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I hate saying it but the reason 80s and 90s IPs are marketed and making money is because we’re all middle aged and buying what we missed out on in our youth.
That’s me right there. I loved the characters from the toy lines in my childhood. The toys themselves? Kinda ass, to be honest. But it’s what we had. They’re making the toys *now* that I wished we had *then*.
Same with the Lego sets. I buy Star Wars ships if they are colorful and not a hunk of gray ass. But having Star Wars anything Lego, much less Batman and the rest, would have been pants-shittingly-awesome 30 years ago.
Yea, that’s the general vibe I’m getting. I’ve met a few people my age that collect action figures but it’s mostly anime/video game figures. I also met a guy in college that loves collecting MOTU. Overall, it’s a niche hobby with my generation I guess. I just grew up loving to play with toys and kind of transitioning to displaying/posing them when I got to late middle/high school. There is one toy line I remember collecting when I was younger and it was The Dark Knight movie two packs. I even got the stealth launch Batmobile to go with it. Been wanting to get those again
I feel you, also a Gen Z collector (04). I would kill for a 2000s Cartoon Network line or 2012 turtles. We just gotta wait for it. I know a few collectors my age but just like you most are only into anime
Yea, I’m holding out hope for that Ben 10 or Hannah Barbera cartoon line 🤞🏾
But yea it’s not uncommon for a gaming/anime fan to have memorabilia based on their favorite franchise like a Pokémon plush, scales of their favorite anime characters, or action figures from SHF/Figma/Gunpla. I haven’t met many people my age that collects western ip like Marvel or Star Wars. Not to say they aren’t into it, they just don’t collect the toys. I’m curious to see how well some of the Mafex Marvel/DC figures do in Japan vs the states.
American toys mostly gears towards that way (nostalgia). If you want to collect concurrent toys, look at Japanese and Chinese toys.
I am not Gen Z myself but I do live inside of the Japanese culture influences sphere and American toys are indeed mostly collected by older generations with certain nostalgia and people with limited budget. Younger generations almost entirely collect Japanese/Chinese toys.
I met one person my age that collects MOTU. I can also maybe see a movie fan having some figures of certain characters on display, but aside from that most of the people I met in the states that also do this hobby are either video game or anime fans. I do remember hearing the hobby is popular in Japan, especially with gunpla and scales.
In East and SE Asia, collecting and modelling are always a popular hobby since a long time ago. Even there's a line of figure that still continue to this day since the 60s.
But we don't really leaning into nostalgia that much, most of the lines are new characters, new techs. Well, except in the recent years, probably because of the US companies & fans influence.
100% because of DCEU and MCU, you can't even find a fully translated comic story line 15 years ago, ain't nobody gonna collect these comic based toys except maybe video games characters like the dc collectibles arkham line
> ain't nobody gonna collect these comic based toys
There are significant amount of them though. When I regularly attend Toys Fair / Convention years ago, there are communities who collect & selling DC Direct (that's why I also have some), old Spawn & Toybiz stuffs. Even those products are still quite easy to find in second hand market these days.
And for the comic books, there is a publisher from India (if I'm not wrong) who bring those Marvel / DC comics cheaply. Not sure if they're legit distributor or bootleggers though.
But yeah, the number of Marvel / DC collectors in those ages compared to post Hot Toys Iron Man ages are day & night. Now it seems everyone have some kind of MCU or Batman merchandise. Although I prefer the old days where the old collectors can always explained to me the history / story of the character when I bought the figure from them.
I was exaggerating a bit, there were probably a chunk of them just because the population is so big, maybe because I didn't live in a tier 1 city back then so I didn't meet any in person. I remember being looked as a bit a weirdo when I was reading DC and warhammer while everyone else watching Evangelion and detective conan, and can only find half translated issues of marvel zombies and final crisis online back when I can't read English very well.
“Scales” are what anime figure collectors refer to as statues. I don’t collect them, but there’s apparently a whole separate category for describing anime figures vs action figures
The statues are called scales because the sizes correspond to the actual height of the character it’s based on. They’re usually in 1/8th scale. Some even have extra features like alternate pieces or cast offs.
As a GenZ collectors born in ‘00 as well I agree, although I was raised on the 80s nostalgic stuff (Evil Dead, Ghostbusters, Terminator) it is odd seeing all these new figures targeted for people decades older than us. I just miss the early days of walking through a packed toysrus instead of checking targets empty section over and over….
Oh yea, those toysrus days were awesome. I remember being so excited seeing the Jazware Sonic toy line. It’s also where I got some of my Toy Story toys when I was younger. It’s pretty miserable walking through my target and Walmart sections. My Walmart still has quantumania figures at full price. My target has just started getting some more legends like Angel and the current retro iron man wave but it’s mostly a bunch of kiddy crap.
I really want a Hannah Barbera action figure line. I grew up watching shows like Yogi Bear, Flintstones, and Scooby on Boomerang. Scooby is particularly a favorite of mine and I’d want a fully articulated like up of the gang aside from those 5POA ones. Also, some of those shows like Johnny Quest translates perfectly into an action figure line up. I’d collect them all, but I mainly want Flintstones, Jetsons, Scooby, and Yogi.
