Play vs Display: an action figure rant

 This rant only applies to the Loose Collectors. MOC collectors aren't the target here and their ways, while not my favorite choice, I'm trying to respect it. I don't get why you want to make a room look like Toys R Us or a Kay Bee Toys, but whatever...

My issue is loose collectors. There are two types of loose collectors: The Displayers and the Players. At the end of the day we all Display our toys, but it's the way we do it what I want to tackle. But before I go in deeper, I need to be more specific on my terms:

MOC Collector: person who collects Mint On Card. 

Displayer: person who collects loose but might as well be a MOC collector. Basically they place the toys on their shelves on a neutral pose. (Standing with arms down if the sculpt allows it.) In some cases, the accessories are displayed around the figure or on a rack. These displays tend to tell a story in a way how Museums tell a story. Depending on the owner, you might see displays of Character evolution across toylines, or evilution OF the Toylines themselves. Using X-Men as an example, you could see a display of the ToyBiz pre-Marvel Legends and a display of X-Men from Marvel Legends. Another collector might have a Wolverine display with Mattel's Secret Wars Wolverine, some Pre-ML Toybiz Wolverine figures, ML Wolverine Figures, Hasbro ML Wolverine figures, the Play arts kao Wolverone, etc.

Player: person who collects toys but "plays" with them. I don't  mean play like we did as kids as we dreamed that we could do like the kids in the commercials with their awesome backdrops. 

This type of collector wants to display their toys in dioramas twlling a different kind of story. An "in Universe" story. Using X-Men as an example, due to the video above. This type of collector puts the toys in dramatic poses, like having Storm hanging on fishing line to simulate her flying firing Lightning at a Sentinel with Colossus and Wolverine (the latter being supported by an action figure clear "flight stand") in a Fastball special pose. Nightcrawler (stuck with blutac) trying to pry off Juggernaut's helmet as the latter is walking towards Professor X and Cyclops.

Obviously, I'm biased towards this type of loose collector, since I'm one of these. At the end of the day these are (somewhat overpriced in some cases) toys. By definition, toy is an object for a child to play with. I disagree with the "Meant specifically for children" part or the definition, but the "play with" part is spot on. If you're a loose collector and don't tinker with them or have some fun with them then you might as well be a MOC Collector. What's  the fun of taking the figure out of the package and putting it straight on the shelf? I just can't  see it... 

I know Simpsons did it first.

This Homer Simpson Tribute took about 10 minutes to do. Most of the time was looking for the pieces and the blu tac for the pizza slice.

Posing the figures and Taking the pictues took less than 2 minutes. 

I don't expect Everyone to have some kickass dioramas like the toy commercials. I know how difficult that is, hence I've been making noise for more accessible dioramas and accessories throughout the years. I've even shared some DIY tips and ideas because I enjoy the notion of epic displays.

But there is another type of player, one braver than I am, one who takes action figures in the wild and uses forced perspective to make action figure photography. They don't play in the same sense a kid plays, but they are closer to actual play. I dabbled in it.

If you know you know...

But I was terrified of standing in front of a pub at 7:20 AM on a Saturday Morning with Square Enix action figures in the wild to take these pics... the figures were 13 inches away from me on an empty parking lot away from any grates or anything that could make me regret this, but I was still shitting bricks. I don't know how people go into the woods, beach, ponds, etc. To photograph their (sometimes ridiculously expensive) toys. 

I GET the action figure photographers. They tell a story through their lens and their careful posing of figures. Mostly, because like me, they use Playing as a way to tell a story. It's the Displayers, who I don't fully understand.

I get that their displays are far more organized than a diorama display. (These CAN be chaotic when multiple characters get involved.) It's the setting and forgetting of figures what bugs me. Every once in a while I tinker with some older figures. Especially if related to a toyline with a new addition. For example, TMNT. I started tinkering with them again after getting Sewer Surfer Mike. HELL, I even got the Slam Mobile out of storage for the pic way up above.

What's the point of taking them out of the package if you're not going to use them... I am assuming your toys packages have a window. Because I totally get getting your items out of the "green packages" from Hasbro.

In any case, you should collect however you like. I'm not saying you must collect my way. It's just that I don't understand not bothering to put the figures in a cool pose. Like Cyclops preparing to shoot an optic blast, Superman with his fists on his hips, Mega man aiming hos Mega Buster, Phoenix Wright in OBJECTION!! Pose, Son Goku charging a Kamehameha, etc. Everyone in an A pose is just boring. I know that "lack of space" is the justification, but it looks weird outside an  Iron Man armory display.