Convention Exclusives

With San Diego Comic-Con coming up, my newsfeed is abuzz with convention-exclusive figure announcements.  Companies are slowly rolling-out previews in waves, with a new batch of exclusives announced every few days.  It really builds excitement for the exclusives and the convention.  SDCC is really a mecca for action figure collectors.  I've already started my google doc list of which figures I'll be picking up.

Convention exclusives are, by and large, becoming more popular and involved.  It seems like only a few years ago, each figure booth would have one or two exclusives each; the bigger companies having a few more.  Nowadays, it seems every place has long list of exclusives and even longer lines to get them.  Even the exclusives themselves are getting better.  Most are more than mere redecos now, featuring awesome, exclusive packaging, and new toolings or accessories.  Some are entirely unique figures.

From Toynami's Naruto Shipudden line.
This 2011 SDCC exclusive was the only way to get any version of Minato.

Toymakers use conventions as an opportunity to produce figures that otherwise wouldn't be financially worthwhile to market, ship and stock in stores.  They also drive con-goers to their booths and create unique, memorable souvenirs of fun convention experience.

Unlike online or retailer exclusives, convention exclusives are much harder to come by.  This is a bit of a problem now that they are becoming more unique.  Exclusives are becoming less of an interesting version of a regularly available figure and more a new figure, in-and-of themselves.  If you can't make the convention to grab that figure, it'll either be expensive (on the secondary market) or, if available online, sell out almost immediately.  This isn't so bad if the figure is a version your collection could easily skip, but if it is a unique character, you might really want it.  I recommend asking your local action figure store owner if he or she is going to convention to grab you one.

Waiting at your laptop online, or in a line at the con for an exclusive can be quite time-consuming.  If left unchecked, I could easily find myself spending the entire time queued up for once-in-a-lifetime figures.  It is a lot of fun to run around an collect these rare figures.  I am always tempted to buy a few extras to scalp online, but I'd rather leave them for a con-goer behind me in line to pick up.  He or she might be a scalper, but maybe they were really looking forward to that figure.

What figures are you excited about this convention season?  Have any horror stories of exclusives you just needed, but weren't able to get?  Leave a comment below.

Funko's Legacy Collection

I have (and love) several of Funko's Legacy Collection figures.  This line is fairly new (debuted at Toy Fair 2014) and is really impressing collectors, including myself.  They're doing a few really interesting things that I think other figure makers could do well to imitate.

The first thing that strikes me about the Legacy collection is: how diverse the line is.  Similar to its predecessors Funko Pop! and ReAction, the Legacy Collection has figures from video games (for example, Evolve), card games (Magic: the Gathering), movies (Fantastic Mr. Fox) and TV (Game of Thrones).  While Game of Thrones continues to be one of the most popular franchises around, Funko is also reaching back and doing Legacy figures of cult-classics like Firefly (from 2002!) or the Rocketeer (1991!!)  Such a broadly focused line, being in-scale and of similar style, makes each figure look great on the shelf, whether chillin' with his fellow show-mates, or breaking fourth walls down and battling a figure from another universe.  Legacy's 6-inch-scale (aka 1/12 scale) is also the most common scale of figures I collect, meaning any Legacy Collection figure will fit right in on my shelves with the others.

ReAction, Legacy Collection and Pop! Rocketeers

Value is another high point.  $19.99 for 6" of highly detailed, accurately painted and well-articulated plastic is a deal.  Being able to get all 5 colors of Magic: the Gathering planeswalkers (plus evil Garruk) for under 120 bucks is amazing.  This nexus of price, quality and scale is mimic'ed by Hasbro's Star Wars 6" Black Series figures, which I also love.  Both lines come in nicely decorated plastic and cardboard boxes, and do not require a katana and bloodshed to open, unlike NECA's go-to packaging: the dreaded plastic clamshell.  And like Funko Pop!s, the Legacy Collection maintains extremely similar box dimensions across its different franchises (even though the overall designs change) meaning they stack quite nicely for collectors who do not like to open their figures.

Looks great in or out of the box!

Unlike the Star Wars 6" Black Series, Funko has also done a great job making these figures readily available.  I've seen a sizable and diverse spread of Legacy figures on store shelves, even in bookstores such as Barnes & Noble.  This is not a case of the least desirable figure warming store shelves and preventing restocks of the short-packed favorite.  (I'm looking at you, Boba Fett!)  In fact, awhile back, Funko and Target teamed up to create the "Collector's World", which are aisle end-caps showcasing toys marketed specifically for adult collectors.  Legacy figures take a well-earned place on these end-caps.  Being taken seriously as an adult collector, by the manufacturer as well as the retail store, is a new feeling, and a welcome one.

I really enjoy the Legacy figures I already own, and I'm very excited to see what Funko has coming down the Legacy line in the future.

The Collector's Itch

If you collect anything, you know the feeling.  The powerful drive to acquire that item that is missing from your collection, and the wonderful sense of fulfillment once you have.  The accomplishment that comes from finally finishing a set is second to none.   For me and many other action figure enthusiasts, it is one of the most enjoyable parts of the hobby.  
My "collector's itch" was really honed by the genius marketing that was displayed on almost every toy I got as a child.  On the back of a figure's blister pack was not only some art and a short bio of the figure included, but (and here's the genius) pictures and names of the other figures in the series.  Here's why it is so clever:

From the moment you hold a figure in your hands in the toy aisle, you're confronted with the concept that toys can be part of a larger collection.  The other figures shown on the packaging could be the rest of the set, figures from other stories that are part of the same line, or maybe only one wave of figures from a much larger series.  As you take that figure home, you realize you've only bought a fraction.  No doubt it's an amazing, fun, exciting fraction, but hovering over that excitement is the itch to "Collect Them All!"

This isn't an inherently good or bad aspect of collecting.  Like most facets of a hobby, it can become good when tempered by moderation.  When it gets out of control, only then can it turn an otherwise healthy hobby into a bad idea.  Every collector must, at some point in his collecting career, decide how to manage the powerful urges his or her hobby gives them.  When diversion becomes obsession, an activity meant for fun can become harmful (and sometimes, stop even being fun).

