Why Do You Display Your Toys?

(Following from Vector Prime's thread and my post here: http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showth...341#post237341)

We've had countless discussions on why people do or don't keep their toys sealed or why they do or don't play with their Transformers, but I can never remember anyone answering this question - it just seems to be accepted as something people do. So, I'd be interested to know...

If you do display your Transformers, why do you do it?

Is it for you or for visitors? To have something to show off in the collection thread? Is it something you've always done or only since you joined OTCA? What exactly do you do and what is your purpose for doing so? Do you keep your toys behind glass? In sideways boxes? Hung up on cards on the wall? In rows and rows on shelves? If any of these are things you do, what's the reason why you do it?

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Originally Posted by Sky Shadow

If you do display your Transformers, why do you do it?

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I liken my displayed TFs as works of art - displayed purely for my own enjoyment though.

I rarely have any people over (as my home is my private place of Zen) so it's certainly not for the benefit of visitors.

Some are displayed behind glass, some are on bookcases and I do have a couple of MOSC items hung on walls.

So I guess to answer your question, I display them because I like looking at them. :)

because i can, so i do

It's a personal thing for me really, whether someone sees the display and thinks ill of me is irrelevant to my own enjoyment of them. :cool:
For me, I like to have physical representations of things that manifest themselves within my thoughts, i.e. Like the Ancient Egyptians who worshipped statues as physical representations of whom they bare as proxies - So do I. ;):)

its for nostalgic reasons, its represents my childhood and my innocence :p

For me, this question is ancillary to the main question of of why I collect.

I think ultimately, we collect for personal enjoyment (Or Id like to think so) and we each enjoy the hobby/collecting in different ways -i.e. Gok enjoys by playing. :p

Personally, a large part of enjoying these figures other than the hunt is displaying/posing them- although I am starting to get into photographing them as well.

That is why I display them- they are awesome to look at/brings me enjoyment and is mainly why I collect. I don't care about how the display affects others or their opinions etc- but I only display them in my room- I guess being married /in your situation might be different.

As to why I get enjoyment for looking at the display?- probably to admire their beauty/engineering as pieces of art and childhood nostalgia- it fulfills a part of my childhood pining for toys I couldn't have.

I've got one room in the house which is my room that no one else gets any say in. This is my happy place. I display my Transformers in there because Transformers make me happy.

I display them on shelves, bookcases, wherever I can really, most in robot mode. I enjoy looking at them, and standing in front of them trying to decide which one I want to play with. They make me happy; a connection to a childhood I don't really remember. I like seeing them all lined up. I like tosee them free.

As mentioned in the other thread, I currently only have one small glass cabinet's worth of display while I'm in between homes (1.5 years later :p). Many of my reasons have already been said:

1. They're beautiful in form and function.
2. They remind me of a fond time in my childhood.
3. Some are things that I always wanted as a child, but couldn't have, so those are the completion of a goal.
4. I really enjoy setting up and changing the displays. It's like having my own art gallery where I curate different shows periodically.

I love showing others too, although that's just a bonus side effect, not a motivator. It's been a shock for a few ("OMG, you collect Transfomers!"), but I'm not shy, or shamed, so that doesn't bother me, and even the shocked ones come around to enjoying it after having a gander. Many of my peers have similar memories and love having a chat about it and some others even enjoy a play.

Lastly, my kids love them as well. Granted, they have lots of domestic and more age appropriate releases to play with (they're not allowed in the cabinet ;)), but they still love pointing through the glass trying to name as many as they can, although for my daughter, they're all "Wobot!"

I open up all the TFs I buy and they live in my display cabinet in my 'Cave'. A room similar to Bartrims. I have 6 cabinets in there, 4 for my diecast collection and 2 for TFs

From time to time, I go in there and find some cool TFs that I play with. Then they are in the lounge room and whilst watching TV I might transform them.

When I see people keep MISB toys, it reminds me of the Pixar Toy Story movie where one of the characters (stinky Pete?) has lived in his box all his life! But each to their own!

I display them because I like looking at them. Each one is an engineering marvel, that's no hyperbole I genuinely think that. I place my G1s and other models which I deem "cabinet worthy" behind glass because I like looking at them. Classics etc are stored in the wardrobe shelving.

I display for my own sake. I feel good when I look at my collection.

I rarely get visitors at home due to location and because I usually go out to meet friends so the toys are certainly not for 'public display'. However sometimes I do get the odd person come in like Real Estate inspections. Sometimes they are amazed and other times they act awkward. Only last weekend did an older asian man come in from the Real Estate and saw just a small sample of my collection in my living room (My MOTU display) and he seemed to like it. Jokingly I told him that there were more and suddenly he repeatedly begun to say "Nothing wrong with that" in an awkward manner. When he went into my collection room and saw the bulk of my collection, he continued to repeat the same phrase a few time in an even more awkward manner. I could tell that he was starting to feel embarrassed for me somehow.

