Every time I buy my Ultraman figures it does bring a smile to my face. Most of the time I am a pretty miserable person, I don't show it in my videos but sometimes I do feel pretty down
I love this man, very awesome to open up like this and toy collecting is something I got into because it was a healthy hobby for me and I went through a lot of trauma and abuse in my past relationship and this helped cope with it and growing up not having a lot and being where I’m at now I can get stuff I wanted when I was a kid. Never lose that kid in you is something I learned doing this and I love it. Great video man new subscriber can’t Wait for more
Thank you Nerdzoic. A topic well worth exploring further. My ML collecting paralleled my ordeal as well. There is something to say about holding something tangibly in hand of some worth that soothes the woes. The escapism is the true objective.
YES!!! finding something to make me smile and 'play' really brings me up. Unfortunately, sometimes collecting brings out the anxiety - where will I get it? Do I need to get it? OMG I'm going to miss out! too. I've got a lot better - especially after I found full time work after 4-5yrs - where I don't feel (as) guilty buying something to cheer me up Now, after I've found like-minded collectors and people that find joy in toy collecting on TH-cam or in great facebook groups like the Mythic Legions Cabal, i do feel less isolated and part of something / a group, etc.
I’m 15 now and I still collect marvel legends because it brings me back to that time when I was about 7 or 8 when I was into iron man and collected a bunch of figures. Then at about 9 or 10 I really started struggling with anxiety so that is why I collect.
Brother, thank you. Depression is real. I keep everything inside because I don't want to appear weak. I'm supposed to be the one that everybody can count on. The rock of the family. Been a toy collector my whole life. It's helped me through a lot of tough times. Had a bad day yesterday. When I got home there was a 3.75 remnant stormtrooper in the mailbox. It changed my whole day. Toy collecting really does help.
Leave to a stormtrooper to save the day 🙌 be safe brother, we all have our days and pressures, the figs I collect help me focus in something not related to career or life management.just like little piece if childhood and creativity I can put aside and put good energy Into to mellow out.
I feel you on the getting home and figures are waiting ..it can be the worst day at work but when I get home and some figs are on the door step ...the day wasn't even that bad to begin with ..cheers brotha!
@Philip Squires no worries brother, I’m like the same way I keep everything inside me, I’m a Christian and God has you bro never lets you go no matter what! I think Im going through mental illness. Been getting very aggressive and emotions but I’ve been a toy collector too. Love collecting Marvel Legends and 3.75 figures
Collecting has helped me with my depression. 4 years ago I was diagnosed with stage 5 kidney failure. Dialysis was really hard at first and collecting helped me through it. Thank you so much for sharing your story 🙏🏾
I have been bullied most of my life. Comic Books and Martial Arts became my safe haven. When Marvel Legends/Select came out I was thrilled to see my favorite characters done justice in figure form. Life went on, and a lot of bad things happened, but as soon as I got home to my figures, I'm a happy camper. Truthfully if not for my collection, I have had a Stroke or Heart Attack a long time ago. So, yeah I agree that our hobby is therapeutic. They make us 😁.
In April my Mom passed away, I am still dealing with it. Going on toy hunts and rearranging my collection has helped me mentally get through it. I am still working through it but this hobby has helped me alot
Lost my mom in May 2018. The day before Mother's Day. I spent five months away from my now-home. When I walked thru this door...it was like getting all new stuff.( Kinda like doing laundry so infrequently, you don't recognize your own threads.)
Really needed this rn. Been going through a rough patch health wise the past 7 months. Really bad stomach issues (chronic nausea) to the point that I can’t tolerate most food or liquids. Been out of school and work for this whole year. That’s how shitty I feel on a daily basis. I’ve lost 40lbs since may. I’ve seen 10+ doctors at this point and none of them can tell me what’s wrong. It’s been extremely depressing to the point that I’ve considered not wanting to live anymore. Not being able to eat like a normal person despite wanting to is depressing. Started toy collecting after years of not doing it (mostly online cause the motion sickness is unbearable once I get into a car) and it’s honestly the only thing keeping me sane. Yes I’ve spent a lot of money on figures at this point but idk what else could keep my mind occupied
Hi danny im Chris, im so sorry to hear you are going through this, i think i know what is wrong with you as i had about the same problem. Im gonna tell you my story which is similar to what you are going through. About 12yrs during xmas time out of nowhere i started with all the symptoms you mentioned here, i spent 30 days at the hospital and they couldn't tell me what was wrong, i lost 24lb that month. Then i traveled to different countries & saw many doctors looking for an answer, i was desperate! long story short, After 1 1/2yr of many doctors and hospitals i was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis then spent 2yrs in treatment only to find out i had UC related condition Chron's disease which affects your intestinal tract and your entire body, is the worst condition ever but there's a way to manage & get it under control which we call Remission. Like you i also had thoughts of not living anymore but please you got to keep on fighting, what you're going through will stop and you will be back to normal, please don't give up! Tell your doctors about the conditions i mentioned, sometimes you have to give them a hint.
Sorry to hear this. I try to to be preachy because I don't want to push people away, but reading about our creator and Jesus really helped me a lot too. I didn't expect it to help, but I tried to start reading the Bible for the first time when I was in the worst place possible at the suggestion of a friend, and it really helped. It put everything in perspective.
Thanks for sharing your story Matt. Toys have helped me too. I went from opening them all as a kid, to buy 2 open 1, and now I’m back at buy 1 and open it for the most part. I don’t play with toys per se, but arranging my figures is very calming for me. I bought a house recently and the way I picked my room was because one room had a wall with built in shelves, and my first thought was “figure display wall”. I’ve been through divorce, PTSD, combat, losing buddies to suicide, and being haunted by their loss. It’s helpful to have my figures to focus on. I also have a PTSD service dog, a counselor, a psychiatrist, and meds, but my collection helps too. I still don’t have my Star Wars shelves done, but I have 2 shelves that are mixed between Action Force and Classified, 2 shelves of Final Faction, 2 shelves of 3.75 GI Joes (25th Anniversary line), 2 shelves of MOTU origins, a shelf that’s dedicated to ML Captain America figures, 2 shelves of 3.75 Marvel Universe and Iron Man movie figs, a mixed shelf, and a shelf of the Iron Man figures from the cartoon. On top of the shelves there are transformers, but the space is under 1’ so I’m limited with what I can put up there. I too miss the hunt like it was in the early 2000’s, and nowadays most of my hunting is as a proxy for my brother. If anyone is looking at a reasonable line to get into I highly recommend Final Faction, it’s only available at Dollar Tree, but it’s 1.25 per figure, accessory pack, vehicle, or vehicle weapons pack, and different dollar trees seem to get different shipments (or shipments at different times) so the hunt is there without killing your wallet.
I completely understand. I moved from Philly to CT about 12 years ago and depression hit hard. I left my friends, my family and my career behind and had nothing but my wife and my 1 year old son. I felt trapped and had no where to go. My wife was still dealing with post partum depression herself so neither one of us was in a good place. I started going out at night driving around learning a new state and she thought I was having an affair which made it all worse. I found a nearby Target and Walmart and started buying Joes again. This was pursuit of Cobra time I think because I was looking for Shadow Tracker. It was that hunting that got me through the first few weeks and months. I met like minded people in those aisles and started to feel like I wasn’t alone anymore. I started talking to my wife again and we both got into counseling and it allowed me to open up and really express what moving did to me. I did eventually find a Shadow Tracker too.
Speaking for myself I had an awful bout of depression just about a year ago. I was about a quarter through my senior year of high school, I've struggled with depression for as long as I can remember but this was really really bad. I was feeling nothing but alone, like everything was weighting down on me, and even was debating suicide. Then I got COVID, this just made my loneliness so much worse, having to stay shut up in my room all day and all night. But about this time I started listening to a Podcast called Timesuck my AP psych teacher, the great Mr. Doogie, had suggested. This podcast and being able to final have time to pose and reorganize my collection helped majorly with how I was feeling and I'd even say saved me from a suicide attempt.
Keep your head up. Personally, I was so lonely for so long...if I could go back in time and tell my young self how not-lonely future me would be, things would have been so much easier. The moral: your young, invest in yourself (knowledge/skills/happiness) and down the road the rest will come
Rearranging my Marvel Legends, planning the display, taking pictures of it, waiting for spilers, the toy hunt... there is a lot about keeping your mind busy with something you really like. This totally proves anything could be therapy as long as it adds something positive to life. My figures have been part of those little rushes of excitement and motivation to go through a lot of stress caused by my job and studies currently; I've felt that tired and that my duties will never finish... to a point where sometimes I feel like I'm falling into depression; but there they are!...all my hobbies helping out to get relaxed and excited.
Thank you for sharing your story. As a counselor, who also does play therapy with my clients, I can definitely identify with a lot of what you discussed. Heck even for me when my dad passed away right before COVID, I got back into vintage GI Joe as that was something we did together and it brought me completely back into toy collecting in general. This was definitely part of my therapy dealing with the loss, guilt and grief of him passing and one of the few things as to why I'm finishing up my PhD over the next 8 months. Much love to you my friend and I hope your displays and collections continue to bring you as much joy as possible.
Absolutely true for me there's something about the joy of finding either something you want or finding something new you didn't know you wanted that just lifts the spirit
Not gonna lie, i'm heavily collecting since my dog and dad passed away. I was collecting, now i'm "collecting" and getting a problem of space. I'm hoarding like crazy. there were so many deaths in my family in the recent years. Loneliness is also playing a huge part.
