My recent decision to move necessitated giving up some of my collection, which I wrote about here. The responses I received surprised me and have given me pause to reflect on what it means to be a collector. To that end, I have come up with my beliefs on what it takes to enjoy your Star Wars collection.

Once you start collecting, you quickly realize that your collection takes up space. Now, this is not necessarily a bad thing, but it is something that must be dealt with. Where am I going to display this item? If space is limited you have to decide what goes on display and what doesn't. A collection becomes something that has to be packed up, often carefully whenever you move. Depending on how much space you have, a collection can become something that you may have to pay for even after you bought it if you have to store it. It also becomes something that demands time and effort on your part to maintain, whether it be cleaning and/or time spent on the hunt for the elusive item that you seek.

There are positives to being a collector. You get to show off your love of Star Wars to anyone who sees your collection, whether they be family, friends, co-workers, or even strangers. My friends have brought over people they knew just to show them my Star Wars collection. Others have taken pictures of my collection just to remember it. If you're the slightest bit uncomfortable about being a Star Wars geek, then don't become a collector. If you do, your journey to the geek side is complete. The other thing about a collection is it tends to personalize the saga for you. Looking at someone's collection can quickly tell you who their favorite characters are. Not surprisingly, my connection with Padme is reflected in my collection, but there are also pieces of Qui-Gon, Yoda, and Vader.

As I grew older, I found that my connection with Star Wars grew older too. I enjoyed the saga on more intellecutal levels. As such, my desire to collect changed. I still wanted to have a piece of Star Wars so to speak, but I wanted it to reflect who I am. For me, 4 inches of plastic did not reveal the compassion of Padme, the commitment and dedication of Qui-Gon, or the wisdom of Yoda. I began to be frustrated with my collection. It was cluttering up my life, draining my wallet, but wasn't providing me with happiness from looking at it. I learned that I really didn't enjoy random figures of minor characters. I also realized that one Gentle Giant mini-bust actually cost less than 7-10 action figures, took up less space, and better reflected my interest in the saga. Now, I have but a handful of action figures, and a small collection of mini-busts. My collection may be smaller, but I enjoy it a whole lot more.

My Collectors Code

1. Collect what interests you. A Star Wars collection is a personal thing. It reflects your love of the saga. You're the one who has to display the item, pay for it, and live with it, so make sure you want it. Likewise, sticking to pieces that fit what you're looking for ends up being cheaper in the long run. I missed out on some great items because I had spent too much already on items that I lost interest in rather quickly after I purchased them.

2. Respect your fellow collectors and their collections. If you measure yourself by how much bigger your collection is or much longer you've been collecting, seek help. Insulting another person will not really help increase your self esteem. Nobody really cares if you've been collecting since 1978 or 2006. As collectors, we enjoy sharing our pride and joy with fellow Star Wars fans. Any Star Wars collection, no matter how big or small means something to that fan. Don't demean yourself by insulting someone else. Such obnoxious behavior drives people away from the collecting community and is likely spilling over into more important areas of your life, where it can be very damaging.

3. Be honest with the retail stores and your fellow collectors. If you buy a figure, swap it out for a another figure and return it, you're hurting everybody. A future collector could end up with the wrong figure, you're cheating the store, and since you returned it and the future collector might return it once he realizes what you've done, the store will see that Star Wars isn't selling, so they will order fewer units the next time around. Soon, everybody is paying the price for your dishonesty, even you. Scalpers can be defeated if collectors simply stop buying from them. Be patient. You should find that item eventually. Try and find like minded collectors in your community. I've been able to help friends find HTF items and have in turn received HTF items via friends who picked them up for me.

4. Be helpful to your fellow collectors. If you see a parent or child looking for that one figure that the child really wants and you have it in your hand, give it to them. I know this can be very hard, but you may well get another opportunity to pick it up, and even if you don't, your kindness will return to you. At the very least, you'll have made someone's day, but oftentimes kind deeds return to the giver long after the initial act of kindness. I've been very fortunate to get all the pieces I really want and some have been extremely hard to find/acquire. I attribute my good fortune to my willingness to help others out. When I've given up something I wanted to someone else who wanted it more, I've found that when the next thing comes along that I really want, I'm able to find it, even for a fair price.

5. Collect because you enjoy Star Wars, not because you hope your collection will be worth a lot of money someday. Collecting for investing is a very risky thing. Buy an item because you want it, not because it might be worth a lot of money some day. Do not plan on retiring off your collection especially because once the word collectable get attached to an item, the value can really drop. Oftentimes these items are being produced in very large amounts, so they're not likely to be worth much on the secondary market. Just look at what happened with beanie babies. Star Wars is defnitely lasting longer, but many people spent hundreds of dollars on a beanie baby not even worth $1 on ebay.