for investment purposes. I'm getting 1 each of the new Joes to keep carded for display, thats just cause I like the look of carded figures though.