Psycho collector rules

[AttitudeLegendCollector]

So I wanted to canvas opinion on this one - my general rules are I collect any talent up to summer 2002 as that’s my cut off for my nostalgia years.

However, as I went to Mania 40 in Philly, I do want a seperate Mania 40 specific collection - so any talent in attires specifically from Mania 40. We’ve actually seen very few reveals from the event (I think only The Rock UE) which I’m quite surprised about but my question is around UE 22 John Cena - as far as I can tell, it’s exactly how he looked at Mania 40 and initially I ordered it - I then discovered the back of the box lists Crown Jewel last year specifically, so I then cancelled it. Is that a little mental? 😅

So do I wait for them to maybe do an elite of him in the gear from Mania 40 even though it’s exactly the same? Or do I get the UE 22 because surely there’s no way we get another UE and it’s exactly the same look but a UE is obviously superior to any potential Elite that may come in over a years time?

Genuinely interested in people’s view and would be interested to see if there are any other psycho collector rules out there, I can’t be alone? 😅

[darkprophet]

If you are trying to get a specific look from an event, and the figure matches, whether or not the packaging confirms yet, I’d say go for it! I’m an 80’s only WWF collector, but still display my Legends Bam Bam with his entrance jacket from later years. I’ll replace it with the Coliseum Collection figure when I get it, but until then, since the wrestler is from the era I collect, whether or not the look is exact is not too important to me. But to each their own, of course!

[breal59]

I wouldn't add him to the collection personally. He wasn't advertised for a match for the event, didn't have a unique look for WMXL and it was just a cameo.

It's the wrong company to be too event specific. I learned that a long time ago.

[thep1]

I have no major insight, but I dig the self-reflection and self-awareness that you have! A rarity around here!

[@Chair.Shot]

My odd rules:

-I collect all WWE Retros
-I only collect Retro figures of characters from the Golden era through the end of the Monday Night Wars. There are very, very few exceptions to this. There are an absurd amount of Retro figures coming with some really deep cuts. If I REALLY want it, I get it. Haven’t created any imaginary rules for that.

-7 inch figures (any brand) that appeared in any WWF video game prior to In Your House. The gear also needs to be as close to the video game as possible.
-7 inch figures of wrestlers I have a special memory of seeing live/interacting with (any brand). The gear also need to be as close to the event/memory as possible.

-I have a good size collection of Andre the Giant items. Some of the highlights are 4 different MOC Hasbros, a replica 2UP, a painted bust from a very skilled artist, custom made replica Giant Machine mask, his original Popy figure and Popy card, this crazy kit from Italy that lets you make necklaces of WWF Hasbro figure designs, a custom wrestling buddy, an unsharpened pencil I’ve kept since elementary school, and more common figures and pieces of memorabilia than I care to name.

[AttitudeLegendCollector]

Jul 29, 2024 15:03:16 GMT -5 breal59 said:

I wouldn't add him to the collection personally. He wasn't advertised for a match for the event, didn't have a unique look for WMXL and it was just a cameo.

It's the wrong company to be too event specific. I learned that a long time ago.

I would normally follow this line of thinking too but my caveat for this is that fair to say Cena is a pretty big deal I. Terms of Wrestling History but I don’t have a Cena at all as he doesn’t fit inside my general collecting period…so this would be the only chance to grab one justified by the WM40 appearance. However, I feel like if I do, it will just be calling out to me from the shelf ‘I’m not from WM40!’ 😅

For the above reasons I’ve never taken much notice of what Cena wears and when but I was actually surprised to learn what he wore for WMXL was the same as Crown Jewel just 4/5 months prior - I thought he changed things up more often.

[Sting]

Im quite strict with my HBK collection. I usually only get post 95 HBKs in tights. I don’t really care for his hairstyle before that and I don’t like his chaps. I do have the retrofest, his retirement match vs taker at mania and the latest chaps dx from the vault figures which break this rule though.

I also try to collect figures in their correct attires for each brand they are on. However, I bought the first sandman Mattel made and am putting him in my WCW collection. My budget won’t allow me much wiggle room for the next 12 months so I can’t buy Hak to give me the correct attire of sandman for WCW.

I also try to avoid basics under all costs unless the figure doesn’t and never will exist in elite or UE form.

