[gashatfreak]

Despite my love for tokusatsu, I am quite concerned over the rampant consumerism present within these shows. Don't get me wrong I'm still going to watch toku, but shows like Power Rangers, Super Sentai and Kamen Rider ultimately exist to sell toys. I often ponder upon the effects this has on kids and adults. Consumerism has been linked to decreased life satisfaction and happiness while also linked to an increase in depression and antisocial behaviour.

I know I often joke that my wallet is in danger whenever a new toy is announced, but I often find myself thinking long and hard before purchasing something, which is usually enough time for something I want in the moment to lose its appeal to me. Hence, I don't have a single Figuart in my shelf. I may be protected to a degree thanks to my stinginess, but I wonder how this merchandising train affects kids watching these things. I know parents would usually buy these things for their kids.

Take Kamen Rider for instance, which over the years have increased its arsenal of weaponry and belts. Thanks to the efficiency of production increasing over the years, more and more merchandise can be pumped out compared to years ago. Take Kuuga, who had a simple (relatively speaking) arsenal compared to the merchandising onslaught of Zero-One's 'collectible belts' (if Zero-One's 'collectible items' were belts, then I guess one could argue that Saber's real collectible items are swords, not 'books').

It's not just Kamen Rider. What about Super Sentai? Well, let's not forget the buttload of gimmick-stuffed mecha which have increased over the years to the point that some don't stay for very long. And then there's the plethora of interactive trinkets that you are encouraged to buy, some of which can only be obtained through special sets or lotteries (Ranger Keys anyone?).

I know that toku is not going to stop selling stuff to kids and collectors anytime soon, why would they if its making them boatloads of money? Rather, the increase in the amount of P-Bandai over the years seems to indicate that Bandai wants to appeal to collectors as well as children, something which Hasbro has been doing in the West as well through Hasbro Pulse, thus encouraging spending in adults as well. Oh, and making something limited edition just adds a certain appeal to the whole scheme of things. And it's not just exclusives that make merchandising more appealing to collectors. 2-packs, team sets, build-a-figure-whose-body-has-been-separated-through-different-other-figures, combining weaponry that are sold separately. These are all advertised with slogans such as "build the most powerful weapon" or "collect them all to complete the ultimate team" to make the buyer think they are in control and it all benefits them, but as P.T. Barnum once said, "there's a sucker born every minute" (actually we don't know if Barnum ever said that but the point still stands). And then there's also the merchandise which target childhood nostalgia and/or harken back to the roots fo the franchise (Transformers Generations anyone?)

So am I against merchandising? To a degree I am. If merchandising really is going to have a negative mental effect on people then I am quite against it as at that point they have been captured by the snares of consumerism. On the other hand, I am aware and recognise that there are people who can exhibit self-control and can shield themselves against the growing consumerism over our age so I wouldn't call a worldwide ban over it. However, that does not change the fact that I'm still extremely concerned over the possible effects this might have on one's mental state. I know I myself have fallen into the pit of merchandising in the past, with the 'gotta have it!' attitude.

But it's not just me, there are also a few testimonies from around Tokunation as well (I apologise in advance for not asking permission):

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreamSword

...
A friend of a friend decided he wanted to start collecting Star Wars The Black Series. That in itself isn't a problem, but as time went on one of each wasn't enough. He had to have every edition of every character. And also multiples. And also other Star Wars merch being released recently because why not. And so on and so on.

It got the point he barely had any room in his house due to all the boxes that were coming in. He ended up needing an intervention to sell off a bunch of the stuff he'd been hoarding.

So yeah, cautionary tale: There's nothing wrong with collecting, and it can be rather fun, but be careful about it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kurona

Oooooh BOY do I know this one.

This is, like... yeah. I remember back when I was focusing on collecting Transformers, I really got it into my head that I must collect full sets. Like, I should have a full 1984 Ark crew or a full MTMTE main character display. And it just made collecting very... dull? I wasn't picking up characters like Mirage or Cyclonus because I was especially attached to them, but because they were Part Of The Team and I needed them to Complete it.

I think what eventually woke me up was one particular quote from Vangelus; I forget if it was on a panel or some other youtube video or something, but he talked a lot about Fill A Gap mentality -- which was doing exactly as I described. Do you really want this toy you're about to spend money on, or is it just because you've convinced yourself it's needed for a collection?

And of course, it's not necessarily wrong to collect a full crew or anything. I'm not into judging people for how they collect or what they decide to do at all; you get what you get for any reason you like -- because you've got an emotional connection to the character; because a full group shot looks wonderful to you; because you just think the character goddamn looks cool or there's a fun gimmick. But you've got to make sure that the reason you're doing it is a reason you actually have, and not one that you just do have. And I think in collecting, especially when many toylines gear themselves towards completionism and because many other people show their shelves and goals of having full sets; that by default we go into it thinking we should just get a full collection. For me, that was bolstered by getting into buying Transformers again with Combiner Wars; a toyline that necessitated getting at least 5 different figures for a full complete Combiner -- and then on top of that there being different Legends Class figures for accessories, and on top of that there being many aspects of the complete Combiner that was unsatisfying such as the hands and feet, so you'd want to go after Third Party solutions to those problems.


