For me, it was WWF Jakks figures in the late 90s as well as Toybiz WCW , then Spider-Man Classics/ Marvel Legends. The precursor was X-Men comics in the 90s.
My first knowledge of modern collectables for adult was the McFarlane Movie Maniacs line. I got the Escape from LA Snake Plissken figure when I was working at Tower Records in Boston, and I thought it was awesome. I think I had it for an hour before I accidentally snapped off his arm trying to get the trench coat off. Flash forward to COVID lockdown, I got GIJoe Classified Duke, and accidentally snapped his waist joint trying to get him out of the fuckin' plastic. I ordered a new one, and never made that mistake again.
20:17 imagine taking 40% of the U.S. population, and moving them all into California. Well in 1999, I was in my early 20s, and went to Japan (which essentially was that population/landsize) for about 1.5 months. Amidst all the electronic shops & hobby shops that were so prevalent, I recall seeing some color variants of my favorite 80s toy, which was obviously based on the original Japanese animation and its characters. Fast forward, about 5or6 years, back in the U.S. and my sister shared with me this _magical place_ she was using to buy things and we used to coordinate us getting unique, hard to find, gifts for our dad. After the successful gift giving, I decided to look through the magical land of ebay and see if I could find the Macross/Robotech colored versions of my kid-favorite Jetfire I recalled seeing years prior in Japan; and found oh, so much more. All that to say, I think the Japanese yamato, tatsunoko, bandai, joons etc. mecha in toy form and model kits popularity led to the initiation of the Transformers Masterpiece line, and more importantly, the collective 3rd party companies (but how does one pick one 3P co.) that pumped out TF characters. I think those modern takes on transforming mecha were game changing as far as adult collecting goes. _(but I still have a warm place in my heart for those 1/55 chunky monkeys based on the 80s mold)_
I'm a simple man. I see a new Valaverse video and I click immediately!! Thanks for this on a Saturday morning, Bobby. For me collecting started in the 'dark ages' of early Toy Biz, 90's Joe, and everything else that was on shelf in 91-92'. Unfortunately it wasn't much, at least not compared to today. I remember going into Toys R Us and Walmart and places like that looking for the latest figures and getting strange looks from parents...LOL. The embarrassment factor was huge, trying to get clerks to understand why an adult was looking for Toy Biz Wolverine! I'm right there with you re: the fun of midnight TRU and Walmart releases. Fast forward to today and it feels like the young definitely don't get the struggles we older collectors went through...the dark times. 😆
I have to agree. I sat here trying to think of a toyline that had the "collectors edge" that came out before Spawn. There were lines in the 80's that collectors bought, but they were designed to be sold to kids. Adults and college kids like me at the time just liked a "cheap hobby." After Spawn, toys began to be made with collectors numbers, release dates, adult concepts, etc. So, yes Spawn introduced toys directed to adult collectors. Great little synopsis, Bobby.
POTF2 is what started it officially for me. I was 18 years old in 1995. Just graduated high school, had a job that paid $1,200 a month, no bills, other then car insurance and gas for my 1970’s VW bug! So with that freedom and the original Frank & Sons Collection Show, there was nothing holding me back! Great video Bobby!
Completely agree, action figure collecting was born in the 90's, evident by how many 90's toys you can still find MOC at places like the Toy Vault. 80's kids played with their toys, 90's adults displayed them in package. As a 70's kid myself, I didn't fully appreciate the growth in the hobby that I witnessed as an adult at that time. The comic speculator boom definitely fed into the toy (and cartoon) industry big time. I'd say that X-Men, Batman and Jurassic Park were three big players during that era as well. As far as unbroken runs, as a Transformers guy I have to throw them into the ring. True, the G1 toys lacked the "action" in the figures, but Beast Wars in '96 was a huge leap forward in engineering that gave those figures some great posability. Great video!
That's an incredible story about your grandfather getting you those figures and then getting to tour Todd's first operation. It was still "Todd's Toys" I'd imagine. These caliber videos are my favorite kind you do for sure.
Great video Bobby! For me, it started with Starwars Revenge of sith line into saga legends and transformers cybertron figures and 25th anniversary GI. Joe. I remember when i was little and i found revenge of the sith figures 1st wave in Rite aid in my local mall. They had half the figures on the back and went over to KB and got the rest . I know im young but will say those were the good old days lol!
The Spawn line is where my adult collecting really took off also. I loved that line. I never saw figures with that level of detail before and they just kept getting better and better! And I’m still collecting the line until this day but the quality doesn’t seem to be the same as before..
For me it was first Star Wars, then Micronauts, and Diakron culminating into Transformers the minute I saw Optimus Prime. From that moment was destined to remain broke for all my remaining years😂.
Small correction: Toybiz was not the originator of the double-(ganged)-hinge elbows and knees. It was actually Bandai with their Kankichi Ryotsu figures in the mid/late 90's -which also had the articulated fingers and toes. They were also about a 7-ish inch size.
Spawn and Spider-Man Classics were the two lines that really got me back into toys after having left them behind. Sculpt + articulation was what blew my mind.
I don’t think you emphasized enough how startling the McFarlane figures were at the time. The painting and sculpts were so far ahead of everything else out there even if they look dated now. I’m in my forties and these three are dead on.
I'm gonna have to agree with you on this. McFarlane had so many great figures. POTF II helped me to choose what I wanted for my collection. Thank you for sharing your love for these three lines with us.
Completely agree about Spawn. It was a game changer. Even the difference between the first and second wave of spawn he really upped his the game with the sculpt and paint apps. Even at the time his articulation was the best at the time
What a great recap of modern action figure collecting. The internet is great but I think we all miss the days when we learned about new lines in magazines or discovered them in stores. This video could have gone for a few hours, great work, thanks.