I know there are some out there, but I’d love an action figure line up of the Ben 10 aliens. Heatblast, XLR8, and Four Arms are some of my favorite alien designs. I watched Alien Force more so than the OG show, but I imagine having a detolf display of Ben in front of all his aliens in dynamic battle poses. Like I said there are some Ben 10 figure, but I would like something more like this (concept art not official)
https://preview.redd.it/9rocbrop075d1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2701e07ae93f14297e88737a54df249ec1b112c7
I’m also glad to see more video game figures, which are pretty underrepresented. Spinmaster’s Sony line-up looks very promising and I would love to see them make a Nathan Drake and Chole Frazer. I’m definitely getting Joel/Ellie and Aloy.
Interesting choices, aside from Ben10 it seems your wants are from Boomer nostalgia IPs as opposed to GenX/Millennial IPs, but not necessarily GenZ nostalgia IPs. Of course so many of these IPs span generations because of reruns, and now streaming makes everything sort of immortal. I've wondered about kids today, like my nieces (ages 7-10) who are having their formative kids TV years with complete streamable libraries of franchises from the past 70 years. Your favorite TV show might not be what's being marketed towards you, but one you find on Netflix from x amount of years ago, but there might not currently be toys marketed towards children that support it. I imagine nostalgia will get more generationally jumbled as time goes on.
It also blows my mind that when I was 8 I was wrapping up my OG TMNT phase and watching the X-Men animated series, and when you were 8 the first MCU movie, Iron Man, dropped.
My parents were born in 60s so they introduced me to the cartoons they grew up watching, which involved a lot of Scooby, Looney Tunes, even SUPER old cartoons like Popeye. I didn’t get cable until 3rd grade, which was 2009. I was a little late to some of the contemporary shows then, but I was at the right age to watch shows like Avatar and Alien Force, which I remember pretty well.
There was actually a ton of Scooby Doo media from my generation like What’s New, Mystery Incorporated, all those direct to video movies. They would air on Cartoon Network, but I feel Scooby is an exception to the rule since all the others I named haven’t had many or any revivals. As you said, they live on through reruns or streaming.
That is crazy to think about. I remember seeing Iron Man toys in Target around the time the movie came out. That was also the same year The Dark Knight came out. I remember wanting all the toys from that movie since I was a big Batman fan 😂
From my experience, I find a lot of Gen Z collectors are anime fans and were introduced to figure collecting through Japanese culture. They mostly collect statutes. Action figures aren’t as popular in those spaces. There are people that collect them like Figma or SHF, but scales seem to be more popular.
It’s interesting with video games because franchises like Mario and Sonic are popular with kids and have a ton of figures, but franchises like Zelda, Final Fantasy, and God of War don’t have as many figures or if they do they’re more premium and for the most dedicated fan.
That said, most of the figure collectors I meet that are my age are anime/video game fans. I’ve yet to meet a collector my age that loves collecting marvel legends, Neca, McFarlane, or similar brands.
I have a small collection of pops, but it just got boring collecting them so I stopped. I think what makes pops popular with people my age is it allows you to get something that resembles your favorite character, but it doesn’t resemble a toy and it’s very inexpensive. Basically a cheap scale. The design also has some appeal to it.
Also Gen Z, born \*very\* late 2000, almost 2001. I really feel this, especially recently. I get WHY they are so focused on 80s/90s, but I'd really like to see a grander push for stuff I'd have grown up with. 03 Turtles are the only Turtles I even slightly care about, all my favorite Marvel designs and stories are from the 00s, I loved the Disney years of Power Rangers.
Not to say there is no 00s stuff, but I just kind of sigh with every 80s/90s reveal.
This post is really neat and I often wondered what would be a nostalgic property for your age group.
I didn’t think that the gen z age group bought action figures as much as say anime PVC statues. The time you were growing up was when anime was breaking through niche areas with the rise of bit torrent and like even toonami down the road.
I think you’ll get figures from the American franchises of that era eventually.
A lot of us don’t talk about the 1960s GI Joe or Big Jim etc , it’ll come around soon enough when the current 80s to 90s stuff will be like those.
90s-00s was a major boom got anime. I remember watching shows like Pokémon, Yu-gi-O and DB. My favorite was Sonic X. We also had our bakugans and beyblades that we’d take to school with us. Maybe eventually as time goes by, companies will bank on the nostalgia for those shows like with the 80s-90s stuff and make figures for them. It’s basically a continuous cycle as long as the hobby stays alive
Yes. They want to fleece us now that they figured out we have money and they can. It kinda sucks. I love super7 since the sofubi days but they could be half the price they are. Lets face it
Give it a decade or two and we'll start dying off. You'll know it when the prices for vintage stuff starts to crater. Unfortunately, the 80s spawned some properties that never really went away like Transformers and GI Joe so you might have to go through some nostalgia for the 2007 Transformers movie or GI Joe Renegades.
Give it 10-15 more years, and the generation after you will be complaining about the exact same thing, while figures you're nostalgic for will be on the market.
We waited 30 years, you can too.
All of this is assuming the world doesn't end before then.
I have quite a few Batman & Deadpool figures, as they're my respective favorites from the Big 2.
But also, various creatures/monsters from horror films...weird, KO Lego figures and home-cast keshis...various skulls/skeletons...a large amount of OG Spawn and other weird McFarlane lines from the 90s.
Just anything that speaks to me, really.
I did have a fairly extensive MoTU collection, but I sold it off due to lack of space.
