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Are you collecting still?


T.B.O.C

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Hello all, feels like it's been a considerable amount of time since I've made a topic here, but I've been doing a lot of work lately on my collection, and thought it might be a fun thing to discuss.

What's your collection status right now? Do you actively collect still, or do you just maintain what you have? Do you buy sets to keep and display, or for parts to MoC with? Have any parts of your collection you're particularly working on, or any projects you've been doing?

I'll start with a few answers. I've been collecting since I started buying G1 BIONICLE sets back in the day, though my collecting was at a minimum in high school and college (way back when) as money was tight. Nowadays I work full time, and have had extra money to start filling in gaps in my collection. Unfortunately it's quite a bit more expensive than it used to be...

Right now I'm working on pinning down the last 7 regular retail releases I don't own. These are primarily playsets I missed from 05-07, with 3 constraction sets left: Mazeka, the limited edition Jetrax (only have the regular), and Toa Mata Nui. The last one is a bit of a sob story as I actually passed up a chance to buy it in 2009 and instead bought the Kaxium and Cendox. Little did I know how those prices would turn out. The remaining playsets are: Visorak's Gate, Race for the Mask of Life, Toa Undersea Attack, and the Toa Terrain Crawler. I started this year with 10 sets remaining, and actually cut down some challenging ones. Got a Fero & Skirmix boxed for a decent price (the original box, I think there's a variant released alongside the Glatorian Legends wave for The Legend Reborn), as well as a boxed Vultraz. My current prize and awkward money sink was a boxed Karzahni. Unfortunately at 10x retail, but that's actually below market price for a boxed one. Figured I'd have to spring on it. 

Other than that, I've been focused on collectibles. I'm 4 noble Kanohi away from a complete original set of 72 Kanohi. I've gone back on my age old decision to attempt to collect European Misprints, given their excessive individual prices. May still pick some up as I can, just I can't justify the $100-300 they each show up for. Can I pretend the black Ruru is still a misprint?

I'm a handful of Krana away from a complete Krana collection as well, and I'm steadily working my way through Kanohi Nuva. Almost have all of Gali and Pohatu's masks - missing one each. I made some considerable strides in getting their Protodermic Kanohi Nuva as well - just missing a Pakari Nuva and and Akaku Nuva. Funnily enough, I have enough extra Toa Nuva that I can use them to display the masks.

In terms of other projects - I've been working on assembling some of the fan-canon models I liked. I've had the Tahtorak complete for around a year now, but I'm waiting on the last 7 or so parts to build the Kanohi Dragon (Kohlii balls and those black axle/pins). I have a few smaller ones nearly done too, like the Metru Mantis and Razor Whale. I am very close to finishing a Melding Teridax too - though that has probably been the most painful - insane amount of expensive and rare white parts! The Hordika feet alone are pretty expensive, much less some of the pins and axles that only got a handful of releases in 02-03.

Canon combiners have been coming in too, usually easier since many lots have given me extras. I have a Kahgarak and Zivon I've been building on. Slowly assembling Botar as well, as I find people who aren't overpricing every single piece to come out of Brutaka. A handful of pieces away from The Shadowed One and Sentrakh as well.

I'm also nearly done on completing a little Bohrok swarm. I've been trying to put together 6 of each type with 3 accompanying Va each (who are actually considerably pricier to assemble). Nearly done with all the Bohrok, besides missing a lot of Nuhvok shields. Waiting on some odds and ends to finish up the Va.

In terms of finished projects, I recently finished my little self-indulgent Exo-Toa collection. I'd wanted to assemble 6 of them to have each Toa in one, to replicate the fight against the Bahrag. Midway through last year I happened upon two used and mostly complete Exo-Toa in quick succession. I joked about finding more, when a third was found at a thrift store I went to. A few other lots contained partials, until I finally just jumped on a under market value one I saw to finish out at 6. I had plenty of extra Toa Mata and Golden Kanohi, but the real trouble then was modding them to fit all the Toa. I followed mods from PurpleDave, a user on Mask of Destiny, who in 2002 posted some astonishingly good mods for Exo-Gali, Exo-Onua, and Exo-Pohatu that make them look barely different from the stock set. Now they're just sitting around, waiting for me to clear enough space to get some decent pictures!

