My first Windstone arrived today! Collecting question..

Congrats on getting your first Windstones! I know a lot of people collect certain sculpts based on what they like, like some people might collect mostly dragons or unicorns or poads, etc. But I think a lot of people here end up falling in love with more than one type of creature and end up collecting a few of each type in different colours or patterns. I started by collecting a couple fledgling dragons, then youngs in two different colours. Then I ended up buying a couple grab bag young poads and baby unicorns. Then I added in a couple colours of baby griffins, baby pegasus and baby kirins. Then I started acquiring more sizes and colours of pieces like baby dragons, hatchlings and mini keepers, as well as adult poads, baby poads and tadpoads and young unicorns and colts to make up families of sculpts. Then when pebbles came out, I ended up getting two different colours of each pebble animal.

I also bought some pyos for swaps and to paint myself as well as buying some painted by others to add to my collection. For numbers I have a few painted and unpainted pyos right now, 2 of each pebble with the exception of 6 cougars and 4-6 of each colour in most of my other sculpts, although I have about 10 of each in young poads, fantasy baby unicorns, fledgling dragons and baby dragons. So it’s been a process going from a few pieces to start with to quite a few over a few years. I would say there is no harm in diversifying a collection but it’s also fun to collect families of certain sculpts too. I like the idea of having at least a pair of everything but if you like different pieces maybe get one of each until you decide on some favourites you want more of.

Yay you,congrats on your new beauties.We look forward to seeing your Kirins.The MKS are a great piece to start with.I see a Windstone addiction in your future….just like us all.heehee

Welcome to the world of Windstone! For me, I am space-limited so I tend to collect the smaller sculpts. I have young dragons, mini keepers, curled dragons, tadpoads, and a handful of baby unicorns, kirins, and pegusai. I do know that some people collect “families” of different sculpts all in the same color. Even the grab bags in my collection tend to form “families” because they have similar or complementary colors.

Congratulations on your first Windstones. It’s the first step on a long slippery slope (unless you have more will power than I do), but what a ride. 🙂

As you have realized, there are many ways to organize your collection. Money and available space are always considerations!
Some people do try to assemble complete sets of each production and LP color.
Some people have favorite sculpts and concentrate on them.
Some people simply enjoy owning things that appeal to them, or love the gambling aspect of grab bags. Their collections seem to be more fluid (ongoing buying, selling, and trading as they find something they like better) so that is an option if you like the “social” aspects of collecting Windstones).

Life is easier if you avoid the ebay test paints – I speak from experience but don’t take my own advice. They are often the most interesting pieces but don’t always fit in with things you already have (different colors or more complex patterns), also true of grab bags on occasion. This may or may not bother you.

To answer your original question … “Do you collect multiples of the same design.. different paints versions.. or collect a paint version overall of all the styles of windstones? Or do you just buy what calls to you?”

All of the above. 🙂 Since this is a collection, I feel that someday I should have one example of each sculpt that Melody creates, one example of each production and LP paint scheme, and one example from each Grab Bag. On the other hand, since I mostly buy what appeals to me, I have many versions of my favorite sculpts (curlies, Risers, and baby unicorns) and more than one of almost everything else. So maybe it’s more of an accumulation than a collection, but it makes me happy.

Bottom line … set up your collection in a way that appeals to you. You will be spending a surprising amount of money if you really get into Windstones so you should enjoy the result!

I’m sure you will find a rhythm for your growing collection. I think the you should let your heart drive you.

My collection has changed and focused more over the three – almost four – years when I first started. My first sculpt was an old Brown Mother Dragon (Navara), who I still have and will never, ever get rid of. 🙂

I’ve also collected some of the larger sculpts, like a Male Griffin, Scratching Dragon, and Mother and Male Dragons. My collection started with just different types of the dragon sculpts, but I found that I liked some dragon sculpts more than others, so I started trading and selling… then I found the PYO Swaps and Melody’s Grab Bags, and the Poads! So along the way I’ve done a good bit of trading and selling/buying as I’ve found which sculpts grew on me (Curlies! Poads, Pebbles, some Unis), and those sculpts which didn’t really hold my interest after a few months (such as the Coiled Dragon, Fat Cats, Tanukis, and recently the Pebble Horses).

I also have limited space, so my collection is now focused on colors and sculpts I love, and also smaller pieces. The only larger WS Production pieces I have left are my Navara ( I used to have three Mother sculpts), my Peacock Scratcher, an original Male Griffin, and my Test Paint Male Dragon, Indy, which I’m currently trying to re-home (he’s lonely in his box). The rest are many many Curlies – those keep multiplying – 4 Baby Unis, 2 GB Uni Colts, Several Poad ‘color’ families (Autumn Leaf, Safari, Hoppy, two special Grab Bag/Test Paints), 3 Baby Dragons in favorite colors, a few Gargoyles (3 eggs/2 Gargoylingus, wolf). I also have various PYO sculpts from PYO Swaps (Ki-Rins, Small Dragons, Kitsunes), several painted pieces from Bodine (Keepers and such) and from some other Forum Members (AND a Hippocampus from Melody, herself!), and a grab bag of various Pebble critters paired by color schemes (AWDs, Grey-Brindles, Siamese, Dark Mahogany), which are mostly the Red and Bat-Eared Foxes and Wolves… and two Lady Cats!

I also have several PYO sculpts that I want to paint, but for right now they are waiting in their boxes for when I have time. 😀