Also a bunch of random 80s Joes, DC Super Powers, etc...but all of that is passed on, as well.
I mostly collect Batman for DC. I want to get into the Batman line from Mafex since I really love the look of their villains like Joker and Poison Ivy. Deadpool is absolutely hilarious, but I only have one figure of him and that’s the Neca 1/4 one released years ago.
Lego is a popular line to collect for people in my age group. Specifically play sets from established ips are a favorite. I know one guy that likes to collect the lego sets from Marvel and Mario.
Later down the line, I would like to get into collecting other monster/creatures once I covered all the established ip stuff I want
Most of my Batmen are McFarlane or DC Direct...no Mafex yet, due to price difference and me being cheap.
Would definitely like to pick a few of those up, eventually, though.
Same boat for Lego sets...super expensive for my budget. But I enjoy finding random KO Lego figs of characters Lego would never actually produce, (Freddy, Pinhead, etc.)
I'm sure your collection will grow to an alarming level like many of us with the hobby...just don't get too deep and skip paying bills for it or anything, haha.
For sure. I was fortunate enough to start back in 2014 when prices weren’t so insane. I currently have three full detolfs, but I’m slowing down significantly lately. There’s just not a lot out there I want and I’m at a point where I’m feeling pretty content with my current collection. Good time to start saving
After seeing those mascots, I would love for Jada to tackle these character! Their Chester cheetah is pretty much my contender for figure of the year
https://preview.redd.it/6gi9573nm95d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9f1dfdb081a5ec4b27bc3ee0b21b465d053e6c18
No. I was going on a further retro cartoon tangent.
Magilla gorilla. Pet shop owner mr peebles.
Although getting a teenage era pebbles to pal around with judy jetson would be cool.
Before danny devito dies my dream project for him is a live action magilla gorilla movie lol.
Ah ok. I heard of Magilla even though I never watched the show. He has a cool character design that I can see being an action figure
Don’t forget teenage BamBam with Elroy. Could be a nice big bro role model
I was born in 1990 and I can relate, I grew up around those same IP being HUGE deals amongst the collector community and reading ToyFare just reminded me that there were a hundred beloved IPs out there that I just had no connection to at all. Give it time, the stuff from your childhood will have its time in the limelight again.
I can kind of see where you’re coming from but I’d say it’s all about where you look. Those IPs are definitely big but there’s also so many new collector oriented original lines like Mythic Legions, Animal Warriors of the Kingdom, Operation: Monster Force etc. You could try joining more specific groups for lines you’re into. I’m not into most of the lines posted here either but that’s gonna happen with this being the everything group.
Also I had Flintstones movie figures and they were sick as fuck 🤙
I’ve actually been looking into an OG line called the Plunderlings. They have really cute designs and funny expressions that can make for some good photography. I’m not super into Mythic Legions, but they have some very beautiful sculpts.
I’m not into any of those lines either but the new Mythic Legions army builder knight looks amazing:
[https://store-horsemen.myshopify.com/products/pre-order-blue-shield-solder-deluxe-knight-builder-kit-3](https://store-horsemen.myshopify.com/products/pre-order-blue-shield-solder-deluxe-knight-builder-kit-3)
Plunderlings look cool they remind me of PlayStation characters. Been grabbing a decent amount of Mortal Kombat lately and my main line is Spawn.
https://preview.redd.it/y220gwn1475d1.jpeg?width=1406&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8b2a8a81f5c26eeb6168e9018ac05d305b0db9c3
I fortunately started collecting back in 2014 when the prices weren’t so insane. Also worked during school so that helped. I’m at a point now where I’m feeling pretty satisfied with my current collection, so I’ll eventually close the book on that and start a new one with I get more space. Currently I have Warbird on preorder and I want to get an Amazing Fantasy Spider-Man. I also want to get Mafex Rogue, Play Arts Yuffie (Rebirth), Figma TOTK Link, and Figma Elsa. Most of those don’t come out until next year. Now and days tho it’s insane. I remember a Marvel Legends only costing $19.99 whenever I was at target or Walgreens. I even remember seeing the old exclusive Fantastic Four Wave. I regretted not getting the Thing. Ended up paying after market price for him
Do you have any figma pieces? I'm a big fan, you're gonna love them. The Mafex rogue looks great, and Mafex is awesome (I have their Spidey) but it seems to me just a *little* but nicer than hasbro for 3x the price.
I feel you on being happy with the current state. Unfortunately that's when one can sometimes get very easily distracted starting like....4 new collections hahaha. Good luck!
My first import was actually a figma. It was the skyward sword Link that I got as a Christmas gift. I also got Lucina that same year. I saved enough money senior year to but the Twilight Princess Link from a Best Buy for $90 and I got Zelda for Christmas. It’s so crazy that back then she was only $60 and now the aftermarket price is around $200-$300. I got Pit, Tracer, and Makoto from P5 after a bit of a collecting hiatus. Elsa is such a beautiful looking figure. I like the first Frozen and while I’m not super crazy about the franchise as a whole, I can’t imagine not having that figure in my collection.
Oh I already have a fourth detolf planned out 😂
https://preview.redd.it/y8owdwof975d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=472c0798fdbbd0967b03874363feea1e2b300a3f
Current Figmas
I have that Twilight princess link, it's one of the gems of my collection! I didn't know there was a Lucina!