Here are some of the ways I mitigate the strong impulses of being an action figure guy.  Ask yourself these questions when having a tough time deciding on a buy:

--- Do I really want the figure, or am just in the mood to buy something?  I'll often find myself excited at the prospect of buying a new figure, although there are none I really want.  But as the yearning to purchase rises, figures I had previously decided I did not want start to look more and more desirable.  You've got to ask yourself, "Do I want a figure, or this figure?"

--- Can I afford it?  Now, this might seem like a matter of, "Is the price acceptable for the toy?", but there is actually more to it than that.  A heavily discounted figure might still be out of your budget, and therefore is, despite the huge value, a bad idea.  Budgets also fluctuate, meaning a figure that, at one point, was not within you means, has now become a worthwhile purchase.

--- Do I have room for it?  Another resource you have to budget is physical space.  Do you have the shelf or storage space for the figure?  If you do not, consider not getting it.  It will only become a stressful item until you find a place for it, which might never happen.  A shelf with too many action figures on it only serves to detract from the majesty of each figure.

--- Can you subdivide the collection?  If you feel pressure to complete a set because you want or already have parts of it, see if you can make subsets from within the set.  Maybe you can realize that it would be fun to only collect the heroes from the set or only one figure from each wave.  A figure that is part of a large set can bring a lot of baggage.  Buying your favorite Justice League Unlimited member, Batman, might be a fantastic idea, but will having only him compel you to buy the entire series?  Breaking such a set down into smaller chunks you can really shrink the collection commitment a figure can bring.

--- Is it, or will it become, redundant?  I love the anime Gundam 00, and have a large Gundam 00 collection repping that show on my shelves.  But, I soon found I had many, many different versions of the main character's mecha.  I had the super-deformed version, the hyper-mode version, the damaged version, the model kit, the gashapon, the prize toy ... and they all looked so similar.  I really only needed a few versions (or maybe even one).  So now, no matter how cool the newest release of that same mecha looks, I consider that I already have numerous, almost identical figures before deciding.

There you have it, my heuristics for deciding if a figure is good enough to make it into my fabulous collection.  Do you have any other tricks you use?  Have you gone too far down the dark path of obsession?  Not enough?  Let me know in the comments.

Tips-N-Tricks: Acrylic Risers

A few months ago, I decided to upgrade my action figure displays with some acrylic risers.  I googled, I eBayed and I poked around hobby shops in my area.  Nothing was nearly affordable enough to be practical for a collection of my size.  "Oh well", I figured.

Flash forward a few weeks, and I found myself at a Hobby Lobby.  I headed to the frames aisle to see if they had any glass cases suitable for placing over one of my more beloved figures.  While the didn't have that, they did have a ton of these:

Clear Plastic Baseball Case

For $2.99 a piece, they are significantly cheaper than any acrylic riser of the same size and they look great.  The edges are sharp, the plastic is crystal clear and they are quite sturdy.    When I got home with the twenty-something I bought, I found an even more amazing discovery:  to open, they split into two "U"-shaped stands, made from three sides each.  Each baseball case worked as two risers, each with less visible plastic than as a cube!  Now we're talking $1.50 per riser.  Combine that with Hobby Lobby's frequent 40-50% off sales, these are an amazingly affordable find.

They are 3" x 3" x 3" and work great to boost any back-row figures on a shelf or simulate hovering.  For smaller figures, they also sell Clear Plastic Golf Ball Cases (which are 2" x 2" x 2") for $1.99 each.

Clear Plastic Golf Ball Case

The Baseball cases are strong enough to hold up my Super Robot Chogokin GaoGaiGar, with his Goldion Hammer and a Tamashii Stage Act 5.  That's a lot of plastic and diecast, and it boosts it without any bowing or bending.  Seriously, I love these things.

Toys-to-Life

The upcoming 3.0 version of Disney Infinity is set to be released in late 2015.  Just as 2.0 introduced the Marvel Universe to Infinity, 3.0 will be incorporating Star Wars favorites as playable characters.

The Disney 3.0 Starter Set

While exciting because, well, it's Star Wars, I'm also excited about what this means for the future of toys-to-life.  Star Wars is a big ticket property, one that draws both children and collectors.  The Variant Play Arts Kai Star Wars figures got a lot of press, and will undoubtedly draw new collectors to the hobby (see my post about it).  The same will happen now that Star Wars has invaded Infinity.  This new wave of toys-to-life collectors will pump up this already ballooning industry.  Considering that many will be adult collectors, it might also start to steer the future of toys-to-life to a style that caters to both young and adult collectors.

As it stands the big three toys-to-life lines are Disney Infinity, Activision's Skylanders and Nintendo's amiibo.  Infinity and Skylanders are both fairly simple platformer beat-em-ups, and, while great for kids, they are not particularly challenging or stimulating for less causal players.  I'm sure over time, these and other toys-to-life lines will continue to appeal to kids, but also engage older collectors as well.  (Beyond collecting the figures, that is.)  Disney Infinity does have a "Toy Box" mode, which allows for user generated content.  This opens the door to creative modders to create experiences that might  better engage more hardcore players.  Amiibo does a better job at working for both collector types, but their gameplay depth is still somewhat lacking (see my post about it).

As figures, all three lines are outstanding.  Infinity and Skylanders are fairly stylized and cartoony, while amiibo's stylization level depends on the franchise.  Skylanders is an original property (save for Spyro and possibly a few other characters) so this style is simply the style of the world of Skylanders, and it looks great.  Cute enough to look fun, but cool enough to inspire a sense of adventure.  For Infinity, which is entirely comprised of classic characters from a myriad of mediums, this uniform stylization serves to unite the otherwise divided looks of the various properties involved.  Jack Sparrow (a live-action character) is similarly styled to Sorcerer Micky (a 2d animated cartoon) and Jack Skellington (3d stop-motion puppet).  It works fantastically.  The chosen style looks great.  It is bit squared-off, with exaggerated proportions and expressive faces.  The bases of figures from one particular property are genrally the same, creating great sub-sets within the line as a whole.

Definitely captures that Sparrow "swag".