I remember having that Spawn figure...and some of the ToyBiz legends..I didn't collect any star wars.. But now I have clearly selected toy lines today.
I think when the adult toy collecting culture really started to launch in a big way......was not with a toy line specifically, but with a magazine: Tomart's Action Figure Digest. That mag and it's coverage and it's complimentary and competing fellow mags really raised awareness of what was out there and the culture of action figure collecting as a hobby. The toys just boosted all that even more, being the paradigm-shift from softer-blander sculpts to more intricate detail, edgier themes and articulation.
That whole speculator bubble economy of the early 90s with comics set the stage for that direct market comic shop action figure market. I still remember getting those metal gear solid figures in the 90s at the comics shop on import, and they had the Marvel vs Xmen/Capcom stuff too (which was not at regular stores where I lived).
Crazy enough, my official start to adult connecting was with the McFarlane Austin Powers line. Fist time I realized figures "toys" could look like mini-statues with adult themes and awesome accessories.
I worked at TRU when these lines were either coming out or established lines. I resisted buying the POF line until they brought out those 3 pack movie scenes and had to have the Han/Luke stormtrooper Chewy detention set. I was not into the Spawn, but McFarlane movie maniacs,KISS, Matrix, Austin Powers lines and then the Sportpicks! Regarding the SW Ep 1 figures I remember there was a skid of merchandise weeks before the release we could not touch. I was part of the crew that put the toys out the night before. There was a huge Naboo Starfighter we cabled to the rafters above the display. Pure awesome as new SW movie!
I worked in a comic/sports card shop when "Todd Toys" launched the Spawn toys. We brought in some toys but not many and I remember that it seemed bad that the shop only ordered a few cases in the monthly Diamond orders. Sure enough as soon as they came in, we were blown away and we immediately tried to get more from Diamond, as what we had flew out the door. I still have a Spawn and Medieval Spawn in package somewhere.
My brother had all the spiderman classics. He also collected McFarlane movie maniacs. Every time I went into his house I would put the crow’s guitar on spiderman and have his arm up with web slinging hand so he looked like he was on stage rocking out. Today I have my spider punk figure in the exact same position. Sadly I can no longer irritate my brother with putting his figure in that position(he lives across the country)
For me it started with toybiz xmen line. Itryong to track down iceman and other short packs. It was also the first time i was lookong for "chase figures" when they started including the cards and had holofoil cards packed in with the figures. Would agree that spawn pushed the market further towards adult collectors. The second series was a game changer, and some of the designers of the line are big names in the adult collectors space today.
I didn't really get into McFarlane stuff early on. Wasn't until they started with the Dark Ages stuff and later, especially with Tortured Souls and Twisted Fairy Tales that I really started collecting.
Totally agree Bobby McFarlane Toys Spawn in the late 90s and early 2000s and Marvel Legends definitely influenced modern collecting in my opinion. I can remember seeing Todd Toys Aka McFarlane toys Spawn figures and how amazed at how good they looked compared to what else was on the market at the time
Completely agree with McFarlane's Spawn and pretty much anything from Todd at that point. I was in college, had a job and collected the figs and comics as a young adult. The nature of Spawn's whole storyline wasn't for kids. The concept, comics, animated and live-action films were all adult-oriented.
Wrestling figures are the unsung heroes of toy collecting, I remember buying identical toys that were re packaged just because it came with an accessory I wanted 😂
You are totally right. Born in mid 70s, having toys from 70s, 80s, and 90s (Stop buying at mid 90s), I remember when collecting comics and how different and detailed the Spawn line came to be. I remember to start seen others companies changing slowly to that route. Great episode!!
That Spidey! My first purchase. But I didn't really bought it to collect, I was just amazed of the points of articulation and used him as an art mannequin. Toy collecting followed later on, couple of decades later.
@valaverse I thought you were uploading the toy hunt/pick ups from the shop the curiosity event this week? This was still a great video, and I enjoyed your take. I agree that that Toybiz Marvel Legends and Power of the Force definitely started my journey into collecting! I’d add Jakks WWF figures to my own list of lines that got me to switch from toys I’d buy to play with into toys I was now displaying. I think each person who considers themselves a collector, has their own lines based on when they were born, which inspired them to become a collector. I think adult collecting starts when you no longer are purchasing figures for the purpose of playing with the figures, but in finding ways to display the figure. And I’m not saying that adult collectors don’t still play with their figures, but they definitely don’t play with them the same way they played with toys as a kid.
These lines really are the trifecta of modern collectors. My brother got me that Spawn figure for christmas. All of my friends and I collected POTF 2 and Toy Biz in school & most of those friends to this day started collecting that time.
The stories are cool to hear, in 2000 i was 13 and it was a time everyone made you feel like you had to "grow up" and all that bs. Side note..Steel Brigade helmets coming soon??🤞😍
The Target Exclusive G.I. Joe RAH Duke in 1991 is what got me to rediscover my love of action figures and seriously collecting them. I was 28, and I still had several of my Adventure Team Joes that survived my childhood. Seeing that Duke in Target made me feel like I was 8 years old again. The ‘90’s were a special time to be a 1/6 scale collector, just like these days are for the 1/12 scale crowd. BTW- your former employer and 21st Century Toys both introduced double elbows and knees on their 1/6 scale lines-G.I. Joe Classic Collection and The Ultimate Soldier in 1999.
Spot on, for me it was seeing the Anniversary Transformers and He-Man in Toys R US. Seeing those old toys I had as a kid really sparked something and I never stopped. Born in 76, so Star Wars was a huge part of my childhood and I cannot deny that Star Wars coming back in the 90s was a real surprise as well and only fueled my love for figure collecting.
Completely agree about the Power of the Force line. I had a ton of those figures all the way to Phantom Menace. I also liked the Playmates Star Trek line in the 90s.
