Monday, June 16, 2003

[MISC]: On Toys

So, in hopes of making the living room less scary to potential roommates, I tried to reduce the amount of toys lying around.

The end result, I think, looks better - the shelf in front of the main window has the Muppet figures, and the oversized entertainment center has the Peanuts toys, and I'm not quite sure where the robot from Metropolis (1927) will go. She does stay out, though, because she gives as much class as possible to a living room filled with toys while still being part of it. Meanwhile, most everyone else is getting put in plastic bags and stored away. And my reaction to them (I don't think I've actually touched them in two-three roommates) is kind of surprising:

Buffy: Now I recall why I haven't picked any up since Series 2. They're a pain in the neck, with dozens of little pieces that the toys can't hold, less-than-impressive likenesses (at least in Series 1), and little posability. Heck, just try to get Cordelia to stand up straight for any length of time.
Farscape: Not much more posable than Buffy, but spiffy looking. I really wish this line had gone a lot further, much like the show; it just looks cool.
The Tick: From the live action series, they kind of have cachet - they show you had good taste, and they look top-of-the-line. Nice for decorating, if you know that the people who seem them will be folks who liked that short-lived show.
Babylon 5: Ugh. What was I thinking? Sure, some look nice (even if Kosh is the lamest inaction figure ever), but some don't, and I was never that big a fan.
Star Wars: I haven't been buying them lately, what with the lack of funds and how nifty so many of the larger-scale figures look, but I was really struck by how much detail and posability these little 3.75-inch figures have. And how well balanced they are. And even if CommTech wound up being a sort of silly feature, I like having the chips for stands. I made a resolution to pick up some of the discounted ones at Kay-Bee and remember to buy them when Episode 3 comes out like I didn't for Episode 2.

Anyway - what I picked up from this is that these things are really decoration for me now. I know, I've been saying for a long time that the purpose of a toy is to be played with, and I still prefer ones that aren't so locked into position that they're more "figurine" than "toy". But as I wiped the dust off and rearranged them, I have to admit that what was going through my mind wasn't how much fun they were, but what they said about me to someone coming in the room. I think the Muppets and Peanuts guys communicate the whole "young at heart" thing pretty well (although maybe having both sets out overstates the point), the Red Sox figures from MacFarlane get across my fandom there, and Maria points out my love for classic movies - seeing the wall-o-DVDs doesn't necessarily mean varied tastes; it may just say "will buy any new release". But that I'd buy merchandise for a 75-year-old silent... Ah... He's a smart one, that Seaver is.

Oh, and the rare-ish "home uniform Manny Ramirez" is still in the box. I tell myself it's because I don't want two of the four Sox on display to be basically identical and not because I'm protecting an investment. So far, I believe it.

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