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Why did kids stop getting action figures?

Posted on 12/14/22 at 11:48 am
Posted by UndercoverBryologist
Member since Nov 2020
8077 posts
Posted on 12/14/22 at 11:48 am
Star Wars, He-Man, Real Ghostbusters, Batman, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, etc. Now, stores like Toys R Us and KB are defunct.

Did it become less cool to engage in non-social playtime (playing with figures) and more cool to engage in social playtime like multiplayer video games?
Posted by HenryParsons
Member since Aug 2018
1546 posts
Posted on 12/14/22 at 11:49 am to
quote:

more cool to engage in social playtime like multiplayer video games
Posted by Celery
Nuevo York
Member since Nov 2010
11085 posts
Posted on 12/14/22 at 11:51 am to
Yeah, I’m guessing video games took over as the primary form of entertainment. Probably when we were playing with He-Man dolls some old timers were asking why marbles and jacks weren’t popular anymore.
Posted by dome53
Member since Apr 2009
1830 posts
Posted on 12/14/22 at 11:51 am to
My 4 year old loves the shite out of toy dinosaurs
Posted by TexasTiger08
Member since Oct 2006
25522 posts
Posted on 12/14/22 at 11:51 am to
Nostalgia sells, and it sells to adults. Kids are all about their phone or screens these days. It’s sad. There’s an entire world (a real one) out there, and they limit themselves to social media approval.

I still have over a hundred Starting Lineup sports figurines in a box somewhere
Posted by TankBoys32
Member since Mar 2019
2796 posts
Posted on 12/14/22 at 11:52 am to
Because they’re addicted to iPads and phones now. I got lucky and grew up with action figures and game boys so I got the best of both.
This post was edited on 12/14/22 at 11:52 am
Posted by fr33manator
Baton Rouge
Member since Oct 2010
124050 posts
Posted on 12/14/22 at 11:52 am to
Their action figures went online

The funny think is they’ll never be able to sell their avatars for bank in 30 years
This post was edited on 12/14/22 at 2:34 pm
Posted by UndercoverBryologist
Member since Nov 2020
8077 posts
Posted on 12/14/22 at 11:53 am to
quote:

Yeah, I’m guessing video games took over as the primary form of entertainment. Probably when we were playing with He-Man dolls some old timers were asking why marbles and jacks weren’t popular anymore.


Without getting too “get off my lawn” technophobic, is there not something missing?

Perhaps in less linear video games, there’s more room for creative thinking, but there’s got to be a wider range of creativity possible with action figures than what’s available on many games kids play.
This post was edited on 12/14/22 at 11:54 am
Posted by GreenRockTiger
vortex to the whirlpool of despair
Member since Jun 2020
41373 posts
Posted on 12/14/22 at 11:54 am to
We have a lot of action figures bc I’m pretty strict with screen time
Posted by Topwater Trout
Red Stick
Member since Oct 2010
67589 posts
Posted on 12/14/22 at 11:55 am to
quote:

I got lucky and grew up with action figures and game boys so I got the best of both.



I got lucky and grew up when we played football, baseball and basketball outside whenever possible...video games were early but didn't keep us inside
Posted by Celery
Nuevo York
Member since Nov 2010
11085 posts
Posted on 12/14/22 at 12:01 pm to
quote:

Without getting to “get off my lawn” technophobic, is there not something missing? Perhaps in less linear video games, there’s more room for creative thinking, but there’s got to be a wider range of creativity possible with action figures than what’s available on many games kids play.


There is surely something missing. Imaginative play, creativity, or just learning how to be content without constant stimulation. That being said, I’m sure there are parts of the brain being used by gaming that are not used by playing with action figures. My point with the marbles and jacks comment is that the world has always kept moving and the future will be digital and computerized. I wonder if in some way, video games is potentially a better way to shape kids brains for the future world.
Posted by concrete_tiger
Member since May 2020
5979 posts
Posted on 12/14/22 at 12:05 pm to
They can literally build their action figures and play with them digitally, i.e. roblox, minecraft, etc.

It's not completely awful. I lived thru 2 of my nephews being addicted that crap, then both got +$100k jobs directly out of college, soooo....

The times they are a changin'

Kids do still play with action figures and whatnot, but that window is much smaller than before.
Posted by LittleJerrySeinfield
350,000 Post Karma
Member since Aug 2013
7677 posts
Posted on 12/14/22 at 12:09 pm to
You mean why did boys stop playing with dolls?
Posted by UndercoverBryologist
Member since Nov 2020
8077 posts
Posted on 12/14/22 at 12:09 pm to
In some respects, the “creativity” issue was something that toy lines were destroying themselves.

The Kenner Batman line from the early 90s was just a constant recycling of the same figure with the same Michael Keaton-esque jawline but with different costumes. (Jungle, Aquatic, Ninja, etc.)

It was like Kenner was trying to force feed you the imagination you already had rather than just letting you imagine Batman, in his standard black suit, going into the jungle/water.

Kenner’s Real Ghostbusters proton-pack toy was also stupid in some regards. They put a little foam tube on the end of the wand that was supposed to be the proton stream. Kids can already imagine that. Why put it on?

Posted by beerJeep
Louisiana
Member since Nov 2016
35002 posts
Posted on 12/14/22 at 12:10 pm to
Posted by OweO
Plaquemine, La
Member since Sep 2009
113939 posts
Posted on 12/14/22 at 12:10 pm to
I used to love GI Joe, I remember I used to take my GI Joe and my cousins Star Wars and pretend we were fighting and the argue about whether GI Joe could beat Star Wars.
Posted by bgtiger
Prairieville
Member since Dec 2004
11427 posts
Posted on 12/14/22 at 12:12 pm to
quote:

They can literally build their action figures and play with them digitally, i.e. roblox, minecraft, etc.


Virtually doesn't mean literally
Posted by GreenRockTiger
vortex to the whirlpool of despair
Member since Jun 2020
41373 posts
Posted on 12/14/22 at 12:13 pm to
quote:

You mean why did boys stop playing with dolls?
funny how the less boys play with dolls the more feminine they become
Posted by Pax Regis
Alabama
Member since Sep 2007
12932 posts
Posted on 12/14/22 at 12:14 pm to
Video games. Now they get to play virtual versions of their action figures.

Video games are so realistic and immersive now it is hard for any other form of “play” to compete.
Posted by Fight4LSU
Kenner
Member since Jul 2005
9754 posts
Posted on 12/14/22 at 12:14 pm to
Man, all my two year old wants for Christmas is Super Hero action figures and trucks.
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