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+--- Thread: How Do You Do It? (/showthread.php?tid=11275)
How Do You Do It? - CreepingDeath - 04-13-2006
For me I only buy masks to complete a costume.
I like to dress up ALOT.
How Do You Do It? - ssj4freddy - 04-13-2006
I can\'t do it because my love for video games is bigger than my love for horror movies. . .so every $50 or so I get goes to a new game. . .
How Do You Do It? - Mutilated - 04-13-2006
Quote:For me I only buy masks to complete a costume.Did you start off in your moms clothes like I did?
I like to dress up ALOT.
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How Do You Do It? - Rayne00 - 04-13-2006
I own my own business.
I am relatively new to mask collecting, but I get a cash cow every Halloween with my haunted attraction. I have hundreds of action figures but now am looking to make LIFESIZE Action figures for my museum of modern horror. :biggrin: For me the "hobby" becomes a write-off because it all goes into my museum. Plus, I refused to pay 350+ for Kgear glove. So now I make my own gloves. Makes good bargaining goods for trades and pays my bills. So I guess I just lucked out.
How Do You Do It? - Ben_Forsaken - 04-13-2006
Quote:in all honesty, after i get my psycho and lunatic i am done. i have always wanted a high end H1 and H2 mask. i will miss you all once these come in. :yes:
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ja, famous last words. You\'ll be back.
How Do You Do It? - 3pidemiC - 04-13-2006
Obviously, pretty much everybody\'s goal is to have a high-quality mask from each film (or at least mine), but we\'ll all be back....someday.
How Do You Do It? - TONY MORAN FAN - 04-13-2006
if i am honest i have a very very good job. iv\'e been working where i am now
for the last 12 years and i have always been able to work plenty of overtime
whenever i needed to or wanted to. it all adds up plus iv\'e always been very good
at saving money. i don\'t drink much booze on weekends at all and neither do i
smoke so there is plenty of money saved right there. other than collect Halloween
memorabilia and 1 or 2 masks the other main interest of mine is to just train
all the time which for a years membership down at the gym where i train is not
much at all considering it\'s for a whole year. lol, i train 6 days a week aswell so
i\'m getting more than my money\'s worth. over the last 3 to 4 years especially,
i have worked a hell of alot of overtime to get some money back which i have
shelled out on everything in my Halloween collection.
Darren.
How Do You Do It? - Ben_Forsaken - 04-13-2006
No kidding that not smoking saves money. Cigs are $8.00 a pack where I live.
How Do You Do It? - Indica x - 04-13-2006
This hobby is a funny animal. On one end of the spectrum you have uber-collectors that have every piece ever made no matter the price and on the other end of the spectrum you have the teenager who only owns a rubies LF mask but loves it all the same. Then you have what I call specialists who have 16 myers masks or all the Don post calender masks or anything of a specific sub genre. Personally I\'m at the point now where I just don\'t have the room anymore. If I get a new mask I have to figure out where it will go, what will have to go into storage to accomidate it etc... As far as money goes I know I\'ve spent my fair share of it. But it really just comes down to saving and prioritizing. Sure I\'ve missed out on some pieces just simply because I didn\'t have the money, but that\'s also part of the game. When I first started I just wanted one good quality bust of each of the Icons (Freddy, Jason, bubba, Myers) and I pursued that tirelessly. Then once I was finished with that I expanded on it to include all of Jason\'s hockey masks and all of the bubba looks I thought were worthy and then an H2 to go with the H1 etc... From there I went to original higher end pieces. What I\'m trying to get at is that any true hobby/obsession will never be complete. I\'m at a stage in my collecting life where I don\'t have to buy everything that comes along. I can be selective about what gets included into the fold just for the simple fact that I have no more goals. I\'ve pretty much matched all the superficial goals I\'ve set for myself early on so everything now is gravy. I can sit back and wait for the next must have piece to come along and then kick myself for not having the disposable cash laying around for the week it\'s available LOL :thumbsup: What really needs to stressed is that a hobby is meant to be a relaxing escape, not a contest on who has the most pieces. Some of our members don\'t get that, but some do.There are two cardinal rules to mask collecting as far as I\'m concerned : never spend more than you make and never buy a piece just to buy a piece.