[mrh]

Jul 29, 2024 16:17:50 GMT -5 @Chair.Shot said:

My odd rules:

-I collect all WWE Retros
-I only collect Retro figures of characters from the Golden era through the end of the Monday Night Wars. There are very, very few exceptions to this. There are an absurd amount of Retro figures coming with some really deep cuts. If I REALLY want it, I get it. Haven’t created any imaginary rules for that.

-7 inch figures (any brand) that appeared in any WWF video game prior to In Your House. The gear also needs to be as close to the video game as possible.
-7 inch figures of wrestlers I have a special memory of seeing live/interacting with (any brand). The gear also need to be as close to the event/memory as possible.

-I have a good size collection of Andre the Giant items. Some of the highlights are 4 different MOC Hasbros, a replica 2UP, a painted bust from a very skilled artist, custom made replica Giant Machine mask, his original Popy figure and Popy card, this crazy kit from Italy that lets you make necklaces of WWF Hasbro figure designs, a custom wrestling buddy, an unsharpened pencil I’ve kept since elementary school, and more common figures and pieces of memorabilia than I care to name.

Sounds like a collection I'd love.

I love all your posts and photos -- but how and where do you keep your general display? Also, out of curiosity, why the 4 versions of the MOC Hasbro?

[Flair Forever]

Your collection = your rules....

But I would offer some friendly advice - if you like a figure, it's okay to buy it. You are allowed to break the rules that you set.

[shanieomaniac]

I have become insanely particular about my Sami Zayn figures since they stopped caring about what they put out.

Like, I have no interest in displaying any out-of-the-box Elite figures from after Elite 91. If they ever get rid of the cargo pants, I may reconsider this, until then, they go in a drawer.

I will however PURCHASE Elite figures from after Elite 91... but only if they have cloth goods that I need for the customs I make of those attires to display. I will also then steal the heads and hands from them.

If figures have missing deco, I MUST add them. (Which reminds me, I still have one Tag Run figure left to put the PWG logo on.)

Work In Progress Project: If a figure in wrestling attire is made to wear a shirt they didn't wear as entrance gear for the event that attire is best known for, I must take the shirt off and find a way to add the PROPER entrance attire (Like the Battleground 2016 Sami elite that I'm now trying to figure out how to find a plaid-lined hoodie for)

If a factory produced Sami Zayn head has the beard a noticeably darker color than the hair, or if the beard has some really wild 2-tone paint apps to it, it must be repainted to fix it. (this is annoyingly common on current style of heads)

There's a couple other rules that I have for other figures, like how I'm on a mission to repaint all of my Kevin Owens heads to properly reflect his fade (which they never do right), but mainly, my "Psycho Collector" rules only apply to Sami figures

ETA: One more thing. If I make a custom Sami figure from kitbash parts, and he is meant to be a matched set with a Kevin Owens figure, he can only be out of scale if the Kevin is out of scale to match. I don't care if the Sami and Kevin pair are out of scale with everyone else, Sami and Kevin must be reasonably in scale with each other. And Sami must always be taller than Kevin, even if it is only by a hair. (Or in one case, the added height of Sami's hat)

[@Chair.Shot]

Jul 29, 2024 21:54:28 GMT -5 mrh said:

Jul 29, 2024 16:17:50 GMT -5 @Chair.Shot said:

My odd rules:

-I collect all WWE Retros
-I only collect Retro figures of characters from the Golden era through the end of the Monday Night Wars. There are very, very few exceptions to this. There are an absurd amount of Retro figures coming with some really deep cuts. If I REALLY want it, I get it. Haven’t created any imaginary rules for that.

-7 inch figures (any brand) that appeared in any WWF video game prior to In Your House. The gear also needs to be as close to the video game as possible.
-7 inch figures of wrestlers I have a special memory of seeing live/interacting with (any brand). The gear also need to be as close to the event/memory as possible.

-I have a good size collection of Andre the Giant items. Some of the highlights are 4 different MOC Hasbros, a replica 2UP, a painted bust from a very skilled artist, custom made replica Giant Machine mask, his original Popy figure and Popy card, this crazy kit from Italy that lets you make necklaces of WWF Hasbro figure designs, a custom wrestling buddy, an unsharpened pencil I’ve kept since elementary school, and more common figures and pieces of memorabilia than I care to name.

Sounds like a collection I'd love.

I love all your posts and photos -- but how and where do you keep your general display? Also, out of curiosity, why the 4 versions of the MOC Hasbro?

Thanks! I appreciate the love haha.

