All your webkiz are belong to me

[Gurndigarn]

.... whats a google???

Uh... it's a web search engine.

[JustaCashier]

"Collector Item" fads=Proof that big corporations are Evil, Sadistic, Bastards which sit back in their ivory towers, raking in the mega bucks, while laughing at the pain they are inflicting on their hardworking, underpaid frontline employees.

I have a problem with "creating" collector's items. Whether something becomes a collector's item should be on it's own merits, such as nostalgia value and such. Not by huge corporation essentially telling people what the latest collector's item is.

I mean no offense to anyone here that may be into collecting such items, just my

I wish everyone here that has to deal with the SC's inheritantly involved with these fads, my best in survivng this latest one, and am thankful my store doesn't carry them.

Mike

[Tigress]

About the Cabbage Patch Kid craze, my grandma made one for each of my female cousins and me. I still have mine and her name is Sheila. I didn't really understand the impact at the time, but she spent the better part of the year getting these made. I wish she was still around so I could tell her how much I still love Sheila.

Dammit, I miss my grandma now.

[Gurndigarn]

"Collector Item" fads=Proof that big corporations are Evil, Sadistic, Bastards which sit back in their ivory towers, raking in the mega bucks, while laughing at the pain they are inflicting on their hardworking, underpaid frontline employees.

I have a problem with "creating" collector's items. Whether something becomes a collector's item should be on it's own merits, such as nostalgia value and such. Not by huge corporation essentially telling people what the latest collector's item is.

Well, they don't always work the way the marketing boffos want. One company paid ours to push "Bonz" for them. Not a bad idea-- nucklebones with various shaped plastic bones, with different colors. Some more rare than others, and with planned obsolescense (they planned to retire various colors and designs). In short, it was knucklebones with the M:TG marketing strategy on steroids.

Flopped, big time.

And I'm sure if I paid more attention to kids stuff, I could probably dig up a bunch of ideas that sounded great in the board room, had good marketing campaigns, and still ended up on closeout five months later.

[Pagan]

Now, if they had a little stuffed Rey Mysterio...

Or a stuffed Gravekeeper....

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

I heard the story once of a kid who's cabbage patch doll got chewed up by the family dog. They sent it to the factory (I assume to see if it could be fixed). The factory sent back a death certificate.

To quote Jeff Spiccoli in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, the only Sean Penn movie I will ever watch....

"AWESOME! TOTALLY AWESOME!"

[AliasWeird]

A common question

.... whats a google???
And i want a pug!!! and a unicorn!!! and a plar bear!! and i should mention i have a stuffed animal problem...

Actually, the Google is a Platypus.

With no arms.

I see I brought up a lot of "fond" memories of Cabbage Patch. Sorry about that. Also, sorry about my Title Typo. Blong = Belong, I just spotted that.

[Jester]

Screw procreation. I don't want kids anymore.

Holy shit! One of the two funniest things I've read all day!

I heard the story once of a kid who's cabbage patch doll got chewed up by the family dog. They sent it to the factory (I assume to see if it could be fixed). The factory sent back a death certificate.

And that would be the other one!


This thread makes me thankful of a few things.

1. I still don't have kids.
2. Three of my four nieces are too old to give a crap about Webkinz.
3. The fourth one is still too young.
4. I work in restaurants, not retail, so I never have to deal with this crap.

[Sliceanddice]

Uh... it's a web search engine.

i know that but its also a webkinz

[GingerBiscuit]

just had to check out what they are on amazon. They are kinda cute, and if I can I might get a polar bear for my boyfriend for christmas.

But not worth the hassle you guys are getting for them.

[Polenicus]

Well, they don't always work the way the marketing boffos want. One company paid ours to push "Bonz" for them. Not a bad idea-- nucklebones with various shaped plastic bones, with different colors. Some more rare than others, and with planned obsolescense (they planned to retire various colors and designs). In short, it was knucklebones with the M:TG marketing strategy on steroids.

Flopped, big time.

And I'm sure if I paid more attention to kids stuff, I could probably dig up a bunch of ideas that sounded great in the board room, had good marketing campaigns, and still ended up on closeout five months later.

Yeah, lots of companies try and create collectors' crazes. Everyone is trying to be Hot Wheels.

Ever meet a Hot Wheels collector? If you do, SHOOT ON SIGHT. Trust me, no court in the land will convict you. Granted, Hot Wheels isn't huge, but it's sustained and persistent, and they appeal from buyers from the casual impulse buyer ("Mommy, I want a race car! Can I have a race car?") to the sad, lifeless 40 year old living in his mother's basement spending 60% of his income trying to track down the last few pieces of a rare set from the 1980's. Toy companies get wet when they think about creating the next Hot Wheels.

Most collecting crazes don't last though. The flare big and bright, sell huge for... maybe a year, possibly two... and then either drop down to a saner level, supported by just the enthusiasts (If the item has merit on its own) or falls off the face of the earth.

Webkinz? High dive, triple twist into a double somersault, flattening out into a bellyflop into the deep end of oblivion. I give it 18 months tops.

[Dreamstalker]

I have a problem with "creating" collector's items. Whether something becomes a collector's item should be on it's own merits, such as nostalgia value and such. Not by huge corporation essentially telling people what the latest collector's item is.

Agreed. I collect anime, but in that market there is no "this is the next hot thing and you should buy it NOW" (at least not that I've run across). All the figures I have I've gotten because I like the series, or (for the random ones such as Mecha Musume) I just think they're cool.

[DragonRose]

Ugh....Furby's. *shudder*

[ArenaBoy]

Ugh....Furby's. *shudder*

Don't get me started on that though I have a good memory of one.

My little sister got one for Christmas many years ago. She left it within easy reach for the dog to get it. He was holding the thing in it's mouth and the Furby was freaking out in that annoying mechanical voice.

[protege]

Ever meet a Hot Wheels collector? If you do, SHOOT ON SIGHT. Trust me, no court in the land will convict you. Granted, Hot Wheels isn't huge, but it's sustained and persistent, and they appeal from buyers from the casual impulse buyer ("Mommy, I want a race car! Can I have a race car?") to the sad, lifeless 40 year old living in his mother's basement spending 60% of his income trying to track down the last few pieces of a rare set from the 1980's. Toy companies get wet when they think about creating the next Hot Wheels.

I only buy what I like...namely the more "normal" cars. Some of the Hot Wheels stuff is too damned weird Sure, I do get them occasionally, but it's not all the time...and the kitty usually takes them to play with Now the older Matchbox cars are another story--I have been known to search them out, and raid the crap box at a certain local store...usually to come home with a few. I've been trying to collect the older (1960s) stuff, which consisted of cars you'd see on the streets...not the constant stream of Ferraris, Mercedes, and similar. I got lucky last year--not only did I find a nice pair of VW 1600TL fastbacks, but an ISO Grifo, Mercedes 220, and an MG 1100, all of which aren't seen much now. Throw in the little Ford Anglia, and I did OK