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Author Topic: Emergency Room and Thoughts  (Read 2291 times)

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Offline WaterDraw

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Emergency Room and Thoughts
« on: July 07, 2018, 02:24:48 PM »
Hey everybody. Recently I had to go to the emergency room and ended up having to get a bunch of shots and like my blood drawn and a bunch of other stuff I wouldn't think I'd ever have to get until I was much older.
While I was sitting in the emergency room bed thingy, I started thinking to myself what exactly is the point of getting all this stuff I have. What am I going to do once I get all of the stuff I want to get and is it even worth it? Is it worth paying $200 for a lump of plastic with hair in it?
I know it's supposed to be worth it if it makes you happy, but then I just realize it's kind of selfish to spend all this money on myself.
The more I layed there the more I questioned what am I even going to do with my ponies when I eventually pass? Would I give them to family? Would I sell them? I'm not sure.
Along with my self reflection of all my possessions, I started to wonder at what point do you spent too much money on someone? I want to get someone really special to me this Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask stationary set (I would keep the Sailor Moon half and they'd get the Tuxedo Mask part), but it's over $70 and I don't know why. Is it because it's limited edition? Well fair enough but it feels like almost EVERYTHING Sailor Moon related, no matter how common, is always an arm and a leg. Even if it is located near me, or if it's more common than dirt.
I thought about other stuff for a while, until I got very sleepy and slept for a long while.
I don't know what the point of this post was really...maybe I just needed to really let my thoughts out somewhere or something, I don't know. Well, I'll try to be on tomorrow with hopefully a more optimistic topic about ponies or some other interest I have.
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Offline banditpony

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Re: Emergency Room and Thoughts
« Reply #1 on: July 07, 2018, 02:49:13 PM »
I think it's good to ponder these things sometimes. It comes down to trying to figure why we have collections, and what makes us happy.

I don't mind spending a bit of my extra money on frivolous stuff. Someone might want to go out to eat at a nice restaurant... and I might want a cute chunk of plastic.

My grandma lived through the depression, so she was a "pack rat". When my family cleaned out her house, it left an impression on me. I don't want my things to be a burden to others. If they toss things in a box and pitch/donate it-- that's fine.

I try to keep my collections small and meaningful to me. :) It makes me smile.
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Offline WaterDraw

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Re: Emergency Room and Thoughts
« Reply #2 on: July 07, 2018, 06:13:37 PM »
I think it's good to ponder these things sometimes. It comes down to trying to figure why we have collections, and what makes us happy.

I don't mind spending a bit of my extra money on frivolous stuff. Someone might want to go out to eat at a nice restaurant... and I might want a cute chunk of plastic.

My grandma lived through the depression, so she was a "pack rat". When my family cleaned out her house, it left an impression on me. I don't want my things to be a burden to others. If they toss things in a box and pitch/donate it-- that's fine.

I try to keep my collections small and meaningful to me. :) It makes me smile.

Putting it that way I think puts a new perspective to me. Thank you :)
BTW you're one post away from your 5,000 post : O
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Offline Leave a Whisper

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Re: Emergency Room and Thoughts
« Reply #3 on: July 07, 2018, 06:23:20 PM »
I hope you feel better.
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Offline NovelNerd

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Re: Emergency Room and Thoughts
« Reply #4 on: July 07, 2018, 06:32:32 PM »
Sorry that you feel this way, and to be honest I have felt that way a great deal. It’s the reason I’ve sold off my collection multiple times to the point of only having my childhood ponies mostly. I’m a school teacher and most of my extra money goes to my pets or clothing because I like it shop. I feel like if I didn’t have my animals and things I waned for myself it wouldn’t hurt anything?

In the end what does having the ponies accomplish?  Nothing really, after all they are chunks of plastic. I think if you’re happy with them and have some prior arrangements set if your collection is big on what will be done with it then it doesn’t hurt anything.
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Offline banditpony

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Re: Emergency Room and Thoughts
« Reply #5 on: July 08, 2018, 08:33:56 AM »
Putting it that way I think puts a new perspective to me. Thank you :)
BTW you're one post away from your 5,000 post : O

:hug: take it easy.

Just to reiterate: It's ok to spend money on things that make you happy. (Just make sure they are making you happy). Your collection should make you smile too :) And if it does, then all is good.
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Re: Emergency Room and Thoughts
« Reply #6 on: July 08, 2018, 08:45:52 AM »
I don't mind spending a bit of my extra money on frivolous stuff. Someone might want to go out to eat at a nice restaurant... and I might want a cute chunk of plastic.
Echoing this bit. My friend spends her paychecks on makeup and brushes, and I use it to buy ponies from Venezuela that squeak. 
We both enjoy using our collections, as well. It makes her happy to try new tutorials out and make herself feel pretty, and I love hunting for and cataloging my toys.
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Offline Noasar

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Re: Emergency Room and Thoughts
« Reply #7 on: July 08, 2018, 09:10:21 AM »
Spend money on experiences, not stuff that's what you'll look back on and remember when you're 80! But ultimately just spend money on what makes you happy, but things that will stick with you and make you happy for years to come.