Have lost both parents now, trouble is have got to the point where ive collected so much as a distraction, ive run out of room - the place is literally like a warehouse & no room to a actually display anything!
@@Paul_1971 yeah same problem, figures are stacked and as I collect gunpla, I've got over a 100 boxes around. Don't know what to do. Where I'm at no IKEA either or the likes
As of 2018, all my blood relatives are now gone. I cannot pick the phone and call them anymore. That being said, as far as space goes...I have tailored my collection to fit on any number of any shelves w/o looking like a mess. (It's not a hoard, that's too harsh.)
@@Paul_1971 yup. recently tailored/curated my collection into 6 four shelf/free standing units, and plenty to display and switch out from about five sterelite bins. If you curate, it's a lot less of a stressor.
Much love to you, Big Nerdy! This just makes me like you even more. Always appreciate your genuine personality. Going through a divorce and my mom passed away in January. Toy collecting brings me a sense of relief. When I can, I try to go after work. My oldest daughter will sometimes go out to collector shops on the weekends with me, it's our thing. I always enjoyed collecting figures, and as an adult I enjoy the hunt. But now alot of figures remind me of my mom, and all the memories of watching the different movies and shows those figures came from. I remember my mom tearing up while I watched the airing of X-men the phoenix saga as a kid in the 90's. That stuck with me of how good the show was and how special my mom was. She could actually get into some of the stuff I liked. I also enjoy collecting knowing that I'll be able to leave my kids a part of me when I'm gone so they can remember good times. Besides figures being works of art I can admire of my favorite characters, they always carry memories with them. I don't share this part of me with everyone I know but the people I do share it with know how special it is to me.
I also just recently realized that I have an association with anxiety and action figure collecting. At first it was just a passing thing, and then I noticed that coming home was a bit more calming because it gave me something to fiddle with after a long day. Glad to see you addressing this topic.
The depression is real, I was really depressed when the woman I thought I loved left me and I was never the same afterwards. Toy collecting brought me back from that and brought me closer to my brother so I am not gonna stop collecting because it’s my joy and passion.
I suffer with depression and anxiety too. I recently started collecting MOTU which is my only interest. I collected a few different lines as a kid but MOTU is my first toy memory and it brings me some joy. Recently though because of the poor distribution of MOTU in my area having to buy the figures online exclusively has really taken the excitement out of things. My collection has already exceeded the space I had set up for it and I don't have any friends. There is a toy expo coming up I plan to go to and hopefully make some friends but the thought of being social makes my anxiety go off but I think if I had some friends to talk to, toy hunt with, and celebrate the victories with my mood might improve.
That's a really beautiful story, Big Nerdy. There is totally something therapeutic about posing figures. It can be really frustrating, but when you get that perfect pose, and it stands up for hours, it's blissful.
I struggle with depression and anxiety myself. I have struggled with it ever since my teen years. I've been dealing with a long bout of depression for the past few years now and have felt my anxiety get worse. This is probably the worst my anxiety has ever been up to this point. It has started to take over and overwhelm me. Toy collecting does help. It is something that has always made me happy and getting a new action figure always brought feelings of excitement. But I have noticed myself buying more action figures this year than any year previously. I didn't realize just how much I was spending. I definitely need to seek some help soon. I don't want the collecting to completely overtake me and become a problem. It's supposed to be a hobby, not a drug. I don't want the anxiety to worsen even further either to the point where I can't even get out of bed anymore.
Thank you for this video, during the covid lock down I got super depressed and began having anxiety attacks, to try and alleviate the issue I dove back into my collections but they didn't seem to help a whole lot. While looking at a new figure online I wanted to know more about it so I thought maybe TH-cam would have a review. Didn't find a review but the first video I found was yours. I didn't even know there were TH-cam channels dedicated to action figures and I've been collecting for decades. Watching your videos led me to others and before long being locked down was a lot more bearable so thank you BIG NERDY for helping pull me out of a slump. And it's ok to admit when your down, find a friend or join an online community those things really helped me
Hi. Thank you for this. Iam 65. Collecting toys all my life and had depression and Anxiety as my constant companions. Collecting, making models, having friends with the same passion rely has helped me through tough times. I have been an actor / singer in Toronto for 45 years, when feeling stressed, nervous or horribly anxious during rehearsals, especially when working out of town I would/ will search out The Toys R Us, Walmart in Canada and buy Batman, Superman...mainly DC characters or buy a model usually in the science fiction genre. It gets me through the rehearsal process and being away from loved ones. I am totally a big, old kid but it makes me feel better and creative. Acting is pretending and play. I also lost my eldest Sister and mother this year, I was their care giver for years. I am still feeling the great loss. With Covid, The Arts at a stand still, going to hospitals... it was a bitch. The loss is still overwhelming but what has got me through this period is toys. DC especially. It has been very therapeutic and I am feeling so much better.
Great video. It was very gracious of you to share your experience with toy collecting and hunting. Your story is 100% relatable. Toy collecting, posing, photographing, and customizing are genuinely therapeutic. Collecting and my collection have gotten me through many a tough time, especially over the past two years.
When I lost my vision toys saved me from making a terrible mistake. I was in deep depression after my vision loss. I was addicted to video games and the loss of my vision and addiction at the same time led me down a dark spiral. Until I picked up some Transformers. I had been a lover of lego but the part I loved the most was sorting by color so that was a flop now. Transformers on the other hand are 3-D puzzles that helped me to get my mind in order while transforming them. That's why I made my YT channel to help other depressed people and other blind people because I am constantly fighting depression and I am constantly blind. (that last one was a bad blind joke btw) You get a -hug- from me Big Nerdy because I get it and I am so happy that you have a family that can help when times get hard. Be well mate and remember to never stop having fun! :)
Toy Collecting definitely helps especially due to growing up and feeling like I kinda left my childhood early due to how life was going at the time so doing it now feels like it heals me in a way and always gives me a boost even waking up to seeing my shelves full of characters that mean so much to me. Other then that I see these figures or toys as a form of art brought to life in a way that brings a smile to my face everyday. If anyone reads this I hope you have a wonderful day and that whatever you have going on you will overcome it ❤️
I relate to this so much. I was so poor from age 7 on that I couldn't enjoy the toys my parents bought because I was so worried they could t afford it. They so obviously went without so I wouldn't, and it pained me to see causing me to grow too quickly. When I got my first job, that's when the collecting began to relive that part I missed without worrying what wasn't being paid for
Thanks for sharing. I got really sick in 2016 and doctors couldn't figure it. Thought I'd die from it and with pain wished for it. Then got diagnosed and told it was a condition I'd have forever. Went thought treatment for anxiety and OCD because doctors told me stress was making my condition worse. Someone told me I needed a hobby,something esle to focus on. I had to small kids, couldn't work much and had no money so I watched TH-cam and found some toy channels like Retroblasting and Toy pollioi. They inspired me to get my old toy collection out again. Later I found more channels like Analog Toys and Nerdzoic that got me into the toy community and toy hunting again.The toy hunt really helped get through covid too because I was still able to get to some local flea markets. Now the hunt is my favorite part, meeting people, completing collections and helping others complete collections.
Everyone needs an outlet, release. And I've certainly found that this community and other ones on TH-cam have been something that really helped me get through tough times. Thanks for uploading this video!
Great video. Thanks for sharing. You aren't weak. You're very courageous. I went through a bad breakup back in 2017 and at the time I hadn't collected figures since I was a kid. I'd admired them from a far though, mostly on TH-cam reviews. After my breakup I started collecting and that moved into customizing and really helped me out. This past year I needed something more and to be honest my collection had become a bit of a distraction from my other goals. I sold off my collection and couldn't be happier. I'll always be thankful they helped feel that void inside me when I needed it most. It really helped boost my motivation and creativity again.
Well done for this Matt from talking to other collectors I know that we all struggle sometimes Mine has and Is an ongoing problem, but something about finding a good deal or getting a new figure can just lift me up at least for a time,one of the best things I discovered was the collecting community on youtube I love talking to these people.Stay Nerdy
I also suffer from anxiety and depression, and my relationship with action figures/toys both helps and hurts. My struggles specific to this hobby are basically having available funds to collect what I want. I'm super happy when I get a figure and am able to interact with it; I'm super depressed when something comes out and I know I can't get it anytime soon. It makes it even more difficult when I see others enjoying something that I really want and can't have (I'm happy for them, but upset for myself). I also don't get to spend as much time with my collection as I like sometimes, and things can often pile up - I feel really great when I can clean and sort (as that's a large part of the mentality of collecting and having a collection); not having my displays like I want can be really depressing for me at times, too. It's taken me a long time to realize the obvious: toy collecting is a large part of my life and central to who I am in a lot of ways. That's why I think the pain can be so intense at times. This may all come across as someone just being a whiny fanboy or something, but the thing here is that this is only one spoke on the wheel of struggling with anxiety and depression, as the more primary issues I face are outside of the hobby. I feel I've shared quite a bit, but I'm choosing to refrain from sharing much more just because it's personal. All that is to say that I very much sympathize and empathize with this video, and I thank you for it. Love your channel and you, dude. Keep going!