Same situation I was born in 82 and Spider-Man Classics and Spawn are what really got me into the mindset of collecting. I remember going into a comic shop my dad took me to and seeing all the figures on the wall and thinking I want my bedroom to look like this. I have a nice mix of open and moc now and it’s awesome!
Great video!!! I was born in '83. For me it was POTF, Batman the Animated Series, and Playmates Star Trek. These were the lines that I consciously collected as a 10+ year old. Loved those Spider Man Classics. Toy Biz always felt innovative to me. Even as a kid I noticed that each years offering of Marvel fig from 1990-2000 improved (design, paint, features, etc).
100% agree, that 1995 Star Wars line got me into adult collecting. I was early 20s and so excited for new toys. Had them all and vehicles. Great line, ended up selling them off but it definitely started me on the road where I am now as a middle age dude with a disposable income lol. Also can't wait for that Swarm Locust to drop, what badass vehicle!
Great take on this - totally agree with your theory and choices. I got into all of these lines. Spawn at the time were figures unlike what had been seen before with the sculpts and amount of detail. The Star Wars line was so exciting with updated sculpts, more detail, and felt like an evolution from the original waves. And the Spider-Man ones felt like how you'd want a comic action figure to feel, and when it evolved into Marvel Legends, that line was just amazing.
I think it began with Todd’s statuesque figures and exploded with Toy-biz Marvel Legends wave 1 was a major shift in action figure buying because articulating , deco, Scaling but I believe your right
I agree very much with this video as someone born in 1980. For me collecting, as in I bought them but didn’t play with them, they were shelf ornaments started with Exo Squad, then Spawn, and Corgi Aviation diecast. There was a few other things, but that was my major collection focuses as I moved into young adulthood. Spawn particularly caught my eye and the details on those figures just seemed to get better and better throughout the mid 2000’s, at the time I didn’t really care that much about articulation, it was just eye candy. Now it’s like we get the best of both worlds with the figures out now. What a great time for a geek to be alive!
Incredible video on a fascinating topic. The genesis for a hobby is always reflected upon with a sense of melancholy that brings a smile. Pure nostalgic, the topic brings back memories from a forgotten-about era when Sears during Christmas would convert a section of their store into a Santa's Workshop. Funny that I can still remember a half a century later, that euphoria of leaping from those escalator steps once the GI Joe Playsets where viewed. Where collecting started for me? Sears. Christmas. GI Joe. Thanks for the trip Bobby.
Couldn't agree more with the three lines. As much as I wanted the McFarlane line I managed to resit (mainly due to a lack of funds). The relaunch of Star Wars dragged me back in but I limited myself to select figures. With Toy Biz the dam broke. I was in a collectables shop in Amsterdam and spotted the Toy Biz Daredevil and it blew my mind. I bought the figure (and the bike from Akira) and when I was back home in Belfast I went back to my LCS. Those early Toy Biz figures were addictive and the Sinister Six and Fantastic Four box sets were highlights.
I remember as a kid my toys were things like the original star wars, A team, He man, and other random stuff, action force being one (im in the UK). i must have only been around 14, 15 in the late 80s when i decided i was too old and got rid of all of them.. then power of the force came along in the mid 90s and i started again. I still have those star wars potf figures but stopped collecting them around when episode 1 came out. Then the real collecting started about 10 years ago, again with star wars, the black series, and far more other stuff than i should be collecting, neca, mcfarlane, character options Doctor Who etc (I'm from Oldham near Manchester where the character options HQ is based)even all that im moving away from now into more small scale statue stuff like Iron Studios. It would appear that once you start you never stop, there are those in my life that wish i would though lol.
I still have that Spawn figure! I bought it when I was around 15, didn't play with it, just wanted to have a Spawn. Crazy to that double jointed pinless figure from the 2000s... I wasn't collecting after Mcfarlanes first 3 years, wasn't buying any toys until like 5 years ago.
Especially McFarlane toys with the detailed action figures and that Spider-Man with that 32 pts of articulation gave birth to the Hasbro Marvel legends series. Which I still own and the return of Star wars potf revived Star wars in the mid 90s. Great topic Bobby V❤
The 4th line I would add to this would be Playmates Star Trek. With their "collector" numbering and it was directed towards collectors as kids weren't interested in them.
I remember purchasing the SW POTF & Spawn figures at my local WM. Back then they always had them in stock. Including the Spiderman animated series figures. This was a great flashback for me. Thank you. 🙂
OMG I absolutely loved “Midnight Madness” at TRU for The Phantom Menace! lol I was also first in line at my TRU, and I remember my mom let me miss school the next day so I could stay home and set all my figures up lol!!
I can appreciate that McFarlane Toys helped revolutionize the toy market, but I hold contempt for modern McFarlane. All because his DC line doesn't scale with Marvel Legends. I just want a modern DC line with Marvel Legends articulation, without having to pay triple digits for an import. Mafex looks great, but that price point isn't for everyone.
