Toy Display Protocols

[Dan]

I'm interested in how fans display their toys and in particular whether they separate them according to specific line or continuity.

If you do segregate your Transformers then what factors make you do that? Do design aesthetics, story, faction, approximate scale or other factors determine who hangs with whom on your shelves?

[apology if this has been discussed in the past]

[BigTransformerTrev]

[apology if this has been discussed in the past]

It has, but that was a loooong time ago so always fun to revisit this stuff :)

In those rare times I set up a display due to there briefly being a bit of space in the place somewhere I do a few different styles:

*Multiverse Character: So all the Prowls or Swindles or Soundwaves etc I've got from different lines. If I've got say over 40 of the character (such as Big Grim, Opttimus, Bbee etc) I might seperate them by G1-styled to other styles.
*Size: All the Titan-sized together etc
*Toyline: All of Animated or Cybertron or whatever together

In the end I guess it's whatever you have the space for and whatever looks good to you :)

[Paulbot]

I get uneasy have characters from different continuties grouped together. Alright with them on the same shelf, but with a clear distinction between say TF Prime toys on the left and Animated toys on the right.

(Maybe some exceptions for borderline cases - mostly thinking of the AutobotAlliance/Hunt For The Decepticons/Reveal The Shield toys that are borderline movie/chug toys!)

I also tend to keep the Autobots to one side and the Decepticons to the other - so I guess story does play a big part in it for me!

[DELTAprime]

[apology if this has been discussed in the past]

I asked this years ago.:p

My method has changed since then and that was a long time ago. I now sort them differently. Mostly separated into each line but with some exceptions.

MP's are arranged left to right, season 1 to season 3 with the non US cartoon G1 characters on their own shelf and BW MPs on the BW shelf.

CHUG toys are arranged again from left to right. This time form 1984's characters through to the most recent character to get a CHUG homage, 1990's Crok. Then I have some shelves for the more IDW inspired CHUG toys and the AEC and BW CHUG toys are on the AEC and BW shelves.

Everything else is grouped into their respective line on each respective shelf.

[UltraMarginal]

I have limited space, a single Billy book case and a square glass tower from Aldli.
I tend to put a line on a shelf or two. I nearly always face off autobots against decepticons across the shelf.

I have maintained a movie shelf for quite a few years now, sometimes it's two shelves.

Newer lines gradually push older lines into storage. I sometimes (rarely these days) display a G1 character next to the modern version.

I have a couple MP shelves, a couple 'generations/comic characters' shelves and a RID shelf (which is over full)

The tower display tends to contain exclusives and more 'collectable' figures, mostly club/Botcon toys.

for pics see my fan interview with Big Trev, (Link below)

[G1Optimal]

I have limited space, a single Billy book case and a square glass tower from Aldli.
I tend to put a line on a shelf or two. I nearly always face off autobots against decepticons across the shelf.




Officially (well at least blacktown dose) Aldis uses these are some of the display cases they put products in to display

https://www.showfront.com.au/display-cabinets/model-collectibles-display-cabinets/tgl-1200

https://www.showfront.com.au/display-cabinets/upright-display-cabinets/tgl1000

Note they come in black ,grey and white (since this place is custom place they can paint it any colour in fact )

This is all they have (or even more expensive customise them)
https://www.showfront.com.au/display-cabinets

I found this place and this one https://www.bethelshopfitting.com.au/4-glass-showcases-counters after looking for better display cases than the ikea detolfs as i do not trust the structure of them.

[UltraMarginal]

Officially (well at least blacktown dose) Aldis uses these are some of the display cases they put products in to display

https://www.showfront.com.au/display-cabinets/model-collectibles-display-cabinets/tgl-1200

https://www.showfront.com.au/display-cabinets/upright-display-cabinets/tgl1000

Note they come in black ,grey and white (since this place is custom place they can paint it any colour in fact )

This is all they have (or even more expensive customise them)
https://www.showfront.com.au/display-cabinets

I found this place and this one https://www.bethelshopfitting.com.au/4-glass-showcases-counters after looking for better display cases than the ikea detolfs as i do not trust the structure of them.

thanks for the ideas, the main reason I don't have any more display space is a lack of space to put more cabinets.
One of the other guys here uses these (https://www.shopfittingsdirect.com.au/product-category/glass-display-showcases-cabinets/frameless-glass-display-cabinet-showcase/)guys. they look great, are lockable and as far as I can tell he's had nothing bus success with them. being mostly glass they are heavy though.

but back on topic, I also have a Metroplex on a shelf in the study with a hand full of legends class and WST figures sprinkled around him.

[G1Optimal]

thanks for the ideas, the main reason I don't have any more display space is a lack of space to put more cabinets.
One of the other guys here uses these (https://www.shopfittingsdirect.com.au/product-category/glass-display-showcases-cabinets/frameless-glass-display-cabinet-showcase/)guys. they look great, are lockable and as far as I can tell he's had nothing bus success with them. being mostly glass they are heavy though.

but back on topic, I also have a Metroplex on a shelf in the study with a hand full of legends class and WST figures sprinkled around him.

Thanks for the link, Sorry to go off topic again...
Though the thought of a frameless design gives me shudders (as isn’t it just brackets holding the glass with screws) and to me the semi frameless looks like the ones from detolf.

Even though it is more pricey i sticking with frames as by weight bearing goes though the frame and the glass is in the frame.

And to go back on topic for my collection i just get whatever i can from what i like and available.

[UltraMarginal]

it's 6mm safety glass, I think you'd be surprised how strong it is.

[Ode to a Grasshopper]

I've got a whole little personal fanon/backstory worked out for my 'mix-'n-match whatever I like'-based collection, so if/when I ever have the space to display them all properly it'll be based on a combination of factions and roles, eg. command-'bots/'cons grouped together, a city-bot/base display, medics in a repair-bay-esque diorama, etc etc.

Currently it's just 'whatever I have space to display in whatever combinations I feel like', which isn't much due to space limitations.

[Gouki]

Favourite Autobot and Decepticon figures. Repurposing all kinds a pseudo-G1 characters or specifically multiversal visitors, kind of like the IDW comics before it was call.

[G1Optimal]

it's 6mm safety glass, I think you'd be surprised how strong it is.

True , but still

[Galvatran]

I'd much rather see displays in dynamic poses. Or recreating scenes from cartoon/movie. :cool:

[Dan]

Thanks all. Lots of common ground there with a few interesting variations.

I have a relatively small collection but also limited space (living in a share house) so there are always some set aside in drawers (or boxes for the few big ones I have).

Both the newest and the oldest tend to get preference in being displayed. So, there's almost always a G1 shelf and a Generations shelf (currently also have a few live-action toys out). I keep them separate because of aesthetic differences, but a few toys seem compatible with different displays (Energon Arcee being a good example of this).

Some of you arrange toys in order by specific date of issue. I lack such dedication but try to let story (mostly the G1 cartoon) tell me who can co-exist with whom (so Megatron and Galvatron rarely if ever stand in the same display).

Leaders (by role not size class) tend to stand front-and-centre within factional groups. Larger robots tend to stand behind smaller ones. However, in alt-mode things that are supposed to be smaller tend to go in front of ones that are supposed to be bigger (like putting cars closer to the viewer than planes as a kind of try-hard forced perspective).

I like the idea of having more action scene displays but that would tend to take up more space. I've not done that since childhood, but recently I've been taking photos of choice toys in particular scenes, some of them silly. In one, POTP Outback is trying to wrestle TR Skullcruncher, coz Aussies do that with crocodiles, right? :)