Smash Bros amiibo offer a wide selection from across Nintendo's huge library of characters, but Disney Infinity, especially with 3.0, has taken it to the next level.  There are literally thousands of beloved characters across Disney's repertoire.  I'm talking Sam from Tron fighting alongside Spider-man.  I'm talking Wreck-it-Ralph racing Princess Leia.  Too cool.  If you've played Infinity, then you know that these cross-world mix-ups are only possible in the Toy Box mode I mentioned earlier.

While, at first blush, this might seem like a limiting factor that detracts from the game, I think it is actually an intelligent decision.  The game worlds that only allow certain characters can then be tailor-made to the set of figures.  In terms of the narrative, they can stay within one "reality" and that permits them to reference connections between the player characters and the world instead of having to go for sweeping generalizations that fit any and all possible figures.  From a gameplay design standpoint, it also allows a great array of powers for the figures.  They can feel free to give Marvel's The Falcon flight abilities, and not have to worry that he breaks every platform-jumping level in the Star Wars playset.
Overall, a very exciting time to be a toy collector and/or a video game enthusiast; I'm sure this is only the beginning of a cool new age for both.

Accessory Figures

When I recently pre-ordered my Tamashii Effect Thunder (Blue Ver. and Yellow Ver.) I realized how excited for them I was, as well as the whole Tamashii Effect series.  Accessories like these are unique in that, they do not belong to specific character or even type of figure.  They promote creativity by allowing you to use them in many different ways and with almost any figure.

The blue one's going straight to my Sasuke Uchiha figure.

There are three levels of specificity for an accessory.  It can be intended for one particular character/figure, a subset of figures, or, as is the case with the Tamashii Effect series, be designed to be usable by the widest range of figures possible.  While the first two levels are necessary to accurately represent most fictional universes, I'm quite surprised how few companies are producing accessories of the third level.  Figure bases (the accessory type this blog gets its name from) are common, but this new wave of accessories is much more exciting to me.

Robot Damashii Strike Gundam is the king of character-specific accessories.  (Most pictured above are sold separately.)

They give new ways for collectors to display figures they already have.  While obvious, this fact is an amazing value.  Having new life breathed into an older action figure is a feeling difficult to come by.  Even after you've posed your favorite mecha figure a hundred different ways, by surrounding it with billowing flames, you can instantly transform the familiar "feel" of it into something much different, thereby reinvigorating the figure in your eyes.  Its presence in your display will increase as well, letting you shine a new spotlight on an old favorite.

Accessories such as this also give new dimensions of creativity when used with other figures.  New potential poses and dioramas become available, letting you set new scenes with believability.  Then, when you're bored of those scenes, the accessories seemlessly transfer to new figures, multiplying your whole collection's value and fun.  You're not buying just one new toy; you're buying an incremental upgrade to your whole collection.

Needless to say, I'm super stoked for the future of action figure accessories such as these. 

Realism vs Stylization

When designing a figure, one of the bigger decisions the artists have to ask themselves is, "Where along the spectrum of Realism vs Stylization will I design for?"  All figures fall somewhere along this spectrum, and none fall squarely on one extreme or the other.  No one side is superior to the other, they are simply aesthetic choices to appeal to one type of collector, or the other.

Stylizing a character removes real world details and replaces them with fun, cool or fierce features.  This moves the figure's representation of the character away from purely physical to something more interpretive.  Take the Power of the Force Luke Skywalker figure.  Hasbro greatly tweaked his physique away from that of Mark Hamill's, to something more demonstrative of Luke Skywalker's inner-heroism.  Collectors of stylized figures appreciate an action figure's ability to deviate from the source material's visuals, while still being recognizable.

Star Wars x He-Man

When an action figure line uses similar stylization throughout the line, it can have several effects.  If can represent deeper themes about the entire world the figures hail from, or create a sense of design cohesion throughout a collection.  Just take the popularity of Funko Pop!s.  There is obviously a desire in collectors for cohesive designs across multiple characters.

This is only a small, small, small sampling of the world of Pop!

Realism is usually a measure of how true-to-life something is, how accurately is portrays the actual world we live in.  In the case of action figures, however, this term can become a bit more complex.  Realism, when referring to action figures, can mean several different things.

The simplest case or realism in action figures is when a figure represents a real life person.  If the figure looks and poses similarly to the person, then it can be considered "realistic".  Figures of live-action TV or movie characters are also straightforward, but in the case of special effects, the designer has a choice between accurately re-creating the effect as seen in the movie, or as it was intended to be interpreted by the audience.  For example, is a figure of Godzilla that includes the zipper in the back of the suit, which can be seen in several of the earlier movies, more or less realistic?  It is more realistic to the Earth we live in, but less to the Earth we are meant to believe in those films.

This Microman Godzilla Final Wars figure has a zipper ... and a fully articulated person inside!

Even more interesting is the relationship of realism to a figure of an already stylized character, such as a cartoon character.  A "screen-accurate" figure of Spongebob Squarepants would have a smooth yellow surface and big, soft eyes.  A "real world-accurate" one would have the surface of an actual sponge with oversized human eyes.  Eerie, indeed, but that's what an anthropomorphized sponge would look like if you bumped into one on the street.  Considering how drastic a change from Spongebob's cartoon appearance it is, one could argue this hypothetical "real world-accurate" Spongebob figure is, itself, stylized.  Not stylized to look different from the real world, but stylized to look different from the world of Spongebob Squarepants the cartoon.

But what if you stylize an already stylized character?!

It is because action figures are an interpretation of an already interpreted character that this double-lens effect can happen.  A character is designed (a form of interpretation) for it's initial medium, then re-designed a second time as a figure.  The different possible levels of realism versus stylization in both of these interpretations leaves lots of room for possibility and interesting figures.

The Waiting Game`

The amount of time between first seeing a Japanese action figure announced, to having it in your hands (especially if you live outside of Japan) can be quite astronomical.  Let's look at some examples, for figures I have personally purchased.

My first example is an extreme one: the notorious Armor Plus Kongou no Shuu from Yoroiden Samurai Troopers (or Kento of Hardrock, for you Ronin Warriors fans).  He was first seen at a figure show in February of 2011, but not released until April of 2013.  That's over two years!

Tamashii Features 2011

It's worth noting that, as Shuu is part of a 5-man team, he was announced along when his teammates were.  He was the final one to see release, meaning he had by far the longest delay between announcement and release.  Bandai could have released them closer together, however, but perhaps they wanted to wait for fans' wallets to rebound.  Whatever the reason, waiting over two years is just ridiculous.

