hobbydayz: the luck of the draw

i've never had what one may call; "the luck of the draw" - in this instance; your regular run-of-the-toy-mill blind-boxed figures, much less with "chases" (and the only "mystery" about them was why the heck i still continue to persist in my slapstick-luck everytime my fingers touch a box LOL) ... even during thy bygone era of collectible trading cards, chase and/or mystery cards always bypass me (with nary a smile nor even a taunt) ... and to be frank, i've been trying to avoid knowing (online) about the new Dunny Series 4 nor it's chases (no thanks to KR-forum threads i tells yas! LOL) ... and let's not even begin to go into Re-Ment figures, yeh? (the 1/6th-scaled "props" are absolutely fabulous - shut up).

but if all it is is LUCK, then i'll have to admit; it had never been ALWAYS for lack of luck ... /// CLICK HERE TO READ MORE

my first ever experiences with blind-pulls were actually collectible trading cards, effin decades ago ... i remembered scoffing at my fellow comicbook-buying frens for buying a pack of trading cards without knowing what's inside! but of coz i gamely caved in to phantom peer-pressure played along one fine day, and my first pull yielded a prizm-foil chase card! = and from then on, "they" had their claws dug deep into me, and deep ... i graduated from multiple loose packs, to boxes (but never "cases" tho) - until it became such a blinding obssession.


i longed for "the chase", and everything in my life revolved around "complete sets" - and all that, without the benefit of the www and toy-forumboards (urgh) - hell, i even had a little 555-notebook multiple notebooks, filled with scribbled missing card numbers for what i know now to be too huge a variety and genre of card sets ... madness ...


... some say "focus" is the key to a prolonged hobby-experrience, which i do not disagree with ... but what if everything was desirable and pweeeettyyyyy? *muahahaha*

i claim not to be hardcore, for i've met folks that have been, by the case-loads, who LIVED for the chase, and ONLY the chase, regular sets be thrown or given away (*gasp*) ... i was at the precipeice of abject assimilation, but i managed to turn away in time ... *cough*

even if you asked me now, which ones are the most precious or most valuved, i'd say ALL of them are .. but on the same token, they are all WORTHLESS ... becoz at the bottom-end of the secondary market, they are only worth as much as your memory allows you of having them in the first place, IMHO.

years later, im still surrounded by stacks and endless stacks of loose and complete series (all self-packed and collated in clear-plastic) and i realize, maybe i wasn't that lucky when it came to blind-pulls, innit? and i "swore" to myself not get involved with anything that needed "the luck of the draw" ... *heh*

and even years later, when i begun down the spiraling path of collecting toys and vinyls (late-bloomer lah - and i have Michael Lau to blame ;p), i "discovered" Bearbricks. and dammit, they are blind-box-pulls too (i adopted a more prevalent and "healthier" tactic by Series 2 with loose / complete sets) ... and the vortex started and i was sucked-in hard ("swear" only for trading cards what! LOL) - and no, i've never been regarded as lucky with blind-boxes as well ... dammit. but of coz once in an eon (or two) i'd be teased by LadyLuck with a choice chase (i am such her bitch it aint funny no more)

ironically, for trading cards, tracking down the chase wasn't as hard as some folks may think, especially when it came to embossed-foils - there was the extra "bump" in-between cards you'd be able to feel inside the blind-packs, or that slight tinge of friction that regular cards did not have, when it comes to lenticular-holograms, or early autographed-cards ... and even the smoothness of straight-up holograms felt differently amidst regulars ... it was all in the touch and a tinge of audio-efficiency, IMHO.


but when it came to Bearbricks? every box weighed the same. all forms were similar. encased within a blind-box, can you really hear the difference by rattling the box? would this heavier-feeling box be the one you want? ah, but different-shaped figurines were different, case in point Kidrobot's various shaped+sized figures :p

of coz thru time, folks found different ways to trump the chase, by poking a tiny hole thru the foil-packs, or as some local shops do, literally just open the darned box, take out the chase and pop the regulars back in and tape down with cello-tape! not even hot-gluing it or whatever ways to conceal the fact that they have already been opened! on the other hand, there are shops who DO open them, but choose to label the boxes with their contents, regardless of chase or regulars! (not gonna tell ya who tho muahahahahaha)

it's a dangerous mindset, blind-boxes, becoz they are affordable and appeals to the innante gamblers latent in all of us (generalizing, of coz) - AND im not even going into the clickety-click realm of Gashapon Machines, mind ... and there really should be a Blind-Box-Anonymous where collectors can go to for counseling or solace :)


but every once in a while, i'd be curious enough to pop into a toyshop (i actually avoid them now, in lieu of my oft lamented financial-deficency) and i'll find myself pawing an open case of blinds, shaking them, listening for differences - a habitual mechanizm, i reckon (heh) and every once in a while, when i have a bit of spare change in the barren wallet, i'd pick one box up and head towards the cashiers (instantly regretting the purchase which i cannot afford) and finding out laterz i'd just pulled another regular dud, not even of a design i liked, much less a chase ... we never do learn, do we? or at least i never do ... heh.

[Disclaimer: this was actually written a few months back, during the period of Dunny Series 4-launch ... just wanted to get this out and delete it from my desktop folders! LOL :p]