If you’ve ever wanted to know why I’m so incredibly hung ho about the Mego style action figure then this blog post is for you. Otherwise, you may want to search for Star Wars keywords in the Toy Box.
The obvious answer is: I love the feelings from childhood these 8 inch figures bring back to me. It may just be me but the connection between these toys and my emotional triggers is super strong and they’re all very, very good feelings and memories. Even when the bands would break when I was a kid, it was heartbreak at the time, but the memory of my dad stringing them back together with the handiest piece of elastic he could find quickly and in a pinch (from the band of a pair of his “tighty whiteys” worked pretty well). Dark cloud meet silver lining. But that memory isn’t the primary reason I gush as I do.
Followers of the Toy Box are sure to note that I’ve gushed over pretty much every Mego style figure that’s came about since the Toy Box started in 2011. I did everything I possibly could with words, pictures and the occasional video to encourage folks to give the format and whatever particular maker was producing, a shot at the time. It’s that motivation that gets closer to the big reveal of my “why”. Before we get to that though, I’d like to point out another noticeable habit of mine in regards to these figures: I get all kinds of pissed off when one breaks due to poor quality. Why? (Here’s where we’re getting to the deep root). Succinctly put: I could sell the damn things.
That’s what it was always about in my adulthood. I wanted nothing more than to sell Mego product for a living. At the time of that desire emerging (2008), the only one layer on the field was Classic TV Toys. But as covered here to a tired end, the quality of those toys was crap. Actually worse than crap. At least crap can be flushed. Those damn things would bust up the sewage system and poison an already toxic landfill.
See? There I go again.
More to the point though, o was pissed because while I wanted so bad to serve as a business to business salesman of the figures, I simply couldn’t do it because of the completely inexcusable lack of quality. I’ve covered those reasons as to why they were the way they were (nutshell: don’t do manufacturing in India) and every time I think about that squashed goal it bugs me more than a little. Things got better with CTVT as they evolved into Figures Toy Company but the opportunity I had concocted in my head simply couldn’t come into existence. So I moaned and groaned. And then Mego, THE Mego came back. So what’d I do? Get pissy and fueled with social media rage, acted a fool worse than a spoiled child.
So embarrassing.
All that’s behind me now and to those I may have offended, pissed off or otherwise have cause to see me in a horrible light that I was most certainly earning, I truly, deeply and sincerely apologize for that. I assure you it will never happen again. Life is far too short and way too good to ever give into such idiocy again.
The moral of the story?
Enjoy what you enjoy. Love what you love. Hate what you hate. But in all those emotions be civil and respectful in your critiques and do so with an intent of positive, constructive criticism (my least favorite oxymoron btw. I’d much rather order the jumbo shrimp.). So will I ever see that dream goal accomplished? No. Most likely not. However I can continue to do this and point you to links to click to make one of my personal favorites your own. But who am I to say that instead of buying only one, you pull the trigger, get a wholesalers license and become a mass retailer of all things Mego. Maybe I’ll do that myself one day. Maybe. Just maybe. Hmmmm. Flights of fancy can be fun. Who am I kidding? Of course they are! Dream big, gang anything is possible in this implausible world.
Now, Go Play! (And click on one of the links to treat yourself to a Mego made toy today!)
Jim 2/09/2022
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