That was his reaction but 6 months earlier I had previous inspection and it was this girl who is roughly around our age. She looked very impressed and was genuinely amazed. I guess it's more to do with who you get and what attitude they have to a grown man toy collecting.

Since I moved a bit over a year ago, my collection has only been seen by two people (aside from the Real Estate) and that is Dirge and Lord_Zed. Even since they last saw it months ago, there has been several changes to my display as I had to accommodate the new Classics figures and slowly expanding Euro/Japanese G1 collection. That reminds me that my collection gallery is hugely outdated as it's from the previous place I lived in.

Ever since Ive been young I have dreamed to have a "collection room". Sounds weird but, yes that's how it was, so having to display my toys, Tfs Lego etc has always been "in the works" and now that I own my own house I have finally made it a reality. Back when i was younger I had my headboard crammed ( at times the windowsill) with toys on display. Some would be in a box and the display would be rotated but Ive always have toys all around the room. My dad didnt understand and always told me to pack my toys, but my mom always told me, "When you get your own house, you can decorate it with all your toys as how you like it, just keep your room neat and tidy" and so now I do:D:D

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Originally Posted by kup

I display for my own sake. I feel good when I look at my collection.

I rarely get visitors at home due to location and because I usually go out to meet friends so the toys are certainly not for 'public display'.

Since I moved a bit over a year ago, my collection has only been seen by two people (aside from the Real Estate) and that is Dirge and Lord_Zed. Even since they last saw it months ago, there has been several changes to my display as I had to accommodate the new Classics figures and slowly expanding Euro/Japanese G1 collection. That reminds me that my collection gallery is hugely outdated as it's from the previous place I lived in.

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Same thing.......All my stuff is in one room which I am able to lock the outside of the door to stop anyone going in and there is security screen/roller shutters on the windows so its secure from the outside. The room is in complete darkness most of the time unless Im in there to do something.

And due to my location as well, only bruticus, Kyle and briefly Karniv8l Prime have been inside the 'toy room'. Its my place and thats it, I go in there to try and clean up, decide what I am going to cull next and occasionally either drop stuff off in there or go buy to grab a manga.

I have recently changed things around due to more stuff arriving (Figma, manga and MIB Takara G1) and I hope that it will stay like that for awhile because its a damn pain to move things. I showed some pics to Tetsuwan just recently but its still a little messy due to some boxes, plastic containers, boxed Macross stuff and things that Ill be getting rid of are all on the floor. One day Ill post up the updated pics because the ones on there now are waaaaaaaay out of date.

hehehe,I guess a lot of us with dedicated TF rooms have out-of -date pics galleries:p. I know mine is terribly so. yeah as everyone has said, if I may add, having that room is also not for public consumption, it's a getaway, a place where you can just go in, sit around fiddle or not , or just stare and be as carefree and relaxed with all the lovely things you enjoy and hold dear:):)

My other collections (MLs, DCU, Toy Story, Mr Men) are displayed in my bedroom for the lack of space which just about killed my Lego Town- neatly tucked away in 94 liter roller boxes, someday, someday the town will be set up again...with Tfs terrorizing it eheheh:D

A few people here have already been to my place, even though it's a bit off way since Im out west sydney, but that hasnt stopped them (:)thanks for the effort guys heheheh). It's always interesting to see the expression on the faces of non collectors who see the room :D:D havent encountered much nega reaction (:rolleyes:not that I care hehe)

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Originally Posted by Sky Shadow

If you do display your Transformers, why do you do it?

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Because they're awesome :D

Fin.

I usually have about 5 TFs on display. I, too, find them to be fascinating pieces of engineering - with character. They are often in alt mode though, so people who see Binaltech or Macross pieces probably think I like diecast cars and model aircraft*.





* Not that there's anything wrong with people who like diecast cars or model aircraft. Heh heh heh...

Like everyone else I display them simply because I enjoy viewing them.

I display a fraction of my TF's and other toys at any time so I can better appreciate them, and so I have easy access if i want to transform or repose one.

They also help make a house a home so to speak, people fill their living space with things they like, so for us collectors that's their collection, it wouldn't feel like my space if there wasn't some strnage collectible lurking around. Just look at my work desk it has a Revoltech Alien living on it.

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Originally Posted by Tober

I usually have about 5 TFs on display. I, too, find them to be fascinating pieces of engineering - with character. They are often in alt mode though, so people who see Binaltech or Macross pieces probably think I like diecast cars and model aircraft*.





* Not that there's anything wrong with people who like diecast cars or model aircraft. Heh heh heh...

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I display my MP Seekers in Alt mode for the very reason of them having incredibly awesome 'n' sexy Aircraft modes. ;):cool:

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Originally Posted by Oilspill

Because they're awesome :D

Fin.

