Yo soy coleccionista de articulos de anime,, me he dado cuenta que hay diferentes tipos de coleccionistas,, aquellos que solamente coleccionan figuras (articulas,, semi articuladas y gashapones),, revistas,, cartas,, anime,, y aquel que colecciona de todo,, yo soy ese ultimo.

Nunca me habia puesto a pensar porque es que colecciono estas cosas,, pero la verdad es que el tener una figura de Edward Elric me hace recordar lo mucho que me gusto la serie de FMA,, o tener el broche de transformación de las Sailor Star Lights de Sailor Moon o el D-Ark de digimon Tamer,, etc… el tener todos y cada uno de estos articulos me hace recordar lo bien que me la he pasado al ver esta creación del hombre (anime) que no es otra cosa mas que ocupar tu mente con cosas positivas.

El tener este tipo de hobby es tan normal como querer coleccionar tarjetas de beisball o estampillas,, a final de cuentas algun día todo tomará un valor no imaginado,, pero hay estará una encrucijada,, VENDER o quedartelo??

I’ve always believed/noticed that people collect different things for different reasons. You have collectors like most anime collectors (like you stated above). Then theres others who collect for the thrill of it, giving them a sense of accomplishment and that they have done something with their life and they have something to prove it. Others who collect items because of their value (like most baseball card and stamp collectors). Theres also the collectors who like to collect items for their nostalgia value, as they want a piece of the past that can no longer be. Theres the DVD, book, or CD collectors, their reasons are simple though, they just want a wide variety to choose from thats readily available when they want it. Then some people do it just to show off and have something to brag about. Then some collectors reasons can be a mix of the different reasons that I have stated.

As for my anime collection, theres a few things I have actually bought because it features I character I truly adore. But much of my collection I tend to collect for other reasons, like just simply the joy of owning a piece of the series as a whole, as a way to showcase my love for it. I also enjoy it because of the sense of accomplishment, especially after getting my hands on a rare/hard to find item like my Magic Knight Rayearth Hikaru doll or my Sailor Moon S SNES game. I collect my anime DVDs and manga for these very same reasons, along with the liking of the idea of having my own personal library to enjoy whenever I like. I will also admit I have a habit of bragging about my collection, especially my Sailor Moon merchandise which is worth a fortune now.

Theres also one other method of collecting I tend to follow. Not sure how many people go this route, but I buy items of practical use of something I like. When it comes to Hello Kitty goods I do this like a CD Player, band aids, pillowcases, shirts, keychains, a rug, towels, etc. The reason for this being a way for making ordinary items in life seem more fun and I like how its a simple way to express yourself, a way to standout among the crowds of people that all appear the same. Some people don’t like this idea because they will stand out, but I don’t mind, I always like daring to be different. Plus, seeing HK always puts a smile on my face and puts me in a good mood. Everytime I look at the time on my HK watch is an excellent example of this.

I personally don’t get why anime collectors are looked down upon so much though. We just happen to get the shaft so easily just because anime looks so childish I suppose. Yet everybody collects something of something. Theres those who collect figures of cats, shot glasses, spoons from all 50 states, pinball machines, Betty Boop collectables, Barbie dolls, etc. Ah well, overal collecting all comes down to a psychological thing for some reasons i’ve said already….

Well, theres my 2 cents of collections/collectors (Man, I just think too much sometimes. ><)

“Products like figures and plushies are the only means of giving fans a realistic, tangible, representation of fictional characters whom they love.”

This is good. I threw away all of my collectibles (except for DVDs) last year, but this is the direction I’ve been thinking in. If you’re fan enough to spend fifty dollars or more on a plastic statue, the escapism that makes you want to embody your favorite show is likely high.

It’s true that we don’t buy anime collectibles for their material but for what they represent but that’s not always the case. There has to be some people that may be unaware of anime’s existence (I pity you freaks -.-) but they still buy some random anime collectibles just because they admire the art of making them. For example, a random person buys a figurine of Ichigo just because he admires the way its creators made it such an amazing piece of art. Can you catch my drift? ;p

As far as cars and stamps go, you insist that the difference between them and anime collectibles is that they don’t have feeling in them. Of course they don’t!!! How does a car have a personality? It’s just a means of transport! And stamps, same goes for them! They are just like card-postals in tiny version… One you collects cars is most of the times, obsessed with cars and thinks that having them is cool (I don’t say that it isn’t). Stamp collectors just admire how many variations of them exist. You can tour around the world just by looking at them. Stamps are just like fliers. They show locations or people. One would collect them just to boast for having them… Of course, that’s the case even for some anime figurines collectors.

By the way, it’s quite irrelevant but I just came up with it: When someone has a room full of cars or something else (except anime-related stuff) we call him a collector. But when someone has a room full of anime figurines we call him a freaking, disgusting, filthy or whatever else OTAKU!!! Isn’t that unfair?

Whoa! That’s the longest comment I’ve ever written and it gives me the creeps so I’d better stop somewhere here.

Anyways I didn’t mean to argue with you I just wanted to point out my aspect of things. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us and keep up your excellent work ;p

Your statement that I quoted is very well stated. I think anime and manga-related “things” mean a lot to the people who collect them. Although I don’t collect figurines, I do put up a lot of anime posters on my wall for that “surrounded by what I love” feeling. And I also have a Bleach – Byakuya Kuchiki coffee mug. There’s nothing like having beautiful Byakuya to stare at with your morning coffee. ;)

I agree that an absolute, singular explanation for collecting things isn’t necessary, since it depends on the person, but I wanted to make an attempt =P Since many people who are not collectors themselves don’t understand the feelings of those who are, I wanted to try and give some logical reasons for the hobby as best as I could, even if I don’t have to justify it to others.

Thanks for your input =) But I didn’t mean that cars and stamps don’t have any feelings attached to them for the buyer; only that the feelings are usually not as intimate because cars and stamps are not meant to represent anything beyond the objects that they are, while anime collectibles are meant to represent “people” (albeit, fictional ones). But of course, some collectors view their cars or stamp collections with as much passion as they would a real person, so I guess it’s all relative =P

In short it is a passion like any other, but the biggest difference is how each character represents the idealization (ie. the ideal) of what we want to have around or look up to when we buy these figures/collectibles and put them on display. People might not understand until they actually watch the anime, and even then, they may dispute what you think on that particular character.