Botcollector: Do you think that you're an average girl, and so can answer the following questions for the majority of other females?

CC: Well, I feel like I can answer for a lot women my age and in my general area of experience, but I'm in no way AVERAGE:>)

Botcollector:  Do you collect any particular toys or merchandise?

CC: I was a serious collector when I was little.  I was crazy about music boxes, China dolls, and Disney stuff, like I had hundreds of the Mickey Mouse and Goofy figures, all those guys from the early movies and shows.  Every Christmas I got at LEAST 3 music boxes and china dolls.

Botcollector: Do you collect anything now?

CC: Well, not the way you guys think, probably.  I certainly do have a room full of related stuff, but it's not toys.

Botcollector: What's your room full of?

CC: Purses, shoes, and belts.  I probably have more of that stuff than you guys have toys; I'm a nut about fashion accessories nowadays.

Botcollector: Did you stop liking toys, and start liking that stuff as you grew older?

CC: Not really, it was more just leaving home and moving into the dorm; I didn't want all these expensive toys all over the place in a dorm room where there's  no making sure they don't get broken or  whatever.  I guess I just shifted the whole "getting lots of stuff" into the fashion arena.  I'm still absolutely CRAZY over pewter figurines and knick knacks, though.  I'm always getting that stuff, pewter looks really awesome.

Botcollector: What do you think when you walk into a house, apartment, room, or whatever, and it's totally full of toys, or some other obvious collectable?

CC: I think it's cool.  Collections of just about anything look great, and the person obviously has a passion for something.  I think it's kind of respectable to put so much time and energy into one goal, and it shows a passion for something.  I think it's cute when guys collect toys.

Botcollector: Now, we hear that you're currently involved with a guy who has quite a collecting habit himself.  Care to elaborate?

CC: Yeah, my boyfriend is pretty seriously into Magic cards, and the game, and the whole thing.  He's pretty serious about it, although it's also just a fun thing for him, like guys who love to play basketball, or tennis, or whatever.  It's like a hobby mixed with competition, and he loves it.

Botcollector:  From 1 to 10, with 1 being a very casual interest, and 10 being obsessive to the point of criminal insanity, what would you rate your boyfriend's involvement with Magic?

CC: *Laughs* Well, 10 sounds so horrible:>).  He plays about 7 times a week, and does the whole tournament and draft thing, but I don't want to stick the 10 on him.  I'd say like 7 or 8.

Botcollector: Tournaments and drafts?  He seems pretty into it.  Have you ever felt like you're playing second fiddle to his hobby?

CC: (Looks thoughtful for a second) Well, he's definitely got a second love, as it were.  But it's never gotten in the way of anything.  The point, I guess, is that it's just that; a SECOND love.  I support all the stuff he does, I even go to some of the games and all.  He may be really into it, but I never feel threatened by Magic or anything.  He's just got this thing he really likes, you know?  He doesn't feel threatened by me liking to shop for outfits to put together, and I don't feel threatened by his hobby.  He practices and goes to tournaments and does a good job, just like anybody that's really into something.  As long as it doesn't take over everything in his life, we're good.

Botcollector: Is there some sign that you're on the lookout for that it IS taking over his life?  Is there a line that you've consciously made that you won't let him cross?

CC: *Smiles* Well, not CONSCIOUSLY, but I mean, this goes beyond men and women, collecting and not collecting.  If anybody becomes obsessed with something, that's naturally going to freak other people out.  He just really likes this Magic thing the way anybody really likes any particular thing.  If it took over his life and I never heard anything from him but stuff about Magic, of course it would kind of dull our relationship.  But that's true with anything.

Botcollector: So nothing's ever come up in the relationship, like problems with money or time spent with the whole hobby thing?

CC: Not at all.  Look, he's thrown down like $4,000 on Magic cards, but who am I to have some big problem with it?  I enjoy his company, we like each other, and it's never become a problem.  If it did, he's the kind of guy that would listen to what I have to say.  It's not like I'd be unreasonable or anything.  If it got to a point where I'd have a problem, he'd hear me say that, and either take off or make sure that he took my feelings into account.  The collecting  thing isn't any more of a factor than anything in a typical relationship.

Botcollector: This stigma that seems to be associated with "collecting," then, you think has nothing to do with the collecting itself, but rather some underlying obsessive personality.  Like, to exclude the other person whether it's because of toys or not, is the real problem?

CC: Well, of course.  Any problem in any relationship is a problem with the relationship, period.  If a guy ignores his girlfriend, or ignores girls period, of course he won't do well in the dating scene or whatever.  It's not because of the specific toys, or movie, or role-playing game, it's because of how he holds other people in a 3-way relationship with whatever else takes his time.  If the toys, or movie, or comic, or whatEVER become more important than the people around you, of COURSE it will be a problem.  And it's not just a guy thing, either.  I'm sure guys have dated women who are just WAY too into something, be it shopping, or partying, or maybe even collecting herself.  It's not a "guys who collect" problem, it's a "the significant other [guy OR girl] liking and caring for something other than the opposite sex, or other people" problem.