Offline lovesbabysquirmy

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Re: Emergency Room and Thoughts
« Reply #8 on: July 08, 2018, 11:36:01 AM »
yep it is a balance!

and yes, anything and everything Sailormoon can totally hold a high price tag and we still pay it, don't we?  LOL
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Offline banditpony

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Re: Emergency Room and Thoughts
« Reply #9 on: July 08, 2018, 05:19:54 PM »
and yes, anything and everything Sailormoon can totally hold a high price tag and we still pay it, don't we?  LOL

heck yah we do XD
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Offline LadyMoondancer

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Re: Emergency Room and Thoughts
« Reply #10 on: July 08, 2018, 05:54:31 PM »
It's definitely something I've pondered as well, and something that has led me to gradually downsize my collection.  At one point I had hundreds of ponies, I had rare variants, I had probably thirty or forty MOCs / MIBs.

And there's nothing wrong with collecting any those things.  But a lot of things I was collecting "just because", not because I really liked it.  I was collecting entire pony sets that I didn't really care about, like the gimmicky ones I didn't like as a kid.  I had Tootsie because "I have to complete the set", even though I didn't like her body color at all.  I had Mimic, because everyone's supposed to want Mimic if they're a pony collector, right?

I've seen my friends who collect other toys, like Transformers and Imaginix, go through the same struggle.  It's easy to get in a situation where your collection controls you, instead of you controlling your collection.  I know someone in real life who is a very unhappy person because they search for and collect toys just to get the endorphin rush from finding one.  But after he's found one . . . he's no more happy than he was before.  It is sad.  If we collect, it should be because it keeps us happy in the long term, not because it provides a five minute high till our next toy hit.

My advice is to collect slowly and thoughtfully.  If you want to buy a $200 pony, there is nothing wrong with that.  But take your time and really focus on enjoying that $200 pony (or $2 pony for that matter).  And if you're young, put aside some of your money in an investment account instead of blowing all your excess money on toys.  I sure wish I had done that when I was younger!
« Last Edit: July 08, 2018, 05:58:29 PM by LadyMoondancer »
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Re: Emergency Room and Thoughts
« Reply #11 on: July 09, 2018, 05:05:05 AM »
I think it's an entirely individual and personal decision. What is right for you and your collecting shouldn't be influenced or dictated by what is and isn't good for other people.

You have to decide what you are happy with owning. What you are willing to spend. If you think it's worth spending that money. Nobody else can decide that. It's why when people start collecting from scratch and ask advice on where to start, I always say to look and see what ponies you like first, not what ponies are rare. I never understood people buying ponies because "everyone needs to have" x pony. It's stupid to do that, and as LM said, it creates unnecessary burden rather than enjoyment.

For me MLP has been an integral part of my life. I don't mind saying that although it sometimes gets misunderstood.

I grew up with autism undiagnosed. Ponies not only marked big occasions in my life (the birth of my sister, a good luck charm for my mother when she was ill, etc), they also encouraged me to reach out and play a part in the world, not just shut myself away. When I began writing stories, it began with ponies and grew from that. I made friends at school through that shared love of the same toy. As a teen, I found the pony community and although I had some really bad experiences there, it also gave me a view that there were people out there who shared my interests, as opposed to the people I went to school with, who I didn't really understand.

As an adult, I overcame my fear of meeting other people and going to events by going to pony meets, and meeting pony collectors. Even though I can't navigate, the hunt for ponies made me brave enough to explore more and find places like carboot sales. Ponies came with me on my trips abroad for the first time on my own. They came to my graduations. They came with me when I moved to London to study. And even last year, when I flew to Japan, my sister gave me a pony as a good luck charm to take with me on my trip.

Ponies for me are integral to me as a human being. That doesn't mean that I spend all of my time sitting in front of my cupboard counting them. Sometimes I go through whole years when I never take any of them out. They aren't every aspect of my life, but they are always there somewhere. They give me courage and confidence because so many of them mark specific points in my life - both good and bad - which I have either learned from or overcome to get to where I am now.

You can use a hobby to restrict yourself and punish yourself for 'materialistic' tendencies, or you can make that hobby the focal point of reaching out and connecting with people and the world around you. It's entirely up to you. Everyone does things differently, but if I had never had ponies, I would never have done all the things I have done up til now.

If something happened to me, my collection would go to my sister, but ultimately my hope is that it would be donated to a toy museum of some kind, so other people could enjoy it.

I have other collections but none are like MLP to me. I have downsized my Jem stuff to the collection I want, as I did have the need to complete it at one point but I realised it was taking out the enjoyment. So I sold the outfits I didn't like, got rid of all Jem and Rio dolls and suddenly I loved displaying them again.

The most important thing is to only spend what you feel is worthy, what you can afford, and what you won't regret. Don't let other collectors tell you what you should or shouldn't buy or how much you should or shouldn't spend. You are in control of your collection. If it starts to control you, then it's time to stop. But in terms of 'what's the point' - that's up to you. I don't really understand trinket collecting just for the sake of having objects - but that doesn't mean it's wrong to do it if it makes you happy and isn't hurting anyone else.