Stay tough my friend. I have been DIRT POOR before while collecting and I know that feeling. I;ve always used that feeling to fuel my worth ethic. Personally, I have found "toy spotting" super fun when I was really struggling financially. Essentially, it was like throwing back the fish. I'd hunt it, find it, spend a good bit of time at the store admiring it....then put it back. I hope you can seek someone out to talk to or at least confide in a friend or family member...just getting it out helps a lot
being able to hold onto things we can actually control helps give us a compass to navigate through things with. Toy collecting, Coin collecting, or even Fandom are examples that can help a lot. As long as you are not doing manic behavior
Collecting has both been my escape and my prison. I will always be a collector. But I got to a point where I felt like a hoarder and I was drowning, figuratively speaking. So I am trying to find a balance.
This one hit home… i too was going through a depression and toys became my outlet took me back to my childhood/ better days! Everyone has their thing gym, music, reading etc mine was toys find your outlet!! Awesome video and thank u for sharing about a topic so many are afraid to talk about!
I started back in the collecting during the pandemic. I had a lot of stress at work while working at a hospital and I was always of the mindset of swallow your feelings because like you said feelings are for the weak in my mind at that time I felt like I was always going against my family because of the pandemic and choices both sides were making and then I saw the retro Spiderman at Walmart and the rest was history. It brought back memories as a kid of the Spiderman figure I had that I took around everywhere and then as I started expanding to X-Men, ninja turtles,G.I. Joe all the good feelings I had as a child started coming back in the relationships with it now I get to share the passion with my daughter
This hit home for me and I'm very glad I'm not alone in this. I've been watching your videos for a while now and its definitely helped aswell! Keep it strong Nerdzoic! 😌👌🏻
i've been a lonely kid for most of my life (currently 15 and in a long distance relationship with someone i love very much, and who'll i'll drive to meet when i turn 17. ) and collecting toys have made me so happy. i've recently got into collecting marvel legends again, the newest figure i got was the renew your vows 2 pack and i got it yesterday. my main collection is bionicles, which is a serious comfort series for me. but another is sonic, which has been there for me all the way back since i was just 4. i love this video so much cause it speaks to me, and it helps me understand that other people have this same hobby that comforts them and brings them happiness. i dont care if im childish for owning figures and plushies, all i care is if im happy.
I was taking care of my Dad since May, I moved back into his home. We always had a great relationship and he always bought me cool toys and we read tons of comics together. So, his health and strength was failing, I took my childhood He Man that he gave me as a kid and I put it on the table by his chair and told him, He-Man would give him power. Every time I'd walk by or sit with him he'd ask to hold my hand and give him some He-Man power. I would of course hold his hand. My Dad passed peacefully in his sleep on his Sept 18th which was his 89th birthday. I will treasure that He-Man figure till my dying day. It gave my Dad and something fun to strengthen our bond in his last days.
Toy collecting has both helped me stave off depression and added to my depression. The community (especially the Mythic Legions community) has helped, but the stress of affording figures, completing lines, getting exclusives, etc., has added to my anxiety and depression. I would say I've gotten far more pleasure than pain from collecting, but it hasn't always been kittens and rainbows...
I can relate. It can be a mixed bag, depending on how it plays in your life, sometimes being a source of good things but then, at times, even being a source of stress/anxiety - depending on how you approach it, whether it becomes an obsession, etc. But, as you said, more upside overall (I think) than downside. Just need to make time to get rid of a bunch of things I now wished I hadn't purchased over the years. 😁
The Mythics community (Cabal) is the best group of people I have met in this hobby and it's not close. They are so encouraging and excepting, it's like going home for an anxious nerd
I've always been a collector. When I was younger, I would spend a lot of my money on Pokemon cards. Stopped for awhile, but then I got with my girlfriend and her kids, and they got me back into collecting. Now, I collect figures that hit the nostalgia-button in my head that I loved as a youngster. It's mostly a TMNT collection, some GI Joe's (Storm Shadoe and Snake Eyes).
Thank you for sharing Matt! The last couple years have been a roller coaster for me and collecting has definitely been an outlet. It’s really nice to know I’m not alone.
This video is so beautiful i mean in the past 2 years i've been in some difficult situations but toy collecting was a very good thing that keep me up in a good way. Thanks for this video
Toy collecting truly is something that brings me joy when all else fails. I struggle depression, I also struggle with shame that comes along with collecting. I am working on being better at not being embarrassed of it and instead being proud, but it’s tough…
I have read a lot of comments of people being ashamed to collect. I think i need to make a video on that. In the meantime, anytime you feel that shame coming on, remember this: if this was embarrassing and worthy of shame, why are there millions of us? :)
Hey man I really appreciate the sharing. You have a bunch of people out here that love you dude. You have nothing to worry about and will find you always have the strength to overcome anything. Your new studio is amazing. Good things come with change. Thanks for starting your channel I am glad I found it! I hope you and everyone watching has a great weekend!
Toys were my friends growing up because we moved all the time. I've never been able to really make and hold on to friends. But I associate all my figures with the people I have lost and those I just don't talk to anymore. That's why they mean so much to me. They are my only friends.
After I lost my brother from suicide in 2019..... I started to chase memories of what we loved in our childhood, collecting has helped me tremendously....... from the video games we played together to the cartoons we watched together..... toy collecting has helped me through many hard days, because holding some of these characters, or having them on my shelf..... brings me back to simpler times with my brother
Toy collecting, has help me during my recovery from a traumatic brain injury I'm on disability and the hunt the searching for deals have been awesome the 1:12 scale has aloud me to customize and diorama build and build the bandai models of star wars. Helps with the loss in my life . My wife is very understanding and she's my best friend.
Toy collecting--mostly Marvel Legends and Gundam models--have gotten me through many a rough patch. Most recently, an injury kept me on the shelf for months and I wound up selling a lot of my stuff to pay down debts. But actually opening and enjoying what I had was what helped me pull through (and video games). With my situation now improving, my most depressing event is chasing the ML Spider-Verse Noir figure.
I've lost both of my remaining grandparents. My father's dad and my mother's mom. My mom's older sister and youngest brother. We lost my brother, it'll be 2 years. I lost two my best friends, a father and son. I've had so many reasons to give up. If weren't for my wife and kids, and the fact that it's just me and my parents now, I don't know if I'd still be here. I started collecting 4 years ago. When I found out there were these Star Wars black series figures I was like, "what!?"and now I have a room that I surround myself in after work. Or when I get to thinking of my friends and family and my brother. I'd like to show you my collection Matt. Maybe some day. Thanks for sharing your story with us. It makes me feel better knowing that I'm not just a crazed nut job that has an addiction to plastic crack.
Hey Big Nerdy, I wanted to say you are incredibly strong for making this video. I know it’s hard to feel as tough as you are when discussing things such as mental health struggles, but I wanted to say it takes a strong individual to be able to bear their heart to anyone who may stumble upon a video. I hope you are doing okay currently and I am wishing you the best! I found your channel recently due to your Transformers video and it has been a wonderful experience to go through your content! You have certainly become one of the stores I’ll be shopping with from now on due to the personal touch you and your family bring to the business. Take care!
It helped me with my mental health after my Grandad and dog died it was two goodbyes so close together. Collecting saved me by helping my mental health and by meet so many nice people because of it.
Thanks for sharing that. You’re a good man. I like collecting toys (specifically TBS 6”) because it reminds me to not take life too seriously. It reminds me that a simple plastic action figure is all it takes to put a smile on my face, sometimes. Love the channel! Love the store!
I feel your pain. Depression and anxiety is a serious issue. I got sick during the beginning of covid, but not covid. I almost died with a gangrene infection. I had surgery and during my recovery I had to learn how to walk again. 2 years later, I am doing better and dealing with my health much better than before. But during that time I struggled with depression and anxiety. Toys were the only thing keeping my mind sane. Thanks for sharing your story. Your not the only one with the struggle. And hopefully we can fight it together.
Great video Matt, I too suffer from depression and after losing 2 close family members in the last 2 years, collecting has helped keep my mind on more positive things.
Very heartfelt video and I feel this so hard. I've always turned to collecting when struggling with my mental health, honestly it has saved me more than once over the years. Losing my dad and brother were both huge traumas as both were unexpected due to illness. It's not talked about enough, especially for men so I applaud you for your raw honesty 👏🏻 No-one should feel ashamed when they're struggling, as we all do at some point.
Big Nerdy, thank you for sharing. I empathize with this video so much. Thank you for sharing. I want you to know you are the #1 reason I started watching TH-cam channels on collecting. Your top 10 lists really fascinated me, and it's been a pleasure to watch your toy store grow and blossom, even with setbacks. Take care!
Thank you for your honesty. As someone with many family members who suffer from anxiety and depression, it’s never fun to see and can be very hard to deal with. Glad to see that figures can be an outlet for you.
Toy collecting has been a big part of my life. I too suffer from depression and anxiety. It does bring me joy to open a new figure and pose it. I used to enjoy the toy hunts. I still hunt but the stress of trying to find figures I really want made it not fun due to poor distribution.
Thanks for being so open and transparent Big Nerdy! You’re the man and Love ya’ man! I know for me Toy collecting REALLY helped me during the dark days of the pandemic. To say the toy hunts were therapy is an understatement. Stay nerdy…
When I quit alcohol back in 2010, comics and action figures filled a big void there for me. This eventually led to me picking up cartooning again, and my art will be featured in a real printed book next year.