Here's a more recent example.  S.H.Figuarts Darth Vader.  First shown at Tokyo Toy Show in early June of 2014, he just saw release a day or two ago.  About one month shy of a year between his first sightings and release.  Now, as an American collector, we have to tack on the several days or weeks for it to ship to my house.

Lord Vader's first appearance

I think this is too long.  Far too long, in fact.  The best time to release a figure is when those looking forward to it are at the peak of excitement.  The memories of opening it and first posing it will be so much more positive.  For most collectors, however, the hype for a figure spikes much earlier than a year after announcement.  By releasing them so much after-the-fact, toy manufacturers are shooting themselves in the foot.  Less excitement means less buying, and those that do buy them will remember them less fondly, hurting future business.

So, why do they announce figures so far ahead?  I have a few ideas.  Hype is also built up through cross-promotion.  S.H.Figuarts Darth Vader was probably announced when he was in order to ride the hype-train that Star Wars Episode VII is generating.  Another factor in this case is competition.  Several other manufacturers were announcing Star Wars figures at this time, and Bandai did not wish to be late to the party and come across as ripoffs.  Perhaps companies like Bandai are overzealous, constantly overestimating how quickly they can develop a figure from prototype.  

My final theory is one I really hope is untrue.  Maybe by showing off a future figure so early, a toy company can gauge fan reaction, and, if negative enough, abort a figure before it has cost too much to develop.  While this might avoid a costly failure of a figure, it also greatly seeds mistrust between consumers and companies.  Even though almost all figure announcements say something to the effect of "Display Only" (meaning the figure is not guaranteed to be made) everybody knows what the strong implication is.  If you show a figure, you are expected to sell it.  By announcing later in development, a toy company would be forced to follow through on their word.  That would require much more cautious planning on their part, however.  That means less "experimental" figure announcements.  So maybe the price of such diverse figure offerings is long wait times and the occasional canceled figure.

I'd rather receive less figures, but at the height of my excitement for them, than have more to choose from, but get them over a year later.  How about you?

amiibo Part 2

Despite many of the complaints I have with the Super Smash Bros. line of amiibo, I have purchased several.  They are of fairly high quality, and likely the only Smash Bros. figure line we'll see in our lifetimes.  There are other "meta-Nintendo" lines, most notably Jakks Pacific's World of Nintendo line, but I appreciate that these amiibo are specific to Smash Bros.  The particular versions of the costumes, as well as the poses, are lifted directly from Smash Bros., with the Smash Bros. symbol as their base.  The problem, exclusively in America, has been in getting them.

I have been fairly lucky with my amiibo hunts.  I, apparently, like popular characters, because only a few of the ones I've wanted are considered "rare".  The few rare ones I did want, I suppose I was in the right place at the right time; I was able to easily pre-order them in my local Toys R Us.  There are more coming out I desire, however, so, hopefully, my luck will not run out.  I have several theories as to why they are so hard to collect here in the US.  Here are some of them.

Nintendo is a family company.  They are not accustomed to, nor interested in, pandering to collectors.  They are targeting younger audiences by flooding shelves with the characters most popular with kids (Mario, Kirby, Yoshi, etc) while ignoring some of the great characters from their more mature games.  Their sales numbers might back this up.  Mario always sells well, while the few Fire Emblem figures ever made might not have.  I hope the data from American amiibo sales do not reinforce this idea.  After all, if you ship less Marths, you'll sell less Marths.

Nintendo of Japan is proud.  Nintendo of Japan, like many, many older Japanese game companies are either completely mystified by Western tastes, or more likely, look down on them.  This pride lead them to foresee American amiibo shoppers as unsophisticated - simply wanting flagship mascots of children's games.  While it is true, Americans love Mario and the gang, the amiibo debacle has also re-proven that Western gamers have complex taste in games.  This pride could also be blamable for the breakdown in communications.  Nintendo of America has said almost nothing regarding the shortages, and I believe, a big reason is that they know very little of Nintendo of Japan's plans or ideas.

Nintendo is inexperienced in merchandise.  First, I will admit that there has been, literally, thousands of Nintendo-related toys released over the decades.  What I am referring to, specifically, is Nintendo's lack of experience in handling the manufacture, shipping and marketing of figures.  They have always licensed their merchandises out to other manufacturers, but with amiibo, they have taken on much of the responsibility.  And, frankly, they don't know enough yet to satisfy the myriad of consumer types around the world they have.  They completely missed the mark when predicting sales in the US, made too few of some characters and too many of others, and have shipped them in batches so small, they only exacerbate rather than relieve the situation.  Even retailers are frustrated with Nintendo, hurting relationships a more experienced company would already have cemented.

Nintendo is gun shy.  As this is their first real foray into collectibles, they likely erred on the side of caution, preferring to under-produce than over.  Figures not selling and sitting on shelves would have been costly for them, as well as edged out future shelf space for the next series of amiibo.

Nintendo is, maybe, an evil genius.  The amiibo situation greatly resembles the original Wii shopping madness.  Is Nintendo under-shipping to drive up demand?  For the case of the Wii, it worked quite well.  People were going crazy over it and, I believe, people that never would have otherwise bought one did for two reasons.  One, people who would have otherwise never heard about a console release learned of the Wii from news reports about its scarcity.  Two, people who were on the fence about buying one, when confronted with the chance to acquire one from the insanely low supply, felt pressured to get it now, or miss out forever.  Perhaps Nintendo was trying to recreate this fever with amiibo.

Hopefully, collectors who missed out on their favorite characters will get a chance in the future.  But with more and more amiibo being announced every month, I doubt it.

amiibo Part 1

Me and my fellow Smash Bros. fan friends were very excited for Nintendo's new toys-to-life series, called amiibo.  The initial line of amiibo are based on Super Smash Bros. for WiiU/3DS, a brilliant move, as Smash Bros features characters from throughout Nintendo's considerable history.  The initial prototypes looked great.  The promised gameplay sounded fantastic.

