If you don't use a majority of your OCs, then I think you have "too many." Simple as that. XD Two inactive and eight active seems okay.

i have like 4

but only 2 that i have introduced to subeta so far.

and one is basically just me, so she has a backstory, and more with an elaborate backstory.

and i basically just collect art.

remember not every character you think up has to be an "OC" i make up people ALLLL the time. until they start naturally appearing in my drawings time after time and seem to be haunting my sketchbook telling me to give them a story, well, i don't make the leap (from just something i draw to an original character).

I have... cough well over 100 OCs. I have a disease that forces me to make new ones constantly.

And yes, they all have complete personalities and back ground stories. Maybe not written up, but in my head. xD

I use them to show my creativity at the time I make them, and to gage my improvement in art now and again. But I also role play them from time to time when I find the right partner C:

i have.. ten. xD and one's a persona.

mm i'd say only half of them are pretty active. x: i use them for roleplaying, and whenever i have strange ideas. i generally just draw them for the fun of it, to improve and such, since they generally have complex designs. [ i don't think so, other people do. ] since i end up adding LOTS of details to each of their outfits. ._.

HMM, and i'd say half have a life story lolol otherwise they're just mindless personalities. some advanced roleplayers look down on this?

I have well over 40 OCs. Many of them belong to the same story; a lot of them I haven't drawn up references for. as a writer I don't really see the problem with having a lot of characters, at least if they're all well developed! Plus, when doing commissions, I like variety, haw haw. :'D