I need some serious help with my Marvel pin collection!

I started trading for Marvel pins a while ago when my primary Alice in Wonderland collection had gotten pretty stuck in place and I just wanted something fun and easy that I liked to trade for in between adding new Wonderland pins to my main collection.

I basically started trading for anything and everything Marvel without particularly thinking about what I liked best. It was just something new and fun and easy to do while I was stuck in place on Wonderland.

I really enjoyed just going back to the old fashioned easy trading style of 'here is my trade bag of rack pins and hidden mickeys - anything you'd like for those common Marvel pins?' It was classic old-school pin trading at the parks and I loved it.

As time went on, I started to realize I was particularly drawn to certain pins that I really wanted to make keepers - my two tops were Loki pins and Skottie Young Comic-Con pins. As the past few years have gone by, those are still tops/keepers for me. However, while I'll basically trade for anything Skottie that I don't have, I'm finding myself slightly pickier with Loki, preferring pins just focused on him rather than in any other context. I was really just focusing in on the Loki pins I really like.

Problem is, that's not my collecting nature. For anything. If I collect, I like being a completist, not a curator. But I don't like all Loki pins so I've been at war with myself going 'but do I really need that one?' on some of them and 'OMG LOVEEEEE' on others. But I'm at war with my natural inclination of 'gotta catch 'em all'. lol

Secondary problem is - I started finding other random Marvel shinies that I was really drawn to. Other Comic-Con pins like a big head characters set they did and an emojis set. Think I have all the big head ones but just a small handful of the emojis - still wanting to grow those.

And then I found I really love HKDL Marvel pins pretty much above everything else other than Comic-Con pins. So those started growing in my keeper bag.

And then I found I was really attracted to character icons and symbols.

And then I wanted to collect all the Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: Breakout! pins because I have so much fun over there. And that collection was actually complete until a handful of mystery pins including TK and Avengers Campus ones just came out over the past few months, so now I'm incomplete but wondering do I really want those? And if I don't, do I really want all the ones I've collected or should I narrow it down to the ones from that grouping that I really am drawn to?

And now I really want Avengers Campus logo pins, so that's developing, too - but really it's more of an extension of the icons and symbols.

I've continued to weed things out to the point where I have two full trade bags of Marvel pins that I've decided aren't keepers, though many of them I still quite like, or duplicates of things I traded for.

Basically I think my confusion and meandering with this collection stems from it being the opposite of the way I naturally collect - I do everything or nothing. I don't know how to pick and choose. So I'm winding up with tons of extras that I like in general because of my big love for Marvel overall. But I really want to focus this collection in better. So I thought I'd throw it out there for help and suggestions.

I'm going to post some pics of some of the keepers bags just to try to help me see if I see a good path forward to focus better. The Loki pins are keepers, as are my Skotties and Comic-Con pins. I'm not bothering to post the Skottie/Comic-Con pages as I'm clear on those and they're my more normal 'go for everything you can' style of collecting. But I'm posting everything else that are theoretically keepers or at least strong likes with hopes others can see something I'm missing or guide me on how not to be a completist on some things.

Pics and thoughts:

Figpins and full body pins. Thor was an early Marvel grail and I love that one and the Star-Lord and Cap Figpins, too. I also really want to get the Bucky/Winter Soldier and Baron Zemo Figpins. I'm not sure if I want to keep the Goose Figpin, but I have the jumbo Goose Figpin, too, and I really do like that one. And I don't know how to keep the jumbo and not the little one. lol

Disney+/live action page basically Loki and Bucky - still not 100% sure what I'm keeping here - some are definite, some are not sure

My main Loki page - all but maybe two or three of these are forever keepers, but not fully committed to one or two and not sure how to let go of anything when it's my primary character

Random character pins - so many I like but a few I'm not sure if I really love or just like

More pics incoming!