Either way, that's enough of my rambling. How's your guys' collections going?

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The Duckbricks fanon contests have really got me back into building, both digitally and physically. I've also been working on a fanfic in my spare time and been gradually making MOCs of all the characters to get myself into the headspace. 

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Sounds like a sick collection! I haven’t collected the play sets really, I’ve just bought a few that I really like. I was collecting krana and I’m 100 or so in, but the display doesn’t hold together anymore so I had to take it down from my wall. My main goal and “white whale” collection I’ve been working on for the past few years was getting all the prototype shadow leech colors, and just made a trade for the last ones I needed. So, for awhile at least, I’m done collecting! I don’t think I have a lot of incentive to finish the krana while they aren’t on my wall haha.

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36 minutes ago, The_Chill_Toa said:

Well, even if it isn't regarded well I am looking to finish the 2010 Bionicle Stars wave and building up the Bionicle rogues gallery. 

Stars certainly isn’t a great line but I’ve always liked it, it was a nice little last wave celebrating Bionicle

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19 hours ago, Nato G said:

The Duckbricks fanon contests have really got me back into building, both digitally and physically. I've also been working on a fanfic in my spare time and been gradually making MOCs of all the characters to get myself into the headspace. 

I've been fairly interested in seeing how those shake out. I follow Bukkey, a mocist that does some of my favorite renditions of some characters and their entries for some of those fanon contests have been great. I'm actually assembling parts to make their Tuyet right now! Fanfic and OC mocs are a fun idea too. That's honestly something I really enjoy about BIONICLE - its nice to be able to design a character and then be able to make a model out of them! Or even vice versa.

10 hours ago, Constraction_Deva said:

I just completed my 01-03 Kanohi Krana and set Kraata this year. It took a crazy long time to acquire but they look great in my display case. I am collecting every set now and should have the complete collection by the end of the year.

Wow - congratulations! All of that is incredible, with Kraata alone being such a feat. I never collected many Kraata when they were out, so most of mine have been in the current market. Less than stellar, but makes you appreciate the ones you have. I think I'm at something like 92 or so? So I still have a long way. Would love to see pictures of that display case!

9 hours ago, Tohunga Premium said:

Sounds like a sick collection! I haven’t collected the play sets really, I’ve just bought a few that I really like. I was collecting krana and I’m 100 or so in, but the display doesn’t hold together anymore so I had to take it down from my wall. My main goal and “white whale” collection I’ve been working on for the past few years was getting all the prototype shadow leech colors, and just made a trade for the last ones I needed. So, for awhile at least, I’m done collecting! I don’t think I have a lot of incentive to finish the krana while they aren’t on my wall haha.

I think getting just the ones you like is a really good idea. In all honesty, there's a ton of BIONICLE sets that just aren't that amazing to me anymore. At this point, it's more so memories and getting a complete collection together. I'd be curious to hear which ones you went for. I feel similarly on displays - I have a few technic displays for Kanohi, but they are NOT good at holding themselves up. I need to improvise some solutions. I had a few ideas for Krana and Kraata, but they're a little parts intensive so I might wait on them.

The Prototype Shadow Leech collection is SO interesting - I saw some of your pics in the topic you made. Stellar to hear about getting the last ones! That's such a wonderfully unique part of your collection.

7 hours ago, confused piraka said:

I'm just buying random lots and hoping for cool stuff.

Lot hunting can be somewhat addictingly fun - I'm a big fan of combing through and seeing what sets are complete in there, or what's missing. You can get a lot of nice little things from lots too - my last one had 90% of a Nui-Jaga set, two golden Vahi, some extra Krana and Rahkshi Kraata, as well as my third extra set of Turaga. I'm genuinely starting to think about doing the few Kabaya combiners with them at this point. Do you normally do eBay, or shop around in general?

6 hours ago, The_Chill_Toa said:

Well, even if it isn't regarded well I am looking to finish the 2010 Bionicle Stars wave and building up the Bionicle rogues gallery. 

