Head Meets Wall. Repeat.

Collectors! Have you ever accidently broken something in your collection? Maybe it was a major act of destruction, or perhaps only a minor nick, but nonetheless...

It's happened to me a couple times. Once, a few years ago, I went to pick up a toy robot and lightly -- I mean lightly -- brushed a small plastic antenna with the back of my finger. It snapped off, leaving me standing there, immobile, unable to think, relying on reflex to even breath, feeling my heart beat 100 times harder and my blood turn into a cold, slushy mess in my veins.

I lucked out that day, the break was clean and close to where the antenna met the rest of the robot. I was able to carefully glue it back into place and now, unless you know where to look, you can't even tell it was damaged.

Of course, I know exactly where to look. And I sometimes feel like my eyes are constantly drawn to that damn antenna every time I glance at my collection.

Usually, something like that might kill a toy for me, but when it's old or hard to find, I can suck it up and get over it. For the most part, anyway. But when it's a more modern toy, one that's easier to replace? I can't deal with it at all. I'll see the damage and think about the damage and turn it over and over in my mind until I kind of freak out. All that's left is to replace the thing.

Which sort of stinks, 'cause there's nothing fun about buying a toy again. That's money that could have gone to something new! But no one ever said toy collecting was a rational endeavor.

What about you, gang? Ever break anything even moderately significant? Did you keep it? Fix it? Replace it? Flip out and give up the hobby entirely? Enquiring minds want to know.