Another amazing video. I quite honestly love these. I've said it before, but I really love this side of Bobby, the toy fan & collector. :) I also agree with almost everything said in this video. A real flashback for me, even though I'm a little bit older (born in 1977). I got into collecting comics before collecting toys and remember those early McFarlane figures, which costed like a small fortune over here in Europe. Even then he was already doing those ridiculous platinum gold and silver figs. ;) But hey, those figs were great back then and about the hottest thing around. A lot of us comic collectors started collecting toys because of that (those and the Toybiz X-Men figs). Nothing wrong with saying that GI Joe has had it's ups and downs. I know the line more or less continued in the States with the 97-2000 lines (fortunately I managed to get almost all of those later on, remember, not so easy living overseas). But basically, between 95 and 2002 if I remember correctly, when they reintroduced GI Joe through Gi Joe vs Cobra and then Spy Troops (which I loved!) and then VvV, the brand was dead in Europe. Sure, people continued buying vintage figs, which were ridiculously cheap back then when you look at it now, but there was nothing new. Coincidence or not, but my first introduction to what would become Marvel Legends, was that exact same wave of 4 figs. But my first fig was actually the Venom one (on the cool crushed Guardsman base). My then American girlfriend, now wife for over 22 years had bought it for me, prior to my first visit to the States. Great memories! :) Still have the figure. A couple of weeks ago I setup my Toybiz ML figs in my new building and going through them, I was surprised by how amazing some of these figures were (not all of them, some sucked and I still think that articulation in the hands and fingers is not necessarily a good idea), but some were so in advance on their time. For a very long time I was really pissed that Hasbro had taken over the brand, as their early figures sucked and didn't even come near in quality. But I've to admit that changed a couple of year back, these days they put out a lot of amazing stuff, especially for old time comic book fans such as myself, who always loved these C-list characters nobody had ever heard of. :)
I was the same. Played with G.I. Joe and had G.I. Joe comics but it was Spawn who got me into collecting and completing series of figures whether it be Satr Wars, Marvel etc.... You nailed it Bobby!
speaking about celebrating toy lines; Is Action Force planning to celebrate Action Man's 60th Anniversary with a 6" figure recreation of the classic figure?
Well, as someone was an adult in the early 90’s, I agree, when Spawn toys first came out, I did start to see more collectors my age and older in the toy isles. I felt bad for the 90’s kids because us grown mfers were buying up the more popular and sort after figures, like stormtroopers.🤦🏾♂️
Marvel Legends never had a year they didn’t put out new figures. Those dark days were awful between 2008 and 2011, but they never went away. Our collecting timeline from our youth is so freaken identical. I was part of a heard of 30 year olds at Target running to the Episode 1 figures. I remember I spent $177, still have them all. Also, nice flex with the opened Long Lightsaber Luke. POTF got me into collecting, well, after comics and TV Guides . . . my original passion. Lol
I remember picking up the Daredevil in that Classics line and that's 100% my last memory of the toy world before TB unleashed Legends, and the entire game changed, and the rest as they say is history.
I think spawn was the first one that I recall where the demand for the figures seemed pretty high with the popularity of the comic. Local comic shop got em in, and they were sold fast.
I think you’re spot on. Starting with Spawn, regardless of how fragile they are, the worst. POTF was a great line. And that spider man is still sitting on a shelf, and I’m really not a super hero fan.
I remember owning the DTC G. I. Joe figure Major Barrage, which I think was the first 3/34 inch figure to have a ball joint neck and pinless arms. I remember being disappointed that he was one of the ones that only ever appeared once.
Batman: The Animated Series was the start for me, even though I was a little late to the party. I picked up a Decoy Batman while on vacation in Maine in 1994, and that started my love of action figures. Have all the figures you featured in this video as well.
For Episode I, I got lucky and found a complete set of wave 1 and 2 figs at a Zellers in Canada, I had no idea what they were about. It was a complete mystery to me as I had no prior knowledge of the characters, and this was almost a month before official release date!
Star wars bend ems got the ball rolling but THEY NEVER GET THE CREDIT FOR HAVEING EVERYTHING STAR WARS TODAY . IF THE BEND EMS NEVER HAPPENED. WE HAVE NO DISNEY STAR WARS FILM AT ALL. SO ITS DEFINITELY A DOUBLE EDGE SWORD ..... BUT YA facts 100 . Bend ems made what star wars is today .
Those are three of the best figures. I think the 1998 Marvel Spidey which didn’t have the articulation of the 2001 figure but it has the etched in web lines and a black wash that made them really pop. I was born in ’72 I got the 1970s and 80s and 90s. When I hit 21 in 1993 I was getting back into toys.
![АЛАУДИНОВ у Скабеевой: эти их ВСУ нас НЕ ДОГОНЯТ 😁 [Пародия]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/an0anqU4WGQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Is there another toy line that we forgot?
Kenner Starting lineup
For me, it was WWF Jakks figures in the late 90s as well as Toybiz WCW , then Spider-Man Classics/ Marvel Legends. The precursor was X-Men comics in the 90s.
My first knowledge of modern collectables for adult was the McFarlane Movie Maniacs line. I got the Escape from LA Snake Plissken figure when I was working at Tower Records in Boston, and I thought it was awesome. I think I had it for an hour before I accidentally snapped off his arm trying to get the trench coat off.
Flash forward to COVID lockdown, I got GIJoe Classified Duke, and accidentally snapped his waist joint trying to get him out of the fuckin' plastic. I ordered a new one, and never made that mistake again.
20:17 imagine taking 40% of the U.S. population, and moving them all into California. Well in 1999, I was in my early 20s, and went to Japan (which essentially was that population/landsize) for about 1.5 months. Amidst all the electronic shops & hobby shops that were so prevalent, I recall seeing some color variants of my favorite 80s toy, which was obviously based on the original Japanese animation and its characters.
Fast forward, about 5or6 years, back in the U.S. and my sister shared with me this _magical place_ she was using to buy things and we used to coordinate us getting unique, hard to find, gifts for our dad. After the successful gift giving, I decided to look through the magical land of ebay and see if I could find the Macross/Robotech colored versions of my kid-favorite Jetfire I recalled seeing years prior in Japan; and found oh, so much more.
All that to say, I think the Japanese yamato, tatsunoko, bandai, joons etc. mecha in toy form and model kits popularity led to the initiation of the Transformers Masterpiece line, and more importantly, the collective 3rd party companies (but how does one pick one 3P co.) that pumped out TF characters. I think those modern takes on transforming mecha were game changing as far as adult collecting goes.