I self isolate and have been talking with a Dr about my mental illness and my toy hunting motivates me to get out of the house and be around people, my toy collecting has helped me too
My ex left me 4 months ago, and it has been the hardest 4 months of my life, however, while I do hope we can reconcile in the future, collecting stormtroopers in the black series line has certainly helped me feel like myself again, whether it be rearranging or reposing figures, or just admiring the beautiful trooper designs, it has really helped me feel happy again.
Collecting is the only thing I have going for me right now that takes me away from everything. Love watching videos and learning about figures and lines I'll never even touch.
I too deal with depression and anxiety on the daily. And got back into collecting as a distraction and to give me something to do when the world shutdown. Then I'll sit and think about the shelves and set up the scenes differently. It gives us that break to catch ourselves and breath a bit. In July I had to say goodbye for now to my soulpup after 12years. I'm still a disaster but collecting (any hobby really) does help even if just a little. Thank you for the openness and bringing attention this. ;
Hey Big Nerdy, loved your video. Wanted to share my experience. I have ADHD, at times, it can be pretty overwhelming so when I'm feeling stressed and ready to snap I sit in the quiet of my toy room and just look around or tinker. It brings me peace and calm. If it wasn't for the chase of the toys or being able to enjoy them when I'm at my wits end I don't know what I'd do. Thank you for opening up, I know it Caan be difficult. NWO Baby!
Wow... This is literally what got me into toys in the first place, depression. I started collecting vintage toys ( as I am a vintage only collector ) about eight years ago. I started with Star Wars POTF figures and then Terminator 2 figures, then G.I. Joe, and Micro Machines: Military and so so many more. I have been restoring and reliving childhood memories as well as creating new experiences based on old things I never got as a kid or never heard of like my complete collection of King Arthur and the Knights Of Justice figure collection and my mostly complete Robinhood: Prince Of Thieves and Waterworld figure collections. ( Yes, I know they are both Kevin Costner films that are quite cheesey but leave me alone ) XD I would be lying if I said that I am not a shelf collector and buy these things for my manly 35 year old kid enjoyment. I have so many figures and other toys that helped me discover more about myself as well as how to deal with my own problems in my life. Toys isn't everything though, I also am a classic gamer and I study German as a second language. I work and maintain my home as well as my personal collection of vintage electronics. I love to play but live to work and do my best to live as best as I can. Nerdzoic you are an inspiration whom will hopefully help those who seek it find themselves to not be weak but show who they really are and live a more gifted life than others past. Bis später mein Freund!
Hay big nerdy, I am in a depression right now! My best friend of 40 years is dying from cancer! I have anxiety already, and it is horrible! I’ve always have had this sense my early 20’s! As a man I had to come to terms with the stigma! Sucks but my drivers license is revoked, but I can get it back but that means going through the hole process again! I am a huge Star Wars collector and I want to start taking photos of them! So great suggestion! But yes toys have helped! It brings me back to an innocent child…lol unfortunately with the loss of TRU so we now have to rely on target and Walmart! And both suck bad! You have a better chance at running into god then finding a figure on peg!
The past few years I've been dealing with stuff. It's comic collecting that's helped me. I do buy some toys. But getting comics I've always wanted and can afford now has helped.
Thank you for speaking on this. I am going thru this currently and focusing my Mandolorian based collecting and older items. I shared this video with my wife and it's great to see you work to your highs, especially after the flood
Thank you for sharing your story with us, I know it isn't easy. Happy to hear you're in a better place currently I hope that stays the status quo for you my brother 🤘🏽
Collecting totally got me through COVID. G.I. Joe Classified and Transformers WFC kept me occupied and the feelings of accomplishment when finding something gave me such a thrill, lie the times before being shut in.
I totally feel ya. If you haven't, start looking for small toy/comic cons in your area. Its a different type of thrill, but for me at least it "feeds the needs"
Glad you got through that and lived to tell us your story! You got courage and class, so you're better off than a lot of people out here. Great message, Man!
A great true video sir - thanks mate (from Australia). I have found over the decades my own toy collecting has indeed kept me sane & retain my sense of humour, which is linked to my inner child being happy -as my inner dialogue would be "woo hoo, another figure, life ain't so bad after all". Toy Hunts are also good as simple goals which are achievable & even if I found nothing to buy, I found the "hunt" was as much fun as the "finding" of that prized figure on a store shelf. I still audibly shout a Hooray when I find something ithese days, as if I'd crossed a finish line !
Thanks for posting this. I thought I was the only person like this and it makes me feel better that I am not. The joy I get from my figures and doing photos of them is all I feel I have some days, and watching videos of other collectors is really important. Sometimes I feel like this community is the only people that get me Thank you again
We all have our demons to fight somedays are better than others. Figure collecting has always helped me get out of a funk. I'm glad that their is other people like me collecting.
Nerdy ! Thanks for sharing ..your one of the first toy channels I came across when I started ..collecting keeps me sober. It's been years I have been clean ..toys take up a good amount of my time and put me in a better mind set ..I never miss a day of work because lol ..I need the money for these toys..I've made some good friends collecting and enjoy huntimg with them ..not to mention the toy channels on TH-cam are great . U da man nerdy .
Thank you for sharing this, Nerdoic. Moving and compelling. Also goes to show how immersing oneself in the things we loved as kids can help us as adults.
This is an amazing vid!:) Made me tear up when saw description, and watched with great interest. Yes Toys have saved me too - old life gone, new life all about toys:) haha…:) They are an awesome way to stay young, work thru issues, but also mature too as community comes together and becomes stronger:) Coming full circle back to childhood interests has also been a good way to learn new ways of dealing with life - with help of people like you doing these sort of vids! Thank you & power to the Nerd World Order!:) Great vid Big N!:)
I never had a girlfriend and sometimes I get anxiety because I want to have a girlfriend just so that I can be normal like everyone else. All my life it's eaten me up inside bad, especially in my teen years. But I often go on toy hunts or fidget around with a figure to forget. I always collected toys since I was 6 years old. My family always say " you are to invested in collecting toys, when you should be getting a girlfriend, why can't you focus on that". Little do they know I collect to deal with not being able to have one. They think my collection gets in the way of me not getting a gf but in reality it's what helps me get by.
I am a person living in Turkey. Of course I am depressed. Collecting also helped in resisting depression. I've been having a hard time collecting in recent years. Because collecting was very expensive.
I find collecting has helped motivate me in quite a positive way! I don't tend to collect waves of figures or try to complete teams as I only collect figures of characters that have influenced me in my life & that have motivated me to be a better person! (yet I love & have a lot of villains lol) A lot of figures that I collect tend to have Martial Art backgrounds as I love Martial Arts (I've been practicing various arts since 1998) & just by looking at some of my figures, like Goku for example, motivates me to train harder lol I also find when I articulate figures & put them in poses it feels like I am that character for those few seconds / minutes haha... Like I put myself inside the figure... metaphorically ofcourse & not physically lol
Thank you for making this. You are younger then me, but we still come from the, “Swallow those feelings down/ don’t talk about your feeling or you’re a *****”. We need to get that nonsense gone. It makes you 10x the “man”, to talk to someone and get the mental health you need. Is it hard…oh Hell yes it is, but do it. It’s like a 500lb weight being lifted off your shoulders. Don’t wait until tomorrow, do it now, please. Everyone be well and happy collecting.
I quite drinking and started to collect toys. (Marvel legends and McFarlane Dc multi-verse) havnt had a drink in over 2 years! Love the video big nerdy!
i try to get other people including my kids into collecting, idk why... i guess i see the value in it and i know most people have a void to fill naturally. i started to collect toys 2 years ago and it has helped me for sure!
Does Toy Collecting have a similar effect on your mental health?
🔥 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐓𝐨𝐲 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐩: nerdzoic.com
Every time I buy my Ultraman figures it does bring a smile to my face. Most of the time I am a pretty miserable person, I don't show it in my videos but sometimes I do feel pretty down
I love this man, very awesome to open up like this and toy collecting is something I got into because it was a healthy hobby for me and I went through a lot of trauma and abuse in my past relationship and this helped cope with it and growing up not having a lot and being where I’m at now I can get stuff I wanted when I was a kid. Never lose that kid in you is something I learned doing this and I love it. Great video man new subscriber can’t Wait for more
Thank you Nerdzoic. A topic well worth exploring further. My ML collecting paralleled my ordeal as well. There is something to say about holding something tangibly in hand of some worth that soothes the woes. The escapism is the true objective.
YES!!! finding something to make me smile and 'play' really brings me up. Unfortunately, sometimes collecting brings out the anxiety - where will I get it? Do I need to get it? OMG I'm going to miss out! too. I've got a lot better - especially after I found full time work after 4-5yrs - where I don't feel (as) guilty buying something to cheer me up
Now, after I've found like-minded collectors and people that find joy in toy collecting on TH-cam or in great facebook groups like the Mythic Legions Cabal, i do feel less isolated and part of something / a group, etc.
I’m 15 now and I still collect marvel legends because it brings me back to that time when I was about 7 or 8 when I was into iron man and collected a bunch of figures. Then at about 9 or 10 I really started struggling with anxiety so that is why I collect.