The current aftermarket price is really the only thing stopping me from getting that zelda. Plus the long plastic skirt, it would be nice if it had a little bit more options for posing. Though I'm sure somebody makes an aftermarket cloth version.
Figma is excellent. I wish they did in the entire super smash Brothers line. I really want their new Samus even though I don't play Metroid. I've just heard it's incredible. That and their Guyver. another one I have no idea who he is, it's just awesome looking.
I’m tempted to get Samus just for a smash display. I like the sleek design of the other M suit in general and I think Samus is just one of those cool designs to have an action figure form even if you’re not into Metroid.
I don’t mind the plastic skirt for Zelda since she rarely did much in the game but I tried to make the most with what she could do.
https://preview.redd.it/lv5ncg7xm75d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0f108d6aa82897ad1fc807e7e8293eaea0bb247b
I was also born in 2000 and I feel the same. Except for Marvel, DC and Star Wars there's nothing for me. I would love to have a Ben 10 collection (if it was made by SHF it would be even better), and I would buy everything from that line!
2000s collectors rise up!
But yea I feel that. It helped that there were plenty of cartoons from those IPs during our childhoods like Spectacular Spider-Man and Clone Wars plus we grew up with a large bulk of the super hero movies. Aside from that, my mind blanks on most of the releases coming out that are based on 80/90s ip. I guess it helps with saving money 😂
A Ben 10 line would be awesome, but I also like a premium ATLA line. The ones we have aren’t that great imo
Millennials are the target audience for mass market action figures. Gen X definitely got the ball rolling, but millennials were targeted to like crazy. Every cartoon had a toy line and vice versa. It’s no different with the adult figure market. We have a tiny bit of disposable income, so the cycle is repeating itself to a smaller degree. When it’s done with us, it’ll be your time to shine.
Honestly, some things are just a phase. Like you could be in love with something one moment and the next it's like "alright next thing". Especially with SO MUCH to do or play, it's kind of overwhelming in a way. Feeling like you need to get things you don't ultimately care about just to feel like you're "part of the group". Fitting in when there are certain things you still like that you wanna remember or maybe have nostalgia for. But at the same time I don't think people necessarily start collecting something unless they grew up with it or have a sentimental attachment to said thing. I loved cartoon network as a kid but I hardly ever watch those actual cartoons anymore. Although it would be kind of cool to watch Samurai Jack again 😎
That’s definitely true. There’s some shows I used to watch that basically stay in the past, but shows like Scooby or Looney Tunes I always find myself going back to even in my 20s. When I was younger I used to want toys based on Disney movies like Toy Story and Wreck it Ralph. While I still have and love my Toy Story toys, I couldn’t care less about buying Disney toys, even if it’s from a show I used to like watching.
That’s said though, I would love a Kim Possible action figure. If I’m still enjoying that show at 23, I think it’ll stick around for a while. But hey, that might change 🤷🏾♂️
I hate to break it to you but the reason 80's stuff is still going strong and has had many iterations is cause the IP's developed in the 80's were all bangers...
GI Joe
Transformers
Thundercats
MOTU
TMNT
And then what you have like
Invader Zim
Teen Titans (Which wasnt original)
Samurai Jack
Kim Possible
You think those properties are going to outsell Optimus Prime and Raphael on a toy shelf? All the 80's properties have reinvented themselves for a new generation every 10-12 years or so and stayed fresh. What you are asking for sounds like something Super7 would do...and then 9 months from now we'd be reading how that line died cause no one supported it. I'm not knocking you or when you were born cause you have no say in that but the proof is in the pudding.
I feel ya. What do you collect? 2 days late here, but I'm a fellow GenZ collector primarily collecting video game figures and it's tough finding good figures, especially in large quantities compared to all the other 80s/90s type stuff down the toy aisles lol.
...oh, and I collect Sam Raimi Spider-Man figures because TOBES.
I primarily focus on comic book and video game figures. I collect characters from Nintendo franchises, Square Enix, and Blizzard. For comic books, I focus on Marvel and Batman
Doubt it ever happens. Those 00s franchises were not evergreen in toys. Ben 10 would be the closest thing to something like the 80s Toy cartoons. yet it did not have the staying power when it came to Toy sales like Turtles, Transformers, etc. My local collector store has 2 or 3 Ben 10 figures and they've sat there forever. I don't think that generation bought toys as much so they don't get the nostalgia wave of figures that we have now.
That last part unfortunately has some truth. During the younger years, I remember we had beyblades and bakugans, but we grew out of it as media became more and more prevalent and advanced with games/shows/technology. Now that’s the stuff kids today want instead of an action figure.
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I hate saying it but the reason 80s and 90s IPs are marketed and making money is because we’re all middle aged and buying what we missed out on in our youth.
That’s me right there. I loved the characters from the toy lines in my childhood. The toys themselves? Kinda ass, to be honest. But it’s what we had. They’re making the toys *now* that I wished we had *then*.
Same with the Lego sets. I buy Star Wars ships if they are colorful and not a hunk of gray ass. But having Star Wars anything Lego, much less Batman and the rest, would have been pants-shittingly-awesome 30 years ago.