_(but I still have a warm place in my heart for those 1/55 chunky monkeys based on the 80s mold)_
Transformers. Either Alternators or Generations. Both jumpstarted the TF collecting hobby for young adults/adults.
I'm a simple man. I see a new Valaverse video and I click immediately!! Thanks for this on a Saturday morning, Bobby. For me collecting started in the 'dark ages' of early Toy Biz, 90's Joe, and everything else that was on shelf in 91-92'. Unfortunately it wasn't much, at least not compared to today. I remember going into Toys R Us and Walmart and places like that looking for the latest figures and getting strange looks from parents...LOL. The embarrassment factor was huge, trying to get clerks to understand why an adult was looking for Toy Biz Wolverine! I'm right there with you re: the fun of midnight TRU and Walmart releases. Fast forward to today and it feels like the young definitely don't get the struggles we older collectors went through...the dark times. 😆
Great video. DC Direct, McFarlane Toys, and Toy Biz got me into collecting.
We absolutely would not have the adult collector market without the early 2000s McFarlane spawn figures
I have to agree. I sat here trying to think of a toyline that had the "collectors edge" that came out before Spawn. There were lines in the 80's that collectors bought, but they were designed to be sold to kids. Adults and college kids like me at the time just liked a "cheap hobby." After Spawn, toys began to be made with collectors numbers, release dates, adult concepts, etc. So, yes Spawn introduced toys directed to adult collectors. Great little synopsis, Bobby.
POTF2 is what started it officially for me. I was 18 years old in 1995. Just graduated high school, had a job that paid $1,200 a month, no bills, other then car insurance and gas for my 1970’s VW bug! So with that freedom and the original Frank & Sons Collection Show, there was nothing holding me back! Great video Bobby!
Completely agree, action figure collecting was born in the 90's, evident by how many 90's toys you can still find MOC at places like the Toy Vault. 80's kids played with their toys, 90's adults displayed them in package. As a 70's kid myself, I didn't fully appreciate the growth in the hobby that I witnessed as an adult at that time. The comic speculator boom definitely fed into the toy (and cartoon) industry big time. I'd say that X-Men, Batman and Jurassic Park were three big players during that era as well. As far as unbroken runs, as a Transformers guy I have to throw them into the ring. True, the G1 toys lacked the "action" in the figures, but Beast Wars in '96 was a huge leap forward in engineering that gave those figures some great posability. Great video!
Excuse me, Mr Dinosaur type Sir, if that is your REAL name, I opened ALL my 90s toys (and my 80s one) glavin, ga-hoy, if you please...😀
For me it was Transformers MP-1 Optimus Prime. It was the best Transformer ever built and led me down a very expensive path.
Same!
That's an incredible story about your grandfather getting you those figures and then getting to tour Todd's first operation. It was still "Todd's Toys" I'd imagine.
These caliber videos are my favorite kind you do for sure.
Wow! To have an intro to toy making touring McF Toys!
Agreed with the collecting piece. Old Gi Joe, He-Man were marketed to kids, not collectors like Spawn and Marvel Legends were.
Great video Bobby! For me, it started with Starwars Revenge of sith line into saga legends and transformers cybertron figures and 25th anniversary GI. Joe. I remember when i was little and i found revenge of the sith figures 1st wave in Rite aid in my local mall. They had half the figures on the back and went over to KB and got the rest . I know im young but will say those were the good old days lol!
The Spawn line is where my adult collecting really took off also. I loved that line. I never saw figures with that level of detail before and they just kept getting better and better! And I’m still collecting the line until this day but the quality doesn’t seem to be the same as before..
For me it was first Star Wars, then Micronauts, and Diakron culminating into Transformers the minute I saw Optimus Prime. From that moment was destined to remain broke for all my remaining years😂.
It’s cool to get your insight on toys. I think you being a collector shows through into valaverse figures.
Thanks so much!
Small correction: Toybiz was not the originator of the double-(ganged)-hinge elbows and knees. It was actually Bandai with their Kankichi Ryotsu figures in the mid/late 90's -which also had the articulated fingers and toes. They were also about a 7-ish inch size.
Spawn and Spider-Man Classics were the two lines that really got me back into toys after having left them behind. Sculpt + articulation was what blew my mind.
I think that Spawn was the line that bridged the gap for me between childhood and now.
I don’t think you emphasized enough how startling the McFarlane figures were at the time. The painting and sculpts were so far ahead of everything else out there even if they look dated now.
I’m in my forties and these three are dead on.
I'm gonna have to agree with you on this. McFarlane had so many great figures. POTF II helped me to choose what I wanted for my collection.
Thank you for sharing your love for these three lines with us.
Completely agree about Spawn. It was a game changer. Even the difference between the first and second wave of spawn he really upped his the game with the sculpt and paint apps. Even at the time his articulation was the best at the time
Absolutely aree with this. As as an 18 year old I hunted Powers of the Force and Spawn and haven't stopped.
What a great recap of modern action figure collecting. The internet is great but I think we all miss the days when we learned about new lines in magazines or discovered them in stores. This video could have gone for a few hours, great work, thanks.
I remember having that Spawn figure...and some of the ToyBiz legends..I didn't collect any star wars..
But now I have clearly selected toy lines today.
I think when the adult toy collecting culture really started to launch in a big way......was not with a toy line specifically, but with a magazine:
Tomart's Action Figure Digest.
That mag and it's coverage and it's complimentary and competing fellow mags really raised awareness of what was out there and the culture of action figure collecting as a hobby. The toys just boosted all that even more, being the paradigm-shift from softer-blander sculpts to more intricate detail, edgier themes and articulation.
That whole speculator bubble economy of the early 90s with comics set the stage for that direct market comic shop action figure market. I still remember getting those metal gear solid figures in the 90s at the comics shop on import, and they had the Marvel vs Xmen/Capcom stuff too (which was not at regular stores where I lived).
