3 3/4 fan reaction to new MM Joe's

[Mightyfanatic]

What is amusing, since you quote 3 3/4" scale (near and dear to my heart, since I run a board devoted to that scale), is that many 6" scale fans are now up in arms against the 3 3/4" folks (making us something of an oppressed minority), even though I also love the more traditional 6" scale of action figures (DC classics, Marvel Legends etc..)
So it's a case of collectors staking out their territory..

Also, given the rising cost of plastic, many collectors fear that manufacturers will close out and stop producing certain lines due to cost reasons (what happened to 12" GI Joes and the switch to 3 3/4" scale for them in the '70s/80's) and thus, anything different, is viewed as a threat, apart from simple aesthetics.

We're having several lively discussions over at the Zone on this topic right now ... from the OTHER perspective (and Muggs haven't been mentioned at all ... we're much more concerned about getting bashed from the 6" collectors!)

[Reigner]

It is territorial, and I just don't understand it.

I love the things I collect, but eventually I 'grow out' (for lack of a better term) of what I collect, and a lot of the times I end up backing out of a line around its deathknell.

I see nothing as a threat to my collections, I buy what I want, and if I see that they're being canned I just move on to the next collectible.

Maybe that makes me unfaithful to something, I dunno. But the adamant hatred and vitriole that spills out to other lines is just mindboggling. It's not something new that always makes the old obsolete, a lot of the times it's just a dwindling interest in the IP iteselt. Take G.I. Joe for instance, I havent seen a solid line of Joes around these parts in a good 10 years. Muggs (or Combat Hero Squad) aren't going to change that.

Heck collectors should be happy that new products that appeal to different audiences are being released. This may bring more people into the scales that the angry collectors collect, and may result in more awesomeness for them.

Then again there are those who simply hate things because they're popular.

I'ma get off my soapbox now.

[Mightyfanatic]

Good points, although like modern TV show execs who often don't give a show a chance and cancel it abruptly (unlike several years ago, when such shows as Cheers which did not do initiallty very well, were given a chance to "find their footing") many collectors are concerned that THE MANUFACTURERS will quit on a line too early or sacrifice another in order to focus on one. Sure, there may be some individual collector preferences/bigotry going on (in some cases, alot!) but there is also a (partially) warranted fear that "their" line might go away prematurely since there seems to be a shrinking base (kidwise) for such things and collectors can only collect so much. Many, I believe might be like you Reigner, going from one line to the next (and dropping the previous one even before it ends). I think perhaps, that many more are extremely faithful to a particular line (or scale or both) and staunchly defend it, attempt to keep it going and sometimes even not too diplomatically bash those who threaten it (both perceived and real...)

Ok, who's next for the soapbox ...