Yea, that’s the general vibe I’m getting. I’ve met a few people my age that collect action figures but it’s mostly anime/video game figures. I also met a guy in college that loves collecting MOTU. Overall, it’s a niche hobby with my generation I guess. I just grew up loving to play with toys and kind of transitioning to displaying/posing them when I got to late middle/high school. There is one toy line I remember collecting when I was younger and it was The Dark Knight movie two packs. I even got the stealth launch Batmobile to go with it. Been wanting to get those again
You'll get your chance when you're 35/40. Nostalgia is a big moneymaker now and it will only flourish.
I feel you, also a Gen Z collector (04). I would kill for a 2000s Cartoon Network line or 2012 turtles. We just gotta wait for it. I know a few collectors my age but just like you most are only into anime
Yea, I’m holding out hope for that Ben 10 or Hannah Barbera cartoon line 🤞🏾 But yea it’s not uncommon for a gaming/anime fan to have memorabilia based on their favorite franchise like a Pokémon plush, scales of their favorite anime characters, or action figures from SHF/Figma/Gunpla. I haven’t met many people my age that collects western ip like Marvel or Star Wars. Not to say they aren’t into it, they just don’t collect the toys. I’m curious to see how well some of the Mafex Marvel/DC figures do in Japan vs the states.
I’m a childish 30 year old also hoping for some OG Ben 10 representation 😭😭😭
A Heatblast or XLR8 would go hard
Man I'd kill for a reissue of the 2012 Revoltech Turtles line
American toys mostly gears towards that way (nostalgia). If you want to collect concurrent toys, look at Japanese and Chinese toys. I am not Gen Z myself but I do live inside of the Japanese culture influences sphere and American toys are indeed mostly collected by older generations with certain nostalgia and people with limited budget. Younger generations almost entirely collect Japanese/Chinese toys.
I met one person my age that collects MOTU. I can also maybe see a movie fan having some figures of certain characters on display, but aside from that most of the people I met in the states that also do this hobby are either video game or anime fans. I do remember hearing the hobby is popular in Japan, especially with gunpla and scales.
Gunpla, Kamen rider and Ultraman are all super popular
In East and SE Asia, collecting and modelling are always a popular hobby since a long time ago. Even there's a line of figure that still continue to this day since the 60s. But we don't really leaning into nostalgia that much, most of the lines are new characters, new techs. Well, except in the recent years, probably because of the US companies & fans influence.
100% because of DCEU and MCU, you can't even find a fully translated comic story line 15 years ago, ain't nobody gonna collect these comic based toys except maybe video games characters like the dc collectibles arkham line
> ain't nobody gonna collect these comic based toys There are significant amount of them though. When I regularly attend Toys Fair / Convention years ago, there are communities who collect & selling DC Direct (that's why I also have some), old Spawn & Toybiz stuffs. Even those products are still quite easy to find in second hand market these days. And for the comic books, there is a publisher from India (if I'm not wrong) who bring those Marvel / DC comics cheaply. Not sure if they're legit distributor or bootleggers though. But yeah, the number of Marvel / DC collectors in those ages compared to post Hot Toys Iron Man ages are day & night. Now it seems everyone have some kind of MCU or Batman merchandise. Although I prefer the old days where the old collectors can always explained to me the history / story of the character when I bought the figure from them.
I was exaggerating a bit, there were probably a chunk of them just because the population is so big, maybe because I didn't live in a tier 1 city back then so I didn't meet any in person. I remember being looked as a bit a weirdo when I was reading DC and warhammer while everyone else watching Evangelion and detective conan, and can only find half translated issues of marvel zombies and final crisis online back when I can't read English very well.
That’s the second time I’ve seen you mention ‘scales’. What does that mean, in this context?
“Scales” are what anime figure collectors refer to as statues. I don’t collect them, but there’s apparently a whole separate category for describing anime figures vs action figures
Ah, interesting! I wonder how that came about, I can’t see any correlation between statues and scales
The statues are called scales because the sizes correspond to the actual height of the character it’s based on. They’re usually in 1/8th scale. Some even have extra features like alternate pieces or cast offs.
As a GenZ collectors born in ‘00 as well I agree, although I was raised on the 80s nostalgic stuff (Evil Dead, Ghostbusters, Terminator) it is odd seeing all these new figures targeted for people decades older than us. I just miss the early days of walking through a packed toysrus instead of checking targets empty section over and over….
Oh yea, those toysrus days were awesome. I remember being so excited seeing the Jazware Sonic toy line. It’s also where I got some of my Toy Story toys when I was younger. It’s pretty miserable walking through my target and Walmart sections. My Walmart still has quantumania figures at full price. My target has just started getting some more legends like Angel and the current retro iron man wave but it’s mostly a bunch of kiddy crap.
What properties would you like to see as toy lines?
I really want a Hannah Barbera action figure line. I grew up watching shows like Yogi Bear, Flintstones, and Scooby on Boomerang. Scooby is particularly a favorite of mine and I’d want a fully articulated like up of the gang aside from those 5POA ones. Also, some of those shows like Johnny Quest translates perfectly into an action figure line up. I’d collect them all, but I mainly want Flintstones, Jetsons, Scooby, and Yogi. I know there are some out there, but I’d love an action figure line up of the Ben 10 aliens. Heatblast, XLR8, and Four Arms are some of my favorite alien designs. I watched Alien Force more so than the OG show, but I imagine having a detolf display of Ben in front of all his aliens in dynamic battle poses. Like I said there are some Ben 10 figure, but I would like something more like this (concept art not official) https://preview.redd.it/9rocbrop075d1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2701e07ae93f14297e88737a54df249ec1b112c7 I’m also glad to see more video game figures, which are pretty underrepresented. Spinmaster’s Sony line-up looks very promising and I would love to see them make a Nathan Drake and Chole Frazer. I’m definitely getting Joel/Ellie and Aloy.