If anyone has some pointers on what to look out for though when visiting third party LEGO stores, it would be appreciated. I always want to look out for the best deals. 😁

The STARS, for all the flak they get, are fairly solid. Even with the Av-Matoran/Agori builds, I think they capture their characters quite well. I've sometimes thought of assembling some extras of the Skrall and Rahkshi sets, but haven't gone too out of my way to try. I believe I have an extra Tahu and Rahkshi from back in the day though (I thought it would be a neat idea to have a Tahu to showcase the Golden armor on - I was right, tbh).

Not too sure on pointers - I only have one independent Lego store in my area, and they don't typically have much BIONICLE. Had a couple of Toa, and a loose Hydraxon and Gadunka. They had a fair few loose Kanohi, but all normal ones from the sets for a fairly high markup. Interestingly, a lot of the 2015 masks too. I'd say just have a general sense of market prices in your head for when you see something unexpected. I sometimes keep lists of rarer parts I need more of in my mind and check through loose bins or baggies of parts to see if any snuck through. Happens sometimes!

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5 hours ago, T.B.O.C said:

I think getting just the ones you like is a really good idea. In all honesty, there's a ton of BIONICLE sets that just aren't that amazing to me anymore. At this point, it's more so memories and getting a complete collection together. I'd be curious to hear which ones you went for. I feel similarly on displays - I have a few technic displays for Kanohi, but they are NOT good at holding themselves up. I need to improvise some solutions. I had a few ideas for Krana and Kraata, but they're a little parts intensive so I might wait on them.

The Prototype Shadow Leech collection is SO interesting - I saw some of your pics in the topic you made. Stellar to hear about getting the last ones! That's such a wonderfully unique part of your collection.

If I can remember them all, just the Bionicle sets, I have the full McDonald’s tohunga line, Chirox & Kirop, Click & Klakk, Vezon and Fenrakk, Manas crabs, Ekimu, Umarak the Hunter, and I put together JTO Makuta a few months back. I also recently got the Bionicle GWP and I love it!

Something I haven’t tried for the technic displays is having nails/thumb tacks or whatever you use supporting it on multiple levels instead of just the top. I’m pretty sure that will work, I just haven’t been able to find more of the type of “nail” I used for mine! Makes the fancy glass cases look even better haha.

I appreciate it! I’m super excited and I can’t wait to be able to share pictures of all of them together :)

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4 hours ago, confused piraka said:

I'm not telling because then more people would bid.

Lmao, I understand the grind. Either way, hope you find some good stuff!

8 hours ago, Tohunga Premium said:

If I can remember them all, just the Bionicle sets, I have the full McDonald’s tohunga line, Chirox & Kirop, Click & Klakk, Vezon and Fenrakk, Manas crabs, Ekimu, Umarak the Hunter, and I put together JTO Makuta a few months back. I also recently got the Bionicle GWP and I love it!

Something I haven’t tried for the technic displays is having nails/thumb tacks or whatever you use supporting it on multiple levels instead of just the top. I’m pretty sure that will work, I just haven’t been able to find more of the type of “nail” I used for mine! Makes the fancy glass cases look even better haha.

I appreciate it! I’m super excited and I can’t wait to be able to share pictures of all of them together :)

That's a pretty good line up - a lot of the hard hitters throughout BIONICLE (particularly Vezon and Fenrakk, I have a lot of good memories of that set.) Is the JTO Makuta that larger combiner set with the late 2016 sets? That one always looked so cool - unfortunately I missed a TON of the 2016 line because I'd started collecting amiibo at the time. Only ever got the Kopaka/Melum Unity set and Umarak (though Umarak ROCKS so this isn't too bad). I also have the BIONICLE GWP! Haven't opened it yet though, saving it for a rainy day where I'll appreciate it more I think.

In other collecting news - my final few parts for the Kanohi Dragon arrived today! I'm excited to put it together. I have some clear figure stands that I'd experiment with holding it aloft with. I don't think it'll work too well, but it would be fun if it did.

