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Post by Eric on Dec 5, 2006 12:17:38 GMT -5
Ive wrestled with this for awhile now. On one hand, its great to see all the product thats coming out and really gives you something to look forward to. Also, with sites such as LoG and various others, you can pretty much know where and when a particular release is going to be. On the other hand, there is no more element of suprise. There isnt much of a "hunt". Sure, you go to the store looking for a toy wondering if its actually going to be there in stock or not, but you are expecting it. Plus, if you cant locate the toy, you can just jump on the good ol computer and get it with a click of a button. See, for me, part of collecting was always the thrill of the hunt and the element of suprise of finding something you had no idea about. For the longest time I missed that. So, I now limit myself quit heavily on what i look at as far as upcoming releases.
My question to you all is, have you lost that hunter extinct and rush by relying too much on the internet?
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armothe
Legions Of Gothamite
Posts: 75
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Post by armothe on Dec 5, 2006 14:21:09 GMT -5
Ask old school comic book/toy dealers what they think of the internet. Of course the good ones adapted as such. I do like the hunt, but I like having clues as to where some of the things are. Saves a bunch on gas money! And if you come up empty enough times and give up the hunt you know there is always a resource to readily obtain the final gem/s of your collection.
-A
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ckrtech
Legions Of Gothamite
Posts: 52
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Post by ckrtech on Dec 5, 2006 17:57:36 GMT -5
I consider myself a collector in two different eras. These eras are divided by pre-internet and post-internet.
While that line itself is a bit gray (depends on when each person here first really experienced the web), the differences between the two are quite obvious.
I collected Star Wars toys in the eighties when the line was so much easier to follow. The thrill of the hunt (after the figures had been out of stores) came from flea markets, Toy Shop, and word of mouth among other things. What figures were out? Just look on the back of the card, box, or in the toy catalog that came inside the playsets.
I miss that SO much. The thrill of the hunt of something after it was removed from retail and before the use of the internet was quite a thing. It felt so good to be able to find something, and that was half the battle. You then had to decide if it was priced fairly or not. Maybe it wasn't in the best shape? Well....can beggars be choosers?
If you were retail hunting, most figures were released in decent quantity & dare I say....in a reduced amount of waves that were easier to handle.
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Now you see all sorts of media releases and news regarding toys. Was it this way in the 1980s or before? I do not believe so. I think the large success of action figures and the like in the eighties helped raise toy collecting even higher. It was no longer just misc vintage, Barbie, Hot Wheels, and Star Wars - it was so much more.
The figure existence and their release evolved a bit with the internet. In the 80s, you may have wondered, "are they EVER going to release a Sorceress figure in the Masters of the Universe line??" A few years after He-Man's first release, they did. Nowadays....you know the news. Not only do you know they are going to release a Poison Ivy figure......you know that you're gonna have to wait over a year to get it!!
Just as the internet helps with finding things practically before their release, it also hurts. You aren't going to be burning gas to go around town like mad if you didn't read on the Internet that some toy store in Rhode Island has "The Batgirl" now.
Oh my! Gotta get out there!
In the pre-internet era, you would have probably remained on a normal cycle - check a toy store because you happen to be in the mall, drop by Toys R Us every two weeks or so, etc. Eventually, you would find Batgirl and say "wow! Here she is!" Not knowing (or caring) that someone else may have found her two months ago at that exact same store. Ignorance would be bliss. Some people would burn more gas than others, but extra gas wouldn't be spent due to the latest rumor/picture of a release that you read on the 'net.
But now the Internet is here, and there is no denying it. Your local area may not see product that others are seeing for months! Hey look! Someone has a Robin on ebay! Gotta bid!
It's still a choice. I haven't bought any "new" figures (non vintage) online off the net save like...1 figure from the MOTU 2002 line long after it should have been available. I never checked the net for local releases...I just casually would hit up stores every now and then, and things worked. Well...welll...how would I get anything if all the scalpers are out soaking them up?
Believe it or not, you don't have to be the first one to own a certain toy. If you have patience, you can still enjoy the hunt.
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