[Lifeline_MD]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 82joe

But how do you all handle the second part of my question? How do you seperate "collecting" from "playing"? Does anybody ever worry that they are stressing the wrong message to their kids? that toys are to be "collected" and placed on a shelf for display and not to be roughed around and broken while playing? When I was growing up I didn't know any adults like myself. I didn't know grown men collected toys (baseball cards and stuff like that yeah...but not toys)....sure when I was a kid we would go to flea markets and auctions and there would be tons of vintage 70's toys available.......but they were just that, they were toys....I don't know what I'm trying to say. Sometimes I just feel weird having a toy collection and fear I'm sending the wrong message to the kids.

I don't think you're sending the wrong message. I think it shows kids that toys can be enjoyed at any age, as long as you remain youthful at heart.

Sure, as an adult you don't regularly play with them, but thats understandable, you have far more responsibilities than when you were a kid.

I don't think there are many collectors who just put their loose acquisitions in cabinets and say thats it, no more touching them. Most of us will play with them a little.

[Headman]

It's a good thing to teach him not to thrash toys in general. Whether they are his, his friends, or yours. As a kid I was always very careful with my toys but some of my friends had little respect for my belongings. I kinda wish their parents had sent them the "Wrong" message. lol

[snakeeyes0217]

I know what you mean about "the collection." But as long as you show that there are toys to play with and toys that you play with gently, you're sending a good message. It's like any of your possesions, you don't sweat it if you mark up your favorite baseball bat, but you'd never play baseball with a signed bat from your favorite player.

What I will not do, is say that he cannot touch something. I think that is the wrong message. And by letting him touch and showing him how to be gentle, he learns.

[crazylegs]

Ok. Heres how I have to handle the situation. My oldest son is 8 and loves G.I.Joe. I also have a 4 year old little girl and a 2 year old boy who also like to play G.I. joe with their big brother. However i dont have the money (and even if i did god only knows how hard most of this stuff is to find) to buy each of them a g.i. joe everytime i buy myself one. So i have to usually bite the bullet, take the weapons and accesories and put them up, and let the kids play a way.So about 99% of my collection is in extremely played with condition. At first it was hard to accept that but then i realized i still get to hunt for the joes, the thrill of finding new joes, then sharing them with my kids. Since i have no intentions of ever selling them anyway the condition isnt super important to me. Plus i have the accesories put up so one day if they ever get tired of playing with my toys, we can finally put them on display somewhere and they can hang their memories on them. Now i know im definetely in the minority on this but just thought i would share with you. My joes mean alot to me but the joy they bring to my kids means even more.

[tkprime]

THe only value a toy has (I've said this soooooo many times) is the memories a child has playing with it, Toys should not be stocks and bonds, they should be played with, yes, I have my collection, and sure if I put it on evilbay I could make a small mint, but my value is the memories of christmas and birthdays, and backyard brawls.

[crazylegs]

Amen!