Can you define what is about a toy that makes you collect it?

[Gakken85]

Are you the type of person that only collects certain kinds of Mecha/figures/models/ect but will pass on similar toys in the same family?

What is it about design that either draws you in to spend your money, or make you say you'll pass on a piece?

Or, are you just a toy whore who will drop your wallet at any little piece of plastic that comes your way? hahaha.

I guess it's interesting to me personally, why people collect. Why they don't collect other things. Why they stop collecting or decide to let go of something.

For example, I literally have my breath taken away by Votoms toys. Something about their design, as simple as it is, really sucks me in and forces me to buy/collect and pose them. I will rotate a Votoms toy and just pose it for hours. I'm really drawn to collect them. But then I see Gundams, which were designed by the same fella, and are somewhat similar in some areas, and I think they look ... Silly, cheap, and generic.

Obviously Nostalgia is a big factor in toy collecting for most people. It can make one toy seem like the holy grail to one person, and like crap to another. I'm much more interested in what it is about the design itself that captures your eye.

I could go into more details about why I think that is on those specific lines, but I'd rather hear other peoples ideas and opinions.

I'm very opinionated about what I like and what I don't like, as some of you might know from my posts.

[Kicker773]

Eeeerrrr Thanggg....

[NightCastle]

I typically choose ones that interest me based on shape, design, color scheme and just my personal tastes. I may elaborate moreso later.

[Mommar]

This thread is in the wrong section. It's not about Macross toys in particular.

[Benson13]

Eeeerrrr Thanggg....

LMFAO!

I like Macross toys because it takes me back to a time when things weren't so complicated. I enjoy the engineering and how the transformation occupies my mind. I guess it's my personal escape from all the bad stuff (PTSD) that normally runs through my head.

[anime52k8]

Boobs. The bigger the better.

[Gakken85]

Boobs. The bigger the better.

Best answer so far haha

LMFAO!

I like Macross toys because it takes me back to a time when things weren't so complicated. I enjoy the engineering and how the transformation occupies my mind. I guess it's my personal escape from all the bad stuff (PTSD) that normally runs through my head.

Actual best serious answer.

I know how you feel about relaxation.

[skullmilitia]

It's aviation, Art and mechanics.

That's what eats my wallet.

[anime52k8]

Best answer so far haha

That was a completely serious answer, have you seen my Flickr? VVV

[Negotiator]

Whatever makes me happy...

[dizman]

I mostly collect transforming toys and to me its about the engineering behind the toys, physically being able to transform something that for the most part was just anime magic and nostalgia.

[Gakken85]

I mostly collect transforming toys and to me its about the engineering behind the toys, physically being able to transform something that for the most part was just anime magic and nostalgia.

Indeed. It has to look good in both modes!

[NightCastle]

Absolutely!

[Agent-GHQ]

What's there left to say other than if you weren't a kid growing up in the 80s exposed to franchises like The Transformers, G.I. Joe, Mospeada, Macross, He-Man, Visionaries, Sectaurs, Robotech, Thundercats, Orguss etc.... then you'd truly understand why one collects these great toys based on their respective cartoons. And growing up from a poor family that only had like 2-3 Transformers and G.I Joe certainly didn't help. Fast forward to 25 yrs later, I want all the vintage toys that I missed out on just to filled the void of that once great childhood in the 80s.

Of course, seeing Yamato doing Macross toys and Beagle doing Mospeada toys and Hasbro with their 25th/30th/POC classics and Mattel on MOTUC are like icing on the cake!

Edited April 27, 2013 by Agent-GHQ

[Tober]

I tend to be drawn towards transforming toys with exceptional engineering. Usually complex, but there is an art to creating great transforming toys that are simple too. The Yamato 1/48 and 1/60 Valks, Transformers Masterpiece line and Beagle Mospeadas are amongst my favorites, along with some Transformers Classics.

There's a definite nostalgia factor in there too.

