Toys are meant to be played with. Open those bad boys up!

Then it's not collecting, it's playing. That's like saying "stamps are meant to be mail, lick them and stick them on things!"

Your logic is faulty.

I collect D&D books and modules. I've amassed several hundred world building works, adventures, maps, and splat books. It fills up half of my office. And that's not even mentioning all the terrain and miniatures I have.

I also play D&D 3-4 times a month.

So I don't have a collection because I actually use it?

That makes no sense.

You can only be a book collector if you don't read any of the books you have? You can't collect art if you actually display and observe it?

You get my point, hopefully.

Actually, lots of comic book collectors, for example, will buy two copies, one which gets bagged and boarded and put away, never to be opened and another one for reading purposes. There is a very definite delineation between what they collect and what they purchase for use. My daughter has a ton of My Little Ponies, most of them she has opened and displays and plays with, but a select few are MIB and put away. I'd call one a collection and one just something meant to be used. Myself, I buy tons and tons of tools, all of which are organized on the wall when not in use. Is that a collection or is it something I purchased to use for the purpose it's intended?

You can define the word "collection" however you like but, as far as I'm concerned, if there's no demonstrable difference between something that you use for the purpose it is intended and a collection, why think it's a collection?

Because that's what it is. So says Dictionary.com:

col·lec·tion [kuh-lek-shuhn] Show IPA

noun
1. the act of collecting.

2. something that is collected; a group of objects or an amount of material accumulated in one location, especially for some purpose or as a result of some process: a stamp collection; a collection of unclaimed hats in the checkroom; a collection of books on Churchill.

3. the works of art constituting the holdings of an art museum: a history of the museum and of the collection.

4. the gathered or exhibited works of a single painter, sculptor, etc.: an excellent Picasso collection.

5. collections, the various holdings of an art museum organized by category, as painting, sculpture, works on paper, photography, or film: the director of the collections.

My collection is accumulated in one place for a specific purpose. Seems pretty straight forward.

I'm afraid we'll just have to agree to disagree on this one, Cephus.

You know I have never considered myself a "collector." I just buy action figures of stuff I like, like wrestling and GI Joe and superheroes.

I wonder how many you need for it to be considered a collection. If you had a couple toys, it would just be some stuff. If you have 100 of them, maybe then it's a collection.

I do wonder about MOC collectors - do you prefer figures to have less POA? Because if they are never coming out of the packaging, what is the point of any articulation? The Iron Man 3 figures have only 5 POA, and are cheaper. Those of who open our stuff think this sucks - it makes the figures more basic and less poseable and fun. Do MOC collectors think "Wow, only five more POA to go"?

It doesn't matter to me from a functional standpoint because I'm never opening the package, but I don't collect statues, so by a definitional standpoint, points of articulation matter. In general though, it's really just personal preference.

A big factor for me is price. If I got a MU solid Vision for 40 Im not opening it up for anything. If i spend more than retail by 7 bucks I will not open it

I'll have to say it depends on you... If you collect, if your just a fan of the figure, reseller, etc.

If you collect it's 50/50 - Many collector's keep their item MOC for value and I guess the idea of being complete make's more desirable in the future to someone looking for it down the line. If you think about it, if you open up a figure today and play with it and display it for awhile a few years down the line you plan on selling it cause you out grown it or need the space can you find all the accessories and keep it mint and fresh as it were? Thus the point of MOC.

For fans you can open them up and play with them to your heart's desire because it about the love of the character/series. You may not even want to sell it or care about the re-sell value.

I personally have my stuff both ways. My marvel legends are MOC, I started collecting the Marvel movie figures too and I keep them MOC too. My loose figures are mainly Buffy, Charmed, Smallville, Customs.

I open most of my stuff, I just cant help it. I feel like a kid again ripping open the package to get to my new toy.

I'm with you all the way.

This is a fun discussion, I collect loose toys. How about that? But I also play with my collection in that I like to pose and re-pose them quite often. I also have a brother who's an avid gun collector. He shoots his guns all the time but still considers them as part of his collection.

So I guess here's my take on the whole thing:
If you enjoy posing your figures then open them. If you enjoy the box art then keep it. And if you enjoy knowing that your toys are in its most valuable condition then keep them MOC. It doesn't have to be one or the other, we all have the right to mix and match our collecting habits and preferences. If you have the money and space, do it all. But most of all, collect in a way that brings you the most joy. That's what I do.

Every once in a while Ill buy something and tell myself Im not going to open this one. Ill hang it up or stick it on the shelf. For the next day or two all Ill think about is opening it up. Finally I cant stand it anymore and open it. That makes me feel alot better.

For new stuff, loose...doesn't matter what it is. I'll collect older stuff carded, but only because I think the card artwork is far superior to newer stuff (in most cases) and there's greater monetary value when comparing loose and carded (again, in most cases). Statues and new figures, though - always loose.

The new Vintage carded Star Wars I enjoy keeping MoC simply for that reason.

The only figures that I ever considered keep MOC, are some of Mattel SDCC exclusives, cause some of the packages are so cool, like the Infinite Heroes box set, with lights and sound, or JLU Solomon Grundy, etc. Anyway, I couldnt resist to get the figures, pose them, take some pics and display them on my shelves.