I'm also vaguely starting a few other fan-canon models sometime soon - thinking about starting Artahka and Miserix. Artakha seems the harder of the two given the rare/expensive parts, but I like the idea of having him assembled. I'd also really like to get into 3D printing and finishing some masks that never got made in G1 - like Helryx, Artahka, and the unmutated Olisi. We'll see if I manage to do some of that! 

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1 hour ago, T.B.O.C said:

That's a pretty good line up - a lot of the hard hitters throughout BIONICLE (particularly Vezon and Fenrakk, I have a lot of good memories of that set.) Is the JTO Makuta that larger combiner set with the late 2016 sets? That one always looked so cool - unfortunately I missed a TON of the 2016 line because I'd started collecting amiibo at the time. Only ever got the Kopaka/Melum Unity set and Umarak (though Umarak ROCKS so this isn't too bad). I also have the BIONICLE GWP! Haven't opened it yet though, saving it for a rainy day where I'll appreciate it more I think.

In other collecting news - my final few parts for the Kanohi Dragon arrived today! I'm excited to put it together. I have some clear figure stands that I'd experiment with holding it aloft with. I don't think it'll work too well, but it would be fun if it did.

I'm also vaguely starting a few other fan-canon models sometime soon - thinking about starting Artahka and Miserix. Artakha seems the harder of the two given the rare/expensive parts, but I like the idea of having him assembled. I'd also really like to get into 3D printing and finishing some masks that never got made in G1 - like Helryx, Artahka, and the unmutated Olisi. We'll see if I manage to do some of that! 

I also have Gadunka! Can't believe I forgot about angry bionicle. JTO Makuta is the official g2 combo model shown off at a toy fair that ended up getting cancelled due to g2 getting the axe. I believe it would've also been released as it's own set. Really sucks it didn't because it's genuinely an excellent model! I really like g2, but only had Pohatu and the black and trans purple protector when it hit stores. I ESPECIALLY love how g2 handled exclusive collectibles, I have the trans clear NYCC hau and the trans neon green SDCC skull scorpio mask. The trans blue Inside Tour kaukau is a huge want for me but I'd consider in unobtainable, as I'm not spending what people are asking for for it. With g2 on the mind, reminds me that I've also really wanted a g2 art book! Those are unfortunately very rare and very expensive as well.

Amiibo are pretty cool, I recently got the Steve and Alex ones, and the two sets of Splatoon "idol" amiibo. I've wanted a Guardian amiibo but they're too expensive for what they are lmao. On the Bionicle gwp, I'm sure you'll enjoy it. I love it and it was such a treat to open and build!

The Kanohi Dragon is a pretty cool model! I've never really been into building models that weren't actual sets, JTO Makuta was an exception but it WAS supposed to be an official set lol. I guess it's just not my thing, neither are the fanon contests, but it's really cool to see people still finding new ways to enjoy the hobby and keep it alive beyond just buying old sets.

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I mean, not particularly.

I got most of the sets when they came out (because who needs any other hobbies in the 2000s?) and the ones I missed out on I'm fine with.  And since my sets are parted out for MOCIng, it doesn't really bug me that I don't have a full Mahri collection.

I have all 72 masks of the Toa and Turaga (plus gold and silver) which was a huge goal of mine as a kid and I'm super pleased to have pulled it off a decade later.  And I have all 144 of the krana.  I had started on the Nuva, but I dislike those masks so I gave away most of them a decade ago.  The kraata never really interested me either.  I do have 12 of the 14 misprints, but the ones I'm missing are so expensive nowadays that I doubt I'll ever get them.  I have a handful of prototypes, but it was more fun to spread those out to the community at Conventions.  (Even found the original Mata pens so I have those pen masks!  Technically only have half the Nuva pens but they're less interesting.)  There are other things that I am missing but I'm cool with it at this point.

In truth, I'm more interested in current sets (CMFs and Ninjago) to spend much time looking back on Bionicle.  I'll buy the occasional piece for MOCing but that's about it.  So I'm pretty set with my current Bionicle collection as is.