[Vifam7]

What's there left to say other than if you weren't a kid growing up in the 80s exposed to franchises like The Transformers, G.I. Joe, Mospeada, Macross, He-Man, Visionaries, Sectaurs, Robotech, Thundercats, Orguss etc.... then you'd truly understand why one collects these great toys based on their respective cartoons. And growing up from a poor family that only had like 2-3 Transformers and G.I Joe certainly didn't help. Fast forward to 25 yrs later, I want all the vintage toys that I missed out on just to filled the void of that once great childhood in the 80s.

Of course, seeing Yamato doing Macross toys and Beagle doing Mospeada toys and Hasbro with their 25th/30th/POC classics and Mattel on MOTUC are like icing on the cake!

I totally understand.

For us Japanese kids, it was Gundam, Macross, all of the Sunrise robot anime, the Matsumoto Leiji works, and everything from Shonen Jump/Sunday comics.

Is it any wonder that we've had a revival of anime and toys from that period?

My parents didn't buy me expensive toys like chogokins or the 1/55 Takatoku. And plastic models back then were very difficult to build (especially for a kid) and thus they never turned out right. Fast forward to today and now I have some money and even some skills to build a model kit. So I collect the toys and kits I couldn't get or build back then and/or buy the modern day stuff with all the great advancements they come with.

As a kid I experienced plenty of not getting what i wanted (in regards to toys and model kits). Thus these days I don't really angst over imperfections, the price, or not being able to acquire something today.

Edited April 28, 2013 by Vifam7

[Benbot]

I primarily look for quality of engineering, design, and manufacturing. Plus, the subject has to be something I'm interested in, ie Transformers and Macross.

[MacrossJunkie]

For me, it has to be from a franchise I like and it's always mecha of some sort. 2nd requirement is that it be as accurate to the source material as can be reasonably expected at the time. 3rd deciding factor, but not required, is if it's a transforming toy, but it still has to meet my required criteria. Ever since I was a kid, I loved the ingenuity it took to make something that can go from one recognizable form to another. It has to look good, be well designed/engineered, and usually need to have a somewhat realistic feel to it. I don't collect dolls/figures, though some of the hot toys stuff had me very tempted to buy like the Iron Man ones. I also try to keep to the same scale if possible because I like consistency and being able to see how things compare to one another in size.

I bought some Transformers Binaltechs back when they were being made because they did a really good job making them look like the actual licensed cars while still retaining the nostalgia of the look of the G1 characters and they were being made to the same scale. Plus the die cast was a nice bonus and it gave them a feeling of being fairly substantial. I got the first couple Masterpiece releases as well. Prime because the vehicle mode also seemed to fit the scale of the binaltechs, and Starscream because he was the same scale as the Yamato valks so that I could compare a real world fighter to the Macross ones. The downside of the Transformers stuff for me was the vehicle modes don't look good from all sides due to the fact they took existing vehicles that were not meant to transform and had to make it so they could turn into robots, so the undersides or sometimes the profile would show the robot parts. Although for the cars, that didn't really matter so much.

I pretty much just collect Macross now and only in the 1/60 scale aside from the items where it would not be practical like the cap ships or the VB-6. So none of the 1/72 models (I have some 1/72 Mac+ toys, but only got them at the time because I never thought something better would come along. Was never satisfied with how they looked and they're now in a plastic grocery bag and tossed somewhere in a closet.) or 1/100 VF's that Bandai had released and I've put away all but two of my 1/48's. I love the real world fighter inspired designs of the valkyries which in turn gives them a sort of credible look and feel to their fighter modes. Plus they're designed from the start to be transformable so for the most part you don't have all these conspicuous robot parts like the faces, arms, and hands visible. The limbs tend to be integrated as part of the design of the fighter.

Edited April 28, 2013 by MacrossJunkie

[Archer]

The past few years, I was fairly excited about collecting Macross toys for a lot of reasons, engineering and simple "cool factor" being one of them. I don't know about you guys though, but nowadays, I really am losing most of my interest in collecting macross toys.

