2008-WRAP-UP WITH TRE: TOYGODD
TOYSREVIL talks to The TOYGODD ~ 'nuff said!/// CLICK THRU to read on ... if you dare...
TOYSREVIL: Please share with us (lesser mortals) - WHO IS THE TOYGODD?
TOYGODD: Toygodd is just another side of me. It started about 10 years ago when I happened upon a 1701 Captain Picard Limited Edition Star Trek figure. Toygodd was "born" that day. I am opinionated and unafraid to voice said opinion when needed. I am The one AND only TOYGODD! (chuckle)
TOYSREVIL: (I swear there was an all-encompassing echo somewhere at the end LOL) - How have things been for you in 2008? What have you been up to in 2008?
TOYGODD: 2008 has been a year of change for me. I was "downsized" out of my last position in November of last year. I took several months off to ponder what my next step would be. I decided to get a job as an Advance Planning Representative selling Cemetary property. It is quite a rewarding job (although a bit on the strange side I guess).
What have I been doing this past year you ask? Well I have been doing my best to cover the amazing amount of toy companies, especially the vinyl industry for AFTimes. I have seen the biggest expansion in this genre' this year like never before. Companies like Toy2R, Jamungo, 3A, Strangeco, Sucklord, BIC Plastics and so many others have put out some fantastic product. I have to give TRE a lot of the credit for turning me on to many of these companies. I literally stumbled on your site and have wished to god I hadn't ever since, as my bank account has suffered greatly for it! J
TOYSREVIL: I lurves it when folks stumble on here (of coz I can only hope folks never leave, but alas...). What were your milestones in 2008?
TOYGODD: Hmmmmm…that's a tough one. I sold a custom Mega Gwin through October Toys' custom show. That was a true surprise as I literally didn't think it would sell. I think for me just being Toygodd and being able to call as many people in this industry friends of mine is a mile stone. These companies don't have to deal with people like me. The fact that they trust me to give them a quality review on their product, and that they donate product for contests is just a great thing.
TOYSREVIL: Anything you regret doing? And/or regret not doing, in 2008?
TOYGODD: No. I have zero regrets.
TOYSREVIL: What toys does a Toygodd collect? If the Evil Toy Fairy comes and wants to destroy your entire toy collect, but will allow you only to take away one toy to keep, which toy will that be?
TOYGODD: Wow that's a tough question! I have collected quite a bit in my time. A lot of Lord of the Rings from Sideshow Collectibles, tons of Toy2R vinyl (!), Marvel Legends, Star Wars as well as a plethora of vinyl. I truly love what Ashley Wood has done as of late. Both his vinyl and 12" figures are really fantastic! I am really excited at the prospect of a smaller size of his robots as it will mean I can display more of them and not have it kill my wallet as hard.
Tim Tsui's Da Fighter is fantastic. I also love Toyqubes Sharky! I know there is no way I will be able to afford their 36 inch Sharky coming in 2009 but I will wish I could. If I had to take just one toy with me……I guess it would be my Toygodd Qee from Toy2R.
TOYSREVIL: What was the Best toy you bought in 2008? And which one was it you wished you hadn't bought? and why?
TOYGODD: Wow, that's another tough question. The most interesting toy I have bought to date is Ashley Wood's Bramble. Just a freaking awesome hunk of robot vinyl! I love the gattling gun. I also just received my Yellow flocked Tim Tsui Da Fighter. It is really just a cool figure. I am fighting very hard not to buy the "Secret" colorway.
As for which toy did I wish I hadn't purchased? I know this will sound like a cop out but I don't have one. In this economy I try very hard to not to make stupid buying decisions. I buy a lot of what you see in my column (although most people assume I get it all for free) because I like the product and I want to support the companies..
TOYSREVIL: How do you think 2008 fared, in terms of toy quality in the general market? And what's the direction you see it making for 2009?
TOYGODD: Considering the economic meltdown 2008 wasn't too bad! The bulk of action figure product seems to be coming from Hasbro, as they own some of the biggest licenses out there (Marvel, Star Wars, G.I. Joe, Transformers etc.). I think it's a shame that they seemingly mishandled the Indiana Jones license and have now cancelled what looks to be what would have been the best of the line. Mattel certainly has stepped up their game with DC license! Those figures are great and just getting better. Surely a winner for the collector of Super Heros.