:music: 

Edited by xccj
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I'm slowly building up my collection of 2001-2003 sets. I always wanted them as a kid because I got started with Bionicle around 2006 so the 01-03 sets were always somewhat of a holy grail. It's also a more obtainable collection than all of G1. It's a pretty small collection right now, I'd say maybe 10% complete, and that's not counting mask/krana/kraata collections, which I don't think I'll even get into. I haven't bought any new sets in a long time (a couple years now that I think about it, wow), but I'll probably look for another batch when I figure out how I want to display them, my current collection is just in a box right now.

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I don't collect anymore, not seriously so. I used to as a teen, especially from 2004 - 2008; but I eventually gave up when I didn't find the Av-Matoran interesting enough to get all of (and couldn't afford the battle vehicles besides!). Still, at one point I had something like 90% of the (non-promotional, non-playset, non-collectable-pack) sets from the first eight years, which was some kind of achievement at least!

I then sold a majority of them when I was at university, having moved on to other interests and figuring they'd do much better going to people who would actually appreciate them rather than them just sitting around in large boxes taking up space in my bedroom.

I... don't regret that decision, on the whole. However with hindsight, I do think I could have been a little more discerning. A lot of sets I'm completely happy to have let go on to better homes, but there are definitely a few that I have come to miss. Unfortunately, some of those - especially the titans such as Axonn, Brutaka, Lhikan and 2008 Takanuva - command steep prices on eBay these days and I balk at paying double (or more!) what I bought them for in the past; so, while I look out for them on occasion, I don't have high hopes of getting them back.

But yeah. The handful that I miss, and the McToran who were never available in my home country the UK, are the only ones that I'm seriously interested in collecting (or re-collecting I guess) anymore. I just kinda like to have them for the nostalgia, for the fun of rebuilding and posing them a little; but I don't do anything serious with them besides that. It's just nice to have a few of my old favourites around sometimes ^^

Edited by That Matoran with a Vahi
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I do not actively collect and have no intention of picking up. As of now I am selling off my HF stuff (which is a very slow process) and may start selling off my G1 stuff in the future. Although I'll wait until the rest of my Lego collection is gone first as those things meant a lot to me. I simply don't have the space for them and am investing the money into other projects. 

It's time to move on.

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Every now and then I still grab a bag of Bionicle parts from the local Bricks and Minifigures, but its pretty irregular. 

I do still have collection goals and sets I want, but my last big surge in collecting was 2020-2021 or so during the pandemic. Stuck in lockdown, living with my parents; I was outright splurging to buy Bionicle sets. I spent one Zoom class distracted by building the Tarakava I just bought off Bricklink, and I was rushing to fill in gaps in my collection that I never completed when I was a kid. 

The last few years though my place in life changed. I moved out from home, class resumed in person, and entering my senior levels of studying my focus began to shift towards paying rent and keeping on top of my homework so the long and grueling time I have spent in school to get my MechE degree can finally end (past ten years since I left high school now and entered college between shifting majors & transferring schools plus two years of religious service abroad, multiple repeat classes and surviving the ordeal the "Zoom years" were). Even with my hope to soon be done with school, I still have student loans, medical bills, the need to upgrade my computer, and a half dozen hobbies other than LEGO (travel goals, TTRPGs, vinyl record collecting, cartoon sketching, model railroading, etc.) all competing for time and shelf space which will continue to be a thing even once class is done. That's not to mention my constant feeling I need to get out and socialize more and that so many of my hobbies being solo activities can be sometimes self detrimental to my own mental state. As such my Bionicle (well all my LEGO collection to be honest) lives at my parent's home still, and while I still buy LEGO regularly its a much slower and more measured pace than it was during my splurge years in the pandemic. 

I also had an experience where I visited the Bionicle Archives in their old Harriman location before they moved out as well during those years. While it was literally The Dream™️ to see all the Bionicle sets plus replicas of the canonized Rahi/Dark Hunters and rare oddities like the Platinum Avohkii, metal Krana, Gold Hau, prototype parts, etc... it was also maybe a cap of sorts on my aspirations as a collector. I will never have anything the size of that collection, and in reality I don't really have a desire to with Bionicle. I certainly have gaps in my collection I want to fill out, and ideas aplenty I would love to try someday with MOCs if I developed my parts collection and skills. But I will never be the "peak" collector unless I somehow robbed the house of Andre, Duck Bricks or Eljay... and honestly I'm okay with that. There is something in collecting as a hobby where we often need to realize where we are content and can comfortably stop, and I am much closer to that for me than I often would care to admit. Even my own collection at my parent's house is a dusty unorganized mess that requires more time to fix it up than I care to put into it right now, and that tells me I need to figure out in the future how to collect smarter and not just focus on acquiring "MOAR." 

