Do you think there is still a lot of QUIET collectors out there ?

[Mikey]

When I first started collecting back in the early 80's, it was a totally different time then now.
Most of my dealings were answering ads in various collecting magazines, going to a few collectible shops and visiting fleamarkets.

In other words, before the net, I had no collecting contacts whatsoever that didn't have anything to do with either buying or selling.

That all changed when I discovered the net - and especially Mego Museum.
I can't imagine going back to those times after I was spoiled with MM and the net in general.

My question is,
Do you think there are still collectors out there living like that ?
Keeping their collections a secret...
Perhaps using the net to buy and sell, but nothing else...
No contacts - or very limited contact with the rest of the collecting world

Just wondering.

[BlackKnight]

Yes.
I know as far as Customs go ...., I find new people every week , that don't go to forums,.. & if they do know about them,.. they don't post. Most of them collect Mego's, & or Toys too.

[palitoy]

Absolutely, I know a few and just met somebody with no internet access the other day.

I had one explain to me why he didn't join forums and I quote "because I don't give a &$*% what you had or did as a kid, I only want to buy stuff"

If you don't crave the social component, you probably don't join a lot of forums/mailing lists.

[toys2cool]

yeah i know a few who don't even know about ebay

[Gorn Captain]

You're the only guys I talk to about collecting anymore.

Most of the people I've met in the flesh are too:
obsessed
crazy
freaky

*fill in more unpleasant character traits, if you like.

I've more or less retired from the "public" collecting scene....

Before that, I always had an "open house" policy.

[megocrazy]

We met two people at the show last weekend that come here but aren't registered users. I guess meeting Tom last year at the Meet and seeing his awesome customs and him stating he had been around for years and never registered made me realize there are a lot of people in the MM shadows.

[jessica]

Of course there are quiet collectors who are keeping mum about owning bits of ape history. There were two hero General Ursus helmets. Where are they? There were two hero Armageddon riding outfits for Dr. Zaius. One used to be in a museum, but where has it gone? Zira's Escape outfit with the blood stain...where is that? This inquiring chimp would like to know!!

About the Mego collectors...who prefer to stay in the dark...perhaps the light will shine upon their collection once they have passed on and you will find these on Feebay.

[Wee67]

I think there are lots of different kinds of collectors. Some probably do keep completely to themselves outside of buying and selling. There are some that do not "socialize" on the net, but do socialize with other collectors. There are people who socialize all day on the net and do not buy that much.

I think there are all kinds of permutations.

[megoscott]

Being the kind of person who enjoys online communities has no relation at all to being the kind of person who enjoys collecting things. People often confuse what happens here with the state of Mego collecting in general, when they really aren't related. Many of the most prolific posters here are no longer active collectors, myself included.

I'd say about half of the people that ordered Dida Displays were people I had never heard of who didn't post here. But they lurked and picked up info.

[Marvelmania]

Lots of collectors are somewhat quiet about it. They just don't choose to be as open as others nor participate in forums. I think most (but not all) of the "super" collectors are this way.

[livnxxxl]

I would have to say absolutely on this topic Mike. I have personally been around for quite some time. I even visited the Mego Museum for just a short time a very long time ago. Back in or around 2001. I never bothered to register. I didn't even lurk around hardly at all. I guess I just did not really want to be involved at that time. I just ran across the Museum in a google search back in the day. I never really thought that the Museum would be this cool with such a wealth of info and super cool people. It really was not until 2007 when Bryan contacted me through eBay and told me to check the Museum out. This time around I was actually more into Mego and more serious about collecting so I joined. I am glad that I did. I just wished now that I would have joined sooner. What was I thinking?

Was it Hectors spicey food topics that scared me away?

T1K's negative out look on everything that some claims that he has?

Black Knight's kick arse customs that would eventually drain my bank accounts because I would go on an insane buying spree and buy them all?

Those are just a few maybes......Kidding guys!

As far as other collectors are concerned I still see a lot of lurkers every day when I visit the Museum. There are some that are no doubt even reading this topic right now. Perhaps everyone has their own reasonings for not wanting to join and be a part of this wonderful community. To each their own. Maybe some day they will come around just the way that I did and finally bite the bullet and join. I guess I was afraid that you guys and gals would bite me if I joined. Maybe that is the same fear others have that are still lurking.

It is some times hard for me to believe that there are people that still indeed co-exist in this world that does not even have a PC or internet connection. It is really hard to imagine these days and times although it still happens none the less. Some people are afraid of new technology and then there are others that do not like change period.

The bottom line is this. I do believe that there are a lot of people out there still that collect and have yet to make contact with us here at The Museum. There are new members signing up here almost on a daily basis. Yet I am sure that there are plenty of people that have not even heard of The Mego Museum as of yet for whatever reasons.

Kind of like the alien movies that you see. Some of us would like to think that some other entity exists we have just yet to prove it cause no one is coming forward yet.

[VintageMike]

Absolutely for a number of reasons. Off the top of my head...

1-There are definitely folks I've heard of with massive collections where pictures have shown up but they wish to remain anonymous. The reason probably being they have no interest in being hounded to sell their rare pieces or as discussed before aren't into the social aspect.

2-There are people who like the the hobby but not the particular forums. I know there are/were a few members here (including me) who also collect Star Wars but choose not to post on any related message baords since the fun aspect isn't there.

3-There are people no matter how much things change, are used to doing things a certain way, even if it doesn't help their cause. Say someone who acquired their collection pre-internet and absolutely won't buy anything online. Most who wouldn't buy online aren't inclined to post on it.

[goldenryan]

interesting thread, some people don't have internet access some don't have time to join forums. i think it's funny when people here say there's only 3 boxed zorros , or 4 carded goblin when some old school collector could have one in his collection and just doesn't go online to tell everyone he's got one.

[Joe90]

I had one explain to me why he didn't join forums and I quote "because I don't give a &$*% what you had or did as a kid, I only want to buy stuff"

Sounds like he's got some severe socialization issues. Maybe got picked on by the neighbourhood kids a little too much... ...

[dumbldor]

I was a lurker here for about 5 years before I joined in 2002. I knew about Mego Museum practically from the beginning. I occasionally picked stuff off in the Marketplace on the old Raving Toy Maniac version of the forums, but that was it. I never participated in discussions. I had a pretty large Mego, Star Wars, and non-sports card collection via hobby mags, toy shows, and (starting in 1998) ebay.