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QUESTION Who here has thinned out a collection?

QUESTION Who here has thinned out a collection?
TonkaToy

TonkaToy

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Hi,

I have been feeling a little overwhelmed with my collection. I have been trading a lot this last year and a half or so and now I have way more keepers than traders.
I don't have a lot of space to display all these pins.
My question is - did you thin out a collection and if so - what was your strategy?
 
I thinned my Rapunzel collection by only keeping pins with Maximus. I decided (I think) to no longer collect
The Fox and the Hound (even though I haven't gotten rid of them). I decided not to collect Dopey and not to
collect Chip and Dale so I eliminated all of them from my collections, but I haven't totally gotten rid of all of
them but I did add them to my traders.

I understand where you're coming from. I had a bunch of what I wanted to be Park Traders, but I ended up
putting them on my table and trading them for pins I wanted, which defeats the purpose since I just trade
at the parks for fun and usually just switch them out every time.
 
I keep my collections in check in some of the ways others mentioned like only collecting direct-from-Disney pins no palm, etc). I’ve never downsized so can’t help you there. But about your comment about not being able to display them all- the vast majority of my pins I keep in bags. So I don’t see them all the time, but I see them fairly frequently when adding new pins, etc. it if I just feel like browsing them.
 
I did pin games to help focus my collection. I thought the games were fun!

I live within 4 hours of Orlando but do not go often enough to pin trading events to hold on to good traders.

I also find it hard to display the all the pins I would like to easily see. I have a bunch of cork frames on a guest bedroom wall but most of the pins are in bags.
 
I do thin out my collections from time to time! Over the years I’ve collected, I’ve narrowed down the kinds of pins I really like and the ones I’m not fond of.

In the beginning I’d collect any pin with my favorite characters on it. Now, I’ve realized I prefer pins without dates, writing, hinges, dangles, etc. So I will only keep one of those if it’s super special or I really love the design. It’s really cut back on both my collection and my wants list.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I have done a bit of thinning of the scope of my collection over the years. I collected Jack-Jack at one point and have cut that collection to only a couple of keepers because I love the art style on the pins. I am debating on thinning my attraction collection but it is a shared collection, so I need to discuss further with my SO.

I keep my keeper pins in shadow boxes, which helps me keep my pins in check. I only have enough space for one more box on my wall, so the pins inside need to spark joy or they will be replaced with one I love more.

When I thin the collection, I always move the pins to my traders. I don’t typically sell my pins because I am so far away from the parks. I have given a few pins to my nephew to help him get started on collecting, and my little one loves to steal pins from me, so that keeps my pin count down a bit.
 
I did the same as above and stopped with the loungefly/hot topic/box lunch sets. I also stopped with OE rack pins unless I really love the design. I have put the pins I am willing to part with as traders in my accounts. I am selective with what I take as trade for these, but if someone offers something I really want for my other collections, then I will part with it.
 
I have done a lot of the above also. But mostly I have rules. I break my rules periodically for a pin I really like, but the rules do keep me in check. Rules example: 'avoid words', 'no dates', 'no mechanical' (they break), 'no dangles' (they break) 'avoid same art', etc.

I downsized the overall collection by discontinuing a collection theme about 3 years ago. Unless the pins fit my other collections (ie, characters in costume, hidden/lanyard/cast pins, etc.) my entire Cheshire Cat collection was moved to my traders.

At some point I plan to go through my Mickey and Star Wars collections (some of my oldest and largest collections) to remove pins I no longer like. What I like or don't like has changed in the last 10 years. This is especially true with Mickey Mouse. I didn't realize how many similar or outright duplicate pins there are of Mickey Mouse. I have become very particular for adding new Mickey Mouse pins to my perm collection.
 
I'm clearing out collections as we speak. First, I take out all the scrappers. We're also considering if we'd trade for that pin again or look for it currently. Lastly, looking at if the design has been already (hence why we've not purchased a ton of pins to open in a WHILE). I just redid our Stitch board and let me tell you... I've NEVER LOATHED the little blue guy more in my life. I've got to be REALLY selective in the future about what to add to the board and I do know of a few Isos that I would love to add eventually. Next time you run out of room, it could be fun to post a few photos and play a round of "This or That" for those pins you might be undecisive about keeping?
 
I'm still trying to be a completist for Wonderland (though I'm behind on licensed pins i.e. Loungefly and The Company That Shall Not Be Named :p ) and pins from Asia which seem hardest for me to come by. Plus I have a few pins that are damaged that I'd like to replace.

However, I'm actively trying to rein in my secondary Marvel collection. Originally it was just Skottie Young pins and Loki. And then it grew lol because I started trading for anything Marvel I liked. Now I'm trying to force myself to put stuff into my trade bag that does not fit into one of these core categories:

Skottie Young
Loki
Captain America (but selective - mostly pins featuring the shield)
Icons (i.e. Cap's shield, character logos, Marvel logo)
Avengers Campus (Anaheim and Paris)

I'm also allowing myself to keep the one mystery set I'm most attached to - the Marvel Valentines.

I've picked the pins I'm least attached to in my general Marvel collection to start trading with and as those trade, I put ones I like a little more but still aren't core into the trade bag and will continue on. I'm also forcing myself to not trade for anything Marvel unless it fits one of my core themes. However, I've gotten into a bad habit of trading for multiples of Marvel pins I like. That's also something I will have to rein in at some point! But first I want to thin out the non-core Marvel stuff.
 
Thanks, everyone, for your input and advice.
@TheMickeyMouseRules Yes, these ideas have helped me get started. The first thing I did was go through my ISO/WANTS lists and remove the pins of characters that I already have multiples of! Tinker Bell and Pluto, for example.
Next , I got my Tinker Bell board out and removed the four Year of a Million Dreams pins that I don't love, but collected because I was being a completionist... I ended up with this as a final keeper for Tinker Bell and don't plan on adding anymore!
Si and Am were easy. I just had one new pin to add. They are really hard to come by, and I don't forsee getting many in the future.

My Pluto and Mickey & Minnie Pie Eyed pins will be next.

c9d1d9c54114eb20af6a310cdbb5c3f0.jpg


25a56308fc2ea40f087f8452a957c444.jpg
81645c3ac69d84164c38f22d3f164e13.jpg
 
Last edited:
Ok the “Yes Si-Am” pin is hilarious! 🤣 Great displays; happy to hear some ideas helped spark your declutter journey. Have fun with the rest of the declutter, excited to see what the rest of your displays look like!
 
TonkaToy said:
Thanks, everyone, for your input and advice.
@TheMickeyMouseRules Yes, these ideas have helped me get started. The first thing I did was go through my ISO/WANTS lists and remove the pins of characters that I already have multiples of! Tinker Bell and Pluto, for example.
Next , I got my Tinker Bell board out and removed the four Year of a Million Dreams pins that I don't love, but collected because I was being a completionist... I ended up with this as a final keeper for Tinker Bell and don't plan on adding anymore!
Si and Am were easy. I just had one new pin to add. They are really hard to come by, and I don't forsee getting many in the future.

My Pluto and Mickey & Minnie Pie Eyed pins will be next.

c9d1d9c54114eb20af6a310cdbb5c3f0.jpg


25a56308fc2ea40f087f8452a957c444.jpg
81645c3ac69d84164c38f22d3f164e13.jpg
Click to expand...
Love your Si and Am pins. I need that BOLO pin.
 
I've started with the easiest sets/boards. I have a large board of random pins that definitely need thinning.

@momin.ator The Si and Am pins are some of my favorites. I know they are villains and no longer portrayed in Disney merchandise, but I used to have two Siamese cats that inspired my love of Si and Am! I actually scored that B.O.L.O. pin when that series came out. I've had some of the Si and Am pins a long time.
 
TonkaToy said:
I've started with the easiest sets/boards. I have a large board of random pins that definitely need thinning.

@momin.ator The Si and Am pins are some of my favorites. I know they are villains and no longer portrayed in Disney merchandise, but I used to have two Siamese cats that inspired my love of Si and Am! I actually scored that B.O.L.O. pin when that series came out. I've had some of the Si and Am pins a long time.
Click to expand...

This is mine. I love them too. I am sad they are no longer making pins of them.

10046076_88b2f4cc092fc7977a691b3b74d01192.jpg
 
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