The economy will make it so that if you aren't going to make a great product or if you pick a license with almost no "hook" or following, those won't sell. Companies will now have to think long and hard about what to make, as dollars are going to be tight and manufacturing costs will be high due to a lack of factories in China being open.
As for 2009, it looks pretty bright at the moment. Hot Toys has quite a few cool licenses for 12" figures. Diamond Select Toys has their 18" line coming out. That should give some collectors something new and relatively inexpensive (compared to some other companies) product to consider. I am truly excited at Enterbay's offerings! I am a huge 24 fan and the Godfather license has ne drooling (if not wincing at the what the cost might be). The vinyl market looks to be really healthy and expanding by leaps and bounds!
TOYSREVIL: What's your personal take on the current designer-slash-art toy market? Developing (Sub)Culture? Or flash-in-the-pan?
TOYGODD: No way is this a flash in the pan! Toy2R has proven that you can take an art driven toy and make it commercial as well as keeping it a collectible item. 2008 has certainly given collectors out there a lot to chase after. The interesting thing that I have seen is the really super low numbered production of a lot of the "art toy" product. The emerging resin market is also pretty cool! I personally cannot wait to try to get my hands on one of those Jumping Brains! I wish I had known of the 3 packs back in July (groan…I missed that opportunity). Jamungo, 3A, Toy2R, Strangeco, Booty Babe, Tim Tsui and so many more look to be ready to continue to produce high quality cool stuff to chase after!!!
TOYSREVIL: As different as both mass-market products (from big boys like Hasbro) are from designer vinyl are, there seems to be an increasing awareness of both genres ad a subtle crossover brewing - which I suspect is more monetary than cultural-exchange (heh). For example DC Direct doing designer-vinyl-versions of Batman and JLA with Monster5. What is your take on that?
TOYGODD: I was really interested to see that Hasbro was going to make their now popular Mighty Muggs line. I think this product gave the average person a "peek" into the vinyl market. There a quite a few of them to collect and with G.I. Joe and Transformer Muggs coming, I feel that people will start to pass on some of them due to economics.
The DC Direct Batman line is interesting but could be overpriced. If they come out with a cost of $40.00 or less they'll sell. If they're up around $70.00 in my opinion they'll sit (no matter how low the product numbers are or how many "chase" variants they make). The economics of today won't support it. Hell, those were supposed to have already come out and were put on hold due to a lack of orders. The price point will have to be enticing to get people to buy those. I think anything that gives collectors a look into something a bit out of their usual line of sight is cool.
TOYSREVIL: Recession? What recession? With all this talk of an impending worldwide slump, how do you think the toy market will do, in the very near future? Or will it not be affected much at all? How does one "survive" in the new year to come? Is the market expanding, or shrinking?
TOYGODD: I don't know what it's like in Singapore but here in the USA we are hurting. Jobs are disappearing on a daily basis and the stupid factor has clearly jumped off the scale and is running rampant. I am hopeful that the new administration will clearly begin what looks to be a long painful and process of bringing us back from the brink. Greed is a live and well here. (My opinion is that the mortgage brokers, bankers and just plain greedy home buyers have somehow injected a type of cancer into the world economic system. Chemo therapy will be long and painful but I am extremely hopeful that the patient will survive).
That being said the toy market will survive. It will have it's bumps like everything else. We may not see the usual "amount" of product. I think we will definitely see a lot less movie shlock in 2009. No one is going to make product (and stores won't buy product) that won't sell or will have to be clearenced out the door.
How does one survive in this market you ask? That's simple…make good buying decisions. Some toys just won't get bought! I have always said that if you like it buy it, if not pass. In 2009 if you pass on something the possibilities are that the secondary market will be the only place to buy it. The market has shrunk a bit in my opinion. The smaller companies will have a harder time getting product made as well as put into stores!.
For those people out there thinking it's 1995 and if you make it people will buy it just because… there's a rude awakening coming around the corner. Fringe licenses, fringe characters with no current hook or following will not be successful. If the product isn't made as good as it can be made it won't sell. Today's collector is very savy and very discriminating. Crap will not sell.