But, upon release, my friends and I were in for disappointment.  The first thing I noticed was the released versions were not as brilliant as the prototypes.  Now, as an action figure collector, I am very used to this, with regard to paint quality and sculpt accuracy.  The difference that bothered me, however, was the stands.  The prototypes boasted small, round, and clear tubes to hold aloft the flying or jumping characters.  The actual stands were much thicker, square and all sorts of different translucent colors.  I understand the thickening of the stands; these are family toys and stands the size of the prototypes would likely snap in a 4-year-old's hands.  But why show such a drastically different stand?  Did you actually believe you could have produced them that way?  I suppose, since this is one of Nintendo's first forays into figures, that can be forgiven ... lack of experience.  Far worse than the size however, was the decision to make them colored.  Clear plastic is perfect for stands, it minimizes their appearance, adding to the illusion the figure is gliding or hovering.  By making them brightly colored, they draw attention, rather than hide it.  For the Link figure, in particular, they chose to have a pee-yellow colored stand drip from between his legs down to the base.  It really looks like a power stream of urine.

The look of these figures is only half their appeal.  You can tap them on your console and bring them to life in the game.  But, as amiibos were getting into people's hands, me and my friends hopes were dashed again, as their functionality was strange, unfun and obscured.  Firstly, you could not play as your amiibo.  You could only spar with it, fight alongside it, or watch it fight alone.  Not a huge deal-breaker, but putting time and effort into strengthening a character would be best enjoyed by playing as it, as any RPG can tell you.  They also claimed the figure would learn from the events of the battles it was in, specifically.  That you could teach it moves and counter-moves by showing them it.  It is very unclear if this is the case.  There is no way to tell how or what your amiibo has learned, or if there is any more to the "learning" system than the amount of time it has fought.  You can only gauge its strength by its level, 1-50.

By level 50, the amiibo is very, very intelligent.  This excited me and my friends; something challenging to strive for.  But, we were, again, quickly disappointed.  As it get higher in levels, it also get stat bumps, making it stronger, faster and tougher than the version of that character the player can play as.  This isn't good design - its SNK Boss Syndrome.  Making something harder by giving it unfair advantages isn't fun to overcome; it feels cheap.  I wanted to be defeated by my amiibo's honed technique, strategy and skill.  Not its ridiculous stats.

All of these problems only arise if you can actually get an amiibo.  There have been horrendous stock issues regarding amiibo since the first day of their release.  These isssues have largely been restricted to the US.  Nintendo has been notoriously tight-lipped as to why, but in Part 2, I'll give you my guesses.

Boxes

When I first starting seriously collecting action figures, I always held onto the boxes they came in.  I kept the original box, all the plastic trays, and even the twist-ties.  I'm not sure why I kept them.  Perhaps it was because they were very well made.  Bright colors, see-through windows, and on the back, a bunch of cool shots of the figure in various poses.  Maybe it was just another way to scratch that collector "itch", or maybe I was feeding my packrat tendencies.  A sense of, "If I throw it out now, I can never get it back ... and I can always throw it out later."

Well, later eventually came.  As my collection grew, the pile of boxes grew even faster.  As a box must contain a figure, it is usually bigger.  I tried breaking them down in a way that preserved them, but it was no use.  I threw them all out in one big dumpster.  The accessories contained in them were put into hobby trays (usually used for beading, I believe.)

I was surprised by how little loss I felt, after trashing them.  In fact, opening up the closet space they took up was a big relief.  Now, I throw away a figure's packaging as soon as I'm finished opening it.  After all, the figure is what I'm after anyways.  And making more room means more room for more figures.

Now, some people never even open their figures.  This practice has always befuddled me.  Even despite my attachment to boxes (as admitted above), I still do not understand collectors who do not open their toys.  I do not judge them - whatever makes them enjoy their collection is just fine, and some figure boxes are incredibly well made and good-looking.  I, however, just want to pose and display the figure so much, I can't fathom keeping it locked away.

In the 90's, children's toys from decades past started to make waves in the secondary market.  Star Wars toys from the 70's, rare transformers from the 80's, and hundreds of others were fetching huge prices on eBay and at friendly local comic shops.  This lead to rampant speculation by adult collectors, buying up toys they predicted would be valuable in 10 or more years.  These collectors were planning on selling the toys eventually, so keeping them in the box made sense - a figure in original packaging is worth much, much more than loose.

Does this feed into the reasons collectors nowadays don't open their toys?  A sense of lost value?  It is a one-way ticket.  Once opened, a toy cannot become mint-in-package again.  I guess it's about loss aversion.  You might want to play with the toy, but can't bring yourself to incur a perceived permanent loss in value.  I suppose this is the same mentality that caused my reluctance to throw the boxes away.

How about you?  Do you open your figures?  Why or why not?

Ecchi Figures

Although I am a Japanese toy collector, I am not a collector of ecchi, ero or any kind of "sexy" figures, which are a sizeable chunk of the figure market in Japan.  I have no problem with such figures existing and I do not judge those who buy them.

I'm an action and adventure fan.  The types of franchises that excite me are usually sci-fi, fantasy or heroic, which often lack ecchi themes.  So, when I purchase a figure to support something I like, it has a low chance of being an ecchi figure to begin with.  However, many fictional universes crossover between the two, so there are still figures of properties I appreciate that are quite sexy.  I still tend to avoid these figures, and here's why:

Looking at or posing a figure evokes memories of the franchise by being recognizable characters from it.  They also evoke a similar sense of style.  A figure from an action movie will evoke a sense of action, simply by its nature.  An armored techno-samurai looks fierce and cool on a shelf, regardless of knowing the source material.  The visceral sense of a figure is delivered though it's style, pose and form, in addition to what show, game or book it came from.

Sexy figures, therefore, evoke a sense of eroticism, just by being erotic to some degree.  Eroticism is not bad, and can be felt powerfully through many mediums, including figures.  However, it is not a feeling I'm interested in, with regard to figures.  I'm interested in cool, action-oriented and fierce looking characters.  They are often sexy too, but, if the feeling of sexyness overpowers the sense of action in a figure, I quickly lose interest.

There are other feelings a figure can bring out that I tend to avoid, such as comedy or horror.  These are not nearly as predominant as sexyness in the Japanese figure collecting industry, but I do not collect them for identical reasons.

