Could oil issues push a new scale standard?

[Damien]

I think the biggest issues with that plastic free packaging they tried a few year ago was figure swapping and not being able to check on paint/missing items. I don’t think people would care all that much if the plastic tray was eliminated as long as the window/bubble is still there so we can peek in. Tamper proof packaging like the retro lines seems to help with figure swapping too but those giant oversized cards feel so wasteful to the more compact box style packaging.

I think a lot of people were hiding behind the swapping and all that. But when you dig deeper into peoples' responses, a LOT of the loudest complaining was coming from MISB/MOSC collectors that were mad the collection didn't look good and show off the figure. That's why they were adamantly opposed to closed boxes even with things like online exclusives - to which none of their other complaints even apply.

But the toy companies definitely also changed too fast, without enough forethought. Better tamper proofing, and better policies at the store level, would have helped a lot. That being said, I like the idea of less plastic in my packaging. I already feel guilty enough that my hobby is -dependent- on using an entire small country's GDP in plastic production every year to keep going. I don't need the added guilt of also throwing away 500 pounds of waste plastic every year just to GET to the plastic I want to keep.

 

[Reno]

Yep, I fully support reducing the plastic footprint that our society produces.

However, I do buy a lot of figures with no intent to ever open them. Most of what I buy, in fact. For example, I stopped collecting GI Joe Classified altogether when they went windowless. When they went back to windowed packaging they had changed the look of the packaging, so I stayed out. I also felt like with the Marvel stuff that I did continue to buy windowless that I had a lot more problems with the product being swapped out or had pieces missing.

For environmental reasons, fully behind windowless. However, as a collector I despised it.

 

[PantherCult]

So I agree that the economics make it unlikely we see a major shift back to a smaller scale.

To the original question, however, if the industry did shift back to 1/18 scale for figures I would stop buying new figures. I would enjoy the collection I have and augment it with customs. Fodder options would likely be more plentiful as there is a segment that drops a line once it is no longer active.

 

[fac]

I am curious why folks dislike 1:18 so much?

I wouldn't scrap a line and start over if it changed to 1:18 or 1:12, but I guess I am not that attached to a particular scale that I would pass up a line based on an IP I liked if the scale was not my preference.

I do tend to avoid 1:6 but that is more about cost.

 

[Reefer Shark]

I prefer 1:18, but we live in a 1:12 world.

 

[Alt]

I just like bigger figures. I appreciate what JT and Acid do with paint and sculpt and articulation.

But I dunno. I am large and so even a McF feels like an old Joe or MOTU did when I was a kid? I chase that energy.

 

[Damien]

I am curious why folks dislike 1:18 so much?

Tribalism.


Why do some folks just not enjoy collecting 1:18 sometimes? Lots of reasons, I'm sure. I -do- (or did) collect 1:18 and I have no problem continuing to do so. But given the option between 1:18 and 1:12, I choose 1:12. Better shelf presence, and usually the figures genuinely do look better. Likewise, 1:12 figures tend to not just have better-functioning articulation when it's comparable between both scales, but tend to allow for more articulation as well.
Given that there's no longer much of a gulf in pricing, I'll pay the few extra dollars, if that, and have a bigger, nicer-looking figure that's got better visibility from across the room.

But I happily collected Vitruvian HACKS to the tune of a couple thousand dollars. Only got rid of my 25A+ era Joes when the joints started to fail (nd only got rid of the last of them when Classified was starting in earnest). And if Black Series hadn't come along, I'd probably still have a 1:18 Star Wars collection of some size.

Also, 1:12 kind of stops me from going crazy. During the 25A/Modern Era of Joes, I had like 70% of the vehicles and it got ridiculous. Add that to a bunch of Star Wars vehicles and creatures, and 1:18 quickly dominated my entire home despite being much smaller figures than stuff like the Marvel Legends and DCUC I was also collecting at the time.

 

[Alt]

Ever now and then Vintage drops some bangers and I consider pivoting. But I don't know how to onboard at this stage.

 

[Damien]

Ever now and then Vintage drops some bangers and I consider pivoting. But I don't know how to onboard at this stage.

The things that usually make me want to flip over are the vehicles and playsets, and I'm usually pretty quick to explain to myself that that's exactly why I CAN'T be a Vintage collector.