So am I still collecting? The basic answer is yes. But the complicated answer is life sure finds a way to get in-between me and just going out and buying old Bionicle sets on a  whim. I don't think its a bad thing outright, life is supposed to be kind of like this and its okay.

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All aboard the hype train!

 

 

 

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On 2/17/2023 at 4:42 PM, Tohunga Premium said:

I also have Gadunka! Can't believe I forgot about angry bionicle. JTO Makuta is the official g2 combo model shown off at a toy fair that ended up getting cancelled due to g2 getting the axe. I believe it would've also been released as it's own set. Really sucks it didn't because it's genuinely an excellent model! I really like g2, but only had Pohatu and the black and trans purple protector when it hit stores. I ESPECIALLY love how g2 handled exclusive collectibles, I have the trans clear NYCC hau and the trans neon green SDCC skull scorpio mask. The trans blue Inside Tour kaukau is a huge want for me but I'd consider in unobtainable, as I'm not spending what people are asking for for it. With g2 on the mind, reminds me that I've also really wanted a g2 art book! Those are unfortunately very rare and very expensive as well.

Amiibo are pretty cool, I recently got the Steve and Alex ones, and the two sets of Splatoon "idol" amiibo. I've wanted a Guardian amiibo but they're too expensive for what they are lmao. On the Bionicle gwp, I'm sure you'll enjoy it. I love it and it was such a treat to open and build!

The Kanohi Dragon is a pretty cool model! I've never really been into building models that weren't actual sets, JTO Makuta was an exception but it WAS supposed to be an official set lol. I guess it's just not my thing, neither are the fanon contests, but it's really cool to see people still finding new ways to enjoy the hobby and keep it alive beyond just buying old sets.

Interesting! I don't think I ever knew the JTO Makuta was intended to be a set. Very sad that the last wave of G2 had such a cut. I definitely wanted to collect those NYCC masks back in the day, but they command enough of a price now I don't think I will. Gali's mask especially! I was so upset that was an Inside Tour exclusive, having a trans-blue Gali mask was such a nice little reference back.

I do really like the amiibo that come out nowadays - I got big into collecting the Smash series amiibo, and finally got my last couple a year and a half ago. Nowadays I just keep up with the final ones for Ultimate, and picking up ones I like (mainly Zelda and Metroid). The Splatoon ones are very nice too - I think I'm only missing some of those original miscolors and the Octolings. 

19 hours ago, xccj said:

I mean, not particularly.

I got most of the sets when they came out (because who needs any other hobbies in the 2000s?) and the ones I missed out on I'm fine with.  And since my sets are parted out for MOCIng, it doesn't really bug me that I don't have a full Mahri collection.

I have all 72 masks of the Toa and Turaga (plus gold and silver) which was a huge goal of mine as a kid and I'm super pleased to have pulled it off a decade later.  And I have all 144 of the krana.  I had started on the Nuva, but I dislike those masks so I gave away most of them a decade ago.  The kraata never really interested me either.  I do have 12 of the 14 misprints, but the ones I'm missing are so expensive nowadays that I doubt I'll ever get them.  I have a handful of prototypes, but it was more fun to spread those out to the community at Conventions.  (Even found the original Mata pens so I have those pen masks!  Technically only have half the Nuva pens but they're less interesting.)  There are other things that I am missing but I'm cool with it at this point.

In truth, I'm more interested in current sets (CMFs and Ninjago) to spend much time looking back on Bionicle.  I'll buy the occasional piece for MOCing but that's about it.  So I'm pretty set with my current Bionicle collection as is.