How Do You Do It? - princeofdarknessMikeW - 04-13-2006
I guess I throw my hat into the ring, and give some pointers...This may be long but I think the info will be good for anyone. A lot of people already touched base on the "Key" points. I\'ll probably get sued, shot, or death threats but thats ok, I\'ll be the "Simon Cowell" here. I always went through life not careing what other people do, say or think...Which probably one reason why I speak my opinion without delay, but I\'m being honest here.
I\'ve been collecting for over 30 years and I also do this as a business, and this is what I have learned in my time. This is just me, but this might help you out in the long run...
Learn what to buy and when to buy, is the first rule of thumb. Know what you want to collect first off. Remember this is your collection, no one elses, and the only person you have to please is yourself. This is usually the first mistake people make. People love to post thier stuff, show off thier new mask, or bust, or even thier collection. This is not a bad thing, and its not for the wrong reasons. But it does intimidate new collectors and old collectors alike. Why I have no idea, its stupid to me, but it does...It seems the hobby has changed to a big compition thing, and not a fun thing anymore. This is great if your on the business side of it, but for a collector it can be a nightmare.
Know who your dealing with, build up a repore with your fellow artist, and as an artist should build up a repore with your fellow collectors. This hobby is a small world, smaller than you think, although there are probably over 500,000 people that collect in some form or fashion. The boards you go on, are only probably 2% of people, believe it or not. Theres nothing that can be worse than an artist with a bad rep. This is a business for them, which means collectors put the money in thier pockets. If an artist does not "COMMUNICATE" with the buyer and same goes with the buyer, then it can get messy. Know what your buying, when you should expect it. Theres nothing worse than seeing a picture of a mask, bust or product then getting it, and it looks like @#$%. Things take time and most artist take thier time, and are perfectionist. I myself would rather have an artist take 4 months, and make it perfect then rush. Rushing = Crappy work! Dont order a mask in OCT and expect it by Halloween! Once you know your artist and have built that repore, he might work with you. Payment plans, layaways, ect. Not all artist will do that, but some will and if your not pipe dreaming, and can put a retainer down than usually they will...
Once you decide what you are looking for, or want to collect, then its time to start doing that and setting your budget. Shop around, see whos offering what, for what price. YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR! Dont expect resin or silcon, glass eyes, and resin or acrylic teeth for 60 bucks...Not going to happen. There are alot of mask artist that do great work for a great price, for $50 to $100 per mask. You can always up-grade later when you can afford it...Special paint jobs, foam filled, which I suggest for anyone, its not expensive and it will make your mask last another 30+ years inless you have to ware it, thats another story...Glass eyes teeth ect ect, all up-grades, that can be done later...
Start at the bottom and work your way up...If money is an issue and it is with 95% of the collectors today than dont expect to buy $500 Heads, or $5000 to $10,000 full figures...Start small build up. Even the top collectors started that way, and they slowly moved up the ladder. Selling thier "Hand Me Downs" which is how you build...(Its kinda like that Red Michael Jackson Zipper Coat, you wouldn\'t give up for your life in the 80\'s)...Now you have a Sean Jean Leather Jacket, and the MJ jacket is on the Saturday Garage Sale table for 2 bucks...LOL Everyones laughing but you get my point.
First order of business is to make a wish list. Slowly try to knock it down and out. There are somethings that you will never find, or get, inless you have major bucks to blow, and even then MONEY is not always the issue to collectors. Most major collectors rather trade than sell. Their wish list are tough, mine is anyway, is it can be a JOB in itself to trade. Buy at the right time. Someone said it plain and simple, dont buy everything. Quanity does not always make the collection, Quality does. If you try to buy every mask bust or movie prop out there you will go nuts and broke, and insain. If you have a Wife or GF, or Husband or BF they will leave you, they will say goodbye, and you\'ll be stuck with a note that says see yeah! If your stupid about it. This hobby is an addiction. Its just the same as Drugs, Smoking, Gambling, and Alcohol...No what you can afford, set a budget.
I will spend $100 a month on Mask, plain and simple. Thats an exsample that figure could go up or down depending on your situation. Or I\'m going to buy 10 mask a year. Whatever the case. Dont go Credit Card crazy, thats the easiest out. Credit. Have to have it, charge it. After awhile you wont beable to charge, then what. Sell this sell that. Alot of people end up buying a mask then a month, two months later they sell it, because of financial reasons. This makes it worse. First off your losing "YOUR" baby. The thing you love, second, odds are that you will never get what you paid for it. Now doing this as a business, I know, and supply and demand are a big part of it. Depending on the mask, and intrest, and what it went for in the beginning all plays a part in the sale. Theres always ebay, but even then...Will get to ebay later. Its kinda like DVD players. When they first hit the market, they were around 3000 bucks for a good one anyway, some a grand, some more but somewhere there. Now I can get one for 40 bucks! Inless its something special or big, odds are your mask will drop a bit in price. Inless its something that will HOLD VALUE! KEY WORD when you buy. Will this HOLD VALUE. When you buy a car, it losing 25% value when you drive it off the lot, weather you had it one day, 1 hour, or a year...INLESS IT HOLDS VALUE! ferraris hold value but not all. Meaning if I bought a Ferrari Testarossa 6 years ago it went for about 180 Grand, now you can get one for about 75...An F50 on the other hand went for 280, now there worth 600 to a Mil...So the point here is know if they will hold value if your going to be selling, in the future, or you will be just losing money...75 Kirk was about 5 to 10 bucks in the day pending where you bought it...
The current market is 9 to 10 Grand pending its condition...But its also dropping right now...Again stock market, goes up and down. Buy Low, Sell high, same thing.
Dont buy if you can afford it, or you are just going to end up selling it anyway later, its just a waste of time, and for you, a let down and you\'ll do nothing but think about it for days, weeks and even months on end. So bottom line there is know what you want once you buy it, keep it! Dont sell, inless you have no other choice. Keep tabs on your mask, bust, movie props. Know who has one if possible, if there are any new versions coming out, and know your fellow collectors, which is a big big part of this hobby. INSURE THEM! ESP. If your in the Gulf states, or Mid West! Get someone to do an appraisal, I have done a few for people. Your mask are not only an enjoyable hobby, but they are an investment.
BIG KEY WORD: PATIENCE!
Nothing is impossible to find, inless its one of a kind, or a movie prop, but as far as mask, if you have patience, things will come your way. IT TAKES TIME! A LOT of time. Sometimes years and years. If your willing like with anything in life to put the effort or time into it, then the reward will come your way. I know trust me.
I have had a wish list for over 20 years, sometimes things get checked off fast and sometimes it takes well 20, 25 years. The last few months I have been very LUCKY! Because LUCK does play a part in this hobby no matter what anyone says.
You have to have the right elements, Money of course is one thing, knowing people and the right people is another thing, and then thier is timing, which in my opinion and only in my opinion is the most important. Sometimes people sell when they need money, or down sizing, or moving, or whatever the case, and if your there at the right time, or happen to know the person well(That goes back to knowing your fellow collectors) you might happen to get "LUCKY" and be offered a piece that you\'ve been looking for a lifetime. It also helps to have a 1000 eyes looking for you. I have people watching stuff for me everyday of the year, on the flip side I also do the same. I have wish list for alot of collectors. I may not find the stuff but I am on it everyday...Nothings impossible...
As with me it helps to be in the business. It doesn\'t matter if your a writer, a collector, a movie actor, or FX person or artist, or agent...These people do have an advantage over someone who just starting out. Because they know there stuff, and people involved. I just got done with a trade, cash deal that involved 3 people, 2 items, and 3 countries. Something I thought I\'d never ever get. Knowing the item, knowing where it came from, who did it, and knowing only 2 existed, and knowing where they were, the odds where well, less than winning a Gold Metal, and Oscar or playing for the Bears. But with effort, time, and just the right elements, I got my dream piece. IT WILL NEVER EVER leave me, but it also took 25 years...So PATIENCE...
OLD STUFF:
Halloween Society Pieces and Original Don Post Calendars are the biggest question I get ask...These sit on want list forever...Thier value only increases with time, but because there are so few, its nearly impossible to get them. First off you have to know who has them. Its easy with HS pieces, RESEARCH, I\'ll get to that,
but knowing who has them is the first order of business. If only 10 were done, and you know who has nine of them, then you know the odds if you can get one. You can make an offer, but any old school collector not going to sell them no matter what inless it was a way out offer. I\'m sure if you offered Steve and wont say Steve who but will say Steve 30 Grand for his HS Maria, he would probably sell it...But that what it takes, and even then, like I stated before MONEY is not the issue all the time. If a big collector has it, like most of them do, then they dont need the MONEY anyway they make plenty of it, so your MONEY I hate to say is no good to them...Calendars same way, only few are left from the 1960\'s, there pretty much priceless, but because Don Post made a commercial run, unlike HS stuff theres more IF THEY SURVIVED! But be ready to pay a kings ransome for one IF you can find it...Which goes back to KNOW WHAT TO BUY! Its cool to get all the new things out there, and if the price is good buy them, because once there gone, then your searching again. Remember back in the day, Old Don Post even 70 & 80\'s versions were a dime a dozen, who knew then what one knows now, but for those who did, they bought them, keep them in best condition they could. Foam filling wasn\'t popular back then, most people bought mask to ware, as some do now, so the condition didn\'t hold as well as todays stuff. But those same mask are have now valued, or in the most part. So todays mask will do the same in 10 years or so. And someone will be asking the same question you are. One thing is a fact we all started the same with one mask and went from there. Alot of these guys started awhile ago, so thier collections have built over years time and again with time, and PATIENCE they have built themselves a nice collection...
E BAY: I hate E BAY, but for a seller its a great tool. Back in the day there was no E Bay so inless you knew collectors, or where in some collecting club or whatever. HS ect ect, you just went to the store and bought a mask, or had your fokes buy one, or mowed a few lawns to get that mask you saw at Woolworths. HEY Woolworths was great I Bought all my original Aurora monster models there, $1.99
Know what your buying E Bay can be great but really for the collector it can be a nightmare! For one thing, you never know what your buying, misleading info is the biggest thing. Exsample: I saw a Bela Life Cast on E Bay 2 days ago for $5000. Had it been an original life cast it would have been well well worth the money. But (You have to know your history) This just takes Time and Trial and Error). Books help! (Haha, its coming slowly). LOL. Knowing people and history is one of the most important factors in this hobby. If you dont you\'ll get taken and barried. Esp if you collect "SCREEN USED" stuff or movie props. Back to the life cast. Now knowing what I know, I know there is only one Original Life cast of Bela, Only one, and Only one taken, its in a private collection on the West Coast, and its NOT for sale nor will it ever be, not for any money. Kinda like his Capes.
Knowing the collector well, and close to the collector I knew it was a fake on E Bay. Well not a fake but wrong info. People tend to jump the gun a bit. Sometimes the seller dont know. Will get into that EXPERTS later. I e mailed the seller, and also emailed the collector who ownes the original, you never know the deal, I hate to ASUME, because well ASUME you know the deal there. Never the less I was right, and figured he wasn\'t selling it, or his, usually I\'m notified by collectors if something is going up on the block, not only for me, but for my clients...(I kinda do the (the Ninth Gate thing with Mask, props, Horror stuff ect. instead of Books) If you seen the movie you know what I\'m talking about. A day later it was $99...
Wouldn\'t you have hate to hit that Buy it Now for 5 grand and find out its a Copy!