Bandai's Build Fighters Strategy

I completed my HG Amazing Exia kit today: I will do a build report later today.  While building it, I noticed some interesting things.  I don't watch Build Fighters (this Exia was a gift), but I do know that the kits consist of old Gundam models from previous shows with new parts.  It's actually a quite clever system Bandai has created, here's a list of some of the more ingenious benefits:

They are leveraging their incredibility huge catalog of Gundam designs on children too young to recognize them.  The target demographic of Build Fighters is younger than the average Gundam fan.  It is likely that they are unfamiliar with the majority of Gundams vast, vast history.  Reusing tried-and-true designs on the next generation is a safe bet and saves on designing new ones.

They are invoking nostalgia in older fans who might find Build Fighters childish.  Seeing as the show itself is targeting younger demographics, by bringing back old designs with new variations, they can rope in fans familiar with the Gundam's original show.  Gunpla fans loyal to, say, Gundam 00, might be interested in Build Fighters to see Exia in a new light (such as Amazing Exia).

They are reusing old sprue molds.  Designing and tooling sprue molds is very expensive, likely the most pricey part of creating a new Gundam kit.  By modifying old designs, most of the sprues in Build Fighter kits are actually the same as the kit they are revisiting.  While building Amazing Exia, I noticed many parts were identical to HG Exia and some parts in the sprue went unused, as they are only for Exia, not Amazing Exia. 

Because in the Build Fighters universe the characters are actually using customized Bandai gunpla kits to battle, the show encourages viewers to embrace the gunpla customization hobby.  This is taking the "action figure tie-in show" model to new heights.  Instead of say, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the show is more than a 22-minute advertisement for the action figures.  Fans will buy the kits to recreate their favorite characters, but also to be like them.  They can not only have a Gundam from the show, they can actually do what they see the characters onscreen do, a gimmick many tie-in shows can't replicate.  Yu-gi-oh type shows do this as well.

The new parts that are used to customize old kits are also sold separately.  This means collectors who already own a Gundam that has been upgraded in Build FIghters, can still have something to buy, without getting redundant kits.  In fact, the "add-on" variation kits can be applied to numerous old models, not just the one depicted in the show.  This further fosters the Gundam cusomiztion hobby, giving kit-bashers new tools to work with.  Bandai also sells brushes, paints, glue and all manner of gunpla supplies, so increasing interest in the hobby greatly profits them.

I do not believe these ideas are bad or overly tricky.  I think it is an intelligent, well-thought-out plan that benefits both Bandai and their fans.  What do you think?  Let me know below.  

The Battle Against Counterfeits

Some people are not bothered by counterfeit action figures, considering them to be a cheaper alternative.  I am not one such person.  It is an illegal, immoral, and, frankly, aggravating practice that, before I knew how to combat it, was the bane of my collecting life.  To prevent the pain any readers of that early pain, here's my guide to avoiding buying bootlegs and, if you might have already, how to identify them.

The best way to avoid counterfeits is to learn how to avoid places that sell them.  Online, this means eBay, for the most part.  If there are stores that sell counterfeits, I have never encountered them.  Some sellers on Amazon look suspect, so do your homework before ordering from them.  In a previous post (find it here) I go into how to tell if an eBay listing could be a counterfeit.  I'll go over it again:

1.) Check out the seller.  Check the seller's history and feedback on eBay and search the web to see if anyone has listed them on a bootlegger's blacklist.  Myfigurecollection.net has some, but they occasionally fall out of date.  Just because a seller is not listed on a blacklist, does not mean they are okay.  They change names often.

2.) Check the listing.  Even if the seller's ID checks out, scan the listing.  Look for codewords that mean bootleg: HK Version, Chinese Version, China Version, or Special Edition.  If it says it is new, but does not have a box, it is almost assuredly a bootleg.  Compare pictures of the item to official pictures.  The inferior plastics used in bootlegs warp and bend easier, and the paint applications are often much more unsightly.  Also, if the price is just too good to be true, it is probably a fake.

3.) Avoid Hong Kong or China.  I never buy from sellers from either of these countries.  There are legitimate sellers living in these areas, but there also hundreds of bootleggers.

4.) Search for similar bootlegs.  If there are pictures online of a bootlegged version of a figure, you can use that to compare to the item you're interested in on eBay.  Myfigurecollection.net notes if there are known counterfeits of a figure, with links to uploaded pictures.

5.) Ask the seller.  They will sometimes be honest and say it is a bootleg, although they will most likely use a term like "HK Version.  If the pictures on the listing are not of the specific figure you will be receiving, ask for some.

Avoiding brick-and-mortar fakes is similar.  You cannot check their past history, but if the figure is open, pre-assembled or looks low-quality, it is likely a fake.  You can always just ask.  Some stores sell a mix of legitimate and bootleg figures.


But what if it's too late?  How can you determine if a figure is a bootleg?

1.) Look at the figure.  Bootleg figures are sometimes obvious.  Are the colors incorrect, blurry or off-center?  Has the plastic warped, bent or melted?  Many bootlegs are acutally manufactured by the original manufacturing plant.  They simply continued to create figures after the official order was fulfilled, and sell the excess themselves.  This is why they often lack boxes (which are made elsewhere).  They also use inferior materials to save money, and this is where the obvious bootlegs happen.  Another way noticeable counterfeits are made is by casting an original and then replicating it.  These figures will lack detail (from the casting process) and will sometimes be pre-assembled and glued, when the original is meant to be assembled by the buyer.

2.) Ask the seller.  If you threaten action against them on eBay (or whatever) they will often admit it was fake, and send you a refund.  I have occasionally had to get aggressive, but they usually acquiesce.

3.) Get help online.  Check if others have posted pictures of their fakes.  If nobody has, post high-res pictures on a forum, asking other collectors who own the item to compare it.  Boxes are a great thing to compare too, they often differ greatly.  For the figure, compare paint colors, quality and detail.  For boxes, compare the pictures printed on the box (they often re-create them with bootlegs) for clarity and contrast.  Check all the printed text for differences.  Boxes can also be of different glossiness.

There you have it, good luck collectors.

News Site Reviews

I mentioned in my last post that I might do an article reviewing some of the news sites I follow.  Well, here it is.