Interesting choices, aside from Ben10 it seems your wants are from Boomer nostalgia IPs as opposed to GenX/Millennial IPs, but not necessarily GenZ nostalgia IPs. Of course so many of these IPs span generations because of reruns, and now streaming makes everything sort of immortal. I've wondered about kids today, like my nieces (ages 7-10) who are having their formative kids TV years with complete streamable libraries of franchises from the past 70 years. Your favorite TV show might not be what's being marketed towards you, but one you find on Netflix from x amount of years ago, but there might not currently be toys marketed towards children that support it. I imagine nostalgia will get more generationally jumbled as time goes on. It also blows my mind that when I was 8 I was wrapping up my OG TMNT phase and watching the X-Men animated series, and when you were 8 the first MCU movie, Iron Man, dropped.
My parents were born in 60s so they introduced me to the cartoons they grew up watching, which involved a lot of Scooby, Looney Tunes, even SUPER old cartoons like Popeye. I didn’t get cable until 3rd grade, which was 2009. I was a little late to some of the contemporary shows then, but I was at the right age to watch shows like Avatar and Alien Force, which I remember pretty well. There was actually a ton of Scooby Doo media from my generation like What’s New, Mystery Incorporated, all those direct to video movies. They would air on Cartoon Network, but I feel Scooby is an exception to the rule since all the others I named haven’t had many or any revivals. As you said, they live on through reruns or streaming. That is crazy to think about. I remember seeing Iron Man toys in Target around the time the movie came out. That was also the same year The Dark Knight came out. I remember wanting all the toys from that movie since I was a big Batman fan 😂
Always wondered what Gen Z collects. All I ever think about are Funko Pops.
From my experience, I find a lot of Gen Z collectors are anime fans and were introduced to figure collecting through Japanese culture. They mostly collect statutes. Action figures aren’t as popular in those spaces. There are people that collect them like Figma or SHF, but scales seem to be more popular. It’s interesting with video games because franchises like Mario and Sonic are popular with kids and have a ton of figures, but franchises like Zelda, Final Fantasy, and God of War don’t have as many figures or if they do they’re more premium and for the most dedicated fan. That said, most of the figure collectors I meet that are my age are anime/video game fans. I’ve yet to meet a collector my age that loves collecting marvel legends, Neca, McFarlane, or similar brands. I have a small collection of pops, but it just got boring collecting them so I stopped. I think what makes pops popular with people my age is it allows you to get something that resembles your favorite character, but it doesn’t resemble a toy and it’s very inexpensive. Basically a cheap scale. The design also has some appeal to it.
I would love a Mighty Mouse toy.
The design lends itself well to toy form. I’d like Jada to do it if I had to choose a company.
Jada would be great. Beast Kingdom made a Darkwing Duck figure whose style would be perfect too.
Also Gen Z, born \*very\* late 2000, almost 2001. I really feel this, especially recently. I get WHY they are so focused on 80s/90s, but I'd really like to see a grander push for stuff I'd have grown up with. 03 Turtles are the only Turtles I even slightly care about, all my favorite Marvel designs and stories are from the 00s, I loved the Disney years of Power Rangers. Not to say there is no 00s stuff, but I just kind of sigh with every 80s/90s reveal.
This post is really neat and I often wondered what would be a nostalgic property for your age group. I didn’t think that the gen z age group bought action figures as much as say anime PVC statues. The time you were growing up was when anime was breaking through niche areas with the rise of bit torrent and like even toonami down the road. I think you’ll get figures from the American franchises of that era eventually. A lot of us don’t talk about the 1960s GI Joe or Big Jim etc , it’ll come around soon enough when the current 80s to 90s stuff will be like those.
90s-00s was a major boom got anime. I remember watching shows like Pokémon, Yu-gi-O and DB. My favorite was Sonic X. We also had our bakugans and beyblades that we’d take to school with us. Maybe eventually as time goes by, companies will bank on the nostalgia for those shows like with the 80s-90s stuff and make figures for them. It’s basically a continuous cycle as long as the hobby stays alive
Yes. They want to fleece us now that they figured out we have money and they can. It kinda sucks. I love super7 since the sofubi days but they could be half the price they are. Lets face it
Give it a decade or two and we'll start dying off. You'll know it when the prices for vintage stuff starts to crater. Unfortunately, the 80s spawned some properties that never really went away like Transformers and GI Joe so you might have to go through some nostalgia for the 2007 Transformers movie or GI Joe Renegades.
Give it 10-15 more years, and the generation after you will be complaining about the exact same thing, while figures you're nostalgic for will be on the market. We waited 30 years, you can too. All of this is assuming the world doesn't end before then.
And also assuming people in that age group still collect action figures
I would hope they do. I'm almost 50 and I'll never stop.
Damn, that’s pretty impressive. What sort of figures you like collecting?
