Why do we like WGSH Megos so much?

[enyawd72]

Well, I received my beautiful carded Spidey...my first vintage Mego! Looking at it, I just marvel at how cool it is.

Which begs the question...WHY is it so cool?
There have been many, many other versions of Spidey done in action figure form over the years. Many with better sculpts, better articulation, etc, yet none have the same appeal. With their crude sculpting, pajama style suits, etc, these little 8 inch wonders still captivate like no other toys...WHY?

What do you think? It's not because they were my first toys...there are a lot of other first toys I had that I could care less about. Why do WGSH Megos fascinate us so?

[vulcan2074]

It has alot to do with their color scheme. There so colorful and also the sculpts and costumes make them very friendly and fun. Thats what I think makes them so cool.
Sammy

[MIB41]

If I had to simplify it beyond the nostalgia factor, I would say it has much to do with how they cater to the imagination. Whether its swapping costumes for secret identity play, or just creating a whole new character, there is an endless array of possibilities with Megos. Your only limited by what your imagination can conjure up. Other figure lines are limited based on how they are made.

[jp1969]

The nostalgia is what does it for me.
We didnt have megos readily available when I was a child.
We lived far from major shopping centers and I would only see them in comic book ads.
I always wanted them as a child,never had them,and am satisfying myself now.

[clemso]

I just love the packaging, colorful, attractive and clever. You really do have to collect them all

[jasonmego1277]

I have to say for me it was about the innocence of my child hood no worries ever came before playing with my figures, I guess there is nostalgia there , and like Sammy said it really is the design , just before its time to some degree.

[Goblin19]

The nostalgia and the DC and Marvel factor. It hooked me as a kid and still does.

[cjefferys]

I guess that I like them now because I liked them so much as a kid. Hell, I never stopped thinking that they were just the coolest toys ever. So, collecting them as an adult was just inevitable for me.

[UnderdogDJLSW]

There is something about having your action figure wearing clothes as opposed to being totally molded out of plastic. And yes, it was a simpler time back then and Marvel and DC lived together in peace and harmony

[jimsmegos]

I have been pondering this question for some time. I simply can't put my finger on it though. There's is just something "magical" I guess that cast a spell on me since I can remember.

And to further agree, as a kid I looooovvvveeedd my Star wars figures and got the collecting bug back with those in the 90's, amassed an impressive collection and then sold them all off. I did something similar with my Mego's and while I sold off almost all of them, I can't let go of the Superman's I've accumulated or at least one Batman, Robin, Green Arrow, Spiderman, and Hulk. I would be very hard pressed to part with them even though at the moment I don't have anywhere to display them properly. But I do know that they are safe and sound in my "mego box".

Adding to the conundrum is my fascination with the 1989 Kidz Bidz Batman. It is the closest thing to a Mego since '82 perhaps but I just love that toy. Also I've found myself really digging the CTVT reissues and new characters.

So after reevaluating all of that rant the root has to have something to do with the 8 inch scale, removable cloth costumes as well as the complexity of the simplicity.

Dang it enyawd72, you've made me hurt my brain

[DocDrako]

They remind me of a time in my life before I knew what evil was. During my Mego years ('74 to '76...Star Wars took over in '77) no villain ever killed anyone. Sure The Joker wanted to capture Batman & Robin, but he never meant them any real harm. He knew they'd escape. They'd capture him and he'd escape. Back then, heroes and villains were simply playing a game. It wouldn't be long before the world would teach me that villains were evil people who would hurt anyone who got in their way.

Megos are innocence to me. That's why I love them. One reason anyways. Plus they're really neat!

[Raydeen1]

Some FC collectors once asked me this and I was a bit stymied. The cloth outfits, the colors, the head sculpts....Also, the biggest part for me I think is nostalgia and I only had a handful of the WGSH so I was always fascinated with the ones I never saw as a kid or wanted badly (RC Batman being on the top of that list). I never forgot about them and kept most of the ones I had as a kid. I had a bunch of th Heroes World catalogues so I'd occasionally find them and leaf through them wondering what Mr. Fantastic really looked like and the Titans... I never saw them until I was about 30 but had those catalogues with the drawings. I could go on forever but like I said, I can't pinpoint a difinitive answer.

[sauce]

Well, since so many toys just suck after something like 1980 (and likely earlier for some collectors), the playing field is really quite small for recapturing those trapped-in-memory moments . . . . and then beyond that, the colors and the touch and the look of the MEGO is incredibly unique and intoxicating for those who still like to play in their imaginary worlds.

I also have a lot of appreciation for the artist's rendition of whatever piece I'm really hot for. I can't imagine really wanting anything but a Lili Ledy Batgirl or a Silk Screened Batgirl when it comes to that character. Nothing else I have seen has inspired me to become temporarily insane.

[Lonestarhobbies]

For me, my love for 8" Mego figures derives from there nostolgia,simplicity, and the fact that these wonderful figures have survived 30+ years!

[HardyGirl]

I didn't own the WGSHs as a kid, but I will venture a guess. I suspect it has something to do w/ the first time many of you got to hold your favorite heroes in your hands. That these were not just superheroes from a comic book or a cartoon, they were tangible things you could hold, play with, and make up your very own adventures with. They made you set designers, script writers, gadget inventors, and in some cases, even clothing designers. They bring back fond memories of backyard holes and niches, indoor couch cushion forts, and sleeping w/ your Superman to protect you from the monsters lurking under your bed. You can remember the when the kid across the street got a new Batman figure, and when your Grandma bought you Robin, you knew you were gonna have a best buddy all summer.

Ummm...but that's just a guess.