What is Wrong with Today's Kids?

[Boywonder0]

How come kids now-a-days don't show any interest in Mego Like action figures? Every time some toy manufacturer attempts to make a Mego re-issue or a Mego Like figure line it ends up being cancelled due to low sales...

Recently Hasbro made the Signature Series line of cool 9 inch superhero figures for their Marvel franchise and phased into a Marvel Legends line of 9 inch hero figures. They are all around Toys R Us and getting into clearance...

With these poor sales I would not be surprised if they cancel plans for announced figures like the FF 9 inch Mr. Fantastic and Human Torch!

Darn Video Games! Darn Kenner Star Wars!

Boy

[Dave Mc]

Video games and Marketing has a lot to do with it. My kid is now crazy about Lego Star Wars. He never bothered much with Legos until playing the video game for Lego Star Wars. Now it's all about Lego Ships and minifigs. Nothing wrong with that, but he's got a ton of 4 inch SW figures that look a heck of a lot more like the actual characters that no longer get messed with.

It also depends on what's on the tube. We had our daily afterschool dose of Marvel cartoons, Batman reruns and on the weekends Superfriends. Today kids get their daily dose of "Chowder" and such. I notice many of these rely a lot on "gross" humor and less on adventure.

[Action Martin]

Price could also be a factor for kids. When Toy Biz did their Mego-like fgures, you could buy 3 or more of the standard Toy Biz figures for the same price as 1 Mego-like. I imagine price also stops them from buying EMCE's Star Trek. $30 for 2 might be a decent price for working adults that know the original Star Trek and have a fondness for Megos but to a kid $30 is an X-Box game, 9 Mattel JLU action figures, 5 Hasbro Star Wars action figures, 4 WWE action figures, etc. And those are characters they know.

[Goblin19]

It's definitely right that kids don't play as much with toys anymore. My kids like my Megos, but don't spend alot of time with their toys. They prefer computer games and their train set. I don't even buy toys for my nephew, who's only 7, because he doesn't have any real interest.

[toys2cool]

I'm sure price is one of the reasons,but I think that it's just a lot easier to play with smaller figures,atleast for me as a kid it was easier to play with something like Gi joes or Star Wars 3 3/4 then it was with Megos,but that's just me :grin:

[mitchedwards]

Plus kids don't read as much as we used to do. Not many kids are reading comics, so the whole hero thing is just what they see on TV and movies.

[Eric]

I think it all depends on what they see on TV. I made some DVDs of the 1966 Batman series for my 5-year old nephew and he totally loves it and any figures that come close to the Adam West and Burt Ward Batman and Robin (namely, the "Classic" B&R). When I showed him the Mego Batcave commercial on YouTube he was mesmerized; the first thing he said to my brother was "Daddy, I want that!!" Daddy had to explain to him that it was something from a long time ago and they don't make it anymore.

I loved the Spiderman Origins Signature Series and collected lots of the figures. Still, I got the feeling that it really was marketed toward the older collectors. Were there any commercials for the line? If so, were they placed within children's programming? Plus, you get the feeling that all those damned twisty ties are there for adult collectors as a way of making sure that something has never been removed from the box.

[HardyGirl]

I know I'm not a parent, (but I am a teacher), and I notice here on the internet, parents say things like "It's too bad that kids don't like the to play w/ the stuff we did, or watch the cartoons, etc. All they wanna do is play video games." Well, It seems to me that if you wanna get your kids hooked on classics, educate them early. I know Wrathdemon's daughter Gabby loves her Megos, b/c of her daddy. There's no law that says that just b/c kids are into video games, that your kid has to play them. I know many parents who don't buy video games for their kids, or even watch standard TV (just the occasional DVD), and as a result, their kids have really great imaginations, and love playing w/ toys. And if they really want their kids into the classic toys and TV shows, there's always Ebay and YouTube. I know my class loves stuff like Evel Knievel, SMDM/Bionic Woman, Land Of The Giants, '66 Batman, and classic Star Trek, etc. They also really like playing w/ my Apes, GI Joes, etc., b/c I expose them to that kind of thing. Get them into reading adventure stories and comics. My class always looks forward to our annual trip to the comic book store. I like to read them aloud as well, and include all the dopey sound effect. Yes, the times are chanigng, but that doesn't mean just b/c the classic stuff we loved isn't readily available, that kids won't still love it if we introduce it to them early.:yeah:

[Bo8a_Fett]

I think a lot also has to do with whatever the latest"in toy" or trend is...every christmas there is always a "must have" toy for christmas. The Dr Who figures and toys have been a major success over here in the UK due to the success of the revamped show, with my kids they suddenly realise that the "classic" stuff i've been trying to get them to watch over the years is now a boasting point at school. Kids today arn't allowed the time to nature a hobby or obssession because the "next great thing" to have is shovelled down their throats every couple of weeks via advertising or tv tie ins...no sooner do they like something they are distracted by the shiney lights and colourful fanfare accompanying the newest trend.