The other factor with E Bay is E Bay wars! For the seller its great! You want e bay wars, you want everyone to bid at the last Moment and go nuts...For a buyer, it will and can be a nightmare...How many people have been snuffed. You have a bid on it, and bingo someone steals it at the last Minute. I have, but I not ashamed to say I haven\'t done it either. This is a business, and ALL is FUN at LOVE and WAR. And Horror collecting, mask, bust, movie props are a CUT THROAT business esp on E BAY. Most e bay buyers know the "TRICKS of the TRADE"...Last second Snuff bids, how you avoid them, you can\'t...$$$$, is the only way, doesn\'t matter what he puts in at 1 second if its $500 and I Bid $1000 Clock on my side he only gets one shot at it. Then again he can snuff 100 bids also...So thats what you face.
But the internet is a great tool and so is ebay if you can compete, you have an advantage collectors 15 years ago and back didn\'t have. So your resorces are much wider than snail mail. One problem not every collector uses the net, and most of the old time collors DONT. They dont come to these boards, or use E bay or anything else, they like it that way, there very private, and they also own some of the best collections in the world...Board can be a frightful experience and most dont have the time, nor want to be bothered with Rubbish...Not Rubbish mask, but the politics on the boards. Which I fully Understand!
How to Bid: Set Your Top Dollar, set up your auction, have your window open, have you bid placed, only thing you need to do is press "CONFIRM" watch that clock. Bidding to early will kill you, bidding to late can haunt you, because theres no reaction time...Trial and Error...Dont bid early, why oh why people place bids on items they want early is beyond me...Ever hear the phrase the best part of the game is the last 2 minutes...Well E Bay is the same...For one thing Bidding early meaning with 5, 6 days left does two things. It drives people to the auction...Now all the E BAY Sellers are going to kill me, but your not losing here, because the math works out anyway...But as a collector you dont want to draw anyone to that auction esp. IF YOU WANT IT. ODDS are people are going to see it anyway. Depends on when how much they look at E Bay. I\'ll tell you a secret. I search E Bay 5 times a day! 7 Days a Week. There are key words to use when you search, esp Mask. I use Don Post, Latex Mask, Fullsize, Dracula, Frankenstein, Wolfman, Alien, Movie Prop, Prop Head, Zombie Prop, Corpse Prop ect...Those words usually cover most of what I look for. Any seller knows that when people search ebay they use certain words any of those words in the title will pop up the item if there is one...Except for Don Post, I dont use mask names. Most people selling dont have mask names in thier title. Exsample AMERICAN MASK & NOVELTY Odds are it will come up 0...Now Night of the Living Dead will pop up stuff, and thats how I got my NOLD mask all 4 the only set I know of. Funny my friend from Texas said what the hell did you search...Well I searched Night of the Living Dead, they weren\'t listed under American Mask and Novelty...Also even if you dont buy from the seller, check out his other stuff. Check his buyers, or what hes bought, HOW MANY TIMES do I find things without evben dealing with E Bay, just by checking out what people ahve bought, sold. I spend at least an hour going through peoples history, then some. Lets see what this guys bought, then go to that seller ect ect, thats how you find people...Its also how you find things that they might not have.
Exsample. Hi Martin, I see you sold a 1960\'s Don Post Mummy Hands, do you have anything else. Do you collect. ect ect. Sure I have this and that, I might sell this. Whata intrested in ummm Don Post Calendars, Old Mask, 75 Star Trek mask umm Dracula, Frankenstein, Movie props...BINGO You have a sale off of ebay that no one will ever see. You be surprised how many off of ebay deals I have made. I have stuff done by artist here on this board and about everyother, that they themselves dont know I have. So Go through ebay with a fine tooth comb, you be surprised what you can dig up. ESP. If they say well thinking about selling this, yeah how much, dont know whata give me. Then you have know what to offer. If they know their mask, then your not going to get it for that 20 bucks but if they dont and they dont care and just selling it then there you go. Now you want to stop at ever Garage Sale and flee market you see dont it. Then theres that little old lady who has a sign on a country road car for sale $1000. You stop, knock on the door and see this 70 year old lady, who says Hello, you say I saw a sign says you have a car, wanted to buy one for my son. OH Yes she says I\'m selling this car it was my sons but he died 3 weeks ago, you both walk out to the barn, and find the car covered with an old bed sheet and find out its 1965 Corvett...Thats a true story. Sadly it wasn\'t me, it was a friend of mine 12 years ago...But its same deal when you find sellers...Some on E Bay some not.
RESEARCH!
LAST but NOT LEAST EXPERTS!
As Damien Karras would say...."THERE ARE NO EXPERTS!" There are opinions. BUT NO EXPERTS! Not even the big collectors are EXPERTS. Not even the EXPERTS are experts... When it comes to the new stuff the artist are the "Experts" because they made it, they know! How many times have i come across a collector telling me, the MOLD is gone, there were only 5 of these, ect ect. To find out there were 20, Mold is not gone just put away or sold to another artist, 20 blanks were produced, ect ect. Which goes back to HISTORY. Find out the artist and its history, esp if there numbered they would know or should know.
Old stuff is Much much harder, ask opinions get as much feedback as you can, not even the owners are experts. They might not know, or think they know. Find out if its a RECAST. GOD I hate recasters. How many times have I meet a collector who say check this out, and I have to say very nice what you pay for it. $600, $800, $1000...You know its a recast...WHAT! I can tell a recast from a mile away no matter how good they are. One is I know where most of the originals are...Get ref pictures of originals if you can. My personal Archives holds over 10,000 photos, theres probably not one mask I dont have or know about that I dont have at least one picture of. Inless it was a portfoilio, piece just one of a kind thing or gift. This includes all mask, bust, props, animatronics, movie used stuff, props for movies, back ups, prototypes...So Ref pictures always help. RECASTERS, is something you have to watch out for...Artist also, how many people ask me for a blank pull of Pats werewolf. Over 100! By E Bay alone. Hahah, you have a better chance of having dinner at the Whitehouse tonight. Inless you really know the person and they just want to do a custom job on it for themself...Odds are they dont, which is why E Bay is a breeding ground for RECASTERS and FAKES!
MOVIE Props are worse, why because now its not $50, $100, $1000 dollars were talking about, itsa 5, 10, 20, 50 even $100,000...Even the so called EXPERTS, like Prop store, Profiles, ect ect, dont have thier info right all of the time...How many times have I emailed people saying its not screen used, sorry. Maybe prototype, maybe back up, stunt but not screen used hero, or even screen used. Creature mask was the big one...I\'m sorry who ever paid 70 Grand for that... :down:
Even the people who do know or have the real one might not know the whole story...SO KNOW WHAT YOU BUY!
Biggest thing is to enjoy collection, buy the old stuff if you can when you can, and keep it. Work your way up from the bottom...If you can buy two of something, when its fresh and new out do so. Buying one is hard but if you can afford two then do so, because you have trading power, and you dont have to give up your own to do so. Plus you can sell it at a later time, which build revenue for you to buy something...
This is a fun hobby, why there are collector "CLICKS" and people try to be so secretive with other collectors and information is beyond me...Everyone seems to want to keep people in the closet like this is a big conspiracy, and no one wants people to interact. It childish to me. But it is that way. Like I said its a big compition for some. I dont know. Everyone should get along. Its nice to meet people see collections and interact, but I think it will always be this way. My opinion. You need friends in this hobby, or you wont survive thats a FACT! I have been all over the world and seen alot of collections, it doesn\'t matter if you have 4000 mask, or 6000 movie props, or two mask. There your collection. Be proud of what you have and enjoy it. Dont make it a JOB, make it a hobby. You have a JOB, this is your fun thing. Your ummm "HAPPY PLACE"
to get away from reality once in awhile. Dont worry about Bobs collection, or Bills. or Mikes, just worry about yours, and what MAKES YOU happy. Get to know people whos who and make friends without them it can be very lonely, or as in the movie "Bad Boys" the old one, love that movie, do your time straight, be cool, do your reasearch, be patience and you\'ll walk clean. "Mess up, and you could grow old in here Jack" LOL Enjoy! Remember PATIENCE!Hope that helps and this wasn\'t to long. I know it was...
:blink: 
:blink: :ermm: <_< 
Mike