Everytime a new release (which are now exclusive to Bandai thanks to Yamato dying on us) pops up, I used to freak out and get excited, but now, it's been reduced to a "meh". Maybe it's because of Bandai's stupid ordering shenanigans, or maybe its just me getting bored of a phase of life I need to move on from.

Have you guys ever gotten redonkulously bored with macross? Albeit, I probably shouldn't be asking this on a macross dedicated thread

[xrentonx]

Well...yeah, if Macross is all you think about all day erryday! The trick is to have a healthy amount of other hobbies as well

[raptormesh]

Bored? Hell naw. I look at the silhouettes of my valks in fighter mode everyday and they never fail to amaze me. I usually buy valks that looks good and have interesting or ingenious transformation, I don't usually really give a hoot about their connections to the shows or the characters so if I had a say I would get all valks that were ever released to be re-released in low-vis or in military camo schemes.

[blackconvoy_D01]

I collect for a number of reasons depending on the line of toys, for example;

TF Classics/ Generations- I use these toys as an expansion of my love for TF:G2.

MOSPEADA- For what used to be a like of RT, but I love MOSPEADA more. I imagine that my collection has to take back out into space because of some reason or another. I kinda like crossing it with BSG, because like the reimagined series the designs are somewhat dated, but MOSPEADA is so versitile- between the Legioss, Tread, and Ride Armors.

Macross- similar to MOSPEADA as to an old RT reference, but the community has opened my eyes. You can appreciate so much in the world of Macross becuase there is something for everyone. You can own two valks and reimagine them in practically any series. If you dont like one portion of the series, there are so many other variations to choose from. Also the toys are real high quality and I've never looked back and said; "I regret buying that valk."

Batman- always was a huge fan. It got heavier when I lost my mom last year (which was the only reason I sold my Macross and other collections. I sorta channeled Batman- in the respect of his fitness routine- to refocus my feelings- getting into shape was the best thing, aside from the support I got from my wife and child to help me get over the worst.

Guyver, Cowboy Bebop, GITS, and so on, just love 'em. Better that than drugs and alcohol.

[Archer]

I collect for a number of reasons depending on the line of toys, for example;

Better that than drugs and alcohol.

Well said friend, that is quite the truth eh?

[grymg]

One per mold/transformation kind of guy. Screentime doesn't really mean much to me as long as the toy and engineering is good.

[Scyla]

Besides the obvious reasons like the design/shape/color-scheme the toy has to fit into my collection.

That leads straight to the topic of collection building but that was not asked for.

So the toy itself should be an actual toy so it should have play value i.e. it is well articulated/gimmicky/transformable. Then because I don't have infinite space it should have presence because I like my cabinets not filled with a bunch of small toys that distract the eye but with few selected exhibits and it should not be part of a giant series. As I said I don't have much room but I also like to have the complete line of toys when I buy one entry in the line. The Yamato 1/60th Macross Plus line would be a good fit for my collection because it only consists of three toys.

I feel that the 1/60th Macross toys whether from Bandai or Yamato hit a sweet spot in the attributes stated above. A huge plus is also that I really like the Macross shows and OVAs so I have an emotional attachment to the toys so I can appreciate them besides great engineering (which I enjoy a lot being an engineer myself).

Of course there are the occasional spikes where I buy a toy (or a statue/model) because I really like the design but those are seldom. A good example would be the Evil Doppelganger Black Rodimus Masterpiece which I bough because the color scheme is awesome and I thought the transformation would be cool. Of course I snapped of a leg during the first transformation because I wasn't aware of the fused leg issue.

[Raptor One]

For me I really only collect mecha, and it has to be from a series (or franchise) that I know and love, or the design really has to blow me away. I just really like the admiring the designs of the mecha that I like, and having a physical 3D replica of it is the best way to do so in my eyes.