[grayhank]

I think alot of it has to do with TV plain & simple. I am in my mid 40s now but when I was a kid there were basically 4 channels on TV. Only Saturday mornings were dedicated to children's programming till about 11:30am. There were no VCRs, DVD players, Video Game systems, Cable, Satellite, Home Computers, Video Rental Stores etc. Options for children's entertaiment were limited to recreational sports, children's matinees at the theatres and Toys/Games. If you think about it VCRs have only been around since the early 80s. That was a huge deal for me to get one of those at age 20 in 1984. I could actually watch the movies I wanted to UN-EDITED at home! Then cable comes along with 30 channels (at the time) and so forth.

I do think it's funny that my Dad used to say, he didn't have toys when he was a kid. They used to play "kick the can".

[ctc]

>Kids today arn't allowed the time to nature a hobby or obssession because the "next great thing" to have is shovelled down their throats every couple of weeks via advertising or tv tie ins...

Y'know it's true; but I don't think it's new. I think our parents were the first really mass-media innundated kids, and the trend continues today. Think back to when we were kids; very few toy lines DIDN'T have a tv tie in, and the ones that didn't were usually tied into a comic (like the superheroes) or soon HAD a comic. (Like pretty much everything else.) For every GI Joe there were a zillion long forgotten series. (Anyone remember Air Raiders? Although I think the name has been recycled....) I really noticed this while transfering some of my vhs tapes to dvd. There were a LOT of ads for stuff I'd long since forgotten. The big dif nowadays is that a lot of figures are being produced for older collectors rather than kids. Makes 'em expensive, AND they usually have limited play value.

I think we all have a certain perceptual bias as well; considering we're united in our affection for action figures. Even when I was a kid, I was something of an oddball for collecting and playing with action figures so much. Most kids had a few, but weren't really into them. Especially around the ages of 8 to 10.

Don C.

[grayhank]

Plus, you get the feeling that all those damned twisty ties are there for adult collectors as a way of making sure that something has never been removed from the box.

I hate those things. Fortunately I've learned all you need is a good pair of toenail clippers and you can hack right through them quite easily. If you haven't tried it, you'll ask yourself why didn't I think of this before! :smiley1:

[palitoy]

We're starting to sound a little like some Baby Boomers I know. I had years of "Mego is crap, Captain Action is clearly superior" or "You actually like that Fuzz head junk?"
It's not uncommon to think our toys are superior I guess, we only get one childhood.

My son got almost every one of those Hasbro figures and he barely ever plays with them, he prefers the Mattel JLU figures, he loves them. I had high hopes for his mego appreciation but as long he's playing and using his imagination I don't care so much.

[MegoGeekJr]

The problem is, yes, there are no more tv superheroes. Why?
Because the average parents are too afraid to let their children watch superhero show!!
Justice League Ulimited, The batman, and others have been cancelled due to poor ratings!
I say blame the network, the over-obsesed parents, and the kids!!

[JDeRouen]

My son loves video games and television, but he also loved his Megos and 12" reissue G.I. Joes. I think a lot of it depends on what they're exposed to both in the home and culturally.

[mitchedwards]

I hate those things. Fortunately I've learned all you need is a good pair of toenail clippers and you can hack right through them quite easily. If you haven't tried it, you'll ask yourself why didn't I think of this before! :smiley1:

Thanks for the tip. Those twist ties are a massive pain.

[ctc]

>Most young kids would rather watch a funny cartoon than one with a serious story that requires concentration to follow.

Well... stuff like Gundam, and FullMetal Alchemist, and Eureka 7, and Bleach seem to do okay. And they're pretty complicated and involved. Most of the offspring of friends and co-workers love this stuff. (I know, 'cos they're always asking me to explain the stuff their kids are talking about to them.) And their kids are around 8-10. (I'm SURPRISED how many little kids love FullMetal; it's a very political story and I'd expect it'd be too slow for them. Go fig.)

>Superhero cartoons and comics aren't written for kids anymore, so "average" kids don't care about them.

