I try to keep it small. When it comes to the recent TRU 6 Packs like the Cobra Infantry or CGs sets, my "magic number" used to be 60. (not sets, but figures) Now its 80, leaning towards 100. Now, when it comes to vintage stuff it all depends on the figure, but my rule of thumb is to stop at 20, although I do have a large goal in mind for V1 BATS.

Obviously funds are the biggest concern when it comes to troop building, and my aspirations fluctuate based on my cash-flow, but even with unlimited resources, I'd continue to try and stay under 100 dupes. (I've got other crap to collect ya' know...) But DANG! Thanks to the incredible interweb, I've had the pleasure of seening some HUGE 3 3/4 armies out there, comprised of both modern and vintage figures. So my question to my fellow troop builders is, when is enough enough and how do you determine that?

P.S. Share some pics or links to pics. I really dig pics of Joe armies and loose collections.

I usually stop between 3 and 4 hundred,

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e299/DJActionfigure/GI%20Joe/CobraInfantry03.jpg

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a248/ActionfigureFernandez/CAAF.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e299/DJActionfigure/CrimsonDiv.jpg

I almost referenced you (SWV) in my question. Any new pictures? ;)

I'm probably the smallest of all.

Cobra Troopers get around 20

All others are in squads (or stars for any Battletech fans :) ) of 5

Mine totally depends on funds. Ideally, I'd like to have a hundred of each army builder, but realistically I try and keep it around 20.
Sam

100 (but only the Imperial Guards)
I got a bunch of Imperial Procession 6-packs on clearance for only $4 shipped, which helped me reach the magic number

There is a line that can be crossed in army building? :confused:

I almost referenced you (SWV) in my question. Any new pictures?

I got new pics but not as big as my other ones........

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e299/DJActionfigure/GI%20Joe/B.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e299/DJActionfigure/GI%20Joe/PythonPatrol.jpg

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a248/ActionfigureFernandez/GI%20Joe/SeaForce.jpg

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a248/ActionfigureFernandez/GI%20Joe/IGs.jpg

I haven't had time to do all my divisions yet....but soon I'll be doing my Ninja Force, and what call my Dark Force.

Perhaps I don't have the spirit down right yet - and I know the finances are another issue for me. But I know how exstatic I was to get my first BAT (as a collector) and am still struggling to find a SA trooper. Then I see people who have 100 of them and realize that they do still exist, they are just already taken.

I would feel bad to know I had 100 of a vintage figure that other younger collectors might be struggling to find.

That being said - I LOVE the look of your armies - and I think it is really neat to see done. So I don't begrudge ANYONE. if someone gave me 100 Bats, I'd be hard pressed not to keep them.

It would be cool to have a get together with some of the major army builders and consolidate. See how big of an army could be made (obviously not permanently). - that would be one heckofa project but would sure be neat looking.

at the moment i have
tru cobra infantry six pack12. figures 60 .thats 10 packs open. 2 packs moc.
v1 cobra troopers figures 22 figures
dtc cobra infantry figures 22 figures
dtc viperpit packs six packs 60 figures
most of my cobra cells i have in 4 man teams except the above
i must admit i enjoy troop building only thing is setting them up.they take over the front room floor last time i got all my cobra army out it took me all
day to set it up..since then they have grown even more
recuitment been very sucessful in land sea and air.

My magic number is four. Yep that's it. When I was kid I always wanted hugh army sets but always went for the new figure when given the choice. Then for a long time I struggled with what number to make it. Untill I figured out to organize my collection and so given the space I had. I made an equation to figure it out. It's four and that's enough for me. Though most of my armies at only one or two so far it's a budget thing and a what fellow poster Canandian said.

Why? Why do some of you need 100 of anything. It seems to me, and I may be hated, you just set them on a shelf in some formation in front of some Hiss tanks or whatever. I could see if you had some huge diorama but what good does it do to take up that much space.......Depending on the figure I agree with the previous post of about 4 but every once in awhile they release someone cool and you get 12. However, much more than that seems excessive in my opinion. NOw, those of you that buy all that...great! Keep doing it, it keeps GI JOE making them and that I thank you for but intrinsically.....some of the collectors I have met could qualify for OCD....I just can not rationalize the amount of money that is spent to go into your private area to stare at something. How much time does one spend with joes? I have a room set up, but the main purpose is for the kids to go in there play with it...then return it all to its shelf areas. Perhaps ones day I will sell it all. anyone got 15,000 dollars they want to toss at a massive collection?

