When your collection is too big.

[lentner3 328]

So I’m sure many of you have been there, my collection has now officially grow too big. By some way. With about 50 cars, plus projects. 15 NIB kits and too many spares to count. I think enough is enough.

my passion is the build and light running or bashing. What’s the solution. I don’t really want to downsize bits it’s getting silly now. 😂. 
a new display solution and a cull is in order.

I have most things so if anyone is after anything let me know. I usually buy and Hoard and almost never sell but I just don’t have space anymore. I’m thinking get back down to a reasonable 15/20 cars and keep a few NIBs for when I need to get my fix.

any thoughts?

[Mad Ax 10029]

A good question, I'm in the same boat.  Around 90-ish cars in various states (including a few trailers and some bare chassis).  According to my database, 42 runners.

I'm also a hoarder, and rarely sell anything.  I often look back on stuff I've sold and regret it.  Also most of what I have has been so heavily modified and customised to my specific needs that it has little value to anyone else, so I wouldn't get much money if I sold it - not enough to make it worth the hassle of taking photos, finding a transport box, getting postage quotes, listing it online and dealing with muppets.  I sort of hope that once a year we could arrange some kind of RC swap meet, but to be honest I'd probably come home with more than I take!

But I have officially run out of space - I literally can't get any more cars in anywhere now, and I need to reclaim some space for other stuff soon, so I've put an embargo on any new cars (unless they are to be broken for parts for an existing project, which is often cheaper than just buying parts).

[lentner3 328]

Similar sounding problems for me.

So I also have an embargo at the same time as having quite a bit in various online baskets 🫣

[tamiya_1971 648]

I made the mistake a couple weeks ago of counting mine. Approx 42 built, I do occasional running, and about 10 NIB.  I have one kid going off to college in the fall. Now my finished basement is mostly cleared and I can move my collection from the garage. I’m in the process of making an L shaped desk that will serve as my remote work space and a workbench. I’ve waited a long time for some real space that I can claim. I can now work on some of the unfinished vehicles. It will be nice. (17 years since I had a good workbench/place to work).

I once in a while will sell something off. I do know one day I will have to get rid of them, be it due to age, health,  the possible need of emergency funds, or boredom. Until one of those days occurs, I’ll just keep enjoying what I have. 

[markbt73 5614]

I'm kind of in the same boat, both with RC and with static models. My workbench runneth over. And moving everything into a new house has only served to emphasize that. It's a bigger house than the last one, but with fewer closets and places for shelves and things, so everything is out where I can see it, and I've had to get creative about storage solutions. It has really driven home the point that I have enough.

But I also hate selling things, and usually end up regretting it when I do. So for now, I'm keeping everything. I'm at 50ish RC cars at the moment, give or take depending on what constitutes a "car," and that's enough to keep me busy. I'll buy parts for things as needed and as they become available, but no more new (or used) models.

Unless, of course, something comes to me. If I find an old RC car at a garage sale or a flea market, I won't pass it up. But I'm not going to seek out new projects on eBay or anything any more. It's almost too easy anyway; just throw money at it. No challenge. I'd rather discover something cool in an unexpected place. It's the same thing I've been doing with static models all along; maybe five or six kits out of 100 or so have come from eBay. The rest were all local finds bought in person. It's more fun that way.

[Busdriver 6270]

@Mad Ax a  swap meet would be ace. I have about 50 cars, all of which could be runners in 20  minutes each. About 30 of them are ready to go. I would like to get it down to around 20 but like you none of mine are box art/standard and are therefore difficult to sell !!! 

[Killajb 1594]

Blasphemy!

[Mad Ax 10029]

53 minutes ago, Busdriver said:

@Mad Ax a  swap meet would be ace.

There was the big Tamiyaclub meet back in 2012, IIRC this was before Iconic RC started doing their bashes but after the big Clumber / Kidderminster meets had disappeared.  This was a fantastic 2-day event, inside a little warehouse, attendees had the option of hiring a table for 1 or 2 days to display or sell things, as well as a little track for bashing on.

It would be fab to run something like that, maybe at a summer Tamiya Junkies meet if we could do that in the indoor track, but we'd have to guarantee good weather otherwise people would want to race indoors, and it's such a long way for so many people that a lot wouldn't want to or be able to attend.  Plus with all the vintage race meets it's bound to clash with something.  I guess I just have to keep raising it with the Tamiya Junies crew until it happens

(and I'm only saying this because I'm excited about coming home with some random project, not getting rid of stuff!)

[Kowalski86 3983]

When space becomes a premium and I can't keep track of them, that's when too much is too much for me. 

I would unload the NIB kits, since if you don't have any plans to build them they're literally doing nothing but occupying space.

[magpie 54]

i always find you need one more,think of new projects every week,140 ish.

[lupogtiboy 490]

I have amassed a lot of Tamiya cars over the years, most are in my storage container these days, but I did run most of them back when I could. I have a few kits to build, but the same can be said about the other things I also collect, Gundam kits, Lego etc....

You can never have too much of a good thing!

 

This picture below was just what I had at the time on display, there were others tucked away here and there! 

 

[lentner3 328]

4 hours ago, Kowalski86 said:

When space becomes a premium and I can't keep track of them, that's when too much is too much for me. 

