Monday 4th December 2017

I’m trying really hard not to spend much  money this month.  A combination of tournaments, physio, travel and swords has started eating into my savings, and I feel I need an easy few months to get things back to where they were.  People also owe me money which doesn’t help.
So I’ve been really good at not going crazy in the sales (other than house purchases) having nights in watching Netflix and stuff on the media drive.  I have bought most of my xmas presents so other than a few small purchases, my xmas shopping is done.
But then things you were planning to eventually buy go on sale you’re unlikely to find in stock at that price again and you blow your own vow.
I’ve been a huge Star Wars collector since before I started Action-Figure.  Indeed, it was the release of the new figures in 1995 that lead to me starting what would go on to become Action-Figure.  That would see me collect a huge variety of different figures (mostly as a result of being sent them for review).
When I stepped down I’d pretty much given up collecting.  I had too much stuff and no room to store it.  Indeed most of it had gone into storage before I bought my house.  But when I finally moved here and had more room I looked at collecting again.  I wanted something small and so initially looked at LEGO.  But as great as that was, it just didn’t hold the appeal for me.
My love has always been the 1/18th scale:  Star Wars, GI Joe and the like.  Indeed, over the years I’ve loved getting iconic characters in that scale.  For that reason I especially loved the Funko Reaction line.
I think it was backing the Boss Fight Studios Virtuvian HACKS figures that really made me realise that my love was still with that scale, and so I started picking up more 1/18th figures.
Mostly that has consisted of buying a figure a week when a new Star Wars movie releases and shops are flooded.  Then as the movie goes out of cinemas and the toys get price cuts, I’ve then gone on to pick up the remaining bits in sales.
So you’ll find that when a new movie comes out I buy very little, but 6 months on, I’ll go and buy a load on clearance.
Except, Toys R Us, decided they were going to have a flash Star Wars sale with everything (except LEGO) half price.
I knew that if I didn’t take advantage of this then I’m just going to kick myself in 6 months time.  After all, half-price would be good value even at clearance.   But still, there’s part of me that feels I’m just spending more money.
I mostly picked up vehicles:  pretty much everything from Last Jedi, plus bits I was missing from Force Awakens and Rogue One.  I can’t complain at any of the prices… there was just a LOT of stuff I got.
The result is that I feel very poor and guilty today.  I should be saving money, not spending it.  But, as guilty as I feel today, I just know that in 6 months I’ll look back and feel I made the right call.
Now to just find somewhere to put it all.
Past Issues: 316 | 315 | 314 | 313 | 312 | 311 | 310 | 309 | 308 | 307 | 306 | 305 | 304 | 303 | 302 | 301
300| 299 | 298 | 297 | 296 | 295 | 294 | 293 | 292 | 291 | 290 | 289 | 288 |  287 | 286 | 285 | 284 | 283 | 282 | 281
280 | 279 | 278 | 277 | 276 | 275 | 274 | 273 | 272 | 271 | 270 | 269 |  268 | 267 | 266 | 265 | 264 | 263 | 262 | 261
260 | 259 | 258 | 257 | 256 | 255 | 254 |  253 | 252 | 251 | 250 | 249 | 248 | 247 | 246 | 245 | 244 | 243 | 242 | 241
240 | 239 | 238 | 237 | 236 | 235 | 234 | 233 | 232 | 231 | 230 | 229 | 228 | 227 | 226 | 225 | 224 | 223 | 222 | 221
220 | 219 |218 | 217 | 216 | 215 | 214 |  213 | 212 | 211 | 210 | 209 | 208 | 207 | 206 | 205 | 204 | 203 | 202 | 201
200 | 199 | 198 | 197 | 196 | 195 | 194 | 193 | 192 | 191 | 190 | 189 | 188 | 187 | 186 | 185 | 184 | 183 | 182 | 181 |
180 | 179 | 178 | 177 | 176 | 175 | 174 | 173 | 172 | 171 | 170 | 169 |  168 | 167 | 166 | 165 | 164 | 163 | 162 | 161 |
160 | 159 | 158 | 157 | 156 | 155 | 154 | 153 | 152 | 151 | 150 | 149 | 148 | 147 | 146 | 145 | 144 | 143 | 142 | 141 |
140 | 139 | 138 | 137| 136 | 135 | 134 | 133 | 132 | 131 | 130 | 129 | 128 | 127 | 126 | 125 | 124 | 123 | 122 | 121 |
120 | 119 | 118 | 117 | 116| 115 | 114 | 113 | 112 | 111 | 110 | 109 | 108| 107| 106| 105| 104| 103 | 102 | 101|
100 | 99| 98 | 97 | 96 | 95 | 94 | 93 | 92 | 91 | 90 | 89 | 88 | 87 | 86 | 85 | 84 | 83 | 82| 81|
80 | 79| 78| 77| 76 | 75 | 74 | 73 | 72 | 71 | 70 | 69 | 68 | 67 | 66 | 65 |  64 | 63 | 62 | 61 |
60 | 59 | 58 | 57 | 56 | 55 | 54 | 53| 52| 51 |50 | 49 | 48 | 47 | 46 |45 | 44 | 43 | 42 | 41 |
40 | 39| 38| 37 | 36 | 35 | 34 | 33 | 32 | 31 |30 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 24| 23 | 22 | 21 |
20 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 15| 14| 13 | 12 | 11 |10 | 9 | 8 | 7| 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1