 

[fac]

I was thinking how much I like the variety of different scales, I think if everything I had was one scale I would find it pretty dull. Like watching or reading or listening to only one genre of films, books and music. I like having a variety of styles, from Minimates/Legos and POPs and 5 POA and Mego style, from modern 1:18 to 1:6, and from stylized to cartoonish to realistic.

We live in a 1:12 world.

True, and I don't see that changing too soon.

Better shelf presence, and usually the figures genuinely do look better. Likewise, 1:12 figures tend to not just have better-functioning articulation when it's comparable between both scales, but tend to allow for more articulation as well.

Good points, but I guess while I do think those aspects are important, I also value line scope and world building, so I like what smaller scales can bring to that.

 

[Damien]

Good points, but I guess while I do think those aspects are important, I also value line scope and world building, so I like what smaller scales can bring to that.

Oh yeah, IF that's what you want to do. That's one reason I loved 1:18 for many years and avidly collected in that scale. I still have a sizeable HACKS collection. Nothing like being able to drop dinos and dragons and castles and spaceships and shit right into your collection. Not to mention all the dio-building potential.
But I don't think those are important to many collectors, that just want specific characters on shelves. As long as the scale allows for all their favorite characters, most people seem pretty content.
Also, to my above point, sometimes collecting in the 'anti-vehicle/dio' scale can really help curb bad collector impulses to get too much shit and go a bit crazy.

 

[Alt]

The things that usually make me want to flip over are the vehicles and playsets, and I'm usually pretty quick to explain to myself that that's exactly why I CAN'T be a Vintage collector.

Similarly, while I love the JoyToy turtles, I put the brakes on pretty quick. I saw how I could go with it and just had to tell myself the core gang, April, Splinter, and a handful of my fave childhood villains were enough.

Passed on the Van because, for my logic, if the turtles and April don't convey everything TMNT to a guest, then the display already failed, in my mind.

 

[fac]

Also, to my above point, sometimes collecting in the 'anti-vehicle/dio' scale can really help curb bad collector impulses to get too much shit and go a bit crazy.

I'm feeling personally attacked.

 

[Damien]

Passed on the Van because, for my logic, if the turtles and April don't convey everything TMNT to a guest, then the display already failed, in my mind.

That's a good way to look at it. And sort've how I've started looking at my own collection; whether or not it conveys my love of a thing more than 'is it representative of everything that exists within the IP.' The latter is certainly what I wanted from my toy collections 20 years ago, but I just don't think it's feasible anymore unless you are a childless and well-off, or VERY well-off adult.

 

[spinc]

Honestly, 6" just feels right in the hand. Those 6 inches just have a way to bring pure joy into the hearts of people.

Joking aside, 6" is the right size for great detail, good paint apps and good articulation. I've personally never seen a 1/18 figure with butterfly shoulders (although there is a 1/24 line that has that, it's insane!). We're just recently staring to see 1/6, Hot Toys quality figures with soft goods in 1/12. Third party companies are doing some insanely awesome work, they're really showing off what's possible in the scale in terms of detail, paint apps and materials. Revoltech and many other companies are doing figures that can do almost any pose you can think of, and thanks to the low weight of the figures, they can usually stand easily in complex poses and stay standing, without the need for external stands. 1/10 figures are usually pretty heavy. There's also the thing that 6" figures are easier to pose around than 4" or 12", especially if you have big hands.

But honestly, I collect pretty much all scales. I have VC Star Wars figures, 6", 7", a few 8", and even a few 12" figures. I don't mind having variety in my collection, although of course I want the groups to all fit in with each other. I really do like 1/18 figures, but they usually don't have the detail of articulation that a 1/12 figure has, and of course, they're harder to pose around since I have big hands. And I don't have much space for 1/6 figures, even if I would love to buy more of them.

Also, most companies could reduce their packaging size by like 1/3 -1/2 easily without loosing real figure space (width and depth wise especially). Most figures have a ton of empty space around them. Of course, this does protect the figures, but it's usually not necessary to have as much. Something I like about SHF Star Wars figures is how tiny and compact their packaging is (also the silver foil is *chef's kiss*). They pack the figure snuggly inside and all their accessories and it's still way smaller than Black Series packaging.