Growing Up and Moving On

I’ve been selling off our toy collection.  It was a mutual agreement that we do this since the toys have been sitting in boxes, unlooked at, not enjoyed at all.  We both felt as though we’d sort of outgrown it all.  So, little by little, I’ve been taking out things here and there.  We decide that no, we don’t want to keep it, and I list it on eBay for a fair price, sometimes taking the best offer.

The last three things we sold made us one-hundred and fifteen dollars.  Not bad, but probably not a massive profit.  We learned that these figures would be opened an enjoyed on a shelf by someone who still loves to collect X-Men and whatnot.

It was a little sad.  I opened a couple things to save the guy on shipping, only after I confirmed three times he really did not want the packaging, of course.  The box gives a toy its value, protecting it from man’s skin flakes and harmful dust particles.  The better the condition of the box, the better the price the item will fetch.  I delicately placed all of these things in a box myself, years ago, careful to avoid the bending og backing cards or scratching the surface of a plastic blister.

It seems silly, I know to keep something in it’s box.  It should be released from it’s tiny prison and displayed so it may be enjoyed as a small conversation starter.  What’s the point of buying something if you leave it in the box?  Years ago, I bought a set of cheap curtains.  I certainly did not leave them in the plastic wrapping they came in.  No, I ironed them and hung them in the windows, proud of my color coordination.

As I cut the tape on the side of the box, I felt weird.  It was like I was destroying a little piece of Shawn and mine’s history.  We shopped for this together.  We sometimes drove to three different stores looking for a figure in pristine packaging, paying a dollar or two more in a store that kept these types of things on the top shelf, out of small hands.

Ironically, it was the comic book thing that sort of got us together.  Shawn hadn’t known many chicks into that sort of thing and well, here I come along, toting X-Men trading cards, plucked from my bedroom which was wallpapered in Batman and Star Wars posters.

But it is simply cheaply, painted plastic.  And we’re not enjoying them.  Can’t we at least feel good about getting back the money we spent on the toys?  We know someone else is enjoying them and we have a little extra money in our pocket.  Hopefully enough to put into the can for a flat screen TV. 

Still, as I pulled the figures from their molded plastic display, I couldn’t help but feel sentimental about it all.  We would spend every Saturday scouring the stores for the next big thing.  We spent every weekend together, spending money we really didn’t have, but we did it together. 

As I wrapped each figure in plastic Wal-Mart bags to prevent scratching, I didn’t feel more grown up.  I felt as though I’d lost something.  Since I really don’t care about these toys, it wasn’t the value of a righteously protected toy-in-the-box for ten years.  I felt as though I’d lost a part of my youth, part of the fun Shawn and I used to have together just by simply spending too much money on worthless things.

Oh well.  Live free, Jean Gray, Scott Summers.  Fly on, Storm. 

Aw, screw it.  You know what?  Good riddance!  We’re gonna (hopefully) make enough money to get a flat screen!  Yee-haw!!!


SHAMELESS PLUG....if you're looking for any toys our eBay seller ID is table-top-warrior
Feel free to add to our Flat Screen TV Fund