Well, I go for quality over quantity, which makes army-building vintage RAH troops (the best kind) difficult, at least in the condition that I need. Right now I've got nine Snow Serpents, eight Vipers, six Eels, four CGs and four Televipers. The plan is go in multiples of three for now - so the current goal is one more Viper and two CGs and Televipers each. After that, I'll add in groups of threes, keeping the proportions more or less the same.

I've also got six packs each of the TRU Infantry and Viper Pits (though I haven't opened up the Viper Pits yet, still waiting for some repro parts to have them blend in more with the originals).

I'll tell you all this....I Draw no line with my Star Wars Clone Troopers.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e299/DJActionfigure/Star%20Wars/Clones9.jpg

While its nice to see these "store bought" collections does anybody else have a large Vintage army collection? Most of what I see isnt as impressive as they are easily aquired figures from the last few years. Who has an army of Techno Viper v2's or Air Devils or Ninja Viper v1's or AVAC's or something that is actually hard to find? (Like Kevin's)

Seeing somebody who bought 35 Viper Pits or Cobra Infantry is just not that impressive to me because anybody can do it with money. Its when you see over 100 BATS v1 or Cobra Soldiers etc. or other vintage figures.....

Did you pay attention to my Arctic Assault ?....next time I do an updated pic of them, I'll have 120 V1 Snow Serpents instead of 98.

I don't know how massive it is and they're not all complete but some of my vintage I have about among many others I can't think of right now (thousands of cobra troops), 75 WORMS figures, 120 Snow Serpent v1 (speaking of which I see SWV has caught up with me on that one....keep on rocking the snow troops!), 30 Lampreys v1, 40 Vipers v1, and 28 Vipers v3. I have more with newer stuff I could buy in six packs, like 32 TRU Trooper packs, 40 Cobra Night Watch packs, 34 Viper packs, 20 Crimson Shadow Guard Packs, 20 Crimson Guard Packs, 40 OCS Sabotage Hiss sets and thus 120 troops, 10 Imperial Procession packs, and maybe 30 of the Internet BAT Packs from a few years back, and more.

Heres a link to some of my old photos I took a few years ago:
http://new.photos.yahoo.com/mtmmag/album/576460762341563081

I honestly haven't had time to organize and count everything I buy. Borderline OCD, probably. Trying to keep from turning to Clone troopers with the dearth of old style joes. Also trying to avoid the new 25th sculpts other than buying one set to keep MOC for display, and not start army building those too.

I'm happy with 6.

HI . soundwave viper your collections always look great

i dont think it O.C.D it just some think you enjoy and to see the figures
set up well what can i say it just looks great .
night watch i have 10 packs all open 60 figures
crimson guards 6 pack i only got 5 packs open
v1 crimson guards i have 20 figures
v1 vipers i have 4
v2 vipers pp 4
v1 toxo vipers 4
motor vipers 12
v1 sand vipers 4
v2 sand vipers 4
v3 sand vipers i have 20 figures use for serpys coil infantry
frag vipers 4
dtc snow serpents 4
v1 snow serpents 12
v2 snow serpents 4
jvs c snow serpents 4
snow wolfs VvSV 4
purple claws 4
crimson claws 4
v1 tel-vipers 8
v2 tel-vipers pp 4
v3 tel vipers 4
v4 tel-vipers 4


i have to go throu my boxs and have a good count up now
i am now starting to collect destro v1 ig at the moment i have 16 figures
then i got my cobra sea serpents i have a count up and post tomorrow

I don't draw any lines, but I've gotten tired of vintage, aging RAH figures and rarely pursue them. I don't know why I army build anything anymore since I don't even display any of my stuff...guess I'm thinking "somedayI will".

As to what's impressive in armies, over the years, I've seen plenty of figures lined up row after row...the novelty wore off. Recent vs. rare...it's just a matter of money, there's not much talent involved in troop building. If somebody has a display of harder to get troopers, then I gotta think they just have money and outbid others on ebay, which drives demand up for those figures. Why should I be impressed by that? :confused:

The only army builder pictures that grab me are armies in action.

I get about five of each cobra figure if I can.

Per the board the rules, please keep embedded pictures no larger than 600 x 600 pixels.