That's all :)
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Offline brightberry

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Re: Emergency Room and Thoughts
« Reply #12 on: July 09, 2018, 02:09:26 PM »
I don't care what happens to my things after I pass.  I only want to make sure that my pets and family are cared for.  With whatever else, they should do whatever is easiest for them. 

That being said, I'm also not going to stop doing and having the things I enjoy around me.  Yes, it is a hassle to go through all that stuff.  I've done that too many times for other people.  But, all it shows is that they had a great time while they were here.  Ebay, trash, keepsakes, charity or whatever works.  There are even services that will go through items and clear out/sell all the things.
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Offline WaterDraw

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Re: Emergency Room and Thoughts
« Reply #13 on: July 11, 2018, 03:58:41 PM »
First off, I would like to apologize for my late reaction. I am currently on vacation so I was unable to check my messages. Along with that I will admit I felt unmotivated to reply. It happens sometimes with me, so I'm sorry for that.
Secondly, I would like to thank all of you for your messages, your stories, and your words of advice. I have taken it into thought and it has helped me.
I have been on vacation to my hometown. On this visit I went through a box that contained most of my childhood ponies and some dolls. When I was sifting through my ponies I realized how much happier I was collecting back then. Back then I didn't worry about condition or whether it was a real pony or a fakie. All I cared about was if the pony was pretty or not in my eyes.
I ended up fixing some of my old dolls to give me time to think and reflect. My collection hasn't got too big, I think I will still collect ponies for maybe a couple more years. I might take a break after that. I'm not sure. I guess I'll just have to narrow it down to the ponies I really really want given how my future will most likely involve some cross country moving.
I'll try to watch what I spend, but who knows how much my grail ponies will want from me.
But for now, I'm back to loving ponies.  :)
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Re: Emergency Room and Thoughts
« Reply #14 on: December 08, 2018, 01:21:32 PM »
 :huh: This is such an old post and it's difficult to type no need to respond but thought this might be helpful maybe to someone out there...

Before the passage of the able act persons with disabilities were very limited in what ways they might set aside any significant income for a rainy day emergency, I think some were limited as low as 2k in worth which is hard to move on, hard to pay for secondary college etc. Uncle Sam was fine if you spent every cent every month conversely though, just as long as it wasn't spent upon more predictable investments like you collected jewelry for instance which had more stable accumulative value...

Restricting the disabled from having much savings was a way to keep most disabled from full economic integration and more dependant upon aid. No one will ever know how much such desires for independance contributed to the vintage toy reselling boom of once cheap toys post internet which set a cultural trend in 80s and 90s children, but I'd guess G3 exclusives alone were (for a time) a good supplemental income for those low income people near target stores. Until they do sell or you buy them as a business asset (be sure to register and remit sales tax) not one social worker I've ever talked to has considered them worth paperwork. One said only things like shirly temple dolls matter... not sure where that preference came from, but anyway she flatly declined to consider MLP or animal toys.

Nor were you always covered for medical related expenses you'd have from time to time. Example, All those antidepressants that could harm your organs and cost hundreds of bucks a month... medicare/medicaid gives liberal coverage for big pharma, but taking the emotional assistance animal that is much healthier for your overall body to the vetrinarian even for basic care you will find no help for... so later medicaid/medicare pays for the damage the antidepressants too often do to your body. If you ever needed to pay for vetrinary care on a limited income... what could you sell? You need your home, you need a car, and if you don't have a car, you likely don't own any good furniture. A less legal option than toy collecting is the piggy bank but it'd show up once spent without explanation and I know a woman lost her entire life savings when her daughter tried drugs. Toys are an investment that at least require an effort which most random burgulars would not take time for. And even if they sell at a loss they may be better than no savings I think.

 Many people responded to that stratification by forgoing things like air conditioning, cable or a mobile and instead saving up for trips to the casino that I knew. They did so because they know if you get an unearned asset and spend it in the same month you get to keep more of it than an earned... just think of all the retirees out there gambling... but toy collecting provided many with a degree of security they'd never otherwise enjoy percisely because toy values while not percisely gambling do tend to rise and fall so irratically with time compared to cash that no one seems to care about lesser brands and what you'd guess they are worth currently.

Depending on your age when you became disabled these concerns are still applicable as the able act did not apply equally to everyone who was disabled and who needed a way to save wisely and not be penalized so that they'd never rise out of poverty.

https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2017/04/10/congress-weighs-expanding-able-act/23557/
Otherwise we do have too much plastic and pvc on planet earth... I can relate to that depressing feeling.

Our priorities shift over time in what we'd keep, so long as it's not you just being hard on yourself, just celebrate the changes you'll go through as having everything is overated and dull. I've found the less ponies I see around the room the more readily I find games for them to play and I think whatever you have to play with fakie or MLP, play is a healthy destressor when the world is so distressing and usually still an alternative that is a whole lot cheaper than a prescription would be! While knowing you are without guarentees it's also nice to have a savings that while maybe not as materially valuable you can actually play with (unless you happen to have the imagination of Mcscrooge Mcduck in a gold-coin ballpit)... or just redistribute to smiling children if they decline in value. :)

 

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