For 20+ years, I have been collecting cake pans and have about 700 now. I've used only about 1/3 of them. It's hard to say which character pans I use more, it varies from year to year. Bunches of Winnie the Pooh with HunnyPot and Spiderman (discontinued by Wilton, I think). The Handsome Guy pan (discontinued by Wilton but always on eBay) has been used to make a variety of characters like Buzz Lightyear or Power Rangers, or a naked man for a bachelorette party. I make lots of sheet cakes with custom designs, too. I'd love it if someone asked for something different, like Popeye the Sailor or Yosemite Sam. Maybe some day... 
In my opinion, if you are not planning to have a big collection, don't buy one unless you need it, because you may never get a chance to use some of them. But if you just love it, you should buy it, because you never know when it will be discontinued. And some of those old ones are VERY hard to find, and expensive when you do.
Most of them are in an album on my website if you'd like to have a look. Click the www button below
Themed cake pans are good to have such as pumpkins, christmas trees, snowmen, hearts, etc. Over the years I have collected over 200 cake pans. Some I use more than others such as for special holidays. I only buy the other pans unless a client is interested in a specific character or shape.
These days I try to carve more cakes than purchasing the pan. It saves me money or shall I say it will save me money once I have mastered cake carving. 
I'm going to order an egg shaped pan bc I want to make the Roast Turkey cake and I'm wondering what else would be worth getting.
I made my Roast Turkey Cake from a 9x9x4 square after I couldn't find the "wilton egg" pan thinking carving it would take too much time but I have to say, my turkey cake only took me about 30 minutes and I was much more proud of the end result.
For shaped pans I tend to use the 3d ones the most, stuff like the ball, duck and bears. The more versitile a pan is the more you'll use it.
If you are planning on selling at some point you should be aware that the character pans are for home use only and you can get in trouble if you get caught making them for sale. It's only ones like Spiderman, Harry Potter, Strawberry Shortcake, etc that you have to worry about.
I do have a bunch of shaped pans that hang on my walls in my kitchen. I don't use them but I like displaying something related to my hobby. I still have to get out my Christmas pans to hang those up.
700 pans!!! 
Wow - I don't feel bad now!
I just started decorating cakes about a year ago as a hobbyist and probably have about 40 or so pans. I only have a couple character pans and I don't think I'll use them much. I much prefer 'creating' something my own.
One pan that I love is the Hexagon shaped pan. I have used the 8" one several times. It is a nice alternative to a basic 8" round and looks really nice. I also have the one that I think is called 'corner cut' or gem shaped. It's nice too. The petal pans are pretty as well, but I find them to be a b**ch to ice.
Pans I regret buying: all of my 3" high pans - round and square. By time the inside is cooked, the outside is dry. I am using a flower nail and bake easy strips. In fact, I have cakes in the oven right now to replace the one 3" high cake that was just YUK in the middle. I mean, it tastes good (and I'll eat it 
) but I can't serve it. (Sorry for the rant!)
Pans I regret buying: all of my 3" high pans - round and square. By time the inside is cooked, the outside is dry. I am using a flower nail and bake easy strips. In fact, I have cakes in the oven right now to replace the one 3" high cake that was just YUK in the middle. I mean, it tastes good (and I'll eat it
) but I can't serve it. (Sorry for the rant!)
Martha... I'm sorry you don't like your 3" pans.. 
I absolutely adore mine.. I use them instead of the 2" pans for layer cakes. I like mine high, and this way I never have a cake bake over the top and spill.. 
It sounds like your oven is still too hot.. try lowering the temp... good luck
Pans I regret buying: all of my 3" high pans - round and square. By time the inside is cooked, the outside is dry. I am using a flower nail and bake easy strips. In fact, I have cakes in the oven right now to replace the one 3" high cake that was just YUK in the middle. I mean, it tastes good (and I'll eat it
) but I can't serve it. (Sorry for the rant!)Martha... I'm sorry you don't like your 3" pans..
I absolutely adore mine.. I use them instead of the 2" pans for layer cakes. I like mine high, and this way I never have a cake bake over the top and spill.. It sounds like your oven is still too hot.. try lowering the temp... good luck
I wondered about the temperature, so I went out and bought a good oven thermometer. When the oven is set at 350, it's just a shade below that - maybe about 340.
I need to try those darn pans one more time, then I am getting rid of them. I like the ease of one pan instead of two.
They actually did seem to work when I used a boxed mix, but these last few 'flops' have been with scratch mixes. Yet, the same scratch mix in the shallow pans is beautiful. That doesn't make sense, does it?
Sorry for the hijack!
I have several of the themed pans (no character pans), but I find the basics are the ones that I use most. I just bought some Christmas cupcake pans...those are a real pain to ice!
I have over around 200 pans I think. Way more than I need and some have never been used and probably never will be.
When buying a pan, conside the uses for them. If it only has one use chances are you won't use them much. I have alot of holiday shaped pans I have never used.
If you have oval pans they work great for the turkey cakes too. Just let one dome (I know we all try to avoid that happening) and you have a good shape to start carving.
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