Richard Silver's #TopTenToysof2021
WHAT-IS: What are YOUR #TopTenToysof2021? I’ve invited some collectors to share their favs and you can check if they share the same designer toys as you, in this serial feature on TOYSREVIL heralding in the new year of toys in 2022!
For this paricular feature, we welcome back Richard Silver (of The Skull Toys Collective Private Facebook Group) for "Round Two" (Check out his TOP TEN TOYS OF 2020 to view his continued consistency on collecting), and scroll thru to see his selected stash for "2021"...! And stay connected to his Insta @darkbulb to view more of his collections and life!
RICHARD SILVER: When Andy reached out to me in the beginning of the year asking me if I wanted to put together my 'Top 10 Toys of the Year' for 2021 I was hesitant at first. Had I even bought enough to make a list? Had my collection focus become too narrow?
At the end of 2020 I took a long, hard look at my spendings and it was not a very pretty picture.
It made me really question why I bought as much as I did and what it was I truly wanted to collect. This led to some serious self-imposed limitations in terms of what I allowed myself to get. I stepped away from the secondary market as much as I could and tried to, when possible, support the artists by buying directly from them. In the end it elimited a lot of spendings and a lot of toys - but what I did end up buying I found myself treasuring and valuing even more. So could I make a list when the purchases were already so curated and limited to 'just the top' [for me]?
Well, I tried - and below are the ten stand-outs for me from the past year.
TOP TEN TOY OF 2021 (#10)): "Valentine Ruby by Cottontail"
RICHARD SILVER: The true identity behind Cottontail is still somewhat of a mystery (maybe a little bit less these days) - but the Ruby design popped up in various colorways all throughout 2021.
This was my second Ruby and I was really grateful to be able to add it to my collection considering the small edition size and that it was exclusively released through StrangeGallery in Taiwan.
Just like with so many of the other designer toys I collect it does such a great job mixing equal amounts of horror with a sense of humour.
TOP TEN TOY OF 2021 (#9):
"'Nostalgic Singapore' Be@rbricks by Whalerabbit and Mitoys through The LittleBox"
RICHARD SILVER: This entry in my list is not one toy - but five.
They were also not made and sold in 2021 - but in 2016.
But, I did buy them in 2021 - after hunting them for quite some time.
They are; Pools 4D, PETS 1A, Trans Island 852, Kinos Tora and Public Phone.
These were all limited to 10 pieces each and sold as part of a charity drive to support a local organization in Singapore - the Student Care Centre, Woodlands.
I'm normally not a big Be@rbricks collector but the combination of the artists behind it - coupled with the charitable cause makes them very treasured pieces in my collection.
TOP TEN TOY OF 2021 (#8): "Maki by Captain Zeto"
RICHARD SILVER: Captain Zeto creates designer toy pieces that again balance 'horror' and 'comedy' exceptionally well.
There is almost always an element of death; skulls, ghosts, etc but it's always countered with a smile, pose or even a prominent belly button that brings the design back into a lighter mood.
If you're familiar with Captain Zeto you might associate him with the well established ‘Motto’ design but 2021 saw a number of new or updated designs joining the line-up.
I am very excited to have an early 2021 prototype of the “Maki” character and it's proudly displayed next to my Mottos and Zukis :)
TOP TEN TOY OF 2021 (#7): "Gachamon ‘Chicago’ by Fingerguns Studio"
RICHARD SILVER: It had been years and years (ok so "only" about two and a half years) since the last Gachamon release by Fingerguns Studio so when it was announced that there would be a new addition to this emotionless, dead-eyed character lineup - it caused quite a bit of excitement!
Fingerguns released their first Gachamon in late 2018 and finding them on the secondary market these days is near impossible so being able to buy a new colorway as it was released was rather exhilarating.
I adore the truly deadpan look of the Gachamons in general but add to that the fact that Chicago is my favorite city in the US and it scored quite a few extra points. Now to wait and see if I get a chase as well… Fingers crossed.
Note that this is a recent release and have not shipped yet so the accompanying photo is courtesy of Fingerguns Studio.
TOP TEN TOY OF 2021 (#6): "Ikago by Nebby Art"
RICHARD SILVER: It's probably fair to say that Ben Teo of Nebby Art is one of the hardest working toy designers under the ocean waves. His well established Samego (loosely translated as 'Shark Egg') design has appeared as zombies, faux wood pieces, pop culture characters - and everything in between. But even with it appearing in a number of different sizes and material it was still somewhat of a one-character lineup. Well, cue 2021 and the release of a new aquatic character - Ikago!
The first, OG, release is in vinyl featuring a colorway named 'Coraline' (at the time of writing this there are still a few available at the covetrove.com store so hurrycove on over there and see if you can snag one!).