Oh, definitely! One of the big problems with the Justice League cartoon was that a lot of the impact from the stories depended on you knowing who the obscure character from the 60's they were refrencing was. They're written almost more for the parents than the kids.... whcih is a sneaky marketing ploy since it's the PARENTS that buy the disks, toys, etc. Kids have no money.

Don C.

[Eric]

I think we all have a certain perceptual bias as well; considering we're united in our affection for action figures. Even when I was a kid, I was something of an oddball for collecting and playing with action figures so much. Most kids had a few, but weren't really into them. Especially around the ages of 8 to 10.


This is so true. I'm amazed at the number friends my age who don't have (or claim not to have) any recollection of Capt. Action or Major Matt Mason.

[RussG]

Each kid has his own thing going. My niece who is 10 loves the 80's GI Joe figures and a few Megos but she's also into Barbie and My Little Pony and of course video games.

I collect Atari 2600 and original NES stuff and one thing that I have found with a lot of younger kids, is that they also love these systems (more so the NES). I've asked a few how they found out about them (thinking they were going to say their parents etc.) but most seem to say on their own from doing the whole game buy, sell, trade and just wanting to try something different. I know of a 12 year old kid who has around 150 different NES games, and yeah he plays them, but it's his hobby much like action figures are ours.

Also I have a feeling that toy scalpers have hurt kid's interest in toys a bit also. It would be like us going to buy a Mego and all that's left on the shelves are Mr. Mplx's and maybe a Penguin or two

[dogman67]

I agree with alot of whats being said on here, but sometimes I have to tell myself that these are different times, and kids today are exposed to more and more things, and faster technology. They have cartoons at their disposal, every day, 24/7, thanks to Cartoon Network, which I cant stand anymore, but hey, like I said, its different times today. I loved growing up in the 70's. I think that it was an awesome time to be a kid, but how do our parents feel about the time they grew up? they have fond memories just like we do, but only different, because they are a different generation, who grew up in different times, just like we did, and like kids today are doing. Each generation has is memories, and nostalgia. Sure, I catch myself asking questions, and thinking and wonering what is wrong with kids today, and this and that, but it is different times. Im just glad I grew up in the 70's and had all those great Mego toys, evel Knievel toys and others to play with back then. I love the memories, and would not trade them in for the world....

[fumetti]

In terms of this thread, there's nothing wrong with kids today. They like what's new, just as we did. They don't look to the past, just as we didn't.

My dad thought my brother and I were nuts for playing with "dolls." Cap guns, Tonka trucks, and red wagons were the toys for boys! Dolls were for girls. "And no son of mine... (you can fill in the rest)."

We didn't love action figures because they were action figures, but that they provided us the best possible (at the time) catalyst for imaginative playing. My Shazam wasn't plastic, he was REALLY that dude on the Saturday morning TV show. This is the same mindset that kids have today when they play video games. They really ARE Jedi fighting the Empire...

(It's the same reason they don't read as much. We HAD to read, if we wanted fanciful entertainment 24/7. There was only one TV in the house, and the networks only showed cartoons in the afternoon and Saturday mornings. Otherwise it was news, soap operas, sitcoms, game shows, and made/altered-for-TV movies.)

[Type3Toys]

Video games are whats wrong and why there is no interest in toys. Why play with a toy Spider-Man when you can click a button and BE Spider-Man?

[livnxxxl]

In my opinion I believe that a lot of what is wrong with kids today is that a lot, but not all of them have no imagination left as it pertains to toys atleast. I am not trying to say that all or some kids have absolutely no imagination at all as we and they all of have some kind of imagination. Hence forth the generations are getting weaker yet wiser which makes perfectly good sense to me. Kids are smarter in some respect that some of us were back in the days. Because of the new technology that is available to them that was not even heard of in our time. Think about it. Back in our days as kids we had to imagine a lot more where as today darn near every toy in the friggin toy aisle does something either by motion, sound and or electronically if not all three. Back in the day one had to actually imagine the Star Trek transporter actually transporting the figures from place to place. Where as today most kids may not understand why the figures are not actually being transported for real.

How many kids do you see these days out riding a bicycle? Most of them are too busy riding the couch instead.

You want kids to play with Mego more. Do a commercial with Hanna Montanna holding a Mego and most every kid would have one and be playing with them. That is the solution! :smiley1:

If I had to blame some things I would blame greed, tv, video games, peer pressure marketing tactics, Some of the parents and schools to some extent for not teaching the children better in the first place. I am not saying that the kids of today should or have to play with Mego like toys in or out of school. I am actually glad that a lot do not as that leaves more for us collectors. :wink_y: