I'd definitely agree with you there. I don't own any radars, but my Flak Jackets are amazing for driving, working outside, etc.

I suspect that a good size of our collections is a "Keeping up with the Joneses" thing.

Does that happen via osmosis?
Anyway, I'm gonna challenge myself to streamline.
Now that I've had Lasik, basically all sunglass pairs are wearable.
Watches, I only have one left arm, but something like the TB II, though I'll probably never get to wear them on my tiny wrist, is a commemorative.
Others probably need to go thru a survivor series.
Whereas Frogskins used to hang best on my Rx Chain 4.0, I wonder if my love for the Frogskins will now steer towards others, like maybe the Gascans and such.
We'll see ...........

Been thinking about this "Where Do you want your collection to go?" question lately.

Found I had inadvertantly bought extras of a few pairs, so I've been trading/giving those away in the late few months. That's about the biggest move I've ever made to trim down any of my collectibles. But now that I'm already in "trading mode", I might as well continue and am starting to look at non-extras and seeing what I can trade to get rid of the fodder (still don't understand why I bought a Five 2.0 or a Radar). So to answer the question, I want my collection to be more relevant for my tastes. We'll see if I can pull this off in 2013.

If you put it off too long, the Fives 2.0 will seem downright vintage. I think I have mind just so I have examples of Fives 1,2,3,Sq,4,and XS

What is my goal? Hmm

Well I have been following this thread since I joined a few years back but I never intended to post

In the beginning I didnt have a goal, I just bought what I liked for fun and that morphed into wanting to complete sets and then changed to hoarding when the popularity of collecting blew up. Not for resale as some have pointed fingers at, but because I thought that those new to the hobby would grab things I might want in the future. Not that I have ever gone out and bought 10 pairs of artist editions with the intent of selling or anything but if I came across something I already had and it was a good deal or better than the one in my collection I bought it. This eventually led to doubles, triples and in some cases quads of certain pairs. Eventually reached the point of wanting to sell off some of the extras, but I always tried to keep or buy 2 pairs of my favorites because my motto was One for wearing, One for staring. Well then I made some major deals buying some entire collections off other collectors, the reason I did this was because there were things I wanted in the collection and there were many that I could trade with others or sell if necessary. This led to a problem for me, I dont like selling! But I didnt know that at that time, nor did I know I get sellers remorse and I dont like asking market prices in some cases. Also who knew its a ton of work on top of having a job that I spend a minimum of 60 hours a week at? While I am still a patient collector, I have not passed on a good deal in a few years. I have become overwhelmed so to speak, I got caught up in the frenzy as well I am afraid to admit.

All this build up has led me to this goal

My goal is to be a more responsible collector, to pass on the items I no longer need even if its a good deal. To streamline my collection back to a manageable level in the near future. This is already in progress as I have recently started an inventory and photo process to keep track of what Im planning to reshelf, trade or sell if necessary. I have decided that I will go with the QUALITY over Quantity collecting process, this is my goal
I dont post much, but I felt I should finally post to this thread for two reasons
1. To hopefully keep others from falling off the preverbal deep end as I feel I did
2. To call myself on the carpet and make my goal a reality

Well said. I think everyone gets caught up in bulk for a while, but then streamline over time. There was a period a few years back where I took anything that wasn't in at least 8/10 condition and sold it off, even if it was considered 'rare'. The pock marked Slit lens had to go even though it was a holy grail. I did end up getting a few doubles here and there, so most ended up as gifts. When the London Police pack arrived at my door, at no cost, my current pair was again passed on t no cost to someone I knew would enjoy them. All of that has returned many fold, and I'm confident I wouldn't have the collection I do now, if I had to brute force my way through ebay or the like.

I know you like to keep on the down-low, but we'd all sure enjoy seeing more of your collection here and there if you're up to it.

It's interesting reading
I've spent a lot of time this year evaluating my collection

As I mentioned in anothe thread I'm currently thinning out and focusing on mint boxed pairs rather than twice as many good/ excellent pairs

I've got lots of doubles or triples of certain pairs such as mumbos but I like the look of them

I'm moving away from getting a pair or a lense just because I've not got it and have specific pairs I'm waiting for

As they say less is more

My collection is also moving more to watches too

that was great read and insight, thanks for sharing Romeo.

Nice posts guys.

To me there is however always one question. When do you have a qualitative collection, and when is it purely quantitative?

I mean you can love a certain cheap pairs, and have every colorway possible in your collection. Is it quantitative of qualitative then?
I guess many will look at it as being quantitative, while for you it definitely is something qualitative...

In that sense I always follow the rule just get what you like :)

I do not jump on every nice deal anymore, however I do get everything I like personally.

I also have to say that I have quite a problem that I have a webshop. And whenever I get new stock I always check what I like first and pick it out of it for myself. In that sense it makes it quite a lot easier just just keep pairs. On the other hand I really noticed over the years that the more O's you've had in your hand the more selective you become. There are quite some models that don't do anything for me, while a few years ago I would have loved to get them. Just because they were O's...

I think for everyone it goes up that over the years you will look differently at the O. And become more selective and go for everything that is qualitative for you.