TOYSREVIL: Totally agree on all fronts. To add to that, the "sell-line" may not necessarily work as much anymore - when folks choose to open their eyes and actually READ what they read, sincerity will be recognized more readily, IMHO. And in a market where every item on the toy-shelves are grabbing at your eye-balls, tugging at your wallets and credit cards - that to me makes a difference, at last in the more consumate purchaser. How much brand or artist loyalty worth?
The mood in Singapore is - politically-correct" speaking - "upbeat" about surviving the impending recession, but the "fact" is told in our faces everyday in near every media. There's no escaping it, I suppose ... coming back to the interview at hand - What have you gained from the experiences you've had in 2008? What are you looking forward to in 2009? (to buy, to do etc)
TOYGODD: I have gained a lot of respect for those artists that have made great toys and have made them well. I have gained a lot of new friends and aquaintences in the toy industry. I am very grateful to every single person I have had the priviledge to get to know and who has given me not only their time but their products to cover.
I am so looking forward to more vinyl. It's become my "drug" of choice. It's expensive and sometimes hard to get but I truly appreciate the genre'.
While I know I'll find it hard to find all of the money to do it, I really plan on buying a lot of Hot Toys figures. Those Iron Man 12"ers look awesome. Having a "Dutch" from Predator will be cool as Arnold is the Govenor of my state of California! I am very excited to see the new Diamond Select 18 inch line. I think that could give some other companies a good run for the dollars out there that collectors have to spend. I am also interested to see just what movies have product made! That will be the hardest segment to be hit in my opinion. (I could be wrong).
TOYSREVIL: As the year closes - any wishes for friends and words of wisdom for naysayers? Any shoutouts?
TOYGODD: Well Andy I want to wish you a Happy and Healthy holiday season and a great 2009. I am very glad to have found your site. I am unsure of just how you manage to dig out all of the news you do but it is just amazing. My wallet is hurting because of this site but it's something I'll live with.
I want to shout out to the greatest editor on the planet, Glen "Umpire" Harman. Umpire is the reason that AFTimes keeps running as smoothly as it does. His dedication and creativity is a good part of the reason I have yet to retire! Capt. Collector is a very close friend of mine. He works hard all year long to bring news of Super Hero figures to the readers of AFTimes and beyond. The site wouldn't be as good if he wasn't apart of the machine. Andrew Gaughan, my former editor, is the reason Toygodd exists at all. He gave me my first opportunity to be on the net (as he gave all of us who write or ever wrote for AFTimes, our opportunity to be on the net and become who we are today) My eternal thanks to him. I want to thank my wife for not killing me. My hobby creates quite a bit of chaos and clutter around my house. If not for her patience I would probably be in the doghouse! I certainly want to thank all of the companies and artists out there for making such cool toys and giving me the opportunity to cover them
There are so many readers of my column and of AFTimes that I want to say thank you to. If it weren't for the readers, TG wouldn't be around
As for naysayers and my detractors….LOL There is one particular person out there who seems to revel in blaming me for all of his ills. Of course, if this individual looked in the mirror and actually had a grasp of reality, he would realize the fault is his and his alone.
I write a column(s) for a website. I am not a reporter or a "journalist. I don't have an obligation to report on everything. I can't report on product that isn't made. There is always going to be someone who doesn't agree with my opinion or like me. Let me be clear in this regard…I just don't care. I have my group of close friends and that's enough for me. Just like toys, if you like the site, read it. If not, there are plenty of other places to read about toys (probably none as diverse as AFT but others J )
TOYSREVIL: The freedom of choice is what most folks choose not to see, IMHO. They'd rather go and poop on a site, than spend the time participating in something that may help enrich whatever they are pooping on, IMHO. As I type this, it is alreadfy X'mas Eve Singapore time - so what are YOU gonna be doing this Christmas, and where are you going to be at the stroke of midnight, 2009?
TOYGODD: I am actually going to be traveling to the East Coast for the holidays to visit family. I am hoping I don't freeze. As for the stroke of midnight…probably at home watching the tube with my family. New Years isn't all that big for me. My birthday is just afterwards so I'll look forward to that.
Rock on Andy! Your site is fantastic. If I had one thing to say is SHUT IT DOWN!!!!!!! You're driving me to bankruptcy. J J J
TOYSREVIL: BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA *ahem* :)