For my display, I have a kind of funky house. Some day I’ll get around to posting photos of all my displays but everything has been constantly changing since I started doing figure photography. It is quite messy at the moment as I have been preparing to do photos for all 3 Colts, Slick, Tunney, and more. So until I get it clean and organized, I’ll do my best to describe it:

My main floor has three bedrooms. My wife has one for her office and crafts, I have one for my toy room/office, and then we share the master. I keep almost all of my collection in my office but some of it has spilled into the basement. We have a game room/theater down there so it kind of works with the fun theme. In my office I have a walk in closet which is where I keep the majority of my collection and do the photography. I like to keep the main parts of my office a little less cluttered which is why I don’t display ALL of my figures in there. I used to but I didn’t like having hundreds and hundreds of plastic eyes staring at me! So I changed it up and have one wall that has mini displays and belts (4 Hasbro rings and 2 retro rings). On top of that display is the New Gen arena. Thats where I display figures from my favorite WWF games.

On another wall is a display unit with a mixture of playsets and rings. One shelf has backstage/interview sets, another has the In Your House entrance set, there is a tribute to the founding fathers of Japanese Wrestling, and then a retro ring for New Gen figures. On the other side of that wall is my Andre collection.

The closet has a desk and a buffet along with a bunch of prebuilt shelves. I have kept the rest if my Hasbros/retros/misc figures displayed in on the shelves but again with the figure photography, I have had to get a step stool or ladder every time to get something down. So I am going to have to find a way to change that in the near future because I knock things over too often (most figures are on acrylic risers). The desk has the ESR ring along with the RAW entrance way. That display was pretty empty; just Gorilla, Bobby, Fink, and Vince. The Buffet has two Real Scale Rings: one with my collection of “personal memory” figures and the other was miscellaneous things like old Jakks BCA’s, Mattel figures that I bought just for accessories, etc. I mostly liked having it there just to keep a ring with the blue cage on display.

I’m considering finding a way to move those RSR’s back into the main part of the room so that I can move the bulk of the Hasbros to ground level. Display is important to me but less practical with the photography aspect. It’s a trade off but I enjoy finding creative ways to make it work.

[@Chair.Shot]

More rambling because I forgot to answer the Andre question:

When I was 5-6 and first started collecting Hasbros, my Mom took me to Kmart and I found an Andre the Giant figure there. We didn’t have much money growing up and apparently I had a tantrum about not getting it. Guess it was quite the dramatic scene in the store and the car ride home. I never once saw Andre again and made sure to never let my parents forget that! I help care for her now and she loves telling the story every few weeks it seems haha.

Fast forward 20+ years after I saw him in stores, I bought a loose one off of EBay and kept it on display even though I gave up the rest of my wrestling collection. Shortly after that, I was nearly killed by a drunk driver. That is actually where the Chairshot name was born (in part because it impacted my memory). Anyway, that Christmas my brother did one of the only nice things he has ever done for me and got me a MOC Andre…but it was in French. Knowing little about them, he didn’t realize there were different cards. I kept it on display but it always bothered me in a weird way that it wasn’t the English version. Like in an OCD way/one where I could read it naturally every time I looked at it. Knowing this, my wife bought me the English version years later as a surprise.

Around that time I started to collect Hasbros again and set out to get the entire collection (loose). While buying a lot off of eBay, it included the Spanish card Andre. This brought the total to 3 so I decided to try and get every version I could! That included the Italian card and the Butterfly hook version. To my knowledge, there is only one other version I am missing (one with a different recommended age for playing). It’s likely there are other variants out there or ones with different backings but I am pretty happy with the collection as it is now. I’ve added a Zombie MOC black strap figure and will do the same with the Major Bendies figure that is coming out soon.

TL;DR - English, Spanish, French, Italian, Butterfly, ZST, Major Bendies…the entire collection is a tribute/celebration of what made me a collector in the first place. Andre was my first and longest hunt. I also never got to see him perform live so he holds an almost mythical status for me.

Edit: old photos of my Andre display (have since added to it and reorganized it)

http://instagram.com/p/CKkAFxvMddX

[jt]

I generally try to stick to wrestlers and gear from before 2000. The only exceptions have been the first Ultimate Eddie, a custom Benoit, and the Ultimate Undertaker that dropped last week.