This has been a good read. I have been buying and collecting Oakley stuff for about 6 years now but just this year started buying the glasses. It has been an expensive year to say the least. Did I spend more than I should have? Hell yes! I see you guys on here and talking about the good ol days when a pair of leathers could be scored for less than a bill. Man, what a time it must have been. I wish I would have been buying back then. I am truly coming late to the party but that's ok, I'll deal with it.

So.... what direction am I going to go? Honestly I cant say for sure 100% but I do know Im going to concentrate on my Cannon / Scelzi displays and vintage stuff. I will continue to upgrade the quality of the items I already have and search for acquisitions. I still like some of the new offerings but as it has been said before, its just not as cool as the old stuff. Most of the time I prefer to trade than purchase outright but that's just me.

I just want to say thank you as well for all the knowledge that is here, its really helps out someone like myself who didnt live through the good ol days of Oakley!

When do you have a qualitative collection, and when is it purely quantitative?

I mean you can love a certain cheap pairs, and have every colorway possible in your collection. Is it quantitative of qualitative then?

I guess many will look at it as being quantitative, while for you it definitely is something qualitative...

You pretty much answered your own question: Quality is how you see it. Someone could look at a thousand-piece eyewear collection and see it as the best thing ever, whereas another would look at it and say "look at that one cool piece surrounded by 50 shit pairs." They're both right since that's their preference. That said, I do see a general move from long-term collectors to get from a large collection of mundane pairs to a smaller collection of cool rarities.

Very interesting reading even though my collection is pretty modest and focused.

Me my goal is to keep focusing on M Frame 1st generation. I'd like to get the carbon, fingerprint and rain clorways. Also an RX lens...

Btw, on this picture, Romeo, what is this GOLD m frame on the top right???

http://www.o-review.com/gallery_view.asp?ID=10069

Thanks,

Alexandre

Excellent reading with a lot of great perspectives!

well ive nearly reached my magic number and once i hit it i will be selling quite a few pairs to make room for future releases. For a while ive been looking at pairs and thinking someone else could love these more than me. I went through a stage like 7 years ago when i just pounced on any good deal i saw so ended up getting a ton of pairs i CAN live without.

^^ There's a lot of pairs you have that I would love! haha.

If I reach my goal of getting everything on my list, I would have less than 50 glasses (not including any future releases), but they would all be glasses that I would keep for as long as I can. I never had an eye on collecting hundreds, I've always had the mentality of quality (as far as the models I like, it could mean different things for different people). I'm about half ways there, but it's tough because my goal may not be a big number, but it is very detailed as far as obtaining a true mint condition with boxes.

Right now I just really want to complete any partial sets I have, and then take a little break to finish my last car project, which I should have finished by now. The stress from car projects is what drove me to really open up my Oakley collection, little did I know I would just trade car stress for Oakley stress, haha. It's fun as heck though finding the right piece in the desired condition and finally crossing off that piece from my list.

I went through a stage like 7 years ago when i just pounced on any good deal i saw

I feel your pain, Lex. I've been doing the same thing lately with display cases. I get a headache thinking about how I'm gonna have to move all of this stuff when I move next.

I get a headache thinking about how I'm gonna have to move all of this stuff when I move next.

I get a headache thinking about that call I'm going to get when you move next.

LOL. I'm glad you're at least prepared for it. :-D

Read back to the start of the thread, and 2010 was an interesting time for me. I feel it was my second, and hopefully final 'slump'. A year off of the co-pilot event, so things had sort of culminated to that point, and it was hard to replicate. I hadn't been buying too many things, so there wasn't as much to keep the collection fresh. Sometimes without those new additions, you just pass by what you have and it's not doing much for you.

It was at that point, I started putting more effort into the informational and research aspects. I'd been doing that all along, but I started up the video series, and have been trying to really dig into the history of Oakley and each model. My collections now are heavily into documents and digital things, so every time I run across a new image or ad, I save that to the archive. It's enormous at this point and pushing 40Gb or so. Hoping to continue forward with some even more structured and comprehensive videos. It's helped provide a never ending source of things to explore, and it doesn't really cost me anything.

Alexandre Bellenger: That is one of the brown sankeskin M Frame's... Top left is the red snakeskins as well....

The snakeskin M Frame's are so sic! I've been after the red one, if I ever got my hands on one I would install my finest +red strip lens in that thing!

In 1992 the Snakeskins were just a test run to "see if it could be done"

There were only a few made, and had either Hybrid or Heater lenses installed.

Putting a Strip lens would predate the frame, as they were produced from 89 to late 91.

Nice idea though.

Seems to be a handful of several different colours floating around. I wonder how many they made before they finally concluded the application was horrible and wouldn't hold up to any use?

I doubt they were ever intended to be for sale, more like they just decided one afternoon to "produce something that cannot be done"

Yea I noticed all the ones I've seen have had Hybrid/Heater lenses. My train of thought is since it doesn't have a model number anyway specifying a specific lens, to just match up a super rare frame with a super rare lens. Since Hybrid and Heater lenses are so widely used, the Strip seems like it would just be at home on that rare snakeskin frame.