So like others have said, it has to be a fairly accurate representation of the in-universe design. For transforming toys that extends to all three modes. Yamato's Macross toys excel at this.

I also collect some Gundams, my criteria for those is that I have to like the design, and the model has to be able to look anime accurate with minimum painting or touch-up work. It also has to be sturdy because it's really hard to enjoy a mecha design when pieces are constantly falling off or the figure is toppling over. That's the reason I stick with MGs and RGs and why I haven't gotten some of the designs I really like but that have design elements I know would make for a frustrating model.

I'm looking to get one of the Hot Toys Iron Man figures sometime soon, as I'm now in a place where I can afford them. Probably the Mk VII as that's my favourite suit so far but I'll decide after watching IM3.

Edit: I really, really want an Oblivion Bubble Ship toy/model at some point.

Edited April 28, 2013 by Raptor One

[Arthurius]

Before, i used to collect mostly on coolness of toy, and look only, thus why i have a few more macross yamato toys than i really wanted, or gundams or transformers.

Now, as space is limited, and money as well, i only collect based on feeling first (ie nostalgia), of a series (Yamato Macross / MP Transformers / Gundam Models / etc...) based on favorate characters and then look. However, toy must be high quality, otherwise, i will skip. Such current examples are: Yamato VF-19 Kai (favorite macross character) and third party Quake Wave (Soundwave "MP Transformer"). Both toys are highly nostalgic, and high quality, and of course look too. The nostalgic is important, as i have to be watching the show again sometimes, and spark the extra boost in making me pick up the toy and play with it. Of course, finaly, but just as important, the price. It if is above 200$, it is a pass.

Of course, sometimes, the design and look are just to apealing, and one might brake their own rules, as I sort of did for the vf-19s, which i am keeping in a box for a few months at least until I have too strong of an urge to open it, otherwise i may sell it, as space is extremely limited when you live in a condo, and also have alot of plants and a few small and a large aquarium too .

[Duymon]

.

[SaitouSad]

Hmm.. generally, i collect toys based on my love for a character or franchise.

Also, having more playability (parts swapping, articulation and gimmicks) would give me better incentives to buy it (I make it a general rule to avoid collecting statues).

Also, design is an important factor for me. Just because I like a character doesn't necessarily mean I'd buy a figure of it (though I have broken this rule when it comes to Macross).

I also try to justify my purchases as a way of supporting the creators' works. Plus, it'd give me a physical representation of something I like.

Nowadays, I trim and wean down my decisions on buying as I believe I'll be lacking space to even display them, let alone store their boxes.

On that note, what do most of you do with your boxes - especially those collecting multiple toy line? Particularly those with space constraints. I believe most Valk collectors would avoid tossing the boxes due to their potential resale value (and yet they have the biggest boxes ever).

Like some have justified, it sure beats other vices like gambling, alcohol and crack.

That was a completely serious answer, have you seen my Flickr? VVV

In that case, would Takashi Murakami's 3M girl be your holy grail? :D

[Kicker773]

WTF....

[MacrossJunkie]

WTF....

Seconded...

Her boobs probably weigh more than the rest of her body.

[xrentonx]

Good grief that is grotesque

[SaitouSad]

WTF....

Seconded...

Her boobs probably weigh more than the rest of her body.

Good grief that is grotesque

Yeap.. that's a 3 metres tall statue...

The guy's art is pretty much like that .... wait till you see his other works..

[MacrossJunkie]

Yeap.. that's a 3 metres tall statue...

The guy's art is pretty much like that .... wait till you see his other works..

Oh god, I thought that was a figurine. No wonder it seemed like they were able to get the stockings to look so detailed. I'm afraid to see this guy's other mutant creations.

[connor99]

I tend to collect toys that have simplistic designs. But if they're of sci-fi or aircraft origin, then I'm really sold! MACROSS gave me all of these plus the transformation capability of the VF-1! Hook, line and sinker!

Edited April 29, 2013 by connor99