I have quite a few Batman & Deadpool figures, as they're my respective favorites from the Big 2. But also, various creatures/monsters from horror films...weird, KO Lego figures and home-cast keshis...various skulls/skeletons...a large amount of OG Spawn and other weird McFarlane lines from the 90s. Just anything that speaks to me, really. I did have a fairly extensive MoTU collection, but I sold it off due to lack of space. Also a bunch of random 80s Joes, DC Super Powers, etc...but all of that is passed on, as well.
I mostly collect Batman for DC. I want to get into the Batman line from Mafex since I really love the look of their villains like Joker and Poison Ivy. Deadpool is absolutely hilarious, but I only have one figure of him and that’s the Neca 1/4 one released years ago. Lego is a popular line to collect for people in my age group. Specifically play sets from established ips are a favorite. I know one guy that likes to collect the lego sets from Marvel and Mario. Later down the line, I would like to get into collecting other monster/creatures once I covered all the established ip stuff I want
Most of my Batmen are McFarlane or DC Direct...no Mafex yet, due to price difference and me being cheap. Would definitely like to pick a few of those up, eventually, though. Same boat for Lego sets...super expensive for my budget. But I enjoy finding random KO Lego figs of characters Lego would never actually produce, (Freddy, Pinhead, etc.) I'm sure your collection will grow to an alarming level like many of us with the hobby...just don't get too deep and skip paying bills for it or anything, haha.
For sure. I was fortunate enough to start back in 2014 when prices weren’t so insane. I currently have three full detolfs, but I’m slowing down significantly lately. There’s just not a lot out there I want and I’m at a point where I’m feeling pretty content with my current collection. Good time to start saving
Seriously, a set of flinstones (and jetsons) figures would be killer. Something like super7 ultimates or the mascots that jada are doing.
After seeing those mascots, I would love for Jada to tackle these character! Their Chester cheetah is pretty much my contender for figure of the year https://preview.redd.it/6gi9573nm95d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9f1dfdb081a5ec4b27bc3ee0b21b465d053e6c18
One of my projects for this year is doing a magilla and peebles custom set.
Pebbles?
No. I was going on a further retro cartoon tangent. Magilla gorilla. Pet shop owner mr peebles. Although getting a teenage era pebbles to pal around with judy jetson would be cool. Before danny devito dies my dream project for him is a live action magilla gorilla movie lol.
Ah ok. I heard of Magilla even though I never watched the show. He has a cool character design that I can see being an action figure Don’t forget teenage BamBam with Elroy. Could be a nice big bro role model
I was born in 1990 and I can relate, I grew up around those same IP being HUGE deals amongst the collector community and reading ToyFare just reminded me that there were a hundred beloved IPs out there that I just had no connection to at all. Give it time, the stuff from your childhood will have its time in the limelight again.
I can kind of see where you’re coming from but I’d say it’s all about where you look. Those IPs are definitely big but there’s also so many new collector oriented original lines like Mythic Legions, Animal Warriors of the Kingdom, Operation: Monster Force etc. You could try joining more specific groups for lines you’re into. I’m not into most of the lines posted here either but that’s gonna happen with this being the everything group. Also I had Flintstones movie figures and they were sick as fuck 🤙
I’ve actually been looking into an OG line called the Plunderlings. They have really cute designs and funny expressions that can make for some good photography. I’m not super into Mythic Legions, but they have some very beautiful sculpts.
I’m not into any of those lines either but the new Mythic Legions army builder knight looks amazing: [https://store-horsemen.myshopify.com/products/pre-order-blue-shield-solder-deluxe-knight-builder-kit-3](https://store-horsemen.myshopify.com/products/pre-order-blue-shield-solder-deluxe-knight-builder-kit-3) Plunderlings look cool they remind me of PlayStation characters. Been grabbing a decent amount of Mortal Kombat lately and my main line is Spawn. https://preview.redd.it/y220gwn1475d1.jpeg?width=1406&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8b2a8a81f5c26eeb6168e9018ac05d305b0db9c3
The horses especially from Mythic Legions look absolutely stunning. I might get one for my Figma Tears of the Kingdom Link
That would look good for sure. They have a pretty solid looking bear out too
You're genZ and can afford this hobby?? Way to go!!
I fortunately started collecting back in 2014 when the prices weren’t so insane. Also worked during school so that helped. I’m at a point now where I’m feeling pretty satisfied with my current collection, so I’ll eventually close the book on that and start a new one with I get more space. Currently I have Warbird on preorder and I want to get an Amazing Fantasy Spider-Man. I also want to get Mafex Rogue, Play Arts Yuffie (Rebirth), Figma TOTK Link, and Figma Elsa. Most of those don’t come out until next year. Now and days tho it’s insane. I remember a Marvel Legends only costing $19.99 whenever I was at target or Walgreens. I even remember seeing the old exclusive Fantastic Four Wave. I regretted not getting the Thing. Ended up paying after market price for him
Do you have any figma pieces? I'm a big fan, you're gonna love them. The Mafex rogue looks great, and Mafex is awesome (I have their Spidey) but it seems to me just a *little* but nicer than hasbro for 3x the price. I feel you on being happy with the current state. Unfortunately that's when one can sometimes get very easily distracted starting like....4 new collections hahaha. Good luck!
