This has been a hot debate for quite some time now. In our hobby which is collecting stuff, we always get ridiculed for buying collectibles referred by most people as TOYS. The usual defense mechanism or response that we say is that what we collect are SCALE MODELS or perhaps ADULT COLLECTIBLES and not some cheap toys meant for children 10 yrs old and below. But I wonder what one thinks to stop them from thinking if their collection should be classified as toys? Well, the ANSWER IS SUBJECTIVE and is influenced by CULTURE and SELF EGO. But generally speaking, people, we are buying and collecting TOYS! Yes! Stop frowning, they are!
If only collectors accept the fact that they are toys, then their feelings won’t be hurt when some close friend or family members says “Hey, are you not too old to be buying toys?” or perhaps “Toys again! why are you wasting your money on senseless stuff?”. Gotta hurt right if you are a sensitive person and you really love your collection… Heck, I know a lot of people who claimed they punch or had a fight with siblings, friends and strangers just to defend their position in this hobby. Damn, why fight when can you just accept the fact that we buy expensive toys? TOYS does not mean they are only for young people. TOY is a generic term regarding a lot of things.
Let us take a look on some dictionary definitions of the word TOY that I found on the net.
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GOOGLE top most result (https://www.google.com/search?q=toy+define)
“An object for a child to play with, typically a model or miniature replica of something.”
– a model you say? does that happen to be a kit?
An object, esp. a gadget or machine, regarded as providing amusement for an adult: “in 1914 the car was still a rich man’s toy”.
– amusement… for an adult… can be a car you say… perhaps it can also be an action figure or a model kit mecha…
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FREE DICTIONARY (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/toy)
“something that is a non functioning replica of something else, esp a miniature one”
– oh yeah, they are indeed replicas… not to mention of imaginary people and objects… robots and anime girls to be exact…
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WIKIPEDIA on Toys (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toy)
“Some toys are produced primarily as collector’s items and are intended for display only.”
– I bet you do this to your Gundams right?
“Toys, like play itself, serve multiple purposes in both humans and animals. They provide entertainment while fulfilling an educational role. Toys enhance cognitive behavior and stimulate creativity. They aid in the development of physical and mental skills which are necessary in later life.”
– reminds me of an article that claims model kit building enhances brain development
Gunpla For Your Brain Development
Research confirms that model kit making trains the brain.
Kikunori Shinohara san, a Professor of the Neuroscience faculty from Suwa Tokyo Science University, announced that model kit making are healthy to the brain, and human of all ages should engage more in these activities.
Model kit making promotes blood circulation to the brain, thus enhancing brain actives allowing the brain to concentrate better, react better and remember better too! Both young and old will be able to benefit from doing so, and keep their brain constantly learning and thinking.
We can go on and on debating if what we collect can be considered toys. The fact remains that they are. Heck, we buy them from TOY STORES!
I spent loads of money on this hobby already. I know they are toys, but they really make me happy. When someone frowns upon my hobby, I just dismiss it and move on. I give them a big smile and give them the “you guys will never understand” treatment if they are close friends.
I was once a person who asked a friend why he was into collecting “ROBOTS”. I asked why spend so much money on expensive TOYS? He can’t give me a straight answer.
But look at me now, I am a toy collector myself. I am now one of you guys! And I can’t explain why I am so addicted into collecting these so-called toys.
My advice, if you are not bothering anyone, harming anyone, or using their money to buy your toys, then just go and be happy about our hobby. We can never prove to them how important these toys are to us. They will never understand if they are not into collecting themselves.
So that’s all about it!
I would like to hear your opinions about this topic as well. ^_^
Gundam Philippines 
“why spend so much money on expensive TOYS?”
Why spend so much money on an Ipad?
Its the same thing.
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i agree… some people love gadgets… we love toys… so respect each others preferences…
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Matter of choice lol
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Saying “I have lots of money.” basically stops annoying relatives from making more comments.
Saying “it’s better than drugs, STDs, or unwanted grandkids” stops parents from making more comments.
Thank goodness I have a cool sibling who doesn’t care about what I do with my resources or I’d have to come up with another snarky reply.
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because spending less money on expensive toys makes no sense.
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it is just a toy but on a different grade, these are not for children…
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yes I agree… though there are Gunpla grades meant for younger ages like the Advance grades, first grade, etc…
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MLP figurines are not for kids too. They are also now being collected by adults, so let’s support the adult collectors and start stealing the MLP stuff from kids as well!!!
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I’ve only recently been up to having 6 model kits and already, I have the same problem with my parents! “What is a 24 year old woman doing with toys?!” hahaha I just carry on… 😛
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hahaha! when my mom used to ask me… I just tell them it is only worth 500 pesos…
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i couldn’t get away so easily the last two times haha I used my credit card – I forgot it was my moms supplementary card and the bills don’t tell a lie! hahahaha
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haha i can imagine your mom’s reaction when she saw the price tag! haha
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At first, i really don’t want other people to describe my collections as “Toys”. it really pisses me off when my relatives or guest sees my display cabinet as a mere waste of space on our living room. it even gets worse when they’ll approach me and quote, ” bakit may mga pambatang laruan sa cabinet nyo? sayo ba yan?”
that’s the time i’ll loose my temper & you know what will happen next……….however as the years passes by, i started to realize that my kits are considered as a toy intended for mature & adult collectors who want to experience the satisfaction of collecting & sharing their passion to others. since then, i never get into fights just to defend my hobby.
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These are cool stuffs, I have 3 kids but still buying GUNDAMs,though i’m only 24. I dont have enough knowledge about the jargons that some of you are using like GUNPLA or 1/100?. However i envy you guys for exerting efforts and spending a lot of money for the things that ou really wanna do/have.
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There are adults which play with anime figures as well.
You can collect Barbies/MLP/Bratz/Hot Wheels toys as well.
There is NO agency that controls the usage of gunpla/action figures/dolls via chipping them with RFID chips that track whether it was picked off the shelf by a random kid.
I myself have a gunpla and sometimes I play with it as well. But I am not that interested in gunplas – I am more into nendoroids (but more passionately in obitsus/dollfie dreams/pullips/licca chans), though I don’t own any… If I will own a nendoroid/figma, I will honestly be glad to play with it, to make a stop motion cartoon (anime), or just a photo comic/manga.
My little brother plays with De Agostini’s car models and enjoys them. “Broken” thing is just a technical experience for me as an experienced modeler. He also plays with papercraft models that I make for him.
As a child I used to live with a collector who was collecting Herpa’s car models, he was plainly aggressive even beyond that “this is not a toy” thing. He was even punishing me for anything he wants.
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i will accept that they are toys, but please don’t let kids play with it, stop irritating to let your son borrow my toys, they are not cheap fking toys, they are not for children
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You are right! And if one kid has parents who buy the gunpla etc for him STEAL! STEAL! STEAL!!! STEAL IT FOR COLLECTORS’ JUSTICE!!!
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TOYS! what is wrong if you still play toys? and where do you buy your gunpla.. in toy stores right? (e.g. TOY TOWN, TOY KINGDOM, TOYS R US)
COCO CRUNCH, age 40, still loves to play toys!
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I was hiding my SD ex standard to my father. He might get mad. I dont want my very first gunpla to be wreck into pieces! what should i do 😦
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