Botcollector: So this isn't a "guys who collect stuff are "undatebale" issue.  Any problem would be at a much more basic level of how a person deals with people?

CC: Exactly.  Who cares WHY a guy ignores me, or never asks me out?  If it's because of Transformers or a rock collection or a job, it's the same thing to the girl; give me time, give me attention, give me affection.  Collecting and loving something other than me is not a problem unless I'm actually less important.  Who WOULDN'T feel that way, guy OR girl?  And even THEN it's not that big a problem.  I mean, look; if a guy likes Transformers, or Magic, or whatever, more than he likes dating or having a girlfriend, then why would he be unhappy if he didn't date?  If the toys come first, why would he care that some girl didn't like him?

Botcollector:  That's actually a very good point, and one we haven't explored on the Botcollector Babe page.  This whole reputation that guys who collect get, that when you are a toy or comic collector, you are unappealing to women, may actually be because of treating women as if they are less important than the toys.  But what do you have to say about women who walk into a room, see the collection, and immediately say "whoa, geek alert, date impossible," etc.?

CC: What do I have to say about those women?  *%$&@ them.  I mean, again we're on the difference between toys and anything else, and there really is none.  If a girl walks into a room with a lot of toys (or whatEVER) and doesn't even meet the guy who's room it is, and still makes a judgment about their personality that's so far as to say he's undateable, then what kind of girl is that?  MEET the guy, give him a chance, sheesh.

Botcollector:  Now THAT is some good stuff.  What do you think about why we have this general overall "girls dig Barbies, Guys dig 'Bots and GI Joe," etc.?

CC: I think that's just mostly parental upbringing and peer pressure.  I think if a couple raised a girl and only bought her trucks and race cars and Transformers and stuff, she'd like them when she grew up.  But they never do, I mean, it's dolls for girls and 'bots for boys right from birth.  You know, the whole "pinks vs. blue" thing.

Botcollector: So it's more a matter of environment than instinct?

CC: Yeah, I think so.  I mean, there's no denying that females have a tendency to want to care for things, and make things pretty or cute, but a whole lot of girls I know hate dolls and stuff, and really dig the whole heavy machinery aspect of toys.

Botcollector: So, being one of those girls, you prefer, say, Transformers over Beanie Babies?

CC: *Energetically* Oh, man, I HATE Beanie Babies.  What do they do?  Nothing.  They don't even look cute, if you're going for that.  They're just these little stuffed things that look kind of trashy, and you're supposed to feel obligated to pour thousands of dollars into them to "complete a set."  You can't even play with them.  I mean,  what can you do with a Beanie? Pick it up, look at the tag, and put it down.  With a Transformer, you can play with this vehicle like a matchbox car or plane or whatever, but then it's also a robot.

Botcollector: Oh, hey, you seem to like Transformers and hate Beanie Babies (both of which are great matches for Botcollector staff members).  Are you a fan?

CC: I like them, but I know I don't know as much about them as these collectors that you guys know.  I used to watch the cartoon all the time, though, and I really dug the story and the fact that toys had all this history behind them and all.  I even had the sheets that are in the photo shoot.

Botcollector: You OWNED the Transformers sheets?  You were that into them?

CC: Well, I didn't BUY them or anything.  My brother, who was really into Transformers, moved away for school, and I abandoned my Care Bears sheets for his Transformers sheets, because I thought they were cool.

Botcollector: So you may not collect Transformers specifically, but you DO like them?

CC: Well of course!  I mean, look at them, they're awesome!  Anyone who doesn't like them must be kind of lacking in terms of imagination or fun or something.  I don't collect them or know much about them, but I DO know they're cool, and I love seeing ones I've never seen before and seeing what they turn into and stuff.

Botcollector: Well, that is fantastic.  Is there anything worthy of mention that we didn't bring up that you'd like to say?

CC: *Looking a little abashed and yet defiant* I know this doesn't go with popular opinion, but when I watched the cartoon, and even now, I feel like I'm more of a Decepticon.  *Laughs*  I know they're bad guys and all, and it's not like I'm evil or anything, but I just like those guys better.  I TOTALLY dig the Decepticon shirts you  guys make, too, like way better than the Autobot ones.

Botcollector: *Nervously* OK, well, I don't think we've had a Decepticon inside Botcollector Headquarters before, but this is definitely a good interview.

CC: Hey, I enjoyed it, and say "Hi" to all those collectors for me.  ...and tell the geeks they're hot:>)