Mission: Breakout page one - love a lot of these but not all

Mission: Breakout / Guardians of the Galaxy page two - love most of these but not all are attraction-related, some are movie related and I'm not even that big a fan of these two films lol

HKDL pins - random and not even characters I love, but I love the pins themselves because they are amazing size and quality

Marvel marathon medals - I'm still missing the first Avengers "A" medal (from 2014 I think?) and I'd like to see how it looks with the other two. I really like the "A's" with the Eye of Agamotto and Cap shield medals. But the Thor hammer medal is a different style on a different ribbon and I'm going back and forth on whether I want it or not. But if I don't keep it, I don't want to have to trade for one again if I change my mind. lol

Here come the character icons/symbols! I never could resist big round pins bur this are some of my fave of these types of pins (and there are a lot of this style of art/pin out there).

This set is big and bold and beautiful and I wish there were more! I think there may be a S.H.I.E.L.D. pin that's comparable to these but I don't think it's directly part of the set. But I'm leaving that spot open in the middle in case I find it and it belongs there! Think this set is a full-on keeper.

The first two were early grails and forever keepers. The third is just really really nice - and again, big, round, pretty. - there are at least one or two more big round DSSH pins I really want for this page - a Stark Industries one and possibly the Doctor Strange domed window/symbol one, but I still really need to see that one in person to decide if it's a must-have or not!

Avengers Campus pins - all keepers I think

Symbols and Icons - love most of these but frustrated I don't have that whole weapons set (okay I just really want Stormbreaker still) - and not sure I need just the two of those

A page I'm still building - still need more of the Hidden Mickeys/Marvels/whatevers lol - and there is a Captain America: Winter Soldier hinged shield pin that matches the Thor: Dark World and Doctor Strange pins on the bottom that is a big want right now

Those are fun collections, each with appeal in some way or another! I don't know how to focus or trim down since I'm not very familiar with a lot of the subjects but you've certainly organized them nicely!

So here's what works for me. I have a Stitch collection (just stitch not all Lilo and Stitch). That's been my main collection from the start but it will NEVER be realistic to be a Stitch completist. So I just collect the pins I'm drawn to.

My second "main" collection is Coco. Now that one my goal is to be a completist and I'm making progress but I have a ton of work to go! I know the feeling of wanting to have them all.

Then my last board is odds and ends. Things I just like. So it has things from Soul, to Toy story, and so on. Its literally just a board of pins I liked. Its not a huge board or anything and I never really buy pins for this board its all trades but just a fun random board. When I lose interest in a pin it just moves to my traders. I also keep random sets on that board I completed that don't fit any other collection. Things I collected with my kids and such.


So with all that said, marvel is a HUGE undertaking for trying to collect all of them so narrowing it down is going to be in your best interest. My "issue" at first was I was trying to collect too much at once and none of my collections really got anywhere. Pins are expensive. Especially to be a completist. If you have too many collections going at once you'll never get anywhere with it unless you're pouring money in.

You can always have a "main" collection of Loki if you want and then you can still collect other Marvel you like but make your Loki the priority.

Me for example. The only collection I actively spend money on is my Coco collection, stitch I may buy something from shopdisney if something cool comes out or if I'm at the parks I'll pick up a stitch pin. Otherwise I don't buy stitch or random pins, only trade -- when I'm trading I also make sure I prioritize Coco first, then stitch, then other random pins I like.

Once I got serious about wanting to work on completing the Coco collection I traded off a lot of my other pins I previously had on my misc board. For me I really want to collect all of the Coco, even tho there is a few I'm honestly not a big fan of.

I guess the problem I'm having is still just how to collect only SOME of a theme. It's always my nature to want all or none. Now all is easy to do when it's like the hidden mickey/marvels sets - I'll want all of those. But I don't want all of the Marvel Figpins, just a very select few fave characters (though if I had all the money in the world I'd be tempted to get more of those lol but I don't. So not happening.). But it's trying to decide how to keep it narrow that's just confusing to me. Some of my Marvel pins, I just flat out LOVE. Others I really like. Others make me smile. Others I'm like they're okay but they kinda go with the rest so maybe I should keep them because trying to trade for them again if I change my mind would be a pain.