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+9000

About 95% of my collection is on display. The rest is stored away in a lockable cupboard. I bought two display cabinets with the sole purpose of creating a 'museum' like setup. I even went one step further and had a room built specifically for my collection (and because my wife and I had another child :p).

I love going into the room and just gaze at my collection. This may seem weird but it has a calming influence on me and I can get lost in it. It works out well after a stressful day at work.

I initially did it out of necessity. Before Transformers came out I already had some Machine Men, and a lot of them suffered from scratches and damage (especially to the chrome) from being put into boxes with other toys - cos I would naturally rummage through toys when looking for particular toys to play with. So when Transformers came out, I realised that I didn't want my Transformers to share the same fate as my other toys. At that time the head of my bed had a small space for stuff, so I put my toys there. Then I started putting my toys on top of a chest drawer next to my bed. Then by late 1985 or early 1986 I copied a friend of mine who put his Transformers under the sofa by putting them under my bed. This was the first time I would also sort them out to according to faction and sub group.

In 1988 I'd started displaying my Transformers on my bookcase. And by time Beast Wars came out, my childhood bookcase looked like this:
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y22...tion_1998B.jpg

My bookcase alone could no longer hold all my toys so I put some of my toys on top of a cabinet next to my bed...
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y22...tion_1998A.jpg
...and bought what would be my first of many cheap metal tool shelves from Bunnings which I put on top of my desk. :p

By 2000-2001 half my bedroom had become full of Transformers. I literally had my computer on top of a pile of boxes because and most of my belongings under my bed and stuffed in my wardrobe. My room was pretty crammed. ;) Then in 2002 I moved out of home and got into sharehousing... again, half my room was full of Transformers. 2004 was when I was first set up my own room exclusive for displaying Transformers. Although this was the front room, so it was next to a lot of human traffic which meant a lot of dust built up in there. In 2005 I moved into a smaller house so I had to cram my Transformers into my bedroom - though at least I had the largest room. Then in 2006-2007 I moved into another apartment with my fiancée/wife... so my Transformers room also doubled as my computer room. Having toys in a bedroom or computer room naturally meant dust accumulation.

In late 2007 my wife and I bought our first home and moved to where we're living now where I have a room for my Transformers collection. It's the cleanest TF room I've ever had because it isn't exposed to as much human traffic as other rooms where my TFs are stored. That's not to say it's completely dust proof (unfortunately the room has carpet) -- but just the least dustiest I've had.

So yeah, putting my Transformers on display was something that started out of necessity to make my Transformers easier to access for play (no need to rummage through a toy box). :)

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Originally Posted by kup

I rarely get visitors at home due to location and because I usually go out to meet friends so the toys are certainly not for 'public display'. However sometimes I do get the odd person come in like Real Estate inspections. Sometimes they are amazed and other times they act awkward. Only last weekend did an older asian man come in from the Real Estate and saw just a small sample of my collection in my living room (My MOTU display) and he seemed to like it. Jokingly I told him that there were more and suddenly he repeatedly begun to say "Nothing wrong with that" in an awkward manner. When he went into my collection room and saw the bulk of my collection, he continued to repeat the same phrase a few time in an even more awkward manner. I could tell that he was starting to feel embarrassed for me somehow.

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I have a magical mantra for that. I say to myself 'do I value their opinion?' or 'who the f**k are they to judge me?' and it's all settled :D

^ lol... wise words gamblor!

personally i display my stuff because i think it looks cool. ( and so does my wife...thankfully )

a mantle piece with all sorts of odd toys on it, looks so much better ( IMO ) than one with a whole bunch of china trinkets and crap covering it.

janda :)

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Originally Posted by janda the red

^ l
a mantle piece with all sorts of odd toys on it, looks so much better ( IMO ) than one with a whole bunch of china trinkets and crap covering it.

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That's really a matter of taste isn't it:)
our grandparents didn't have plastic stuff so they used China, now we have plastic stuff made in China.

Glorious plastic.

your right, it is a matter of taste...:)

nice play on words :p

yeah well, thank goodness I havent encountered any negative reaction ( well except for one aunt who chides me about it) when some visitor sees my collection room - they just "open up" actually and recounts , when they were younger they used to have this and that figure and how they missed it and lost it or how mom threw it away or sold it in a garage sale, quite interesting really. These were the roof insulation people, pest control sprayers, electricians:D blokey people mind you but you can see it in their eyes that they miss their childhood toys:D. Havent heard any bad comment from em.:)

One of the Pest control guys was actually a Yoyo collector and I pointed him to Parramatta fair, dunno if he's attended even one:p. He did ask me coz he couldnt help it, and he mentioned he was apparently thinking to himself ... geez it's one lucky kid who lives here to have all these... but then he thought, nah cant be it's just this guy living here ,theres no kid. So I did confirm his doubts...yup, no kid, just me, all mine heheheh

Granted it's never one of my reason to display my toys ( for people to look at) but it's a nice incentive that it brings enjoyment to others who sees it, not just me.