It's still too early to tell if Ikago will be a friend or foe to the mighty Samego but I'm curious and excited to see where this underwater saga will take us next now that we have more actors on the stage. Even though the octopus body and shape is completely new I love that it appears to retain the teeth design from Samego as that ties the two of them together in a very nice way.
Note that this is a current release and have not shipped yet so the accompanying photo is courtesy of Nebby Art.
TOP TEN TOY OF 2021 (#5): "13Art Skullman 3D relief by Unbox Industries"
RICHARD SILVER: Now this isn't even a toy (I'm clearly terrible at rules) - but it does pay homage to the work of one of my favorite toy design artists.
The work is a recreation of an early illustration by Skullman and the size and depth of this 3D piece is very impressive in person and displays so well next to the actual designer toys.
These 3D printed reliefs were made in late 2020 and we were able to source a handful of them for our fan-group "The Skulltoys Collective" on Facebook in early 2021 - and later a second batch of, this time, fully hand painted ones.
What I love about this piece is that it's the same design and look we're so familiar with from Skullman’s toy designs - but presented in such a completely different way.
TOP TEN TOY OF 2021 (#4): "Snowman Frank set by Mitoys"
RICHARD SILVER: Zhongxian Lin of Mitoys, again, shares that same rare design gene that a number of the artists that I follow have - the ability to create instantly recognizable toys regardless of the shape, size or color they come out in.
Mitoys’ ‘Frank’ design has become so iconic that just seeing a silhouette of the head is enough to immediately recognize it. So, when I first saw the Snowman set being teased through social media I knew I had to try to get my hands on a set. The "trouble" was that it was a surprise drop over a 24 hour period. After getting essentially no sleep for 20+ hours as I more or less constantly monitored the site waiting for the drop to happen … I was finally able to press that 'Add to cart' button and pass out on my pillow. I think I own maybe 20-25 pieces by Mitoys and I can't see myself stopping any time soon.
Note that these sets were released in late December, 2021 and have not shipped yet so the accompanying photo is courtesy of Mitoys.
TOP TEN TOY OF 2021 (#3): "KING FOO - The Raging by VYNC x Skall"
RICHARD SILVER: The Fooshita platform has been around for a while now and was created by Skall (formerly Buboo Friend) - and if I read things correctly this collaboration piece might sadly be the end of the line for this toy. But, often when one door closes..another opens up.
The piece itself is 3 inch solid resin and it’s the first one that sold exclusively through VYNC's/Vincent Ow's new sales portal vyncshop.org.
I'm really loving the horns and the raging colorway that VYNC incorporated I and can't wait for it to arrive later this year.
Note that this is a recent release and has not shipped yet so the accompanying photo is courtesy of VYNC.
TOP TEN TOY OF 2021 (#2): "Revenge Samurai by Neko Bako"
RICHARD SILVER: I've been following and collecting Jet Yau's work since 2020 (@jetwinquaker on IG) when the first piece in his "Mark of Ages" series came out. The series features a set of figures starring a feline hero that we follow through various time periods; prehistoric, ancient times, middle ages, etc. This particular piece shows our pawed hero taking on the role of a Samurai in feudal Japan and the details are as always absolutely incredible - from the jagged edges on the heavily used swords to the canon wagon, which has several different inserts.
I've already pre-ordered the 'Plague Doctor' designer toy and can't wait to see them all lined up next to each other as Neko Bako has earned its on shelf in my collection.
TOP TEN TOY OF 2021 (#1):
"Gaki by Tokyo Jesus with a "Raging" Colorway by Vincent Ow/VYNC"
RICHARD SILVER: So at long last we’ve reached what I would consider my personal ‘Designer toy of the year’ and it’s an unusual one for me as it’s a custom one-off piece and I don't think I’ve owned one, less commissioned one, that combines two artists’ work before this one. But, when I had the opportunity to get onto the books Vincent Ow (VYNC) in Singapore and have him work on a blank by another favorite artist of mine - Tokyo Jesus in Japan - it felt like a match made in toy heaven.
I've collected Tokyo Jesus' Gaki designs for a while now, lately focusing more on the smaller sized ones, and find the figures to be both beautiful and thought provoking. I feel that Sayu is constantly pushing his designs and through that helps move designer toys further into what is considered "art" by non-toy collectors. As an example I've had friends who didn't "get" designer toys until I showed them a Tokyo Jesus figure and then it suddenly changed.
In the same way I've been a fan of Vincent Ow's work - be it toy design/conceptualization or paintwork - for a few years now. He also has that rare ability to be able to create a number of very different pieces but they are still uniquely identifiable as his.
