FtB's Philosophy
Toys are
good
things. Despite this being an age of technology-driven
learning
and entertainment, toys still manage to spark the
imagination.
Maybe some people are made to see them differently as adults,
but as
for myself, I still love the toys that immediately inspire a story when I see
them.
Admittedly I'm drawn to a lot of 80's toys with cartoon
tie-ins, and a
massive amount of video game figures--but that's also because
they were
stories and characters that drew me in and inspired me to
explore
different opportunities with my own original worlds and
characters. When I was younger, toys were an opportunity
to role
play in a very different
way
than any video game could offer, forcing a whole world to be
created
and the rules to constantly be tested and changed inside my
own
head. They hold a sort of symbolism that I really don't
think I
could ever do justice to describe.
And then there are
the toys
based on characters I love. Most of them are from video
games,
sure, but it makes sense as that's my favorite media.
Between the
plethora of Transforming robots, the odd He-Man figure or the
occasional Cobra member (because G.I. Joe was too damn
boring), I've
got my bases covered. If I love it, if it affects me,
then I'll
just at the chance to get a figure of it. Preferably of
the
articulated variety, but... once in a while, a Poison or a
Sebastian
comes along.
"Yes," you say,
"But they're
toys. Isn't
spending all
that money on plastic things stupid?" I find spending
hundreds of
dollars on fucking shoes
to
be
abject stupidity. Thousands of dollars on useless car
parts,
too. Sports
memorabilia.
Ugh.
Don't mess with me, kid. At least my obsessions have
personality.
Let's face it, toys are
just
cooler
these days too. Yes, diecast is a lost art (and yes, if
you
recognize
that, I've got plenty of those figures, too) and now that toy
manufacturers have caught onto collectors they jack up the
prices and
lower the availability to make things more "collectible"
(fucking
jackasses)--but toys have come of age a little bit.
Though of
course I'm still interested in grabbing a few of the
classics... mint
in sealed box, if possible. It feels so good to rip them open
and throw
away the box.
Then there's kind of the
most
important thing: toys are
fun!
Especially
when
articulated.
Why,
there
are endless
possibilities...