Crazy enough, my official start to adult connecting was with the McFarlane Austin Powers line. Fist time I realized figures "toys" could look like mini-statues with adult themes and awesome accessories.
What spurred me was that initial toybiz xmen wave in bart sears style. 😂❤
I worked at TRU when these lines were either coming out or established lines. I resisted buying the POF line until they brought out those 3 pack movie scenes and had to have the Han/Luke stormtrooper Chewy detention set. I was not into the Spawn, but McFarlane movie maniacs,KISS, Matrix, Austin Powers lines and then the Sportpicks! Regarding the SW Ep 1 figures I remember there was a skid of merchandise weeks before the release we could not touch. I was part of the crew that put the toys out the night before. There was a huge Naboo Starfighter we cabled to the rafters above the display. Pure awesome as new SW movie!
That spidey and Black suit spidey from that Marvel line really sparked my love for comics and collecting all around
I worked in a comic/sports card shop when "Todd Toys" launched the Spawn toys. We brought in some toys but not many and I remember that it seemed bad that the shop only ordered a few cases in the monthly Diamond orders. Sure enough as soon as they came in, we were blown away and we immediately tried to get more from Diamond, as what we had flew out the door. I still have a Spawn and Medieval Spawn in package somewhere.
My brother had all the spiderman classics. He also collected McFarlane movie maniacs. Every time I went into his house I would put the crow’s guitar on spiderman and have his arm up with web slinging hand so he looked like he was on stage rocking out. Today I have my spider punk figure in the exact same position. Sadly I can no longer irritate my brother with putting his figure in that position(he lives across the country)
For me it started with toybiz xmen line. Itryong to track down iceman and other short packs. It was also the first time i was lookong for "chase figures" when they started including the cards and had holofoil cards packed in with the figures. Would agree that spawn pushed the market further towards adult collectors. The second series was a game changer, and some of the designers of the line are big names in the adult collectors space today.
I didn't really get into McFarlane stuff early on. Wasn't until they started with the Dark Ages stuff and later, especially with Tortured Souls and Twisted Fairy Tales that I really started collecting.
Star Trek TNG from Playmates from ‘91-‘92. I’d say it’s definitely gotta be in the conversation.
Totally agree Bobby McFarlane Toys Spawn in the late 90s and early 2000s and Marvel Legends definitely influenced modern collecting in my opinion. I can remember seeing Todd Toys Aka McFarlane toys Spawn figures and how amazed at how good they looked compared to what else was on the market at the time
Completely agree with McFarlane's Spawn and pretty much anything from Todd at that point. I was in college, had a job and collected the figs and comics as a young adult. The nature of Spawn's whole storyline wasn't for kids. The concept, comics, animated and live-action films were all adult-oriented.
Wrestling figures are the unsung heroes of toy collecting, I remember buying identical toys that were re packaged just because it came with an accessory I wanted 😂
I did the midnight run too in 99. Not only did I collect TPM but this is the night Lego Star Wars was released. I got those too.
You are totally right. Born in mid 70s, having toys from 70s, 80s, and 90s (Stop buying at mid 90s), I remember when collecting comics and how different and detailed the Spawn line came to be. I remember to start seen others companies changing slowly to that route. Great episode!!
That Spidey! My first purchase. But I didn't really bought it to collect, I was just amazed of the points of articulation and used him as an art mannequin. Toy collecting followed later on, couple of decades later.
@valaverse I thought you were uploading the toy hunt/pick ups from the shop the curiosity event this week? This was still a great video, and I enjoyed your take. I agree that that Toybiz Marvel Legends and Power of the Force definitely started my journey into collecting! I’d add Jakks WWF figures to my own list of lines that got me to switch from toys I’d buy to play with into toys I was now displaying. I think each person who considers themselves a collector, has their own lines based on when they were born, which inspired them to become a collector. I think adult collecting starts when you no longer are purchasing figures for the purpose of playing with the figures, but in finding ways to display the figure. And I’m not saying that adult collectors don’t still play with their figures, but they definitely don’t play with them the same way they played with toys as a kid.
Thanks Bobby for making Saturday morning fun again. Have a good day sir.
These lines really are the trifecta of modern collectors. My brother got me that Spawn figure for christmas.
All of my friends and I collected POTF 2 and Toy Biz in school & most of those friends to this day started collecting that time.
The stories are cool to hear, in 2000 i was 13 and it was a time everyone made you feel like you had to "grow up" and all that bs. Side note..Steel Brigade helmets coming soon??🤞😍
The Target Exclusive G.I. Joe RAH Duke in 1991 is what got me to rediscover my love of action figures and seriously collecting them. I was 28, and I still had several of my Adventure Team Joes that survived my childhood. Seeing that Duke in Target made me feel like I was 8 years old again. The ‘90’s were a special time to be a 1/6 scale collector, just like these days are for the 1/12 scale crowd. BTW- your former employer and 21st Century Toys both introduced double elbows and knees on their 1/6 scale lines-G.I. Joe Classic Collection and The Ultimate Soldier in 1999.
As a kid I played with those 12 inch joe dolls that came with real clothes and crazy accessories. As I grew older toybiz had all the cool 6 inch figs.
that boba fett was epic when he first came out.
Spot on, for me it was seeing the Anniversary Transformers and He-Man in Toys R US. Seeing those old toys I had as a kid really sparked something and I never stopped. Born in 76, so Star Wars was a huge part of my childhood and I cannot deny that Star Wars coming back in the 90s was a real surprise as well and only fueled my love for figure collecting.
Completely agree about the Power of the Force line. I had a ton of those figures all the way to Phantom Menace. I also liked the Playmates Star Trek line in the 90s.