The 'raging' colorway suited this Gaki extremely well and became one of my favorite purchases of 2021 as I have such respect for both of these artists.
For this paricular feature, we welcome back Richard Silver (of The Skull Toys Collective Private Facebook Group) for "Round Two" (Check out his TOP TEN TOYS OF 2020 to view his continued consistency on collecting), and scroll thru to see his selected stash for "2021"...! And stay connected to his Insta @darkbulb to view more of his collections and life!
RICHARD SILVER: When Andy reached out to me in the beginning of the year asking me if I wanted to put together my 'Top 10 Toys of the Year' for 2021 I was hesitant at first. Had I even bought enough to make a list? Had my collection focus become too narrow?
At the end of 2020 I took a long, hard look at my spendings and it was not a very pretty picture.
It made me really question why I bought as much as I did and what it was I truly wanted to collect. This led to some serious self-imposed limitations in terms of what I allowed myself to get. I stepped away from the secondary market as much as I could and tried to, when possible, support the artists by buying directly from them. In the end it elimited a lot of spendings and a lot of toys - but what I did end up buying I found myself treasuring and valuing even more. So could I make a list when the purchases were already so curated and limited to 'just the top' [for me]?
Well, I tried - and below are the ten stand-outs for me from the past year.
TOP TEN TOY OF 2021 (#10)): "Valentine Ruby by Cottontail"
RICHARD SILVER: The true identity behind Cottontail is still somewhat of a mystery (maybe a little bit less these days) - but the Ruby design popped up in various colorways all throughout 2021.
This was my second Ruby and I was really grateful to be able to add it to my collection considering the small edition size and that it was exclusively released through StrangeGallery in Taiwan.
Just like with so many of the other designer toys I collect it does such a great job mixing equal amounts of horror with a sense of humour.
TOP TEN TOY OF 2021 (#9):
"'Nostalgic Singapore' Be@rbricks by Whalerabbit and Mitoys through The LittleBox"
RICHARD SILVER: This entry in my list is not one toy - but five.
They were also not made and sold in 2021 - but in 2016.
But, I did buy them in 2021 - after hunting them for quite some time.
They are; Pools 4D, PETS 1A, Trans Island 852, Kinos Tora and Public Phone.
These were all limited to 10 pieces each and sold as part of a charity drive to support a local organization in Singapore - the Student Care Centre, Woodlands.
I'm normally not a big Be@rbricks collector but the combination of the artists behind it - coupled with the charitable cause makes them very treasured pieces in my collection.
TOP TEN TOY OF 2021 (#8): "Maki by Captain Zeto"
RICHARD SILVER: Captain Zeto creates designer toy pieces that again balance 'horror' and 'comedy' exceptionally well.
There is almost always an element of death; skulls, ghosts, etc but it's always countered with a smile, pose or even a prominent belly button that brings the design back into a lighter mood.
If you're familiar with Captain Zeto you might associate him with the well established ‘Motto’ design but 2021 saw a number of new or updated designs joining the line-up.
I am very excited to have an early 2021 prototype of the “Maki” character and it's proudly displayed next to my Mottos and Zukis :)
TOP TEN TOY OF 2021 (#7): "Gachamon ‘Chicago’ by Fingerguns Studio"
RICHARD SILVER: It had been years and years (ok so "only" about two and a half years) since the last Gachamon release by Fingerguns Studio so when it was announced that there would be a new addition to this emotionless, dead-eyed character lineup - it caused quite a bit of excitement!
Fingerguns released their first Gachamon in late 2018 and finding them on the secondary market these days is near impossible so being able to buy a new colorway as it was released was rather exhilarating.
I adore the truly deadpan look of the Gachamons in general but add to that the fact that Chicago is my favorite city in the US and it scored quite a few extra points. Now to wait and see if I get a chase as well… Fingers crossed.
Note that this is a recent release and have not shipped yet so the accompanying photo is courtesy of Fingerguns Studio.
TOP TEN TOY OF 2021 (#6): "Ikago by Nebby Art"
RICHARD SILVER: It's probably fair to say that Ben Teo of Nebby Art is one of the hardest working toy designers under the ocean waves. His well established Samego (loosely translated as 'Shark Egg') design has appeared as zombies, faux wood pieces, pop culture characters - and everything in between. But even with it appearing in a number of different sizes and material it was still somewhat of a one-character lineup. Well, cue 2021 and the release of a new aquatic character - Ikago!
The first, OG, release is in vinyl featuring a colorway named 'Coraline' (at the time of writing this there are still a few available at the covetrove.com store so hurrycove on over there and see if you can snag one!).