:music: 

For sure - I find myself feeling lucky I collected so many during the original run. So many sets that are nice, but NOT worth current prices (I think of Brutaka a lot - wonderful set, but wow) The pens are super interesting - I have a Kaukau mask from one of the pens I got in a lot. I had one of the Star Wars ones back in the day as well.

I'm a big fan of the modern Ninjago sets I see every so often - I collected a lot of the sets back in 2011-12, but fell off of it as I was in high school and college. I bought Zane's Titan Mech the other year because I liked the build so much - and if I was more plugged in I think I'd get more. Still always fun to see what they come up with, CMFs as well.

17 hours ago, Toa Turing said:

I'm slowly building up my collection of 2001-2003 sets. I always wanted them as a kid because I got started with Bionicle around 2006 so the 01-03 sets were always somewhat of a holy grail. It's also a more obtainable collection than all of G1. It's a pretty small collection right now, I'd say maybe 10% complete, and that's not counting mask/krana/kraata collections, which I don't think I'll even get into. I haven't bought any new sets in a long time (a couple years now that I think about it, wow), but I'll probably look for another batch when I figure out how I want to display them, my current collection is just in a box right now.

Definitely! I find a lot of the 2001-2003 sets end up in lots. Buying a couple has netted me a few sets of Mata, Nuva, Turaga, Rahkshi, and Bohrok. Even some rahi as well, at least partially. I think these tend to be some of the most nostalgic and intriguing sets in the background. I can definitely get not wanting to get into the collectibles - they're honestly way more cost intensive than they were ever meant to be. Hard to want to collect them all when people charge $15+ per mask!

10 hours ago, That Matoran with a Vahi said:

I don't collect anymore, not seriously so. I used to as a teen, especially from 2004 - 2008; but I eventually gave up when I didn't find the Av-Matoran interesting enough to get all of (and couldn't afford the battle vehicles besides!). Still, at one point I had something like 90% of the (non-promotional, non-playset, non-collectable-pack) sets from the first eight years, which was some kind of achievement at least!

I then sold a majority of them when I was at university, having moved on to other interests and figuring they'd do much better going to people who would actually appreciate them rather than them just sitting around in large boxes taking up space in my bedroom.

I... don't regret that decision, on the whole. However with hindsight, I do think I could have been a little more discerning. A lot of sets I'm completely happy to have let go on to better homes, but there are definitely a few that I have come to miss. Unfortunately, some of those - especially the titans such as Axonn, Brutaka, Lhikan and 2008 Takanuva - command steep prices on eBay these days and I balk at paying double (or more!) what I bought them for in the past; so, while I look out for them on occasion, I don't have high hopes of getting them back.

But yeah. The handful that I miss, and the McToran who were never available in my home country the UK, are the only ones that I'm seriously interested in collecting (or re-collecting I guess) anymore. I just kinda like to have them for the nostalgia, for the fun of rebuilding and posing them a little; but I don't do anything serious with them besides that. It's just nice to have a few of my old favourites around sometimes ^^

That makes a lot of sense - 2008 was definitely a major shift from before, and were I older at the time I think I would have done similarly. Sorry to hear about the titans, they were ones I also did not expect to be as expensive in the modern day. 

Building and posing is a lot of what I do nowadays too - sometimes going after combiners I never did just to see how they come together, or building little things I'd thought about when younger. I've had some rough ideas for making more permanent displays to showcase the different years, but its mostly been small concepts I've doodled on paper while at work nowadays. Still, would be fun to do sometime!

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@Tohunga Premium, having built JTO Makuta myself I suspect had that figure ever been released as a set it would have been significantly altered. The current model as stands is pretty complicated and has some fragile assembly which limits how it can be displayed. My guess is JTO Makuta is much more similar to a concept model, and not so much a finished set proposal. 

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  • 3 weeks later...

I'm still collecting. It makes me happy. There are a few sets I'd still love to get my hands on, like Lesovikk or the regular blue Jetrax T6. It's mostly Kanohi and Kraata I collect nowadays, though.

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"You are an absolute in these uncertain times. Your past is forgotten, and your
future is an empty book. You must find your own destiny, my brave adventurer.
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-- Turaga Nokama

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19 hours ago, The Toa of Music said:

Still collecting lol, rn I'm trying to get every single bohrok because why not.

