Stoneware Smalltalk: collect figures

One of the nicest aspects of a shared hobby is talking about it with like-minded people. Regardless of news, offers or reviews, there are many LEGO topics that you can philosophize about, and that's exactly why we created "Smalltalk".

At irregular intervals we touch on a topic that we can all talk about in the comments. Find a cozy place, grab a delicious coffee or another hot drink of your choice and chat with us and each other!

Today's topic is:

Collecting figures - why?

When I was at my parents' house recently and rummaged through some boxes with my old possessions, I rediscovered my collection of surprise egg figures. To my own astonishment, I found that I still have an emotional connection to many of the characters, and with some I even know exactly (after more than 20 years) who I traded them with or on what occasion I successfully "hunted" them .

This got me thinking: what was it that I loved about these characters, even as a kid? Was it for the same reasons I collect LEGO minifigures today? What is the special fascination of such small plastic figures, so that adults spend a lot of money on them and then hang them on the wall in display cases or type cases?

When I look into myself, I think I see several motives. The most obvious is of course that I like the characters visually. I like playful, loving design and that is true of a great many of the modern day LEGO minifigures and was also true of the Ferrero collectible figures back in the day. In one word I would sum it all up as the “cuteness factor”. You can also see from the many figures how much work must have gone into the design of their details, which - despite the objectively low material value and the large number of pieces - creates the impression of a certain value. With the earlier collectible figures from the Ü-Ei, the names were added, characters such as the fortune teller "Rosi Prognosi" or the bride's mother "Wilma Weinumskind" are still a source of amusement for me today.

In short: Small, lovingly designed figures give me joy. Also, for me, every well-crafted character is a starting point, a seed, so to speak, for a story. When looking at the figures, they stimulate the imagination and you often unconsciously start imagining them in a certain situation – this can also be the start of an idea for an MOC or a craft project outside of LEGO.

Lastly, and this aspect should not be underestimated, there is of course the hunting and gathering instinct. Even if it may seem bizarre to some people, in whom these characteristics are less pronounced, I always had great fun standing in some LEGO store for what felt like an eternity and feeling the figures or shaking surprise eggs in the supermarket and shutting them weigh until I eventually had a complete set together - preferably together with like-minded people. These are and were small successes that made you even more happy with your "prey".

I am therefore observing with concern the direction that LEGO has now taken with the VIDIYO minifigures for the first time, namely packaging the figures in such a way that you have to buy them at random and can no longer feel them - for me that would, should If this is also introduced for the regular collectible series, a significant part of the enjoyment of this aspect of the hobby will be lost.

In the same vein, just ordering a complete set of a minifigure series somewhere isn't a full substitute for me either. If I do have to, I always try to get a set of unopened bags – because then you can at least feel which figure is in which bag at home. 😉

What is your take on collectible figures, specifically LEGO? Do you collect the minifigure series, figures on a specific theme such as Harry Potter or Star Wars, or do you collect according to a completely different criterion? And above all: Why are you doing this, what is the attraction for you? Do you want to share a special anecdote? Or can you not understand this collection area at all? Let's chat about it comfortably!