#throwbacktoythursday: Lunabee Custom-Dunny & The Meaning of "Collectible Toys" To the Non-Collectors
SWIPE thru above slideshow to views snaps for a closer look at this custom-painted Dunny from Sara Miskelly AKA Lunabee = of a generous gift received during my Hospital stay for Stroke in 2010, which I'd reviewed in 2011 ... since gone through some truly unfortunate blemishes over the years of being packed and stored, then packed and stored again - as are a ton of my own collectibles - heartbreaking, actually ... I am constantly surrounded by toy-heartbreaks, tbh.
As well this particular piece holds a personal story, and a somewhat "enlightening" one to my bloglife, actually ...
I had received this piece somewhen during my second month of hospital stay for my Stroke recovery in late-October 2010. At that time I've already moved from the Acute Stroke Ward in Changi General, to the St. Andrews Community Hospital quite literally opposite the road. Mum and dad had brought the package to any bedside - which they often did, as I'd been receiving constant care packages from blessed folks ... and as I was opening this particular box which held this Dunny, one of my nurses looked at it with interest and asked "What is this?" - to which I regaled her what a "custom toy" was, in relation to what I blog about daily, and a quick summary of the "designer toy culture/world" I had dwelled in ... and her "response" was something that had stuck with me since, or quite frankly, the lack of it.
Perhaps she was gawk marvelling at the art of Lunabee (I certainly was)? ... or maybe she could not grasp the concept of "one off custom painted collectible"? To be fair, I did ask her, and she admitted she had no idea till, and was generally not keen on such "stuff" (Bless her still, though).
And while we/i dwelled in the realm of name-dropping designers/creators and collectibles, to the general public, they might well be "undecipherable alien information" (Okay I over-exaggerate), with most connects of "toys" being McDonald's "Happy Meals" and children's "playthings". There is nothing sinister or oblique about this, this is just a practical reality we might or might not (choose) to face in the society-beyond-toys. And while folks queuing up to procure the KAWS plush from Uniqlo, or the sold out My Melody holders from McDonalds', the idea of "collectible toys" is no doubt different from when I first started this blog in 2005, of course!
These days when asked, I would say I blog about "designer / collectible toys", or quite simply "expensive toys meant for adults" (*which somehow might connect folks' minds to "adult toys", but I don't want to over-think this). One of the sole connects thru the years, is the PRICE with which these items cost and what folks pay thru the secondary market for, which only serves to no doubt "WOW" non-collector folks, which in turn they'd easily compare to something they too are familiar with - be it purchasing or collecting. Comparing this to a "designer handbag" might will be an argument that "handbags have a practical use", innit? LOL
All that is said and done, I remain grateful I could directly geek out over on this blog about these awesome collectibles, without the need to constantly "explain" what they are/were ... although I am still on the constant "crusade" to spread the addiction of
Cheers
Andy TOYSREVIL
ASIDE: I have since gotten in touch with Mr Cris Rose, now husband to Sara K Rose, and father to their gorgeous son Milo, and will perhaps I'll be able to sort this custom out right as rain again ... As well Cris had been exceedingly instrumental in setting up a charity fund for me when I was downed, with proceeds that essentially helped me thru my rehabilitation - to which I will be eternal grateful for him, and the folks involved!