It's still too early to tell if Ikago will be a friend or foe to the mighty Samego but I'm curious and excited to see where this underwater saga will take us next now that we have more actors on the stage. Even though the octopus body and shape is completely new I love that it appears to retain the teeth design from Samego as that ties the two of them together in a very nice way.
Note that this is a current release and have not shipped yet so the accompanying photo is courtesy of Nebby Art.
TOP TEN TOY OF 2021 (#5): "13Art Skullman 3D relief by Unbox Industries"
RICHARD SILVER: Now this isn't even a toy (I'm clearly terrible at rules) - but it does pay homage to the work of one of my favorite toy design artists.
The work is a recreation of an early illustration by Skullman and the size and depth of this 3D piece is very impressive in person and displays so well next to the actual designer toys.
These 3D printed reliefs were made in late 2020 and we were able to source a handful of them for our fan-group "The Skulltoys Collective" on Facebook in early 2021 - and later a second batch of, this time, fully hand painted ones.
What I love about this piece is that it's the same design and look we're so familiar with from Skullman’s toy designs - but presented in such a completely different way.
TOP TEN TOY OF 2021 (#4): "Snowman Frank set by Mitoys"
RICHARD SILVER: Zhongxian Lin of Mitoys, again, shares that same rare design gene that a number of the artists that I follow have - the ability to create instantly recognizable toys regardless of the shape, size or color they come out in.
Mitoys’ ‘Frank’ design has become so iconic that just seeing a silhouette of the head is enough to immediately recognize it. So, when I first saw the Snowman set being teased through social media I knew I had to try to get my hands on a set. The "trouble" was that it was a surprise drop over a 24 hour period. After getting essentially no sleep for 20+ hours as I more or less constantly monitored the site waiting for the drop to happen … I was finally able to press that 'Add to cart' button and pass out on my pillow. I think I own maybe 20-25 pieces by Mitoys and I can't see myself stopping any time soon.
Note that these sets were released in late December, 2021 and have not shipped yet so the accompanying photo is courtesy of Mitoys.
TOP TEN TOY OF 2021 (#3): "KING FOO - The Raging by VYNC x Skall"
RICHARD SILVER: The Fooshita platform has been around for a while now and was created by Skall (formerly Buboo Friend) - and if I read things correctly this collaboration piece might sadly be the end of the line for this toy. But, often when one door closes..another opens up.
The piece itself is 3 inch solid resin and it’s the first one that sold exclusively through VYNC's/Vincent Ow's new sales portal vyncshop.org.
I'm really loving the horns and the raging colorway that VYNC incorporated I and can't wait for it to arrive later this year.
Note that this is a recent release and has not shipped yet so the accompanying photo is courtesy of VYNC.
TOP TEN TOY OF 2021 (#2): "Revenge Samurai by Neko Bako"
RICHARD SILVER: I've been following and collecting Jet Yau's work since 2020 (@jetwinquaker on IG) when the first piece in his "Mark of Ages" series came out. The series features a set of figures starring a feline hero that we follow through various time periods; prehistoric, ancient times, middle ages, etc. This particular piece shows our pawed hero taking on the role of a Samurai in feudal Japan and the details are as always absolutely incredible - from the jagged edges on the heavily used swords to the canon wagon, which has several different inserts.
I've already pre-ordered the 'Plague Doctor' designer toy and can't wait to see them all lined up next to each other as Neko Bako has earned its on shelf in my collection.
TOP TEN TOY OF 2021 (#1):
"Gaki by Tokyo Jesus with a "Raging" Colorway by Vincent Ow/VYNC"
RICHARD SILVER: So at long last we’ve reached what I would consider my personal ‘Designer toy of the year’ and it’s an unusual one for me as it’s a custom one-off piece and I don't think I’ve owned one, less commissioned one, that combines two artists’ work before this one. But, when I had the opportunity to get onto the books Vincent Ow (VYNC) in Singapore and have him work on a blank by another favorite artist of mine - Tokyo Jesus in Japan - it felt like a match made in toy heaven.
I've collected Tokyo Jesus' Gaki designs for a while now, lately focusing more on the smaller sized ones, and find the figures to be both beautiful and thought provoking. I feel that Sayu is constantly pushing his designs and through that helps move designer toys further into what is considered "art" by non-toy collectors. As an example I've had friends who didn't "get" designer toys until I showed them a Tokyo Jesus figure and then it suddenly changed.
In the same way I've been a fan of Vincent Ow's work - be it toy design/conceptualization or paintwork - for a few years now. He also has that rare ability to be able to create a number of very different pieces but they are still uniquely identifiable as his.
The 'raging' colorway suited this Gaki extremely well and became one of my favorite purchases of 2021 as I have such respect for both of these artists.