All of that to say that it was incredibly refreshing for Fill A Gap mentality to be explained so that I could start thinking "hey, actually, do I really want to buy this character?" I don't regret all of my choices or anything -- I got back into collecting with CW Blast Off because I really liked Bruticus, and I still really like Bruticus and am still happy to have him! But so many others... T30 Roadbuster, Legends Arcee, Three (!!!) TFP Vehicons... I mean I liked the TFP Vehicon, awesome toy, but how did I get it into my head that I needed to troopbuild them because eventually I was going to have a complete TFP Decepticon display alongside a thousand other Transformers displays? Was I really going to get complete displays of every significant Transformers cast, especially on my limited paycheck? And would that really have made me happy in the end?

The answer to all of those is a big huge No, and for me personally, I've these days discovered that the Transformers that personally make me happy are a select few who I either like the character of or who I think look cool or I have fun transforming; as well as getting a few Cybertron figures due to how nostalgic I have for them. And that's such a far, far cry from what I originally wanted!

And at one point, I slipped back into that with Kamen Rider. When the Seihou OOO line was revealed, I convinced myself I was going to get every Combo they came out with because I loved the gimmick and the character -- but while I do like that gimmick, did I really... need that? Like, was I seriously going to be that into Ratoratah or Sagohzo on their own, and would I even be that interested in Combo Changing? Would I have a place in my display for them? At best, even if I did have a place for them and did want all of them, would I not be better served by cheaper lines like SODO or the original OCC line, rather than getting expensive high-end £50-60 figures of them? Eventually I realised... nah, nah I love OOO's gimmick but I hardly need all these Combos. I really would just be happy with Tatoba, Tajador, maybe Putotyra and then eventually some time in the far future I might go after cheaper versions of the other Combos.


Right now I'm going after a few very particularly very limited displays based on my absolute favourites, and a couple Main Riders outside of those with FRS providing options that are not just very cheap but very fun and satisfying to build. And that's proving to make every purchase and every received figure a joy to pick up. Moral of the story here really is that collect what you want, do what you want... but sometimes you gotta kick yourself up the ass to ask if it really is what you want.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Just like liquids take on the shape of their container, I think collections fill the space allotted. When I lived in a small place, I had a few things. As I got more and more room, I got more and more stuff.

This is a trap! Don't do this!

As I look at my many, many robot toys, I sort-of long for the time when it was a more manageable collection. I'm in a pruning stage right now, since I'd used up all of my display space (6 massive IKEA Besta cabinets I added glass doors and lights to) as well as all of my storage space. It was all stressing me out too much, you know? Getting something was becoming Dead Man's Boots, where I'd need to move an on-display figure into storage, and then try and wring one more cubic inch of storage space out of over-filled bins.

Now, I'm being as brutal as I can with my shit. Do I need four colorways of the same figure, if they're all out of sight? Do I need an entire wave of toys if only one or two was fun to transform? Wouldn't it be nice to enjoy these things without stressing about where they're all going to go?

There are points when I think about what I'd do if I had less space. Fantasize, really. I'd keep my full collection of Thrilling 30 Springer, let everything else go. I collected every variation. I love that mold. It takes up one little cube of my displays. And, y'know, it's done. I can't imagine Takara or Hasbro are going to do some new deco for an old figure, especially with them having a G1 Springer recently released. How nice it would be to have a neat, reasonable collection.
...
Anyway, long story short, all of this talk is pretty universal. We're all trying to balance our enjoyment for our collections with things like space, money, reality. I think we've all got good days and bad days when it comes to it. Perspective is good. Talking about it like this is good. I think everyone needs to do what they feel is best for their situation. If collecting is ever stressing you out, take a break. It's all just stuff. There'll always be more stuff.

TL;DR - Toku usually involves merchandising, consumerism has been linked to negative mental effects, I'm worried over the effects this could have on kids and collectors. I fell into the rabbit hole of consumerism once with all the negative side effects, and I'm not the only one here who got captured by it.

To those who are about to fall in the rabbit hole of buying toku merch, I advise you to exhibit caution; once you drop it's hard to stop. Spare yourself the pain that I and many others have experienced. Please think about your needs first before your wants. I also advise saving money for any future emergencies or in case your family or friends have any trouble that you could lend your financial aid to.

To those who are currently spending lots of money and have a 'buying addiction' or seemingly insatiable need for toys and merch, I ask you to please stop for a while and think over your life. Your life may not have become worse, but has your life improved via these purchases? What about your finances? Space in your home? Relationships? Spirituality (for those who are spiritually or religiously minded)? If any of these have been affected negatively after purchasing, I say stop immediately.

Oh, and also, I may have talked a lot about physical merchandising in this post, but consumerism also extends to the digital medium as well (loot boxes, DLCs, etc.) so keep an eye out.

So what about you guys? I'd love to hear your thoughts and opinions over this matter. I've given my two cents, let's hear yours.

And I am not even going to go into the whole 'mint in packaging' or 'box in mint condition' mentality some collectors have, it's gonna drive me nuts (I won't judge you if you do prefer to keep your box in mint condition though).