Admirable goal - the Bohrok are really good. I've been doing a fair amount of Bohrok collecting lately between Bricklink orders. I mainly just need Nuhvok and Kohrak shields and then this little slice of my collection is done.

6 hours ago, Master Inika said:

I'm still collecting. It makes me happy. There are a few sets I'd still love to get my hands on, like Lesovikk or the regular blue Jetrax T6. It's mostly Kanohi and Kraata I collect nowadays, though.

Nice! The Jetrax is a very fun set. I'm still on the hunt for the limited edition version with a box (that's the kicker atm). That and Mazeka are my last 2008 sets finally. I just finished up my 2001 Kanohi collection and am working on the Kraata, but that's gonna be a long time coming for me, I think.

6 hours ago, confused piraka said:

how do you store it all?

Poorly, LMAO... right now mostly disassembled in original packaging. As I get more space for myself I have some designs for year displays I want to make. Probably a long form endeavor though.

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 My Brickshelf, please don't copy!

... :t: :b: :m_o: :c:...

Looking for shiny Regirock, Articuno, and Virizion!

(Can trade most any legendary for them!)

My 3DS friend list is full, sorry!

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Obviously having got into Bionicle after G1 ended, it's been hard getting sets let alone any cool goodies like masks, especially post-G2, but I'm at peace about not having it all. I think seeing Duckbricks, Eljay or however else has complete collections is cool enough in itself and I'm happy for them, as others have said there's plenty of meh sets in Bionicle's run so it doesn't hurt to miss some. I definitely wish I had the 2007 titans though, let alone GiTD pieces, pearl gold. Prety chuffed to have got about half the Kaukau colours and most of the gold and silver Mata Masks which I intend on building a Suva reminiscent display for. Most of me and my brother's collection is "parted out" for Mocs however and in some ways that goes toward things like Bio-Cup where there's the slim chance of obtaining a cool mask or promo item etc. I think Mocs are personally more fun for me as no one else "has" that Moc, it's cool seeing a part in a new way, such as a foot as a head so forth.

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My storage right now is haphazard since I just moved. I just want to settle down and get all my sets properly displayed like I've always wanted.

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"You are an absolute in these uncertain times. Your past is forgotten, and your
future is an empty book. You must find your own destiny, my brave adventurer.
"
-- Turaga Nokama

nichijou2.jpg

Click here to visit my library!

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I can't decide if "collecting" is the right word or the wrong word for my relationship with Bionicle sets/parts. On the one hand, I harbour zero ambitions of getting everything: every set, every mask, every etc. The only sets that I really have ambitions of pursuing are the ones I sold off in my dark age--and there's not THAT many of them left.

On the other hand... the best kind of used LEGO to luck into these days for me is Bionicle, and I can't go shopping on a Bricklink site without checking out at least two categories of part on every site: "Bionicle" and "Bionicle: Kanohi." So my "collection" is still something I enjoy finding and acquiring and adding to.

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I basically just started collecting. I originally started around 2019, but I bought mostly used sets. I decided I wanted to get everything new and sealed (including combiners and canon MOCs), so I sold off my used lot and started collecting new about a month ago. So far I've only got Toa Mata Pohatu and Onua, as well as the Kane-Ra/Muaka and the Nui-Rama sets.

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1 hour ago, confused piraka said:

why do you want the sealed stuff? 

A few different reasons. Quality control: I tried to be discerning when I was shopping used, but I still ended up with plenty of pieces that were scratched or fit loosely, and I'm something of a perfectionist. I want the containers too, since a lot of them have story relevance. And also just to sort of recapture that feel of getting a new LEGO set. I wasn't allowed to have Bionicle when I was a kid, so this is sort of feeding my inner child, ya know?

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  • 1 month later...

I’m missing 3 sets from 2001-2002, and I’ve got most sets up to 2007 now. Need to thin out duplicates before I get more now!

My most recent acquisition was a sealed Muaka and Kane-Ra which I’ll open for YouTube and build on stream alongside the Bionicle GWP sometime soon.

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