Toys have been steadily improving since the dawn of time. Recently, we’ve seen a notable uptick in quality. Is this peak toy collecting?
According to Wikipedia (I know, very academic), a Golden Age denotes “… a period of primordial peace, harmony, stability, and prosperity.” For reference, we’re currently in (or exiting) the Golden Age of Television. While there can never be peace (have you seen people on the forum discuss the appropriate size for a Thing figure?), it feels like we’re prospering. Okay, maybe not us, but definitely the toy companies. Some will argue that the Golden Age of toy collecting occurred during their childhood when toys were cheaper, homogeneous, and abundant. In response, I would say that we’ve never seen such a wide breadth of options, consistent quality, and open communication.
Toys, as you (and your wallet) know, have been good for a while now. I realized that we may be in the middle of something more than that—something extraordinary—when writing my Best of 2017 article. As I’ve done in the past (seriously, check the last sentence of my picks), I was going to predict that 2018 would best 2017. In the end, I didn’t, because it struck me that we may be witnessing something more than an industry-wide hot streak.
There’s one other noteworthy thing about that Best of 2014 list. Did you notice how bad the figures on that list are? Relative to this year’s choices, they’re average figures at best. Those selections were made just three years ago. Look at this:
Yes, I’m comparing two $20 mass-market Hasbro figures to two of Bandai’s $55 imports, but the entire industry is firing on all cylinders right now.
Hasbro deserves credit for the strides it has made, too. Between the new face printing technology that’s being incorporated into cinematic figures to better engineering, Hasbro is light-years ahead of where it was in 2008. Hell, Hasbro has made significant progress since the Return of Marvel Legends in 2011. To me, it feels like there are fewer duds in each Marvel Legends wave than there used to be. The industry, from top to bottom, from Bandai to Mattel (maybe not Mattel), is advancing quicker than ever before.
The sheer number of licenses up for grabs right now might be even more exciting than the improved quality.
Want Mego-style Home Alone figures? NECA has your back.
Looking for a real-world Popeye the Sailor figure? Mezco can hook you up. Eventually.
I’m sure McFarlane’s doing something, too. I just don’t know what. Actually, I don’t want to know.
The point is, if you can dream it, it’s probably in the works right now.
Companies are getting involved in new and different ways, too. Before starting the One:12 Collective, Mezco had success with articulated action figures, like its Hellboy line, but most of its figures were basically statues from popular licenses like Breaking Bad and Family Guy. I’m not sure anyone thought Mezco was preparing to drop 6″ Hot Toys before it showed The Dark Knight Returns Batman.
The Fwoosh’s own Articulated Icons line is another example of a toy line that probably doesn’t happen 10 or even five years ago. Kickstarter, the crowdfunding platform used to get Articulated Icons off the ground, started eight years ago. It’s hard to see backers reaching the funding goal without the massive toy collecting network that stretches from YouTube reviewers to Instagram photographers and Facebook communities.
For better or worse, toy collecting has changed. YouTube reviewers interview product directors and disseminate those interviews to their networks. It happens several times a year. Collectors have an unprecedented amount of access to companies, and that information stream runs in both directions. Mezco changed the design of its One:12 Wolverine based on customer feedback. That line of communication can end abruptly if it becomes toxic or abusive, but generally speaking, the relationship seems to benefit both sides right now.
All good things must come to an end though, right? Action figure doomsday theorists suspect that the industry model is unsustainable long-term. Without knowing the cost of licenses, the price of manufacturing materials and labor, profit margins, and an entire economics textbook-worth of other data, I’m not sure we’ll know before it’s too late.
It’s entirely possible that the retail sales model will collapse on itself as prices continue to increase. It may be just as likely that we discover an environmentally friendly alternative to plastic that stabilizes the market. Without a time machine, it’s hard to say at this point. I see no reason why this trend will end in the immediate future, but still, enjoy it while it lasts. We’re in the Golden Age.
