My family want me to see therapy because of MOTUC

my family literally want me to see therapy because of the amount of time and money I have been spending on MOTUC.

My girlfriend complained to my mum about how much storage space I'm taking with my toys and how I yelled at her when she put her heavy bag ontop of my BattleCat box and then gave her a personal tour of all my white mailer boxes, then went on to complain of how she thought I was looking at porn till 1:00am (Aussi time) until she found out I was ordering toys (stupid wsod). She also thinks that I spend less time going to the gym, working on the RX7, going out, and more time on the org writing short essays.

So my family had something short of an intervention and suggested I get help (my sister even brought her three sobbing nieces who now think I'm a nutcase). This is total ********, why can’t they see that collecting toys is perfectly natural and collecting MOTUC makes me a happy balanced adult?

Originally Posted by AnthonyHall666

my family literally want me to see therapy because of the amount of time and money I have been spending on MOTUC.

My girlfriend complained to my mum about how much storage space I'm taking with my toys and how I yelled at her when she put her heavy bag ontop of my BattleCat box and then gave her a personal tour of all my white mailer boxes, then went on to complain of how she thought I was looking at porn till 1:00am (Aussi time) until she found out I was ordering toys (stupid wsod). She also thinks that I spend less time going to the gym, working on the RX7, going out, and more time on the org writing short essays.

So my family had something short of an intervention and suggested I get help (my sister even brought her three sobbing nieces who now think I'm a nutcase). This is total BS, why can’t they see that collecting toys is perfectly natural and collecting MOTUC makes me a happy balanced adult?

I say that if you are not hurting anyone or yourself and doing good works and deeds outside of MOTU appreciation than they should leave you alone. If they dont respect what you love or do you should drop them.

Stay strong.

Originally Posted by AnthonyHall666

my family literally want me to see therapy because of the amount of time and money I have been spending on MOTUC.

My girlfriend complained to my mum about how much storage space I'm taking with my toys and how I yelled at her when she put her heavy bag ontop of my BattleCat box and then gave her a personal tour of all my white mailer boxes, then went on to complain of how she thought I was looking at porn till 1:00am (Aussi time) until she found out I was ordering toys (stupid wsod). She also thinks that I spend less time going to the gym, working on the RX7, going out, and more time on the org writing short essays.

So my family had something short of an intervention and suggested I get help (my sister even brought her three sobbing nieces who now think I'm a nutcase). This is total BS, why can’t they see that collecting toys is perfectly natural and collecting MOTUC makes me a happy balanced adult?

Tell her it could be worse, you could spend your money on drugs, porn and booze, there's much worse things you could be buying

Umm yea.. the girlfriend I can drop maybe...but ya can't exactly dump me mum, besides she blames herself for this cause she got me the original 80s He-Man in the first place.

Um. You yelled at your girlfriend when she put a "heavy bag" on top of Battle-Cat's box?

Maybe you don't need therapy for your MOTUC addiction, but it might be a good idea to review the health and well-being of your relationship with your girlfriend. If you value Battle-Cat's box over the feelings of your girlfriend, then it seems one of them has to go and I have the feeling that in this instance, it might be the girlfriend.

Originally Posted by AnthonyHall666

Umm yea.. the girlfriend I can drop maybe...but ya can't exactly dump me mum, besides she blames herself for this cause she got me the original 80s He-Man in the first place.

You could be doing drugs instead......I think you turned out well.

Dump the girlfriend. I don't know the whole story, but it sounds like she doesn't understand you at all or support you.

Can´t you explain yourself or wouldn´t they listen?

Which toys have you been ordering at 1 a.m.?

Whenever I've had anyone question any resources I devote to MOTU, I remind them that it's more than merely about the 'toys', and that MOTU has been part of me for as long as I recall. I also position it as the source for a much needed distraction, or as movie buffs would say, escapism. For some, it's following sports. For others, it's movies/music. For me, it's those things plus MOTU! At that point, they seem to get it.

Part of being a "happy balanced adult", as you say, is to not compromise personal relations for anything, especially with the family. I find my justification for following MOTU is only given further credibility when it doesn't glaringly come in the way of anything else.

Well if she did the heavy bag thing on purpose and knows how much you pay for them then she set the bag on them to goad you on.

I mean if she knows you have it as a display piece and purposely damages it she is just trying to draw out a response you can replace the gf that is crazy you shouldn't have to replace BC.

People act like toys are the worst thing ever, as long as you pay the bills and such it shouldn't be a problem to anyone everyone has something they spend time/money on.

But I think they understand that I have and always been a geek. However in my case I believe I am able offset my family and friends concerns about my personal MOTU obsession with my professional and scholastic achievements and with my prowess with women.

1. I'm educated...Got My BA at UCSB
2. I'm an Officer of the US Army reserve and a commander for over 3 years.
3. I'm a Federal Employee
4. I'm Cocoasmooth.....

Your poor mom!! lol Mine blames herself too!!

My Mom actually buys me some of my collection, here and there, my Wife thinks I'm crazy, but hey she has a small collection of Cherished Teddies and Calico Cats.....My Transformers and MOTUC are no different, I keep mine MOSC & MISB I don't play with them other than to pose my 2 loose MOTUC (the only 2 I have loose) or (Transformers) transform the loose ones every once in a while...Hey everyone has to collect something....it keeps me sane during bad times, and helps me keep my memories of when life was simpler way back when. And it gives me something to pass on to my son when I'm gone, he's not even 2 yet, and already has his own pull back Bumblebee, and when / if those Mini Masters come out, I will get a set for him for his first MOTU toys, when he's old enough not to eat them...that is.

God knows there are no real toys / cartoons out today that compare to the classics, Transformers, MOTU, Thundercats....I mean I do watch Ben 10, and a few like that, but I hate most of the new ones Chowder, Adventure Time...all crap, Cartoons and toys were real back then...maybe cheesy and bad by todays standards...but we loved them, and they need to stay alive, I for one am glad for MOTUC, as they keep the spirit started in '82 alive and well. My son needs some good classics to watch and play with.

May the classics never die!!

Easily solved IMO - rid the girlfriend!

If she has gone to your family to rally them like villagers with pitchforks and sold them the story in such a way that it has resulted in them suggesting therapy, she's toxic to you. It's not the lack of love for your interests that's the problem, it's her methods of execution to try and 'fix' you. Very dodgy.

The crushing of Battle Cat's box I completely understand. Some people don't care about the condition of their possessions and they can’t comprehend it when you do. That really annoys me. That being said, if you can’t get into your house because you can’t throw anything away like an obsessive OCD case, then maybe, just maybe, your GF is onto something.

My ex HATED all the toys and the toy shopping. But he realised that I wasn't hurting anyone and I was happy. As passionate as many of us can be from time to time, I'm sure most of us still manage to go to work, pay the bills, and function as an adult and a person. We spend so much of our lives sacrificing our time to be a grown up, we should be allowed to do what we want in our own time (within reason, obviously).

Just tell your girlfriend that you’re going to be home late one night form work because Cindy, the receptionist from work has taken up massage and needs some friends to practice on. Your GF be surfing the WSOD with you in no time.

Originally Posted by He-Boy

Just tell your girlfriend that you’re going to be home late one night form work because Cindy, the receptionist from work has taken up massage and needs some friends to practice on. Your GF be surfing the WSOD with you in no time.

Start shooting up, and then ask everyone in 2 months wich they prefer. That'll learn them!

Originally Posted by AnthonyHall666

Umm yea.. the girlfriend I can drop maybe...but ya can't exactly dump me mum, besides she blames herself for this cause she got me the original 80s He-Man in the first place.

There’s an episode of Family guy where Stewie is playing with He-Man and Lion-O and he faces the camera and tells everyone that it’s their fault their sons are gay because they bought them such homoerotic dolls as kids.

Find and play that scene to your mum and then tell her that things could always be worse.

Well... some people just don't understand.

You have to admit that at first glance there is something odd about a man in his 20s/30s/40s collecting toys, but it is just a hobby. Some people collect coins, stamps, trading cards, sporting event items, trains, etc...

If your hobby brings you pleasure and you aren't causing emotional, physical or financial damage to yourself or your family, then there is nothing wrong with it.

My friends/family are generally supportive of my habit, even though some don't understand it.

However, I do strongly believe that some people take their hobby way too seriously and may require professional assistance. There was a MattyCollector post a few months back from a person claiming that MOTUC is the only thing that made him happy and without MOTUC he wouldn't know what to do. That particular person could probably use a little professional help to find out if there is a more serious issue inside.

In your case, look at your own situation and assess how your collecting hobby affects your personal life/relationships. If your behavior is healthy, then your girlfriend/family are blowing things out of proportion. If your behavior is unhealthy, then they may have a point.

Also remember that talking to a professional doesn't mean you are crazy or have a problem. A professional evaluation can be useful to anyone. It may even help you come up with ways to help your family understand your hobby better.

Bottom Line - Little Plastic Men should bring you entertainment and enjoyment. Little Plastic Men should not run your personal, professional or financial life. If Little Plastic Men are more important to you than actual real life connections, seek help.

I thank God from time to time that I've worked in an industry where it's socially acceptable for me to buy toys all the time. My friends do as well, and romantic interests gasp with excitement when they see recent purchases. They're works of art, plain and simple.

At any studio I've worked at, one of the first things I'm told is to bring toys for my desk, and when I haven't had time, I'm asked why I haven't yet.

While I love toys, and the stories they flesh out, I love spending time with my friends, going to the gym, and keeping busy. There are one or two naysayers, but everyone else looks at them funny when they mock my collection.

Listen to their concerns, but stand your ground. It's great art, and reminiscent of great childhood memories. If you're not obsessed with it, is there really a problem? If you are, just remember that no obsession is a good thing.

Just wow, I like collecting figures but it shouldn't be this deep. I would think your girlfriend would know and understand your interest in MOTUC, but if it is taking precedence over more important things maybe you do need help.

There are two sides to every story here, and yes I am a MOTUC completest, with nice display cases filled with MOTU, and I take the 15th off of work every month.

But the question is are you a "Huge Fan" as I consider myself, or a fanatic. I mean if you have 12 white mailer boxes of every figure, filling up closets, attics and basements, moving them off the sofa so you can sit down, then yeah maybe you do have a problem. 1 is really enough. 1 loose, 1 carded max. Anything more you should just sell.

And when they see you are making a profit off of it, then maybe they will leave you alone. When I mentioned the few figures I buy at Comic Con, pays for Comic Con and a few bills, people left me alone.

And is keeping the empty mailer boxes really necessary? This is not a direct hit on you, but can be said to the majority on this site including myself, I mean I had a ton of white mailer boxes until I asked myself why am I keeping these, and I threw them all out. Felt great.

The question is are we going overboard with our love for MOTU?

Originally Posted by AnthonyHall666

My girlfriend complained to my mum about how much storage space I'm taking with my toys and how I yelled at her when she put her heavy bag ontop of my BattleCat box and then gave her a personal tour of all my white mailer boxes

I'll be honest...this part sounded a bit weird. Unless they're items you're meaning to sell.

I can't judge you personally based on such a small amount of info but I do think a number of toy collectors have an unhealthy obsession. I've even wondered it about myself even though I only by MOTUC, and only buy one of each of the figures that I like. Because I never collected toys before this and I've never known anyone who has. But some toy-collecting stuff I've seen online, on forums or whatever, is mind-blowing and has reminded me that I'm more-or-less normal.
My personal philosophy is to practice things in moderation, and not get caught up in owning so many material things that end up owning you. Less is more.

Originally Posted by Kowl

Well... some people just don't understand.

You have to admit that at first glance there is something odd about a man in his 20s/30s/40s collecting toys, but it is just a hobby. Some people collect coins, stamps, trading cards, sporting event items, trains, etc...

If your hobby brings you pleasure and you aren't causing emotional, physical or financial damage to yourself or your family, then there is nothing wrong with it.

My friends/family are generally supportive of my habit, even though some don't understand it.

However, I do strongly believe that some people take their hobby way too seriously and may require professional assistance. There was a MattyCollector post a few months back from a person claiming that MOTUC is the only thing that made him happy and without MOTUC he wouldn't know what to do. That particular person could probably use a little professional help to find out if there is a more serious issue inside.

In your case, look at your own situation and assess how your collecting hobby affects your personal life/relationships. If your behavior is healthy, then your girlfriend/family are blowing things out of proportion. If your behavior is unhealthy, then they may have a point.

Also remember that talking to a professional doesn't mean you are crazy or have a problem. A professional evaluation can be useful to anyone. It may even help you come up with ways to help your family understand your hobby better.

Bottom Line - Little Plastic Men should bring you entertainment and enjoyment. Little Plastic Men should not run your personal, professional or financial life. If Little Plastic Men are more important to you than actual real life connections, seek help.

Agree 100%. Well said.

Reconsidering, if this hobby is not too serious is always possible...

ahahah that'll show em!