Same situation I was born in 82 and Spider-Man Classics and Spawn are what really got me into the mindset of collecting. I remember going into a comic shop my dad took me to and seeing all the figures on the wall and thinking I want my bedroom to look like this. I have a nice mix of open and moc now and it’s awesome!
Great video!!! I was born in '83. For me it was POTF, Batman the Animated Series, and Playmates Star Trek. These were the lines that I consciously collected as a 10+ year old. Loved those Spider Man Classics. Toy Biz always felt innovative to me. Even as a kid I noticed that each years offering of Marvel fig from 1990-2000 improved (design, paint, features, etc).
100% agree, that 1995 Star Wars line got me into adult collecting. I was early 20s and so excited for new toys. Had them all and vehicles. Great line, ended up selling them off but it definitely started me on the road where I am now as a middle age dude with a disposable income lol. Also can't wait for that Swarm Locust to drop, what badass vehicle!
Nice video.... btw i really like the table...👌👌
Great take on this - totally agree with your theory and choices. I got into all of these lines. Spawn at the time were figures unlike what had been seen before with the sculpts and amount of detail. The Star Wars line was so exciting with updated sculpts, more detail, and felt like an evolution from the original waves. And the Spider-Man ones felt like how you'd want a comic action figure to feel, and when it evolved into Marvel Legends, that line was just amazing.
Fully agree, I was right there & it was great times. Glad I experienced those "golden days" of collecting
I think it began with Todd’s statuesque figures and exploded with Toy-biz Marvel Legends wave 1 was a major shift in action figure buying because articulating , deco, Scaling but I believe your right
I agree very much with this video as someone born in 1980. For me collecting, as in I bought them but didn’t play with them, they were shelf ornaments started with Exo Squad, then Spawn, and Corgi Aviation diecast. There was a few other things, but that was my major collection focuses as I moved into young adulthood. Spawn particularly caught my eye and the details on those figures just seemed to get better and better throughout the mid 2000’s, at the time I didn’t really care that much about articulation, it was just eye candy. Now it’s like we get the best of both worlds with the figures out now. What a great time for a geek to be alive!
Incredible video on a fascinating topic. The genesis for a hobby is always reflected upon with a sense of melancholy that brings a smile. Pure nostalgic, the topic brings back memories from a forgotten-about era when Sears during Christmas would convert a section of their store into a Santa's Workshop. Funny that I can still remember a half a century later, that euphoria of leaping from those escalator steps once the GI Joe Playsets where viewed. Where collecting started for me? Sears. Christmas. GI Joe. Thanks for the trip Bobby.
Great video Bobby!
Bobby, maybe pickup that 89 batmobile now while you can still get the cag set from Ramen Toys
Couldn't agree more with the three lines. As much as I wanted the McFarlane line I managed to resit (mainly due to a lack of funds). The relaunch of Star Wars dragged me back in but I limited myself to select figures. With Toy Biz the dam broke. I was in a collectables shop in Amsterdam and spotted the Toy Biz Daredevil and it blew my mind. I bought the figure (and the bike from Akira) and when I was back home in Belfast I went back to my LCS. Those early Toy Biz figures were addictive and the Sinister Six and Fantastic Four box sets were highlights.
I remember as a kid my toys were things like the original star wars, A team, He man, and other random stuff, action force being one (im in the UK). i must have only been around 14, 15 in the late 80s when i decided i was too old and got rid of all of them.. then power of the force came along in the mid 90s and i started again. I still have those star wars potf figures but stopped collecting them around when episode 1 came out. Then the real collecting started about 10 years ago, again with star wars, the black series, and far more other stuff than i should be collecting, neca, mcfarlane, character options Doctor Who etc (I'm from Oldham near Manchester where the character options HQ is based)even all that im moving away from now into more small scale statue stuff like Iron Studios. It would appear that once you start you never stop, there are those in my life that wish i would though lol.
Can’t stop!
I still have that Spawn figure! I bought it when I was around 15, didn't play with it, just wanted to have a Spawn.
Crazy to that double jointed pinless figure from the 2000s... I wasn't collecting after Mcfarlanes first 3 years, wasn't buying any toys until like 5 years ago.
The 1st figures I remember being collected by adults were the McFarlane Movie Maniacs
Especially McFarlane toys with the detailed action figures and that Spider-Man with that 32 pts of articulation gave birth to the Hasbro Marvel legends series. Which I still own and the return of Star wars potf revived Star wars in the mid 90s. Great topic Bobby V❤
The 4th line I would add to this would be Playmates Star Trek. With their "collector" numbering and it was directed towards collectors as kids weren't interested in them.
I remember purchasing the SW POTF & Spawn figures at my local WM. Back then they always had them in stock. Including the Spiderman animated series figures. This was a great flashback for me. Thank you. 🙂
OMG I absolutely loved “Midnight Madness” at TRU for The Phantom Menace! lol I was also first in line at my TRU, and I remember my mom let me miss school the next day so I could stay home and set all my figures up lol!!
i still have that spiderman from back then. kicks the ass of the hasbro ones today on my same shelf.
Man that took me down memory lane. Followed almost my same collecting path. Great video
I can appreciate that McFarlane Toys helped revolutionize the toy market, but I hold contempt for modern McFarlane. All because his DC line doesn't scale with Marvel Legends. I just want a modern DC line with Marvel Legends articulation, without having to pay triple digits for an import. Mafex looks great, but that price point isn't for everyone.
I remember picking up the Spider-Man classics from F.A.O. Schwartz as a kid. The original suit and black suit. So cool.
Another amazing video. I quite honestly love these. I've said it before, but I really love this side of Bobby, the toy fan & collector. :)
I also agree with almost everything said in this video. A real flashback for me, even though I'm a little bit older (born in 1977). I got into collecting comics before collecting toys and remember those early McFarlane figures, which costed like a small fortune over here in Europe. Even then he was already doing those ridiculous platinum gold and silver figs. ;) But hey, those figs were great back then and about the hottest thing around. A lot of us comic collectors started collecting toys because of that (those and the Toybiz X-Men figs).