The only thing I would really consider a rule is not getting a member of a tag team if I can't/won't also get the other member. Can't have Jannetty without Micheals, can't have Hawk without Animal, etc etc. The only exception was Micheal PS Hayes, but I have Terry Gordy now and intend on making a custom Buddy Roberts and Jimmy Garvin at some point. Ive held out on getting Warlord for this exact reason, if I can't get Barbarian to match it doesn't fit my collection.

[mrh]

Jul 29, 2024 23:35:45 GMT -5 @Chair.Shot said:

More rambling because I forgot to answer the Andre question:

When I was 5-6 and first started collecting Hasbros, my Mom took me to Kmart and I found an Andre the Giant figure there. We didn’t have much money growing up and apparently I had a tantrum about not getting it. Guess it was quite the dramatic scene in the store and the car ride home. I never once saw Andre again and made sure to never let my parents forget that! I help care for her now and she loves telling the story every few weeks it seems haha.

Fast forward 20+ years after I saw him in stores, I bought a loose on off of EBay and kept it on display even though I gave up the rest of my wrestling collection. Shortly after that, I was nearly killed by a drunk driver. That is actually where the Chairshot name was born (in part because it impacted my memory). Anyway, that Christmas my brother did one of the only nice things he has ever done for me and got me a MOC Andre. Knowing little about them, he didn’t realize there were different cards. I kept it on display but it always bothered me in a weird way that it wasn’t the English version. Like in an OCD way/one where I could read it naturally every time I looked at it. Knowing this, my wife bought me the English version years later as a surprise.

Around that time I started to collect Hasbros again and set out to get the entire collection (loose). While buying a lot off of eBay, it included the Spanish card Andre. This brought the total to 3 so I decided to try and get every version I could! That included the Italian card and the Butterfly hook version. To my knowledge, there is only one other version I am missing (one with a different recommended age for playing). It’s likely there are other variants out there or ones with different backings but I am pretty happy with the collection as it is now. I’ve added a Zombie MOC black strap figure and will do the same with the Major Bendies figure that is coming out soon.

TL;DR - English, Spanish, French, Italian, Butterfly, ZST, Major Bendies…the entire collection is a tribute/celebration of what made me a collector in the first place. Andre was my first and longest hunt. I also never got to see him perform live so he holds an almost mythical status for me.

Edit: old photos of my Andre display (have since added to it and reorganized it)

http://instagram.com/p/CKkAFxvMddX

Amazing story. You seem like a really great guy -- I'm glad you're here.

And looking forward to seeing your whole set-up one day. It sounds great and I'm so intrigued. 

[20yearbreak]

I collect by era, and I basically want 1-2 of each character in that era, in their most definitive moment’s attire. I loved the Shawn Michaels Amazon Takeover, but it wasn’t a special moment in his career in that era and didn’t buy it. I have three Shawn’s in my New Gen era shelf (WM9 - should probably replace with WM10, WM12 - will hang the new UE above the current one, and Survivor Series 97).

[CM Tusk]

I opened this expecting to see someone’s Sid collection

[Vamp55]

I’ve got similar rules - my cut off is a little earlier, but I have a few exceptions, specifically one only of anyone current (UE) and also, figures from Manias I’ve attended (33, 39 & 40).

To answer your question, for me it’s a very simple (yet perhaps a little disturbing) equation. If you’re a loose collector, go ahead and grab that Cena - it’s no different! But, if you’re a MOC collector (as I am), it officially breaks your rules (as it states on the box it has nothing to do with Mania) - so I’d pass and hope they do a Mania 40 one (your only hope is a multi-pack I assume, and probably elite as well).

[mcfclee]

Anything from wwwf to mania 25 is fair game.

Wcw collection is late 80’s until death.

Ecw collection is any scraps I can get.

Hasbro and official Mattel retro completist.

I’ve also got displays for Simpsons super7, tmnt neca cartoon (stopping this where I am) and movie (collect every new character or look), rocky neca, Motu movie, storm street fighter and MK and tossing up a wcw gallob collection haha.

Then I collect Jordan’s 1-13 (wear them all) and old school hip hop vinyl. Lastly I’ve got a small collection of sports memorabilia as well.

I think this qualifies for as psycho.

[Sting]

do you have any pics mcfclee?

would love to see the wcw collection especially

[mcfclee]

Jul 30, 2024 7:24:27 GMT -5 Sting said:

do you have any pics mcfclee?

would love to see the wcw collection especially

Here’s a few snaps. Reorganizing as it’s my garage/gym and I’m forever redoing it.