Brother, thank you. Depression is real. I keep everything inside because I don't want to appear weak. I'm supposed to be the one that everybody can count on. The rock of the family. Been a toy collector my whole life. It's helped me through a lot of tough times. Had a bad day yesterday. When I got home there was a 3.75 remnant stormtrooper in the mailbox. It changed my whole day. Toy collecting really does help.
Leave to a stormtrooper to save the day 🙌 be safe brother, we all have our days and pressures, the figs I collect help me focus in something not related to career or life management.just like little piece if childhood and creativity I can put aside and put good energy Into to mellow out.
I feel you on the getting home and figures are waiting ..it can be the worst day at work but when I get home and some figs are on the door step ...the day wasn't even that bad to begin with ..cheers brotha!
@Philip Squires no worries brother, I’m like the same way I keep everything inside me, I’m a Christian and God has you bro never lets you go no matter what! I think Im going through mental illness. Been getting very aggressive and emotions but I’ve been a toy collector too. Love collecting Marvel Legends and 3.75 figures
This comment hits home, "being the one everybody counts on". I feel like this a lot, like I'm everyone's safety in every way
Collecting has helped me with my depression. 4 years ago I was diagnosed with stage 5 kidney failure. Dialysis was really hard at first and collecting helped me through it.
Thank you so much for sharing your story 🙏🏾
I have been bullied most of my life. Comic Books and Martial Arts became my safe haven. When Marvel Legends/Select came out I was thrilled to see my favorite characters done justice in figure form. Life went on, and a lot of bad things happened, but as soon as I got home to my figures, I'm a happy camper. Truthfully if not for my collection, I have had a Stroke or Heart Attack a long time ago. So, yeah I agree that our hobby is therapeutic. They make us 😁.
In the 1970's, martial arts and comic books made up my comfort zone, too!😉
Screw bullies!
In April my Mom passed away, I am still dealing with it. Going on toy hunts and rearranging my collection has helped me mentally get through it. I am still working through it but this hobby has helped me alot
I'm sorry for your loss James. I hope your doing well my friend.
Sorry for your loss James.
I am so sorry for your loss
Lost my mom in May 2018. The day before Mother's Day. I spent five months away from my now-home. When I walked thru this door...it was like getting all new stuff.( Kinda like doing laundry so infrequently, you don't recognize your own threads.)
Bless her ..keep ur head up .
Really needed this rn. Been going through a rough patch health wise the past 7 months. Really bad stomach issues (chronic nausea) to the point that I can’t tolerate most food or liquids. Been out of school and work for this whole year. That’s how shitty I feel on a daily basis. I’ve lost 40lbs since may. I’ve seen 10+ doctors at this point and none of them can tell me what’s wrong. It’s been extremely depressing to the point that I’ve considered not wanting to live anymore. Not being able to eat like a normal person despite wanting to is depressing.
Started toy collecting after years of not doing it (mostly online cause the motion sickness is unbearable once I get into a car) and it’s honestly the only thing keeping me sane. Yes I’ve spent a lot of money on figures at this point but idk what else could keep my mind occupied
Hi danny im Chris, im so sorry to hear you are going through this, i think i know what is wrong with you as i had about the same problem. Im gonna tell you my story which is similar to what you are going through. About 12yrs during xmas time out of nowhere i started with all the symptoms you mentioned here, i spent 30 days at the hospital and they couldn't tell me what was wrong, i lost 24lb that month. Then i traveled to different countries & saw many doctors looking for an answer, i was desperate! long story short, After 1 1/2yr of many doctors and hospitals i was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis then spent 2yrs in treatment only to find out i had UC related condition Chron's disease which affects your intestinal tract and your entire body, is the worst condition ever but there's a way to manage & get it under control which we call Remission.
Like you i also had thoughts of not living anymore but please you got to keep on fighting, what you're going through will stop and you will be back to normal, please don't give up!
Tell your doctors about the conditions i mentioned, sometimes you have to give them a hint.
Sorry to hear this. I try to to be preachy because I don't want to push people away, but reading about our creator and Jesus really helped me a lot too. I didn't expect it to help, but I tried to start reading the Bible for the first time when I was in the worst place possible at the suggestion of a friend, and it really helped. It put everything in perspective.
Thanks for sharing your story Matt. Toys have helped me too. I went from opening them all as a kid, to buy 2 open 1, and now I’m back at buy 1 and open it for the most part. I don’t play with toys per se, but arranging my figures is very calming for me. I bought a house recently and the way I picked my room was because one room had a wall with built in shelves, and my first thought was “figure display wall”. I’ve been through divorce, PTSD, combat, losing buddies to suicide, and being haunted by their loss. It’s helpful to have my figures to focus on. I also have a PTSD service dog, a counselor, a psychiatrist, and meds, but my collection helps too. I still don’t have my Star Wars shelves done, but I have 2 shelves that are mixed between Action Force and Classified, 2 shelves of Final Faction, 2 shelves of 3.75 GI Joes (25th Anniversary line), 2 shelves of MOTU origins, a shelf that’s dedicated to ML Captain America figures, 2 shelves of 3.75 Marvel Universe and Iron Man movie figs, a mixed shelf, and a shelf of the Iron Man figures from the cartoon. On top of the shelves there are transformers, but the space is under 1’ so I’m limited with what I can put up there. I too miss the hunt like it was in the early 2000’s, and nowadays most of my hunting is as a proxy for my brother.
If anyone is looking at a reasonable line to get into I highly recommend Final Faction, it’s only available at Dollar Tree, but it’s 1.25 per figure, accessory pack, vehicle, or vehicle weapons pack, and different dollar trees seem to get different shipments (or shipments at different times) so the hunt is there without killing your wallet.
I completely understand. I moved from Philly to CT about 12 years ago and depression hit hard. I left my friends, my family and my career behind and had nothing but my wife and my 1 year old son. I felt trapped and had no where to go. My wife was still dealing with post partum depression herself so neither one of us was in a good place. I started going out at night driving around learning a new state and she thought I was having an affair which made it all worse. I found a nearby Target and Walmart and started buying Joes again. This was pursuit of Cobra time I think because I was looking for Shadow Tracker. It was that hunting that got me through the first few weeks and months. I met like minded people in those aisles and started to feel like I wasn’t alone anymore. I started talking to my wife again and we both got into counseling and it allowed me to open up and really express what moving did to me. I did eventually find a Shadow Tracker too.
Speaking for myself I had an awful bout of depression just about a year ago. I was about a quarter through my senior year of high school, I've struggled with depression for as long as I can remember but this was really really bad. I was feeling nothing but alone, like everything was weighting down on me, and even was debating suicide. Then I got COVID, this just made my loneliness so much worse, having to stay shut up in my room all day and all night. But about this time I started listening to a Podcast called Timesuck my AP psych teacher, the great Mr. Doogie, had suggested. This podcast and being able to final have time to pose and reorganize my collection helped majorly with how I was feeling and I'd even say saved me from a suicide attempt.
That is worth all the money in the world. Keep doing what YOU need to do for you.
Keep your head up. Personally, I was so lonely for so long...if I could go back in time and tell my young self how not-lonely future me would be, things would have been so much easier.
The moral: your young, invest in yourself (knowledge/skills/happiness) and down the road the rest will come
I have had depression and fought against it for most of my adult life, toy collecting among other things is just one of the tools I use to combat it
Keep up the fight!
@@Nerdzoic Thank you Big Nerdy, I hope you do the same, because your videos are also a great help whether you believe it or not
Rearranging my Marvel Legends, planning the display, taking pictures of it, waiting for spilers, the toy hunt... there is a lot about keeping your mind busy with something you really like. This totally proves anything could be therapy as long as it adds something positive to life. My figures have been part of those little rushes of excitement and motivation to go through a lot of stress caused by my job and studies currently; I've felt that tired and that my duties will never finish... to a point where sometimes I feel like I'm falling into depression; but there they are!...all my hobbies helping out to get relaxed and excited.
Thank you for sharing your story. As a counselor, who also does play therapy with my clients, I can definitely identify with a lot of what you discussed.
Heck even for me when my dad passed away right before COVID, I got back into vintage GI Joe as that was something we did together and it brought me completely back into toy collecting in general. This was definitely part of my therapy dealing with the loss, guilt and grief of him passing and one of the few things as to why I'm finishing up my PhD over the next 8 months. Much love to you my friend and I hope your displays and collections continue to bring you as much joy as possible.
Absolutely true for me there's something about the joy of finding either something you want or finding something new you didn't know you wanted that just lifts the spirit
Not gonna lie, i'm heavily collecting since my dog and dad passed away. I was collecting, now i'm "collecting" and getting a problem of space. I'm hoarding like crazy. there were so many deaths in my family in the recent years. Loneliness is also playing a huge part.
Have lost both parents now, trouble is have got to the point where ive collected so much as a distraction, ive run out of room - the place is literally like a warehouse & no room to a actually display anything!
@@Paul_1971 yeah same problem, figures are stacked and as I collect gunpla, I've got over a 100 boxes around. Don't know what to do. Where I'm at no IKEA either or the likes
As of 2018, all my blood relatives are now gone. I cannot pick the phone and call them anymore. That being said, as far as space goes...I have tailored my collection to fit on any number of any shelves w/o looking like a mess. (It's not a hoard, that's too harsh.)
@@Paul_1971 yup. recently tailored/curated my collection into 6 four shelf/free standing units, and plenty to display and switch out from about five sterelite bins. If you curate, it's a lot less of a stressor.
You should make a collection vid Ben..as u know the toy community can be awesome ..were all your friends !
Much love to you, Big Nerdy! This just makes me like you even more. Always appreciate your genuine personality.
Going through a divorce and my mom passed away in January. Toy collecting brings me a sense of relief. When I can, I try to go after work. My oldest daughter will sometimes go out to collector shops on the weekends with me, it's our thing.
I always enjoyed collecting figures, and as an adult I enjoy the hunt. But now alot of figures remind me of my mom, and all the memories of watching the different movies and shows those figures came from. I remember my mom tearing up while I watched the airing of X-men the phoenix saga as a kid in the 90's. That stuck with me of how good the show was and how special my mom was. She could actually get into some of the stuff I liked.
I also enjoy collecting knowing that I'll be able to leave my kids a part of me when I'm gone so they can remember good times. Besides figures being works of art I can admire of my favorite characters, they always carry memories with them. I don't share this part of me with everyone I know but the people I do share it with know how special it is to me.
I also just recently realized that I have an association with anxiety and action figure collecting. At first it was just a passing thing, and then I noticed that coming home was a bit more calming because it gave me something to fiddle with after a long day. Glad to see you addressing this topic.
The depression is real, I was really depressed when the woman I thought I loved left me and I was never the same afterwards. Toy collecting brought me back from that and brought me closer to my brother so I am not gonna stop collecting because it’s my joy and passion.
I suffer with depression and anxiety too. I recently started collecting MOTU which is my only interest. I collected a few different lines as a kid but MOTU is my first toy memory and it brings me some joy. Recently though because of the poor distribution of MOTU in my area having to buy the figures online exclusively has really taken the excitement out of things. My collection has already exceeded the space I had set up for it and I don't have any friends. There is a toy expo coming up I plan to go to and hopefully make some friends but the thought of being social makes my anxiety go off but I think if I had some friends to talk to, toy hunt with, and celebrate the victories with my mood might improve.
That's a really beautiful story, Big Nerdy. There is totally something therapeutic about posing figures. It can be really frustrating, but when you get that perfect pose, and it stands up for hours, it's blissful.
I struggle with depression and anxiety myself. I have struggled with it ever since my teen years. I've been dealing with a long bout of depression for the past few years now and have felt my anxiety get worse. This is probably the worst my anxiety has ever been up to this point. It has started to take over and overwhelm me. Toy collecting does help. It is something that has always made me happy and getting a new action figure always brought feelings of excitement. But I have noticed myself buying more action figures this year than any year previously. I didn't realize just how much I was spending. I definitely need to seek some help soon. I don't want the collecting to completely overtake me and become a problem. It's supposed to be a hobby, not a drug. I don't want the anxiety to worsen even further either to the point where I can't even get out of bed anymore.
Thank you for this video, during the covid lock down I got super depressed and began having anxiety attacks, to try and alleviate the issue I dove back into my collections but they didn't seem to help a whole lot. While looking at a new figure online I wanted to know more about it so I thought maybe TH-cam would have a review. Didn't find a review but the first video I found was yours. I didn't even know there were TH-cam channels dedicated to action figures and I've been collecting for decades. Watching your videos led me to others and before long being locked down was a lot more bearable so thank you BIG NERDY for helping pull me out of a slump. And it's ok to admit when your down, find a friend or join an online community those things really helped me
Same here. Toys got me thru some very dark times after I got out of the military and still do.
Glad they help!
Hi. Thank you for this. Iam 65. Collecting toys all my life and had depression and Anxiety as my constant companions. Collecting, making models, having friends with the same passion rely has helped me through tough times. I have been an actor / singer in Toronto for 45 years, when feeling stressed, nervous or horribly anxious during rehearsals, especially when working out of town I would/ will search out The Toys R Us, Walmart in Canada and buy Batman, Superman...mainly DC characters or buy a model usually in the science fiction genre. It gets me through the rehearsal process and being away from loved ones. I am totally a big, old kid but it makes me feel better and creative. Acting is pretending and play. I also lost my eldest Sister and mother this year, I was their care giver for years. I am still feeling the great loss. With Covid, The Arts at a stand still, going to hospitals... it was a bitch. The loss is still overwhelming but what has got me through this period is toys. DC especially. It has been very therapeutic and I am feeling so much better.
I’ve felt this a lot too, I haven’t been through that much but the stress of school and home life is hard and figures help a lot
Great video. It was very gracious of you to share your experience with toy collecting and hunting. Your story is 100% relatable. Toy collecting, posing, photographing, and customizing are genuinely therapeutic. Collecting and my collection have gotten me through many a tough time, especially over the past two years.
When I lost my vision toys saved me from making a terrible mistake. I was in deep depression after my vision loss. I was addicted to video games and the loss of my vision and addiction at the same time led me down a dark spiral. Until I picked up some Transformers. I had been a lover of lego but the part I loved the most was sorting by color so that was a flop now. Transformers on the other hand are 3-D puzzles that helped me to get my mind in order while transforming them. That's why I made my YT channel to help other depressed people and other blind people because I am constantly fighting depression and I am constantly blind. (that last one was a bad blind joke btw) You get a -hug- from me Big Nerdy because I get it and I am so happy that you have a family that can help when times get hard. Be well mate and remember to never stop having fun! :)
Toy Collecting definitely helps especially due to growing up and feeling like I kinda left my childhood early due to how life was going at the time so doing it now feels like it heals me in a way and always gives me a boost even waking up to seeing my shelves full of characters that mean so much to me. Other then that I see these figures or toys as a form of art brought to life in a way that brings a smile to my face everyday. If anyone reads this I hope you have a wonderful day and that whatever you have going on you will overcome it ❤️
I relate to this so much. I was so poor from age 7 on that I couldn't enjoy the toys my parents bought because I was so worried they could t afford it. They so obviously went without so I wouldn't, and it pained me to see causing me to grow too quickly. When I got my first job, that's when the collecting began to relive that part I missed without worrying what wasn't being paid for
Collecting Gundam robot spirits, and gunpla keeps me at peace. It's fun to pose and recreate or create my own scenes. Thanks for sharing this video.
Happy to help!
Thanks for sharing. I got really sick in 2016 and doctors couldn't figure it. Thought I'd die from it and with pain wished for it. Then got diagnosed and told it was a condition I'd have forever. Went thought treatment for anxiety and OCD because doctors told me stress was making my condition worse. Someone told me I needed a hobby,something esle to focus on. I had to small kids, couldn't work much and had no money so I watched TH-cam and found some toy channels like Retroblasting and Toy pollioi. They inspired me to get my old toy collection out again. Later I found more channels like Analog Toys and Nerdzoic that got me into the toy community and toy hunting again.The toy hunt really helped get through covid too because I was still able to get to some local flea markets. Now the hunt is my favorite part, meeting people, completing collections and helping others complete collections.
Everyone needs an outlet, release. And I've certainly found that this community and other ones on TH-cam have been something that really helped me get through tough times. Thanks for uploading this video!
Great video. Thanks for sharing. You aren't weak. You're very courageous. I went through a bad breakup back in 2017 and at the time I hadn't collected figures since I was a kid. I'd admired them from a far though, mostly on TH-cam reviews. After my breakup I started collecting and that moved into customizing and really helped me out. This past year I needed something more and to be honest my collection had become a bit of a distraction from my other goals. I sold off my collection and couldn't be happier. I'll always be thankful they helped feel that void inside me when I needed it most. It really helped boost my motivation and creativity again.
Well done for this Matt from talking to other collectors I know that we all struggle sometimes Mine has and Is an ongoing problem, but something about finding a good deal or getting a new figure can just lift me up at least for a time,one of the best things I discovered was the collecting community on youtube I love talking to these people.Stay Nerdy
I also suffer from anxiety and depression, and my relationship with action figures/toys both helps and hurts.
My struggles specific to this hobby are basically having available funds to collect what I want. I'm super happy when I get a figure and am able to interact with it; I'm super depressed when something comes out and I know I can't get it anytime soon. It makes it even more difficult when I see others enjoying something that I really want and can't have (I'm happy for them, but upset for myself). I also don't get to spend as much time with my collection as I like sometimes, and things can often pile up - I feel really great when I can clean and sort (as that's a large part of the mentality of collecting and having a collection); not having my displays like I want can be really depressing for me at times, too.
It's taken me a long time to realize the obvious: toy collecting is a large part of my life and central to who I am in a lot of ways. That's why I think the pain can be so intense at times.
This may all come across as someone just being a whiny fanboy or something, but the thing here is that this is only one spoke on the wheel of struggling with anxiety and depression, as the more primary issues I face are outside of the hobby. I feel I've shared quite a bit, but I'm choosing to refrain from sharing much more just because it's personal.
All that is to say that I very much sympathize and empathize with this video, and I thank you for it. Love your channel and you, dude. Keep going!
Stay tough my friend. I have been DIRT POOR before while collecting and I know that feeling. I;ve always used that feeling to fuel my worth ethic. Personally, I have found "toy spotting" super fun when I was really struggling financially. Essentially, it was like throwing back the fish. I'd hunt it, find it, spend a good bit of time at the store admiring it....then put it back. I hope you can seek someone out to talk to or at least confide in a friend or family member...just getting it out helps a lot
@@Nerdzoic Thank you for all of the kind words; it's much appreciated!
being able to hold onto things we can actually control helps give us a compass to navigate through things with. Toy collecting, Coin collecting, or even Fandom are examples that can help a lot. As long as you are not doing manic behavior
Thanks, Matt, for your personal video. It helps me with what I am dealing with. Much appreciated!!!
