Recently a huge collection of different vintage toys came into my shop and I was hit with a waive of nostalgia.
That lead me to thinking, which is better? Vintage Toys or Modern Toys?
There are plenty of pros and cons to both sides of the collecting mindset.
Quality was the first thing that came to mind. “They don’t make them like used too!” Based on certain toy lines that statement is certainly true. I’ve had figures in my collection that are thirty plus years old that have out lived more modern figures and look better at the same time. The plastics have all changed and so have the way these toys are produced. While many of the toy lines that we older millennia’s collected as children to play with are still around and being rereleased, it seems that many of them are being made to stay in the package and don’t hold up well once opened.
That being said, there are many toy lines today being released that trump our OG’s. Transformers are FAR more possible and complicated then some of the lumps we had as children. G.I. Joe has recently moved from their 3 3/4″ line to 6″ figures that allow more detail and interesting new designs. Thundercats and Masters Of The Universe now have articulating joints that were missing from our originals.
Another thing that has changed from our simple childhood days is the way we purchase these toys and even how they are being released. “The thrill of the hunt is gone!” This can be said from both sides of the aisle as well. Sites like Ebay have made it so you can acquire practically any vintage toys at any given time.
Meanwhile for modern collectors, many releases are requiring you sit behind your computer screen and hope you make it in a queue for the latest Amazon or Target Exclusive figure. I personally try to keep purchases local at shows or hunting through countless collections to get that long awaited adrenalin rush I felt as a child when I found that figure I wanted hanging on a peg at my local toy store.
So when the question is posed to me at my shop,
“What should I collect?”
My answer is simple… “What you like.”
When it comes to digging for a pair of wings for a vintage Baxter Stockman or simply buying one of the new shiny ones by Neca or Super 7, the choice is yours. Just simply have fun doing it and share your passion with others as often as possible.
Happy Collecting!