It's that doubt of 'am I sure I don't want' that makes me hesitate on what to keep and what to put in the trade bags. And also why I now have two trade bags full of Marvel but still know I'll be slightly sad to trade any of them even though I don't LOVE them. lol

I'm just feeling so UNDECIDED. Except on the ones I'm decided on. So part of me still wants to pull anything I don't flat out love out of the keeper bag and toss them into the trade bag. But that voice in my head still whispers 'but what if you change your mind?'

Gah! *headdesk*

Jabberwocky said:

I guess the problem I'm having is still just how to collect only SOME of a theme. It's always my nature to want all or none. Now all is easy to do when it's like the hidden mickey/marvels sets - I'll want all of those. But I don't want all of the Marvel Figpins, just a very select few fave characters (though if I had all the money in the world I'd be tempted to get more of those lol but I don't. So not happening.). But it's trying to decide how to keep it narrow that's just confusing to me. Some of my Marvel pins, I just flat out LOVE. Others I really like. Others make me smile. Others I'm like they're okay but they kinda go with the rest so maybe I should keep them because trying to trade for them again if I change my mind would be a pain.

It's that doubt of 'am I sure I don't want' that makes me hesitate on what to keep and what to put in the trade bags. And also why I now have two trade bags full of Marvel but still know I'll be slightly sad to trade any of them even though I don't LOVE them. lol

I'm just feeling so UNDECIDED. Except on the ones I'm decided on. So part of me still wants to pull anything I don't flat out love out of the keeper bag and toss them into the trade bag. But that voice in my head still whispers 'but what if you change your mind?'

Gah! *headdesk*

Click to expand...

I feel that. I totally traded some pins recently from a mystery set I decided I didn't want anymore. Then sure enough a week later my kids decided that was their favorite set and wanted us to work as a family to finish it.....whoops.

It is a hard thing for people to break out of old habits. What would happen if you decided to embrace growth and change and adopted a freeform approach? To not be a completist? To not have structure? So it may not be usual for you, but are you adaptable, do you want to be someone that says: its okay to have different practices for A & B.

I am a very structured person in most things. Like I said in building my database, I'm anal comprehensive. So I've had to conscientiously practice being different than where my natural tendencies lie, so that I can be more adaptable in the situations where structure isn't going to happen.

hopemax said:

It is a hard thing for people to break out of old habits. What would happen if you decided to embrace growth and change and adopted a freeform approach? To not be a completist? To not have structure? So it may not be usual for you, but are you adaptable, do you want to be someone that says: its okay to have different practices for A & B.

I am a very structured person in most things. Like I said in building my database, I'm anal comprehensive. So I've had to conscientiously practice being different than where my natural tendencies lie, so that I can be more adaptable in the situations where structure isn't going to happen.

Click to expand...

Well, that's basically been my approach with Marvel - trade for anything that catches my eye, some things more intentionally than others, then try to figure out if I'm keeping it, but not planning on keeping everything.

It's the 'am I keeping this or not?' question that I'm trying to figure out how to accomplish!

As I mentioned, Skottie Young pins, I'll trade for any of them that I don't have. I don't have the drive to be a completist on them - because that's money I need for my main Wonderland debt... I mean collection... But I just LOVE his art style and am happy to have any of them I can get. So I don't have to figure out 'which ones am I keeping?' as the answer is all of them.

But it's the weirdest thing in the world to me to try to curate a collection otherwise and that's my struggle. How do I know what I'm keeping? How do I NOT collect everything Loki when he's my beloved fave character? Why wouldn't I want every pin of him? And yet, I basically don't. And there are other characters who I want to get a few fave pins of (like Bucky and Zemo). And then there are just pins I flat out love even though I have little or no attachment to the character - I just think they're cool great quality pins (hello, HKDL Marvel pins!). It's just not natural to me to pick and choose and I'm try to understand how other people determine those parameters.

How do you NOT be a completist? lol

Take the Mission: Breakout pins as an example - I flat out LOVE a bunch of them. And others I just have because I was being a completist, but I don't actually care for the pins. I may accept not being a completist on these going forward since I'm now missing four mystery pins for the attraction. But I literally don't know how to let go of anything I already have but don't care for. I don't know how to justify that to myself.