Glad to help Tom!
Collecting has both been my escape and my prison. I will always be a collector. But I got to a point where I felt like a hoarder and I was drowning, figuratively speaking. So I am trying to find a balance.
This one hit home… i too was going through a depression and toys became my outlet took me back to my childhood/ better days! Everyone has their thing gym, music, reading etc mine was toys find your outlet!! Awesome video and thank u for sharing about a topic so many are afraid to talk about!
I started back in the collecting during the pandemic. I had a lot of stress at work while working at a hospital and I was always of the mindset of swallow your feelings because like you said feelings are for the weak in my mind at that time I felt like I was always going against my family because of the pandemic and choices both sides were making and then I saw the retro Spiderman at Walmart and the rest was history. It brought back memories as a kid of the Spiderman figure I had that I took around everywhere and then as I started expanding to X-Men, ninja turtles,G.I. Joe all the good feelings I had as a child started coming back in the relationships with it now I get to share the passion with my daughter
This hit home for me and I'm very glad I'm not alone in this. I've been watching your videos for a while now and its definitely helped aswell! Keep it strong Nerdzoic! 😌👌🏻
i've been a lonely kid for most of my life (currently 15 and in a long distance relationship with someone i love very much, and who'll i'll drive to meet when i turn 17. ) and collecting toys have made me so happy. i've recently got into collecting marvel legends again, the newest figure i got was the renew your vows 2 pack and i got it yesterday. my main collection is bionicles, which is a serious comfort series for me. but another is sonic, which has been there for me all the way back since i was just 4. i love this video so much cause it speaks to me, and it helps me understand that other people have this same hobby that comforts them and brings them happiness. i dont care if im childish for owning figures and plushies, all i care is if im happy.
Depression was one of the reasoning I started collecting as well. Having figures which represent parts of my childhood mean a lot to me.
Same here
I was taking care of my Dad since May, I moved back into his home. We always had a great relationship and he always bought me cool toys and we read tons of comics together. So, his health and strength was failing, I took my childhood He Man that he gave me as a kid and I put it on the table by his chair and told him, He-Man would give him power. Every time I'd walk by or sit with him he'd ask to hold my hand and give him some He-Man power. I would of course hold his hand. My Dad passed peacefully in his sleep on his Sept 18th which was his 89th birthday. I will treasure that He-Man figure till my dying day. It gave my Dad and something fun to strengthen our bond in his last days.
Thank you for sharing Matt. I’m in the same boat (ship?) you and a lot of fellow collectors are in. Appreciate your openness.
Happy to share
Toy collecting has both helped me stave off depression and added to my depression. The community (especially the Mythic Legions community) has helped, but the stress of affording figures, completing lines, getting exclusives, etc., has added to my anxiety and depression. I would say I've gotten far more pleasure than pain from collecting, but it hasn't always been kittens and rainbows...
I can relate. It can be a mixed bag, depending on how it plays in your life, sometimes being a source of good things but then, at times, even being a source of stress/anxiety - depending on how you approach it, whether it becomes an obsession, etc. But, as you said, more upside overall (I think) than downside. Just need to make time to get rid of a bunch of things I now wished I hadn't purchased over the years. 😁
The Mythics community (Cabal) is the best group of people I have met in this hobby and it's not close. They are so encouraging and excepting, it's like going home for an anxious nerd
@@Nerdzoic I absolutely agree. They are then band of misfits I never knew I needed
In the most difficult moment of my life, when nothing and no one understood me, toy collecting and wreslting saved me.
I've always been a collector. When I was younger, I would spend a lot of my money on Pokemon cards. Stopped for awhile, but then I got with my girlfriend and her kids, and they got me back into collecting. Now, I collect figures that hit the nostalgia-button in my head that I loved as a youngster. It's mostly a TMNT collection, some GI Joe's (Storm Shadoe and Snake Eyes).
Thank you for sharing Matt! The last couple years have been a roller coaster for me and collecting has definitely been an outlet. It’s really nice to know I’m not alone.
This video is so beautiful i mean in the past 2 years i've been in some difficult situations but toy collecting was a very good thing that keep me up in a good way. Thanks for this video
Toy collecting truly is something that brings me joy when all else fails. I struggle depression, I also struggle with shame that comes along with collecting. I am working on being better at not being embarrassed of it and instead being proud, but it’s tough…
I have read a lot of comments of people being ashamed to collect. I think i need to make a video on that. In the meantime, anytime you feel that shame coming on, remember this: if this was embarrassing and worthy of shame, why are there millions of us? :)
Hey man I really appreciate the sharing. You have a bunch of people out here that love you dude. You have nothing to worry about and will find you always have the strength to overcome anything. Your new studio is amazing. Good things come with change. Thanks for starting your channel I am glad I found it! I hope you and everyone watching has a great weekend!
Thank you for sharing this. Mental health is crucial and I know that fight. Thanks for doing what you do and know that you’re not alone.
Thank you brother!
Toys were my friends growing up because we moved all the time. I've never been able to really make and hold on to friends. But I associate all my figures with the people I have lost and those I just don't talk to anymore. That's why they mean so much to me. They are my only friends.
After I lost my brother from suicide in 2019..... I started to chase memories of what we loved in our childhood, collecting has helped me tremendously....... from the video games we played together to the cartoons we watched together..... toy collecting has helped me through many hard days, because holding some of these characters, or having them on my shelf..... brings me back to simpler times with my brother
Toy collecting, has help me during my recovery from a traumatic brain injury I'm on disability and the hunt the searching for deals have been awesome the 1:12 scale has aloud me to customize and diorama build and build the bandai models of star wars. Helps with the loss in my life . My wife is very understanding and she's my best friend.
You are very lucky to have a wife who understands. That is a struggle for so many
Toy collecting--mostly Marvel Legends and Gundam models--have gotten me through many a rough patch. Most recently, an injury kept me on the shelf for months and I wound up selling a lot of my stuff to pay down debts. But actually opening and enjoying what I had was what helped me pull through (and video games). With my situation now improving, my most depressing event is chasing the ML Spider-Verse Noir figure.
I've lost both of my remaining grandparents. My father's dad and my mother's mom. My mom's older sister and youngest brother. We lost my brother, it'll be 2 years. I lost two my best friends, a father and son.
I've had so many reasons to give up. If weren't for my wife and kids, and the fact that it's just me and my parents now, I don't know if I'd still be here. I started collecting 4 years ago. When I found out there were these Star Wars black series figures I was like, "what!?"and now I have a room that I surround myself in after work. Or when I get to thinking of my friends and family and my brother. I'd like to show you my collection Matt. Maybe some day. Thanks for sharing your story with us. It makes me feel better knowing that I'm not just a crazed nut job that has an addiction to plastic crack.
Hey Big Nerdy, I wanted to say you are incredibly strong for making this video. I know it’s hard to feel as tough as you are when discussing things such as mental health struggles, but I wanted to say it takes a strong individual to be able to bear their heart to anyone who may stumble upon a video. I hope you are doing okay currently and I am wishing you the best! I found your channel recently due to your Transformers video and it has been a wonderful experience to go through your content! You have certainly become one of the stores I’ll be shopping with from now on due to the personal touch you and your family bring to the business. Take care!
It helped me with my mental health after my Grandad and dog died it was two goodbyes so close together. Collecting saved me by helping my mental health and by meet so many nice people because of it.
Thanks for sharing that. You’re a good man.
I like collecting toys (specifically TBS 6”) because it reminds me to not take life too seriously. It reminds me that a simple plastic action figure is all it takes to put a smile on my face, sometimes. Love the channel! Love the store!
For me toy hunting and collecting toys is one of the things that saved me I don’t know where I’d be without the toys I grew up with
I feel your pain. Depression and anxiety is a serious issue. I got sick during the beginning of covid, but not covid. I almost died with a gangrene infection. I had surgery and during my recovery I had to learn how to walk again. 2 years later, I am doing better and dealing with my health much better than before. But during that time I struggled with depression and anxiety. Toys were the only thing keeping my mind sane. Thanks for sharing your story. Your not the only one with the struggle. And hopefully we can fight it together.
Great video Matt, I too suffer from depression and after losing 2 close family members in the last 2 years, collecting has helped keep my mind on more positive things.
Glad it has helped...I am sorry to hear about your loses
Very heartfelt video and I feel this so hard. I've always turned to collecting when struggling with my mental health, honestly it has saved me more than once over the years. Losing my dad and brother were both huge traumas as both were unexpected due to illness. It's not talked about enough, especially for men so I applaud you for your raw honesty 👏🏻 No-one should feel ashamed when they're struggling, as we all do at some point.
Thank you for the kind words, and I am really sorry to hear about your Dad & Brother.
Big Nerdy, thank you for sharing. I empathize with this video so much. Thank you for sharing. I want you to know you are the #1 reason I started watching TH-cam channels on collecting. Your top 10 lists really fascinated me, and it's been a pleasure to watch your toy store grow and blossom, even with setbacks. Take care!
