All your webkiz are belong to me

[Bella_Vixen]

Speaking of CP and their birth certificates, even as a young child I was flabbergasted that:

1. they came with BCs
2. the same "man" apparently "fathered" them all

[Jester]

Now the older Matchbox cars are another story--I have been known to search them out, and raid the crap box at a certain local store...usually to come home with a few.

I still have my Matchbox collection from when I was a kid, although it is in storage back in Phoenix. No, I haven't bought any, used or new, in literally decades, but good luck getting me to ever part with that collection.

It actually includes one of the first two I ever got, when I was about two years old.
(I don't have the other one, but years later I did buy a duplicate of that other one.)

[protege]

I should have mentioned that most of my cars are in good shape, but several aren't. They were made to be played with. That's why most no longer have the original packaging (usually falls apart anyway), the printed graphics are usually worn, and the "glass" is usually scratched. All of those things turn off the collectors....which means I can get the good-but-unwanted toys for usually nothing. Since I like my cars to have some 'history,' (mint ones always look a bit odd to me for some reason) I'm not complaining

[MystyGlyttyr]

I collect wrestling action figures, but I take them out of the box and pose them in my room, so I'm wrecking their collector's value

The only two I never opened were my mislabeled Eddie Guerrero doll (which I recently and quite happily gave to Eddie's brother Hector) and a Rey Mysterio pre-production run doll that I managed to snag basically on accident.

Now, my mother does own some original Beatle trading cards that are probably worth something, and I think we have a really old Superman comic...not a Number One but something in the lower double digit numbers. But those are things that BECAME collector's items, not stuff that was forced into it.

[protege]

Ever meet a Hot Wheels collector? If you do, SHOOT ON SIGHT. Trust me, no court in the land will convict you. Granted, Hot Wheels isn't huge, but it's sustained and persistent, and they appeal from buyers from the casual impulse buyer ("Mommy, I want a race car! Can I have a race car?") to the sad, lifeless 40 year old living in his mother's basement spending 60% of his income trying to track down the last few pieces of a rare set from the 1980's. Toy companies get wet when they think about creating the next Hot Wheels.

I only buy what I like...namely the more "normal" cars. Some of the Hot Wheels stuff is too damned weird Sure, I do get them occasionally, but it's not all the time...and the kitty usually takes them to play with Now the older Matchbox cars are another story--I have been known to search them out, and raid the crap box at a certain local store...usually to come home with a few. I've been trying to collect the older (1960s) stuff, which consisted of cars you'd see on the streets...not the constant stream of Ferraris, Mercedes, and similar. I got lucky last year--not only did I find a nice pair of VW 1600TL fastbacks, but an ISO Grifo, Mercedes 220, and an MG 1100, all of which aren't seen much now. Throw in the little Ford Anglia, and I did OK

[ArenaBoy]

Ugh....Furby's. *shudder*

Don't get me started on that though I have a good memory of one.

My little sister got one for Christmas many years ago. She left it within easy reach for the dog to get it. He was holding the thing in it's mouth and the Furby was freaking out in that annoying mechanical voice.

[DragonRose]

Ugh....Furby's. *shudder*

[Dreamstalker]

I have a problem with "creating" collector's items. Whether something becomes a collector's item should be on it's own merits, such as nostalgia value and such. Not by huge corporation essentially telling people what the latest collector's item is.

Agreed. I collect anime, but in that market there is no "this is the next hot thing and you should buy it NOW" (at least not that I've run across). All the figures I have I've gotten because I like the series, or (for the random ones such as Mecha Musume) I just think they're cool.

[Polenicus]

Well, they don't always work the way the marketing boffos want. One company paid ours to push "Bonz" for them. Not a bad idea-- nucklebones with various shaped plastic bones, with different colors. Some more rare than others, and with planned obsolescense (they planned to retire various colors and designs). In short, it was knucklebones with the M:TG marketing strategy on steroids.

Flopped, big time.

And I'm sure if I paid more attention to kids stuff, I could probably dig up a bunch of ideas that sounded great in the board room, had good marketing campaigns, and still ended up on closeout five months later.

Yeah, lots of companies try and create collectors' crazes. Everyone is trying to be Hot Wheels.

Ever meet a Hot Wheels collector? If you do, SHOOT ON SIGHT. Trust me, no court in the land will convict you. Granted, Hot Wheels isn't huge, but it's sustained and persistent, and they appeal from buyers from the casual impulse buyer ("Mommy, I want a race car! Can I have a race car?") to the sad, lifeless 40 year old living in his mother's basement spending 60% of his income trying to track down the last few pieces of a rare set from the 1980's. Toy companies get wet when they think about creating the next Hot Wheels.

Most collecting crazes don't last though. The flare big and bright, sell huge for... maybe a year, possibly two... and then either drop down to a saner level, supported by just the enthusiasts (If the item has merit on its own) or falls off the face of the earth.

Webkinz? High dive, triple twist into a double somersault, flattening out into a bellyflop into the deep end of oblivion. I give it 18 months tops.

[GingerBiscuit]

just had to check out what they are on amazon. They are kinda cute, and if I can I might get a polar bear for my boyfriend for christmas.

But not worth the hassle you guys are getting for them.

[Sliceanddice]

Uh... it's a web search engine.

i know that but its also a webkinz

[Jester]

Screw procreation. I don't want kids anymore.

Holy shit! One of the two funniest things I've read all day!

I heard the story once of a kid who's cabbage patch doll got chewed up by the family dog. They sent it to the factory (I assume to see if it could be fixed). The factory sent back a death certificate.

And that would be the other one!


This thread makes me thankful of a few things.

1. I still don't have kids.
2. Three of my four nieces are too old to give a crap about Webkinz.
3. The fourth one is still too young.
4. I work in restaurants, not retail, so I never have to deal with this crap.

[AliasWeird]

A common question

.... whats a google???
And i want a pug!!! and a unicorn!!! and a plar bear!! and i should mention i have a stuffed animal problem...

Actually, the Google is a Platypus.

With no arms.

I see I brought up a lot of "fond" memories of Cabbage Patch. Sorry about that. Also, sorry about my Title Typo. Blong = Belong, I just spotted that.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

I heard the story once of a kid who's cabbage patch doll got chewed up by the family dog. They sent it to the factory (I assume to see if it could be fixed). The factory sent back a death certificate.

To quote Jeff Spiccoli in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, the only Sean Penn movie I will ever watch....

"AWESOME! TOTALLY AWESOME!"

[Pagan]

Now, if they had a little stuffed Rey Mysterio...

Or a stuffed Gravekeeper....