Nothing wrong with saying that GI Joe has had it's ups and downs. I know the line more or less continued in the States with the 97-2000 lines (fortunately I managed to get almost all of those later on, remember, not so easy living overseas). But basically, between 95 and 2002 if I remember correctly, when they reintroduced GI Joe through Gi Joe vs Cobra and then Spy Troops (which I loved!) and then VvV, the brand was dead in Europe. Sure, people continued buying vintage figs, which were ridiculously cheap back then when you look at it now, but there was nothing new.
Coincidence or not, but my first introduction to what would become Marvel Legends, was that exact same wave of 4 figs. But my first fig was actually the Venom one (on the cool crushed Guardsman base). My then American girlfriend, now wife for over 22 years had bought it for me, prior to my first visit to the States. Great memories! :) Still have the figure. A couple of weeks ago I setup my Toybiz ML figs in my new building and going through them, I was surprised by how amazing some of these figures were (not all of them, some sucked and I still think that articulation in the hands and fingers is not necessarily a good idea), but some were so in advance on their time. For a very long time I was really pissed that Hasbro had taken over the brand, as their early figures sucked and didn't even come near in quality. But I've to admit that changed a couple of year back, these days they put out a lot of amazing stuff, especially for old time comic book fans such as myself, who always loved these C-list characters nobody had ever heard of. :)
I was the same. Played with G.I. Joe and had G.I. Joe comics but it was Spawn who got me into collecting and completing series of figures whether it be Satr Wars, Marvel etc.... You nailed it Bobby!
speaking about celebrating toy lines; Is Action Force planning to celebrate Action Man's 60th Anniversary with a 6" figure recreation of the classic figure?
Well, as someone was an adult in the early 90’s, I agree, when Spawn toys first came out, I did start to see more collectors my age and older in the toy isles. I felt bad for the 90’s kids because us grown mfers were buying up the more popular and sort after figures, like stormtroopers.🤦🏾♂️
The modern 6-7" figure articulation pattern came together with Bandai' Japanese Spiral Zone main body buck.
Marvel Legends never had a year they didn’t put out new figures. Those dark days were awful between 2008 and 2011, but they never went away.
Our collecting timeline from our youth is so freaken identical. I was part of a heard of 30 year olds at Target running to the Episode 1 figures. I remember I spent $177, still have them all. Also, nice flex with the opened Long Lightsaber Luke. POTF got me into collecting, well, after comics and TV Guides . . . my original passion. Lol
Looks like Boog taught our boy Shart how to establish a timeline!
@@Chronically0nline username checks out
@@spittor47 Thanks Dad.
For me the Kenner Scorpion Alien. One of my classmates in collage had one… and that set off in my mind that it was ok to collect toys.
Beast Wars was big for me too. Had that Spidey and Black Suit Spidey on my walls for a long time.
I remember picking up the Daredevil in that Classics line and that's 100% my last memory of the toy world before TB unleashed Legends, and the entire game changed, and the rest as they say is history.
McFarlane tortured souls was my back in. Altho I always had my oring Joe's and transformers on display
I think spawn was the first one that I recall where the demand for the figures seemed pretty high with the popularity of the comic. Local comic shop got em in, and they were sold fast.
I think Dragon Models Inc released the first double jointed figure in 1999 with their 1/6 WWII German Hans. Always wondered if it inspired toybiz.
I think you’re spot on. Starting with Spawn, regardless of how fragile they are, the worst. POTF was a great line. And that spider man is still sitting on a shelf, and I’m really not a super hero fan.
I remember owning the DTC G. I. Joe figure Major Barrage, which I think was the first 3/34 inch figure to have a ball joint neck and pinless arms. I remember being disappointed that he was one of the ones that only ever appeared once.
The first figure in the line, I mean
Great content brother 🤘🏼🤘🏼
That boba fett and darth vader my dad found hidden under the shelves. It was the best day of my childhood lol. Good times
Great topic
Batman: The Animated Series was the start for me, even though I was a little late to the party. I picked up a Decoy Batman while on vacation in Maine in 1994, and that started my love of action figures. Have all the figures you featured in this video as well.
For Episode I, I got lucky and found a complete set of wave 1 and 2 figs at a Zellers in Canada, I had no idea what they were about. It was a complete mystery to me as I had no prior knowledge of the characters, and this was almost a month before official release date!
Star wars bend ems got the ball rolling but THEY NEVER GET THE CREDIT FOR HAVEING EVERYTHING STAR WARS TODAY .
IF THE BEND EMS NEVER HAPPENED.
WE HAVE NO DISNEY STAR WARS FILM AT ALL. SO ITS DEFINITELY A DOUBLE EDGE SWORD .....
BUT YA facts 100 . Bend ems made what star wars is today .
I never thought of it that much, but this is spot on
Those are three of the best figures. I think the 1998 Marvel Spidey which didn’t have the articulation of the 2001 figure but it has the etched in web lines and a black wash that made them really pop.
I was born in ’72 I got the 1970s and 80s and 90s. When I hit 21 in 1993 I was getting back into toys.
Marvel Legends figure based on Rob Liefeld's Captain America STAT
Woah, I dig this content! So nice to see POTF on the list. Sentimental fave.
I still have my black costume Spidey from the classics line on my Spidey display shelf
80's and 90's toy's were bad to the bone. Like Batman movie figure line or Toy Biz Marvel figures. Thanks Bobby for doing this video.👍👍🤩
You forgot Kenner Batman raised the bar with variants…
I would add starting lineup sports figures ALSO started adult toy collecting too...
Star wars unleashed , while more statue, were also fantastic