TAG Hobby (taghobby.com) I followed the toy blogger Cybergundam here from his old blog.  I believe it's a Hong Kong blog, but mainly focuses on Japanese toys.  TAG stands for Toy Anime Game, and they report on all three.  I only follow their toy news, so this review only applies to that third.  My favorite site these days, they seem to have the most comprehensive coverage of upcoming announcements and releases.  Their show coverage is nothing to sneeze at, either.  As it is written in Chinese (I assume) I have to use the decent amount of English they write in or the numerous large pictures they post.  4/5 Ninja Stars

Tomopop (tomopop.com) A relatively new site, Tomopop is related to Destructoid.  Like Destructoid, their articles are kinda mish-mashy, meaning they cover random bits from around the web.  Lots of inaccuracies and missed headlines, it's nonetheless got a good community and some really fun reads.  I wouldn't use it as a main news source, it's much better as a fun place to read up on latest trends.  2/5 Ninja Stars

AmiAmi Blog (amiamiblog.com) This blog has been around for awhile in Japanese, but is now in English too.  Not a great news site for catching all the upcoming toys, it has some good reviews and daily Japanese toy/anime/game news in batch updates that are easy to digest.  They also do a weekly illustration, which is kinda cute, if you're into that.  2/5 Ninja Stars

CollectionDX (collectiondx.com) They really only do reviews, which are quite good.  But as a news place, they're terrible.  1/5 Ninja Stars

Gundam Century (gundamcentury.com) A very good news site from Indonesia, but in English.  Not quite as thorough as TAG, but very similar.  3/5 Ninja Stars

GunJap (gunjap.net) Focused mainly on gunpla and, to a lesser extent, plamo, they still have news about other toys sometimes.  They also feature great finished models, including customs, which are a fun way to break up the toy announcements.  2/5 Ninja Stars

Mechanical Japan (mechanicaljapan.com) A Mexican site written in Spanish, they, nonetheless, have some great news and reviews.  (Pictures do most of the heavy lifting for non-Spanish speakers.)  They also have impressive show coverage.  3/5 Ninja Stars

Neko Magic (nekomagic.com) Focuses on Bishoujo figures.  Has some of, if not THE, best show coverage I've ever come across.  I follow for that reason alone.  Be advised, however, they usually post show pics a few days later than other sites.  3/5 Ninja Stars

Plasticity (plastikitty.com) Plastikitty is very similar to Neko Magic, but seems to update much less often.  2/5 Ninja Stars

Hobby Search Blog (1999.co.jp/eng/blog) A translation of the Japanese Hobby Search Blog, they eschew wide coverage for in-depth previews and reviews.  Expect lots of pictures (many taken by the blogger) and opinions.  2/5 Ninja Stars

Prize Get! (http://prizeget.livejournal.com) This blog starkly updates with the latest prize toys from Japan, but is incredibly thorough, with links for every item.  Great for covering prize toys, but obviously not good for much else.  3/5 Ninja Stars

Japanese Figure News

Years ago, it seemed much simpler to get pretty much all the Japanese figure, action figure and model kit news one could need in one easy place.  Ngee Khiong.  I never noticed this guy miss a toy; if he did, I suppose it wasn't one I would be interested in anyways.

In the wake after Ngee Khiong shutting down (a few years ago) my way of getting news has become much more complex.  I basically rss a TON of Japanese toy news sites (TAG Hobby, Tomopop, Gunjap) and stores (HLJ, AmiAmi, Hobby Search).  I even rss shows, games and books I like on My Figure Collection.  All-in-all, I have about 60 sites I follow.  TAG Hobby seems to be the best, but it definitely misses some announcements.

As not local, non-Japanese speakers, what are people doing to keep track of what's coming out in the world of Japanese toys?  Although I couldn't live without it, I know rss is actually fairly unpopular.  Forums?  Stores?  Luck of the Internet gods?  I'd love an all-in-one spot to pop onto for 20 minutes, instead of scrolling through hundreds of posts, most of which are redundant, every single day.

Tomopop showed promise in the past, but they seem to simply disseminate Japanese sites, and not terribly well, often getting details wrong.  Maybe I should do a post listing and reviewing the sites I follow.

Post your toy following habits below; let's figure this out.

Iron Men

Tamashii Nations's Age of Ultron figures went up for pre-order today!  Were you able to get yours?  Of course, Iron Man has been up for pre-order for awhile, and is supposed to ship any minute now.  But wait!  There's an newer, cooler, higher-numbered Iron Man armor with this latest batch.  That's (A) awesome, because he looks much cooler and means we'll have a mid-movie upgrade, (B) almost predictable given the ridiculous rate they come out with new Iron Man variants with and (C) kinda a jerk move on Tamashii Nations's part.  They sold the Mark 43 armor as if it was Iron Man's only suit, far ahead of all the other figures.  This way, those who pre-ordered it would have little or no time to realize that if they wanted the iconic, final (I presume) Mark 45 suit from Age of Ultron, they'd have to get another yet another Iron Man figure.  Intentional?  I really don't know, but it is curious that they released the Mark 43 so far ahead of time.  Let's break it down:

In Bandai's defense::

--- The Mark 43 is a redeco of the Mark 42, making it easier to produce, and therefore, quicker to release.

--- I did have time (albeit a small window) to cancel my Mark 43.

--- It might have been part of the licensing deal with Marvel to keep the Mark 45 under wraps as part of the film's hype engine.

Now, a bit more incriminating:

--- The release for Mark 43 is far ahead of the rest: 3-4 months.

--- In all the promotional shots, they showed the Mark 43 alongside the rest of the cast, as if it was Tony's main suit.

---- They had a shadow of the Hulkbuster (presumably the Mark 44) in the announcements of the Avengers line, leading potential pre-orderers to assume that was all that was left in the series.

All said and done, I bet Tamashii Nations (Bandai) didn't try to swindle its customers, but I would believe either way.  I'm sure some of you won't mind at all and get both armors, but I think deceiving through pre-orders is pretty shady.  (See my previous rant, also about Avengers pre-orders.)  So many Iron Man suits ... 

