Open box anxiety

[sadowsk1]

I thought I would throw up this post and see if anyone can relate to this. I own a fair amount of Lego. Nothing overwhelming or hoarder style, but I never seem to open any of them boxes and put them together. For some reason I am content with the boxes and not really ever opening any of them. It's not a matter of the sets losing their resale value or anything like that, but I never feel compelled to put them together or really interested in it.

[ncbarrett]

... but I never feel compelled to put them together or really interested in it.

Then why do you collect them?

[Mantisking]

I thought I would throw up this post and see if anyone can relate to this. I own a fair amount of Lego. Nothing overwhelming or hoarder style, but I never seem to open any of them boxes and put them together.

I've got a stack of unopened boxes in the basement. But only because I'm concentrating on RPGs and books at the moment instead of Lego.

For some reason I am content with the boxes and not really ever opening any of them. It's not a matter of the sets losing their resale value or anything like that, but I never feel compelled to put them together or really interested in it.

I've never really assembeled any of the sets I've bought either. I just like using the pieces for MOCs.

[sadowsk1]

... but I never feel compelled to put them together or really interested in it.

Then why do you collect them?

I really like Lego and the sets they put out. I think the box art is nice and displays the contents well. It's for sure hard to explain, I like to collect them I just never feel like putting sets together.

[slacker]

I also have alot of them boxed for collection, a small collection. I do open some when I get a chance. Not enough time for MOCs since this is a hobby not a lifestyle. But I do like the chase of getting deals. Must be something wrong with me.

[legitimatealex]

You confuse me absolutely.

[legogod]

sadowsk1-

I've actually just started this and it is a weird thing. I think it's the time constraint for me (just not enough time with a baby coming soon and surgery today.) I've got a village toy shop from Christmas and a Wampa cave from my birthday i haven't put together. I've been trying not to open my Collectible Minifigures because when I trade, people like sealed packages. Various small sets I haven't opened yet fill a small tote.

I even found a sealed in bags Arkham Asylum I got for my birthday 4 years ago. I threw the box out and hid it in a drawer only to find it recently. It's a weird feeling and I understand. I never buy Lego to not open and build/play with it. I've told myself these sets are for a rainy day... And since I have a week off to recuperate they may not be in boxes for long.

I'm thinking you might want to cut the box artwork out and frame them...that way you get the best of both worlds. The artwork on the wall and the set in your bins or on display. It was easier with older sets with the flip top, but with an exacto knife it would be easy.

Have fun,
Jared

[dr_spock]

I have a few boxes of unopened sets too. I bought them planning to build them but then life got in the way and I haven't gone back to them yet. I figure I'll have something to do when I retired. Nothing wrong with leaving stuff in boxes. I collect diecast cars and I leave them in their display boxes.

[Mantisking]

There is one set I have that I may never open. Hoth Rebel Base was the first set my GF ever bought me, and the first birthday gift she got me, so I'm a little reticent about opening it.

[legitimatealex]

I don't think I have enough money to buy a set and then NOT open it. That's like buying food and then not eating it for me.

[atmail35]

We have some unopened sets stashed away. I buy things when I see them on sale and then save them to do with my 5 year old when we have a snow day (i.e. desperate need of a fresh indoor activity) or give them for her birthday/Christmas. I love finding stuff at a good price but eventually they do get opened/built/played with.

[koromo]

I had a very small stash of unopened sets when I move apartments. In my later purchases I just put more sets into the moving box without removing any to open and play.

Then in the summer I was going to set aside at time to build them with a friend.

That was until I had difficult and unfortunate time in the fall and I needed an outlet to focus myself elsewhere than the concerns of the world. I built all of them over two nights and rebuilt every SW set that had been on display since I took down my display shelves two years prior.

Now I have another pack box of unopened sets and I take one out now on the occasion of a rainy/blizzardly evening. Been a couple of those of late.

[NIGELTTF]

I too have unopened sets. Some are for gift potential, some are value speculation, but the biggest pile are those I haven't got round to opening, building, and sorting. Mainly due to my basement being such a mess, I'm trying to clean it to give me more mental space to sort what I've already opened.

[Luciant]

I have tons of unopened boxes as well =) I'm a Lego-maniac tho, and a self-described crackhead collector. Most of the unopened boxes are simply because I haven't gotten around to building them yet though, as I only collect things I can actually use/play with, not just for display purposes. I have a few sets that I do not plan to open, (mainly the Hero and Bioncle line), that I just have no interest in, but since I have dreams of one day owning every set, it will sit in a box unless my future children will want to play with them.

My wife likes just see'ing all the Lego around the living room :) She says it reminds her of Christmas =) To be honest, I think I've had more fun "bargain shopping" and exchanging to get the absolute best possible prices/deals, than I've had actually building....

So don't sweat it... all of us are in Lego for the thrill of the hunt (to find discounts). It's part of the fun.

[meyerc13]

I think the question we all have to ask ourselves is this - do we love LEGO or do we love collecting? I remember back in college I liked playing computer games. Then a buddy of mine got hooked into the warez scene and suddenly instead of playing games, we were accumulating games. Another friend of mine pointed out that for me the 'new game' became collecting games. Instead of getting a thrill from playing a game, I was getting a thrill from amassing the largest collection of games that I could.

That was a real eye opener for me. The collecting for the sake of collecting starts to enter into hoarder territory. If you're amassing the collection and the whole thing is in storage tubs, closets or the basements, is it still a collection? Most experts on hoarding draw the line this way - if you display your collection, you are a collector. If it's hidden away where nobody can see it, you might be a hoarder.

I don't know that this line works as well for toy collectors, because many of us hide our collection because of the stigma of being an adult who buys toys, but I do think that we each need to examine our motives from time to time to decide if our collecting makes us happy or feels like a burden. I think when it's the later, it is time to stop.

[peanut]

I wish I could afford to buy 2 of every set - one to build and one to put away. But I do have a bin full of unopened polys

[ncbarrett]

...
if you display your collection, you are a collector....

I don't know that this line works as well for toy collectors, because many of us hide our collection because of the stigma of being an adult who buys toys, but I do think that we each need to examine our motives from time to time to decide if our collecting makes us happy or feels like a burden. I think when it's the later, it is time to stop.

I have many sets on display in a glass case in our living room.
So I am definitely a collector.

However due to space limitation, most of my sets are in boxes/tubs. :(

[possum]

You confuse me absolutely.

Yeah if I just bought all these sets & never assembled them, 1) My wife would kill me & 2) I would miss the VALUABLE stress relief from the family. Can't wait for baseball season, nothing better than a ballgame on TV, a beer in the glass and pieces on the table.

[Brick & Blue]

Wouldn't it be cheaper to just look at the box art online, or even print it out?

I'm really confused why someone would spend insane amounts of money on.... boxes.

[Everybody]

Huh, I have no idea where you're coming from on this. :?: