end of an era

well folks, the time has come... i am out of the game.

with huge thanks to member AOF, we are slowly but surely selling my collection. ive been mailing boxes upon boxes of trains to this fine gentleman and he has been selling on my behalf.

i spent the last 4 days at my parents working in the attic and removed 4-5 carloads of original trackmaster stuff and other toys, christmas decorations etc. i estimate another 12 to completely clear out the tomica, tomy and vintage tomy tracks. the track sets have been whittled down and largely donated to a local charity shop. i am being good to them and only doing one "generation" at a time, so everything they get will connect up. none of those mixed bags of assorted tracks that never matches up.

everything being sold is going straight to my savings account. it feels good to be getting rid of so much stuff and see both the financial and physical rewards of such.

along with exiting this, i am also parting with several other major collections that i no longer feel the huge pull towards. i am working towards a new future. i split with my partner late last year and thus began the big clear out. i want something more from life than im getting right now, and it looks like that will involve shifting countries, so i need to cut back to the bare essentials.

i will stay around this board, but likely more of a lurker, not that ive posted much in recent years anyway.

i want to thank all the members that ive bought from or had other dealings with over the years. its been a blast and youll not be forgotten.

sunhuntin

[Super]

Oh my...knowing how much you have had accumulated at your mothers house and after you moved is no easy task for sure Sun. You and AOF have your hands full. I would wager a bet that it has been bitter sweet for you once again going through all those toys and remembering the joy and times it took you to amass such a huge collection.

You are one of the 'Originals' Sun and through your friendship with Ucwepn are a big part of why this community started and has grown so well.

Thank you so much for everything you have taught me and the enjoyment you have brought to us all but most of all thank you for being my friend.

I am missing you already 😒😢

Definitely the end of an era, I echo Super's thoughts, you will be missed and the hobby has lost a useful resource. However I can understand where you're coming from, when I split with my fiancé during the pandemic I was in a similar bind about what to do. But at that time travelling anywhere was pretty impossible and instead of selling and fleeing I took the other approach and buried myself in my hobbies even more.

In hindsight I don't regret my decisions as I like where I live and I like my hobbies/collections and if I'd dumped all that for someone who obviously didn't care as much for me as I did her it would have only hurt me more. As it is I'm over her and feel as happy as I was before I met her, so all's good, not perfect, but good.

Anyway, wherever you end up or whatever you end up doing enjoy yourself Sun you will be missed by me also...

thanks, gents. i will still be around to a certain degree.

nigel, i remember when that happened, and all the crud hit the fan at once for you it seemed. life dealt you an extremely hard hand. im glad you have come through and are in a good space with things.

the website for now is not going anywhere, so that resource will stay. getting rid of stuff has not really impacted me too bad so far... im being methodical and just focused on removal, not really looking too close at things. when need be, i shut down that part of my head and just click into automatic mode.

the offloading isnt so much a reaction to the split, but more from reconnecting with someone who reminded me what life could be. i will get nowhere in new zealand. house prices are insanity, and even saving the deposit is impossible.
i have $8000 in my savings account and need to add at least another zero to even think about having a deposit, and things get worse every single day in that respect, plus the interest rates are going up and up. i know its the same everywhere. new zealand has a lot of other draw backs as well. its just too expensive, and too far behind the rest of the world.

i still have a long way to go, but its a step in the right direction, and im doing much better. losing weight at a decent pace, saving like crazy and getting out on the bike every few weeks for more than just going to work. plus the knowledge i am not tied down by as much stuff feels good.

my ex was a hardcore collector... im talking hundreds of thousands of things like mcdonalds toys, other fast food toys, other toys in general, books he hasnt read in 30 years... you name it. his son has no interest, his family has no interest, and he has no desire to really get rid of any of it. its not a healthy way to live.

Best of luck to you Sun!
You will always be part of the “original crew” to me…”The big 5”, Ucwepn, Sunhuntin, Super, jdogman, and Geris.
It was you who introduced me to the Japanese auctions, and without your kindness, we could never have achieved our goal to “collect them all”…we owe most everything to you.
I wish you much peace and joy in your new life endeavors, and you will always be a legend here at BPT and to the TTTE community.
🕊❤️

thanks much, muddy.
i like that i was the enabler that sent you down the jauce path... maybe i should apologise. lol.

i miss geris, havent spoken to him for a long time. i actually found a christmas card from him in the attic the other day. i tucked it back away for safe keeping.

everyone will kept up to date when things change majorly. still a couple years before i can make that next big step i think.