The Ways of a Collector
For some reason, it seems like there are a lot of collectors out there now. Either that or I only noticed this when I enter the collector world. But, everyone is considered a collector, regardless of what you collect. Be it anime stuff or CDs/MP3s. Even the size of your collection doesn't matter, regardless if you have a lot or just one. However, your collecting behaviour may grow over time like me. At some point, you have probably seen strange collectors that take things more seriously than needed. But, is this true?
This section is basically an understanding of the minds of collectors.
The Power of C
These days, you will probably hear a lot about C-# grades or box conditions. I experienced this issue when G1 Transformers made a comeback. A friend of mine, who collected Transformers, took me into the world of boxes. I was so into it that it almost gotten out of control. I nearly did some box grading on cereal boxes. If you think looking for a very mint packaging box at a toy store or hobby shop is bad, try doing that at a supermarket. But what is all this C-# stuff & why are boxes important?
If you don't know, box collectors use the C-# to grade box conditions. The same can be said about other collectors, such as figure collectors, but you find this on boxes more. Basically those C with a number in front is the grading condition as the "C" stands for Condition. The numbers in front range from one to ten, with ten being the best. I'm no master with this, but I'll tell you what I know:
C-10 = Perfect box. Minimal to no creases on the box. No scratch marks or corner wear (eg, no white parts showing). It is as if it was just came out of the production line.
C-9 = Nearly perfect box. Very little corner wear with virtually no scratch marks on the box.
C-8 = Good box. Has some corner wear & scratch marks on the box.
C-7 = Average box. Has corner wear & scratches on the box. The areas where it folds (eg. flip cover or tabs) are whiten with crease marks.
C-6 = Ok box. Has corner wear & scratches on the box & white parts on some areas. There are corners that are little smashed in & the box is starting to wear out.
C-5 & below = I'm not too sure on this area. Basically, you would stay away from these based on human instinct. These boxes are beaten up badly & would automatically trigger your mind not to get them. You would be concern if the contents inside are ok.
Although you can say a box is mint or good condition, the diehard collectors would use the C grading number system instead. It's more accurate if you know how to grade it right. In the past, I did this a lot with Transformers. However, this habit of mine is slowly dying out. However, I still have some concerns about boxes in regards if the contents inside are ok. Plus, I don't like my boxes to look bad. I think this is a natural personality trait of mine since birth. When I was little, I have a tendency to keep things neat & new as possible. It's still the same today, but I'm slowly working my way out of it.
Caring for your collection like if it was your lover
You probably seen collectors going nuts over their collection. They not only treat it as their lover, but like their god or saviour. A lot of people would think it is funny when you look at them. They got this strange face filled with desire; almost perverted. Personally, I would laugh too. Some of them cry at the slight problems of their collection. Examples of this is like a small part fell off or a small chip or dent. It's like they totally have no life at all. However, think about this from a different approach.
Do you know the price of collecting anime stuff? It cost too much. Even though a PVC figure cost about CDN$45 - $100, that's still money you are throwing away. Money isn't easy to earn these days, so I can understand why these kind of collectors would be concern about their collection. You work so hard just to get a few bucks & finally be able to get that item you wanted after all this time of saving. I myself would be concern if my collection had problems. I would be worried if my PVC figure was badly damaged or a critical part is missing. I won't want to spend that same amount again or possibly higher to get a replacement. Even if I liked it very much, I would have to think about the consequences. I don't go nuts over something that isn't necessary or can be fixed by yourself. You have to keep it at a certain level & not go overboard. A majority of the collectors usually fall in this area.
Now, there are the true diehard otakus. They go nuts & purchase almost everything they see, even though they don't need it. People like these tend to have no life indeed & spend more money on this area than life's essentials. This type of behaviour isn't healthy; physically & mentally. They usually lock themselves in & lose contact with the outside world. There are very few people that goes beyond this & can't tell the difference between fiction & reality.
To open or not to open, that is the question
You may notice some collectors tend to keep there products in their boxes. In fact, they are unopened. They still have that factory tape or seal on them. What's the reason behind this? One main reason is to preserve its value.
Technically, a lot of things tend to be priced highly than retail value if it's still new & there's a demand for it. Here's where all those C-#s come to play. The better the grade condition, the more money it's worth. You may not be surprised that these collectors aren't really collecting it for personal collection. Some of them actually are holding them in order to make a profit in the future. If the product is a limited edition or isn't from mass production, the value of it goes up. However, this only works if the series it's from is popular. However, there are cases where they just simply want them in their packages.
There are quite a few collectors out there that keeps their collection in their boxes. The reasons behinds this varies. Sometimes the box looks too good to be put away, or the figure looks good in the box, or they are just plain lazy in dusting them off in the future. There are cases where some collectors actually buy two of the same product: one for opening & one to be kept sealed. Personally, I have no idea behind this principle if they aren't to be resold in the future. I don't go about that approach since it's a waste of money in my view. There are some cases where collectors collect more than one in sealed boxes. Thankfully, there are quite a lot of toy companies that have designed their boxes to include windows on the top & sides as well. Although you don't get to see the full body of the figures, it beats the need of a display case.
For me, I have some figures in their boxes; most of them are my G1 Transformers from the Transformers craze period. They are still quite mint with roughly at least a C-8 grade. My collection after that period are usually taken out of the box. The only ones that are kept in their packaging are the limited edition or rare ones, especially if they are in blister card packages. Example of these are the White Tora-Musume from the MON-SIEUR BOME Collection & DX Arcieud by Spring. Other than that, I usually keep my collection in their package because I don't have room in my shelf to display them. I don't want to take them out only to have them damaged later on due to carelessness.
However, there may be some people that keep their trading figures or gashapons in their boxes or capsules. In my opinion, that is simply ridiculous. There is no way you can see the figures well inside like that as they aren't not built & simply not visible.
In closing....
Everyone is a collector. However, there are a lot of different types of collectors out there. You could be a diehard collector or a extremely light collector. This section was basically to let you know the behaviours of some collectors out there & how they take things seriously or loosely. Although I'm a pretty serious collector myself, I usually make restrictions since life is more precious than collecting things that don't offer a lot in life.
Last updated on February 19, 2008