Thank you for your honesty. As someone with many family members who suffer from anxiety and depression, it’s never fun to see and can be very hard to deal with. Glad to see that figures can be an outlet for you.
Toy collecting has been a big part of my life. I too suffer from depression and anxiety. It does bring me joy to open a new figure and pose it. I used to enjoy the toy hunts. I still hunt but the stress of trying to find figures I really want made it not fun due to poor distribution.
Thanks for being so open and transparent Big Nerdy! You’re the man and Love ya’ man! I know for me Toy collecting REALLY helped me during the dark days of the pandemic. To say the toy hunts were therapy is an understatement. Stay nerdy…
Thanks Big Nerdy! Do you need my address, phone, or e-mail?
When I quit alcohol back in 2010, comics and action figures filled a big void there for me. This eventually led to me picking up cartooning again, and my art will be featured in a real printed book next year.
I self isolate and have been talking with a Dr about my mental illness and my toy hunting motivates me to get out of the house and be around people, my toy collecting has helped me too
My ex left me 4 months ago, and it has been the hardest 4 months of my life, however, while I do hope we can reconcile in the future, collecting stormtroopers in the black series line has certainly helped me feel like myself again, whether it be rearranging or reposing figures, or just admiring the beautiful trooper designs, it has really helped me feel happy again.
Collecting is the only thing I have going for me right now that takes me away from everything. Love watching videos and learning about figures and lines I'll never even touch.
I too deal with depression and anxiety on the daily. And got back into collecting as a distraction and to give me something to do when the world shutdown. Then I'll sit and think about the shelves and set up the scenes differently. It gives us that break to catch ourselves and breath a bit.
In July I had to say goodbye for now to my soulpup after 12years. I'm still a disaster but collecting (any hobby really) does help even if just a little. Thank you for the openness and bringing attention this. ;
Thank you for making a video like this. It’s an important message.
Hey Big Nerdy, loved your video. Wanted to share my experience. I have ADHD, at times, it can be pretty overwhelming so when I'm feeling stressed and ready to snap I sit in the quiet of my toy room and just look around or tinker. It brings me peace and calm. If it wasn't for the chase of the toys or being able to enjoy them when I'm at my wits end I don't know what I'd do. Thank you for opening up, I know it Caan be difficult. NWO Baby!
For life!
Wow... This is literally what got me into toys in the first place, depression.
I started collecting vintage toys ( as I am a vintage only collector ) about eight years ago. I started with Star Wars POTF figures and then Terminator 2 figures, then G.I. Joe, and Micro Machines: Military and so so many more. I have been restoring and reliving childhood memories as well as creating new experiences based on old things I never got as a kid or never heard of like my complete collection of King Arthur and the Knights Of Justice figure collection and my mostly complete Robinhood: Prince Of Thieves and Waterworld figure collections. ( Yes, I know they are both Kevin Costner films that are quite cheesey but leave me alone ) XD
I would be lying if I said that I am not a shelf collector and buy these things for my manly 35 year old kid enjoyment.
I have so many figures and other toys that helped me discover more about myself as well as how to deal with my own problems in my life. Toys isn't everything though, I also am a classic gamer and I study German as a second language. I work and maintain my home as well as my personal collection of vintage electronics. I love to play but live to work and do my best to live as best as I can.
Nerdzoic you are an inspiration whom will hopefully help those who seek it find themselves to not be weak but show who they really are and live a more gifted life than others past.
Bis später mein Freund!
Thank you so much for these kind words. I two starting with POTF figures, to this day they hold a special place in my heart!
Hay big nerdy, I am in a depression right now! My best friend of 40 years is dying from cancer! I have anxiety already, and it is horrible! I’ve always have had this sense my early 20’s! As a man I had to come to terms with the stigma! Sucks but my drivers license is revoked, but I can get it back but that means going through the hole process again! I am a huge Star Wars collector and I want to start taking photos of them! So great suggestion! But yes toys have helped! It brings me back to an innocent child…lol unfortunately with the loss of TRU so we now have to rely on target and Walmart! And both suck bad! You have a better chance at running into god then finding a figure on peg!
The past few years I've been dealing with stuff. It's comic collecting that's helped me. I do buy some toys. But getting comics I've always wanted and can afford now has helped.
I agree, toy collecting is life
Thank you for speaking on this.
I am going thru this currently and focusing my Mandolorian based collecting and older items.
I shared this video with my wife and it's great to see you work to your highs, especially after the flood
I am sorry to hear your going through a time of struggling, wishing you good vibs!
Thank you for sharing your story with us, I know it isn't easy. Happy to hear you're in a better place currently I hope that stays the status quo for you my brother 🤘🏽
Collecting totally got me through COVID. G.I. Joe Classified and Transformers WFC kept me occupied and the feelings of accomplishment when finding something gave me such a thrill, lie the times before being shut in.
I totally feel ya. If you haven't, start looking for small toy/comic cons in your area. Its a different type of thrill, but for me at least it "feeds the needs"
Glad you got through that and lived to tell us your story!
You got courage and class, so you're better off than a lot of people out here.
Great message, Man!
Struggling myself. Thanks for speaking out
You are not alone.
A great true video sir - thanks mate (from Australia). I have found over the decades my own toy collecting has indeed kept me sane & retain my sense of humour, which is linked to my inner child being happy -as my inner dialogue would be "woo hoo, another figure, life ain't so bad after all". Toy Hunts are also good as simple goals which are achievable & even if I found nothing to buy, I found the "hunt" was as much fun as the "finding" of that prized figure on a store shelf. I still audibly shout a Hooray when I find something ithese days, as if I'd crossed a finish line !
Me too. Even when times are tough financially, toy "spotting" is still a good time.
Thanks for posting this. I thought I was the only person like this and it makes me feel better that I am not.
The joy I get from my figures and doing photos of them is all I feel I have some days, and watching videos of other collectors is really important. Sometimes I feel like this community is the only people that get me
Thank you again
There are a ton of us :)
Thanks for sharing. Moments like this help people more than you know.
That makes me happy to hear
We all have our demons to fight somedays are better than others. Figure collecting has always helped me get out of a funk. I'm glad that their is other people like me collecting.
Nerdy ! Thanks for sharing ..your one of the first toy channels I came across when I started ..collecting keeps me sober. It's been years I have been clean ..toys take up a good amount of my time and put me in a better mind set ..I never miss a day of work because lol ..I need the money for these toys..I've made some good friends collecting and enjoy huntimg with them ..not to mention the toy channels on TH-cam are great . U da man nerdy .
Thank you for sharing this, Nerdoic. Moving and compelling. Also goes to show how immersing oneself in the things we loved as kids can help us as adults.
This is an amazing vid!:)
Made me tear up when saw description, and watched with great interest.
Yes Toys have saved me too - old life gone, new life all about toys:) haha…:)
They are an awesome way to stay young, work thru issues, but also mature too as community comes together and becomes stronger:)
Coming full circle back to childhood interests has also been a good way to learn new ways of dealing with life - with help of people like you doing these sort of vids!
Thank you & power to the Nerd World Order!:)
Great vid Big N!:)
Took me like 5 seconds to like this video, thanks for sharing this, I like your channel because man, you get it, always nice seeing you :)
I never had a girlfriend and sometimes I get anxiety because I want to have a girlfriend just so that I can be normal like everyone else. All my life it's eaten me up inside bad, especially in my teen years. But I often go on toy hunts or fidget around with a figure to forget. I always collected toys since I was 6 years old. My family always say " you are to invested in collecting toys, when you should be getting a girlfriend, why can't you focus on that". Little do they know I collect to deal with not being able to have one. They think my collection gets in the way of me not getting a gf but in reality it's what helps me get by.
I am a person living in Turkey. Of course I am depressed. Collecting also helped in resisting depression. I've been having a hard time collecting in recent years. Because collecting was very expensive.
Hey Matt, that's very courageous and commendable of you to be so open about anxiety & depression. 😪🤤
Loved this video man. Keep at the work and being an inspiration
Thank you mason!
I find collecting has helped motivate me in quite a positive way! I don't tend to collect waves of figures or try to complete teams as I only collect figures of characters that have influenced me in my life & that have motivated me to be a better person! (yet I love & have a lot of villains lol)
A lot of figures that I collect tend to have Martial Art backgrounds as I love Martial Arts (I've been practicing various arts since 1998) & just by looking at some of my figures, like Goku for example, motivates me to train harder lol
I also find when I articulate figures & put them in poses it feels like I am that character for those few seconds / minutes haha... Like I put myself inside the figure... metaphorically ofcourse & not physically lol
Thank you for making this. You are younger then me, but we still come from the, “Swallow those feelings down/ don’t talk about your feeling or you’re a *****”.
We need to get that nonsense gone. It makes you 10x the “man”, to talk to someone and get the mental health you need. Is it hard…oh Hell yes it is, but do it. It’s like a 500lb weight being lifted off your shoulders. Don’t wait until tomorrow, do it now, please. Everyone be well and happy collecting.
I quite drinking and started to collect toys. (Marvel legends and McFarlane Dc multi-verse) havnt had a drink in over 2 years! Love the video big nerdy!
i try to get other people including my kids into collecting, idk why... i guess i see the value in it and i know most people have a void to fill naturally. i started to collect toys 2 years ago and it has helped me for sure!
adulting is hard. hobbies really help in balancing your life out
Amen to that