I would unload the NIB kits, since if you don't have any plans to build them they're literally doing nothing but occupying space.

I do plan to build them but not soon.

[lentner3 328]

2 hours ago, lupogtiboy said:

I have amassed a lot of Tamiya cars over the years, most are in my storage container these days, but I did run most of them back when I could. I have a few kits to build, but the same can be said about the other things I also collect, Gundam kits, Lego etc....

You can never have too much of a good thing!

 

This picture below was just what I had at the time on display, there were others tucked away here and there! 

 

I have a fairly similar collection to this. 

[yogi-bear 2413]

I'm in the same boat, some 150 plus cars now, ranging from NIB, to lots of pieces gathered together and even on kit I am 3D print and making almost everything from scratch. I am now being very stringent on what I buy as I have no more space and a shed to tidy. As some point I will have to start selling, but not yet, that will wait until I can get more regular time to go through what I have, which at my rate will be a few years, and I am content with that. I will work on the odd project though and slowly organise and tidy the collect (and the shed).

[wtcc5 5508]

Then I add me to our luxury problem chat. 100+ here. I lately rearranged the hobby room to have more space for cars and boxes. I definitely think it is too much now, but have three cars on preorder (one Hara edition tc and two RC10T)  and the head full of project ideas, limited time though. The time will come when I will sell a lot of cars (5-10 years from now) and keep only the ones I want to take with me into the grave.

I can already feel how this selling will cause pain —> hard to admit, but lets do it like the Alcoholics Anonymous: Hi, my name is Kevin and I hoard R/C cars. I came in contact with R/C cars early in my childhood. It is a family thing. I thought I have it under control, but it got worse with the years. Now, I am running out of space, but don’t feel like I can sell any of my precious treasures. The buyers are simply too ignorant to understand the love I gave every part, every screw on my cars. They will just bash these with their kids on the street. I cannot accept that. 

[GToddC5 1599]

I only have two bedrooms in my small house, and am making plans to swap my hobby room with my larger bedroom . . . so yeah . . . collection is getting too big at over 150, with only maybe 1/3rd of those built and many of those needing rebuilds.

[svenb 3880]

@GToddC5 will rename this thread

My collection is not bigger enough 

🤭

[wtcc5 5508]

31 minutes ago, GToddC5 said:

I only have two bedrooms in my small house, and am making plans to swap my hobby room with my larger bedroom . . . so yeah . . . collection is getting too big at over 150, with only maybe 1/3rd of those built and many of those needing rebuilds.

Any chance to get a picture of your collection altogether? By the way: Just followed you on IG. You have some nice pieces in your collection 

I think this thread has the potential to become even more interesting. I definitely would like to see the collections of all the super collectors here.

[hairyjon 94]

Same here really. I have just gone from 82 at the height to 14. Decided there is far to many. But I'd guess I'll start adding again soon enough. 

[Rinskie 851]

My mechanical sympathy will not allow me to have more than I can play with, maintain or appreciate. While I am slightly envious of those who have a shed load of ready to be built kits, I would hear each of them scream out in the middle of the night like the tale tale heart just begging to be fondled. 

[lentner3 328]

16 hours ago, wtcc5 said:

Any chance to get a picture of your collection altogether? By the way: Just followed you on IG. You have some nice pieces in your collection 

I think this thread has the potential to become even more interesting. I definitely would like to see the collections of all the super collectors here.

Sounds like a challenge.

but getting all mine out for photos will be some undertaking. Something I’m hoping to do over the next few months though.

[Nikko85 3766]

I counted mine at around 16, which is way more than I could ever really play with or need. I considered selling some of my QDs, but didn't get any bites, and frankly I would end up selling for less than the electronics.

I think to sell would be to invite just buying more, which in turn would cost more money in the long run anyhow.

When my toddler comes of age I think some may get re-used as birthday presents and then played with quite a bit, so it's worth keeping, just a little sad seeing them all in the loft.

I've no space to display in my house, so I've just got a rolling collection of my favourites four which sit in a shelf in the bedroom.

 

[wtcc5 5508]

1 hour ago, lentner3 said:

Sounds like a challenge.

but getting all mine out for photos will be some undertaking. Something I’m hoping to do over the next few months though.

No challenge, just curious and I like to see what others hide inside their "four walls".

This mine:

 

Two large shelfs in the hobby room and a small one upstairs with 96 cars. About ten cars NiB and/or as parts in boxes hidden behind another shelf full with mangas on the right side of the two large shelfs.

[GToddC5 1599]

19 hours ago, wtcc5 said:

Any chance to get a picture of your collection altogether? By the way: Just followed you on IG. You have some nice pieces in your collection 

I think this thread has the potential to become even more interesting. I definitely would like to see the collections of all the super collectors here.

I'll see what I can do, but I don't have everything organized the way I'd like just yet, and my room is turning into a hoarding nightmare as the boxes pile up!

[lentner3 328]

1 hour ago, wtcc5 said:

No challenge, just curious and I like to see what others hide inside their "four walls".

This mine:

 

Two large shelfs in the hobby room and a small one upstairs with 96 cars. About ten cars NiB and/or as parts in boxes hidden behind another shelf full with mangas on the right side of the two large shelfs.

 Now that’s something!!!

good use of the classic Kallax. 👏🏻