It's a sickness, I know. lol I'm just trying to understand how other people set limits (besides 'I won't pay more than $$ for a pin') or decide how to only keep certain things instead of everything!

Honestly, I don't want a big Marvel collection. I just want a focused one that I love every piece in it and that's where I'm trying to get to...

Hiya! I totally can relate on wanting to be a completist. It definitely becomes an internal struggle of I want to be completist but don't enjoy this pin. It's hard to set limits because in your mind you strive to one goal but your body holds you back with not being excited for that one and it becomes obtaining that pin/item reluctantly. I think you have to go to the root of being a completist and ask is it the hunt that you enjoy or having them all together? I for one, absolutely love the hunt and trying to track down hard to find pins or missing pins from my collection even if its just a simple mystery or HM set. And then when you complete it, you become thrilled. Of course being a completist for an entire character, movie, or even franchise (like Marvel) is a lot tougher than just one series because no doubt pins will be made you aren't fond of and you are pouring in precious resources of time and money adding it to your collection when you could be doing that with other pins you want. If you want to have them all together and then display them than thats a good sense of accomplishment and pride, but sometimes when I complete a goal I end up just putting the pins I dont like in a closet or drawer and not display them making them having fulfilled their purpose of finishing the set/collection, but I'm not deriving anymore utils (unit of satisfaction) out of them. So I have to realize I can use that pin as a trader to get more pins I would actually enjoy or sell it to buy more pins.

I think the options you have are once you become a completist or want to keep that mindset are:
1) set a goal for a character say Loki. Collect all Loki pins ever produced. You can display them all knowing you have them all.
2) or you could collect them piece by piece and not ever have the entire collection together but have a checklist and check off whenever you get them and then use the pins you don't enjoy to get others you do.
3) collect all of the pins together. Take a picture. Display them. Then when you want to trade off some of them you know that you have completed the collection and can start getting rid of them and then could do a checklist approach as (2) for all pins going forward.

Thats the best part about pins/collecting/hobbies, there's no rules or pin police and its all how you want to do it and find the best enjoyment. An example is that I am trying to collect the state quarters from the past few years with National Parks on the back and its really exciting checking quarters I get as change to see if I need it in my collection. I plan on displaying them all once Im finished and wont break the set since it wont take up too much room and is relatively on the cheap side. Pins can get pricey and take up tons of room so it can vary a lot more. I hope this helped!

I'm really appreciating hearing people's perspectives and want to hear the different approaches others have.

I have no desire to be a completist with Marvel or any character in that universe - even my fave. I'm trying to learn how NOT to. (Except Skottie Young because all of his Comic-Con pins just make me stupid happy. So I'm good with any that I can get. lol)

I guess what I'm starting to realize is that I basically want to Marie Kondo my Marvel collection so that everything 'sparks joy'. But I'm still trying to determine if my joy can be sparked piecemeal and if so, then learn how to let some of them go!

It seems you are finding some footing. Marie Kondo is a wise woman. Im trying to follow her advice as well just in general cleaning and getting rid of stuff. It is hard at first but definitely well worth it.

So I took one small step that I'm pleased with - I couldn't bear the thought of actually parting with Loki pins that I merely liked instead of loved because he himself is still my big love, so I decided that it was time to update the ita bag I used to regularly take to the park. It had had a mix of various Marvel pins - with some Loki of course. I took a look at it and decided some of those general pins aren't ones that are faves (which is why they were just on the bag for fun). So several of those will go into the trade bag and I'll take the Loki pins that I'm not madly in love with and put them on display in the bag for when I hopefully get to go more regularly again!

This way, they're both out of my forever keepers, but not in the ready to trade bags. I like the compromise. Hopefully I can continue to come up with ways to slim down and let go of ones that I'm not completely attached to. I think Goose may wind up heading for the trade bag. Or maybe the ita bag. Haven't decided yet. Step by step. Pin by pin.

Still looking for more suggestions of how to curate a collection without being a completist!