Variant Play Arts Kai Star Wars

I have been receiving a lot of texts and IMs from my non-collector friends about the (fairly) recently announced Variant Play Arts Kai Stormtrooper and Boba Fett (also the previously announced Darth Vader).  This is very exciting.  Star Wars (back in '77) was a juggernaut for action figures, ushering in a new age of poseable playthings.  Could the hype over the upcoming movie, coupled with the awesome "Variant" redesigns by Square Enix, do the same, becoming the tip of the spear for Japanese figures to really explode in American markets?  I hope so!  Bandai Japan has been making inroads, but I think there's room for even more Japanese figures in the West.  If any franchise could do it, it would be Star Wars.

I think the fact that they are design overhauls is key: Hasbro, and its predecessor, Kenner, have been pumping out Boba Fetts, Stormtroopers and Darth Vaders of all scales and qualities for over 30 years.  Some were stylized, usually to appeal to a younger audience (Galactic Heroes, Force Battlers), some were redesigns (Visionaries, McQuarrie Concept Collection) and some were quite badass (Unleashed).  But, the other 95% of them have been incredibly similar.  The image of those three armored characters has been emblazoned in our minds by the myriad of different figures, but also bed sheets, lunch pails, plushies ... the list goes on and on and on.  I think Star Wars fans are still excited by the experiences that universe has given us, but perhaps, a bit fatigued by merchandise re-featuring those classic designs.

This is why I love the Variant Play Arts Kai (VPAK) line so much.  It, so far, has taken tried and true, but maybe a bit tired, designs and updated them.  Something to get excited about that still represents a treasured memory or character.  The four IPs Square Enix has done VPAK versions of (DC, Marvel, Final Fantasy, and now, Star Wars) all have extensive figure and merchandise catalogs.  They often re-use the same designs, even as characters get their 10th, 20th or even 50th figure with the same (or very similar) costume.  A breath of fresh air in such a repetitive space is that much more exciting.

Now, some collectors really hate the unique style of Play Arts and Play Arts Kai.  I agree on many of their past figures; they really don't look anything like the original, and heck, some don't even look human.  This is actually another reason why the Variant line is so smart.  They have the R&D, technology and techniques for gangly 12" dolls with that one-of-a-kind Play Arts aesthetic, and are adjusting the character designs of the characters to really shine in it.  It is a bit of a case of making holes to fit pegs, but, it has nonetheless resulted in some pretty fantastic figures.  The VPAK Warrior of Light on my shelf is particularly breathtaking.

Three of the four VPAK lines are based on Western properties (with Final Fantasy, the only Japanese one, actually being based on Western fantasy tropes).  So, while the VPAK line is broadening the popularity of Japanese figures in the West, it could very well be doing the same for Western properties in Japan.  By synthesizing characters, figure-style and costume designs, VPAK is the two-way ambassador of action figures.

What do you guys think?  Is this a case of Star Wars fever being unstoppable, or has Square Enix really figured something out here?  Do VPAKs eschew the past failures of Play Arts figure, or are they terrible in your opinion?  Let me know below.

Canceled Figures.

So, last night I popped over to Takara's Nexta website to see if they had updated the page for the Video Game Robotics HD Wolf Fang figure they advertised like 2 years ago.  It was updated, but not in the way I had hoped!  The "Coming Soon" image was gone, leaving a gaping hole in their products list and in my heart.

I was super, super excited for this figure, being a huge Wolf Fang fan, and fan of robot figures (especially with interchangeable parts!).  This bummer news makes me wonder a few things about the toy industry.  Please post below if you know anything about these matters.

1.)  Why do they show prototypes if they aren't sure they're going to produce the figure?  I imagine they're just testing the waters, or possibly an unforeseen design challenge makes the figure no longer viable.

2.)  When a figure is canceled, why do the manufacturers never announce that?  They always seem to simply remove all listings of it and never speak of it.  Perhaps they want to keep the door open to make it later, or don't like the image of canceling a figure, and hope customers just forget?  I suppose it is safer to let it fade away then make a post and show somebody who wasn't tracking the figure that they don't always live up to their word.

3.)  What can we, as buyers, do about this?  If one more figure I'm excited is simply ignored into eternity I don't know what I'll do.  Figma Hulk is breaking my heart, but this Wolf Fang matter really sent me over the edge.

How dramatic.

Speaking of Figma Hulk, I have Figma Thor, Captain America and (the limited edition) Iron Man.  That's tens of thousands of yen spent on 3/4 of the core Avengers, spent under the beliefs that I would be able to finish out the set.  After all, all 4 were unveiled at Wonder Fest several years ago.  Now I have to go with Bandai's Age of Ultron set if I want the core 4, but I don't enjoy their new designs nearly as much.  If anyone has heard anything about Figma Hulk, please let me know.

Why I Collect.

I am an action figure collector.  In fact, you could say I'm a bit obsessed with action figures.  I ravishingly gobble up toy news, hunt down hard-to-find treasures and, frankly, play with toys.  Why, might you ask?  Fair enough, here are my musings on why I devote so much time, money and love for miniature heroes.

Fun.  Perhaps the simplest reason - but toys are primarily meant to have fun with.  Even before playing with a toy, it is fun keeping up with the news, anticipating announcements and speculating over prototype pics.  But the real fun is in posing them, arranging them and just basking in their presence.  A great figure is something to get lost in, finding cool poses & accessory combinations, then gently placing them on a shelf, stepping back and appreciating.  The real magic happens when, while admiring your figure, you remember the hype of it's announcement, opening the package and, most enjoyably, the "feel" of playing with it.

Experience.  This "feel" memory, imprinted on the toy's presence can, in the case of licensed character figures, co-exist with the memories of the media that character features in.  Like all tie-in merchandise, action figures represent specific characters from our favorite movies, books, games and so on.  The serve as reminders - physical crystallization of past experiences with all forms of media.  Trophies of moments we enjoyed watching, reading or playing.

Expression.  If a figure can represent a beloved experience with specific character, then a collection is the story of a collector's passion for all media.  This story can be easily read by anyone exploring the collection.  What characters, scenes and styles a collector carefully curates into his or her collection recounts past experiences that mattered to them, that moved them.  What better way to express yourself than through sharing what you love with others?

For me, of all the hobbies out there, none are as fun to do, recall such fond memories or express myself as much as collecting action figures.