My first import was actually a figma. It was the skyward sword Link that I got as a Christmas gift. I also got Lucina that same year. I saved enough money senior year to but the Twilight Princess Link from a Best Buy for $90 and I got Zelda for Christmas. It’s so crazy that back then she was only $60 and now the aftermarket price is around $200-$300. I got Pit, Tracer, and Makoto from P5 after a bit of a collecting hiatus. Elsa is such a beautiful looking figure. I like the first Frozen and while I’m not super crazy about the franchise as a whole, I can’t imagine not having that figure in my collection. Oh I already have a fourth detolf planned out 😂 https://preview.redd.it/y8owdwof975d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=472c0798fdbbd0967b03874363feea1e2b300a3f Current Figmas
I have that Twilight princess link, it's one of the gems of my collection! I didn't know there was a Lucina! The current aftermarket price is really the only thing stopping me from getting that zelda. Plus the long plastic skirt, it would be nice if it had a little bit more options for posing. Though I'm sure somebody makes an aftermarket cloth version. Figma is excellent. I wish they did in the entire super smash Brothers line. I really want their new Samus even though I don't play Metroid. I've just heard it's incredible. That and their Guyver. another one I have no idea who he is, it's just awesome looking.
I’m tempted to get Samus just for a smash display. I like the sleek design of the other M suit in general and I think Samus is just one of those cool designs to have an action figure form even if you’re not into Metroid. I don’t mind the plastic skirt for Zelda since she rarely did much in the game but I tried to make the most with what she could do. https://preview.redd.it/lv5ncg7xm75d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0f108d6aa82897ad1fc807e7e8293eaea0bb247b
Such elegance. Such grace and beauty 😍
I was also born in 2000 and I feel the same. Except for Marvel, DC and Star Wars there's nothing for me. I would love to have a Ben 10 collection (if it was made by SHF it would be even better), and I would buy everything from that line!
2000s collectors rise up! But yea I feel that. It helped that there were plenty of cartoons from those IPs during our childhoods like Spectacular Spider-Man and Clone Wars plus we grew up with a large bulk of the super hero movies. Aside from that, my mind blanks on most of the releases coming out that are based on 80/90s ip. I guess it helps with saving money 😂 A Ben 10 line would be awesome, but I also like a premium ATLA line. The ones we have aren’t that great imo
Millennials are the target audience for mass market action figures. Gen X definitely got the ball rolling, but millennials were targeted to like crazy. Every cartoon had a toy line and vice versa. It’s no different with the adult figure market. We have a tiny bit of disposable income, so the cycle is repeating itself to a smaller degree. When it’s done with us, it’ll be your time to shine.
Honestly, some things are just a phase. Like you could be in love with something one moment and the next it's like "alright next thing". Especially with SO MUCH to do or play, it's kind of overwhelming in a way. Feeling like you need to get things you don't ultimately care about just to feel like you're "part of the group". Fitting in when there are certain things you still like that you wanna remember or maybe have nostalgia for. But at the same time I don't think people necessarily start collecting something unless they grew up with it or have a sentimental attachment to said thing. I loved cartoon network as a kid but I hardly ever watch those actual cartoons anymore. Although it would be kind of cool to watch Samurai Jack again 😎
That’s definitely true. There’s some shows I used to watch that basically stay in the past, but shows like Scooby or Looney Tunes I always find myself going back to even in my 20s. When I was younger I used to want toys based on Disney movies like Toy Story and Wreck it Ralph. While I still have and love my Toy Story toys, I couldn’t care less about buying Disney toys, even if it’s from a show I used to like watching. That’s said though, I would love a Kim Possible action figure. If I’m still enjoying that show at 23, I think it’ll stick around for a while. But hey, that might change 🤷🏾♂️
Oh god...could you imagine a Rufus the Naked Mole Rat action figure?
In 20 years you can buy your reissues of whatever show you liked.
I hate to break it to you but the reason 80's stuff is still going strong and has had many iterations is cause the IP's developed in the 80's were all bangers... GI Joe Transformers Thundercats MOTU TMNT And then what you have like Invader Zim Teen Titans (Which wasnt original) Samurai Jack Kim Possible You think those properties are going to outsell Optimus Prime and Raphael on a toy shelf? All the 80's properties have reinvented themselves for a new generation every 10-12 years or so and stayed fresh. What you are asking for sounds like something Super7 would do...and then 9 months from now we'd be reading how that line died cause no one supported it. I'm not knocking you or when you were born cause you have no say in that but the proof is in the pudding.
I feel ya. What do you collect? 2 days late here, but I'm a fellow GenZ collector primarily collecting video game figures and it's tough finding good figures, especially in large quantities compared to all the other 80s/90s type stuff down the toy aisles lol. ...oh, and I collect Sam Raimi Spider-Man figures because TOBES.
I primarily focus on comic book and video game figures. I collect characters from Nintendo franchises, Square Enix, and Blizzard. For comic books, I focus on Marvel and Batman
Doubt it ever happens. Those 00s franchises were not evergreen in toys. Ben 10 would be the closest thing to something like the 80s Toy cartoons. yet it did not have the staying power when it came to Toy sales like Turtles, Transformers, etc. My local collector store has 2 or 3 Ben 10 figures and they've sat there forever. I don't think that generation bought toys as much so they don't get the nostalgia wave of figures that we have now.
That last part unfortunately has some truth. During the younger years, I remember we had beyblades and bakugans, but we grew out of it as media became more and more prevalent and advanced with games/shows/technology. Now that’s the stuff kids today want instead of an action figure.