Saying NO to Retro...

[Werewolf]

I do think a lot of new cartoons aimed at little kids are a bit too hyper. Kids can be hyper enough without the near epilepsy inducing flashing lights and colors and spastic characters. I do think some of them could benefit by turning that down a hair.

[megoscott]

I'm not offended, but I am making the case that today you have a much wider array of quality programming than ever before (on all levels, pre-k to adult). I can't speak to Care Bears specifically, I recall that was a pretty awful show, but I'm not a 3 year old kid.

[Werewolf]

I can't speak to Care Bears specifically, I recall that was a pretty awful show, but I'm not a 3 year old kid.

Exactly, Care Bears was not aimed at you or I. But to the age group it was aimed at it was a sweet colorful non violent show. So I can understand why little kids did and do love it.

[ctc]

Hmmmm....

The cartoon thing I'd DEFINITELY argue. Stuff like the Care Bears was so saccarine it made me wince, even as a kid. And the shows on the other end of the scale, notably any of the Hasbro/Sunbow productions were terrible! Cheap animation, nonsensical plots.... but they were fast, and cheap, and sold lots of toys.

A lot of the appeal for shows like this that people are age has is colourized by our preteen brains. Not that new stuff is better or worse, for the most point it’s pretty much the same overall: some great stuff, some near misses, lots of crap. I think one of the ups from recent times is the willingness for companies to make cartoons AS cartoons, and not automatically part of a mass-market tie-in. By the late-80's everything HAD to be a tie in. (Or a new version of an old show.) Back then nobody would have risked the money they did on something like “Megas XLR’ or “Invader Zim” or “Samurai Jack;” shows not done as part of a marketing gig.

I think with folks our age there’s also a certain amount of geezerism too: a reluctance to see merit to anything different from what we grew up with. Or even a reluctance to go so far as give anything new a fair shake.

Don C.

[megoscott]

Exactly, Care Bears was not aimed at you or I. But to the age group it was aimed at it was a sweet colorful non violent show. So I can unstand why little kids did and do love it.

Well, of course. But with all due respect to kids, but they like just about anything. I'm amazed at how horrible the stuff I loved as a kid actually was.

[huedell]

A lot of retro stuff is weak... but a lot of it is the bee's knees and, frankly,
I'm incredibly grateful it exists. I'm a cherry-picker anyways. I have great
restraint when it comes to what I collect, cherry-picking the best of the
best stuff for me personally... even if that includes....in the MATTEL retro
case...merely nabbing select costumes and select heads for use on
alternative bodies.

[starsky]

this whole retro stuff is screwing with my mind! makes me want to get them but my wallet doesnt agree!

[Werewolf]

Stuff like the Care Bears was so saccarine it made me wince, even as a kid.

Dude, it was a cartoon for preschool girls. You were not meant to like it and it was not made for you.

I think with folks our age there’s also a certain amount of geezerism too: a reluctance to see merit to anything different from what we grew up with. Or even a reluctance to go so far as give anything new a fair shake.

And there there is also always a certain amount of young people that think "I'm young, hip and edgy. Everything that came out before I was born sucked."

Ever generation has had its good and bad.

Just because Lady Gaga is what's hot now doesn't mean I'm going to stop enjoying big band or swing music. Justine Bieber is now the hot young hip male vocalist so let's throw all those Beatles, Tony Bennett and Dean Martin albums and CDs in the trash.

It works both ways.

[VintageMike]

When they originally did these I thought they were pretty cool. Eventually though it just made me want the real thing so I sold them off. That said I think the classic card style is miles ahead of the "modern" style they were using. When I see them I stil pick them out a get out a kick of them even if I don't buy them. The newer ones I would just walk by without a second thought.

[TrueDave]

I love the retro thing AND hate it.

I love when they are releasing things I have always wanted to collect but couldnt afford or find.
I hate it when they are releasing things I've already spent a fortune on.

I love the Action Man 40th and the EMCE . . .but I hate that only NOW they have finally cast reproduction of the Aurora Wonder Woman and Batmobile !
I LOVE my EC Reprints but MyComplete Run of Hulk is just a big paperweight compared to a 40 dollar DVD-ROM Collection. ( Yup even the ads and letters pages).

The reason why we recycle is" because it's effective".

The Power Rangers have had the same lame gimmick going continually for 40 years .A Few different colored Identical Helmet Guys that get in Robot Somethings and fight Monsters,then transform into Something Even Bigger.

Pop Culture as the ONLY culture is new to the last 100 years. It gets tweaked so it moves faster and more efficent in regurgitating something "slightly different"

When I lived over-seas people would get a hot pop song -play ONLY that song over and over -and a band was considered old after a few months !

We get better at doing what we do as we move further along.

And we suck.

On the other hand I grew up on 1960s hand me downs so I think most 70s and 80s toys are runner ups . Screw X Box I want a Steve Canyon Cockpit and Helmet.

Poopie. we are all now offically old.

Do you THIS is the last generation? That all the other old Geezers were wrong and TODAY it really is Bad music and fashion?

Are we The End?

[Man of Action]

Hmmm, I loaded the AT-AT, Snowspeeder,Hoth battle scene,and all the new figs in my cart at Target...the whole time I felt like I was 10 yrs old again...I paid cash, drove straight home..ripped everything out of the packages..set em all up...the AT-AT is just so cool..I think they did a great job on everything.Then I collected the 5 pop's and sent them away for Boba Fett.....Now if only they would make a really cool Gi Joe Mummy's Tomb playset I could stay 10 years old for the rest of the year...

[jds1911a1]

I just seen these at Wal-Mart yesterday for $100.00. The funny thing about that is that a kid ran up to them very excited right before I walked up and he told his Mom "look it is the Star Wars At-At". Then he seen the price and said $100.00?!?! and they all walked away including myself. I am more about the principal than the money.

If I continued to spend my money like a fool then I would be like the rest of the people these days. Broke and trying to figure out what they did wrong after it is too late. I will just wait for some other idiot to buy it and then sell it to me when they have to get rid of it to pay their bills later.

I thought it was neat that, but not that neat. It is not that I did not have the money I am just looking at it from a more common sense approach. Most of today's parents just throw it on a credit card any way. That is why America is in the big mess that it is in now.

The bottom line is that I to would much rather go and buy two vintage At-At's for the price of the new one. And pay cash doing it!

The price points of today's toys is really getting ridiculous. Those selling it try and justify the "extra" expenses by saying that the labor is higher and the plastic is higher blah....blah....blah....The real issue that I see it is the CEO pay is way too high. That is where all of the money being saved on production is really going. When you really think about it was there any CEO's back in the 70's making 12 million a year in the toy industry?? Uhh No!

in defense of the new at at it's much larger than the original kenner one, and comes with more stuff (including a driver and a speeder bike). also as a price comparison the original at at was about $50.00 in 1980 money when figures were under 2

earlier hasbro reissues of the kenner at at were almost as much as this bigger one
new big at at
Rebelscum.com: Star Wars The Vintage Collection Photo Archives
kenner reissues
Rebelscum.com: Star Wars The Saga Collection Photo Archives
Rebelscum.com: Star Wars Power of the Force 2 Photo Archives

[mightyquinn]

this whole retro stuff is screwing with my mind! makes me want to get them but my wallet doesnt agree!

My thinking also. I don't like the idea of paying "vintage" prices for toys that aren't really vintage, just look like it. Buy used, help the environment.

[Lynn TXP 0369]

For those complaining about the new AT-AT price of $100, the 1997 POTF AT-AT was $100 also when it came out, I know I bought one. So it is not much a price difference from 13 years ago, to be honest I'm surprised the new one isn't at least $150.

Lynn

[livnxxxl]

I waited and bought mine on a clearance sale back then for half the original asking price. At that same time I also purchased a new POTF Millenieum Falcon for $30.00. Perhaps I was lucky and/or good things happen to those who wait.