Why Do You Display Your Toys?

[gdmetro]

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.

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.

[Bartrim]

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.

[LordCyrusOmega]

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.

[jaydisc]

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 ). 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!"

[Mr Ed]

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!

[gamblor916]

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.

[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'. 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.

[liegeprime]

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

[valkyrie_76]

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.

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.

[liegeprime]

hehehe,I guess a lot of us with dedicated TF rooms have out-of -date pics galleries. 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

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 havent encountered much nega reaction (not that I care hehe)