Managing your toy hobby - Do you chase the trend?
Many of us are very specific on which toylines we collect, based mainly on our likes and dislikes. Hence regardless of if there is a trend or craze on those toylines, we still collect them.
Trends tend to arise more prominently especially when certain blockbuster movies are screened in the cinemas, or certain shows and cartoon series are shown on TV. The toy companies would roll out the movie toys in the departmental stores to coincide with the release of the movies and shows to cash in on the so-called hype. Quite often, such temporary toy craze work their magic (or hex) on both the hardcore and casual fans and collectors alike.
Many fell for the Transformers Revenge of the Fallen (ROTF) toy craze in the past few months. I’m sure the feeling of being ‘toy possessed’ is gradually wearing off on some fans and collectors by now. Some of us even start to wonder what happened to our minds back then. It’s like being possessed by some kind of toy spirits.
Currently, there is smaller scale trend on G.I.Joe toys due to the screening of its live action movie (G.I.Joe Rise of the Cobra) in our local cinemas. Certain more popular figures of its movie toyline are said to be quite hard to find in the stores here. Apparently there is demand for them, but for how long more? The movie is almost near the end of its screening period.
There are fans and collectors who get very upset and frustrated when they can’t seem to find the in-trend toys that they want during the craze period. Some even go through a stage of mild panic and pour out their woes, as if their lives have been greatly disadvantaged by being denied the opportunity of being among the first to lay their hands on certain in-trend toys.
Hey these days, toy companies like Hasbro tend to re-release all their toys in revised waves. Hence a short supply now will be made up for later. So what if you do manage to complete your movie toyline for now? Do you really like these toys enough that 6-12 months later, you still feel as obsessed about them as like during the movie screening period? For some fans and collectors, the novelty of owning certain movie toys wear off soon after the craze dies down. If this is the case, they are more likely trend chasers than hardcore fans.
What about you? Do you chase the toy trend as well? Or do you stick to your main toyline collections, regardless of whatever toy trends there are? Feel free to share your comments here! I’ll love to know what you think!
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I dont chase trends…I buy what I like.
I did not buy a single ROTF figure cause I did not like the movie designs. I also did not buy the movie GI joe toys (except for the 12″ Baroness)…so I guess I dont follow trends:)
I don’t follow trends as well. Most of the toys I bought are still with me. Only sell some which I wanted to let go for a long time. My main line is 12inch figures and WWE figures. Not intend to sell any of my transformers 2007 and ROTF series..I like them
Another of my favourite vintage toys are MASK and Centurions. I even bought them at higher price from EBAY and I love them very much. So, will not sell them
Hi Little Plastic Man,
Cool! You’re very focused in your toy hobby! Keep it up
Hi deSMOnd,
Great, you’re very focused in your toy hobby too!
Just curious. as your main collection of 12-inch and WWE figures expand, how do you make more space for them?
Devastator legend ez is still hot.
Hi Hippo,
Yeah, I wonder why so short supply? Were they meant for later release dates but got released earlier “accidentally”? This was what I heard..
Devastator legends ez only released in Japan thats why it is so short of supply I think. Hasbro may not be making them but some collectors say it may.
Hi Hippo,
Oh I see, but somehow I believe that Hasbro will really release them to the international markets as well. It makes more economies of scale sense to produce them in global quantities
Since I started collecting G1 transformers I feel like being possessed keep thinking about it. My collection expand every week.
Hi Hippo,
Then this is an obsession already