You Can't Take It With You!

Did you ever wonder what will happen to your collection when you become one with the Force? I often wonder if people deep down inside feel that they’ll have their collections with them “on the other side.” And I also wonder if the generation that needed to have them all is but a remnant of who they once were. ABBA, whining, super-articulated Star Wars action figure collecting, and dying – it’s all ahead. (more….)

None of us will be taking our collections with us upon our death. That much is clear. Like taxes, death is inevitable. I lost two great friends over the last couple of years. And they had huge collections. Once they died, their estates quickly dispersed the Star Wars stuff to friends and colleagues and other collectors. Once we’re gone, the things we have will continue to collect dust. Our children, nieces, nephews and other next of kin likely won’t want it. (Of course, there will be exceptions.) And you have to wonder what’s the point of it all when abandonment of it is likely the only thing that will become of our collections.

ABBA’s Bjorn Ulvaeus once said that all pop acts only have the attention of their audience for a “brief” period; from point A to point B. It’s a simple assertion, but it’s inevitable. ABBA will go down in history as one of the most successful pop acts of all time, but that doesn’t mean they’d make a splash on today’s radio. The young people listening to the music today have no interest in their excellent songs of yesteryear. So, many fans of them (who grew up with them) might have the ABBA GOLD greatest hits compilation. But all of the LPs and the posters on the bedroom wall are long gone and also part of history.

All of these thoughts made me reflect upon the state of Star Wars collecting today. It appears that many (most) of us are that young generation that listened to ABBA are moving onto other things. (Theoretically, not literally – well, maybe except for Chris Swanski and Bret Diaz “literally.” Can we listen to “Voulez Vous” next time I come to visit?) And not taking into account the flippant comments made by some of Lucasfilm’s upper management, they’re seeking a new generation of fans and no longer too invested in the people who were the active generation from 1977-1985.

Think of some of your favorite television shows. Remember how they excited you and you couldn’t wait for the next episode to air. I remember obsessively watching The Practice, and then they fired half the cast for the last season, and it was never the same again. I lost interest quickly. So, you too can also remember when your interest in YOUR favorite television show began to plummet because it deviated from what worked so well. Or perhaps it added things that didn’t interest you. The adage “all good things come to an end” is particularly relevant here.

I say all of that to say this is where many of us are with the Star Wars collecting hobby. I can count on one hand how many products and basic figures piqued my interest. And then once they’re announced, I disengage entirely from the hobby until the next announcement. And each successive announcement gets worse than the last (or perhaps I should say I lose exponential interest with each successive boring announcement).

But to circle back to my original point, what are YOU going to do with your collection? It appears our interest in 3.75″ super-articulated action figures are a thing of the past, and I don’t see things improving. As I look at what I already have, it’s time to move it out. Whether I dump it on eBay or dump it in a dumpster, I think I have reached a point where it’s time to purge the collection.

I look forward to the day I do this. I don’t know when it will be. And obviously there are some things I probably will be unable to dislodge from my collection. But I am ready to start cleaning things out and get some space back in my humble home because I can’t take it with me.

You Can’t Take It With You

You can trust possessions
Gathered on a shelf
Making a profession
Of giving to yourself

You can trust in money
You can work for gold
But you don’t have a prayer
If you buy it with your soul

You can’t (you can’t)
You can’t take it with you
You can’t (you can’t)
You can’t take it with you

You can build your empire
Gain the world’s respect
See your little kingdom
As something to protect

What is wood and paper
Where eternity’s concerned
Reinvest your heart
In something that won’t burn

It’s not what you have
It’s not what you do
All you can take
Is what He’s done in you
And all the other stuff

You can’t (you can’t)
You can’t take it with you
You can’t (you can’t)
You can’t take it with you

(M. Becker, P. Madeira)

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